GURPS PC 'roles'- a thought on pen and paper role playing in general

[Ardent]

By far the most successful - and enjoyable - parties that I have ever been a part of or GMed featured PC's that each filled all of the roles you described. The worst thing you can do to a player is leave him out of the scene; the barbarian that get's bored during negotiations, the forensics specialist that get's trapped in a sniper exchange, etc. A healthy character should fill multiple roles and a good player should pick up skills in all areas. That doesn't mean you need to be a generalist - a barbarian who lives for the kill can pick up a couple of points in carousing and survival without straying from character. I think a healthier way to look at this would mean considering these as "roles to play" rather than "roles to fill". You might specialize in one or two, but you should never leave yourself out of any of the fun.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Ardent

By far the most successful - and enjoyable - parties that I have ever been a part of or GMed featured PC's that each filled all of the roles you described. The worst thing you can do to a player is leave him out of the scene; the barbarian that get's bored during negotiations, the forensics specialist that get's trapped in a sniper exchange, etc. A healthy character should fill multiple roles and a good player should pick up skills in all areas. That doesn't mean you need to be a generalist - a barbarian who lives for the kill can pick up a couple of points in carousing and survival without straying from character. I think a healthier way to look at this would mean considering these as "roles to play" rather than "roles to fill". You might specialize in one or two, but you should never leave yourself out of any of the fun.

One of the big difficulties I have in GMing is the generalist vs. specialist push/pull. Its astonishing how much more effective a 150 point specialist in a party is than a 200 point generalist designed for solo play. The problem comes when the guy playing the forensics expert doesn't show up to the game and there is a dead body on the ground. Or when the faceman has to stay late for work (or both, like what happened to me two weeks ago).

I've built characters that split roles, and its actually really fun. I built a bunch of MH characters where they all had a brainy sidekick template and an inhuman lens. They are not as effective as a properly build set of champions, but twice as fun.

Its one of the challenges of a point build system.