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From: mccolm@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: Inanimate ego/intelligence
Message-ID: <6313@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Sat, 13-Jul-85 19:27:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.6313
Posted: Sat Jul 13 19:27:30 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 17-Jul-85 21:18:38 EDT
References: <122@uts.am.reading.UUCP>
Reply-To: mccolm@ucla-cs.UUCP (Eric McColm)
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Lines: 74
Summary:
*** PAC-Mailer Wasn't Here ***
About magic/egotistical swords: If the sword is capable of controlling the
character *all* of the time, this raises some problems for the campaign.
I don't propose to enumerate the problems, but just to give my ideas for
getting rid of egocentric magic items, and the assumptions on which the
methods are based.
1) Any magic item can be sold/dropped into a nearby pond/disposed of *if*
the weapon does not have 24-hour control of the character. Some Refs
actually put rules into magic items like "can control people only in daylight,
or during the Festival of the Eclipse" or some such combination. Why would
a sword want to control a character in the privies?
2) A character (not actually possessed by the sword) can simply refuse to
fight, adventure, or other, playing the part of the coward, until the sword
gets bored and asks to be traded to someone who will use it.
3) A character may brag about the exploits, and incidentally show off the
power of the sword (egomaniacs are vain), inviting theft and challenge.
Could kill the character, but this may serve the Ref right for creating
the situation.
4) A character may fulfill the letter of every command by perverting the
spirit. You think Djinni have cornered the market on bitchiness? Make the
Ref spell out every command. This should be used only in cases where the
possession is heniously unfair, not in just any sword-vs-character duel.
5) In my campaigns, I have a fun rule about such stuff. If the character
can put down the sword WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT OR REALIZING IT, the sword must
save or be put down. And that's it. How do you do that? The Ref must
consider whether the character has begun a 2-handed operation without
realizing that it would be so. This is entirely up to the Ref.
6) Comatose people automatically drop everything they were carrying.
7) Attack a pack of rust monsters. :-) The sword now has a dilemma.
Fight the monsters, and likely perish, or relinquish control so the
character can draw another weapon. Jellies, oozes, slimes, same deal.
8) Hobnob with the Powers That Be in the kingdom, i.e. important and
renowned warriors. The sword will likely prefer their company to yours.
9) Explain to the Ref that if the Ref wishes to run the character for
any length of time without the possibility of player intervention, then
the character should be retired to NPC status until the character either
recovers, dies, or gains more control over the sword. The player should
be prepared to accept statements like "This is only temporary" in good
faith, but it Must Be temporary. Be prepared to leave the campaign if
it continues beyond four (4) game sessions without the Ref making clear
and definite provisions for either a replacement or a cure.
In the case of the FTR/CL in particular, the person now advances as a cleric.
This is incontrovertible, because of what the Ref has said. Now, this means
the character attacks and progresses as a cleric, with appropriate experience
to the next level, and all that. Unfortunately, the character cannot use
spells. The character also cannot obey the class restriction on weapons
(if it is used in the campaign) because of the ego of the sword. This
means the cleric will not be in the favor of the patron deity, and no
salvation will come from that route. Atonement is likewise impossible.
So the cleric will advance as a basically wimpy fighter, attacking as a
cleric, using only that weapon, knowing no spells, and being sent constant
reminders of the character's failure to abide by the teachings of the deity.
No fun.
--fini--
Eric McColm
UCLA (oo' - kluh) Funny Farm for the Criminally Harmless
UUCP: ...!{ihnp4,trwspp,cepu,ucbvax,sdcrdcf}!ucla-cs!mccolm
ARPA: (evolved) mccolm@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU (pre-cambrian) mccolm@UCLA-CS.ARPA
Quotes on the Nature of Existence:
"To be, or not to be..." -Hamlet (Wm. Shakespeare)
"I think, therefore I am." -R. Descartes
"" -Gleep (Robt. Asprin)