Supplement Four
Mongoose
I still remain unconvinced. The arguments I've seen so far seem to be based on flawed assumptions. From my (abeit limited in some regards) experience with the game, the Conan RPG is the best version of the d20 system I've seen. It is perfect for the Hyborian Age.
Is the Conan RPG without flaws? No. Not many games are. But, it is a good, solid game.
There are some strong opinions to the contrary, so I thought I'd start a thread to discuss it.
Not argue about it.
Not say, "Ha ha! I'm right and you're WRONG!"
No, this thread is intended for an earnest discussion on the system's pro's and con's.
How do we start?
I thought we'd start with an example character. I'm going to roll up a Soldier, by the book. No house rules. I don't know the dice totals at this point--I might get lucky, or I may roll up a low statted character. But, most probably, I'll roll up an average character for the game.
I'll roll this guy up, using real dice as I write. Then, make some simulated pre-game decisions about him. And, I'll let the people who think this game is broken tell me where they think it is. And, we'll take the conversation from there.
Let's make this simple.
Our character will be Feridun, a Zamorian who was an urchin on the streets of Shadizar as a child. He suspects that his mother was a whore, but he doesn't know for sure. His youngest memories were of a cult that raised children to a certain age before the found their place in the cult's foul sacrifices. Feridun escaped and lived among the other urchins until, finally, a watchman allowed him entry into the city watch.
So, we're creating a 1st level male Zamorian Soldier.
Let's roll some dice! Remember, we're using the default rules, which are 4d6, drop lowest, arrange to taste.
I get...
4, 2, 2, 5 = 11
2, 1, 2, 5 = 9
5, 4, 3, 6 = 15
2, 2, 6, 1 = 10
4, 1, 6, 5 = 15
4, 6, 3, 1 = 13
My first suspicion about detractors of the Conan RPG is that the default rules are not used when generating characters. I think players, used to D&D and other D20 games, see the above scores and balk, insisting that they play "heroes" (which, to me, is in the way the character is role played, not in his stats) with higher stats. So, GMs use the heroic method or some house rule, unintentionally not heeding the rule of unintended consequences and ending up with characters that have very high stats even at 1st level. Then, they call the game unbalanced when the bonuses stack up at higher levels. If what I suspect is true, then the breaking of the game is in the ignoring the character generation rules--not in the game as written.
So, we've got our guy and we need to arrange stats. As a Zamorian, we applie racial modifiers of +2 DEX but -2 STR. We need to keep that in mind as we arrange the stats. I'll also write in the Class Skills next to the governor stat below.
STR Climb, Jump
DEX Ride
CON
INT Craft (mundane), Knowledge (Geography), Knowledge (Local), Knowledge (Rumors), Knowledge (Warfare), Search
WIS Profession
CHA Intimidate, Perform
Racial Bonuses: +2 racial modifier to Open Lock, Disable Device, and Slight of Hand. +1 racial modifier to all Craft skills. +2 circumstance bonus to some Gather Information checks. +1 circumstance bonus to some Climb, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks.
Background Skills: +2 ranks to Knowledge (Local), Knowledge (Rumors), Open Lock, Disable Device, and Slight of Hand.
So, let's make some decisions. Our stat numbers are: 11, 9, 15, 10, 15, 13. There's never one way to do this. Roleplaying objectives may influence choices. One of the beauties of the Conan RPG is that each character can be constructed in a rich and deep way.
Let's take our highest roll and put it in DEX to take advantage of the character's racial strength. This is leading me to make him a Finesse fighter, which seems about right for the streets of Shadizar.
Our second high score of 15, we'll put in INT. This Zamorian has lived by his wits since he was 5 years old, escaping from the shadowy cult, chasing rats around the Maul to eat. The character is shaping up. He knows things. He's a smart, crafty kind. I doubt he'll stay a city watchman for long. He'll probably multiclass later. He took the city watch gig to get himself off the streets and put himself in the way of opportunity.
We don't want our city watchman too weak, so let's put the 13 score into STR, which, with the racial modifier, will be lowered to an average human strength score of 11.
As a guard, Feridun is bound to get into scrapes. Let's put our next highest number into CON, not only for hit points, but also to boost the Massive Damage saving throw.
