12-21-2016, 01:02 PM | #21 | |
Join Date: Mar 2014
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Re: Mechanics/techniques to incentivize disadvantages
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12-21-2016, 01:16 PM | #22 | |
GURPS FAQ Keeper
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Kyïv, Ukraine
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Re: Mechanics/techniques to incentivize disadvantages
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12-21-2016, 04:40 PM | #23 | |
Join Date: Mar 2014
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Re: Mechanics/techniques to incentivize disadvantages
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You could have a different approach where you pay points for your character's actions instead, but that would be a very different system from how GURPS mostly does things. |
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12-22-2016, 04:47 AM | #24 | |
GURPS FAQ Keeper
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Kyïv, Ukraine
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Re: Mechanics/techniques to incentivize disadvantages
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A weakness to sunlight disadvantages a character who goes through the day through gritted teeth and suffers burns. It also disadvantages a character who always stays indoors in daytime to stay safe. It doesn't disadvantage a character during the Year of Eternal Night or the like. The difference from normal GURPS is that the points are awarded based on the periods when a Disadvantage disadvantages the character, not at the start of a campaign based on the guesswork/estimate about how often it will disadvantage the character. |
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12-22-2016, 05:21 AM | #25 |
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Cambridge, MA
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Re: Mechanics/techniques to incentivize disadvantages
In a recent campaign, I decided to try something like what's been suggested here: awarding points based on how often/the extent to which disadvantages hinder the character. There were some important qualifiers though:
--making a self-control roll, where failure could lead to some significant danger or hindrance, counts --reminding the GM of GM-controlled disadvantages at appropriate times, or helping to come up with ways to apply them, counts (eg. Enemy, Weirdness Magnet, Dependent) --the Ham clause applies: regardless of the normal mechanics of the disadvantage, you can always substitute a penalty to some significant action of -1 per -5 points of the disadvantage (eg. "distracted by my lecherous thoughts, I take a -3 on this attack) The system worked to an extent, but there were some player complaints that led to subsequent modifications. The first issue was that players felt like they were competing for the spotlight and annoying each other. So we agreed on two things. Firstly, the same number of points are awarded to all PCs, the number being based on generally how well everyone did making their disadvantages matter. Secondly, points are also be awarded for "mission progress" so that PCs aren't rewarded for bogging down the game with their Alcoholism, Compulsive Gambling, etc. I've been using this system ever since with some success. We end every session with an accounting of how everyone's disadvantages came up in play, and then I award points based on the average number of times per player. If the disadvantage is physical or otherwise external to player choices, the player uses this time to remind everyone of how the disadvantage hindered the character. |
12-22-2016, 05:41 AM | #26 |
Join Date: Jul 2009
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Re: Mechanics/techniques to incentivize disadvantages
That's exactly what I did recently for a cinematic campaign - instead of self-control rolls, disadvantages would activate whenever the GM would deem it narratively (in)appropriate. The player could prevent them from doing so by spending a fate point, or allow them, and be compensated with a fate point. Seems to work pretty well, especially if fate points also serve as a pool of "impulse buys".
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12-22-2016, 09:26 AM | #27 | |
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Southeast NC
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Re: Mechanics/techniques to incentivize disadvantages
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* I think of them as something other than disadvantages. Not quite sure what to call them, but I see them as a means to reward a player for character consistency, rather than compensate them for hardship.
__________________
RyanW - Actually one normal sized guy in three tiny trenchcoats. |
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12-22-2016, 03:04 PM | #28 |
Join Date: May 2013
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Re: Mechanics/techniques to incentivize disadvantages
Sorry if this idea has already been mentioned, but what about this:
Gain no CPs for having disadvantages. At the end of the session, gain 1 CP if you were (or, optionally, the party was) moderately inconvenienced or imperilled by your disadvantage(s) during the session. Gain 2 CPs if you were (or, optionally, the party was) extremely inconvenienced or imperilled by your disadvantage(s). It leaves it up to the GM (no CPs for minor annoyances, but you can calibrate the level of the danger or inconvenience to the campaign), it's not going to rapidly inflate CP values, it doesn't favor weaker, more frequent disadvantages, it doesn't favor stacking tons of disadvantages, but it rewards having well-thought-out disadvantages that will influence how you play your character. Otherwise, I like gaining points to be spent for Impulse Buys. |
12-22-2016, 05:49 PM | #29 | |
Join Date: Mar 2014
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Re: Mechanics/techniques to incentivize disadvantages
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Yes, it seems that such an approach could give a fairer result when the GM has not decided upon many aspects of the setting at character creation. Especially if the GM lets the knowledge of taken disadvantages influence those decisions (for example if the PCs all having Combat Paralysis makes bandit attacks more common in the setting). Last edited by Andreas; 12-22-2016 at 05:55 PM. |
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12-23-2016, 08:06 AM | #30 | |
GURPS FAQ Keeper
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Kyïv, Ukraine
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Re: Mechanics/techniques to incentivize disadvantages
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Adjusting the setting and campaign based on PC traits is certainly an option, but award-by-complication can be quite useful even without such adjustments. Which is why I want to try it out some time. |
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disadvantages, fate, fatepoints, gamemastering |
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