Orcs as player characters

[JohnPaulB]

Consider: currently a Dwarf’s MA is 10.
• Cloth MA = 10;
• Leather MA = 8;
• Chainmail (& onward) = 6

Consider: The proposed - A Dwarf’s MA is now 8.
• Cloth MA = 8;
• Leather MA = 6;
• Chainmail (& onward) = 4

I know that there isn’t anymore Great Strength in the MA department. (Armor 4 Aug: Changed to remove the ability to wear armor lightly at great strength. Largely a balance issue, backed up by comments from big guys in armor - "it's still a pain.")

But a dwarf in chain at MA=4 seems a bit unplayable. If you do reduce Dwarf MA to 8, please allow the dwarf’s double carrying capacity to keep dwarfs with chainmail (or more) to maintain MA = 6

That, for me, is more important than Racial +1 damage with ax/mace.

Or make the Dwarven MA = 9 instead of the 8 proposed and don’t use the ‘double load’ request.

[Rick_Smith]

Originally Posted by JohnPaulB

Consider: The proposed - A Dwarf’s MA is now 8.
• Cloth MA = 8;
• Leather MA = 6;
• Chainmail (& onward) = 4
...

Hi John, everyone.
You could say that dwarves are less slowed by heavy loads, so heavy armor affects their MA less. (Or just reduce the MA penalty for Dwarves in any armor by one.)

And of course, the dwarf could take Running talent.

Warm regards, Rick.

[JohnPaulB]

I'm fine with Elves starting out at MA = 12. They should be able to buy Running Talent normally.

What I don't understand is "Elves also have an inbred horror of insects and crawling things and fight them at a -3 DX penalty.

That surely can't mean that regular centipedes and worms crawling on the ground freak them out. This must refer to something more, like a bee swarm or kicking over an ant hill or gnat cloud. Otherwise, how could they be so nature oriented and build in the forest?

But it does say "fight them at a -3 DX penalty" so perhaps fighting said creatures is when the horror kicks in?

I could see that this Horror would apply to Giant Insects.

Also, one way to exploit this is for a wizard to Summon the bug version of Myrmidon.

[JohnPaulB]

Originally Posted by Steve Jackson

Orcs and men have similar stats, so a half-breed would also be 8/8/8/8.

½ Breeds: Doh, of course Orcs & Man have the same starting stats. I’ve been creating some D&D5e recently and got turned around. Sorry about that.

I would automatically give the ½ breeds language in both races to compensate for the penalties of being ½ breed.

[Jim Kane]

Originally Posted by Rick_Smith

Hi John, everyone.
You could say that dwarves are less slowed by heavy loads, so heavy armor affects their MA less. (Or just reduce the MA penalty for Dwarves in any armor by one.) And of course, the dwarf could take Running talent. Warm regards, Rick.

Right, this is what we do too. The encumbrance advantage which Dwarves enjoy, extents to the weight of Armor as well; therefore Armor penalties are essentially 1/2 for Dwarves in our house-rules.

JK

[Rick_Smith]

Originally Posted by JohnPaulB

...What I don't understand is "Elves also have an inbred horror of insects and crawling things and fight them at a -3 DX penalty. ...

I could see that this Horror would apply to Giant Insects. ...

Hi John, everyone.
I totally agree with you. For a while I played that Elves had a -3 DX vs giant insects which seemed better. Honestly I would be happier if the elves got some other penalty than 'scared of insects'.

Warm regards, Rick.

[Skarg]

Originally Posted by JohnPaulB

Consider: currently a Dwarf’s MA is 10.
• Cloth MA = 10;
• Leather MA = 8;
• Chainmail (& onward) = 6

Consider: The proposed - A Dwarf’s MA is now 8.
• Cloth MA = 8;
• Leather MA = 6;
• Chainmail (& onward) = 4
...
But a dwarf in chain at MA=4 seems a bit unplayable. If you do reduce Dwarf MA to 8, please allow the dwarf’s double carrying capacity to keep dwarfs with chainmail (or more) to maintain MA = 6 ...

Oh, yeah, I was thinking more like:

Dwarf:
• Cloth MA = 8;
• Leather MA = 8;
• Chainmail (& onward) = 6

Because yes, MA 4 is awful, and it makes sense to me that if dwarves are so great at carrying things, they're probably slowed less by armor (they can carry more, and smaller suits weigh less anyway - I'm used to it working out about this way in GURPS already).

Elves in original ITL already have:
• Unarmored MA = 12;
• Cloth/Leather MA = 10;
• Chainmail (& onward) = 6

[Jim Kane]

Originally Posted by JohnPaulB

...Or make the Dwarven MA = 9 instead of the 8 proposed...

The only thing you would need to answer here John, is at MA 9, what then would be the Dwarf half-move?

9 being an odd number, would be a half-move of 4.5... so you'll need to invent a fix for that problem if you want to use an odd integer value for MA.

JK

[Rick_Smith]

Originally Posted by Jim Kane

The only thing you would need to answer here John, is at MA 9, what then would be the Dwarf half-move?

9 being an odd number, would be a half-move of 4.5... so you'll need to invent a fix for that problem if you want to use an odd integer value for MA.

JK

Hi Jim,
The rules say you can move half your MA or less, so 4 is less than half of MA 9.

From time to time, people get 1 point movement penalties in my campaign, and it causes no problems.

Warm regards, Rick.

[JohnPaulB]

Originally Posted by Jim Kane

The only thing you would need to answer here John, is at MA 9, what then would be the Dwarf half-move?

9 being an odd number, would be a half-move of 4.5... so you'll need to invent a fix for that problem if you want to use an odd integer value for MA.

JK

Round Up? MA=5 That would be better than MA=4, but worse than MA=6.