Dungeon Fantasy/Monster Hunter Powers in Standard Games

[panton41]

Originally Posted by RyanW

It's not really a tech issue. Impaling and piercing damage have been the primary combat threats since it occurred to someone to start sharpening the sticks. Swords are just over represented compared to spears and arrows in most fantasy than is probably historically accurate.

Swords were often a king or noble's weapon and legends and stories built up around them. Spears, axes and clubs not so much. Fast forward 500 years when the gun has taken over and all that's left of warfare in those days in the public eye are those legends and then ask people what weapons they used back then. Ask 100 people what Excalibur (or maybe Durandal for French people) was and they'll say a sword. Ask them about Gungnir and you'll be lucky they even knew you said a word.

Personally I like giving my fantasy characters axes, spears, maces, hammers, polearms, etc. Not only does it make them seem more real, it also makes them different from a generic "sword and board" concept.

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by Gnome

Right, but since DF is supposed to be stereotypical fantasy, for the sake of game balance I think it makes sense to reprice some things. Just like a UB can add to the price of something the GM thinks is too cheap for the campaign, so I think it makes sense to offer certain advantages more cheaply when they are too expensive to be worth buying in the campaign.

Generally agreed. I was just pointing out that it's a fantasy trope, not a real aspect of low technology. If you decide to reduce the cost, it should probably only apply to DF and like-minded campaigns, not to every pre-gunpowder setting.

[Gnome]

Originally Posted by Toadkiller_Dog

Outdoorsman is really a better value when priced with the Power-Ups revised costing.

I'm not familiar with this. I assume you're not talking about DF11, since there's nothing in there about repricing Outdoorsman. I also have Imbuements and Perks, but not any other Power-Ups books, so I assume it's from one of those...?

[B9anders]

Originally Posted by Toadkiller_Dog

Outdoorsman is really a better value when priced with the Power-Ups revised costing.

Otherwise, I've been okay with the pricing.

Yep, from a meta-gaming perspective Outdoorsman is a terrible deal. Only 7 skills, just one too many for it to be half-priced. I generally allow Fishing to be cut out and halve the pricing for it.

But the pricing scheme in Power-Ups, alongside the weather sense addition, does make it more worthwhile.

[B9anders]

Originally Posted by Gnome

I'm not familiar with this. I assume you're not talking about DF11, since there's nothing in there about repricing Outdoorsman. I also have Imbuements and Perks, but not any other Power-Ups books, so I assume it's from one of those...?

Power-Ups: Talents gives alternate pricing schemes, among other things, for a range of talents. Outdoorsman is one of them.

[ULFGARD]

Originally Posted by Toadkiller_Dog

Outdoorsman is really a better value when priced with the Power-Ups revised costing.

Otherwise, I've been okay with the pricing.

As noted, it's in Power Ups: Talents. I have imported the alternative abilities and costing schemes into pretty much all of my games. It makes a better deal, and I much prefer the alternative abilities to reaction bonuses.