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Old 09-14-2017, 02:42 PM   #9
Stormcrow
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ronkonkoma, NY
Default Re: Example GM Control Sheet

Let's see what I can come up with. Each of the bottom areas has twenty lines, and in my handwriting I can squeeze in about 40 characters per line.

Special Abilities
The idea here must be that these are the things a character can do that the GM needs to know about without asking the player. Information-gathering skills will be a big deal here, as are advantages that trigger alerts. But it only makes sense to be on a sheet if the GM shouldn't be asking the player, "What's your Skill X level?" So while Stealth is an information-gathering skill, the player always chooses to do it on purpose, and can just tell the GM what the level is. The list might also support GM notes on durations of various abilities.

Given that criteria, of the three characters in How to Be a GURPS GM, Beldin doesn't appear to have any "special abilities" worth noting. Jax has Extraordinary Luck: while the GM doesn't have to keep anything secret here, the GM might want to track the next time the advantage can be used. Rory has a little more: the GM should definitely write Common Sense as a special ability. Reaction modifiers that don't apply all the time should go here instead of the little box at the top. But although Sensitive gives the character a free IQ roll to feel someone out, it's done at the behest of the player, so it doesn't need to be written. So in all we have:

Code:
Jax   Extraordinary Luck: [time]
      No Sense of Humor (-2)
Rory  Common Sense
      Voice (+2)
      Chummy (+2 react or
         -1 IQ skills)

Not a lot.

The Required Rolls are easier, since every disadvantage with a control should probably go here. In this case, Jax doesn't seem to have any entries.

Code:
Beldin   12   Bad Temper
         12   Honesty
         13   Sleeplessness
              per hour
         11+  Ignore noise
              during sleep
Rory     12   Gluttony
         12   Overconfidence
         12   Short Attention Span
A larger party would use more of the sheet. Not sure how useful putting Beldin's Light Sleeper stuff on there is.

Any thoughts?
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