| From: | The Deb Decker <RJR96326@****.UTULSA.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | The Deep of the Pool(s) |
| Date: | Mon, 28 Jun 1993 19:08:53 -0500 |
message :). Between his new words and comments on past messages, I'll
toss my haberdash in the circle.
1: Defining Pools: Huth is right, they aren't well defined. All I can
put here is how I see them, keeping in mind Shadowrun's cinematic flavor
and the possibilitiy of outrageous events occuring. Pools are not just
skill and not just experience,nor are they merely luck, for the reasons
Huth cited. Rather, they are a combination of the two. In archetype-specific
cases (Hacking Pool, Control Pool) they may also reflect technological
enhancement.
They are indicative of your ability to improvise, to come up with an
alternate plan or maneuver. That is why more experienced characters (with
their consequently higher skill levels and attributes) typically have
higher pools. Experience does count, reflected by the limitation of not
using a higher number of dice than the original skill. The similar limit
on Attribute tests is simply a relction that the body can only do so much,.
regardless of how lucky you are. Here is my breakdown of the pools and how
their ability to improvise is related to who has them:
CONTROL POOL: If a pool is your ability to adapt, improvise, and overcome,
then why does having a control pool require a VCR? Because improvising the
kinds of moves that a Rigger would attempt requires an intimate level of
feedback and control that only a VCR can provide.
HACKING POOL: I'm not sure if turtles can hack on the fly, but I believe
it requires a degree of programming experience to improvise programs. Since
this pool is tied directly to Intelligence and skill and doesn't require
extra cyberware, it already expresses the Huth ideal in what chould
comprise a pool. (that's should).
MAGIC POOL: Only Mages get this, and it can't exceed skill rating. Like
Hacking Pool, its direct link to skill represents experience, the more
of which allows a better intuitive improvisation of magic.
COMBAT POOL: Since this is defined by attributes and governed by skill,
it too comes close to the Huth ideal of combining skill and attribute
levels in pool definition.
KARMA POOL: Obviously, by its name this is meant to be more luck and fate
than skill and prowess. Since this is built up by experience and used for
so many tasks, I believe that this pool, and this pool alone represents the
runner being "meant to do something". Like the Force.
So, in short, I'm happy with pools the way they are. I would also let a pool
be used for any skill covered by the pool, regardless of whether or not the
character has the skill or not. First of all, the skill web mods will make
the task inherently more difficult. Secondly, in the case of the rigger: I
agree that knowing how to drive a car and a plane are not the same. However,
since the Control Pool comes from the intimate relation between rigger and
vehicle, the rigger would be able to improvise in vehicles he's not familiar
with, at the higher target number provided by the skill web. He doesn't learn]
how to fly, but he still has the intuitive feeling on what to do. And flying
an airplane is easier than driving. Trust me, I know. It's helicopters that
are complicated.
J Roberson
