Combat skill averages in your games

[Athanbeli]

I was leafing through Abydos lately, and I got a bit surprised about the various stats I read in it. It strikes me that my characters, after just a year of play, would easily thrash any non-massed opposition the city might pose!
Combat skill averages range in the region of 13/14.
About several NPCs we're minutely told of their every skill (soldier, administration) and spell, yet their levels make them easily resisted (even in the case of a "powerful necromancer"). Of all the mages presented in the book, only a few of them seems to rely on magic resources other than their FP values, which in turn are always set to be just equal to HT.

So, this made me think about the skill levels (and general power) in other GMs' campaigns.
I know this has to vary profoundly according to one campaign's style and tone, but still...

The one book I'd really need, and promptly buy, would be GURPS - BENCHMARKS!!!

[tanniynim]

Originally Posted by Athanbeli

So, this made me think about the skill levels (and general power) in other GMs' campaigns.
I know this has to vary profoundly according to one campaign's style and tone, but still...

The one book I'd really need, and promptly buy, would be GURPS - BENCHMARKS!!!

You're right, it does vary WIDELY. I play in one game where the combat mooks have combat skills of around 18-20 and the other characters still have at least 13 or so in a basic combat skill. Characters are generally around 240 points.

However, in the game that I run, the characters are 70 points and the combat skills run from default to about 14 at the highest.

[Stormcrow]

I don't know about the books you cite, but the Basic Set gives you everything you need to know about benchmarks, between the table showing the probabilities of success on p. B171, the task difficulty modifiers on pp. B345–B346, and the section on selecting traits for templates on p. B447.

Briefly, a skill level of 12 is a normal "professional" level of skill (74% chance of success under stressful circumstances), 14 is suitable for high-risk jobs like adventuring (90% chance of success under stressful circumstances), and 16+ is for legendary skill (over 98% chance of success). More-heroic characters don't necessarily need ridiculously high skill levels; they just need more high-level skills, including techniques to buy off situational modifiers ("Man who catch fly with chopstick accomplish anything.")

In fact, I'd say that it's better not to give heroic characters ridiculously high skill levels, because then you can't challenge them with difficult circumstances. Unless you like it when they beat every roll. "What? Steer a car with my knees while firing a bazooka two-handed during a chase through a blizzard? No problem! My Driving (Car) skill is 25, so even with a −10 penalty I still have a 95% chance of succeeding."

[arnej]

Originally Posted by Athanbeli

So, this made me think about the skill levels (and general power) in other GMs' campaigns.
I know this has to vary profoundly according to one campaign's style and tone, but still...

Looking quickly at the character sheets in game I'm currently playing in, I see 15, 13, 17, 13, 11, 11, 13, 12, 16, 16 for an average of 13.7. Character point totals go from 125 to 199.

You can see the charsheets over at WanderedRoads

arnej

[rosignol]

Originally Posted by Athanbeli

So, this made me think about the skill levels (and general power) in other GMs' campaigns.
I know this has to vary profoundly according to one campaign's style and tone, but still...

In fantasy games I play in, it seems that the combat-oriented characters generally have their primary weapon skill at around 10% of their point value (give or take a point), i.e., skill 15 at 150 points, skill 20 at 200 points. Sometimes this is straight point expenditure, sometimes it involves goodies like equipment bonuses or Weapon Bond, but that seems to be the baseline.

I have no idea how this compares to other people's games- maybe the PCs around here are particularly militant.

[Icelander]

See this thread for a rather extensive discussion of this.

[Maz]

For NPC I generally have the following benchmarks:

Mooks: Skill 11-12
Grunts: Skill 12-14
Elites/specialists: Skill 14-16
Bosses: Skill 15+

Note that I use these benchmarks both for my DF game and for my gritty cyberpunk game, this means my players know what is normally considered a high skill level in my games. It also means that if a player has skill in the ranges of 20 they could beat up pretty much any NPC in a straight duel... thats why NPC's do not fight fair, they come in groups and make ambushes and so on. And somtimes there is a Weapon Master NPC with skill 20 and a powerfull weapon that will make minced meat of the players if they are not careful.

Remember also that there are a lot of factors outside of skill that determines how dangerous an NPC is. Special powers, high DR, high Damage and so on.


My NPC Mages usually have +30% FP, but then they usually have low HT scores; 9-10. To represent "the fragile spellcaster".
Their spell.casting abiltities are usually around 15, but it's oftne boosted by "evil god statue" or some such thing so they can blast through players high HT or Will. (Again this is from my DF game, I don't have mages in my other more serius campaings.

[Witchking]

Hmm I am playing the party mage in a TL 3-4 low fantasy campaign.

Point total 219 (+50 dis + 5 quirks)

Skills 48 total
8 Physical range 9-13 (Running at 9 Staff/Brawl/IA Project at 13)
40 Mental range 11-17 (Ritual Magic at 11 AK Evir at 17 (Home) of course I am 1500 miles from home...)

Languages 10 spoken
9 written
all Accented

Spells 46 Spell Levels 14-16.

Edit:

As to FP...I have 9. Base even. I would redo that to 12 (+30) if I had to do over again.
I have been known to frequently maintain (not cast as it gives you minuses) out of my HP (yay 10 more pts).
I also have a 18, a 8, a 15 (One Coll E/Darkness) Powerstones. I am starting Powerstone No 4 (likely to be One College Enchant). <ie Make more powerstones>
I also usually am carrying 3-6 Alchemical Stimulants.

I am still broadening (adding skills spells).
I am starting to run a few spells (Sunbolt, Daze) to 21.
I will be getting my combat skills to 15.

Much beyond that is unlikely.

[Kromm]

In the fantasy campaign that ended earlier this year? Primary skill (usually a Melee Weapon skill) averaged 23.8, secondary skill (usually Shield for one-handed weapon users or Bow for two-handed ones) averaged 17.6.

In the secret-agent campaign that just started last month? Main shooting skill averages 14.4, main hand-to-hand skill averages 13.4.

And in both cases, there's a lot of variation. Skills differ by 10 levels between the strongest combatant and most noncombatant PCs in the first case, and by 6 levels in the second case.

SP.

[sjard]

Originally Posted by Icelander

See this thread for a rather extensive discussion of this.

Fixed the link for you.