Converting d20 DCs to GURPS

[Pragmatic]

It's been recommended that DCs when converted to GURPS be kept to realistic items.

So, for instance, a lock shouldn't be arbitrarily DC 30. It's got to have a game world reason. You don't just increase the DCs for more powerful PCs, you have to have a reason.

In general, the situation should get modifiers (e.g., the guards are particularly alert), rather than a master adamantine clockwork lock.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

It's been recommended that DCs when converted to GURPS be kept to realistic items.

So, for instance, a lock shouldn't be arbitrarily DC 30. It's got to have a game world reason. You don't just increase the DCs for more powerful PCs, you have to have a reason.

I thought you were arguing to the contrary? Did you change your mind? Or did I fail to understand you in the first place?

[DukeofDellot]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

I thought you were arguing to the contrary? Did you change your mind? Or did I fail to understand you in the first place?

Uh... Wait... that quote is three years ago. It's entirely possible for an individual to change their opinions about things in much shorter amounts of time. I'm trying to lurk here, but that... pulled me aside and slapped me across the face.

As for the actual topic... uh... I wrote a good thousand words on an attempt to comment a half hour or so ago then erased it. It was summed up to:

Since the games use different design approaches, converting stats doesn't always provide desirable results. Although it's not exactly applicable to the topic, converting concepts does work brilliantly.

With each trait GURPS assumes a default action that should have a standardized chance of success. For example, to punch someone typically is easier a task than to conduct a surgical procedure upon them. So GURPS applies a regulator (skill difficulties in this case) to regularize the roll when performing a standard action.

DnD assumes that because punching a dude is easier it will have a lower DC. Which means before you start with any equation, you might consider... oh darn, I'm rambling on again. Before I just backspace this into the oblivion that contains all my other posts.

[TL;DR]Consider assigning difficulty modifiers case by case/whimsically as a GM and use the suggested DR's as a sort of... feeling gauge? Does that sound like a thing?[/TL;DR]

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

It's been recommended that DCs when converted to GURPS be kept to realistic items.

Why? Bloated DCs in d20 are no more realistic than bloated difficulties in GURPS.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by DukeofDellot

Uh... Wait... that quote is three years ago. It's entirely possible for an individual to change their opinions about things in much shorter amounts of time. I'm trying to lurk here, but that... pulled me aside and slapped me across the face.

Changing your mind isn't a bad thing, unless you are a politician. I'm just wondering if I a) misunderstood him or b) he changed his mind.

[Pragmatic]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

I thought you were arguing to the contrary? Did you change your mind? Or did I fail to understand you in the first place?

I didn't say *I* recommended it. :-) I said that it's been beaten into my head that it doesn't make sense to have locks (or other challenges) based on the skill of the party, rather than in-game-world realities.

As if dungeon fantasy actually had to make sense...

In any event, I'm always in favor of "normalizing" anything converted from D&D to something more realistic. (E.g., Elminster, in my mind-space, is a decent mage, a pretty good sage, and a hell of a self-promoter...)