[PnP] my first post - a few very noob questions

[Scott Adams]

At 08:02 PM 9/14/07, you wrote:
>Hi,

Howdy, Glad you found us on the list.  Thanks for emailing me.  I do like your name!  Great name! :)



>I apologize in advance if my questions are too newbie-ish. It's just
>that resources are so llimited for what seems to be a really decent
>system. I was hoping someone on this list might have some time to
>share their thoughts about a few questions I have.

Nothing is newbie as we were all tehre.


>1) Can magic users wear armor and does it affect their ability to cast
>spells? From my reading so far, I assume magic users can wear whatever they like with no penalty. That seems strange to me.
They can wear anything as long as their body frame and strength can support it.  A 80 year old Mage might not be able to hold plate armor :)
Isn't as strange as its just clothing in a way.  Some society or cult or group might restrict armor use but all in all its just like clothing.  No restrictions.  It doesn't affect spells.  However, if its magical armor that say enhances Attributes and you are wearing other items that conflict with that then it may cancel out the other object.  There are some rules on that in book 4 if I recall.  Typically MUs tend to wear leather but some could do chain or scale.  Other than that its kinda hard to picture but possible.  One reason I added 200 spells to the pnp universe was 3 spells like Armor, Iron Skin and Shield Powers which give magical armors to wizards without need of physical armor :)



>2) Are there any house rules to take OCV/DCV or the target's
>agility/dex (or anything) into consideration when targeting them with
>ranged weapons? It seems that an active person should be harder to hit
>than say, a tree. So far it seems the only difference between
>targeting a human and a tree, is that a human could choose to use his
>shield if he has one (although I suppose he could dodge if he wanted
>to give up his turn).
Dodge handles the factors of agility and such for figuring out if a ranged weapon will hit or not.  Unless you see it coming theres no reason OCV/DCV or anything else should take into account.  As far as I can see.  Unless you have magic to detect it coming :)



>3) Are there any house rules to keep the all-mighty Status roll from
>making or breaking a new character? It seems that so long as you make
>a status of 3 or higher, you don't really need to spend any initial
>increases on cash. So now you have both a cash advantage and a
>skill/character point/experience point advantage over characters with
>a status of 1 or 2.
None that I know of.  But I suppose culture can determine that.  Some may not use cash :).  To me status is how one tends to act and determines their background.  A status 0 character shouldn't make up a background that he was a prince of the king.  While a status 10 shouldn't make up background that he begged on the streets.  To me that's how status works aside from some interactions in society after character generation.  As to cash one character can easily run out of cash at status 0 or status 10.  So I don't see much advantage only in what a character can buy as a challenge.  Of course with special events theres way to get free stuff. 



>4) Can I assume that most P&P GMs are VERY liberal with spell success
>modifiers? It sure seems like the players can romp all over the NPCs
>without them. As an example, "Abandon"; I like to assign a 5 to 10
>penalty if the target is already leery of the caster, up to 25 if they
>are already in combat. Meanwhile, I would consider a bonus of around
>10 if the caster can cajole the target into a discussion to at least
>consider "forgetting all your woes" before casting his spell.
As GM I don't let folks know what all goes in the rolls.  So its up tot he players to guess the evil thoughts of their GM.  :)  But I like Balance.
So there tend to be few modifiers to basic spells unless its needed.
Basic mods might be purifications, protections, environment, etc.
Folks think they can stomp npcs but a MEL1 character can get sa
lucky on a MEL15 character just as easily with a good non moded
roll :)  In the end its up to the GM. 




>5) I do see ambush rules, but are there any rules (House or otherwise)
>that dictate how soon two groups of travelers will see each other in
>the wilderness? Or who will see each other first? The skills don't
>seem to account for sensory perception very much ­ is that generally
>ignored in games that you folks run?


Again depends on the terrain and situation.  Are they on horse or walking?  Are some flying or searching for firewood?  I've not
seen house rules for it.  But I take it case by case.  Survival skill
may play a part in it in figuring out how a terrain 'acts'.  Might
it bend around the corner and lead to a good ambush point?  etc.
Basically it also depends on if the characters are busy readng or
talking or watching where they walk/ride :).  I did add Sensory
Powers to help in sensory perception things like this.  
There are ways to help in this area.  A simple spyglass can help or
a spell like Awareness which i made and Richard made with somechanges if I recall but both are intiailly the same spell.



>Sorry if that's too much too fast. I'll take whatever kind of response
>I can get.

Good start.  



>By the way, I live in Tarpon Springs, Florida and am always looking
>for interested gamers. We're going to the Necronomicon in October 5,
>2007 at the Hyatt in downtown Tampa. A bunch of gamers get together
>there each year. No P&P so far, but you never know what might show up on the schedule.

I'm just up the road from you in Jax. :)  I did the convention scene with Skirrmish's and a few others if you recall that name.  Ran a few Pnp games then.  Oct. 5. Friday.  I think I have that day off.  Could shoot down.  But will depend on that week.  Vacation time so may go up north to some places.  hrmmm...

Ask more if you have them.  We'll be here.  
I've been doing pnp since 1983 or so and still find things to tweak or ad or change or get amazed at.  With V2 rules that has added more spice.
Teh nice thing about pnp is the GM is in control.  He can add or delete or change as he sees fit.