Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jackson
Languages – Hmm. Having anything that costs less than 1 point add complexity. I suppose we might say “For a half-point, you can learn a language well enough to read it if you are Literate, and speak it well, but with an accent. For a full point, you sound like a native.” But that leaves a loose half-point floating around. Kind of GURPSy.
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Hi Steve,
Many GURPS ideas are good.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jackson
... Monster Followers – I have wondered how much those get used. They definitely have no basis in reality. Should I consider deleting them and using the space for other things, and possibly doing a whole splatbook, or section of a monster book, about it? Discuss, please.
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I think that a monster book with a couple pages on the care and training of monster followers would be very cool. The talents could be written up in that book at what ever length is needed to make them work.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jackson
Two Weapons – I can see cutting that cost to 2. Heck, I fought with two weapons in the SCA, modestly well, and it did not fry my brain. I think it’s too powerful, mechanically, to cut to 1.
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It certainly seems over priced at 3.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jackson
Boating – Rick, are you suggesting it is too trivial, in the game world, to be a talent?
Remember, “memory” is also taking in continued training time.
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No, I'm not suggesting that at all. I LIKE the idea of Boating and other small utility talents. They add a lot of the flavour to the game.
However, I think that you are leading yourself mentally astray with that meme of "memory also includes training time".
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Let us say you want to be an adventurer who can fight, but also wants to do a couple of other things. For example, I want to write up a Heroic Leader who is also a Ranger. (Kinda like a simpler version of Aragorn.)
These are the talents which my Ranger Prince needs:
Sword, Shield, Bow, Missile Weapons, Tactics, Strategist, Charisma, Diplomacy, Horsemanship, Literacy, Courtly Graces, Naturalist, Tracking, Woodsman, Alertness, Climbing. This is
24 mIQ.
Might someone want to play a prince who can fight and is a bit of a ranger? Sure! After reading Lord of the Rings, I went thru a period when I thought Aragorn was a totally cool character. I've NOT given him Expert Naturalist, Fencing, Math, Swimming, Butcher, Mimic, or a few other talents which would be useful to such a character. This is the minimum talent list I really need to represent the character I would like to play.
Now arguing, that Missile Weapons REALLY does not require 30% of my total mental capacity because it represents the time to stay in practice sounds facile, but it MISSES THE POINT. I can't write up a Commander of Men, who is also a Ranger in the old TFT. In the new TFT it is even worse.
Talents just take up too much memory to create many types of fun characters which exist in real life and in fiction. They are simply impossible in new TFT.
This is why most long running TFT games cheat when it comes to memory and talents.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jackson
I have also cut Expert Naturalist to 2 since it has to stack on top of Naturalist.
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Excellent, a step forward.
Warm regards, Rick.