From: <cpearce@nemesis.acs.unt.edu>
Subject: RQ: River of Cradles (Possible Spoilers)
Organization: University of North Texas
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 03:45:37 GMT

Hi! I'm a new Runequest player who has an official bitch about the
River of cradles supplement! If any of you netters have access to
the powers that be at Avalon Hill/Chaosium, then by all means forward this
along.

Actually, I think the module/sourcebook itself is fine -- I've been having
a great time (our party has finally returned to Pacisvis) -- I just have a
complaint about the pregenerated characters. The sourcebook/module says
that characters who go on the adventure should be no older than 21 and
that the adventure itself is designed for beginning characters.

So, we (htthe players) all generated beginning characters. In a weird case
of art imitatigng art, we apparently created a party that matched the
pregenerated characters role for role... ( I generated a Chalana Arroyan
healer and was interested in seeing my counterpart's character sheet.

Let's compare:

Naiya Omash (my Arroyan healer)
STR 13 CON 9 SIZ 11 INT 13 POW 18(*) DEX 7 APP 9

Boat 17 Climb 37 Dodge 8 Jump 22 Ride 2 Swim 16 Throw 28
Fast Talk 12 Orate 22 Sing 12 Speak Dara Happan 43New Pelorian 43 Speak Pavidssc 22
SPeak Boatspeech 1
Animal Lore 26 Craft Tailor 13 Evaluate 8 First Aid 46 Human Lore 32
Mineral Lore 26 {PPlant Lore 38 Read/Write New Pelorian 9 World Lore 8
COnceal 6 Devise 24 Sleight 6 Listen 32 Sacan 32 Search 44 Track 32
Hide -2 Sneak 2

Ceremony 21; Heal 1; Water See 1 **; Breathe Water **; Comfort Song

(*) original POW 16. Gained 2 points from successful Resurrection from
    matrix gained during the adventure
(**) These spells granted as part of adventure

I think this character is a fine character and I'm having a great time
trying to roleplay her restrictive code of ethics. Nevertheless, I was
somewhat dismayed to see that the "beginning" Arroyan healer provided in
the sourcebook had the following numbers:

Andra (the supplement's Arroyan healer)
STR 10 CON 14 SIZ 9 INT 13 POW 16 DEX 13 APP 12

Quarterstaff Attack 18 Quarterstaff paryyry 48!
Sleep (3) Heal 6 Protection 4
Resurrection! Heal Body! Regrow Limb!
Speak Pavic 39 Speak Tradetalk 21 Speak New Peollorian 17 Sing 33
Boat 42 Climb 57 Dodge 52 Jump 45 Throw 51
Play Fiddle 33
Write Pavic 32 First Aid 71 Sewing 14 Animal Lore 19 Human Lore 31 Mineral
Lore 33 Plant Lore 64 Refine Medicine 55 Treat Disease 65 Treat Poinson 63
World Lore 24
Listen 45 Scan 43 Search 39
Hide 14 Sneak 11
Ceremony 58 Summon 36

Items: POW 8 Power Spritinirit in Fertility rune pendant
Healing Spritiirit (POW 13) bound in gold necklace with harmony runes
Dullbalde 3 matrix on quarterstaff Slow 1 matrix on wristband
(All are gifts from resurrectees!)

You mean this beginning character is practically a PREISTESS of
Chalana Arroy! She has 8 points of divine magic! And has evidently used
12 points of divine magic (previously (because of her gifts) Yet, she still
has 16 POW? (aided, of course by the POW spriti she evenidently Summoned
and Bound)?) My player bogosity alarm has gone off seriously!

(I did forget to add my healer's skills of Refine Medicine 18 Treat Disease
14 and Treat Poison 14...) [can't go back and edit])

Oh well, it doesn't matter really, since as a party we are doing pretty well
in the adventure, but someone at AH/Chaosium should know about the discrepancy
here... both Naiya and Arnndra are both 21 years old,... how could they
be said to be equivalent beginning characters...
--
Chris Pearce, cperace@nemesis.acs.unt.edu