Post by hengest on May 1, 2021 21:51:00 GMT -5
I do not have a copy of WOM, but I see there is a kind of clone floating around, and this caught my attention:
Generally I am not that into overlap between mechanics and character choices, but there is something about this that I like. A mechanical element (the ladder of weaponry), a choice to make about it (what do you defend with?), and a mechanical consequence. It sounds like something easily remembered and played that kind of simulates something real-world without being overly simulational. I like it. I like it especially as it might be applied to a specific character, and it reminds me of an idea I have had (probably implemented by someone else already) of a stat that only applies to a given character. That is, I guess honor in WOM is applied to many characters, but I like this loose feel of it, and it reminds me that I have wanted to come up with a set of suggestions for a stat that would only work on one character.
BARSOOMIAN COMBAT
The complex moral codes, desert environment, and light swords of the Red Planet have all contributed to giving Barsoomian combat a feel that is somewhat different than that of the traditional OD&D world. To start with, there is the warrior's honor code to deal with. When attacked, the defender MUST defend with a weapon that is equal or less than the attacker's weapon. If attacked with a short sword, the defender must defend with a short sword or dagger. The ladder looks like this: Radium Pistol ---> Long Sword ---> Short Sword ---> Dagger ---> Bare Hands. If a person attacked with, say, a long sword draws a radium pistol and fires away, he suffers a massive loss of honor (as does his clan and city by association). So, if a Red Martian is attacked by a First Born who is using a long sword and the Red Martian has only a pistol on him, he must attempt to defend with his bare hands or lose honor.
The complex moral codes, desert environment, and light swords of the Red Planet have all contributed to giving Barsoomian combat a feel that is somewhat different than that of the traditional OD&D world. To start with, there is the warrior's honor code to deal with. When attacked, the defender MUST defend with a weapon that is equal or less than the attacker's weapon. If attacked with a short sword, the defender must defend with a short sword or dagger. The ladder looks like this: Radium Pistol ---> Long Sword ---> Short Sword ---> Dagger ---> Bare Hands. If a person attacked with, say, a long sword draws a radium pistol and fires away, he suffers a massive loss of honor (as does his clan and city by association). So, if a Red Martian is attacked by a First Born who is using a long sword and the Red Martian has only a pistol on him, he must attempt to defend with his bare hands or lose honor.
Generally I am not that into overlap between mechanics and character choices, but there is something about this that I like. A mechanical element (the ladder of weaponry), a choice to make about it (what do you defend with?), and a mechanical consequence. It sounds like something easily remembered and played that kind of simulates something real-world without being overly simulational. I like it. I like it especially as it might be applied to a specific character, and it reminds me of an idea I have had (probably implemented by someone else already) of a stat that only applies to a given character. That is, I guess honor in WOM is applied to many characters, but I like this loose feel of it, and it reminds me that I have wanted to come up with a set of suggestions for a stat that would only work on one character.