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Old 12-11-2017, 09:11 AM   #1
draxdeveloper
 
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Default DF nymphs in banestorm

I liked the idea of a race like the DF Nymph with social focus. But i can't remember something like this in banestorm. Do you think that playing with DF nymph would be to much OP?
There is the mana thing, but you can reduce or take away those drawbacks
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Old 12-11-2017, 09:40 AM   #2
chandley
 
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Default Re: DF nymphs in banestorm

I'd leave their dependency alone in the default case. Low mana causes no issue, so most of Yrth is accessible.

Remember that DF races exclude non-hack and slash abilities. If nymphs are unaging, have reputations or status, etc you will want to add that in for the Banestorm template.

Beyond that advice, I don't think they cause to much in the way of issues. They should probably be rare, or not particularly well organized. If they are common and coordinated, you will want to adjust the politics of Yrth to represent their influence.
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Old 12-11-2017, 09:54 AM   #3
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Default Re: DF nymphs in banestorm

Their sheer weaponized reaction modifier is liable to have more serious consequences than "Merchants often post “No Nymphs” signs, only to forget about them when a nymph walks in" (from DF3) in a more serious setting.

If they're common enough, at least.
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Old 12-11-2017, 12:59 PM   #4
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Default Re: DF nymphs in banestorm

Yes, the massive reaction modifier would likely warp the lives of most people around a Nymph into revolving around him or her, especially if they have traits which further improve their reaction modifier.

A net value of +10 to reaction modifiers means that the majority of people making reaction rolls would have an excellent reaction ("acts in their best interests at all times, within the limits of his own ability")!

Even if everyone happened to have Intolerance for Nymphs, that would just reduce their reaction bonus from +10 to +7.

Last edited by Andreas; 12-11-2017 at 01:14 PM.
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Old 12-11-2017, 01:19 PM   #5
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Default Re: DF nymphs in banestorm

Do be careful about falling into the trap that high reaction modifiers == mind control. Absent other motivations, strangers are very fond of nymphs. But that fondness can sour quickly for a variety of reasons, as many a now-hated ex-celebrity can tell you.

As merchants and diplomats, nymphs would often get what they want. But it is a very "soft" form of power. Leaning too heavily on a group, or cutting deals that are ruinously disadvantageous to the other party, would cause a backlash. And of course, there is the jealousy, creepy possessiveness, outright attempts at slavery, and the like to deal with as well.

A numerous and coordinated nymph nation/society would be a dominant force politically and diplomatically, and should be reflected in the balance of power in Yrth. But they wouldn't rule the world any more than beautiful and charismatic people do now: their reaction modifiers can be countered with propaganda and politics, as well as nationalism, racism, etc.

If most nymphs are as described (beautiful and charismatic but bound to natural features such as lakes or streams or trees), with only a few errant representatives, their global influence will be very small, even as their ability to influence their neighbors will be outsized.
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Old 12-11-2017, 01:56 PM   #6
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Default Re: DF nymphs in banestorm

Also remember that the GM is always free to say that a given person's reaction is capped at a certain level, or simply fixed. A street gang may have a Bad reaction to everyone entering their turf, beauty and charisma be damned, or a peasant whose village was recently attacked by dark elves might never react at better than Poor to anything with pointed ears.

Of course, the GM shouldn't make it so that everyone has this sort of capped reaction, and should throw in some people who have automatically positive reactions too, but it's still a balancing factor for those high reaction mods. And, as chandley says, even an excellent reaction isn't mind control. A merchant charmed by a nymph isn't necessarily going to give them something absolutely free, a town guard isn't just going to nod and smile as they see the nymph climbing out of a rich house's window with a big sack, and so on.
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Old 12-11-2017, 02:38 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chandley View Post
But they wouldn't rule the world any more than beautiful and charismatic people do now: their reaction modifiers can be countered with propaganda and politics, as well as nationalism, racism, etc.
That doesn't really make sense. Beautiful and charismatic people are pretty much never as beautiful or charismatic as Nymphs, so why wouldn't they rule the world to a greater extent than them?

