Newbie GURPS GM Seeking Advice

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by NMatuzic

I like the idea of running some test combat, to get used to the system. I had planned a character building day before the campaign even started, so I'll be able to run it at that (probably before character generation, so people can have an idea what can be done).

Don't do this, though, with their built characters. Rather, give them a moderate length combat, no more than an hour of play time, with pregens, to give them an idea of what they can do with what stats, skills, and equipment. That way they'll be better able to decide how they want to build their actual characters.

Do a solitaire combat on your own first, so that you kind of know where the rules are. That inspires confidence in the players (and in you!). You might even want to draw up your own flowchart of what you do in what order.

Bill

[NMatuzic]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Don't do this, though, with their built characters.

Yep, got that. My guess was what you also mentioned- that by playing in a combat or two, they'll figure out some stuff that they'll want their own character to do from their experience in the test run.

The solitaire run is a very nice tip, though. Gives me something to do at work one night when on a boring night shift!

[Gef]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Do a solitaire combat on your own first, so that you kind of know where the rules are.

Some of the rules are on Combat Cards, which you can download from Warehouse 23 and print for each player. -GEF

[Gef]

A word of encouragement: Most of the rules for the tactical combat system are much easier to do than to explain.

Here are some things to try:

1) Guy with a spear (reach 2) versus guy with a broadsword (reach 1). Tip: Have spear guy stop just out of range and Wait, declaring he will attack if sword guy closes.

2) Build a couple of equivalent knife-fighters, one with the technique Feint maxed out. Have him alternate Feints and real attacks while the other guy just attacks.

3) Two guys with shields and swords (reach 1). When first guy attacks, have second guy "retreat" sideways (reduce bonus for retreat by 1), to his attacker's non-shield side. Second guy gets his turn, he now steps to his foe's flank, completing a "run-around" attack. This gives -2 to the other guy's defense AND avoids the defense bonus of the shield. HOWEVER, the clever git who did this is now facing the wrong way, so he has to use a backstrike. That means he's at -2 to hit AND at -2 to his next defense.

Seriously, the last one is a great example of something easier to show than tell.

Play some matches between skill 12 cadets, skill 16 experts, and skill 20 masters. Remember that the cadets will make telegraphic attacks. Also remember that the system is at its best without weird stuff (magic, ultra-tech, cinematic skills) - master it before you add the fantasy elements.

Good luck and have fun.

GEF

[Hannes665]

Regarding Mooks and other "low level" NPC´s and encounters I recommend keeping the primary attributes in the 9-11 category. That is to say in the average range. This still makes them dangerous to most 75-100 pt pc´s in Gurps but they don´t have Dodge 11+ or weapon skill at 15+ and dice out 2d++ of damage.

It was mentioned earlier that some players buy down the secondary attributes. We (my group) allow it for up to -4 for per and will and -3 for hp and fp and -1 in basic move and basic speed. It does not count against disad limits so it´s common for us to see a Wizard with IQ 15, Per 12 and Will 13 BUT we have learned that it does not skew the game as one would think since all of these stats are important.

Both Will and Per have also skills based on them, will is very important when it comes to avoiding mind spells and fright checks. Low Per can kill you in a dangerous game were you (the PC) needs to notice things and it helps to notice the archer firing the arrow at you 30 yards away if you want the option to dodge or block.

HP are worth their weight in gold in any combat heavy game since they go fast as soon as you start to get any damage. FP are necessary for anyone in a fight and wizards for spells, using FP to increase your damage or assist you in defending yourself.

Example of a NPC guard as I would write him and most if not all off NPC´s.

Generic Guard small city large township with some random ads.

ST: 10/10 thr 1d-2 sw 1d DX: 10 IQ: 9 HT:10/10 Dodge: 8 Move: 5 BS: 5 Will 10 Per 11 Parry B-8/S-9 +DB Block: 9+DB Armor DR 2 Torso, arms, legs, hands. DR 4 Head. Face: 0
Ads: Combat ref on 6 or less, High Pain Threshold on 4 or less.
Broadsword - 11 1d-2cr/1d+1cut Shield - 12 Spear -12 1H 1d imp/2H 1d+1imp Observation - 12 Local Law - 8 (+4 for basic regulations) Solider on 9 or less - 8+ 1d3. Crossbow 11 1d+2 Area Knowledge Local - 11.

Guard Captain Large Town or a small city or a Sgt.
ST: 11/11 thr 1d-1 sw 1d+1 DX: 11 IQ: 10 HT: 11/11 Dodge: 9 BS: 5.5 Move: 5 Will 11 Per 11 Parry 10 Block 10 DB: 2 Armor DR 4/2 Mail, Torso, arms, neck, head, DR 2 hands, legs and feet. Face 0
Ads: Combat Ref on 10 or less, HPT on 7 or less.
Broadsword -14 1d cr/1d+2 cut Shield - 13 Tactics - 9 Leadership - 9 +1d3 Local Law - 10 Area Knowledge Local 12


I usually write them up like this and then if there is a very special NPC I write him up, named and in little bit more detail but not that much. Easier that to create every character that you want your party to meet, that could take weeks.

[Hannes665]

I would recommend 100 pts -40 or -50 disads and quirks.

