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Old 10-17-2020, 03:36 PM   #1
Alden Loveshade
 
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Location: Hmm, looks like Earth, circa CE 2020+
Default Stop Spending Earned Character Points

After every game session, your PC earns character points (hopefully). But what if you don't want them?

I was just in a discussion with a player who has a PC with over 50 unspent points. I've had characters with that many as well (one of my super PCs has over 100). While I'll build up some PCs as much as possible, with others I'll stop spending earned character points because they're already the way I want them.

I go by character concept. If my conception is someone who can lift a car because he's more powerful than a locomotive, and who can leap tall buildings in a single bound, I don't necessarily want him flying into space and pushing around planets.

Anybody else run into this? How do you deal with it?
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Old 10-17-2020, 03:49 PM   #2
AlexanderHowl
 
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Default Re: Stop Spending Earned Character Points

People tend to continue to improve, even if it just stuff like background skills (Area Knowledge, Current Affairs, Games, and Hobby Skills). Even someone who spend 8 hours a day playing video games will accumulate 1 CP every 100 days towards that Games Skill ('on the job' training rates assumed). Even if that is all they do, they will be at IQ+9 after eight years.

In general, I assume that people benefit from a minimum of 5 CP of improvement every year before they start failing aging rolls (even if their improvements are background skills). Players can either spend them, reserve them for a specific purpose, or I will spend them for them according to their character's background. Of course, I also let characters go into point debt to puchase traits after character creation as long as they have 50% of the cost (rounded up), so my players rarely have had unspent points.
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Old 10-17-2020, 04:20 PM   #3
Sorenant
 
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Default Re: Stop Spending Earned Character Points

As a GM I'd be happier if you spent those points in some form so I can better plan what to do next.
If the characters went from X points to X+50 points, I'd prepare challenges accordingly but if one of he players decides to stay behind, that's yet another thing for me to account for. Better GMs might breeze through this sort of preparation but unfortunately I'm not that good, so I'd be happier if they spent those points even if for things like Luck, Serendipity, Gizmo, Common Sense and Intuition.
Fortunately I never faced such problem, players tends to always want something more for their characters.
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Old 10-17-2020, 04:31 PM   #4
Alden Loveshade
 
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Default Re: Stop Spending Earned Character Points

Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl View Post
People tend to continue to improve, even if it just stuff like background skills (Area Knowledge, Current Affairs, Games, and Hobby Skills).
In game terms, if a PC earns an average of about 2 points per week, in a year that's 100 points. For a PC originally built on 150 points, that's enough to make a number of skills equal to or even exceed their original primary skill level.

In real life, I'm not sure how much most people continue to improve, even in their primary skill. I saw a study of a number of famed musical composers based on what was considered their greatest work. Most achieved it after about 10 years of composition. The same is true of mathematicians and physicists. Most modern-day female gymnasts reach their peak by or before their early 20s.
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Old 10-17-2020, 04:51 PM   #5
Donny Brook
 
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Default Re: Stop Spending Earned Character Points

Things that don't substantially alter characer concept:

Hobbies, some wealth, income, buy down disads, contacts, favors, narrow reputation, increase sideline skills, skills that reflect experience like teaching and leadership, advantages that reflect experience like indomitable and fearlessness,low levels of charisma, low levels of improved senses, impulse buys.
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Old 10-17-2020, 04:58 PM   #6
DMGG
 
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Default Re: Stop Spending Earned Character Points

Seems like this is something that can be outlined at the beginning of a campaign. It's really up to the theme of the game being played whether or not characters should be becoming ever stronger or remaining fairly static as far as power levels go. The GM doesn't even have to give out points at the end of every session if there's no expectation for the PCs to grow in power and ability. Alternatively, they could give points much more slowly to represent natural skill growth over longer time periods.
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Old 10-17-2020, 05:05 PM   #7
WingedKagouti
 
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Default Re: Stop Spending Earned Character Points

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alden Loveshade View Post
After every game session, your PC earns character points (hopefully). But what if you don't want them?
I assume you're talking about having eliminated/reduced the Disadvantages and improved their Abilities, Stats and Skills as much as makes sense for the concept.

Such a character should still find use in acquiring/upgrading Patrons, Allies and Contacts, increasing Wealth (pension fund, house, whatever), and possibly improving their Reputation or Status.

Or you could use a "Buy Success"-type rule to spend points during gameplay.
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Old 10-17-2020, 05:36 PM   #8
Refplace
 
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Default Re: Stop Spending Earned Character Points

I hve a list of whats allowed or not in setting and certain characters may or may not have access to specific things. Need a trainer for skills, etc.
I limit progression so not too much increase in most things at one time.
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Old 10-17-2020, 06:51 PM   #9
Sunrunners_Fire
 
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Default Re: Stop Spending Earned Character Points

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alden Loveshade View Post
How do you deal with it?
It is quite appropriate for some character concepts to be relegated to carrying water and making tea as the game progresses; so long as everyone at the table is having fun. If the player doesn't want their character to be carried, well, the player can change the concept so that the character continues to meaningfully contribute or the player can make a new character who does.
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Old 10-17-2020, 07:32 PM   #10
GWJ
 
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Default Re: Stop Spending Earned Character Points

Quote:
Anybody else run into this? How do you deal with it?
And what exactly is the problem?

Maybe look at this?
http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/p...ps/power-ups5/

I use it massively when I'm GMing in campaign "without character points development" (they develop only "accidentally", for example new language at broken level if they spend enough time among people who speaks that language, etc.) Social Engineering - Back to School is helpful for that sort of development.
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