Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > GURPS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 03-16-2018, 06:11 AM   #21
Otaku
 
Otaku's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: South Dakota, USA
Default Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week (#56): Favor

While expanding on a point in my previous post, I also noticed something about the builds for these two Favors:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alden Loveshade View Post
First Lord Cost: Ally (50% PC's points) 2 points, Frequency Roll 9 or less, Special Abilities +50%, Favor 1/5 = 1 point.

Second Lord Cost: Patron (200% PC's points) 15 points, Frequency Roll 9 or less, Special Abilities +50%, Favor 1/5 = 5 points.
"Special Abilities" is an Enhancement for Patrons, but it is showing up here on an Ally's sheet. It is basically a catchall so that a Patron who is disproportionately powerful compared to his or her CP total doesn't become a point crock. Here, it is slapped onto both Favor (Ally) and Favor (Patron)... but it doesn't ultimately affect the final value of the former and it doesn't sound like it should really belong to the latter. I think it best reserved for organizations; characters can just be assigned an Unusual Background Cost appropriate to the additional value their "Special Abilities" bring to the table.

Of course, one of the reasons I was so keen to start this series of threads is that I am kind of bad at GURPS. XP Am I misunderstanding the rules, here?
__________________
My GURPS Fourth Edition library consists of Basic Set: Characters, Basic Set: Campaigns, Martial Arts, Powers, Powers: Enhanced Senses, Power-Ups 1: Imbuements, Power-Ups 2: Perks, Power-Ups 3: Talents, Power-Ups 4: Enhancements, Power-Ups 6: Quirks, Power-Ups 8: Limitations, Powers, Social Engineering, Supers, Template Toolkit 1: Characters, Template Toolkit 2: Races, one issue of Pyramid (3/83) a.k.a. Alternate GURPS IV, GURPS Classic Rogues, and GURPS Classic Warriors. Most of which was provided through the generosity of others. Thanks! :)
Otaku is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-17-2018, 02:39 PM   #22
Alden Loveshade
 
Alden Loveshade's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Hmm, looks like Earth, circa CE 2020+
Default Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week (#56): Favor

Quote:
Originally Posted by Otaku View Post
..."Special Abilities" is an Enhancement for Patrons, but it is showing up here on an Ally's sheet.
It's listed on B. 38: "Special Abilities: Your Ally wields power out of proportion to his point value."
__________________
Kerry Thornley: Dwarf Planet Eris, Discordianism, and The John F. Kennedy Assassination Without Thornley, there would never have been the Steve Jackson Games edition of Principia Discordia
Top 12 Clues You're a Role-Playing Old-Timer My humorous (I hope) article that also promotes SJGames/GURPS
GURPS Fantasy Folk: Elves My first GURPS supplement
Alden Loveshade is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-17-2018, 02:43 PM   #23
Alden Loveshade
 
Alden Loveshade's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Hmm, looks like Earth, circa CE 2020+
Default Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week (#56): Favor

Quote:
Originally Posted by David Johnston2 View Post
That's because you are looking at it from the wrong end of things. Old Don Rickles joke: I love Frank Sinatra. He once saved my life. These two goons were beating me to death and then he said "That's enough". Saving your character's life is not a small favour for your character. But for the ruler of the fiefdom it is in fact quick, nonhazardous and inexpensive. He's just telling the soldiers not to kill that guy. It doesn't take any time, it doesn't involve any risk, and it doesn't cost him any money. So it's a small favour.
Thanks for agreeing with me agreeing with Kelly Pedersen. You apparently missed my and Kelly's previous posts--Kelly already said that, and I already agreed (although without the Don Rickles' joke, you hockey puck).
__________________
Kerry Thornley: Dwarf Planet Eris, Discordianism, and The John F. Kennedy Assassination Without Thornley, there would never have been the Steve Jackson Games edition of Principia Discordia
Top 12 Clues You're a Role-Playing Old-Timer My humorous (I hope) article that also promotes SJGames/GURPS
GURPS Fantasy Folk: Elves My first GURPS supplement
Alden Loveshade is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-17-2018, 06:54 PM   #24
David Johnston2
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Default Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week (#56): Favor