Just watch the PC creation carefully for someone that has never played or seen Gurps they tend to go overboard at their first character. Specially if they are used to DnD style games.

For example we had for one night a DnD player with our group that wanted to play a Priest/Monk with some divine spells.

He was something like this.

ST: 7 DX: 9 IQ: 17 HT: 15
Ads: Magery 0 Magery +4 Clerical spells, Luck 15 pt
Disads: Bad Temper on 6 or less, Alcoholic, Honesty on 6 or less, Gluttony on 6 or less.
Skills: Brewery 21, Innate Attack Fireball 22, Staff 18, Theology 20.
Spells: Major Healing 25 Fireball 20 Monks Banquet 24 Continual Light 20 Invisibility 25.


That was it. That is the whole character. Most of his points went into 2 DX based skills and very few spells. And of course his disads made him almost unplayable.

Gurps requires much more diversity that DnD. It´s not unusal for characters to have 15-40 skills and/or spells.

[8th Orbital Army]

Originally Posted by Hannes665

ST: 7 DX: 9 IQ: 17 HT: 15
Ads: Magery 0 Magery +4 Clerical spells, Luck 15 pt
Disads: Bad Temper on 6 or less, Alcoholic, Honesty on 6 or less, Gluttony on 6 or less.
Skills: Brewery 21, Innate Attack Fireball 22, Staff 18, Theology 20.
Spells: Major Healing 25 Fireball 20 Monks Banquet 24 Continual Light 20 Invisibility 25.

I challenge the SJG forums to explain (for the benefit of NMatuzic and any other new players and GM's who might be reading) why this is a bad character build. Not just vague "balanced character" type warnings, but concrete examples of why this character would be an un-fun disaster to play.

Can we do it? Or is this a valid Fire-ballin', Major-healin', Lager-brewin' build?



First thing I noticed was the ST7, DX9 combo. This character is begging to be grappled. He has no close combat skills and will never be able to break free if grabbed.



Second he has the Invisibility spell at 25, but no stealth skill, and no unusual background. In other words he lives in a world where people are known to turn invisible, and where people will be expecting such shennanigans:



Guard 1 (Klorglarg the Hateful): So..., I think YugThog the Despicable has been cheating at dominoes ever since he got here.

Guard 2 (Xindgorguth the Repulsive): You can't cheat at dominoes, you've just had a run of bad luck.

Guard 1 (Klorglarg the Hateful): But he ALWAYS wins, how can that be luck LOUD CLANG IN THE BACKGROUND What was that!?!"

Guard 2 (Xindgorguth the Repulsive): I don't see anything, it must be an invisible dude. Throw that sack of flour out there whle I activate my helm of Invisible Dude Seeing. Anyway, YugThog the Despicable, is a stand-up guy! He wouldn't cheat you..."

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by 8th Orbital Army

I challenge the SJG forums to explain (for the benefit of NMatuzic and any other new players and GM's who might be reading) why this is a bad character build. Not just vague "balanced character" type warnings, but concrete examples of why this character would be an un-fun disaster to play.

Can we do it? Or is this a valid Fire-ballin', Major-healin', Lager-brewin' build?

Well, to start with, what kind of god offers a list that includes those particular spells? The deal with divine magic is that (a) you get to ignore prerequisite spells, but (b) you don't have unlimited choice of the entire spell list, but only the particular spells that the GM decided were a logical fit to that particular god's domain. Who is this guy worshiping, the God of Munchkins? Those five spells make no sense as making up the domain of a god of anything I can think of. It really looks as if the GM just said, "OK, fine, tell me what god you worship and what spells they provide"—and that's an abdication of the GM's responsibility to require characters to fit a halfway sensible narrative.

Bill Stoddard

[Hannes665]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Well, to start with, what kind of god offers a list that includes those particular spells? The deal with divine magic is that (a) you get to ignore prerequisite spells, but (b) you don't have unlimited choice of the entire spell list, but only the particular spells that the GM decided were a logical fit to that particular god's domain. Who is this guy worshiping, the God of Munchkins? Those five spells make no sense as making up the domain of a god of anything I can think of. It really looks as if the GM just said, "OK, fine, tell me what god you worship and what spells they provide"—and that's an abdication of the GM's responsibility to require characters to fit a halfway sensible narrative.

Bill Stoddard

Well the GM DID not approve this PC, he was build with out any contact with the GM except "I want to build a staff fighting beer drinking Monk". And the Gm though he would get a Friar Tuck type not a Priest of Invisible God of Banquets and Cooking.

[simply Nathan]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Well, to start with, what kind of god offers a list that includes those particular spells? The deal with divine magic is that (a) you get to ignore prerequisite spells, but (b) you don't have unlimited choice of the entire spell list, but only the particular spells that the GM decided were a logical fit to that particular god's domain. Who is this guy worshiping, the God of Munchkins?

I had one that only granted Minor/Major Healing, Fireball/Explosive Fireball, Continual Light, and Sleep/Mass Sleep. His weapons were the rapier, kusarigama, and boomerang.
He was the god of "cliches", though "JRPG Tropes" is what I would have called him if I knew the term at the time.
Of course, he was more of a character concept than anything else, as I have a built-in aversion to clerical magic.