When you guys are playing Holmes basic and extending it, do you use racial level limits? I know this question has probably been asked before. Right? Is there a current consensus?
Nope, because I like to extrapolate Holmes with minimal additions not hinted at in the Blue Book. I didn't put them in BLUEHOLME™ for that same reason. It hasn't broken any of my games. Most people still prefer humans, and if the youngsters all want to play elves - hey, as long as we're all having fun. :-)
Michael Thomas Interesting, does that mean that when you were writing BLUEHOLME, you weren't overly concerned uniting it with the LBBs? You viewed Holmes as a self contained universe?
I did crib from ODD as far as higher-level spells were concerned, for character progression, and for monster mentioned in but not statted-up in Holmes's writing. But I tried to keep the whole game in the spirit of Holmes rather than making it a straight Holmes + ODD clone. The sub-classes I'm working on for later publication are those mentioned in the blue book or by Holmes elsewhere, so no bards, but witches and witch doctors, for example.
Michael Thomas It sounds like you think that level limits are not in the spirit of Holmes, not just that they aren't mentioned in the rules because they only go up to level 3. I would love it if you would talk a little bit more about that.
I take racial level limits as a status of the races' current achievements. If a PC hits that top level he can keep gaining XP. Each new level costs twice it normally would (extending charts at normal progression). Once a new level is reached the whole race's level limit is now the same. So anyone coming after can get that same level at normal cost. I then give that level title the name of the character who earned it for their race. This gives some PCs glory.
If I were to try to pin down one thing "Holmesian" it's a free-wheeling willingness to let players see where they can take the game. So a bit of both, they are not mentioned in the Blue Book and I like to think Holmes would not have used them (if his games ever got above 4th level!). Mechanically I don't think they help balance the game because at those levels racial benefits are not worth nearly as much as they are at low levels. Culturally I could explain halfling limits but not dwarf or elf limits.
I do, but I am married to racial level limits to encourage a more humanocentric setting.
ReplyDeletemost of my games last up to about 9th lv - record keeping for gold, xp, extra dice rollls, extra book searches make game slower
ReplyDeletei dont have a problem with high level demihumans and plenty of in campaign cultural means of keeping humanocentric and balanced
Nope, because I like to extrapolate Holmes with minimal additions not hinted at in the Blue Book. I didn't put them in BLUEHOLME™ for that same reason. It hasn't broken any of my games. Most people still prefer humans, and if the youngsters all want to play elves - hey, as long as we're all having fun. :-)
ReplyDeleteWilliam Dowie Cool, have you come up with an "in universe" explanation for why level limits exist?
ReplyDeleteMichael Thomas Interesting, does that mean that when you were writing BLUEHOLME, you weren't overly concerned uniting it with the LBBs? You viewed Holmes as a self contained universe?
ReplyDeleteI did crib from ODD as far as higher-level spells were concerned, for character progression, and for monster mentioned in but not statted-up in Holmes's writing. But I tried to keep the whole game in the spirit of Holmes rather than making it a straight Holmes + ODD clone. The sub-classes I'm working on for later publication are those mentioned in the blue book or by Holmes elsewhere, so no bards, but witches and witch doctors, for example.
ReplyDeleteMichael Thomas It sounds like you think that level limits are not in the spirit of Holmes, not just that they aren't mentioned in the rules because they only go up to level 3. I would love it if you would talk a little bit more about that.
ReplyDeleteHerman Klang I just say that they are elder races, past their prime, now is the age of man.
ReplyDeleteI take racial level limits as a status of the races' current achievements. If a PC hits that top level he can keep gaining XP. Each new level costs twice it normally would (extending charts at normal progression). Once a new level is reached the whole race's level limit is now the same. So anyone coming after can get that same level at normal cost. I then give that level title the name of the character who earned it for their race. This gives some PCs glory.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to try to pin down one thing "Holmesian" it's a free-wheeling willingness to let players see where they can take the game. So a bit of both, they are not mentioned in the Blue Book and I like to think Holmes would not have used them (if his games ever got above 4th level!). Mechanically I don't think they help balance the game because at those levels racial benefits are not worth nearly as much as they are at low levels. Culturally I could explain halfling limits but not dwarf or elf limits.
ReplyDelete