rehash: power levels and awareness...

[alsih2o]

i had to write a letter of reccomendation yesterday for one of my teen students who is heading off to art school (i am so proud) and it got me to wondering how describing a persons abilities is handled in fantasy settings.

it is probably easy enough for a few wizards to sit down ove coffe and find out there are "levels" to magic, but how are fighters, rogues and barbarians ranked?

somehow i don't see someone writing a note recommending regdar because "he gets 3 aoo's per round if possible" or his "bab is greater than any in the land"

anybody ahve any ideas how the butt-kicking types would be handled descriptively?

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

I think it'd be the same sort of way people get a reputation nowadays. Stories (all true I'm sure ) about how so and so KO'd a bouncer in 1 hit, it took 12 cops to drag her out to their van, etc.

Although you'd need the DnD equivalent for the power levels.

"He laid out a troll with a single punch."
"Every morning, before brunch, he wrestles a demon."

Or even:

"Thorgrim Killhappy journeyed 400 leagues in 6 seconds, simply by cutting down kobolds."

 

[Dakkareth]

For fighters it would be relatively easy. Tales of past exploits would serve to determine a reputation ("He's the one, who held off an entire battalion of orcs until the militia arrived back in '56" or "I heard, he was almost killed running away from some robbers the other day. I wouldn't trust him to guard my back." or "No sane man would pick a fight with that guy, when he's raging. I tell you, I saw him getting an axe to the back and he didn't even notice.") and if it comes to determining the best fighter in a group they can always duke it out in a mock-fight dealing non-lethal damage.

For rogues the reputation part would be somewhat more difficult as you'd have to ask underground sources - people will have heard of the fighters heroic stand-off, but never know how the rogue sneaked into the evil guys hq, poisoned their food and assassinated the leader while he was asleep all the while avoiding watchdogs and guards. If there's a thieves guild, THEY may know, though ...

 

[diaglo]

like everyone else said.

you need points of reference in your description.

ex. captain regdar is handy with a greatsword. but to really do him justice you would have to say he is 3 or 4 times the swordsman when compared to his men.

or i saw joe knock down an orc with that same fighting technique, but when he tried it against soandso he only left a scratch. obviously soandso had seen it before, so joe and i ran for our lives.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

"You know any hauls that rogue pulled off?"
"Not a one"
"Perfect. He's hired"

 

[alsih2o]

"You know any hauls that rogue pulled off?"
"Not a one"
"Perfect. He's hired"

perfect!