03-17-2009, 08:02 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Ottawa, ON, CA
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ST, HT, and Skinny
So discussing GURPS characters today, a point came up: 'Skinny' caps HT at 14. HT has little to do with bulk, however. This raises a couple of questions:
-Is 'Skinny caps HT' a holdover from when 'HT' also meant 'Hit Points', and thus bulk? -Does it break anything if one says 'Skinny caps ST' instead of capping HT? -Does it break anything if one says 'Skinny caps both ST and HT'? Should it be worth more, in that case - though Taboo Traits are usually zero points, so I suspect not. |
03-17-2009, 08:22 PM | #2 |
Join Date: May 2008
Location: CA
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Re: ST, HT, and Skinny
Skinny people are less generally 'healthy' than non-skinny people; it has very, very little to do with strength or bulk. Not too sure what it does have to do with, except that being skinny is means you're more likely to get sick, die early, etc., etc.
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03-17-2009, 09:06 PM | #3 |
"Gimme 18 minutes . . ."
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Albuquerque, NM
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Re: ST, HT, and Skinny
Would one of those Kenyan Olympic long distance runners count as unhealthy? Cause I'm pretty sure they qualify for skinny. I think it makes more sense to cap ST with skinny.
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03-17-2009, 11:05 PM | #4 | |
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Edmonton, AB, CA
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Re: ST, HT, and Skinny
Quote:
IMO, a HT cap of 14 isn't really a meaningful disadvantage (a stat of 14 is considered exceptional). Give a Kenyan runner a HT of 14, Very Fit, and a Running skill of 20, and he would be in exceptional health with amazing endurance. The way the RAW handles Skinny works just fine. If anything, I'd simply get rid of the HT cap -- such as high cap would only matter for cinematic games or for supers, and in those cases the GM can make as many exceptions as he wants.
__________________
"Learn from the mistakes of others - you can never live long enough to make them all yourself." |
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03-18-2009, 02:49 AM | #5 |
GURPS FAQ Keeper
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Kyïv, Ukraine
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Re: ST, HT, and Skinny
I hate the HT14 cap, especially so because Fat merely limits your HT to 15! (But generally I hate it because it's a Taboo Trait bundled with a 'real' Disadvantage.) I guess you can see that I like playing Skinny characters by my reaction. ;)
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03-18-2009, 03:42 AM | #6 |
Join Date: Nov 2006
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Re: ST, HT, and Skinny
I must say I never ever played a char with HT higher than 14...
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03-18-2009, 06:40 AM | #7 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: ST, HT, and Skinny
Quote:
Regarding the OP: It does look like a holdover from 3E, though I've never been bothered by it (or even given it any thought). It might be interesting to check with Kromm to get a designer viewpoint. Since it's equivalent to a taboo trait, it's easy enough to houserule away, or modify, as one sees fit. Making the cap on ST looks reasonable and safe. |
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03-18-2009, 08:25 AM | #8 | |
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Edmonton, AB, CA
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Re: ST, HT, and Skinny
Quote:
__________________
"Learn from the mistakes of others - you can never live long enough to make them all yourself." |
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03-18-2009, 08:35 AM | #9 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: ST, HT, and Skinny
Quote:
Last edited by Not another shrubbery; 03-18-2009 at 10:21 AM. Reason: spelling :P |
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03-18-2009, 09:01 AM | #10 |
Join Date: Feb 2007
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Re: ST, HT, and Skinny
Not that this necessarily related *directly* to HT, but some research suggests that being "underfed" (and as a result, Skinny), prolongs average lifespans. Since longevity is related to resistance to and recovery from illnesses, I would say that Skinny could be argued to be linked to a higher HT score, instead of a limit on HT.
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