Re: Spiking
Well, my initial reaction is; what if they already have the edges and abilities? But, I see your point.
I guess this boils down to my feeling that CODA allows itself to become ridiculously powerful (read: total obliteration of any sense of realism) without any effort. If we actually run into a munchkin, lord help the gamemaster that has to put up with it.
The typical foil to a munckin is to go for mental or social challenges, but CODA gives out enough points to where this wouldn't be a problem, either.
What I'm trying to communicate with this thread is that I, personally, am not satisfied with the power-mongering of the CODA system and there is no real way to avoid it within the existing rules.
[Tangent; I know this will be mentioned, that I, as a gamemaster, can simply say 'no' to advancement in certain situations. But, that makes me a tyrant. Players should be able to have a consistent, reliable method to look forward to advancing their characters.]
I was stunned with the exceptional presentation of the LotR books. I'm an avid Tolkien scholar, fan, etc. I'm trying my best to work with a system that destroys my, and our group's, enjoyment of the game. I don't feel Decipher needs to fix it; I feel that bouncing ideas off of other forum posters is the way to go. Our group is the exception, not the rule, so there is no need of a rewrite of the core rules, they simply need adjusted to more suit our group.
However. If anyone feels that this shouldn't even be discussed, or simply wishes to sling mud and offer no constructive suggestions as a result, find another post. Or, perhaps we should find another game system.
"First, learn to use this," he said, indicating the boy's head. "Then, I'll teach you to use this," indicating the sword.