Our last decison is where to take the negative modifier associated with the 9 stat. The Profession skill may or may not be an important skill, depending on the GM. If I were GMing the game where Feridun would be used, Profession would be a valuable skill because, besides adventures, that skill would be the character's main source of wealth. The character would get his watchman's pay, which won't make him rich, and I'd allow the character to roll on Profession periodically to see what he makes in the off-camera bribes and to see what he gets after rifling through your generic drunk's pockets as he puts the drunk in the city clink to sleep it off.
But, I'm going to make a roleplaying decision here and give the higher score that doesn't have a penalty to his CHA stat. I've got a feeling that Feridun has to have learned how to to con people when he was a street urchin, so let's at least make him average. As for his WIS stat, it looks like he doesn't always make the best decions in life....which "feels right" to me for this character.
STR 13 -2 racial = 11
DEX 15 +2 racial = 17
CON 11
INT 15
WIS 9
CHA 10
He gets 16 skill points, so I'll arrange them like this. Skills in bold are class skills. I'm sure Feridun did his share of climbing and surrying around as a child of the streets, so I'm maxing out the ranks in Climb and Jump. Given his background, I don't think he's ever been on a horse, living in the city his whole life, and no craftsmen have taken the time to teach him anything. So, I'm ignoring Ride and Craft.
If Feridun ever does get on a horse, though, he'll pick it up quick and discover that he's a natural. Plus, he's smart, so if he ever learns a craft, he'll be pretty good at it.
I've got 8 skill points left, and all of these come from Feridun's INT bonus. This means I can put them into Cross Class skills as if the skills were Class Skills (doesn't cost double).
I'm going to put 4 bonus points into Gather Information, as I think this is a skill that helped him stay alive his entire life. Likewise, I'm going to put 1 into Spot to make the prerequisite for the Feat Eyes Of The Cat, and I'll put the other 3 points into Hide. This last is a skill he's learned on the streets of Shadizar.
+7 Open Lock (+2 racial, +2 ranks background, +3 DEX)
+6 Disable Device (+2 racial, +2 ranks background, +2 INT)
+7 Slight of Hand (+2 racial, +2 ranks background, +3 DEX)
+4 Knowledge (Local) (+2 ranks background, +2 INT)
+4 Knowledge (Rumors) (+2 ranks background, +2 INT)
+2 Knowledge (Geography) (+2 INT)
+2 Knowledge (Warfare) (+2 INT)
-1 Profession (-1 WIS)
+4 [+5] Climb (4 ranks, [+1 racial on some])
+4 Jump (4 ranks)
+3 Ride (+3 DEX)
+3 Craft (mundane) (+2 INT, +1 racial)
+2 Search (+2 INT)
+0 Intimidate
+0 Perform
+2 Appraise (+2 INT)
+3 Balance (+3 DEX)
+0 Bluff
+0 Concentration
+3 Craft (Alchemy) (+2 INT, +1 racial)
+3 Craft (Herbalism) (+2 INT, +1 racial)
+2 Decipher Script (+2 INT)
+0 Diplomacy
+0 Disguise
+3 Escape Artist (+3 DEX)
+2 Forgery (+2 INT)
+4 [+6] Gather Information (4 bonus ranks, [+2 racial on some])
+0 Handle Animal
-1 Heal (-1 WIS)
+2 Knowledge (Arcana) (+2 INT)
+2 Knowledge (History) (+2 INT)
+2 Knowledge (Nobility) (+2 INT)
+2 Knowledge (Religion) (+2 INT)
-1 [+0] Listen (-1 WIS, [+1 racial on some])
+3 [+4] Move Silently (+3 DEX, [+1 racial on some])
-1 Sense Motive (-1 WIS)
+0 [+1] Spot (1 bonus rank, -1 WIS, [+1 racial on some])
-1 Survival (-1 WIS)
+0 Swim
+3 Tumble (+3 DEX)
+3 Use Rope (+3 DEX)
+6 [+7] Hide (3 bonus ranks, +3 DEX, [+1 racial on some])
Feridun is really shaping up. Creating him here, I've already got an attachment to him. I like the character. He's just a lowly city guardsman now, but he might end up cross-classing with Thief and becoming a spy, or maybe a seller of information. He's the type, with a hooded cowl, that lurks in the dark recesses at night, listening. He's not your typical city guardsman. He's smart. Maybe that's why he was given an opportunity to leave the streets and become a watchman.
