Advice Needed: point value for PCs

chipjamieson · 10-21-2016, 02:22 PM

So, I am running an old Boot Hill module Burned Bush Wells at a convention this winter. I'm torn between using Savage Worlds and GURPS. I'm feeling in a gritty, nuanced mood instead of a grainy, easy-peasy mood so I'm leaning towards GURPS.

(And Savage Worlds isn't all that easy-peasy for players unusued to cards for initiative, exploding die rolls, and very very swingy combat.)

The problem is I have not run GURPS in 10 years. Now, I get how to make it simple on myself (character generation is for players, not NPCs and only write down what you need) but I am stuck on point values for the pre-gens.

So, using GURPS Old West (is there an update or just used High Tech and 4E Players Book?), how would YOU translate this older-than-old-school game's PCs into GURPS?

I'm thinking 50 or 75 points, but Boot Hill 2nd Edition did give a 'kicker' to the die rolls during chargen for PCs - up to 20% if IIRC if you rolled really poorly.

Other than that, the genre and rules feel matches - both systems are lethal (amusingly enough GURPS is in this rare case less lethal) and the Old West book is a dream to read. Like many, I buy GURPS books because SJG insists on top-notch research and writing and is well worth every penny for a book. Heck, my buddy Tim wrote one of the original fantasy bestiaries for 3e back in 1990 or so when he had access to University of Michigan's medieval collection. (Ah, college days...)

So, what's your thinking? 50 or 75 or 100?

10-21-2016, 02:22 PM	#1
chipjamieson Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Detroit	Advice Needed: point value for PCs So, I am running an old Boot Hill module Burned Bush Wells at a convention this winter. I'm torn between using Savage Worlds and GURPS. I'm feeling in a gritty, nuanced mood instead of a grainy, easy-peasy mood so I'm leaning towards GURPS. (And Savage Worlds isn't all that easy-peasy for players unusued to cards for initiative, exploding die rolls, and very very swingy combat.) The problem is I have not run GURPS in 10 years. Now, I get how to make it simple on myself (character generation is for players, not NPCs and only write down what you need) but I am stuck on point values for the pre-gens. So, using GURPS Old West (is there an update or just used High Tech and 4E Players Book?), how would YOU translate this older-than-old-school game's PCs into GURPS? I'm thinking 50 or 75 points, but Boot Hill 2nd Edition did give a 'kicker' to the die rolls during chargen for PCs - up to 20% if IIRC if you rolled really poorly. Other than that, the genre and rules feel matches - both systems are lethal (amusingly enough GURPS is in this rare case less lethal) and the Old West book is a dream to read. Like many, I buy GURPS books because SJG insists on top-notch research and writing and is well worth every penny for a book. Heck, my buddy Tim wrote one of the original fantasy bestiaries for 3e back in 1990 or so when he had access to University of Michigan's medieval collection. (Ah, college days...) So, what's your thinking? 50 or 75 or 100?