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Old 03-30-2012, 05:48 PM   #1
Basham
 
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Default New Advantage/Disadvantage Thread

Hey, I was just going to post ideas for new advantages and disadvantages in this thread. Feel free to join in, point out when advantages already exist, or critique my ideas.

I feel like there should be a counter-advantage to the disadvantage "Low Self-Image", something like this:

Scrapper

10 points

You laugh in the face of adversity. You are at +3 to all skill rolls whenever you believe the odds are against you or when others expect you to fail(GM's judgement). For example, if you're a pilot, you get no bonus during a routine flight practice, but you are at +3 if you're in a dogfight and your entire squadron has been shot down.

Or even something like

Rebel

5

You like to be the underdog. You are at +3 to all skill rolls when the odds are against you, but -1 when the odds are stacked in your favor.

You guys let me know if there is something like this already, or if there's another thread I should be posting in.
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Old 03-30-2012, 05:56 PM   #2
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Default Re: New Advantage/Disadvantage Thread

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Originally Posted by Basham View Post

Scrapper

10 points

You laugh in the face of adversity. You are at +3 to all skill rolls whenever you believe the odds are against you or when others expect you to fail(GM's judgement). For example, if you're a pilot, you get no bonus during a routine flight practice, but you are at +3 if you're in a dogfight and your entire squadron has been shot down.
Sounds like a lower-cost, higher-benefit version of Daredevil, actually. Is there a distinction I'm missing? (Besides the fact that Daredevil gives its +1 to all risky rolls, skill or otherwise.)

In GURPS, +3 can be a *huge* shifting of the odds.
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Old 03-30-2012, 07:01 PM   #3
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Default Re: New Advantage/Disadvantage Thread

I like metagame advantages and disadvantages.

Let's see... i'm just spitballing here...

See The Character Sheet (15pts/lvl)

Once per game session per level, the player of a character with this advantage can ask the gamemaster to look at the character sheet of any character in the game who has been named or whom the player's character has "experienced" first hand.

If the character to be seen is a PC, the player of that character must show the player any and all statistics on his/her character sheet and the gamemaster must reveal any hidden statistics (poisoned, mind controlled, etc) concerning that character for the rest of the session.

If the character to be seen is an NPC, the gamemaster must show the player any and all statistics the gamemaster has set for the character for the rest of the session and must also reveal attribute levels, advantages, disadvantages, skills and skill levels the character uses even if the gamemaster is "winging it" without set notes.

Limitation: Stats only -40%, Advantages Only -40%, Disadvantages Only -20%, Skills and Skill Levels Only -20%, Quirks Only -60%.

Full-Time/Part-Time NPC (-50 pts)
The gamemaster plays your character(s) for a fixed time each session. At the full 50pts you don't play a character at all.

You play 1/4 of the alotted time: -30pts
You play 1/2 of the alotted time: -15pts
You play 3/4 of the alotted time: -5pts

At any level, you still get to decide how point rewards are spent as you normally would and if the gamemaster is using optional rules allowing the expenditure of points mid-game (i.e. fleshwounds) you may use them as long as it doesn't change the actions the character is taking when the gamemaster is running your character.

The gamemaster cannot penalize point rewards for actions unless you were in control of your character and responsible for the bad roleplaying. The gamemaster CAN award you extra points for good roleplaying while you are in control or aren't.
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Old 03-30-2012, 10:21 PM   #4
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Default Re: New Advantage/Disadvantage Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocket Man View Post
Sounds like a lower-cost, higher-benefit version of Daredevil, actually. Is there a distinction I'm missing?
Well, you're missing the fact that Daredevil allows you to reroll critical failures.

But I agree with you that +3 is WAY too much for the advantage as written. Especially since being the underdog and having the odds against you are so common in adventure fiction.

Both Scrapper and Rebel seem like they should just be Higher Purposes to me.

Although the drawback for Rebel is intriguing. In exchange for the -1 when the odds are in your favor, I might see extending to +2 when you're the underdog.

Here are the two homebrew Advantages I use in my own games. I'm sure I've posted them elsewhere already:


High Pain Threshold 5/Level
These rules replace the Advantage of the same name in Basic, which was a little too powerful for it's cost.

