JulesMrshn@aol.com wrote:

> I have just something to add to abilities.
> 80 is way to much in my opinion. I don't read anything in the book that a
> regent has to have high abilities. What about 60 and +3 to main ability and
> +1 to other (That way ftr's have high str's and wizards have high int).

It's a matter of preference. Some will prefer it high, some low. I like them very
high. Part of the problem as I see it is that in AD&D, there is fairly little
game effect between, for example, an 8 DEX and a 14 DEX. By having high stats,
the well-coordinated fighter (who has high DEX) and the big strong fighter (who
has high STR) operate very differently within the framework of the game.

[Snip]

> Proficiencies, or pass of the jobs to lts. It is easy to walk around with a
> 16 Cha, but try ruling with a 9 or 7 cha... That's hard, and any Regent who
> can survive it gains so much more by way of wits and actual experience in
> handling things then the 16 Cha.

The 16 Charisma regent, on the other hand, instead of letting himself get carried
by his Charisma, may put the effort in much greater tasks, and gain the same
experience. And once he does, he is still largely advantadged over his
less-charismatic colleague.

> I am a firm believer that Attributes do not make the character, but
> Experience does.

With AD&D's level system, that is very true. =) Nevertheless, there exist in
fiction, and even in reality, talented beginners who can match less-talented, but
very experienced, veterans. A system should be able to handle both the veteran
and the child prodigy. And I know it's a cliché, but I think personality makes a
character; Attributes and Experience (among other things, like history) both
influence that.

> Think back to your first "test" of the rules where you
> devised an excellent way to use a thief ability that you know no one has
> thought of before you. Being inexperienced as you were, (especially if your
> first GM was very experienced like mine was) you tried it out and forgot to
> think about one of the factors...oops... your character really messed up and
> he now has to talk himself out of being in the king's treasury and how those
> bars were loosened. If he survives the PC gets experience, but even if he
> doesn't the PLAYER gets experience and learns from the mistakes of that
> character and uses him on a newer one.

If the player had had higher Wisdom, he might have realized that breaking into
the king's treasury was a really, really bad idea. ;)

Mathieu