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 02-26-2018, 05:35 PM   #1
Arkmabat
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Default Anyone know what version this npc generator is for?

http://ayinger.no-ip.info/NPCGen/NPCGen

I'm just getting started with gurps and I'm extremely confused on how to plan correct encounters and battles but this would be a good start. Is there xp/challenge rating like in DnD to know how a fight will affect a group of players? Any help appreciated, thanks.
Arkmabat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2018, 05:50 PM   #2
Mr_Sandman
 
Mr_Sandman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: L.I., NY
Default Re: Anyone know what version this npc generator is for?

It looks to me like that random NPC generator is making characters for 4th edition.

Figuring out how NPCs or monsters match up against a party in combat is a bit less straightforward in GURPS than in D&D, because GURPS character points don't directly relate to effectiveness in a fight in the same way that levels do in D&D. Also tactics and the having the advantage of numbers or weaponry play a much larger role in GURPS combat than in D&D. However, there was an article in Pyramid #3/77 that laid out a system for determining a creature's combat effectiveness.
Mr_Sandman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2018, 06:28 PM   #3
Arkmabat
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Default Re: Anyone know what version this npc generator is for?

Okay, thanks. I sure appreciate it.
Arkmabat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2018, 06:38 PM   #4
Prince Charon
 
Prince Charon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Default Re: Anyone know what version this npc generator is for?

Having it create three WWII Psionics characters in a row shows that it's at least using 3e psi powers, though I suppose it could be using 4e for other things.
__________________
Warning, I have the Distractible and Imaginative quirks in real life.

"The more corrupt a government, the more it legislates."
-- Tacitus

Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted.
Prince Charon is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 02-26-2018, 06:41 PM   #5
Anaraxes
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Default Re: Anyone know what version this npc generator is for?

In all honesty, even the 3e/5e D&D Challenge Ratings don't really do a good job of ensuring a balanced fight, either. Our group usually found they could easily be out by a factor of two either way, depending on luck, tactics, and/or player boneheadedness.

But GURPS character points don't even try to do that job, as they cover a lot of stuff that's just not individual singe combat related -- social skills and advantages, wealth and organizational influence, and so on. They're closer to "story effectiveness" than "combat effectiveness".

(As an illustration, the Warp (teleport) Advantage is really pricey, as is Jumper (dimension hopping). But that's not so much because Nightcrawler is awesome in combat scenes as because it's really powerful to be able to exit combats at will, and bypass all sorts of barriers, getting into impenetrable places or similarly escaping from them in the blink of an eye. There's an entire category of obstacles and challenges that simply cease to exist from the GM toolbox.)
Anaraxes is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-27-2018, 08:14 AM   #6
JMason
 
JMason's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Cockeysville, MD
Default Re: Anyone know what version this npc generator is for?

There are a lot of factors to look at when determining balance and challenge for a group. Some general guidelines are:

Damage vs DR: Look at the DR and see what is the minimum damage that is likely to get through. Don't give too much DR that can't be penetrated, nor give too much damage that can outright kill even the most heavily armored. Look at this from both directions (PCs and enemies). Create enemies that can harm and be harmed.

Damage, Damage Type, and HP (and others): Now think about the damage types and how much damage is likely to get through the DR. In most hit locations Cr does x1, Cut does x1.5, and imp does x2. Now look at the HP and see how many successful hits it's going to take to get someone down to a "danger zone". This could be <1/2 HP for cowardly creatures that would run, <1 for enemies that are going to go pass out (fodder, low HT, undead), <-1 for tougher enemies, and so on.

There is a lot of other factors to figure out here, so it may take some time. DON'T be fooled into thinking that you should give lots of HP to enemies, or everything should have a high HT. D&D is a game of "chipping away at HP"; GURPS is a game of getting a good shot in to end the fight. And on that note...

Skill and Defense - Characters with super high defense can make a fight drag on for a long time. High skill can offset this somewhat with "Deceptive Attacks" (even if you decide to use the most basic of combat rules, I would advice to allow DA if anyone has a halfway decent defense roll). This again will take some time to figure out the right feel, but remember that DA is -2 skill for -1 Defense.

Also if range is a factor, don't forget that higher skills are required to overcome range penalties (and Bulk for Move and Attack).
__________________
---
My Blog: Dice and Discourse - My adventures in GURPS and thoughts on table top RPGs.
JMason 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 09:37 AM.


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