Level 1: You may subtract 1 from the damage you've taken to determine Shock penalties (Minimum 1, Maximum 4). +1 to HT rolls to avoid knockdown and stunning, +1 to Will rolls to ignore pain in other circumstances.
Level 2: You suffer Shock penalties equal to ½ the damage done (round fractions up, minimum 1, maximum is still 4). +3 to HT rolls to avoid knockdown and stunning, +3 Will to ignore pain in other settings. This is the maximum level available in realistic campaigns. (Compare to the original advantage.)
Level 3: You suffer Shock penalties equal to ¼ the damage done (round fractions greater than .5 up, minimum 0, Maximum 2). +5 to HT Rolls to avoid Knockdown and Stunning, +5 Will to ignore pain in other settings.
Level 4: You never suffer Shock penalties from injury. + 8 to HT Rolls to avoid Knockdown and Stunning, +8 to Will rolls to ignore pain in other settings.
Level 5: You are Immune to Pain. You never suffer Shock Penalties from injury, and do not roll for Knockdown and Stunning. Suitable for zombies, killer robots and horror movie psycho killers.

Injury Tolerance: Unbreakable Skin (30)
Your skin, or some other covering is soft and flexible but impenetrable. All Cutting, Piercing, and Impaling attacks are treated as Crushing for all purposes (including which locations can be targeted.)
You do not Bleed, but are still vulnerable to blood born pathogens and blood chokes, etc. unless you take No Blood. You are also immune to Dismemberment, but crippling injury effects you normally.
Note that this does not include the benefits of no brain or no vitals, but many people will buy those as well.

Last edited by aesir23; 03-30-2012 at 10:24 PM.
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Old 03-30-2012, 11:19 PM   #5
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Default Re: New Advantage/Disadvantage Thread

Oh I forgot aobout this one I use;

Easy to Subdue (-15): you automatically fail any knockdown, knockout or rolls to avoid being suknocked unconscious.
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Old 03-31-2012, 02:54 AM   #6
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Default Re: New Advantage/Disadvantage Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by LemmingLord View Post
See The Character Sheet (15pts/lvl)
To me, this seems like it would break suspension of disbelief, and all sense of the characters as people. Why bother with all the complexity of a role-playing rules set if you're going to do things like this? Why not just play a small-unit wargame?
Quote:
Full-Time/Part-Time NPC (-50 pts)
Why would a GM want to do this? It's more work for him, for the purpose of making a player unhappy, two things that are both likely to make the game worse.
Quote:
Easy to Subdue (-15): you automatically fail any knockdown, knockout or rolls to avoid being knocked unconscious.
That seems reasonable.

Last edited by johndallman; 03-31-2012 at 02:56 AM. Reason: additions
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Old 03-31-2012, 05:37 AM   #7
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Default Re: New Advantage/Disadvantage Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by LemmingLord View Post
See The Character Sheet (15pts/lvl)
Too Cheep

As per Kromm from Analyse character advantages

based on the 30-point version of Detect.
  • Detect (Gifts and foibles; Analyzing Only, -50%; Cosmic, +50%; Sense-Based (Vision) -20%;) [24] gives you the lot.
  • Detect (Mental gifts and foibles; Analyzing Only, -50%; Cosmic, +50%; Sense-Based (Vision) -20%;) [16] gives you IQ, Will, Per, skills and techniques based on these, mental advantages and disadvantages, etc.
  • Detect (Physical gifts and foibles; Analyzing Only, -50%; Cosmic, +50%; Sense-Based (Vision) -20%;) [16] gives you ST, DX, HT, HP, FP, Basic Speed, Basic Move, skills and techniques based on these, physical advantages and disadvantages, etc.
  • Detect (Social gifts and foibles; Analyzing Only, -50%; Cosmic, +50%; Sense-Based (Vision) -20%;) [16] gives you Cultural Familiarities, Languages, social advantages and disadvantages, etc. Since there's less stuff here, I'd toss in any "mental" or "physical" trait that helps social functioning, like Appearance, Smooth Operator, or Streetwise skill.
  • Detect (Mental gifts; Analyzing Only, -50%; Cosmic, +50%; Sense-Based (Vision) -20%;) [8]. As above, but only stuff with positive point values.
  • Detect (Mental foibles; Analyzing Only, -50%; Cosmic, +50%; Sense-Based (Vision) -20%;) [8]. As above, but only stuff with negative point values.
  • Detect (Physical gifts; Analyzing Only, -50%; Cosmic, +50%; Sense-Based (Vision) -20%;) [8]. As above, but only stuff with positive point values.
  • Detect (Physical foibles; Analyzing Only, -50%; Cosmic, +50%; Sense-Based (Vision) -20%;) [8]. As above, but only stuff with negative point values.
  • Detect (Social gifts; Analyzing Only, -50%; Cosmic, +50%; Sense-Based (Vision) -20%;) [8]. As above, but only stuff with positive point values.
  • Detect (Social foibles; Analyzing Only, -50%; Cosmic, +50%; Sense-Based (Vision) -20%;) [8]. As above, but only stuff with negative point values.
  • Detect (One very specific trait of any kind; Analyzing Only, -50%; Cosmic, +50%; Sense-Based (Vision) -20%;) [4]. Pretty specialized, and probably not worth the points in many cases, but would give you just IQ, or Will, or HT, or Status, or whatever else you want.

