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Old 03-15-2018, 11:11 AM   #103
hal
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Buffalo, New York
Default Re: 25% of Starting Points

Allies have always been a bit of a pain in GURPS 3e and now in GURPS 4e. If you treat the NPC's as characters - who progress as if they were player characters, bound by the rules of player characters - then their development should be independent of GURPS dependent values or ally values. If a player earns 3 character points, then his dependent or ally also automatically gain 3 character points? SOmething in me rebels at that, sorry.

Imagine too, buying a patron whose worth is 1.5 times that of the player character? Next thing you know, if the player character started at 150 points, the starting value of the NPC is 1.5 x 150 or 225. Every 10 points the character gains, the NPC gains 15? Even if there is no credible reason in game play for the NPC to gain those points?

In the end? Every GM will decide whether to hew to the RAW line, or make modifications in the rules to suit what they feel is acceptable for their own campaigns (hence, house rules). No one set of rules is worse or better in my eyes, which is why I try NOT to say "You're wrong to use those house rules" when ever anyone brings up their own set of rules. I try to say "I like that rule" or "Hmm, not my cup of tea" and hopefully add "But you can use it as you wrote it - its yours after all". At worst, I might offer a counter argument to the house rule and offer a way to perhaps (and I do mean PERHAPS) improve it, but that's the extent of it.

For those of us who have used GURPS since MAN TO MAN first came out, we end up with the issue of being comfortable with GURPS CLASSIC, as well as having entrenched house rules we use despite the RAW - in addition to having to remember the rules as written! So, sometimes, we (meaning I!!!) might make reference to a house rule thinking it is the rules as written. That's why it makes sense to say "Sorry, My bad" and get over the feeling of embarassment. ;)
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