The Noted Knights of Westeros

[Princess Ariel Targaryen]

Yeah. Aethan explicitly can't use a lance, but that's me roleplaying a handicap like Emelia's inability to ride.

I think what we should do is split the skills now and have future characters (and anyone who doesn't claim the new Jousting skill) take it separately. (Yeah, not entirely fair to newcomers, but neither was the expansion of skills to include Noteworthy, and I don't mind this kind of mod.)

[The Smith]

As for Jon, me and The Other discussed it and we just did not think he had a legendary showing. Quite good, but not Legendary. So he will have to gain that rank another way.

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

admin said:

I kind of agree with you Rhod. But it is now one of those catch twenty twos. How do we fix it now. Give everyone who has jousted their same skill in Joust. Or start everyone at zero joust and let them work their way you except for those who already have it.

The funny thing is Rhod is only "Apprentice" in joust. Technically his ability would go down if I had to stick to that assigned ability. But I'm certain his jousting has been judged on either his spear or sword ability of the time.

I think established jousters -- knights who have past-tense jousted in tourneys (let's not have a rush to Duskendale) or have already described themselves as charging with lances in battle should be allowed to have both at that skill level now, with them being considered truly separate skills for all characters going forward.

If you think that is too generous, the alternative could be to switch completely (Master in Sword to Master in Joust) or split between them and lose one rank in both (a Master in Sword becomes an Expert in Sword and Expert in Joust).

Something like that.

And is there an official record on whether Horsemanship/Mounted Combat has any effect?

I'm not trying to make the system too unwieldy and complicated, I'm just curious.

[The Smith]

I think it would be a good change, and yes we did apply bonuses for Horsemanship/mounted combat. I will wait for the Other to comment on this. But the idea of cloning your weapon skill to a joust skill for everyone playing right now probably seems the fairest way to do it.

[Princess Ariel Targaryen]

Rhod: It was done on a case-by-case. Timm was +1 level because he -is- a legendary horseman.

Also, I'll note that there was, archaically, a rule when picking skills that a "default" skill was "main skill -2." (Which may be abusive if I use that for Emelia...) Does anyone else remember that rule?

[theother]

I'm not sure about historically, but in the last tourney I applied a bonus for those who had supplmentary skills to aid them in jousting. So your main weapon skill would be your starting point and then if you had joust/shield use/mounted combat you got a small bonus to your score.

Melee is easier as it's just normal fighting so that was just your main weapon skill.

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

admin said:

I think it would be a good change, and yes we did apply bonuses for Horsemanship/mounted combat. I will wait for the Other to comment on this. But the idea of cloning your weapon skill to a joust skill for everyone playing right now probably seems the fairest way to do it.

Honestly, and I know this sounds self-serving (since my character is a jouster), but I think it should only apply to characters who have jousted. Those characters have established that to some degree they spent the time training the proper way to hold a lance, practicing, etc. or they never would have entered a jousting tourney.

[The Smith]

No that makes sense... but what you really mean is the men.

[Princess Ariel Targaryen]

It should also apply to anyone who is a -knight- or trained in knightly ways. (Yes, I'm sliding Ser Auron in on this one.) Knights are pretty much by definition going to be jousters.

[The Smith]

Look at Emelia steping up for her liegemen.

[Princess Ariel Targaryen]

Should there be some compensation for non-jousters who are nonetheless "combatants?"

And Smith: Yup, that's my job!

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

Heck, Auron has already even signed up for a joust -- in Duskendale. I'm fine with that. I'm not suggesting we comb over all of the past tourneys to determine exactly who and who does not qualify. Just a general parameter. And since not every NPC's skill is already determined, those who signed up for jousts vs. melees does kind of suggest where their skills are most honed.

For instance, I entered Ser Vance in the joust, and Ser Jonas Waxley in the melee. Both did well in their respective tourneys, so that should be considered towards their rank in each form of combat.

Hmm, it does seem to separate the men from the women...oh well, nothing can be done about that .

[Princess Ariel Targaryen]

Yeah. I'll ask Aerie and Aranya to weigh in on this debate before we make a hard call, but my gut feeling is that we shouldn't work -too- hard to make female fighters equal to males.

They should be rarer in all likelihood, and let's face it: jousting requires the kind of upper-body strength and muscular endurance that men have a -huge- natural edge over women in. </politically incorrect troll>

[Lord Rhodri Arryn]

As far as compensation to non-jousters goes, that would actually be unfair to the jousters. Thing is, the jousters aren't getting anything they didn't already have with the system as-is -- if they were a Master in their primary weapon, they jousted like a Master. This is forcing them to differentiate the skills going forward, and not improve in one by doing the other. In a way, it's a penalty, it's just a penalty that gives them a leg up on a truly new character. But it will encourage further diversity of weapon skills and less sword skill spamming.

[Princess Ariel Targaryen]

Alright, I'll agree with this.

Out of curiosity, what combatants (PC or any NPC whose skills have been put on the line) -do- we have who are not jousters?

Aerie Blackwood
Aranya Royce
Aethan Stone

Anyone aside from all those A's?