Feats?
I think his background dictates that he get Eyes of the Cat. You can only take this at 1st level, and that Feat really seems to fit this character. As a Soldier, he gets a bonus 2nd Feat at 1st level, so I'm going to give him Great Fortitude. I figure he's a watchman now, getting into scrapes, and he needs to boost up his Fort Save for any Massive Damage checks he might have to make.
Almost done.
How many hit points does this guy have? The rules give him max at 1st level, so he's got 10 HP.
What about equipment? I'll use the character equipment packages included in the game. The most appropriate one for Feridun is the Zamorian City Watch package listed on page 46 of the Player's Guide.
OK, so let's look at our character....
Feridun
1st level Soldier
Zamorian Male, Age 14*, Height: 6'1", Weight: 176 lbs.
STR 11
DEX 17 (+3)
CON 11
INT 15 (+2)
WIS 9 (-1)
CHA 10
HP: 10
Fate Points: 3
Dodge AC: 13
Parry AC: 10
Damage Reduction: 5
Feats:** Eyes of the Cat, Great Fortitude
Skills:
+7 Open Lock
+6 Disable Device
+7 Slight of Hand
+4 Knowledge (Local)
+4 Knowledge (Rumors)
+2 Knowledge (Geography)
+2 Knowledge (Warfare)
-1 Profession
+4 Climb (+5 Climb circumstantial)
+4 Jump
+3 Ride
+3 Craft (mundane)
+2 Search
+0 Intimidate
+0 Perform
+2 Appraise
+3 Balance
+0 Bluff
+0 Concentration
+3 Craft (Alchemy)
+3 Craft (Herbalism)
+2 Decipher Script
+0 Diplomacy
+0 Disguise
+3 Escape Artist
+2 Forgery
+4 Gather Information (+6 Gather Information circumstantial)
+0 Handle Animal
-1 Heal
+2 Knowledge (Arcana)
+2 Knowledge (History)
+2 Knowledge (Nobility)
+2 Knowledge (Religion)
-1 Listen (+0 Listen circumstantial)
+3 Move Silently (+4 Move Silently circumstantial)
-1 Sense Motive
+0 Spot (+1 Spot circumstantial)
-1 Survival
+0 Swim
+3 Tumble
+3 Use Rope
+6 Hide (+7 Hide circumstantial)
Languages: Zamorian (native), Hyrkanian, Brythunian, Corinthian, Kothic, Shemite.
Equipment: Bill***, Steel Cap, Bronze Greaves****, Buckler, Leather Jerkin with bronze buttons, Breeches, Work Boots.
*In my head, I picture Feridun as tall for his age, but lanky. He's young, given he's 1st level, and in his background I decided that he's graduating from being a street urchin to a city watchman. He's had a hard life in his decade-and-a-half of living on the streets. He looks a bit worn, which makes him look older than he is.
**I'm thinking that, for a future Feat, Dabbler might be a good idea for this character. He seems the type, to me, to be interested in the dark arts and just smart enough to get himself into trouble. Of course, he'll have to spend his bonus skill points from two levels to get the 6 ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) that is needed to get that Feat. This could be an early goal for the character, or maybe the GM could develop this idea into an early adventure for the character if the player bites.
***A nice GM would allow this character to trade the Bill for a poinard and dagger or some other Finesse weapon, but given the character's background in abrubtly taking on the role of a city watchman (at the tender age of 14), I think that I wouldn't allow this. One of the first goals the player will probably have in the game is to ditch the heavy Bill and find/buy/steal smaller weapons of the type he's used to fighting with (Finesse weapons). I think this might lead to some interesting roleplaying as the character drops the Bill in a fight and pulls his poinard, yet his sargent is always drilling him on how to use the Bill effectively. This might lead to the character leaving the city watch and multiclassing with the Thief class as I pondered above when creating the character.
****I'd have to look at it, but there are optional rules for piecemeal armor in the non-Mongoose Barbaric Warrior supplement. This might improve his DR with the bronze greaves, but I'm ignoring this as it's an optional rule. I could definitely see the GM giving the character a +1 DR--the same as the steel cap provides--for the bronze greaves, but, again, that's not strictly by the book, so it's only noted here.
Hey! That's not a bad character at all! I like him.
