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Old 05-29-2020, 12:06 PM   #1
johndallman
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Default [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Trickster

Trickster [-15] is a mundane mental disadvantage with a self-control roll, a kind of compulsive behaviour. You feel a strong need to play tricks on dangerous people, craving the associated thrills and danger. This disadvantage appeared during the 3e period, quite possibly in Bunnies & Burrows.

You need to make a self-control roll each day if you want to avoid playing a trick, and you’re at -1 for each day that you have missed., which definitely limits the effects of a high self-control number. Playing simple practical jokes on harmless people is not satisfying: you need the thrill of a dangerous opponent. Since, for many PCs, the only dangerous people who are available every day are other party members, this disadvantage has endless potential for annoying your comrades.

Trickster is a reasonably common disadvantage option on published templates. DF1 uses it on “Mastermind” thieves, and DF Denizens: Swashbucklers plays up the “show-off” aspect of the disadvantage. Fantasy covers Trickster gods, and Madness Dossier has a Loa that’s trying to be such a deity. Power-Ups 6 has a quirk-level version, which can still be pretty annoying, and Powers: Totems and Nature Spirits has Trickster spirits. Space allows for whole species with Trickster, and Tales of the Solar Patrol space pirates sometimes indulge.

I can’t see myself ever using this as a player, since I tend to be quite goal-focussed, and don’t enjoy annoying my fellow-players repeatedly. As a GM, I would only use it on NPCs who were meant to be nuisances and whom I didn’t mind being ostracised, quite possibly into a shallow grave. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fellow-player take it: there was a possible case in a Madness Dossier game where our Golden Child, who was as unused to normal people as they all are, was quite amused when his carelessness with a stun grenade resulted in the burning out of our opponent’s van, which could have had useful information. He was informed that the next grenade he touched was going where the sun doesn’t shine, and since he left them alone thereafter, he probably wasn’t a Trickster.

Has this disadvantage amused in your games?
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Old 05-29-2020, 02:04 PM   #2
whswhs
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Trickster

I've never even thought of using it. The requirement that you do it every day is severely constraining on a character's freedom of action. Even if you allow a series of rolls for self-control, and start out at 15, you'll have an average time between attempts to trick someone of between four and five days. And as the trait is written, those attempts have to be risky. I don't see any way a character who does that can actually be viable.
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Old 05-29-2020, 02:14 PM   #3
Donny Brook
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Trickster

Like with some other Disads, as written, Trickster is completely unplayable.

It's a recipe for sucking up way too much in-play time AND getting your character killed or incarcerated post-haste.

I did have it on a character one time (in a Viking campaign), but with a flexible and understanding GM who let it count for the character to spend time and effort planning pranks as well as carrying them out.

Last edited by Donny Brook; 05-29-2020 at 02:27 PM.
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Old 05-29-2020, 02:50 PM   #4
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Trickster

This is not an disad for sane campaigns. However, certain games are basically a long series of intense conflicts with dangerous foes, and in those it can work. A DF trickster occasionally humiliates the monsters in addition to murdering and/or robbing them, and that's a good 15 pt disad right there. The DF lifestyle is insane and unsustainable, so insane and unsustainable disads fit right in.

Don't take this in GURPS Edwardian Family Politics, GURPS Cold War Diplomats, or GURPS Fantasy 2.

Also, don't target your fellow, unless they are into that sort of thing. (TWO tricksters out to one-up one another might work.)
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Old 05-29-2020, 06:19 PM   #5
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Trickster

My problem with the disadvantage is the requirement to do this every day (or make the control roll). I am planning a game (Science Fantasy) that uses a Traveller-like jump drive (it takes about a week to travel through jumpspace. This would require the trickster to play "tricks" inside a space ship.

I'm considering rewriting some of the requirements to make it a bit easier so the rest of the party doesn't immediately space the trickster.
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Old 05-29-2020, 06:47 PM   #6
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Trickster

Quote:
Originally Posted by DangerousThing View Post
I am planning a game (Science Fantasy) that uses a Traveller-like jump drive... This would require the trickster to play "tricks" inside a space ship.
Now you know why misjumps are so common and taking a low berth is so risky.
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Old 05-30-2020, 03:49 AM   #7
RogerBW
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Trickster

Quote:
Originally Posted by martinl View Post
Don't take this in […] GURPS Fantasy 2.
Well, it's one possible way to die quickly rather than in protracted agony.

I knew a player (of D&D games) who acted like this with every character he played, always on fellow PCs. Several people left the group as a result. So it leaves a fairly bad taste; combine that with the standard GURPS for 4e of "this is an extreme version of the trait" and I'd regard this as unplayable.

My usual boilerplate: it could be interesting as a temp-disad caused by use of something really helpful.
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Old 05-30-2020, 04:20 AM   #8
Anders
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Trickster

Maybe instead of every day, have it happen whenever there's a really juicy target. Similar to Bloodlust - it doesn't require you to kill a person every day.
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Old 05-30-2020, 07:38 AM   #9
ericthered
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Trickster

Compulsive Behavior (Trick Playing) may be a more functional substitution. I find that's often the case with impractical disadvantages. Its softs them and makes them more generic.
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Old 05-30-2020, 02:12 PM   #10
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Default Re: [Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Trickster

In all honesty taking off the -1 per day without probably fixes it. 15 would only have a 50/50 of triggering over two weeks, 12 would trigger 60% of the time over 3 days, and anything lower is already triggering nearly all the time anyway.
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