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 12-05-2022, 10:12 AM   #1
acrosome
 
acrosome's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: The Land of Enchantment
Default Race design questions

I'm making a Selkie-like race (see Bio-Tech) but with better granularity.

So, what sort of advantage would be required to allow a race to drink saline water for hydration and sneeze out the extra salt like a penguin, and how much would it cost?

Likewise, for a race that is generally keeping a human body plan albeit with some aquatic adaptations like seal fur and webbed digits the Amphibious advantage seems far too powerful- it allows movement in water at full Basic Move. How can I just up water move a bit? (Although I'd like to keep the "do not suffer skill penalties for working underwater" part of Amphibious.) Enhanced Move (Water) actually requires Amphibious.
The fastest human swimmer hit 2.3 m/s over 50 meters, so I figured that something a little better than that for a racial average might be acceptable, something like 3 or 4 yd/s. Is there some sort of Reduced Move (Water) disadvantage somewhere that can be paired with Amphibious? Basic Move is 5 points per +/- 1, but what would it cost for Water Move only? Maybe halve it, and take -2 Water Move for 5 points? (Average human Basic Speed is 5.00, so this would drop Water Move to 3 yd/s when paired with Amphibious, which is 3x as fast as GURPS human average.)

For a Catfolk race I'd like to base it on the Felicia (Bio-Tech, again) but want to remove the Lecherousness aftermath from the Increased Speed, leaving only the Gluttony aftermath. How much would the Increased Speed advantage now cost? 33 points?

Last edited by acrosome; 12-05-2022 at 10:38 AM.
acrosome is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2022, 10:29 AM   #2
Fred Brackin
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Default Re: Race design questions

Quote:
Originally Posted by acrosome View Post
I'm making a Selkie-like race (see Bio-Tech) but with better granularity.

So, what sort of advantage would be required to allow a race to drink saline water for hydration and sneeze out the extra salt like a penguin, and how much would it cost?

Likewise, for a race that is generally keeping a human body plan albeit with s
The fastest human swimmer hit 2.3 m/s over 50 meters, so I figured that something a little better than that for a racial average might be acceptable, something like 3 or 4 yd/s. Is there some sort of Reduced Move (Water) disadvantage somewhere that can be paired with Amphibious?
It's hard to see the "Drinks salt water" as more than a Perk.

For the water move jsut buy it down at 2pts/yard. To go from 5 (Full Basic Move) to 4 seems kind of finicky ad is only worth -2 pts.
__________________
Fred Brackin
Fred Brackin is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2022, 10:40 AM   #3
acrosome
 
acrosome's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: The Land of Enchantment
Default Re: Race design questions

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred Brackin View Post
For the water move jsut buy it down at 2pts/yard. To go from 5 (Full Basic Move) to 4 seems kind of finicky ad is only worth -2 pts.
That seems pretty close to what I was thinking.
acrosome is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2022, 11:06 AM   #4
Varyon
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Default Re: Race design questions

Being able to drink brackish/salty water would be at most a Perk, and may not be inappropriate as a Feature, honestly. It's akin to Reduced Consumption with both Cast-Iron Stomach -50% and Water Only -50%; with the cap of -80% and a base cost of [2]/level, you could get 2.5 levels at that... but someone with those traits would actually be better off than your salt-sneezing penguin-folk, enjoying a +2.5 to resist any water-born poisons or diseases, as well as often being able to consume things much more tainted than simply salty water (dishwater and sour milk are mentioned). I'd say Perk if there aren't any drawbacks to this trait, Feature if there are (such as actually needing to consume more salt than a typical character, due to your body being a little overzealous in purging your system of it).

For a character with Amphibious, normally Water Move and Basic Move are indeed matched; I'd say being able to adjust one on its own should be an option, at [+2] per +1, matching the way Air Move works for those with Flight.

Aftermath is, IIRC, worth half as much as a Temporary Disadvantage, so you should be able to work out from that what the trait would be worth without Lecherousness.
__________________
GURPS Overhaul
Varyon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2022, 11:21 AM   #5
acrosome
 
acrosome's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: The Land of Enchantment
Default Re: Race design questions

Quote:
Originally Posted by Varyon View Post
Aftermath is, IIRC, worth half as much as a Temporary Disadvantage, so you should be able to work out from that what the trait would be worth without Lecherousness.
I can't find rules for Aftermath anywhere.

Gluttony is only -5 points, so.... -2.5%? That makes total cost 33, as I suspected.

Last edited by acrosome; 12-05-2022 at 11:27 AM.
acrosome is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2022, 11:28 AM   #6
Fred Brackin
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Default Re: Race design questions

Quote:
Originally Posted by Varyon View Post
Being able to drink brackish/salty water would be at most a Perk, and may not be inappropriate as a Feature, honestly. It's akin to Reduced Consumption with both Cast-Iron Stomach -50% and Water Only -50%; .
I'd have called it a Rules Exemption Perk to "Can't Drink Salt Water" even if that isn't spelled out in the rules it's because everyone knows that you can't drink salt water.
__________________
Fred Brackin
Fred Brackin is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2022, 11:57 AM   #7
Refplace
 
Refplace's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Yukon, OK
Default Re: Race design questions

Agree on the perk for saltwater.
Water Move costs 5/level (p. B18) and is limited to +2 Move (compared to +3 land) for regular humans.
Amphibious is cheaper than the sum of its parts.
__________________
My GURPS publications GURPS Powers: Totem and Nature Spirits; GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits; Pyramid articles. Buying them lets us know you want more!
My GURPS fan contribution and blog:
REFPLace GURPS Landing Page
My List of GURPS You Tube videos (plus a few other useful items)
My GURPS Wiki entries
Refplace is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 12-05-2022, 08:06 PM   #8
Varyon
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Default Re: Race design questions

Quote:
Originally Posted by acrosome View Post
I can't find rules for Aftermath anywhere.
BT215, it's listed as an option under Temporary Disadvantage. It's also found on PU8:11, where it is expanded to be an option for other Limitations (the example given is Costs FP, where the FP cost is only paid when the Advantage ends).

Quote:
Originally Posted by acrosome View Post
Gluttony is only -5 points, so.... -2.5%? That makes total cost 33, as I suspected.
Correct. Note you could boost the Limitation value by making the Gluttony harder to resist (making it require a roll of 6 or lower would double the value of the Limitation to -5%, for an end cost of [32]), tossing on other Aftermaths (becoming clumsy would be an interesting Aftermath for the enhanced speed and agility boost - Klutz would be -2.5%, for [32], while Total Klutz would be -7.5%, matching the original [30] cost), etc.
__________________
GURPS Overhaul
Varyon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-06-2022, 05:04 PM   #9
Pursuivant
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Default Re: Race design questions

Quote:
Originally Posted by acrosome View Post
Likewise, for a race that is generally keeping a human body plan albeit with some aquatic adaptations like seal fur and webbed digits the Amphibious advantage seems far too powerful
Remember that Amphibious does more than just allow faster water Move. It also eliminates skill penalties when in water. Arguably, that extends to senses as well meaning that you don't suffer Hearing or Vision penalties underwater.

It often gets stretched using house rules to allow long-term survival in water without all the small hassles that terrestrial creatures face. E.g., Blubber that allows you to not suffer from Cold when in temperate water, skin that doesn't suffer damage due to extended immersion in salt water, and nostrils that seal when you dive so you don't get water up your nose.

IIRC, the "can drink brine" perk is official, since it showed up in a published race template.
Pursuivant is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

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 01:39 PM.


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