Re: [BNW] Lifting and Throwing

["Thomas E. Reed" <tomreed@sundial.net>]

Theo McGuckin, tsm@jlab.org, you said...

>1. the max a person can lift is is their strength +2 size objects. This is
>with basically no movement. So that means that an average str. person
>(2d6) could lift up to size 4 (small person) and not move. Now I consider
>myself to be of average str. (2d6) and I can lift my full-grown friend and
>stumble around a little. I can lift small people and move somewhat.

This limitation also affects other kinds of characters! One of the big 
things flyers want to do is pick up people, a la Superman, and fly them 
to safety. Assuming they have average strength, they'd drop like a rock 
carrying an ordinary person.

I had a teenage girl flyer who wanted to carry her father while flying. 
She couldn't, unless she spent time (and character experience) to build 
up her strength naturally. And she didn't want to do that, because (and 
yeah, this is an old prejudice) the player running her didn't want to 
have "muscles." I notice that in the pictures included with BNW, and the 
text stories, this weight limitation is conveniently ignored.

However, it does make an interesting point. The problem with most 
superhero games is that players think only of using their powers. I think 
heroes need to rely on more than their powers. In a case like this, the 
flyer has to work to increase aspects other than her flight power. If Fly 
Girl wants to carry her dad out of a burning building, she'll have to 
pump iron - and accept looking muscular.

In the same way, goliaths have those slow reaction times. They should be 
allowed to compensate by "work" - that is, by trying to predict the moves 
of their opponents by thinking ahead. That means adding points to mental 
skills and trying to compensate for their biological slow reactions. If 
they "guess right" they hit; if they "guess wrong" their blow misses or 
hits the wrong thing/person.

So, what do you think? Should the limitations on strength stand? Should 
they be fixed with additional tricks the PC can learn? Or should players 
be forced to use their ingenuity?


See Tom Reed at The Games at MegaCon presented
by SunQuest, March 1-4, 2001 in Orlando, FL. Get
the details at http://www.megaconventon.com
And see his web site...http://www.off-model.com