[DF] Weekend Warrior - Quick Picks

[SCAR]

There have been a few comments (recently and in the past), that GURPS DF is too complicated to just pickup and play.
One reason given, has been that even with the Templates, character generation is too slow.
Personally, I don't have any real difficulty in rattling through a DF template making the choices (especially if I've got a rough concept in mind, and the Customization Notes help with some broad options.). I have however seen players (who are perfectly capable of building characters from scratch in multiple other systems), take a couple of hours to struggle through the choices on a template.

So, an idea occured to me; create 3 or 4 pre-selected 'lenses', for each of: Advantages, Disadvantages and Skills, which meet the selection requirements. (Plus 3 or 4 additional lenses of Spell/Powers for those Templates which have them!)

So for a quick pick character:

Choose a Template. (or Roll randomly)
Select an Advantage Lens from a list of 3 or 4 options. (or Roll Randomly)
Select a Disadvantage Lens from a list of 3 or 4 options. (or Roll Randomly)
Select a Skill Lens from a list of 3 or 4 options. (or Roll Randomly)

If required/available, Select a Powers Lens from a list of 3 or 4 options. (or Roll Randomly)

With the upcoming DF:Loadouts, that should roundout Character Generation in about 10 minutes.

[SCAR]

As an example, I created 3 quick picks for each of Advantages, Disadvantages, Skills for the Barbarian Template - giving 27 possible Barbarians!

Advantages
{A} Savage/Berserker Warrior: ST +2 [18]; Striking ST 2 [9]; Hard to Kill 1 [2]; Weapon Bond [1]; (Striking ST 21 = 4d-1 swing damage!)
{B} Primal Survivalist: Per +2 [10]; Discriminatory Smell [15]; Resistant to Disease (+3) [3]; Temperature Tolerance 2 [2];
{C} Noble Wilderness Guardian: Absolute Direction [5]; Acute Hearing 2 [4]; Animal Empathy [5]; Animal Friend 2 [10]; Fearlessness 3 [6];

Disadvantages
{A} Uncivilized Brute: Odious Personal Habit (Unrefined manners) [-5]; Easy to Read [-10]; Bad Temper (12) [-10]; Ham Fisted 1 [-5];
{B} Naive Native: Low TL 1 [-5]; Phobia (Machinery) [-5]; Gullibility [-10]; Impulsiveness [-10];
{C} Unfortunate Friend: Wealth (Struggling) [-10]; Compulsive Carousing (12) [-5]; Sense of Duty (Adventuring companions) [-5]; Appearance (Unattractive) [-4]; Gluttony (12) [-5]; Horrible Hangovers [-1];

Skills
{A} Dark Age Warrior: Thrown Weapon (Axe/Mace); [1] Axe/Mace + Shield; Force Entry, First Aid, Gesture, Lifting;
{B} Ocean Raider: Thrown Weapon (Harpoon); [4] Two-Handed Flail; Climbing, Seamanship, Skiing, Observation;
{C} Something Different: Bolas; [3] Polearm; Climbing, Gesture, Carousing, Observation;

[PseudoFenton]

This seems pretty interesting, defiantly promise to it. I'd never use it for a played character myself, but it looks quite handy for random NPCs.

Although I'll point out that although these are very well thought out, I will point out that some styles of old-school random character generation don't prescribe to the notion that "all men are rolled evenly". So some sort of bell curved additional roll for minor extras - where the rarer outcomes produce slightly more potent results could be right up that styles alley.

[SCAR]

Originally Posted by PseudoFenton

This seems pretty interesting, defiantly promise to it. I'd never use it for a played character myself, but it looks quite handy for random NPCs.

The intent is to enable players, who aren't necessarily that familiar with GURPS or DF, to create a character for a game with minimal time and effort.

Giving the Lenses suitable descriptive names (as opposed to A/B/C) might make them easier to choose between - the Barbarian/Advantages above do have brief descriptions (based on the Customization Notes in DF1)

Originally Posted by PseudoFenton

Although I'll point out that although these are very well thought out, I will point out that some styles of old-school random character generation don't prescribe to the notion that "all men are rolled evenly". So some sort of bell curved additional roll for minor extras - where the rarer outcomes produce slightly more potent results could be right up that styles alley.

