Question: Using D20 Stats with GURPS Character Creation

[Dalillama]

Originally Posted by Elliander

We are not going to be using traditional classes, but we will be using some mechanics based on Pathfinder. Believe it or not, this is actually the simplest approach I can come up with for what the players want to be doing.

Hmmm. If it helps, Jurgen's been curating a huge list of conversions of D20 creatures into GURPS

Are the players normally restricted on what they can spend points on after initial creation? For example, after building their stats, can they spend new points on stats at any time?

That's mostly up to the GM; generally speaking, attributes and skills can be improved as points come available, getting new skills requires some opportunity to learn them, and advantages vary, depending on the advantage. Combat Reflexes can be added after character creation; Extra Arms usually can't (barring a setting with certain kinds of cybernetics or magic).

Actually, in my campaign spells will come from items, with spell points based on Intelligence and/or Wisdom, but caster levels are determined by character level usually.

I'm not at all certain how to best model that with GURPS, I'd need more details about what you mean by spells coming from items.

If that's the way it works it might just be simpler to give a cost to increasing caster level manually, but my only concern with that is giving players access to spells that are too strong too soon.

In GURPS that would be an Unusual Background, with a leveled cost for access to more powerful spells.

So, in theory, would a 250 point character be equivalent to a level 2 Pathfinder Character? In which case that could be caster level 2, but what challenge rating of a monster would be appropriate if it doesn't really convert?

That's the thing, GURPS point values don't translate automatically into combat ability the way Pathfinder levels do. A character who's spent 250 points on social traits and knowledge skills can be brutally killed by a 25 point kobold (CR <1), while a 250 point DF Knight can wade through a few dozen without suffering a scratch.

It's the "mixture" stats that confuse me. Remember, the characters have not yet been created yet. This isn't something as complex as converting an existing character, I need to modify the character sheets and let the players know the cost of each modified stat and what happens when an Advantage gives them a bonus or a reduction to one of the named stats.

What do you mean by Advantage in this context? GURPS Advantages are entirely separate from Attributes and don't offer bonuses or penalties to them.