Spiritual Attribute Adjustment

[Bankuei]

Just thought I'd chime in and ask a simple question regarding this:

Has anyone had problems in actual play with "unrealistic" results as a result of SA's?

Although it certainly is possible to get the big money SA bonus of 25 dice, I'd say that most of the time, it is significantly lower, and that folks are usually getting about 5 more dice, which then boil down to maybe 2 or 3 more successes in combat.  An advantage, but not a ridiculous one.

Anyone have some examples of actual play where things have pushed the suspension of disbelief?

Chris

[Lyrax]

One of my gaming buddies once held off an army of Gol while the rest of the party evacuated several women and children from the castle.  He was doing this as part of a mission for his country, and either four or all five of his SAs applied.  He killed at least twenty-five Gol single-handedly as they rushed up the stairs two or even three at a time to their doom.  That was pretty unbelievable, but it meant a lot to the character to have these women and children escape, and to finish the mission, and to save the skins of the rest of the party.

While this certainly pushed the suspension of disbelief, it was fittingly heroic for the situation, as the character fully expected to die at that point (and the player expected him to die as well), but due to some freakishly good die rolls on his part and some hideously bad die rolls on the part of the seneschal, the character survived and lived to tell the tale.

[Jake Norwood]

RE: Lyrax

And I bet he's still talkin' about it. Cool, huh.

Jake

[contracycle]

One of my gaming buddies once held off an army of Gol while the rest of the party evacuated several women and children from the castle.  He was doing this as part of a mission for his country, and either four or all five of his SAs applied.  He killed at least twenty-five Gol single-handedly as they rushed up the stairs two or even three at a time to their doom.  That was pretty unbelievable, but it meant a lot to the character to have these women and children escape, and to finish the mission, and to save the skins of the rest of the party.

"He then strode to the front entrance of the bridge, and easily distinguished among those whose backs were seen as they gave way before he battle, he struck the enemy with amazement by his surprising boldness as he faced round in arms to engage the foe hand to hand. Two, however, a sense of shame kept back with him, Spurius Larcius and Titus Herminius, both men of high birth, and renowned for their gallant exploits. With them he for a short time stood the first storm of danger, and the severest brunt of the battle. Afterward, as those who were cutting down the bridge called upon them to retire, and only a small portion of it was left, he obliged them also to withdraw to a place of safety. Then, casting his stern eyes threateningly upon all the nobles of the Etruscans, he now challenged them singly, now reproached them all as the slaves of haughty tyrants, who, unmindful of their own freedom, came to attack that of others. For a considerable time they hesitated, looking round one upon another, waiting to begin the fight. A feeling of shame then stirred the army, and raising a shout, they hurled their weapons from all sides on their single adversary; and when they had all stuck in the shield he held before him, and he with no less obstinacy kept possession of the bridge with firm step, they now began to strive to thrust him down from it by their united attack, when the crash of the falling bridge, and at the same time the shout raised by the Romans for joy at having completed their task,checked their assault with sudden consternation. Then Cocles said, "Father Tiberinus, holy one, I pray thee, receive these arms, and this thy soldier, in thy favoring stream." So, in full armor, just as he was, he leaped into the Tiber, and, amid showers of darts that fell upon him, swam across unharmed to his comrades, having dared a deed which is likely to obtain more fame than belief with posterity."

Horatius Cocles at the Sublician bridge, as told by Livy

[Warboss Grock]

Actually i believe it is realistic that combat pool does add to total possible successes. Let's just put this into perspective.

We'll first create a character with spiritual attributes... lets say a middle aged woman, her spiritual attributes would be as follows.
Passion: her children: 3
Drive: To be a good mother:3
Luck:1

That's all we need for this scenerio and because this is a starting character, she wouldn't have more than 7 attribute points

While walking through the woods one day, a tree falls and pins Her two children, breaking one's leg. Instinctively she tries to move the tree to lift it off, Her stregnth of 3 isn't going to lift the log off, Even if she has 3 successes, she could lift the tree a bit, but then it would re settle in a different place. Leaving the children alone in the woods would not be an option, because there are wild animals in a medevil forest. The only option is to try. By putting her drive and passion in, she gets 6 mor dice for a total of 9, on a target of... let's say 15

How many times have you all heard of a mother lifting a car off a child?

Oh, and you allways roll bad lyrax

[Ashren Va'Hale]

as the player of the character who pulled an horatio at the bridge thing that lyrax mentioned... I am still talking about it jake... how could I not!!!
and the way I figured that SA's work like that comes from my old wrestling days. I really wanted this spot on the team and I had been defending it all day through wrestle offs, I was so dang tired when I got to my last match I only picked the guy up and then pinned him due to sheer desire to win, I couldnt grasp a pencil afterwards but I picked the guy up and dropped him, then held him on the ground while he was fighting back as hard as he could... that to me is alot like SA's in action.

[Durgil]

If you have experience in it, wrestling does give a lot of good insight to combat, especially when it comes to fatigue.  I was really bad at it, but I have always had a healthy respect for a good grappler!  I once went with my Dad to a clinic at the University of Iowa with Dan Gable.  The guy he had help demonstrate moves with him was an olympic champion (I can't remember his name, but it was in the early to mid 80's.