Do the Ssu and Hluss use oddball traps, sort of specific to each race? I figure they use normal stuff like spike pits, spring blades, or whatever but do they have anything that only they can make or use? How about any of the other races?

Quote from: Big Andy;1028037Do the Ssu and Hluss use oddball traps, sort of specific to each race? I figure they use normal stuff like spike pits, spring blades, or whatever but do they have anything that only they can make or use? How about any of the other races?

For me, I have always seen the Ssu's traps as being "oddball," often employing some type of ancient or alien technology, and extremely deadly.:eek:

Shemek

Quote from: Gronan of Simmerya;1026983It's play balance, overdone.  The "tank" gets beat on all day without serious harm, but can't kill a flea.  I don't mind the "tank destroyer" rogue, as I said, but Sir John Chandos in full plate with shield, apparently using a rubber chicken for a weapon, is just silly.

I play "Lord of the Rings Online" because the art direction is really, really well done; Rivendell literally took my breath away.  Oh yeah, and it's free.

But my 35th level Hobbit Hunter (Robin Hood type, leather armor, bow) can kill a Warg with two shots, while my 40th level Human Warrior (All the Armor, All the Time, and a Zweihander for spice) takes about six or seven blows with his 2-handed sword to kill the same Warg.  The Warrior takes no serious damage meleeing with the Warg, but it just gets tedious after a while to have to do the bad guy in with what appears to be a dull butter knife.  I find myself muttering "Will you just die already?"

That changed again in 5e. The Fighter has hands down the highest base damage output and with a little prep can deal out consistently way more damage than any other class. Rogues come in about second or third place and the wizard is way back.

Though I think you are confusing the Fighter with the Cleric for PC play. Its more often the cleric who in PC games acts as the backup "tank" but doesnt deal alot of damage compared to other classes. And makes up for that with healing and damaging undead better usually.

Another Tekumel question.

What is the average maturity rate and life expectancy of a human barring death by violence? Adventures in Tekumel shows the PCs are fully capable of having upwards of three kids by age 15. (most likely 1 or 2 if they have any at all. 3 is a 1 in 100 chance) Which implies that either the life expectancy is really short or they are maturing into the equivalent of their teens faster? Was this ever touched on in by Barker? I got the feeling from Adventures that it might be a bit of both.

Quote from: Omega;1028113Another Tekumel question.

What is the average maturity rate and life expectancy of a human barring death by violence? Adventures in Tekumel shows the PCs are fully capable of having upwards of three kids by age 15. (most likely 1 or 2 if they have any at all. 3 is a 1 in 100 chance) Which implies that either the life expectancy is really short or they are maturing into the equivalent of their teens faster? Was this ever touched on in by Barker? I got the feeling from Adventures that it might be a bit of both.

Or, most likely IMO, the table was just very poorly designed.

If you look at the area of the world that the setting is based on, highly overpopulated is the norm.
This is why I think getting across the idea the there is a dense population and "life is cheap" is important for the setting.
I think this goes hand in hand with why impalement seems to be the penalty of choice, as originally portrayed.  
Even though so many people are related to each other, there is a LOT of competition, even within families, over limited resources.
=

Quote from: Shemek hiTankolel;1028108For me, I have always seen the Ssu's traps as being "oddball," often employing some type of ancient or alien technology, and extremely deadly.:eek:

Shemek

I agree! What kinds of things have you and you group run into out Pechano? I am, of course, curious as to what the Professor dropped on Chirine and Gronan, but I am just as curious as to what every body else may have seen as well.

I recently had my group encounter a Ssu trap that pulsed a light and the person in the light's bodies glowed red for a moment and then all that was left was their skeleton which collapsed to the ground, like in so many old sci fi movies (good ones and bad ones). Delighted and terrified my younger players, with several even mentioning that they had seen effects like that on MST3K, which made me laugh.

And I saw you guys got even more snow, Chirine. Hopefully you guys are OK. I am pretty sure it is that damn groundhog's fault.

Quote from: Big Andy;1028037Do the Ssu and Hluss use oddball traps, sort of specific to each race? I figure they use normal stuff like spike pits, spring blades, or whatever but do they have anything that only they can make or use? How about any of the other races?

What we saw was that both use the kinds of 'mechanical' and 'deadfall' traps that everybody uses, but that the Hlyss shore facilities had a lot of water-based traps that used flooding to stop unwelcome visitors. Further inland, away from water sources, it was the occasional fixed-mount energy weapon. The Ssu had a liking for their home-grown energy weapons and explosives; one 'trap' was a portable area-denial weapon that sat on a tripod, fired an energy beam at intruders, and blew itself up if one got too close. The Shunned Ones were fond of chemical traps, with acids and gases. The Hlutrgu had nothing but their swamps, and everyone else tended to the usual kinds of traps when they used them. The tinalya are very fond of complex 'puzzle traps' with lots of deadfalls, pouring sand, that kind of thing.

Quote from: Omega;1028113Another Tekumel question.

