Handicapped Characters in TFT & XP
 

I was looking through my Fantasy Trip Companion and was happy to revisit the "Handicapped Characters in TFT" article from TSG 51 (May 1982). TSG 51 was one of a handful of Space Gamer magazines I'd managed to hold on to all these years. I remember being really blown away by the innovation of a disadvantage system at the time.

While I am generally happy with the XP system in the new TFT, (we had long running campaigns in the 80s that had characters in the 50+ point range for abilities with all the attendant problems and house rules that created), I feel 37 attribute points is a touch too low for my tastes before most players will want to switch over to buying new spells or talents at 500+ XP a pop.

I think my solution will be to allow players one random disadvantage and then the cost of new attribute points will be shifted up the appropriate amount. e.g. a PC with Acrophobia (2 points) starts with 34 points but their first two attribute purchases would only be 100 XP each, their 3rd, 200 XP and so on.

I think I will develop a 6 or 7d6 random table similar to the one provided, both to incorporate some of Ralph Sizer's "More Handicaps for TFT" (TSG #57) and to remove a few I don't care for (I was happy to see the sexual orientation result had been replaced with "No handicap here" for TFT's re-release as PCs/players at my Cidri/table will not be disadvantaged by that form of bigotry).

Players will also have the option not to roll for a disadvantage & just start with 32 points. Most of the random results will be 1-point disadvantages with a few 2-pointers and 3 or 4 point results being extreme outliers.

Anyway, I'm curious whether others plan on using handicaps in their game and/or whether the high XP costs for a 39th and 40th or higher attribute point seem a bit of an over-correction.

I'll post the table I come up with down the road.

Re: Handicapped Characters in TFT & XP
 

I'd rule that Handicap points can only buy skill points or quirks.

Re: Handicapped Characters in TFT & XP
 

Talents only for handicaps is an interesting idea. I'll have to think about that. You're basically allowing beginning characters a bit more depth and advancing them a "banked" 500 or 1000 XP (possibly 1500 or 2000XP for a 3 or 4-point handicap). And keeping the 40+ attributes really expensive which is the main thing I was trying to hack.

You don't mean buying GURPS quirks with TFT handicaps though, right? Buying a disadvantage with another form of disadvantage?

Still, that's a great reminder to look at quirks for ideas for more 1-point TFT handicaps, thank you!

Hmmm, I may need to break out a supplemental d100 for my final table...

Re: Handicapped Characters in TFT & XP
 

Here are some examples of the quirks I'd allow handicaps to buy.

https://www.hcobb.com/tft/new_spells.html#Talents

For example a blind swordsman who put all four points from blind into getting five levels of Acute Hearing so that he can attack at base DX in total darkness.

Or $1k in innate enchantment on the character for each point. So doing +3 with your bare hands (as magical weapons) is four quirk points.

Re: Handicapped Characters in TFT & XP
 

John Leising's website has an updated and expanded take on this idea that is worth looking at as well.

http://imaginaeriemedia.com/optional...c-expeditions/

Re: Handicapped Characters in TFT & XP
 

I have a slight problem with giving the Goblin Sorceress extra IQ points in exchange for a limitation she can overcome with an IQ roll.

Re: Handicapped Characters in TFT & XP
 

How about if (as in GURPS) there is a limit to how high the number can be that you resist your own disadvantages with, like 12 or so?

Re: Handicapped Characters in TFT & XP
 

We already have an acceptable racial handicap or three in the RAW:

ITL 77: "Elves also have an inbred horror of insects and crawling things, and fight them at a -3 DX penalty."

Re: Handicapped Characters in TFT & XP
 

These are great and I wasn't aware of this site, thank you!

Re: Handicapped Characters in TFT & XP
 

I put together a random table and some house rules for my campaign and threw it up at my blog.

I referenced but didn't include any copy-written material, so people would need to have either the TSG magazines or The Fantasy Trip Companion to be able to use it at their own tables.

Decided the safest route was to go with Talent/Spell purchase only rather than improved attributes.