| From: | losthalo <losthalo@********.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re: Pool Use (was; Summer Time) |
| Date: | Thu, 21 May 1998 20:33:08 -0400 |
>Hey, it's spring which does mean that swimming pools are beginning to be on
>people's minds...
Swimming? Ewww. :p
Anyway, on with the show...
>Reasonable assumption but nobody, including the DLOH, seems to know why we
>have dice pools. It's an important game mechanic, but no one seems to have
>the concrete answer as to why it even exists.
In first edition they existed largely for butt-saving. They were there to
give characters some dice with which to defend against attacks. Magic pool
is different, since it is fairly integral to sorcery, but I believe someone
suggested that the magic system was done later than the other game
mechanics (and so dice pools were prolly already in the mechanics when
magic was being written, and available, and so used to make sorcery work
the way it does).
In second edition, they became a more central game mechanic, since they
could add to offensive tests (basically, combat pool functions like Magic
Pool now, instead of like the purely defensive Dodge and Defense Pools of
first edition).
>Actually, I don't really think it needs fixing. BUT if I were to have to
>come up with a solution to the problem you posit, I wouldn't use your
>answer. It isn't an original idea, but I think it would be better then to
>use a single pool for everything.
>Call it a "Shadow Pool" or something, a group of dice that can be used by
>shadowrunners. Not sure of what it would be, but if you accept that pools
>are a byproduct of focus and concentration, you could make this pool
>INT+WILL/2 or something.
Shadow Pool? Only useable by runners? I'll pass. Hmm... I'd say, you
can use one dice pool before it is your turn again to act (i.e. before you
get another Simple or Complex Action). That way, you don't get to defend
against incoming spells -and- dodge that maniac with the knife with equal
ease. You choose, either you're paying attention to that knife when it
comes at you, or you're wrapped up in taking apart that spell that's trying
to eat you, but not both...
Or, perhaps only allow one dice pool to refresh on each action? You start
out the fight able to defend on both the magical and physical side of
things, but after that you gradually use up your ability to do both, and
have to concentrate on one or the other?
losthalo@********.comwhileyouarelisteningyourwillingattentionismakingyoumore
andmoreintothepersonyouwanttobecome.
"Some things are true whether you believe in them or not."