What is the average maturity rate and life expectancy of a human barring death by violence? Adventures in Tekumel shows the PCs are fully capable of having upwards of three kids by age 15. (most likely 1 or 2 if they have any at all. 3 is a 1 in 100 chance) Which implies that either the life expectancy is really short or they are maturing into the equivalent of their teens faster? Was this ever touched on in by Barker? I got the feeling from Adventures that it might be a bit of both.

Phil said about 43 in the Five Empires and 35 elsewhere in the Sourcebook; most people don't have access to any real health care, so poorer people tend to die sooner. Richer urban folks do live longer, but again it's by maybe a decade.

It;s both, and yes, Phil did discuss it. (Kind of often, actually.) He based this on what he'd seen in his time in South Asia, he said.

Quote from: Greentongue;1028132If you look at the area of the world that the setting is based on, highly overpopulated is the norm.
This is why I think getting across the idea the there is a dense population and "life is cheap" is important for the setting.
I think this goes hand in hand with why impalement seems to be the penalty of choice, as originally portrayed.  
Even though so many people are related to each other, there is a LOT of competition, even within families, over limited resources.
=

This. It's why 'prisons' are more of less holding pens for the convicted; long-term incarceration is for people you might need to have around later. And it's also why clans exist in the first place, to assure members of access to resources - it points up the setting's importance of 'group' over 'individual'.

Quote from: Big Andy;1028140I agree! What kinds of things have you and you group run into out Pechano? I am, of course, curious as to what the Professor dropped on Chirine and Gronan, but I am just as curious as to what every body else may have seen as well.

I recently had my group encounter a Ssu trap that pulsed a light and the person in the light's bodies glowed red for a moment and then all that was left was their skeleton which collapsed to the ground, like in so many old sci fi movies (good ones and bad ones). Delighted and terrified my younger players, with several even mentioning that they had seen effects like that on MST3K, which made me laugh.

And I saw you guys got even more snow, Chirine. Hopefully you guys are OK. I am pretty sure it is that damn groundhog's fault.

Yep; think old SF movies, and you get it.

Got about 6 inches of wet heavy stuff, but The Bug gets through ti just fine. The Gary Con party leaves tomorrow, I think, so they should be all right.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1028175Got about 6 inches of wet heavy stuff, but The Bug gets through ti just fine. The Gary Con party leaves tomorrow, I think, so they should be all right.

Glad to hear it. I got home by 3-something, got the dog out on the leash, and turned around almost immediately because I was worried cars wouldn't be able to see us, and went back home cursing my wife working later.

Quote from: Willie the Duck;1028193Glad to hear it. I got home by 3-something, got the dog out on the leash, and turned around almost immediately because I was worried cars wouldn't be able to see us, and went back home cursing my wife working later.

I didn't think it was too bad, but then I used to drive in this kind of weather professionally. Nice clear walks tonight, though.

By the by, my next game session at The Source is Sunday, March 25th at one if you'd like to drop by.

First, I finally got hold of my Kurt Hills copy:). Thank you to all who were concerned.

Quote from: Shemek hiTankolel;1027964Asen my friend.

 :pThe damage as presented works fine, and when I run EPT these days I use it as written with no house rules. Back in Ye Olden Days I was quite enamoured with the AD&D damage system, and as such felt "obligated" to tinker with the rules set.

Shemek.

Oh, I thought that's what you're doing now:). The drawbacks of reading on a phone...
BTW, I'm looking for ways to mix the EPT damage system with Traveller's:D!
Of course, that's because I like tinkering as much as you like painting miniatures.

Quote from: altfritz;1028129Or, most likely IMO, the table was just very poorly designed.

Or it was accounting for twins and triplets births, which happen, too;).

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1028172Phil said about 43 in the Five Empires and 35 elsewhere in the Sourcebook; most people don't have access to any real health care, so poorer people tend to die sooner. Richer urban folks do live longer, but again it's by maybe a decade.

It;s both, and yes, Phil did discuss it. (Kind of often, actually.) He based this on what he'd seen in his time in South Asia, he said.

Yes, and that's why "playing the healer" is a direct way to societal respect, too.

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1028173This. It's why 'prisons' are more of less holding pens for the convicted; long-term incarceration is for people you might need to have around later.

Yes. Due process means you get as much fairness as your clout allows.

QuoteAnd it's also why clans exist in the first place, to assure members of access to resources - it points up the setting's importance of 'group' over 'individual'.

Well, of course. Who would give much of anything to a single person with no backing or pull?
But you'd better account for what multiple people want, if you want to avoid blood feuds and other nastiness;).

Quote from: chirine ba kal;1028258I didn't think it was too bad, but then I used to drive in this kind of weather professionally. Nice clear walks tonight, though.

By the by, my next game session at The Source is Sunday, March 25th at one if you'd like to drop by.

Yeah, it was about 90 minutes of zero visibility, and then just 4-6" of wet, annoying-to-shovel snow. The two previous snowstorms were much more onerous.

I am really going to try to get down there (both to be sociable, and because Tekumel is that one thing I've really never gotten a chance to play/see-in-action). I just can't promise anything because we close on a house on the 29th.