Gobbo

Re: Stun Problem in Fantasy Hero (Double it) Are you using bleeding rules? Although characters nearly always just get knocked unconscious before getting killed, that doesn't mean they are safe... A regular swing of sword with 1d6K damage with no increase for strength can do 6 points of damage without armor; 12 if it hits head. Since most characters in our campaigns have had body somewhere between 10 to 16, they are rarely killed by one hit, but the stun damage can be massive enough. They might not be dead yet, but they are unconscious, badly hurt, taken impairing damage and rapidly bleeding to death unless stabilized in time, which is essentially the same thing for the losing side of the fight, so their friends had better finish with them bad guys really soon to get a chance to help the unlucky guy lying on floor in a bloody mess. (MEDIC! MEDIC! MOMMA!) And a zweihander has twice the damage... I've found this gritty enough. As a sidenote, a hero in plate armor is quite safe from such amounts of killing damage... but once that stupid bunch of dozen goblins have beaten Brave, Brave Sir Robin unconscious with their treebranch clubs, are they going to stop there? Naaah, they'll keep pounding as long as it's fun!

Actually neither do I. Always thought that limitation about armour was too strict, even though I've never either liked the idea of having battlemages clad in full plate throwing lightning bolts left and right. In group I used to play with, we didn't have casting in armour completely restricted: all magic had requires skill roll -limitation and any armour/encumbrance CV penalty was applied to magic skill roll as well. (Can't really remember if there was some house rule formula that was used to calculate how much was subtracted from the skill roll.) That quite effectively kept magic users down to light armour - I really liked the idea of not being told by a stupid rule that armour hinders spellcasting, but failing a spell once in a tight spot made at least one bard-like character I know of throw away his chainmail. --- If I'm not making much sense, just ignore me -- I'm posting a bit tired.

Perhaps arcane magic should also have a limitation that can't be bought off, like divine magic: Limited Power: Cannot cast while wearing heavy armour Isn't it true that in AD&D (and D&D as well?) the major drawback wizards and bards have compared to clerics and paladins is inability to cast while wearing heavy armor?

Hell, I've never bothered about that exact difficulty 'rating' when GM:ing a game... If they don't have exceptionally hard time with those combats I set up, and the quest is otherwise averagely difficult for them, I'm giving each about two experience points. (Usually playing quite low powerlevel.) On the other hand, if they get their ass kicked big time because the bad guys were even badder than they should have been, but still manage to win the day, I'm rewarding each with an extra point. -- Which I will also do, if they find an incredibly cunning plan to get around them skeletons. If appropriate, add one point for marvelous roleplaying - particularly for something in character that they know is not a good idea but needs be done, or otherwise outstanding performance. In short, they're getting usually two - to - four points a session. Mostly two, but if I'm they've done good, I'm happy, and the phase of moon is right, more it is. Anyone think this absolutely subjective method of mine is a bad way to handle them experience points? ( Sorry -- I know I'm off topic. )