02-06-2011, 02:14 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Zagreb, Croatia
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Coffee and GURPS
Greetings,
I am doing a bit of coffee statistics for GURPS, and here is what I'm interested in: 1) Is caffeine addiction treated as an addiction worth [-5] points or is it treated as a quirk? 2) Can coffee substitute FP lost by missed sleep? If it can, how much? Since coffee can be prepared in various ways, how much of it would restore a cup of espresso, a cup of latte, a cup of cappucino and how much a cup of black Turkish coffee? 3) Does coffee increase anything temporarily, like perception? Best regards, Marko Zadro Last edited by Harry O'Gane; 02-06-2011 at 02:23 AM. |
02-06-2011, 02:23 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Jan 2011
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Re: Coffee and GURPS
That's pretty much a matter of opinion, I guess. Caffeine addicition should be a quirk, since withdrawal has no appreciable effects. It also doesn't recover any FP, you still need that sleep, coffee or no coffee, but it should grant a bonus to Will rolls you make to prevent falling asleep and might negate drowsiness. Likewise any advantage granted by caffeine's stimulating qualities is likely offset by it making you twitchy.
In general, coffee is simply too weak a drug to have much effect on GURPS's scale. After all, the much more powerful alcohol gives you only -2 to DEX and IQ, if you are really drunk. So, even a +1 bonus from coffee would be stretching credibility, IMO. |
02-06-2011, 02:27 AM | #3 | |
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Zagreb, Croatia
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Re: Coffee and GURPS
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This happened after 5-6 cups drank in a short period of time. |
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02-06-2011, 02:44 AM | #4 |
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Not in your time zone:D
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Re: Coffee and GURPS
Over use of caffeine can give you palpitations (irregular heartbeat). An increased heart rate can make you feel tired.
Coffee increases blood pressure - decaf does the same. Coffee may be used to wake you up but an apple is actually more effective (don't know the Why but chewing, sugar, and no increased heart rate sounds good to me). Caffeine can actually cause fatigue - it works like a burst of adrenaline. Adrenaline isn't all nice - diarrhoea, vomiting, tremors... A coffee use study showed that it improved work rates by <5%; coffee, no sugar, led to more work but more errors. Coffee plus sugar got more work done due to less errors. Withdrawal will leave you miserable for a few days; possibly migraine level headaches. This about the only thing that's measurable in GURPS terms unless you want to count a strong dose of coffee/caffeine/taurine as temporarily negating 1FP but having to be paid back double... PS taurine "energy" drinks should be diluted with an equal volume of water.
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02-06-2011, 02:55 AM | #5 |
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: The Kingdom of Insignificance
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Re: Coffee and GURPS
I'd give a player character a +1 reaction bonus for offering to pay or make a coffee for a caffeine drinking NPC. Maybe. If I was feeling generous.
However, I can tell you, as a caffeine addict in real life, I get what could be considered IMHO as -1 Per and Bad Temper in real life if I don't drink any caffeine for more that four days. And if I drink one after 3pm I get what could be considered as Light Sleeper.
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02-06-2011, 02:57 AM | #6 |
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: The Kingdom of Insignificance
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Re: Coffee and GURPS
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It's all very well to be told to act my age, but I've never been this old before... |
02-06-2011, 03:07 AM | #7 | |
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Zagreb, Croatia
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Re: Coffee and GURPS
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02-06-2011, 03:53 AM | #8 | ||
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Jeffersonville, Ind.
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Re: Coffee and GURPS
Quote:
* One cup of coffee has more caffeine than a can of Red Bull.
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The user formerly known as ciaran_skye. __________________ Quirks: Doesn't proofread forum posts before clicking "Submit". [-1] Quote:
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02-06-2011, 04:01 AM | #9 |
Banned
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Bristol
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Re: Coffee and GURPS
I remember drinking triple cups 3 times in about an hour. Or about 9 cups... it did make me run around a bit.
I also did a double espresso challenge at work with a mate by drinking a double espresso on the hour every hour of work. After about the 4th we did talk crap quickly for a bit. Redbull is a great pick me up, due to quantity I'd say it is better than a coffee. Their is also Redbull shots which are really mental. They do not compare to amphetamines or cocaine. Then again coffee does not have long lasting harmful effects as narcotics. Studies have see that coffee is good for the liver, well in helping to resist Hepatitis C. However, not enough results have come through but indications are looking at Coffee as the medicinal benefit |
02-06-2011, 04:48 AM | #10 | |
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Not in your time zone:D
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Re: Coffee and GURPS
Quote:
As for mitigator, might as easily be cause but Bad Temper (Mit - morning coffee, 10%)... sounds fun.
__________________
"Sanity is a bourgeois meme." Exegeek PS sorry I'm a Parthian shootist: shiftwork + out of country = not here when you are:/ It's all in the reflexes |
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