Two Positive things to about the new TFT (Legacy Edition).

[phiwum]

In ITL Legacy, one also loses 5 attribute points for revival (ITL 10), so I suppose that Henry had something else in mind.

ETA: Oh, wait, I get it. There is a fiddly difference with losing IQ as opposed to other attributes in Classic that isn't present in Legacy. I'm not sure it matters much and I don't actually anticipate any character in my campaign being revived. I still wonder if Henry was thinking of something else.

[Bill_in_IN]

Originally Posted by phiwum

In ITL Legacy, one also loses 5 attribute points for revival (ITL 10), so I suppose that Henry had something else in mind.

Perhaps.

Original ITL, Page 5:

Game Masters can encourage good role-playing by giving out experience points. At the beginning of the game, each player should tell a little bit about his characters). When a player is really "in character," give him extra experience. When he breaks character (for instance, runs away when he
claims to be brave), DEDUCT experience.

Looking through the original ITL I could only see GM discretion to remove EXP for out of character activity. I believe that the new ITL is much the same.

We usually just awarded less EXP when warranted and usually left existing EXP alone.

[hcobb]

Originally Posted by phiwum

In ITL Legacy, one also loses 5 attribute points for revival (ITL 10), so I suppose that Henry had something else in mind.

I.e. in the first edition any time your ST touched zero you were at best going to lose 5 attribute points, if the character returned at all.

In Legacy (in addition to Amulet of Last Effort), a character can be saved from dying in the first place even at far negative ST values, by Physicker or Healing potions. (Which are therefore much more useful now.)

[phiwum]

Originally Posted by hcobb

I.e. in the first edition any time your ST touched zero you were at best going to lose 5 attribute points, if the character returned at all.

In Legacy (in addition to Amulet of Last Effort), a character can be saved from dying in the first place even at far negative ST values, by Physicker or Healing potions. (Which are therefore much more useful now.)

Ah! That's what you meant by "Immediate Action". (I asked before, but you must have missed that question.)

I wasn't aware that Physicker was previously useless once you hit zero ST. It's still a bit much to claim that if you win the battle, you suffer no losses, but so long as you have a physicker, anyone with ST -2 or greater will live and Healing Potions help even more. That must be a big change in gameplay.

Of course, depending on the circumstances, a badly injured character may still have a tough time finishing the adventure alive.

But, yes, if healing potions and physicker did nothing to a character who was dying in Classic TFT, then that's a huge change and one that softens the effects of combat rather a lot.

[Bill_in_IN]

Originally Posted by phiwum

Ah! That's what you meant by "Immediate Action". (I asked before, but you must have missed that question.)

I wasn't aware that Physicker was previously useless once you hit zero ST. It's still a bit much to claim that if you win the battle, you suffer no losses, but so long as you have a physicker, anyone with ST -2 or greater will live and Healing Potions help even more. That must be a big change in gameplay.

Of course, depending on the circumstances, a badly injured character may still have a tough time finishing the adventure alive.

But, yes, if healing potions and physicker did nothing to a character who was dying in Classic TFT, then that's a huge change and one that softens the effects of combat rather a lot.

In all honesty, most GMs that I knew adopted house rules that were a bit closer to the current TFT. There was more reliance on revival potions and spells.

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by phiwum

Does anyone actually play according to that rule? I always figured it was an oversight and that one could do a half-move and then defend during the action phase so long as he was engaged.

I looked at my copy of Classic era Advanced Melee and the options in there limit Defending to moving 1 hex or shifting, contrary to my (aging) memory.

[Steve Plambeck]

Originally Posted by Shostak

I looked at my copy of Classic era Advanced Melee and the options in there limit Defending to moving 1 hex or shifting, contrary to my (aging) memory.

The initial appearance of "Defend" in the list of options has always said it goes with "shift one hex (or stand still)", being listed where it is under options for engaged figures, but it doesn't end there.

Advanced Melee page 4, under CHANGING OPTIONS, explicitly says:

"if you moved 1/2 your MA or less, you may attack, defend, dodge, or drop"

First edition Wizard, page 5, said the exact same thing word for word even earlier, in 1978.

It wasn't until the Legacy editions those words were removed -- perhaps even omitted by accident. But for 40 years, a figure could move 1/2 its MA and then Defend under the rules as previously written (RAPW).

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by Steve Plambeck

The initial appearance of "Defend" in the list of options has always said it goes with "shift one hex (or stand still)", being listed where it is under options for engaged figures, but it doesn't end there.

Advanced Melee page 4, under CHANGING OPTIONS, explicitly says:

"if you moved 1/2 your MA or less, you may attack, defend, dodge, or drop"

First edition Wizard, page 5, said the exact same thing word for word even earlier, in 1978.

It wasn't until the Legacy editions those words were removed -- perhaps even omitted by accident. But for 40 years, a figure could move 1/2 its MA and then Defend under the rules as previously written (RAPW).

That makes me feel good that a.) we had been playing according to the rules (going back to Wizard, at least), and b.) my memory still works!

[phiwum]

Originally Posted by Steve Plambeck

The initial appearance of "Defend" in the list of options has always said it goes with "shift one hex (or stand still)", being listed where it is under options for engaged figures, but it doesn't end there.

Advanced Melee page 4, under CHANGING OPTIONS, explicitly says:

"if you moved 1/2 your MA or less, you may attack, defend, dodge, or drop"

First edition Wizard, page 5, said the exact same thing word for word even earlier, in 1978.

It wasn't until the Legacy editions those words were removed -- perhaps even omitted by accident. But for 40 years, a figure could move 1/2 its MA and then Defend under the rules as previously written (RAPW).

Thanks, Steve. That's how I intend to play it.

[Bill_in_IN]

Originally Posted by Shostak

That makes me feel good that a.) we had been playing according to the rules (going back to Wizard, at least), and b.) my memory still works!

Same here.