Now, tell me, how do you think the Conan RPG system is broken. This guy looks pretty good to me--nothing broken here.
Time to discuss.
Is the Conan RPG without flaws? No. Not many games are. But, it is a good, solid game.
There are some strong opinions to the contrary, so I thought I'd start a thread to discuss it.
Not argue about it.
Not say, "Ha ha! I'm right and you're WRONG!"
No, this thread is intended for an earnest discussion on the system's pro's and con's.
How do we start?
I thought we'd start with an example character. I'm going to roll up a Soldier, by the book. No house rules. I don't know the dice totals at this point--I might get lucky, or I may roll up a low statted character. But, most probably, I'll roll up an average character for the game.
I'll roll this guy up, using real dice as I write. Then, make some simulated pre-game decisions about him. And, I'll let the people who think this game is broken tell me where they think it is. And, we'll take the conversation from there.
Let's make this simple.
Our character will be Feridun, a Zamorian who was an urchin on the streets of Shadizar as a child. He suspects that his mother was a whore, but he doesn't know for sure. His youngest memories were of a cult that raised children to a certain age before the found their place in the cult's foul sacrifices. Feridun escaped and lived among the other urchins until, finally, a watchman allowed him entry into the city watch.
So, we're creating a 1st level male Zamorian Soldier.
Let's roll some dice! Remember, we're using the default rules, which are 4d6, drop lowest, arrange to taste.
I get...
4, 2, 2, 5 = 11
2, 1, 2, 5 = 9
5, 4, 3, 6 = 15
2, 2, 6, 1 = 10
4, 1, 6, 5 = 15
4, 6, 3, 1 = 13
My first suspicion about detractors of the Conan RPG is that the default rules are not used when generating characters. I think players, used to D&D and other D20 games, see the above scores and balk, insisting that they play "heroes" (which, to me, is in the way the character is role played, not in his stats) with higher stats. So, GMs use the heroic method or some house rule, unintentionally not heeding the rule of unintended consequences and ending up with characters that have very high stats even at 1st level. Then, they call the game unbalanced when the bonuses stack up at higher levels. If what I suspect is true, then the breaking of the game is in the ignoring the character generation rules--not in the game as written.
So, we've got our guy and we need to arrange stats. As a Zamorian, we applie racial modifiers of +2 DEX but -2 STR. We need to keep that in mind as we arrange the stats. I'll also write in the Class Skills next to the governor stat below.
STR Climb, Jump
DEX Ride
CON
INT Craft (mundane), Knowledge (Geography), Knowledge (Local), Knowledge (Rumors), Knowledge (Warfare), Search
WIS Profession
CHA Intimidate, Perform
Racial Bonuses: +2 racial modifier to Open Lock, Disable Device, and Slight of Hand. +1 racial modifier to all Craft skills. +2 circumstance bonus to some Gather Information checks. +1 circumstance bonus to some Climb, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks.
Background Skills: +2 ranks to Knowledge (Local), Knowledge (Rumors), Open Lock, Disable Device, and Slight of Hand.
So, let's make some decisions. Our stat numbers are: 11, 9, 15, 10, 15, 13. There's never one way to do this. Roleplaying objectives may influence choices. One of the beauties of the Conan RPG is that each character can be constructed in a rich and deep way.
Let's take our highest roll and put it in DEX to take advantage of the character's racial strength. This is leading me to make him a Finesse fighter, which seems about right for the streets of Shadizar.
Our second high score of 15, we'll put in INT. This Zamorian has lived by his wits since he was 5 years old, escaping from the shadowy cult, chasing rats around the Maul to eat. The character is shaping up. He knows things. He's a smart, crafty kind. I doubt he'll stay a city watchman for long. He'll probably multiclass later. He took the city watch gig to get himself off the streets and put himself in the way of opportunity.
We don't want our city watchman too weak, so let's put the 13 score into STR, which, with the racial modifier, will be lowered to an average human strength score of 11.
As a guard, Feridun is bound to get into scrapes. Let's put our next highest number into CON, not only for hit points, but also to boost the Massive Damage saving throw.
