| From: | Mike Elkins <MikeE@*********.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Pool Use (was; Summer Time) |
| Date: | Wed, 20 May 1998 17:21:00 -0500 |
You are correct. One of those factoids I learned studying cognitive
science is that the more skilled you are in a task, the less concentration
it takes.
Wafflemeister's proposed rule is a good compromise between playability
and accuracy, although there are two features I don't like about it.
Joe Mage (Magic Pool 8, Combat Pool 3):
Spends his full attention dodging lead (spends 3 CP), but can still cast
spells with 5MP.
or
Spends almost no attention on a spell (1MP) and looses a full 1/3 of his
combat pool. (this one isn't so bad, spliting ones attention is hard).
I can't think of a playable counter-proposal, however. If you don't mind
doing some math during character creation you could change pools into
"Cost Per Die". Everyone gets 120 points per action (I chose 120
because most numbers we will deal with go into it evenly. One could
use 100 if you prefered), people with a pool of 1 hace a Cost Per Die
(CPD) of 120. 2`, 3@, 40, 5= 24, 6 , 7 (rounding up) 8
and 9.
Joe Mage then gets written up as
Magic CPD, Combat CPD@.
Now, spending 120 points of combat gets him 3 dice, but he can't spend
anything on magic then.
If he dodges just a little (40pts, enough for 1 die), he has 80 points left
and can spend 5 dice on magic.
If you are good at adding and subtracting in your head, this scheme
works ok. If you need a calculator to figure out how many times 15
goes into 80, then, well, forget it.
As I said, I don't have a _playable_ alternate proposal.
Double-Domed Mike
--MIT&M, We Bring Good Things to Life!