Now Magic or Psi as well drops the points down to 21, 11, 7 and 4
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Old 03-31-2012, 06:48 AM   #8
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Default Re: New Advantage/Disadvantage Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by roguebfl View Post
Too Cheep
The Problem with the Kromm Breakdown of Detects to give the character this knowledge is that I believe the advantage is meant for the player to access to information about character sheets that his character does not.

Of course, then using this knowledge would be bad role-playing most of the time.

The ability is really worth nothing to the character (if done right), just to the player's curiosity. Assuming I'm interpreting this correctly.
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Old 03-31-2012, 08:29 AM   #9
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Default Re: New Advantage/Disadvantage Thread

See The Character Sheet (15pts/lvl)

Quote:
Originally Posted by johndallman View Post
To me, this seems like it would break suspension of disbelief, and all sense of the characters as people. Why bother with all the complexity of a role-playing rules set if you're going to do things like this? Why not just play a small-unit wargame?
For some players, knowing the statistics makes roleplaying easier and the story richer. Just as sometimes I search my own character sheet to ponder what my character might do in the current scenerio, I can see better opportunities when I know the statistics of the other characters with whom my chracter interacts.


Full-Time/Part-Time NPC (-50 pts)
Quote:
Originally Posted by johndallman View Post
Why would a GM want to do this? It's more work for him, for the purpose of making a player unhappy, two things that are both likely to make the game worse.
I disagree with your premises.

Gamemaster's play hordes of NPCs all the time; playing one extra is a miniscule amount of extra work.

Yes, there maybe some players who would not be happy about being a spectator some of the time; these players are probably not going to be happy with a host of disadvantages such as addiction, confused, combat paralysis, cursed and indecisive. If you are a player like this, I would give you the same suggestion I would give them about picking the other disadvantages thare are going to have you play as a spectator - don't get the disadvantage.

As to why a gamemaster would want to do this, some players like being spectators some of the time. Just as some players LIKE playing jerk characters with bad temper, lecherousness, selfishness and stubborn; some people like to take the backseat.

The activity also provides a great opportunity for the rpg equivelent of "cut scenes" for characters with this disadvantage, those scenes that are predetermined that get the characters into the trouble at the beginning of a session or let the villain get away at the end of a session.

Finally, it makes fights run faster. The fewer PCs in a fight, the shorter each round takes.

A player taking this disadvantage for a character is getting points in return for not having the spotlight on them (as a player) without hurting the character at all.



See The Character Sheet (15pts/lvl)
Quote:
Originally Posted by roguebfl View Post
Too Cheep

As per Kromm from Analyse character advantages

based on the 30-point version of Detect...
Actually if you look closely, the See The Character Sheet advantage is MORE expensive, not less, than the alternatives you suggested.

The advantage is 15 pts PER LEVEL and each level lets you see ONE character's stats for one session only.

I think you will find once per session for the builds you suggested to be very comparable and the multiple levels of the disadvantage to be obviously more and more excessive than the Detect (use as many times you want during the session).


Quote:
Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker View Post
The Problem with the Kromm Breakdown of Detects to give the character this knowledge is that I believe the advantage is meant for the player to access to information about character sheets that his character does not.

Of course, then using this knowledge would be bad role-playing most of the time.

The ability is really worth nothing to the character (if done right), just to the player's curiosity. Assuming I'm interpreting this correctly.
A very good point. The See The Character Sheet advantage is is Meta Advantage, meant to inform the player and not the character. This does not mean you can't use the information, but you must use it subtly and wisely if you want to avoid the gamemaster penalizing you for bad roleplaying.

There are always ways around this of course. Look at your character sheet... and find a good reason to do what must be done to showcase the strengths/weaknesses of the character you are looking into...

Think about when you play a character who has never heard of a werewolf but gets attacked by one. It would not be in character to search the house for silver objects - you don't know it have a vulnerability so silver afterall. But you can always roleplay that you are throwing everything you've got at the thing until you somehow manage to crash your mirror against it.. You can always run for your life and start asking questions about the legend of such beasts... Both are in character and both take advantage of player knowledge.

And note that if you play your character as being clueless DESPITE what your player knowledge is... that you should be rewarded for good roleplaying with extra points.
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Old 03-31-2012, 12:36 PM   #10
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Default Re: New Advantage/Disadvantage Thread

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Originally Posted by LemmingLord View Post
I disagree with your premises.
And I with yours - we will get nowhere discussing this.
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