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Old 03-05-2019, 10:43 AM   #41
SilvercatMoonpaw
 
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Default Re: Disads: the Second Best CP Deal in GURPS

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Originally Posted by Andreas View Post
That leads to a different kind of problem though.
And it's not any easier to keep track of: I've played in numerous games with the meta-currency variant, and my GMs haven't been good about remembering to tweak my disads. In many cases I might as well not have had any.

It might be more balanced (depending on how necessary the currency is), but I never had any more fun.
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Old 03-05-2019, 11:15 AM   #42
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Default Re: Disads: the Second Best CP Deal in GURPS

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That leads to a different kind of problem though. Vampires who don't avoid sunlight because being exposed to that gives them meta currency etc. There are plenty of situations where it make sense for characters to try to avoid situations where their disadvantage apply, and this encurages the opposite behaviour.
That's why I've been trying to come up with a scheme that combines conventional disadvantages (for "mechanical" issues) and heroic flaws (for roleplaying issues). You get points up front for missing a foot, just like you spend points for having excellent motor control. But you get points in play for roleplaying.
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Old 03-05-2019, 05:27 PM   #43
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Default Re: Disads: the Second Best CP Deal in GURPS

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I wouldn't call that character hard to play, just very likely to die in the first five minutes of gameplay.
So worse than Terminally Ill [-100]? I have to call shenanigans on any GM that would force that nonsense.

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Impulsive and Overconfidence make for a suicidal combo...
No it doesn't. That combo is far, far more forgiving than Berserk.

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...add in Greed and the character easily gets into big troubly quick.
Why because they want that payday? Greed doesn't say "go rob that guy", it says "Say yes to this deal, there's a lot of money involved" even when the deal looks risky.

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With Curious on top of that they're likely trying to break into the nearest place that looks like it could have valuables, regardless of the amount of security present.
No they aren't. There is nothing in that combo that says "Hey, go break some laws!"
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Old 03-05-2019, 05:51 PM   #44
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Default Re: Disads: the Second Best CP Deal in GURPS

I do not know, I have always liked Berserk. Now, below a self-control number of '12', Berserk is quite dangerous, but I think that it is acceptable for the most part (though Berserk superhumans are really dangerous).
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Old 03-05-2019, 06:25 PM   #45
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Default Re: Disads: the Second Best CP Deal in GURPS

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That combo is far, far more forgiving than Berserk.
Trickster is an eventual suicide sentence in all but the most forgiving settings. You have a daily requirement to make a fool of someone more powerful than yourself.
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Old 03-05-2019, 07:58 PM   #46
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Default Re: Disads: the Second Best CP Deal in GURPS

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Trickster is an eventual suicide sentence in all but the most forgiving settings.
Sure if you're blatant about it and advertise you're the one doing the pranking.

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You have a daily requirement to make a fool of someone more powerful than yourself.
Reread the disad. 'Dangerous' doesn't mean 'more powerful'. You're perfectly fine provoking a warrior that you know is roughly on par with yourself, even a lesser, as long as he isn't harmless or an innocent.
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Old 03-05-2019, 08:04 PM   #47
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Default Re: Disads: the Second Best CP Deal in GURPS

I don't know where this has come from*, but I've noticed a trend the last few years of people blowing Disadvantages up to be more deadly, unforgiving, or inconveniencing than they should be.



* As in where this seed was germinated. Are John Wick's terrible "Play Dirty" articles being passed around again?
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Old 03-05-2019, 08:21 PM   #48
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Default Re: Disads: the Second Best CP Deal in GURPS

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1. Focus - folks often assign disads to areas that are not the focus of their character, and use the points they gain to be better at that focus. The stereotypical combat munchkin with -8 to reactions is the canonical example, but this is just generally common in many PC concepts. It is also the reason disad limits are so common - without them that PC would have -25 reactions but be able to kill everyone who looked at her funny because of it.

I have never seen this done, or even attempted. I have seen some other munchkinisms, however, but they never lasted in play as almost all munchkinisms have at least one glaring and exploitable weakness.


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1.a. Externalities - one of the worst variants of this is disads that hurt the group, not the PC. "Enemy, very powerful, all the time," is the 4e example now that Jinxed has been mercy killed. I generally try to prevent this from happening, since the other players usually find it obnoxious, but it may be hard to spot before it happens. Mr. -8 reactions often thinks it is his duty to do all the talking because he is the strongest fighter, for some reason.

Also not seen this done ever. I have seen an enemy that everyone had, though.

But I don't run with or run munchkins. They get weeded out one way or another.


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Originally Posted by martinl View Post
2. Definition (Character) - Some character concepts call for stuff that is an obvious weakness. A one eyed pirate, an honorable knight, or a scatterbrained wizard are all fun stereotypes, and disadvantages give your PC a little game mechanical cookie for playing a PC with a weakness.

3. Definition (Campaign) - Disads are also a tool that can be used to enforce campaign themes or rules. Inter PC loyalty, or duty to a specific NPC, or even "You are all guttersnipes with Status -2, Youth, and Wealth -2" are all things that give an in game reward for following the game guidelines.

These are normal and unexeptional uses.

Overall, I've not really had any problems over my time as a GM with RAW. But I suggest alternatives or--very seldom--say 'no' to unplayable disad comboes in character generation. And I do use them when making session notes, so they get poked and used.
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Old 03-05-2019, 09:34 PM   #49
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Default Re: Disads: the Second Best CP Deal in GURPS

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Originally Posted by evileeyore View Post
I don't know where this has come from*, but I've noticed a trend the last few years of people blowing Disadvantages up to be more deadly, unforgiving, or inconveniencing than they should be.
Yeah, I've noticed this too. (Though I can't really say that it is a trend... I don't have a clear enough recollection of how often the topics came up in the past.) I think most disadvantages can be well-played without being suicidal or raining on everybody else's parade.

With that said, I find Trickster to be fairly annoying with the daily rolls. Because of the way time works in the game, this can be super annoying if you're having a lot of time pass (a sea voyage, time in town, etc.) and then need to insert multiple trickster montages. Fun once in a while, but after the third time the bard needs to outsmart the wandering monster, everyone wants to tie him up so they can just get to the dungeon already. Similarly, in a zoomed in dungeon, it might take multiple play sessions for a day to pass. I prefer things that are linked to session time: once per session, or something like that. Then it can be inserted more organically.
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Old 03-05-2019, 09:51 PM   #50
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Default Re: Disads: the Second Best CP Deal in GURPS

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Also not seen this done ever. I have seen an enemy that everyone had, though.

But I don't run with or run munchkins. They get weeded out one way or another.
With enemies that one CP has, it's not about mucnkinism. The problem is that the enemy goes after the PCs that's bought them, and the rest of the party closes ranks around that PC, usually without even needing to have bought Codes of Honour of Senses of Duty that require it, because most groups' social contracts include them as an unspoken assumption. Having closed ranks and fought off the enemy, they have now made an enemy of that enemy too, and as it's 'in play' they get no points for having done so. Nobody need have ill or even slightly munchkinny intentions for this to occur.
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