Rules on Temporary Attribute Loss...

[Yami Fowl]

Hey guys,

I'd like to understand something...
On the box with the rules for Temporary Attribute loss and reduction, states that reducing IQ affects Will and Per, but later states that affecting Will does not reduce Will based Resistance to Spells, Affliction and those...

Same thing applies to DX not reducing dodge.

My point is:
I understand that for Shock penalty, reducing those attributes would not only require redoing some maths but also would fade away in one second... But coming to afflictions, spells and abilities that drain or reduce attributes, doesn't this rule make them almost ridiculous?

The spell Weaken Will for example, what is it's purpose if not reduce the Will of the target in order to facilitate mind control, mind reading or any mind affecting spell causing anything from domination to fright checks?

When I leech my opponent's DX, shouldn't he be less agile therefore making his dodges more harder?

Now onto the Maths:
When I take a +50% enhancement to my affliction to cause blindness on my target, the target (if failing the roll) takes the full effect on the Blindness (-50CP) disadvantage, why would the target not take the full effect of "Reduced DX 1" (-20CP) if I pay the full +20% enhancement?

This rule seem to make buffs a little useless, I'd like some opinions on the matter please...
I understand DX, HT and IQ penalties affect lots of skills, but the only use of an Affliction reducing Will, would be reducing the resistance towards abilities which require resisting with Will. Since I don't believe I anyone would take a Will reducing affliction to make the target less intimidating.

Thanks!

[Captain Joy]

Originally Posted by Yami Fowl

I'd like some opinions on the matter please...

My impression is that not having the affected stat also affect all the substats based of it is simply a matter of playability. Dealing with the extra math/calculations is the more realistic thing to do. If your group is to deal with the extra work, then more power to them.

[PK]

Here's the thing you're missing -- and it's not your fault. It could definitely be clearer. The box on temporary attribute loss is referring to small-a afflictions, not being hit by the big-a Affliction advantage.

In other words, if you become Tipsy, you suffer a penalty to IQ and Will, but that Will penalty doesn't affect your resistance rolls. However, if someone hits you with Affliction (Attribute Penalty, IQ-5), that Will penalty does affect your resistance rolls, because that's the whole point.

So the box should be read in the context of afflictions, not Affliction.

(Kromm's answered this one a few times around here. If I had time -- but I don't at the moment -- I'd track that down and cast Summon Molokh to see about getting it FAQed. Anyone else who's up for doing so, please feel free.)

[vicky_molokh]

Small-a, eh? So if my PC gets someone drunk in order to make it easier to seduce them, their resistance roll is unchanged. I need to use some Curse Of Pan Affliction instead. Weird.

[PK]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Small-a, eh? So if my PC gets someone drunk in order to make it easier to seduce them, their resistance roll is unchanged. I need to use some Curse Of Pan Affliction instead. Weird.

Kromm went into more detail at some point. I'll see if I can wrangle his OP up...

EDIT: Here's the thread. Kromm's comments on the matter start at post #10 but are clarified at post #20, and he then goes on to even suggest a FAQ-entry phrasing to you, Molokh, ironically enough. :)

[Grouchy Chris]

Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty

Kromm went into more detail at some point. I'll see if I can wrangle his OP up...

This one? I mined the forums for quotes on Affliction for the Wiki, and that's the only relevant one from the ones I collected.

[Yami Fowl]

Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty

EDIT: Here's the thread. Kromm's comments on the matter start at post #10 but are clarified at post #20, and he then goes on to even suggest a FAQ-entry phrasing to you, Molokh, ironically enough. :)

Whoa, thanks a Rev. Pee Kitty!
That made crystal clear how to use the rule...
Thanks everyone!

[rosignol]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Small-a, eh? So if my PC gets someone drunk in order to make it easier to seduce them, their resistance roll is unchanged. I need to use some Curse Of Pan Affliction instead. Weird.

Yeah, that one seems insufficiently reality-checked to me. There are practical reasons guys buy the petite ladies more drinks... ;-)

[Captain Joy]

Originally Posted by rosignol

Yeah, that one seems insufficiently reality-checked to me. There are practical reasons guys buy the petite ladies more drinks... ;-)

Quoting Kromm from post 10 of the thread referenced by Rev. Pee Kitty:

Our goal was to keep mundane injury and affliction from meaning on-the-fly recalculations all the time, not to gimp attack abilities that can already be dodged or resisted.

So, I think the concede is that the RAW is sacrificing some realism for playability. The RAW does not require "on-the-fly recalculations" for fear of bogging down the game. If my PC got someone drunk in order to seduce them, I'd apply the Will penalty to the target's resistance roll.

In general, when the penalty is more fun than the additional arithmetic is tedious, apply it. This is not breaking the rules per se; just adding detail. That's my take, anyway.

[sir_pudding]

Yeah, I've long house ruled that many temporary penalties do affect these sorts of rolls. It doesn't make any sense to me that being drunk or tired doesn't impair judgment in GURPS, when they certainly do in real life.