I got the two core rulebooks (the basic book and the companion) the other day because I want to be able to use the Lankhmar book(s) as Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and Gray Mouser stories are easily my favorite fantasy literature.
So now that I've skimmed through the main book and read most of the important bits through I've a number of observations, most of them negative.
So as not to be just bitching about stuff I don't like, I'll write how I intend to solve the things I think are problems in the event I don't just decide to use GURPS instead.
Characteristics: Too random. I also find it odd that PC's are, on average, bigger than other people. I can see why they'd be smarter, stronger and more dextrous but no reason for them to typically be big lunks.
Solution: Everyone rolls 24 dice, discards the two lowest rolls and assigns three of the dice to each characteristic except for SIZ and INT which get only two each (remembering to add 6).
Opposed tests: So, against a character with a skill of 20%, you have a better chance of winning with a skill of 90% than with a skill of 105%? That makes no sense at all and is needlessly complex besides.
Solution: Both characters roll. A success beats a failure, a critical beats a success. If both contestants get the same result, it's a tie. If a tie is an unacceptablle outcome, either roll again or just declare the character with the highest skill the winner. No halving, no weird anomalies, no fuss.
Multiple actions: These add nothing to the game beyond extra complexity and making a DEX 13+ absolutely essential for everyone neither of which is desirable.
Solution: Dead simple - give everyone one action per turn with characters with weapons skill over 100% having the option of splitting the percentage to attack again.
Limited reactions: I don't like this either. It means someone with low DEX can be easily overwhelmed even by a relatively small number of opponents (especially if I hadn't already done away with multiple actions) regardless of how high his weapon skill is.
Solution: Everyone gets a number of Reactions equal to the DEX-based number of combat actions he'd normally get if I hadn't abolished it. After these are exhausted, you may continue to react but at half skill. Defenses will be declared before you know whether the attacker hit or not.
Parries that just subtract a bit of damage and weapons that snap like twigs: Nosirree.
Solution: Use the system from SB5 for weapon breakage and parrying.
Knockback: Characters being knocked back by blows? Good and well in Champions, not in my swords & sorcery, thank you very much.
Solution: Ignore it entirely. Or maybe use it for blunt weapons only.
Split skill scores for Athletics: Ugh.
Solution: Base Brute Force tests on STRx5%. Easy-peasy and makes more sense anyway.
Armor that reduces your ability to fight: This is absolutely bizarre.
Solution: Ignore armor penalties to riding and weapon skills.
Funny, that doesn't look like all that many issues or a particularly big collection of houserules - when I was reading through it, I felt I'd be houseruling it beyond recognition in order to run it. Maybe I actually will use it after all instead of converting to GURPS...
So now that I've skimmed through the main book and read most of the important bits through I've a number of observations, most of them negative.
So as not to be just bitching about stuff I don't like, I'll write how I intend to solve the things I think are problems in the event I don't just decide to use GURPS instead.
Characteristics: Too random. I also find it odd that PC's are, on average, bigger than other people. I can see why they'd be smarter, stronger and more dextrous but no reason for them to typically be big lunks.
Solution: Everyone rolls 24 dice, discards the two lowest rolls and assigns three of the dice to each characteristic except for SIZ and INT which get only two each (remembering to add 6).
Opposed tests: So, against a character with a skill of 20%, you have a better chance of winning with a skill of 90% than with a skill of 105%? That makes no sense at all and is needlessly complex besides.
Solution: Both characters roll. A success beats a failure, a critical beats a success. If both contestants get the same result, it's a tie. If a tie is an unacceptablle outcome, either roll again or just declare the character with the highest skill the winner. No halving, no weird anomalies, no fuss.
Multiple actions: These add nothing to the game beyond extra complexity and making a DEX 13+ absolutely essential for everyone neither of which is desirable.
Solution: Dead simple - give everyone one action per turn with characters with weapons skill over 100% having the option of splitting the percentage to attack again.
Limited reactions: I don't like this either. It means someone with low DEX can be easily overwhelmed even by a relatively small number of opponents (especially if I hadn't already done away with multiple actions) regardless of how high his weapon skill is.
Solution: Everyone gets a number of Reactions equal to the DEX-based number of combat actions he'd normally get if I hadn't abolished it. After these are exhausted, you may continue to react but at half skill. Defenses will be declared before you know whether the attacker hit or not.
Parries that just subtract a bit of damage and weapons that snap like twigs: Nosirree.
Solution: Use the system from SB5 for weapon breakage and parrying.
Knockback: Characters being knocked back by blows? Good and well in Champions, not in my swords & sorcery, thank you very much.
Solution: Ignore it entirely. Or maybe use it for blunt weapons only.
Split skill scores for Athletics: Ugh.
Solution: Base Brute Force tests on STRx5%. Easy-peasy and makes more sense anyway.
Armor that reduces your ability to fight: This is absolutely bizarre.
Solution: Ignore armor penalties to riding and weapon skills.
Funny, that doesn't look like all that many issues or a particularly big collection of houserules - when I was reading through it, I felt I'd be houseruling it beyond recognition in order to run it. Maybe I actually will use it after all instead of converting to GURPS...