So how have Laurie and Gennifer changed?

[Willowhugger]

What's their new methodology and beliefs?

[MatthiasStormcrow]

I'd say it's a little early to tell yet. It's not so much that their beliefs or methodology have suddenly changed drastically to something different - it's that we can see their methodology starting to slide towards something less innocent and more cold, clinical and ruthless. Their main beliefs are definitely still the same though - and they don't seem to be aware of how they're changing.

One thing I noticed reading Legacies of Blood, though is that Gennifer's infection seems to have gone from 'Dread Possibility' to an all-but-declared statement. Not that I'm surprised, since pretty much everyone seems to like the idea. It just threw me reading Legacies of Blood when Gennifer mentioned something about her being glad Laurie wasn't the one poisoned, what with Laurie's weaker constitution. I read it and sort of went, "Huh? Isn't Laurie the tougher, fighter-type, and Gennifer the bookworm? Isn't that backwards?" so I checked their stats in VRA - and it is backwards - they have the same Con, and Laurie's got the higher Fort save - unless Gennifer's a lycanthrope, in which case her Fort save is huge, and that statement actually makes sense.

[Olly]

Whoa! Whoa! Slow down a sec... Gennifer's the werewolf?

[Kel-nage]

According to Van Richten's Arsenal, yes (pg. 137).

[Steve Miller]

It just threw me reading Legacies of Blood when Gennifer mentioned something about her being glad Laurie wasn't the one poisoned, what with Laurie's weaker constitution. I read it and sort of went, "Huh? Isn't Laurie the tougher, fighter-type, and Gennifer the bookworm? Isn't that backwards?" so I checked their stats in VRA - and it is backwards - they have the same Con, and Laurie's got the higher Fort save - unless Gennifer's a lycanthrope, in which case her Fort save is huge, and that statement actually makes sense.

Game mechanics had nothing to do with the sentiment and everything do with not wanting your sister to suffer.

I don't think the sisters sit down and compare Fort saves. Unlike "Order of the Stick," Ravenloft characters don't see game mechanics in operation in their lives.

[MatthiasStormcrow]

Game mechanics had nothing to do with the sentiment and everything do with not wanting your sister to suffer.
I don't think the sisters sit down and compare Fort saves. Unlike "Order of the Stick," Ravenloft characters don't see game mechanics in operation in their lives.

So, I went and looked up the actual quote: "The only joy I can take in our decision is my belief that, with your constitution, you may well have been murdered outright rather than merely laid up in bed."

I suppose it's bad form to argue with the author, and it may have been your intention to merely indicate concern for Laurie, but to me that quote very strongly implies that Gennifer and Laurie are both aware that Gennifer has a stronger constitution than Laurie. Or at least Gennifer's aware of it - I can picture Laurie taking issue with that statement quite readily. And Laurie's the outdoorsy one; I don't ever remember her being described as sickly. While it's true that D&D characters don't describe themselves in numerical terms, I do think that their stats are supposed to be representations of real-world qualities that they would notice and might comment on. I mean, that's the basis of the game, right? The principle behind writing stats for characters is that those numbers are a way of quantifying what the character is like 'in real life'. For instance, having a high Fortitude save represents being pretty tough and hardy, the kind of person who rarely gets sick, shakes off food poisoning faster, etc., things which are quite easy to notice if you've known someone for a while. And according to those numbers, Gennifer's not particularly tough and hardy, and Laurie is....unless Gennifer's a lycanthrope.

Don't get me wrong, Steve, I loved the whole book, and quite enjoyed that passage - it's just that one quote that stuck out at me - and rather than taking it as being somehow wrong, I just took it as, "Aha! So she is a werewolf!"

[Guardian of Twilight]

I am glad to hear that it has been confirmed (more or less) about her being a werewolf. I like having my campaigns stick close to the books. That opens up a very interesting campaign idea...

[Steve Miller]

So, I went and looked up the actual quote: "The only joy I can take in our decision is my belief that, with your constitution, you may well have been murdered outright rather than merely laid up in bed."!

Hmmmm... I need to break out the book when I get home. Perhaps you did catch me in a slip-up. (I remember the intent of the sentiment--"I got poisoned, and I'm glad it wasn't you, because you're my sister and I love you"--but I really don't recall how I wrote it.)

[Guardian of Twilight]

By the way, what page was that on? I think I may have missed that myself.

[Jack of Tears]

I agree, while characters in a game certainly don't have an understanding of the numbers involved, they can make observations about a persons strengths and weaknesses. One can determine if they have a heartier constitution than their sibling, if they shake off illness and the effects of drugs quicker. One can easily take physical clues from another to determine if they are stronger, more graceful, healthier, more attractive and charismatic, etc. We cannot be so frightened of mentioning game mechanics in character that we ignore the powers of basic perception.

[Steve Miller]

So, I went and looked up the actual quote: "The only joy I can take in our decision is my belief that, with your constitution, you may well have been murdered outright rather than merely laid up in bed."!

Hmmmm... I need to break out the book when I get home. Perhaps you did catch me in a slip-up. (I remember the intent of the sentiment--"I got poisoned, and I'm glad it wasn't you, because you're my sister and I love you"--but I really don't recall how I wrote it.)

I read the printed letter, and I was left scratching my head. A couple of the things Gennifer said seemed a tiny bit off from what I had intended. And I couldn't figure out why she was commenting on her sister's bad constitution.

But then I checked my original turn-over to the editor. I don't have time to do a blow-by-blow analysis and quote-fest, so here's how that sentence quoted above originally read:

The only joy I can take in knowing our decision was the right one is that I suspect that you may well have been murdered outright instead of just threatened.

No reference to Laurie's "constitution."

(The editor DID improve my turnover, so I have no complaints. He and I just had slightly different ideas about what Gennifer was saying in the letter. So, basically, your interpertations of what's there is probably exactly right on. I didn't KNOW what was on the page. I should have kept my ignorant yap shut. )

[MatthiasStormcrow]

Hmm, interesting. Now you've got me curious about what else got changed. I'd love to hear the whole blow-by-blow someday if you've got the time. Not that I won't still interpret the book the way I want, mind you, but it's interesting to know, plus it'd be an interesting peek 'under the hood' at the writing/editing process, which is fun (at least for me).

Oh, and Guardian, the quote was from... <digs out the book> ...Page 8, last sentence of the second paragraph.

[Guardian of Twilight]

Thank you, Matthias. I appreciate you letting me know.

[Mangrum]

In case Rucht or Jim Lowder are out there wondering -- no, I didn't so much as touch this book. Musta been one of the other egomaniacal, unethical editors out there.

[Steve Miller]

In case Rucht or Jim Lowder are out there wondering -- no, I didn't so much as touch this book. Musta been one of the other egomaniacal, unethical editors out there.

I see no signs that anyone who worked on my chapters was either egomaniacal or unethical.