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alden Loveshade View Post
Thanks for agreeing with me agreeing with Kelly Pedersen. You apparently missed my and Kelly's previous posts--Kelly already said that, and I already agreed (although without the Don Rickles' joke, you hockey puck).
That was just the product of the time I spent looking up Don Rickles before pressing "send".
David Johnston2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-2018, 07:58 AM   #25
Otaku
 
Otaku's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: South Dakota, USA
Default Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week (#56): Favor

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alden Loveshade View Post
It's listed on B. 38: "Special Abilities: Your Ally wields power out of proportion to his point value."
Thanks! Embarrassing I kept missing it, but hopefully, I'll remember from now on. XP

Hmm... something I might have to bring up over in the Ally thread: should this be a thing? Patron's can be abstract entities, but Allies (and Patron's that are a single character) could just have an Unusual Background cost factored in to cover such CP value/efficacy discrepancies. with a UB, you can tailor it better as well, and have it directly address those Special Abilities.

Of course, I can also see the issue with this approach as well; normally an Unusual Background is about balancing the character in terms of how that character would function when compared to the PC's... and this is about how the character functions with regards to a certain role assumed on behalf of the PC's. Plus, the multipliers for things like Frequency of Appearance could further complicate the matter.
__________________
My GURPS Fourth Edition library consists of Basic Set: Characters, Basic Set: Campaigns, Martial Arts, Powers, Powers: Enhanced Senses, Power-Ups 1: Imbuements, Power-Ups 2: Perks, Power-Ups 3: Talents, Power-Ups 4: Enhancements, Power-Ups 6: Quirks, Power-Ups 8: Limitations, Powers, Social Engineering, Supers, Template Toolkit 1: Characters, Template Toolkit 2: Races, one issue of Pyramid (3/83) a.k.a. Alternate GURPS IV, GURPS Classic Rogues, and GURPS Classic Warriors. Most of which was provided through the generosity of others. Thanks! :)
Otaku is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-2018, 08:06 AM   #26
johndallman
Night Watchman
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
Default Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week (#56): Favor

Quote:
Originally Posted by Otaku View Post
Hmm... something I might have to bring up over in the Ally thread: should this be a thing? Patron's can be abstract entities, but Allies (and Patron's that are a single character) could just have an Unusual Background cost factored in to cover such CP value/efficacy discrepancies. with a UB, you can tailor it better as well, and have it directly address those Special Abilities.
That has the potential to get quite complicated with some of the strange ways people use Allies and Patrons:
  • I've seen an Ally who was shared between several characters: any of them could try for his availability, but only one roll per day could be made. We did this because the characters spent a lot of time operating independently in the same city.
  • I've seen a character who had a Patron who could be either of two people, depending on which one was available.
  • It's quite common to buy Ally, Contact or Patron availability up as the campaign develops, if the circumstances support it.
With all these ramifications, just going "they have unusual capabilities, +50%" is a considerable saving in time and brainpower.
johndallman is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-18-2018, 01:31 PM   #27
Otaku
 
Otaku's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: South Dakota, USA
Default Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week (#56): Favor

Yes, I assumed it would be more complicated; the question is if being more complicated is worth the extra hassle for other reasons, like a more accurate cost-versus-benefits.

...

Given my track record, that's probably a "no". ;)
__________________
My GURPS Fourth Edition library consists of Basic Set: Characters, Basic Set: Campaigns, Martial Arts, Powers, Powers: Enhanced Senses, Power-Ups 1: Imbuements, Power-Ups 2: Perks, Power-Ups 3: Talents, Power-Ups 4: Enhancements, Power-Ups 6: Quirks, Power-Ups 8: Limitations, Powers, Social Engineering, Supers, Template Toolkit 1: Characters, Template Toolkit 2: Races, one issue of Pyramid (3/83) a.k.a. Alternate GURPS IV, GURPS Classic Rogues, and GURPS Classic Warriors. Most of which was provided through the generosity of others. Thanks! :)
Otaku is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
advantage, advantage of the week, favor, week, [basic]

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:50 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.