| From: | Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Prophet's Soul |
| Date: | Tue, 24 Mar 1998 17:02:02 -0500 |
>There's got to be some limit to Quests for Knowledge, though; otherwise why
>both with deckers or physical intrusions or the like to find out difficult
>information? Just go on a Quest! Will Fuchi stock go up or down? Go on a
>Quest! Where is Aztech keeping that prisoner you have to extract? Go on a
>Quest! What's the solution to my biology homework? Should I have Chinese
>or Indian for dinner? You get the idea.
Actually, there is a limit: Quest Ratings.
A Quest to find out something mystical, like a paracritter's powers, or to
assist in spell design, should be on the lower side of things. But for
Quests of a scientific nature, such as what cyberware someone has, Matrix
info, or stock quotes or something (BTW, Fuchi isn't traded publicly), the
Quest Rating (and therefor all the associated Target Numbers) should be
through the roof. Any Quest with a double digit rating is bad news in my
book; push that above 20 (for Matrix stuff or the like) and that Quest is
nigh unto impossible. If a magician can survive a Quest like that, I say
give 'em the paydata.
Now, exact numbers would be the GM's prerogative, but it should work for
most people. This Quest to determine Prophet's cyber would probably have
been very difficult; Quest rating at least in the double digits. 99.99% of
magicians would have given up; it would have been too costly to learn that
knowledge, unless it really was life or death, which I don't think it was.
But I think it would have possible.
Not probable, but possible.
Anyway, this sort of kludge fits both the rules (since they are a bit
vague) and the current storyline.
Besides, I think the Dark Stranger handled it quite well, in TK.
Erik J.
"Oh, the silent helicopters and the men in black fatigues? They're just my
car pool to work."
