11-29-2020, 12:40 PM | #11 |
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Saint Paul, MN
|
Re: Outdoorsman seems overcosted
I like talents, even when they’re suboptimal, because they help me build character concepts. Often, I don’t want my outdoorsy scout or barbarian to be too brainy. As a GM, though, I would always be willing to reprice things if players felt they were out of whack. My groups don’t tend to care much about optimization, so I haven’t had to deal with it yet.
|
11-29-2020, 12:41 PM | #12 |
Join Date: Sep 2007
|
Re: Outdoorsman seems overcosted
Do you have a link to those resources?
I can put together a pretty good dungeon, but getting the 'multiple paths to the same place' thing to work has always been a challenge in making those paths distinct and interesting in their own right without overwhelming myself. |
11-29-2020, 12:46 PM | #13 |
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Dallas, TX
|
Re: Outdoorsman seems overcosted
So far, a random encounter is 9 or less most of the time, or 12 or less if they are camping out in a hazardous area like a dungeon or a graveyard at night time.
I have a monster table and I just pick one. |
11-29-2020, 01:30 PM | #14 |
Join Date: Feb 2009
|
Re: Outdoorsman seems overcosted
I have no particular desire to have my archer be Outdoorsy. Giving me more than one choice to build an archer would help
|
11-29-2020, 02:07 PM | #15 | |
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Dallas, TX
|
Re: Outdoorsman seems overcosted
Quote:
You are more or less stuck having an out doorsy archer. |
|
11-29-2020, 02:48 PM | #16 | |||
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Saint Paul, MN
|
Re: Outdoorsman seems overcosted
Quote:
In my experience, most players end up customizing their templates in various small ways. For disadvantages, of course, players don't even need GM permission (see Disadvantage Selection, Adventurers, p.14). Even for other traits, though, if a "required" trait doesn't fit someone's character concept, I don't see why most GMs wouldn't approve an alternative. It's not like we have the DFRPG police looking over our shoulders (or the need to be legal by Adventurers League rules, as with D&D). |
|||
11-29-2020, 02:51 PM | #17 |
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Dallas, TX
|
Re: Outdoorsman seems overcosted
Well then I suppose my position on the Outdoorsman trait would be this:
It is inefficient in comparison to simply increasing IQ unless the specifics of your game make that more difficult. |
11-29-2020, 08:40 PM | #18 | |
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Ottawa, ON, CA
|
Re: Outdoorsman seems overcosted
Quote:
That's not useless by any stretch, but in a game that by design asks characters to mostly live in their niche, I'd argue a Barbarian or Scout spending 20/level for IQ to boost his outdoor skills is spending points inefficiently and, importantly, not spending those points on core tasks like Survival, Tracking, and Murderhoboing. Note also that unlike pure IQ (or Per, for skills based on it), Outdoorsman adds to those skills even when rolled against a different attribute. IQ or HT-Based Survival, or DX-Based Fishing, aren't wild deviations and it's part of the GM's job to know what's on the character's sheets and design challenges that make players feel like their points are well-spent. If your game isn't going to use those outdoor skills (and my take is that it should: there are plenty of examples of how to make them useful in Exploits!) then Outdoorsman is bad; otherwise, it's an efficient way to be very good at a niche without spending the full 20/level on IQ.
__________________
M2: Everything is true. GP: Even false things? M2: Even false things are true. GP: How can that be? M2: I don't know man, I didn't do it. |
|
11-29-2020, 09:52 PM | #19 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
|
Re: Outdoorsman seems overcosted
Quote:
Boosting Outdoorsman to a full 10 skills with the addition of Hiking helps a bit here, as that's almost always HT-based. (As would slipping in a couple more non-brainy skills like Boating and Swimming; I believe the BS rule for talents allows up to 12 skills for a 10-point talent.) Also worth keeping in mind: A few (?) magic items published so far specifically call on Outdoorsman for their full effect. All in all, though, it's true that Outdoorsman is a hard sell compared to IQ. If the DFRPG line ever publishes a work on wilderness adventures, it'd be a good place to introduce more non-IQ/Per rolls for skills covered by Outdoorsman, or other benefits of the advantage.
__________________
T Bone GURPS stuff and more at the Games Diner: http://www.gamesdiner.com Twitter: @Gamesdiner | RSS: here ⬅︎ Updated RSS link | This forum: Site updates thread (occasionally updated) (Latest goods on site: GLAIVE Mini levels up to v2.4. Update to melee weapon design tool, with more example weapons and commentary.) |
|
11-30-2020, 08:13 AM | #20 | |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA
|
Re: Outdoorsman seems overcosted
Quote:
This is like Language Talent. Do your campaigns feature loads of NPCs not speaking the same tongue as the PCs? Then it's a great buy. Otherwise, it isn't worth anything. A blanket statement of value isn't warranted; it's only applicable to your campaign. |
|
|
|