[PnP] More old Qs suggestions and errata

[Alex Koponen]

More Q&A to Richard Snider from 1984. Also many suggestions I made back 
in 1984.

Book 1 p.25  Armorer - An EL80 armorer should be slightly faster than an 
EL30 armorer making an identical item.
Can other races learn and use the Elven and Dwarven skills in making 
armor?
Could an armorer of faerry origin gtet skilled enough to make normal WSB 
weapons? - I'd presume so.
Can a faerry armorer make Elven Alloy weapons?
Snider's answer: Armorer is one of the skills that requires some 
clarification. For Dwarfs, their Armorer skill is very rarely taught to 
non-dwarfs. It is more common for Elves bit in neither case is it 
frequent. To gain this right, very special circumstances must apply.

Are Elven or Dwarven weapons and armor magical [No] or can it be 
enchanted? [Yes] i.e. Elven Leather AV2 - Enchanted to AV6.
Snider's answer: Elf and Dwarf armor can be enchanted. The basic armors 
are not magical, they are better before any magic is cast.

Why would anyone get leather armor when quilted armor is lighter, 
cheaper and just as good? Likewise, there is no advantage in having 
brigandine over banded ring armor. The only advantage that scale mail 
has over banded ring armor is it's availability.

Costs of items should be related to the time, skill, and materials 
required to make it. And Vice Versa. So the cost (listed on the table) 
rather than it's AV decides the time required to make an item and the 
limits of what an Armorer may make. Also - as the rules now read does it 
take 4 days to make ONE arrow?
Snider's reply: Repair and construction rules for armor require 
revision. I am still unsure how I will change them.

    Why are pole weapons so expensive? They are easier to make than 
swords (less iron - quality is less critical). Why is a Halberd so good 
(+3!) (+6 vs. charge)? Give variable fatigue values and costs to 
weapons.

    Horses - Are bigger horses always better horses? Is a Clydesdale 
always better trained and faster than an Arabian? - It would appear so 
from the animal table.
Snider's answer: In the horse rules, a Clydesdale would be a warhorse 
(II or III). An Arabian is a war-trained Riding Horse (III or IV). In 
general, for cavalry the greater the power and size of the animal, the 
greater its value in combat as a charging mount. Obviously, an arabian 
is a fine horse but it is not one that is prized for its shock value in 
comabet - it is a Harse Archer;s mount and one used to get in and get 
out quickly.

Give the stats for more skills: Carpenter, Cook, Tailor, etc. Also later 
period skills: Gun Marksmanship, Driving, etc.

Why should assassins be trained in Hand to Hand? Why not instead have 
training in brewing poisons, disguise artist, or dagger?
    I suggest that the training under 'E)' only be to Startin EL. 
Perhaps several skills from a larger selection. One from column A, two 
from column B, etc.
    Section 'A)' is too powerful, besides when combined with 'G)' the 
combat roll is modified twice. For my game I change 'A)' to a 
sub-section of 'F)' i.e. Only on 1st strike from a successful ambush.
Snider's answer: Assassin rules are modified in the Book of Tables. 
Hand-to-Hand is given to reflect the complete physical training given by 
the guild. It might be a good idea to allow the Assassin to pick one 
from a group of skills, of which yours would be three and hand-to-hand 
would be one, rather than just have hand-to-hand.

Book 2 p.5 Subdual - Edged weapons would not be as effective in this 
mode. Thus should do less damage. Say damage/2 (RD).
Snider's answer: I don't understand. For clubs you get 1real per 5 
subdual, for others 1 real per 10, I can't see the problem. True, a fist 
or chair gives more impact but an edged weapon is still a bar of metal. 
I think that the additional hardness negates the difference in 
effectiveness. Leave as is.

Suggestion (left out of Feb., 2000 posting) for change in missile 
resolution:
Combat Line = missile OCV + attacker's Dodge Value - defender's DCV
Roll = D100 - attacker's EL + defender's (shield EL + shield AV)
[I don't think you make shields effective enough vs. missiles.]
Missile weapons have a flatter learning curve than melee weapons - but 
is the curve as flat as implied in these rules? Compare the difference 
in effectiveness between an EL1 and an EL16 bowman at the same range. I 
think that you'll find a very small difference in these rules.
Snider's answer: Leave as is.

I suggest changing the backside of the character sheets. Those 
characters that can use spells may want a separate (photocopiable) spell 
record sheet. I include an example. In a book make a photocopiable spell 
record sheet. [Actually I now suggest having the back of Book 1 be a 
copiable character sheet and the back of book 2 be a copiable spell 
record sheet. Book 3 could have its back having a copiable monster or 
combat record sheet and the back of Book 4 having the back of the 
character sheet.]
On the backside of the character sheets:
a) on the top of the page put the armor and weapons sections - expanded 
across the page.
b) below that put the education record - increased by 10 lines.
c) then put the spell record section - reduced to 6 lines to handle 
innate powers and spells.
d) then the special attribute section - 4 lines across the page.
e) on the bottom put personal contacts - increased by 2 lines.
Also I suggest that on the front of the character sheets the positions 
of Current Ability and Maximum Ability should be switched.

In response to a suggestion to use W rolls to successfully keep up with 
training characteristics Snider responded: Anyone can train their 
characteristics up to the limit specified in the book. There is no roll 
required to realize that you must keep up your training to keep your 
increases.

Next post will include spells Q&A.