Our last decison is where to take the negative modifier associated with the 9 stat. The Profession skill may or may not be an important skill, depending on the GM. If I were GMing the game where Feridun would be used, Profession would be a valuable skill because, besides adventures, that skill would be the character's main source of wealth. The character would get his watchman's pay, which won't make him rich, and I'd allow the character to roll on Profession periodically to see what he makes in the off-camera bribes and to see what he gets after rifling through your generic drunk's pockets as he puts the drunk in the city clink to sleep it off.
But, I'm going to make a roleplaying decision here and give the higher score that doesn't have a penalty to his CHA stat. I've got a feeling that Feridun has to have learned how to to con people when he was a street urchin, so let's at least make him average. As for his WIS stat, it looks like he doesn't always make the best decions in life....which "feels right" to me for this character.
STR 13 -2 racial = 11
DEX 15 +2 racial = 17
CON 11
INT 15
WIS 9
CHA 10
He gets 16 skill points, so I'll arrange them like this. Skills in bold are class skills. I'm sure Feridun did his share of climbing and surrying around as a child of the streets, so I'm maxing out the ranks in Climb and Jump. Given his background, I don't think he's ever been on a horse, living in the city his whole life, and no craftsmen have taken the time to teach him anything. So, I'm ignoring Ride and Craft.
If Feridun ever does get on a horse, though, he'll pick it up quick and discover that he's a natural. Plus, he's smart, so if he ever learns a craft, he'll be pretty good at it.
I've got 8 skill points left, and all of these come from Feridun's INT bonus. This means I can put them into Cross Class skills as if the skills were Class Skills (doesn't cost double).
I'm going to put 4 bonus points into Gather Information, as I think this is a skill that helped him stay alive his entire life. Likewise, I'm going to put 1 into Spot to make the prerequisite for the Feat Eyes Of The Cat, and I'll put the other 3 points into Hide. This last is a skill he's learned on the streets of Shadizar.
+7 Open Lock (+2 racial, +2 ranks background, +3 DEX)
+6 Disable Device (+2 racial, +2 ranks background, +2 INT)
+7 Slight of Hand (+2 racial, +2 ranks background, +3 DEX)
+4 Knowledge (Local) (+2 ranks background, +2 INT)
+4 Knowledge (Rumors) (+2 ranks background, +2 INT)
+2 Knowledge (Geography) (+2 INT)
+2 Knowledge (Warfare) (+2 INT)
-1 Profession (-1 WIS)
+4 [+5] Climb (4 ranks, [+1 racial on some])
+4 Jump (4 ranks)
+3 Ride (+3 DEX)
+3 Craft (mundane) (+2 INT, +1 racial)
+2 Search (+2 INT)
+0 Intimidate
+0 Perform
+2 Appraise (+2 INT)
+3 Balance (+3 DEX)
+0 Bluff
+0 Concentration
+3 Craft (Alchemy) (+2 INT, +1 racial)
+3 Craft (Herbalism) (+2 INT, +1 racial)
+2 Decipher Script (+2 INT)
+0 Diplomacy
+0 Disguise
+3 Escape Artist (+3 DEX)
+2 Forgery (+2 INT)
+4 [+6] Gather Information (4 bonus ranks, [+2 racial on some])
+0 Handle Animal
-1 Heal (-1 WIS)
+2 Knowledge (Arcana) (+2 INT)
+2 Knowledge (History) (+2 INT)
+2 Knowledge (Nobility) (+2 INT)
+2 Knowledge (Religion) (+2 INT)
-1 [+0] Listen (-1 WIS, [+1 racial on some])
+3 [+4] Move Silently (+3 DEX, [+1 racial on some])
-1 Sense Motive (-1 WIS)
+0 [+1] Spot (1 bonus rank, -1 WIS, [+1 racial on some])
-1 Survival (-1 WIS)
+0 Swim
+3 Tumble (+3 DEX)
+3 Use Rope (+3 DEX)
+6 [+7] Hide (3 bonus ranks, +3 DEX, [+1 racial on some])
Feridun is really shaping up. Creating him here, I've already got an attachment to him. I like the character. He's just a lowly city guardsman now, but he might end up cross-classing with Thief and becoming a spy, or maybe a seller of information. He's the type, with a hooded cowl, that lurks in the dark recesses at night, listening. He's not your typical city guardsman. He's smart. Maybe that's why he was given an opportunity to leave the streets and become a watchman.
Feats?
