Elrics Sword skill

[Osentalka]

Hello

The stats of Elric on page 152 and 153 of ELRIC OF MELNIBONE do not give any skill in sword.
Instead it says that the skill for weilding Stormbringer is found on page 156 (where it is not, but on page 158).
Stotrmbringer gives 100% bonus points to the users skill. But apparently Elric does not have any skill in sword.
Does that mean that Elric using Stormbringer has "only" 100% ???

Cheers

Osentalka

 

[Loz]

I've answered this elsewhere: Elric has 1H and 2H Sword at 120%, Yyrkoon the same at 118%. Both are master swordsmen.

 

[Osentalka]

Hello Loz

Good to hear that Elric HAS a sword skill other than the Stormbringer bonus, and i am sure that the upcoming Companion will include that note.

I am glad to tell you that i haven´t found any aditional mistakes in "Elric of Melnibone".
I haven´t spotted much mistakes in "Hawkmoon", or "Granbretan" either.

Maybe it would be a good idea to publish a seperate "RQ Players Guide" for Elric of Melnibone and Hawkmoon.
Hawkmoon fore instance has NOT included the changes of the RQ Errata (Players Guide), and i do not expect that all HM GMs will pick up the RQ Players Guide, so i think that this should be made available under the term "Hakmoon Players Guide" or something like that, to them.
Hawkmoon and Elric of Melnibone are stand alone RPGs after all.

All in all i am satisfied with Hawkmoon as well as with Elric of Melnibone.


Cheers

André

 

[Sinisalo]

I had no problem finding Elric's sword skill. I dont have it at hand but I went straight for it when I bought to judge the scale of what MGP thinks is master swordsman.

120% more like 220% IMHO

 

[Grrrr]

I've answered this elsewhere: Elric has 1H and 2H Sword at 120%, Yyrkoon the same at 118%. Both are master swordsmen.

Yes you have and you've been pretty prompt about answering queries.

And you have yet to snap when doing so.

However, we have paid (a fair sum of) money for a book which is not as clear as it should be (whether that be down to proof reading, editing, deadlines or acts of Balo is for another discussion) and so come here looking for answers. It would be great if those answers were as obvious and easy to find as possible.

Could I suggest (or rather ask since it is something that I would like to see) that you put an errata sticky on these forums and whenever you answer one of our queries you copy and paste the answer into that sticky.
Its not even necessary to include page numbers just chapter would help.

So for example when you first let us know Elric's weapon skills you could also have pasted the response into the sticky under sub-heading 'Saga NPCs' - or whatever that chapter is called I'm at work and cannot recall). Whilst we are on the subject what Spear skills does Elric have? (I am thinking about the groovy/silly sabre and shortspear tactic he uses in Fortress of the Pearl).


Grrrr


Edited for: half-witted incompetence and inability to spell

 

[Loz]

Could I suggest (or rather ask since it is something that I would like to see) that you put an errata sticky on these forums and whenever you answer one of our queries you copy and paste the answer into that sticky.
Its not even necessary to include page numbers just chapter would help.

It's a good idea, but I won't make a call on it. There isn't a precedent for errata stickies and, like you guys, I'm a contributor to the board rather than a moderator, so I'm not in a position to really start a precedent.

Whilst we are on the subject what Spear skills does Elric have? (I am thinking about the groovy/silly sabre and shortspear tactic he uses in Fortress of the Pearl).

Hey, well spotted. That one had slipped under my radar. Hmmm... not sure yet. I'll need to ponder it. But, as a rule of thumb, Elric is preternaturally attuned to combat, having spent aeons in dream simulations via the Dream Couches. I think you can quite easily assume that Elric has a chance of at least 80% with any weapon he picks up, although some, like swords, he has a partcular affinity for.

 

[Sinisalo]

I had no problem finding Elric's sword skill. I dont have it at hand but I went straight for it when I bought to judge the scale of what MGP thinks is master swordsman.

120% more like 220% IMHO

Nope, your right I mistook shield for sword for some silly reason

 

[Vagabond]

Could I suggest (or rather ask since it is something that I would like to see) that you put an errata sticky on these forums and whenever you answer one of our queries you copy and paste the answer into that sticky.
Its not even necessary to include page numbers just chapter would help.

It's a good idea, but I won't make a call on it. There isn't a precedent for errata stickies and, like you guys, I'm a contributor to the board rather than a moderator, so I'm not in a position to really start a precedent.

Sure there is - the 1st edition of Conan had a sticky which eventually became
a downloadable pdf (though sadly, it is no longer available).

