Manic Typist Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms this is a jolly good prawn-fest. we are considering a low-magic, gladiator style FH game in Ancient Rome, this article may well be the deciding vote. Neat little factoid: many ex-gladiators became highly sought after bodyguards to senators etc in Rome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted July 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms So what characteristic should PS: Gladiator be based on? I would say PRE, actually. It is, in a sense, a performance skill. Part of surviving is impressing the audience. Lucius Alexander And the palindromedary thought I was going to say DEX or maybe STR....perhaps even BOD....SURVIVAL being so much of the essence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEFCON Clown Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms I'd actually say base it on INT. Dumb gladiator's probably would last that long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted July 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms Another suggestion: If the campaign is actually going to be heavy on the gladiators, it might be possible to split the skill up; to distinguish between a gladiator (from the Latin gladius, meaning the Roman shortsword) and a retiarus (who fought with trident and net) and perhaps other specialists (depending on what's appropriate for the campaign; you don't HAVE to have it exactly as the Romans did after all.) Lucius Alexander Who fights from the back of a palindromedary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted August 6, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2006 The Professions of Arms Next up: PS: Cavalry This is the skill of a mounted soldier. Before buying it, the character MUST have Riding. Suggested characteristic: DEX (just like Riding) I have already suggested one use for the skill: Example: A cavalryman with DCV 6 is mounted on a horse with DCV 4, and thus has DCV 4. With a PS: Cavalry roll, he can have DCV 5 for the duration of combat. If it’s his own horse (horse and rider have trained together) he can have DCV 5 automatically and DCV 6 if he makes the roll. Why doesn’t Riding skill confer this benefit? Because riding a horse is one thing, controlling it in combat is another. Anyone else have any ideas? Lucius Alexander The palindromedary mocks Lucius for the apparent delusion that having ideas could be his unique property..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemurion Posted August 7, 2006 Report Share Posted August 7, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms It could be a complementary skill when bargaining to buy a horse. A successful roll could make it easier to see which horse has the best training, or help lower the by using the warhorses don't make good cart horses argument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackValhalla Posted August 7, 2006 Report Share Posted August 7, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms Also, proper care and maintenance of a horse in both battlefield and road conditions. Knowing where to check your animal for nicks and cuts before they become a problem. Knowing how to rearrange your saddlepacks and blanket for an armed charge rather than a simple ride. Knowing how to cut and whittle a wooden lance from a tree without buying the Weaponsmithing skill. Observing the weak points in an infantry formation. Knowing that it's a bad idea to ride on top of a ridgeline at dawn and dusk, and knowing that it's a bad idea to ride in a valley during mid-day. Figuring out which avenue of attack is least likely to stone or lame your horse. Deciphering trumpet signals and banners. Conserving the animal's strength (maybe the GM gives you regular updates on the horse's END?). PS: Cavalry could be good for much more than a DCV bonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted August 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms Those are all excellent, exellent ideas! That's the kind of input I like to see. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary is still digesting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted August 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms Next up PS: Duelist DEX based Discuss Lucius Alexander The palindromedary has PS: Dualist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemurion Posted August 13, 2006 Report Share Posted August 13, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms Well, the first thought is whether it's a sword or gun based duelist, as the skill set might be different. If you are doing pistols at ten paces, it could be a complementary skill towards a presence attack to make your opponent hesitate so you get the first shot. A successful roll could give an extra die. When swordfighting it could be used to see if you pull off a surprise maneuver (a sword trick the opponent doesn't know about) to get a bonus to OCV or DCV. If you're fighting someone with the same DEX and SPD a successful roll could allow you to go first automatically, without the roll off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manic Typist Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms Styles of duelist, different rules and codes for different regions. Common tricks. Choice of locations. Manners. Reputation knowledge of other duelists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted August 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms Well, that didn't generate nearly as much discussion as I'd hoped. Perhaps too much that could be said had already been said under "Weapons Expert" and "Swordmaster." Let's try a skill that could easily be associated with a "warrior archetype" but not necessarily so. PS: Explorer INT based, I'd say. I have some ideas, but let's see what everyone else says first. Lucius Alexander PS: Palindromedary Rider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEFCON Clown Posted August 28, 2006 Report Share Posted August 28, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms Probably would let the character make crude maps of places he's been, no where near as good as somebody with cartography. I also think it would act as a complimentary skill when trying to use navigation to get around obstacles. "Well we need to get to the top of the ridge, but from my expierence I'd bet will find an easy way up aways away from the river." ITs the difference between this; You could also use it for some culture knowledge. Gary rolls his CuK: Dengak 12- he rolls a 14 and accidentally insults the chieftian's mother. Gary is served for dinner. And this; Gary rolls his CuK: Dengak 12- he rolls a 14 and fails but since he has PS:Explorer he rolls that at -2. He makes his roll and realizes that the Dengak are very similar to the Lokgam, he'd better spit on his hand before he greets the chief! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted August 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms Actually, I would say some form of Navigation and some form of Survival should probably be prerequisites. Someone with PS: Explorer is probably good with directions, both giving clear directions and following them; can draw a map, especially if literate, but not as good as with PS: Cartographer, but again, it is probably a complimentary skill there too. Certainly, should be able to describe a region well enough TO a cartographer to enable the latter to draw at least a rough map. Lucius Alexander Still trying to explain left and right to a palindromedary... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mayapuppies Posted August 31, 2006 Report Share Posted August 31, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms Ok, and you haven't compiled these into a document and proposed the book/pdf to Mr. Long because...? Feed your groupies dammit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted August 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms Ok, and you haven't compiled these into a document and proposed the book/pdf to Mr. Long because...? Feed your groupies dammit! What makes you think I haven't? Lucius Alexander The palindromedary says "Besides, he can't even get his Hyborean Dancing Girls in a row to present them to Mr. Surbrook...." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mayapuppies Posted September 1, 2006 Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackValhalla Posted September 1, 2006 Report Share Posted September 1, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms My thoughts on PS: Explorer... Well, I'm not really inclined to think of it as a "backup" skill for Cultural Knowledge. I can see that it might cover the crudest basics of cartography, and I might see it giving an 8- to substitute for CuK if the character does not have the appropriate CuK.. But I think that it's biggest contribution will be about the process of navigating uncharted territory. Cutting brush, conserving supplies, marking backtrail, and making the best possible time through unfamiliar lands. eg: Sangkuar loped up alongside Roth, peering out from the top of the ridge. Below was a spread of greenery, treetops like rolling hills, and Sangkuar could make out the whistling of birds, the croak of frogs, and animal chattering all coming from the forest at the base of the ridge. Roth shook his head and started to walk further down the ridgeline. "Roth, the mountain pass is just the other side of the valley! Let's go," Sangkuar urged his companion. Roth shook his head and spat. "Kid, we wouldn't make a mile a day down there. It's all creeper vines, underbrush, deadfalls, roots, and stagnant water down there. These rocks may be hard on our ankles, but we won't starve before we make the pass if we circle arond the valley." He pushed off further down the ridge, and Sangkuar hurried to catch up. Two cents! Worth every penny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted September 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms That was excellent, although in this case you are making it substitute for either Survival (terrain type) or Area Knowledge: (terrain type) I absolutely think it would be complimentary to those, and I think I stated that I think those should also be prerequisite skills. Of course, PS: Explorer might substitute (poorly, as in, at penalties) for Survival in a completely new terrain. I think another use for PS:Explorer would be for recruitment. Both to find people willing to go with you on expeditions, and to hire and negotiate with local bearers, guides, and the like. Lucius Alexander Hiring a local palindromedary herder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackValhalla Posted September 4, 2006 Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms Hmm, excellent point about the recruitment angle. The most important part of an exploratory journey is the preparation, obviously. Most of the major expeditions IRL involved dozens of people.. soldiers, guards, doctors, guides, translators, porters, scouts... very few expeditions ever went out with just three or four people. And those were generally the ones that didn't come back. Read a little on the British imperialism, and you find out that big expeditions were fairly successful. Yes, recruitment is essential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted September 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2006 PS: Explorer And planning. And leadership. If one of the porters is unexpectedly struck down (disease, accident, animal attack, whatever) and the others start muttering mutinously, PS: Explorer could compliment a Persuasion or Oratory (Or Trading or Bribery) roll to get them to keep going. If you didn't want to go into the exhaustive detail of exactly what supplies were brougth, you could use a PS: Explorer roll when you come to the cliffs you didn't know were there, to see if you brought enough rope to safely climb down and explore the valley below. Lucius Alexander How do you get a palindromedary down a cliff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markdoc Posted September 5, 2006 Report Share Posted September 5, 2006 Re: PS: Explorer How do you get a palindromedary down a cliff? The usual way - a vigorous shove. cheers, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted September 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2006 Re: PS: Explorer The usual way - a vigorous shove. cheers, Mark Markdoc, if I hadn't repped you recently I'd have done it now for making me laugh out loud. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary on the other hand wants to give Markdoc negative rep for cruelty to palindromedaries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted September 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms PS: Falconry AKA Hawking Lucius Alexander The palindromedary wonders what he'll come up with for G...and H...and I.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted September 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 Re: The Professions of Arms Okay, that didn't fly. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary suggests it may be too close to Animal Handler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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