[TORG] Why don't wizards run around in tin cans?

[Travis James Hall]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: torg-bounces at justintimeadventures.com 
> [mailto:torg-bounces at justintimeadventures.com] On Behalf Of 
> Dominick Riesland
> Sent: Wednesday, 5 August 2009 4:35 AM
> 
> Why don't wizards operate on that same assumption? Why do we not see
> standard wizards, both in Torg and in traditional fantasy, clamoring
> for the hard crunchy shell that keeps the soft chewy center from being
> Purina Dragon Chow?

We don't see wizards in traditional literary fantasy wearing heavy armour
for the same reason that I don't catch the tram in full modern military
combat kit - because it's fragging inconvenient. Remember, the role of the
wizard in literary fantasy is to stay out of the way being wise and mystical
(or sinister and conspiratorial) while Conan smacks the monster around with
his sword. Killing things isn't really his job.

Fantasy roleplaying games often are not traditional fantasy. They re-cast
the wizard as an artillery piece, and the designers graft on excuses for why
they share a dress code with the literary fantasy wizards that inspire the
look.

In Torg, apparently, wizards can get better protection than is available
from armour, so their need for armour is greatly lessened, and it doesn't
take much for the GM to remind the player that catching the tram in full
modern military combat kit is inconvenient... or the Torgian equivalent of
that lessen anyway.

That said, I actually did go shopping in a department store bridal registry
in full Crusader armour. It's not actually so inconvenient that you won't
see it happen when people have a reason to be wearing the armour in the
first place.

Travis