Re: Hirudo

["Kris Ames" <kris@cioe.com>]

----------
> From: Michael Kilgore <kilgore@iquest.net>
> To: Game Master List <gmlist@cioe.com>
> Subject: Hirudo
> Date: Wednesday, June 17, 1998 11:26 PM
> 

> 
> I can see two improvements that I would make to this modified
description. 
> First, get rid of the draining hirudo for experience points.  Personally,
> as long as this is in the description, I don't believe hirudo should be
> allowed for player characters. 

 The nice thing about the draining for experience thing is that it gives
Hirudo reasons to limit their own numbers.  You would not have a
big group of Hirudo players running around if only because of the risk
of another Hirudo draining them.

> Second, add the limitation that a hirdo can
> have only one usage of each of the Decay spells affect a hirudo at any
> time.  Under some interpretations, a hirudo can use drain strenght on
five
> or six people and get an effective five or six levels of exceptional
> strength.  

I don't have a problem with this one.  In order to drain strength on five
of six people the Hirudo has to have the spells to do so, and at triple
cost this is expensive.  Wrestling skill costs significantly less and is
pretty much just as effective.

> As for allowing hirudo player character, I like the idea if the
definition
> of the hirudo is fixed.  However, I believe senior game masters should
> place heavy restrictions on who can or cannot have a hirudo for two
> reasons.  I don't believe that some players would be able to handle a
> hirudo that is not overly disruptive of the game.  Secondly, the number
of
> hirudo should be quite low (just by the nature of the religion).  This
way
> adventures where half of the party are hirudo would not happen.
> 

Once again, I think the number of Hirudo limit themselves.  First you must
be made a Hirudo by another Hirudo.  Second the populous at large does
not like you, so random violence and premature death of your character
is more probable.  GMs should run things that way.  In Centralia when one
of the Hirudo characters bumped into a Priest of Ra, who had a good chance
of figuring out who they were, the Hirudo in question stood a good chance
of
dying and combat was played out according to the rules.  In short if GMs
and
players would just react accordingly, artificial limits would not be
necessary.


-Kris