GURPS-DF by default assumes a party of balanced heroes, but if you wanted to model the uneven-random characters, then you could build uneven lenses!

[Peter V. Dell'Orto]

Originally Posted by SCAR

As an example, I created 3 quick picks for each of Advantages, Disadvantages, Skills for the Barbarian Template - giving 27 possible Barbarians!

I like these. I think this is a good idea and you executed it well.

[SCAR]

Originally Posted by Toadkiller_Dog

I like these. I think this is a good idea and you executed it well.

Thank You (and from a DF author!).

I was intending to post Quick Picks for a few more Templates, but Bard was probably not the best choice to look at next, as the template does not have such clearly defined roles it can fulfil. It also has Powers, Spells and Special Skills as options, so pretty much every possible combination!
I figure if I can get passed the Bard, the others should be easier.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by SCAR

Thank You (and from a DF author!).

I was intending to post Quick Picks for a few more Templates, but Bard was probably not the best choice to look at next, as the template does not have such clearly defined roles it can fulfil. It also has Powers, Spells and Special Skills as options, so pretty much every possible combination!
I figure if I can get passed the Bard, the others should be easier.

This has all the makings of a quick-written e23 entry in the DF line. There are those on the boards, including me, who will help you with formatting in SJG style if it's an issue for you.

[Peter V. Dell'Orto]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

This has all the makings of a quick-written e23 entry in the DF line. There are those on the boards, including me, who will help you with formatting in SJG style if it's an issue for you.

Yes, Doug's right. It would make a nice little e23 item, Pyramid article, or even a freebie if you don't want to get too involved in doing it. I'd be happy to help format it up. PM me if you need help putting it into the SJG format for some kind of publication.

Grab-and-go packages are not going to give every possible build, but an A, B, C quickie (or one per "customization notes" archetype) is a nice way to go. It speeds ups chargen a lot.

[Wraithe]

What a wild coincidence - I was just going through the Random Characters (BS3e84) section of the 3rd edition Basic Set and thinking it would be cool to re-do it for 4e. :)

This section has you roll on a table for Advantages and Disadvantages, andone thing I was thinking of was instead of just having "Roll twice more" results, you could have "Roll on a (different specific) Table" result, which would allow you to expand out the options.

Does SJGame have this published anywhere? I know I had a little pamphlet that contained this section, but this is obviously WAY before the PDF days.

What would also be nice if it was modular and usable for Non-DF Genres.

[Novembermike]

Trying my hand at this for the Knight

Advantage

{A} Front Line Fighter: ST +2 [20], HT +1 [10], Luck [15], Recovery [10], Striking ST 1 [5]
{B} Master of a Weapon: Weapon Master (choose 3-4 weapons) [30], DX +1 [20], Weapon Bond [1], Fearless 2 [4], Fit [5]
{C} Leader of Men: Born War Leader 4 [10], Extraordinary Luck [30] Striking ST 2 [10], Penetrating Voice [1], HP +2 [4], Enhanced Block 1 (Cloak or Shield) [5]

Disadvantages

{A} Honorable in Dishonorable Times: Code of Honor (Chivalry) [-15], Wounded [-5], Honesty [-10], Sense of Duty (Adventuring Companions) [-5]
{B} Unruly Thug: Bad Temper [-10], Vow (Never Refuse a Challenge To Combat) [-10], Bully[-10], Compulsive Carousing [-5]
{C} Former Military: Code of Honor (Soldiers) [-10], Sense of Duty (Nation) [-10], Lecherousness [-15]

Skills

{A} School-Trained Noble: Boxing, Wrestling, Bow, Broadsword +6, Heraldry, Carousing, Gesture, Savoire Faire(High Society)
{B} Student of the Battlefield: Brawling, Sumo, Thrown Weapon (Spear), Shortsword and Spear +3, Hiking, Scrounging, First Aid, Gambling
{C} Reckless Adventurer: Brawling, Wrestling, Throwing, Axe/Mace and Polearm +2, Flail +1, Climbing, Hiking, Stealth, First Aid