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Old 12-31-2017, 01:33 PM   #31
sir_pudding
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Default Re: Realistic Point Gains

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Originally Posted by Perfect Organism View Post
Stimulants are much more useful for people with naturally terrible concentration and weak will, which is why they are prescribed to people with ADHD, etc.
They correct, somewhat, the error in the dompamine uptake receptor caused by mutations of DDR4. Stimulants, in the dosages that they are prescribed, barely have stimulant effects on mutant brains. I don't really feel anything different when I take my meds, but my wife can tell when I skipped them. I certainly don't require less sleep.

Amphetamines, in any dose, don't have any beneficial effects on sleep and you will suffer long term fatigue damage if you abuse them. You still need sleep for all of the physiological and psychological reasons - stimulants can cause insomnia, but don't cause restfullness.

Drugs like Modanifil in controlled doses and cyclic use do apparently temporarily reduce the need for sleep, although there aren't any long-term studies.

Last edited by sir_pudding; 12-31-2017 at 01:46 PM.
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Old 12-31-2017, 02:28 PM   #32
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Default Re: Realistic Point Gains

I have to make a minor disagreement from the implication on stimulants.
In winter when my S.A.D. kicks up, if I don't drink more caffeine, then I need to sleep 10 hours a day minimum. Caffeine doesn't just keep me from sleeping. It really somehow reduces my need for sleep.
(I'm just glad I don't get any of the stereotypical emotional issues from SAD.)
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Old 12-31-2017, 03:21 PM   #33
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Default Re: Realistic Point Gains

This character isn't realistic for the real world. It's realistic for an extreme case of learned character points in GURPS. The two are not the same.

If you want an NPC worth a lot of points because that's her thing, fine. If you want an NPC worth a lot of points because they are a realistic exceptional person, I wouldn't try to model how they got there via GURPS learning rules.
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Old 12-31-2017, 04:23 PM   #34
sir_pudding
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Default Re: Realistic Point Gains

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Originally Posted by Flyndaran View Post
I have to make a minor disagreement from the implication on stimulants.
In winter when my S.A.D. kicks up, if I don't drink more caffeine, then I need to sleep 10 hours a day minimum. Caffeine doesn't just keep me from sleeping. It really somehow reduces my need for sleep.
(I'm just glad I don't get any of the stereotypical emotional issues from SAD.)
Sure, but it doesn't actually make you any more well rested. Stimulants can treat narcolepsy too, but that is a case of sleeping too much. They can't actually let you get away with less sleep than you need. In fact they lower the quality of the sleep you do get.
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Old 12-31-2017, 05:27 PM   #35
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Default Re: Realistic Point Gains

Why does the idea still persist that a person playing a role playing game need some "official" stamp of approval or rules to justify what they're doing?
It's your game, do what you want. Why are you even bothering to give an NPC like this a point value? These rules are guide lines (albeit rigorous) why justify anything? If you're the GM, Just do it and if you're a player getting anyone here to agree with you isn't going to carry much weight with your GM.
Just talk to your group and decide what you want to do, then do it, points be damned...
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Old 12-31-2017, 06:32 PM   #36
Flyndaran
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Default Re: Realistic Point Gains

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Sure, but it doesn't actually make you any more well rested. Stimulants can treat narcolepsy too, but that is a case of sleeping too much. They can't actually let you get away with less sleep than you need. In fact they lower the quality of the sleep you do get.
Yes it does. That's what I'm saying for me in this specific case.
I need 10 hours without it, and around 8 with it. Needing less sleep is needing less sleep no matter how you try to define those terms into meaning something other than what they usually do.
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Old 01-01-2018, 10:53 AM   #37
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Default Re: Realistic Point Gains

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Why does the idea still persist that a person playing a role playing game need some "official" stamp of approval or rules to justify what they're doing?
Even if you don't need it, "Is this the way this rule works?" is a valid question.
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Old 01-01-2018, 03:41 PM   #38
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Yes it does. That's what I'm saying for me in this specific case.
I need 10 hours without it, and around 8 with it. Needing less sleep is needing less sleep no matter how you try to define those terms into meaning something other than what they usually do.
Needing eight hours of sleep isn't needing less than eight hours of sleep because 8=8. Needing less than eight hours is the Less Sleep advantage. Needing two extra hours because of mild depression is probably a quirk level minor handicap.
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Old 01-01-2018, 04:56 PM   #39
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Who mentioned depression?
My SAD has nothing to do with emotions. Seasons just change my sleep needs that I can readjust using caffeine. 7 hours or so in summer to 10 or so in winter.

I'm starting to wonder if you're only reading every other word of my posts.
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Old 01-01-2018, 05:23 PM   #40
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Who mentioned depression?
My SAD has nothing to do with emotions. Seasons just change my sleep needs that I can readjust using caffeine. 7 hours or so in summer to 10 or so in winter.
I'm not familiar with this usage. I thought that "SAD" stood for "seasonal affective disorder," and "affective" is a highfaluting synonym for "emotional." Has the acronym been changed, or has the condition been redefined while retaining the old name?
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