Exceptionally long because rather than spamming the list with many posts,
I've just covered a lot of topics in this one. . .now back to spamming the
list with many posts anyhow. . .*sigh*
>
>
> On Thu, 5 Mar 1998, James Ruhland wrote:
> > So let's say this ruthless dictator forces a bunch of blooded regents
to
> > accept him as Overlord and become his Vassals; he requires each to send
him
> > 15 RPs per turn as part of the agreement. Does he recieve them?
>
> I'd say no. One needs a bloodline to metabolise RPs - without one, their
> useless to you.
>
This is IMO the best possible explanation for why he wouldn't get 'em;
lacking even a "spark of the divine" [to paraphrase you below], he couldn't
acumulate them, they'd just disipate.
>
> I suspect Cerilian peasants are a little bit snobbish about this - they
> don't mind being ruled by someone with a 'liitle spark of the divine'
> because that's the way that things are supposed to be. But rulers
> without bloodlines - "Why they're just peasants like us. I'm not going
> to tug my forlock to someone who's no better than me."
>
The rulebook certainly seems to imply (well, ok, openly state) that the
common folk will not obey anyone who doesn't have a Bloodline and will
revolt in favor of someone who does at the 1st oportunity.

> rules. The Rulebook section on collecting regency points (p. 40-41) says
that
> both multi- and dual-classed characters gain regency at the most
favorable rate
> for their different classes. It even gives the example of a thief/wizard
> gaining full regency from both guilds and sources.
>
> This sounds like a rule that could be abused by greedy players if the DM
doesn't
> watch it.

I've always ruled, regarding Dual-Class characters, that they don't get to
collect RPs for both classes until after their 2nd class has passed their
1st class (I.E. take the example of a 10th level Thief, Rad, who
dual-classes to Wizard; he doesn't begin collecting Thief-related RPs again
until he becomes an 11th level Wizard). I.E. just as he can't use his Thief
abilities (without penalty) until reaching that lofty goal, he only gets
Wizard RPs.

Elves & Realm Spells (again) (toungue in cheek):
Seems our group is about equaly divided on this questions, between people
who think elves live under some restrictions, and thouse of us who believes
elves are akin to living gods, and can do whatever they please. IMO, as
someone who once believed the latter, I think game balance (heh, me,
speaking in favor of game balance is like Clinton speaking in favor of
chastity, but whatever. . .) only Blooded mages, including Elves, have
access to Realm Spells. Since unblooded elven Wizards can cast Battle Magic
spells, they are still more than capable of defending their homeland from
thouse human dogs.

Dual-Classing & exp:
Re. Gandalf's post.

Yep, I remember that letter to Dragon. IMO, every game has rules that seem
"irrational". A DM's job is to adjudicate them. I.E. if you think that
Wizard should get *something* exp wise from slaughtering the Devils. . .er,
Baatezu, then bump him up a Fighter level. But the rule is there to keep
people from abusing it ("you were especially heroic so I'm going to give
you this one-shot benifit. . .if you succeed in something else I think is
very significant, you might get the same, but don't think I'm going to give
you fighter experience for every orc and kobold you knock on the head with
a sword").
Some rules are there more for game balance than plausability. I,
personally, am a *big* fan of Dual-Classing and would hate to see it thrown
over for (common) Multi-classing; that is almost "every man an elf" (to
paraphrase Huey Long's "Every man a King" line).
IMO, the best thing about 2nd edition AD&D, or more the atmosphere that
was created, is that a rule isn't considered handed down by the Divine Zeus
(or the Divine Gygax), they exist as guidelines and one of the rules is
that the DM can ignore them in situations where the DM considers it
waranted. I, myself, have never given or recieved exps for my original
class after Dual-classing. But I can immagine a situation where it might be
waranted, like the one used in the (extreme) example from Dragon.