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From: cca@pur-phy.UUCP (Charles C. Allen)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: Runequest & other Chaosium games
Message-ID: <1201@pur-phy.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 13-Feb-84 12:21:59 EST
Article-I.D.: pur-phy.1201
Posted: Mon Feb 13 12:21:59 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 15-Feb-84 06:32:34 EST
References: <4907@umcp-cs.UUCP>, <171@tymix.UUCP> <825@qubix.UUCP>
Organization: Purdue University Physics Dept.
Lines: 44

It certainly seems that RQ3 will be quite a change in some ways.  Some of the
points that Stever brought up (such as Defense -> Dodge) I haven't had a
chance to try out yet, so I will reserve my opinion.  I wish he had amplified
on the following:

    There has been an intense over-reaction to the ENC rules of RQ II.
    Most player characters, now cannot wield both their weapons, and
    wear any significant armor without running out of fatigue.

Without giving any sort of numbers (most NEW player characters?  what's
fatigue?  does significant armor mean you can't wear plate all the time as
the old rules let just about anybody do?) this statement is pretty useless.

Battle Magic definitely needed to be changed.  For every other activity,
characters basically had to roll a % to succeed.  Not so the old Battle
Magic.  Just spend your power and *presto* you've got your Protection up.  It
didn't matter if you were a Rune Priest of a beginning char, the result was
the same.  The campaigns I run in have been using the Magic World idea of
having a percentage with each spell just as you have a percentage for each
ability (spot hidden, hide in cover, etc.).

The POWx5 - ENC rule is apparently there to widen the gap between
"magic-users" and "fighters".  In my opinion the idea is basically good.  As
it is, characters tend to look the same after awhile.  Everybody wears plate
(except thieves when they're thieving).  Everybody gets to learn any spell
they want to (basically).  Ho hum.  I'm not saying the actual rule you
mention is any good, but the idea certainly is.  By the way, is the rule
really POWx5 - ENC as you state, or (POW - ENC)x5 as your example indicates?

The missiles into melee problem is another area that definitely needed work.
A simple change to what you mention is to split the % according to SIZ, not
just numbers of things.  In addition, only creatures which are actually
adjacent to you get counted (basically limits dogs to a max of maybe 3 or 4).
There's certainly nothing wrong with the idea of using other creatures as a
living shield.  It happens all the time in my campaigns:  the tanks in plate
will form a phalanx around a lightly armored companion when attacked by a
flak battery.  Using common sense will produce sensible results.  I hope you
brought something for the dogs to eat, and don't mind blowing all your
camouflage and hide in cover shots while you've got them with you.

Mixing "sorcery" with cults is a problem.  I'll wait until I see RQ3 before
mentioning "fixes" I've seen and used.

Charlie Allen