It is much harder to counter reaction modifiers as high as those of Nymphs with those things than normally high reaction modifiers. Intolerance towards Nymphs only reduces the Nymph reaction bonus from +10 to +7.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen View Post
Also remember that the GM is always free to say that a given person's reaction is capped at a certain level, or simply fixed. A street gang may have a Bad reaction to everyone entering their turf, beauty and charisma be damned, or a peasant whose village was recently attacked by dark elves might never react at better than Poor to anything with pointed ears.

Of course, the GM shouldn't make it so that everyone has this sort of capped reaction, and should throw in some people who have automatically positive reactions too, but it's still a balancing factor for those high reaction mods. And, as chandley says, even an excellent reaction isn't mind control. A merchant charmed by a nymph isn't necessarily going to give them something absolutely free, a town guard isn't just going to nod and smile as they see the nymph climbing out of a rich house's window with a big sack, and so on.
The GM is of course free to do a lot of things, but only some of them will cause plausible results. Why would members of a streat gang be likely to react like that regardless of other circumstances? There is an enormous difference between seeing a random person entering your turf and seeing someone you greatly admire (+4 reputation bonus), who is a beautiful person who you are attracted to (+4 appearance bonus) and who also does so in a masterfully diplomatic way (+2 bonus from 20+ Diplomacy skill). There might exist some gang members who would always react badly anyway, but that does not at all seem like how most people behave.

It is also not how people who have been attacked tend to react when meeting people with similar physical features. Of course there might be exceptions. There are all kinds of people in large enough populations, but such unusual cases won't have a large impact on how Nymphs would affect a setting.

Last edited by Andreas; 12-11-2017 at 02:48 PM.
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Old 12-11-2017, 02:55 PM   #8
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Default Re: DF nymphs in banestorm

Quote:
Originally Posted by Andreas View Post
That doesn't really make sense. Beautiful and charismatic people are pretty much never as beautiful or charismatic as Nymphs, so why wouldn't they rule the world to a greater extent than them?.
Typically because they have no interest in ruling the world. Also I always make the fae, so unless their bound there the nature location or their surving one of the Queens.
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Old 12-11-2017, 03:03 PM   #9
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Default Re: DF nymphs in banestorm

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Originally Posted by Andreas View Post
The GM is of course free to do a lot of things, but only some of them will cause plausible results. Why would members of a streat gang be likely to react like that regardless of other circumstances?
Well, for one thing, because it's not regardless of other circumstances. The GM's right to set reactions is supposed to take into account things like "this gang is just really angry today, and not in the mood to play nicely with anyone" or "this woman just lost her whole family in a terrible accident, she's not going to be happy to see you".

And frankly, I consider it much more realistic that some people just aren't going to like someone instantly no matter what. It's actually not too difficult to get +10 to reactions from a bunch of small traits, but someone constantly walking around with Excellent reactions the moment they walk in the room strains my suspension of disbelief.

In any case, note that capped reactions aren't the same as preventing influence rolls, and lots of things that help with reactions also boost those. The difference is, with a person or a group with an automatic negative reaction, you'll have to spend some time actually talking to them and using actual social skills, and maybe not get quite as amazing a positive reaction. It doesn't preclude positive reactions entirely, just means you'll have to work for them.
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Old 12-11-2017, 03:06 PM   #10
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Default Re: DF nymphs in banestorm

Quote:
Originally Posted by roguebfl View Post
Typically because they have no interest in ruling the world. Also I always make the fae, so unless their bound there the nature location or their surving one of the Queens.
That is not really Dungeon Fantasy Nymphs though.

Most of them have Sense of Duty (Nature) and while that restricts the actions of someone trying to size power, it also gives them more reason to be interested in politics.
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