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Old 10-19-2020, 02:43 AM   #29
bocephus
 
Join Date: Apr 2019
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 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.

Anybody else run into this? How do you deal with it?
No, I have never seen this. I mean not without having a purpose like wanting to buy off some big disadvantage or get a crazy advantage. It could have something to do with the style of game your playing. If its gritty realism in the modern world and you aren't intending for the chars to really evolve faster than something like 10CP a year.

I have NEVER played a game, that was long term, where there wasn't some kind of improvement that the char could use. A skill, an advantage, a better job, more income, a gadget, etc...

Which ties into this comment (and all the ones that came after it)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Donny Brook View Post
Things that don't substantially alter character concept: *but do change as a char evolves* emphasis Bo

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. * *I* extend this to include: small base stat changes in ST/HT/DX appropriate to the world/campaign. Allies, enemies, Will and other skills in the area of religion, politics, philosophy, and the world around you
AND

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alden Loveshade View Post
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.
What donny says (and I placed some emphasis) is pretty much exactly what Alden was missing in the Composers/Mathematicians/Physicists/Gymnast concept. All chars (unless your playing D&D) should/would develop skills and abilities that have NOTHING to do with their core specialty (Primary Skill Alden calls it, a concept that really doesnt belong in GURPS games IMO). Composers may well have taken up dance, car racing, competitive axe throwing, wine/food tasting, cooking... what ever. Your modern female gymnast might reach the peak of her gymnastic potential at 20ish but she doesnt cease to be just because she's not a competitive gymnast. She becomes a teacher, mother, politician, lawyer, doctor, farmer... Im nothing like I was 10 years ago, 20, 30, 40. I have acquired real skills that have nothing to do with my "Primary Skill", a concept that only makes sense inside of some game constrain I haven't understood yet.

All these things are places that "CP" would be invested as the character develops. I cant think of many examples of a person that just stops improving/changing as they go through life, and the few I can think of have what I would call so pretty hefty disadvantages to overcome. Low IQ chars have a hard time learning but they still learn (just slower than normal/high IQ). Low ST/HT char still accomplish physical tasks just slower or with more effort.

Even if you pretty much cap the Base stats at no more than 10% improvement allowed after char generation, there is a lot of skills and abilities that life will force them to rise up to or fail. Unless you are willfully unwilling to grow, in which case Id say that qualifies as a disadvantage or maybe a set of disadvantages. OR are you telling us that the game/world you're playing in doesnt give any motivation to take those branches and pick up new skills... well then thats not a problem of having nothing to spend CP on, its a limitation of your game that you dont see anything worthwhile to spend them on.
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