Allies: Free Points amplification?

[Orienda]

So, one thing that's really bugged me about GURPS for a while has been the Ally advantage–namely that for 40 points you can get an ally 50% more powerful than you available all the time. While in theory the added action is counterbalanced by the need to protect two characters, the fact that you could say, build the green lantern ring as an ally more powerful than you (even if you add Minion and Special Abilities) and effectively amplify your points cost just seems odd to me. Furthermore, the effect scales with character level while the ability cost does not, so that a 500 pt character gets a 750 pt ally for 40/80 pts (a fraction of their abilities), while a 100 pt character gets a 150 pt character for the same cost (the majority of their own, not to say that this isn't necessarilly a bad cost to pay).

Is there a catch somewhere that makes constant allies at all balanced?

[Gudiomen]

That somewhere is the GM.

An ally is a GM character, and is cheap on the assumption that the player isn't simply getting another character at discount.

Even if the ally is a minion, you still have to order it around, it can misunderstand, if it has Slave Mentality it will not act without orders, if it's mechanical or magical it can fail, break down, short-out.

The GM can't simply give your character a heart-attack, or develop mental illnesses, or interfere with how you play him. It's your character. Not so with an ally, he's pretty much the GM's play-thing. You do not control how the character develops or, for that matter, the exact manner in which he does things.

You also can't simply write up anything and call it an Ally. The GM will interfere directly in making this "character" and may alter things quite a bit.

You can get quite munchkiny with Ally, but the same is true for Gadges, for example. Or simply super-powers, these don't get such a big point break because they're still yours.

[Figleaf23]

Originally Posted by Orienda

Is there a catch somewhere that makes constant allies at all balanced?

Only GM judgement, as far as I know.

{Ninjaed, Darnit!}

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by Orienda

While in theory the added action is counterbalanced by the need to protect two characters, the fact that you could say, build the green lantern ring as an ally more powerful than you (even if you add Minion and Special Abilities) and effectively amplify your points cost just seems odd to me.

That wouldn't fly with me as GM.

A Green Lantern ring is a gadget, not an Ally. Mystical powers achieved with the assistance of a spirit are advantages with the 'Granted by ally' limitation.

[Kelly Pedersen]

There are two key balancing issues for Allies.

First, the player doesn't build them. You describe in general terms what you want ("My brother, who's a big, buff fighter, but not too bright", "My faithful servant who's been with me for years", "My amazing horse"), and the GM builds them with the appropriate point budget. I generally don't even let the player see the final sheet.

Second, the player doesn't run them, either. The Ally will have their own set of motivations and priorities, which will not always mesh perfectly with yours. Even an Ally who's constantly available won't always do everything you ask.

Basically, what you pay for with Ally is plot-protection for a postive relationship with an NPC. By taking someone as an Ally, you guarantee that the GM won't kill them off to raise tension, won't have them turn out to be the secret traitor, etc. They're still an NPC, and you can still screw up the relationship with your own actions.

[SCAR]

Additionally, Constantly available is defined with the proviso:
"This level is reserved for NPCs – usually Allies – that are implanted, worn like clothing, or supernaturally attached."
So most 'people' allies can't qualify for 'Constantly available' anyway.

[Joseph R]

Originally Posted by RyanW

A Green Lantern ring is a gadget, not an Ally. Mystical powers achieved with the assistance of a spirit are advantages with the 'Granted by ally' limitation.

Agreed. I haven't read much Green Lantern and certainly not in ages, but it would sound like a Gadget to me.

Allies have to be told/asked when you want them to do some specific thing. They may misunderstand and do the wrong thing. They may do nothing. They may act unilaterally based upon their own personality occasionally. Allies are NPCs that are closely aligned/friends/etc with your character, but they are still NPCs.

[Joseph R]

Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen

There are two key balancing issues for Allies.

These are spot-on.

Basically, what you pay for with Ally is plot-protection for a postive relationship with an NPC. By taking someone as an Ally, you guarantee that the GM won't kill them off to raise tension, won't have them turn out to be the secret traitor, etc. They're still an NPC, and you can still screw up the relationship with your own actions.

This is a nice way of putting it. Actually, in my campaign I introduced a minor NPC in the second adventure who wasn't intended to be a major personage at all. The players/PCs took a liking to him, kept involving him in their adventures and ultimately one player took him as Ally for her PC. He occasionally does something stupid, but they'd much rather have him around than not. Now he is "plot-protected" he's still my NPC, but I couldn't mess with him without very very good reason.

[Figleaf23]

Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen

...Second, the player doesn't run them, either. The Ally will have their own set of motivations and priorities, which will not always mesh perfectly with yours. Even an Ally who's constantly available won't always do everything you ask.

This control is defeasible if the characters are being built on sufficient points to make Compartmentalized Mind, Possession power and Puppet allies affordable.

[Orienda]

It's not really a disadvantage to need to tell them what to do, and as long as they have a decent IQ, misunderstanding won't be a problem. Likewise, not building the characters is a small disadvantage, unless the GM is either worse at making characters or desides to make a character with a lot of abilities that might not come into play. Also, as Figleaf pointed out, IQ 0 vehicles not only follow exactly your every whim, but can go above 150%.

The problem is, the ally advantage gets better and better the more points you're built on. I feel that it would be much more reasonable if it was a flat cost per point value of the ally (replacing the percent with just flat points, so 1 pt base for a 25 pt ally etc., and then allowing the scaling up to an ally equal to 150% your point value.)