An Actual Fullautomacchius

[Tsunami]

[...]
I'm assuming that Tsunami is quoting directly from the book, and that's what my comment was based on.

Yupp, that it is.

[Shecky]

Don't read that one quote in a vacuum, please; look at all the other texts regarding the effects around the Swords. The glow hurts and slows the bad guys - it does not "strip away" their actual abilities any more than having an arc light within an opponent's field of vision actually makes the opponent weaker, it simply makes USING their strength a lot more difficult.

Make sense?

[babel2uk]

Don't read that one quote in a vacuum, please; look at all the other texts regarding the effects around the Swords. The glow hurts and slows the bad guys - it does not "strip away" their actual abilities any more than having an arc light within an opponent's field of vision actually makes the opponent weaker, it simply makes USING their strength a lot more difficult.

Make sense?

In the context of the way the swords are presented in the game, not really, no.

I'd say the repelling etc is still more in keeping with the Holy power than the All Creatures are Equal. In any case that doesn't change the fact that the way the swords work in the books and they way their powers work in the game are quite different. If we go with the version of the power you're highlighting then All Creatures are Equal should work like a threshold - as a surpressor on all supernatural abilities - rather than in the way it's written up in the book, where it only negates their supernatural defensive abilities and any mundane armour/toughness. It would also seem that the way the power works in the novels is a little inconsistant, if in one encounter it strips away all supernatural trappings and in others it just makes it more difficult for them to be used. Maybe the Knights of the Cross would have been better left as NPCs, or the Swords would have been better left as Plot Device calibre weapons with suggested options for effects rather than statted up as Items of Power.

I think I'll leave this topic alone now. It's becoming less of a fun discussion and more of a nit-picking exercise.

[Shecky]

Well, the RPG was designed to come from the books, so in any case of doubt, I'd be more inclined to lean towards the books. Just my point of view, though. And I don't think you saw my point about that one quote; I can't see it as actually doing something different in that one encounter, just being described differently, coming to the same thing (i.e., it doesn't so much remove the abilities as hinder them, just like an arc light in your opponent's vision effectively "strips away" their agility and reflexes without actually removing them).

[Barrington]

On the subject of bullets not being affected, here's an idea. Have the gun be a smoothbore (reducing it's accuracy somewhat, but if it's a pistol or especially a shotgun it's not that big a deal) and have the nail be forged lengthwise into the barrel, with part of it sticking into the actual barrel and touching the bullet as it's fired. Thus, the bullets gain the powers of the nail by coming into contact with it as they leave the barrel. Furthermore, maybe say that you can only clean the gun with holy water or something.

[Kordeth]

On the subject of bullets not being affected, here's an idea. Have the gun be a smoothbore (reducing it's accuracy somewhat, but if it's a pistol or especially a shotgun it's not that big a deal) and have the nail be forged lengthwise into the barrel, with part of it sticking into the actual barrel and touching the bullet as it's fired. Thus, the bullets gain the powers of the nail by coming into contact with it as they leave the barrel. Furthermore, maybe say that you can only clean the gun with holy water or something.

I was going to say work the nail into the firing pin, but this would work too.

[Mattastic]

MijRai - I like the Gun of the Sword idea. It totally works. Good flavor text too.
(If I ever run this thing, I will yoink it for my game.)

Guys - you're arguing about a special effect. It levels the playing field. Call it suppression or cancellation or magic boom boom powers, the defenses get knocked down.
It's your game, play it the way you want.