Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Some Dude" data-source="post: 7832697" data-attributes="member: 6980080">CHAPTER 7: TRAPPINGSIn Zweihander's 7th Chapter, much is discussed. First off, we get a basic rundown of Zweihander's in-game economy. To wit, there are three denominations of coin:-brass pennies, or bp (there are 12 to a silver shilling)-silver shillings, or ss (there are 20 to a gold crown)-gold crowns, or gc (1=20 ss, or 240 bp)Not the simple base 10 system many are used to, but easy enough, and imparts a certain flavor appropriate to the theme of the game.It is then explained that in a dangerous world such as that of the Zweihander, trading is common, as it is safer to carry goods than coin, and goods may be garder to steal/sell due to their bulk and the challenges of finding a buyer. While goods and services are usually traded evenly, certain social, political or other conditions may affect this. So, there are ways Characters can "bring out number weight & measure in a year of dearth". So, Haggling, Trading and other types of commerce have mechanics to govern them. This is a good thing, because the way it's handled it feels like a part of the game, yet it is distinct without being a "mini-game" that takes you outside of the regular rules.These may or may not see use, depending on what type of campaign is being run. But, they are here for any who might want them, another example of the completeness of this book.There are lists of wages for various work, and the normal price of various services.Then we get into Weapons, and how they are differentiated. I find the way Weapons are handled in Zweihander to be very clever. It adds a level of detail to remember, but the payoff is well worth the little bit of added complexity, and it's much more flavorful than simply saying "X weapon does d6 damage, Y weapon does d4".Okay, first off, Weapons are divided into 2 initial categories: Melee and Ranged. Self-explanatory to anyone who's played and RPG, right? Then, each of these categories is divided again, into Simple Weapons and Martial Weapons. Simple weapons are things that most people in the game world will be able to use: either common weapons, or tools that can also be used as weapons if necessary. Simple Melee Weapons include the Threshing Flail, Bullwhip, Woodsman's Axe, Improvised Weapons, even Torches. Martial Melee Weapons are more military type weapons, for which one need be trained, including many types of Swords, Maces, Pole-arms and the like. Simple Ranged Weapons include the Hunting Bow, Light Crossbow, Shepherd's Sling, and even the Blunderbus. Martial Ranged Weapons are an array of deadly and/or precise types of Guns and Bows.Simple Weapons Skills are Common Skills, meaning anyone can attempt them, even without Skill Ranks. Martial Weapons Skills are Special Skills, meaning that if you attempt to use them without Skill Ranks, you will Flip To Fail (see Chapter 2: How To Play), or reverse the tens and ones dice, taking the worst of the two results.Next, we learn how Weapons' Damage is differentiated. Basically, each time you score a successful hit on an opponent in Combat, you will add a relevant Attribute Bonus to a Fury Die ("exploding"D6- see Chapter 2: How To Play). The Attribute Bonus you use depends on what Weapon you are using, though there can be other factors. So, essentially, all Weapons do the same damage. But... each weapon has one or more "Qualities", which affect the way the Weapon behaves. Sometimes, Qualities will affect the amount of damage that is, or can be, dealt. Sometimes, a Quality will determine which Attribute Bonus you will use to calculate Damage. Some Qualities are beneficial to the Wielder, and some are not. And Weapons will often have more than one quality, so, a faster Weapon might be weaker in terms of Damage. Or, a Gunpowder Weapon cannot be Dodged or Parried, but can explode, harming the Wielder. A few examples:-Fiery: This quality of weapon may set one or more targets on fore with a successful attack.--Reach: Allows you to attack foes that are too far away to be attacked by shorter weapons.-Slow: Whenever you strike an opponent with a Slow Weapon, they have a +10% Base Chance to Dodge or Parry.-Weak: Cannot inflict the most severe levels of Injury.There are 24 distinct Weapon Qualities (Entangling, Repeating, Shrapnel, etc.), so as you might imagine, the possibilities are plentiful.There are four Weapon tables, one for each category (Simple Melee, Martial Melee, Simple Ranged, Martial Ranged). Each lists the Load time (if any), Handling (one- or two-handed), effective Distance, Type (Bladed, Brawling, Crushing, Gunpowder, and Missile - these are usually referred to by a Character's Talents or Traits), Encumbrance Value (see Chapter 3: Character Creation) and Price. And, of course, there are descriptions of each Weapon and its possible effect.Armor is discussed here. Armor adds to your Character's Damage Threshold Modifier (see Chapter 3: Character Creation). There are 8 types, from Clothing to Full Plate. As with Weapons, Armor has Qualities that have in-game effects. As do Shields, which do not add to your Damage Threshold Modifier. Instead, a Shield confers other benefits, like a better Base Chance to Parry, dealing additional Damage, or even being able to Parry a ranged Weapon. Shields also get a table, listing Handling, Qualities, Encumbrance Value and Price.A sidebar explains Zweihander's Encumbrance system, which is abstract and simple, while maintaining a nice internal logic.Weapons, Armor and Shields are each given an Encumbrance Value between 0 and 7. Larger items can have a range of 1-100, but most of those are probably not intended to be carried. Rather than list each and every item in excruciating detail, Zweihander instructs you to assign one point of Encumbrance Value for every 9 small items on your Character's person, rounded down. Again, this system is simple, sensible, and I like it.There are Statistics for, and descriptions of, a few "War Machines", siege engines designed to break a fortification's defenses. It is noted that this type of play is uncommon, but statistics are given anyway, perhaps as one of many nods to Zweihander's roots. As with any weapons, War Machines have Qualities, Types and Load Times. Ammunition is priced here as well.There follows 7 pages of pricing for everything from Animals & Vehicles, to Commodities, to Housing & Property, Medicine, even Black Market Goods. These pages are concise, yet comprehensive. There is a bit of a detailed explanation about the various types of light sources and their respective costs in this section, and though relatively small, it helps to set the tone of the game in a big way. This is important. Lighting in an age without electricity can be both expensive and uncommon. It's a small but nice touch.Chapter 7 closes with a page on Crafting. Crafting can be done by anyone with an appropriate Focus in the Tradecraft Skill (and there are many such Focuses). Well, that and the necessary time, material and facilities. There is a nice, simple yet substantial feeling to a mechanic for reducing the cost of your raw material. It is similar to the Haggling rules. I haven't discussed those yet, but I'll end this post by describing them briefly.For Haggling, Selling Scavenged Goods, or reducing the cost of materials used in Crafting, you must first succeed at a relevant Skill Test. Having done that, you multiply one of your Attribute Bonuses (Fellowship for Haggling/Selling Scavenged Goods, Willpower for Crafting) by three, and the resulting number will be used to determine your benefit in each situation.Okay, that's it for Chapter 7. It was concise yet comprehensive, and explained much. This is one of the parts of the book where the author nailed it. I know I've harped on the writing a bit (and may again), so this chapter was a breath of fresh air.Next time, I'll cover Chapter 8: Combat. It's only about 15 pages or so. But I have a feeling that, like Chapter 7, those pages will be packing a lot of info.See you then!</blockquote>

Verification