Re: stuff and plot

[Wright Frazier <khelek@ns1.cioe.com>]

I have to agree completely with this.  It beats the hell out of a rule
solution.  I'd alrady been toying with the idea of a fighting school
in the city, and a gladiator arena.  Those could cover some of
the fighting things, or goin the city guard to get additional training.
I dunno if we are gonna have a full blown mages guild in Southham, there
will be one in a couple of other cities(Kieron's Watch and Liston).
I was thinking for Southham, may be having a few big merchant mages.
i.e. guys who cast spells and teach for a living.  However given
the paranoid and captitalistic attitude(see medieval venice) that Jevan
and I are thinking of for the place, then big guilds wouldn't be
really prevelant.  

Also of note, the 'fighting schools' would be fairly elite, for the people
hoping to go into the Master and Guildmaster ranks(13+).  Also possibly
adventures of competitions between schools, or possibly actual honest
to god fighting styles.  i.e. the students of the Tynian School of
favor a much more offensive approach, they teach the broad sword, long
sword, great sword, etc..(big weapons) and their students to show this
receive a +1 to attack rolls for ever 4 levels of weapon skill learned
with that weapon, or ever 5 or something.  Then you have the MacDugal
school of fencing that favors a more defensive stance to fighting, they
prefer lighter weapons(short sword, rapiers, sabers, scimitars, etc..)
and their members receive a +1/4-5 ranks to their CDV and GDV.  i.e.
not major things, just something to differentiate style, and give
depth to the warriorly types.

As far as priests go.  *nod* this is a touchy subject.  May be for
those high rank spells(8+) you have to go on a spiritual quest or
sorts to get closer to your god.  Or do something major.  Or may be
for those seeking such powerful knowledge, there is a modified
version of the 'Commune' spell that only high priests know that
when cast, allows the target to commune with their god, and learn
the spell from them?  This'd be a fairly secret and private thing,
and definately a time consuming ritual where the priest has to
purify himself and get himself in th right frame of mind to 
receive such knowledge and have such intiment contact.(i.e. a
couple of weeks).



> > My previously statement about
> > restricted and nondefaultable and int based skills makes for a common
> > sense approach to the limiting of skills.  The skills that are "hazardous"
> > should be restricted, just like dangerous materials and steel.  If it is
> > in the system, we shouldn't decide that people can't do or try things for
> > game balance, we should restrict hot skills and materials so as to
> > regulate their use and integrate them into the system.  
> 
> Correct. I'd be all for requiring a teacher to go further. As I see it
> lower level stuff is probably very easy to find a teacher. Doesn't
> require a GM. Past rate 12 your options are to hunt down the godlike
> teacher and beg him to teach you (incurring debt probably in the form
> of having to adventure for him)... or... research/practice to do better
> (at the same multiplier as spell research).
> 
> This means you can handle it in game, a good GM will provide the 
> teacher because then you become his tool. Or you can just pay the
> eeps. All those eeps your saving up while searching for your teacher
> (the one swordsman in the world who can teach you another point or
> two) might need to get spent on research before you find him. The
> quest to find these mythical teachers are also plot points. *gasp*
> Player driven plot points instead of GMs coming up with lame adventures.
> 
> When you become the master, certainly you setup shop and let other
> players come to you to do your bidding in exchange for cheap skills.
> No doubt about it. Require a teacher or learn through experience (lots
> of experience). At lower levels since there is probably a shload of
> teachers this doesn't really matter. Past 12 is where I'd start 
> drawing the line and requiring a teacher. The same applies to Mages.
> 
> With priests this gets very tasty since (i've heard the rumor, there
> is no rule) ranks above 12 cannot even be researched so there is no
> one 4 ranks higher to teach you. So they get limited at 8... unless
> there are some high priests who have the divine ability to make that
> knowledge more accessible to the player... if so these gurus and wise
> men must be found. This also gives the GM (in the form of the teacher)
> to instill some of the ethics of their religion into the adventurer
> before giving him divine word.
> 
> Just some ramblings in complete support of Jevan's belief that this
> should be handled _in game_ in a manner that increases the campaign
> rather than diminishes the fun. I think it'd be cool to have
> adventurers who can say 'I studied under Master Bobo'.
> 
> 					-Steve
>