-V

 

[Loz]

Sure there is - the 1st edition of Conan had a sticky which eventually became
a downloadable pdf (though sadly, it is no longer available).

I think Conan 1st ed was a slightly different case...

Still not my call, though. If the Powers That Be tell me to pull together an errata so it can be stickied, I'll be happy to oblige.

 

[havercake lad]

Looking forward to more NPC stats. Would happily buy a 'Whoes Who' of the YK.
Elric possibly develops some skill at martial arts.
Here he is pulling off a flashy trick versus a spell caster~
''And then the Melnibonean [ Elric ] had sprung at his kinsman, his hand chopping at Saxif D'aans throat. the earl was taken completely off guard. He tried to call out, but his vocal cords were numbed. Another blow, and he fell to the deck, senseless.' ~ Sailor on the Seas of Fate.

He also speaks the ancient tounge of Opish.

 

[Loz]

The Elric Companion should fulfil your need!

Nice one on the martial art example. You could say its an Aimed Blow with Unarmed, but could easily be an obscure Melnib martial art based on an amalgam of draconic mastery and chaotic principal. Could make a fine S&P article!

 

[havercake lad]

The Elric Companion should fulfil your need!

Nice one on the martial art example. You could say its an Aimed Blow with Unarmed, but could easily be an obscure Melnib martial art based on an amalgam of draconic mastery and chaotic principal. Could make a fine S&P article!

That would be the ancient martial art of phoorn-fu ?
The one that involves eating highly spiced meals and a lit taper.

 

[Grrrr]

I am generating some PCs for a mate's EofM campaign and have some queries. (Were it for my game I'd bodge something together but doing this on someone else's behalf I'd prefer a more official response).


* How much does Melnibonean Half Plate cost? (equipment chapter lists cost for Full Melnibonean Plate and Elric's stats include Half Plate AP and Penalty)

* As a corollary is there a calculation for Armour Penalty and Cost for Melnib Plate/Half Plate per location?

* How much arrows cost?! How much for a quiver or archer's bag?

* Are Crossbows allowed in EofM? And if so are the stats same as in Hawkmoon/RQ? Backgrounds and Skill List lists the Crossbow skill but equipment chapter does not!

* What language(s) does (do) Elementals speak? Assuming High Speech myself but that is only an assumption.

* How do Elemental Hit Points work? Are we talking 1 Location with all Hit Points?

* Why are base chances for Elementals (and presumably Demons) so different from Humans?

* A couple of cults talk about granting a 'Rune' are these Runes a la MRQ RuneQuest Runes? And if so which Cults get which Runes? Or are they more like the Runes and Spheres from Unknown East?


Thanks in advance


Grrrr

 

[Loz]

Answers below...

* How much does Melnibonean Half Plate cost? (equipment chapter lists cost for Full Melnibonean Plate and Elric's stats include Half Plate AP and Penalty)

Half plate is breastplate and helm, so 14,000 bronze. Minimum...

* As a corollary is there a calculation for Armour Penalty and Cost for Melnib Plate/Half Plate per location?

-4% skill penalty (-2% each for helm and breastplate)

* How much arrows cost?! How much for a quiver or archer's bag?

A quiver of 10 arrows is 1 Bronze

* Are Crossbows allowed in EofM? And if so are the stats same as in Hawkmoon/RQ? Backgrounds and Skill List lists the Crossbow skill but equipment chapter does not!

Crossbows are never mentioned in any part of the Elric saga, and the fact that they crept in at all is an oversight on my part. If you want to include them, and no reason why you shouldn't if you like them and want them as part of your campaign, then use the stats given in Hawkmoon.

* What language(s) does (do) Elementals speak? Assuming High Speech myself but that is only an assumption.

They'll have their own tongue, of course, but Hi Speech is a good assumption.

* How do Elemental Hit Points work? Are we talking 1 Location with all Hit Points?

Yes. 1 location with all the hit points.

* Why are base chances for Elementals (and presumably Demons) so different from Humans?

Because they're NOT human... . In general, elementals only have access to the skills listed. If you feel an elemental needs, or might have, another skill, then use the same calculation as for a human character - if the elemental has the requisite characteristics (sylphs, for instance, donj't have CON, so they require a different calculation). Same goes for demons.

* A couple of cults talk about granting a 'Rune' are these Runes a la MRQ RuneQuest Runes? And if so which Cults get which Runes? Or are they more like the Runes and Spheres from Unknown East?

