[Torg] Attribute maxima

[Kansas Jim]

Phil writes:

[...]

> Thanks, that sorts one kludge out for me. Although I'm curious
> about the interpretation of the Limited Characteristic - in the
> example you give, the only penalty is that it can't ever be
> increased. You dont actually "lose" the Attribute Points already
> invested, which seems a fairly flimsy limitation really.

Technically the limitation is that it cannot be increased above a 7;
if they have less than a 7 they can still increase it.

My take is that the attribute limit rule is keyed towards enforcing
stereotypes in Ords rather than being an actual limitation in the
sense of it hindering the character in some way; giants will probably
end up putting limits on PER, MIND or CHA and having 7s or less in those
attributes will enforce the stereotype of giants being dumb and uncouth;
elves will probably end up limiting STR and TOU and thus enforce the
stereotype that elves are, well, elfin ("small and delicate"). It's only
if a player wants to play against the stereotype (ie, giant mage) that
it becomes a limitation, but by paying an adventure cost the character
is able to transcend the limitations of his kind and become something
different.

> Its all going to inform my emergent thoughts on points-based
> character generation, which I'm modelling using a Hero
> System-derived approach although the result will be Torgian.

I've looked at adapting some point-based systems for Torg chargen but
have never gotten very far with it. Most of my attempts I wanted to
maintain some compatibility with the published material and that just
doesn't work very well, you pretty much have to scrap all the
established stuff and build from the ground up because it just doesn't
balance.

For example, an Ayslish enhancement package is worth three attribute
points; to pay for that you have an axiom requirement of Magic 9, the
Wasting Disease if you disconnect in a low-Magic reality and either a 1
PP adventure cost or an attribute limit of 7. A Nile enhancement package
(Super Attribute) is worth three attribute points; to pay for that you
have a reality requirement (contradiction outside of the Nile) and a
3 PP adventure cost. So you get nothing more than the Ayslish package
but it's more contradictory and more expensive so how much does that
make the Wasting Disease (which is a pretty weak limitation for PCs
since you only have to reconnect to get rid of it) worth? And then you
also have to work in the two different types of Tharkold packages and
the Star Sphere package....

-- 
Kansas Jim, Torg guru (ksjim (at) sdc (dot) org)
Torg website: http://www.sdc.org/~ksjim/index.html