I think his background dictates that he get Eyes of the Cat. You can only take this at 1st level, and that Feat really seems to fit this character. As a Soldier, he gets a bonus 2nd Feat at 1st level, so I'm going to give him Great Fortitude. I figure he's a watchman now, getting into scrapes, and he needs to boost up his Fort Save for any Massive Damage checks he might have to make.
Almost done.
How many hit points does this guy have? The rules give him max at 1st level, so he's got 10 HP.
What about equipment? I'll use the character equipment packages included in the game. The most appropriate one for Feridun is the Zamorian City Watch package listed on page 46 of the Player's Guide.
OK, so let's look at our character....
Feridun
1st level Soldier
Zamorian Male, Age 14*, Height: 6'1", Weight: 176 lbs.
STR 11
DEX 17 (+3)
CON 11
INT 15 (+2)
WIS 9 (-1)
CHA 10
HP: 10
Fate Points: 3
Dodge AC: 13
Parry AC: 10
Damage Reduction: 5
Feats:** Eyes of the Cat, Great Fortitude
Skills:
+7 Open Lock
+6 Disable Device
+7 Slight of Hand
+4 Knowledge (Local)
+4 Knowledge (Rumors)
+2 Knowledge (Geography)
+2 Knowledge (Warfare)
-1 Profession
+4 Climb (+5 Climb circumstantial)
+4 Jump
+3 Ride
+3 Craft (mundane)
+2 Search
+0 Intimidate
+0 Perform
+2 Appraise
+3 Balance
+0 Bluff
+0 Concentration
+3 Craft (Alchemy)
+3 Craft (Herbalism)
+2 Decipher Script
+0 Diplomacy
+0 Disguise
+3 Escape Artist
+2 Forgery
+4 Gather Information (+6 Gather Information circumstantial)
+0 Handle Animal
-1 Heal
+2 Knowledge (Arcana)
+2 Knowledge (History)
+2 Knowledge (Nobility)
+2 Knowledge (Religion)
-1 Listen (+0 Listen circumstantial)
+3 Move Silently (+4 Move Silently circumstantial)
-1 Sense Motive
+0 Spot (+1 Spot circumstantial)
-1 Survival
+0 Swim
+3 Tumble
+3 Use Rope
+6 Hide (+7 Hide circumstantial)
Languages: Zamorian (native), Hyrkanian, Brythunian, Corinthian, Kothic, Shemite.
Equipment: Bill***, Steel Cap, Bronze Greaves****, Buckler, Leather Jerkin with bronze buttons, Breeches, Work Boots.
*In my head, I picture Feridun as tall for his age, but lanky. He's young, given he's 1st level, and in his background I decided that he's graduating from being a street urchin to a city watchman. He's had a hard life in his decade-and-a-half of living on the streets. He looks a bit worn, which makes him look older than he is.
**I'm thinking that, for a future Feat, Dabbler might be a good idea for this character. He seems the type, to me, to be interested in the dark arts and just smart enough to get himself into trouble. Of course, he'll have to spend his bonus skill points from two levels to get the 6 ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) that is needed to get that Feat. This could be an early goal for the character, or maybe the GM could develop this idea into an early adventure for the character if the player bites.
***A nice GM would allow this character to trade the Bill for a poinard and dagger or some other Finesse weapon, but given the character's background in abrubtly taking on the role of a city watchman (at the tender age of 14), I think that I wouldn't allow this. One of the first goals the player will probably have in the game is to ditch the heavy Bill and find/buy/steal smaller weapons of the type he's used to fighting with (Finesse weapons). I think this might lead to some interesting roleplaying as the character drops the Bill in a fight and pulls his poinard, yet his sargent is always drilling him on how to use the Bill effectively. This might lead to the character leaving the city watch and multiclassing with the Thief class as I pondered above when creating the character.
****I'd have to look at it, but there are optional rules for piecemeal armor in the non-Mongoose Barbaric Warrior supplement. This might improve his DR with the bronze greaves, but I'm ignoring this as it's an optional rule. I could definitely see the GM giving the character a +1 DR--the same as the steel cap provides--for the bronze greaves, but, again, that's not strictly by the book, so it's only noted here.
Hey! That's not a bad character at all! I like him.
Now, tell me, how do you think the Conan RPG system is broken. This guy looks pretty good to me--nothing broken here.
Time to discuss.