Runes are very different to the standard MRQ runes. Rune magic is fully covered in 'Magic of the Young Kingdoms' but was originally part of the main rules and was removed for space reasons. I tried to catch all references to runes and remove them but, like crossbows, a few slipped through! If you're not using 'MoYK' then ignore runes for now, but you can add them in when/if you get that book. But they are powerful and designed specifically to cover the effects of the magic found in the saga and, yes, do reflect the kinds of properties found in 'The Unknown East' magic system.

Hope this covers everything for you!

 

[Grrrr]

Hope this covers everything for you!

Blimey that was quick! Many thanks. (I'm still annoyed about the 'lack of space' for the Runes red herring btw but that's a Mong issue rather than author and doesn't detract from the speediness of your reply)



Grrrr

 

[Grrrr]

Oh and some more.

What are the Cult secrets for Ecstatic Indulgence?

Do Cultists of the Sword Rulers have to take the compulsion 'use no weapon other than swords' as indicated in the intro blurb? If so is this always their first compulsion? Or is it an extra one?

Am I correct in thinking that a Gift is paid for with a Pow sacrifice and a Compulsion? This seems to be what the text says. But I cannot then square that with the Gifts and Compulsions that the NPCs have. They look more like they were built with a Gift costs either Pow or a Compulsion.

What is a 'Priest-Level benefit'? As mentioned on p96?

Answers below...

* How much does Melnibonean Half Plate cost? (equipment chapter lists cost for Full Melnibonean Plate and Elric's stats include Half Plate AP and Penalty)

Half plate is breastplate and helm, so 14,000 bronze. Minimum...

* As a corollary is there a calculation for Armour Penalty and Cost for Melnib Plate/Half Plate per location?

-4% skill penalty (-2% each for helm and breastplate)

Melnibonean Half-Plate for Elric's entry covers Head, Chest and Abdomen not just Head and Chest.

Armour Penalty is -6% which tallys with the answer from Loz of 2% per location.

How much would it cost? 21 000 Bronze minimum? Or is 7 000 Bronze too steep for a Melnibonean plate Cup?!


Grrrr

 

[Loz]

As ever, answers below!

What are the Cult secrets for Ecstatic Indulgence?

Not all cults have secrets. But feel free to develop some for the Ecstatic Indulgers!

Do Cultists of the Sword Rulers have to take the compulsion 'use no weapon other than swords' as indicated in the intro blurb? If so is this always their first compulsion? Or is it an extra one?

This isn't a compulsion as such, but an expectation and an oath. If a Sword Ruler cultist had no other weapon to hand, save an axe, then its no big deal. But as a rule, swords to the exclusion of all other weapons.

Am I correct in thinking that a Gift is paid for with a Pow sacrifice and a Compulsion? This seems to be what the text says. But I cannot then square that with the Gifts and Compulsions that the NPCs have. They look more like they were built with a Gift costs either Pow or a Compulsion.

Sort of but not quite. Gifts are bought with the POW dedicated as part of the pact - so if you dedicated 5 POW, you could take 5 gifts, but you would only receive a single compulsion - not on a like-for-like basis. However, you DO gain a compulsion each rank you advance in the cult, and you always gain one compulsion when you join the cult.

The Personality NPCs are not designed using the RAW. They were designed to reflect their appearance in the novels. I make no apology for that; these are special personalities and are deliberately structured that way.

What is a 'Priest-Level benefit'? As mentioned on p96?

You're a good error-trapper Grrr. It refers to the expunged runes. I'll be elaborating more on this in 'Cults of the Young Kingdoms' which I'm writing next month, so you'll find benefits - not necessarily magical or gift/compulsions - detailed more explicitly in that book.

 

[Mongoose Pete]

Sort of but not quite. Gifts are bought with the POW dedicated as part of the pact - so if you dedicated 5 POW, you could take 5 gifts, but you would only receive a single compulsion - not on a like-for-like basis. However, you DO gain a compulsion each rank you advance in the cult, and you always gain one compulsion when you join the cult.

I think this needs a slight clarification and what Loz meant to say was "so if you dedicated 5 POW, you could take 5 points of gifts".

If that idea makes you shiver in fear of player abuse, you could restrict run-away gift proliferation by house-ruling "5 points of a gift." instead.

But generally though it works well enough. Gifts are there to encourage gullible fools to hang themselves with the proliferate selling of their souls... The Lords of the Higher planes want your POW, and will collect on the bargain sooner if there are large harvests to reap... :twisted:

 

[Grrrr]

You're a good error-trapper Grrr

Thankyou very much. If I were a proof-reader that would be a useful skill. As I am merely trying to use a book it is instead rather annoying!


Thanks for the replies



Grrrr