Comparing Characters

[Helborn]

Originally, comparing TFT characters was quite easy - a 38 point character was comparable to other 38 point characters. But under the new rules there is a vast difference between a 38 point character that has earned and spent 2500 XP and a 38 point character that has earned and spent 5,000 XP or 10,000 XP which you can expect to achieve within a few years of playing

[hcobb]

Characters are easy in TFT. Buy as much IQ as you can up front, then train your DX up to around the 38 total point for 2,300 XP in four years of adventures. Then get a skill point per year to add to your initial 12 to 14 skill points.

[larsdangly]

I understand the OP's question, and I think the answer is that lifetime accumulated XP is the most obvious basis for comparison

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by larsdangly

I understand the OP's question, and I think the answer is that lifetime accumulated XP is the most obvious basis for comparison

Which means you'll need to track that for NPCs that the GM creates (and in theory, intelligent monsters too) in order to make accurate comparisons. Seems like a lot of work.

[hcobb]

Balanced against the munchkin players is to just assume the costs of the easy route and if the NPCs actually did things reasonably instead it just took them more off-screen time to do so which can be ignored.

[Helborn]

Try a gladiator combat with
CharacterA (2300 XP) with ST12,DX15(13), IQ11 in Leather with Small Shield and Talents: Sword(2), Shield(1), Bow(2), Missile Weapons3(3), Toughness_1(2), and Quickdraw(Sword)

vs

CharacterB (10,300 XP) with ST12,DX15(13), IQ11 in Leather with Small Shield and Talents: Sword(2), Shield(1), Bow(2), Missile Weapons3(3), Toughness_1(2), and Quickdraw(Sword), plus Running (2), Acute Hearing(2), Swimming(1), Acrobatics(2), Shield Expertise(1), Tactics(2), Weapon Expertise (Sword)(3), Unarmed Combat I(1) plus 1 Lesser Wish

they're both 38 points. Any guesses which one will prevail most of the time? Especially if you put them in an arena like the White Room in Death Test 2?

Of course CharacterB will require a long, long time to achieve all of that but eventually there will be such characters - some getting there faster than others.

Actually, keeping track of the XP is relatively easy: Total XP, Spent XP, Remaining XP. You need to do that now for remaining XP to know when a character can buy something, the other two are just running totals.