Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - Resolved,There is no point to statting up anything that is not a PC

Nymdok · 12-30-2009, 07:08 AM

I am the 'game relevant' stat guy.

Points are meaningless to NPCs. A 50 point NPC (no ads/dissads etc) with all 50 points in Sword is more than a match for almost any PC of twice or even 5 times that point value.

It is not important that NPCs, great or small, have similar point values. It is only important that they follow the same rules.

To that end, I stat up NPCs to game balance, and I stat up powers so I can be sure they are consistent with GURPS game mechanics. ANYTHING else I apply is purely academic. In a horror game does it matter that Jason Vorhees is Dead Broke? Of course not, so something like that wouldnt even make on a stat sheet.

This is also why I have abandoned the notion of applying numeric skill level values when posting here and instead try to identify how to scale up and scale down creatures to suit parties of various strengths as i did in this zombie thread.

Stating up the Powers also serves other benefits.

Can I do that?
Sooner or later your PCs will see an NPC do something and they will covet that ability. Having the work done ahead of time and consistent to the system allows you the option of saying Yes and knowing what to charge them in CP for the power.

How can he do that?
Its an easy way to silence players who feel that the game might be unbalanced towards NPCs and assures them that the rules behind the screen are the same as the rules in front of the screen. It helps keep them from feeling overwhelmed by bad guys.

Show Me how that Works
This final one is kind of 'me' specific but I note it because it still has value. My daughter is away at college, and the rest of my players (including my son) are in their late teens and preparing for college. Using the individual ability builds is a great teaching exercise. It teaches them a little about how to GM and gives them a better idea of the Power-Advantage-Limitation and Attribute-Skill-Technique structures that are so fundamentally important to GURPS. In this way, if they are off at college and either Join or start a GURPS game, they can do so with a firm grasp of the mechanics.

Nymdok

12-30-2009, 07:08 AM	#9
Nymdok Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Houston	Re: Resolved,There is no point to statting up anything that is not a PC I am the 'game relevant' stat guy. Points are meaningless to NPCs. A 50 point NPC (no ads/dissads etc) with all 50 points in Sword is more than a match for almost any PC of twice or even 5 times that point value. It is not important that NPCs, great or small, have similar point values. It is only important that they follow the same rules. To that end, I stat up NPCs to game balance, and I stat up powers so I can be sure they are consistent with GURPS game mechanics. ANYTHING else I apply is purely academic. In a horror game does it matter that Jason Vorhees is Dead Broke? Of course not, so something like that wouldnt even make on a stat sheet. This is also why I have abandoned the notion of applying numeric skill level values when posting here and instead try to identify how to scale up and scale down creatures to suit parties of various strengths as i did in this zombie thread. Stating up the Powers also serves other benefits. Can I do that? Sooner or later your PCs will see an NPC do something and they will covet that ability. Having the work done ahead of time and consistent to the system allows you the option of saying Yes and knowing what to charge them in CP for the power. How can he do that? Its an easy way to silence players who feel that the game might be unbalanced towards NPCs and assures them that the rules behind the screen are the same as the rules in front of the screen. It helps keep them from feeling overwhelmed by bad guys. Show Me how that Works This final one is kind of 'me' specific but I note it because it still has value. My daughter is away at college, and the rest of my players (including my son) are in their late teens and preparing for college. Using the individual ability builds is a great teaching exercise. It teaches them a little about how to GM and gives them a better idea of the Power-Advantage-Limitation and Attribute-Skill-Technique structures that are so fundamentally important to GURPS. In this way, if they are off at college and either Join or start a GURPS game, they can do so with a firm grasp of the mechanics. Nymdok Last edited by Nymdok; 12-30-2009 at 07:47 AM.