From:	Jonathan Hurley <jhurley1@************.EDU>
Subject:	Re: Can remote-mounted weapons affect spirits?
Date:	Fri, 19 Dec 1997 01:14:57 -0500

James Lindsay[SMTP:jlindsay@******.CA] wrote:
> On Mon, 15 Dec 1997 22:50:33 -0500, Jonathan Hurley wrote:
>
> > Do what I do. I have characters in combat against spirits etc. use
their
> > weapon skill, but they do (Charisma)L damage (a la astral combat). This
is
> > more reasonable to me (especially considering the mental/physical stat
> > alignments). If you must use Willpower in Spirit combat, have them use
that
> > instead of Body to resist spirit attacks. A mage always has the option
to
> > use sorcery instead if a weapon skill, as per astral combat as well.
For
> > ranged combat by non-willpower driven weapons (guns and crossbows)
reduce
> > the power level of the attack by one in addition to any other penalties
you
> > apply.
>
> This solution only works if you buy into the idea that Charisma makes any
> sense at all as a combat stat, which I don't. I realize that Charisma is
> used when fighting spirits in astral space, but FASA's reasoning behind
it
> makes very little sense (the whole idea simply reeks of "play-balance").

Charisma == Strength of personality, by what I can tell from the rules.
Yes, I realize that the 'mapping' of Charisma onto Strength in the astral
is a little contrived, but it makes sense to me. The skills close to
charisma on the skill web all revolve around imposing your will on other
people (negotiation, leadership, etiquette, et al.) Willpower represents
the ability to resist mental stuff, Charisma represents the ability to
project you 'will'. To a layman, both represent 'strength of will', but
stats-wise, it's Charisma.

Charisma is *only* a combat stat in the astral, where it makes sense to me
(and not as a play-balance thing, either. If you have problems with people
taking a low charisma, have opponent mages with reduce willpower -3 spells
handy for the next combat...)

> I object less to the idea that Willpower determines how efficient one is
> when combating spirits. If you are a mundane and find yourself in combat
> with a magical entity like a spirit, Willpower could very well be *the*
> dominating factor.

My point is, Charisma represents 'Strength of will', and Willpower
represents mental toughness.

--
Quicksilver rides again
--------------
Those who would give up a little freedom for security
deserve neither freedom nor security
-Benjamin Franklin
Yeah, I have Attention Deficit Dis - Hey, look at that butterfly!
Jonathan Hurley (mailto:jhurley1@************.edu)