Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > GURPS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 12-21-2021, 02:54 PM   #1
FF_Ninja
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Default What are some of your best GM hacks for applying difficulty check modifiers?

I've got a few ideas of my own, but I wanted to poll the grognards and see if anyone had some go-to methods for modifying difficulty checks. I know that GURPS: Campaigns has a section that gives a descriptive range between +10 and -10 for difficulty, but I was wondering about the process that might lead a GM to end up at their final modifier.

My initial thought would be to curate a checklist of factors that would typically affect difficulty incrementally, and by how much. I haven't been able to find a checklist that exists for that purpose, sadly.
FF_Ninja is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2021, 03:05 PM   #2
khorboth
 
khorboth's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Denver, CO
Default Re: What are some of your best GM hacks for applying difficulty check modifiers?

The flow of the game is more important than strict correctness.

Try to be familiar with the likely modifiers ahead of time, but we all know there will be surprises.

10 seconds per +/-1 modifier is too much time spent figuring it out at the table. Just make a note and look it up later.

So... If you're not sure on something that's likely to be a +/- 3, and it'll take about 30 seconds to find, look it up. If it'll take a minute, guess.

Be transparent with the players. Tell them that you're guessing and you'll have a better answer at the next session. You don't have to be the almighty god of the rules.
khorboth is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2021, 03:10 PM   #3
FF_Ninja
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Default Re: What are some of your best GM hacks for applying difficulty check modifiers?

It occurs to me that many skills have their own list of modifiers baked in. That is certainly a lot to manage on the fly.
FF_Ninja is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2021, 03:33 PM   #4
Adina
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Louisville, Ky
Default Re: What are some of your best GM hacks for applying difficulty check modifiers?

Action 2: Exploits uses BAD (Basic Abstract Difficulty p.4). You might look there.
Adina is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2021, 03:34 PM   #5
ravenfish
 
Join Date: May 2007
Default Re: What are some of your best GM hacks for applying difficulty check modifiers?

A bit of advice that Dungeon Fantasy: Dungeons gives but which might also be useful in other cinematic genres is to assign a -1 penalty per "nasty qualifier". Balancing on a slimy ledge is at -1; balancing on a slimy, twisting, smoke-obscured ledge is at -3. No connection to realism, of course, but in some types of game a quick answer is better than a good one.
__________________
I predicted GURPS:Dungeon Fantasy several hours before it came out and all I got was this lousy sig.

Last edited by ravenfish; 12-21-2021 at 03:42 PM.
ravenfish is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2021, 08:40 PM   #6
kirbwarrior
 
kirbwarrior's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Dreamland
Default Re: What are some of your best GM hacks for applying difficulty check modifiers?

I generally remember most negative modifiers and I tend to keep the last pages of Basic open (around p550). And the important ones come up so often that I no longer have to even think about them. I'm also a stickler for consistency because I hate how often I see other GMs seem to lean on making things easier or harder for some players; If falling 15 feet causes this penalty, then it will always cause that penalty. And if I realize I'm wrong (because I am, a lot), then when I realize it I'll point it out for everyone and if the penalty change would have mattered (95% of the time is does), I'll give the player(s) affected character/impulse/destiny points or some other reward to make up for not being able to change the past (very rarely the past can be changed).

For positive TDMs, I generally have the rule of +4 for stress-free situations where a roll is still required, but generally if I think the roll would be "easy" and the character isn't rolling against a default, then I'll just say "you succeed, now..." or something similar.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by cosmicfish View Post
While I do not think that GURPS is perfect I do think that it is more balanced than what I am likely to create by GM fiat.
kirbwarrior is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2021, 09:50 PM   #7
FF_Ninja
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Default Re: What are some of your best GM hacks for applying difficulty check modifiers?

Quote:
Originally Posted by kirbwarrior View Post
For positive TDMs, I generally have the rule of +4 for stress-free situations where a roll is still required, but generally if I think the roll would be "easy" and the character isn't rolling against a default, then I'll just say "you succeed, now..." or something similar.
I typically try to roll skills even if the chance of success is very high. There's always the chance for an exceptional result if their magnitude of success is high enough, and players love to roll.

Alternatively, I occasionally just allow them to "Take 11" if they want to ensure a middle-of-the-road result and the task can be done with zero stress and extra time.
FF_Ninja is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2021, 10:29 PM   #8
kirbwarrior
 
kirbwarrior's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Dreamland
Default Re: What are some of your best GM hacks for applying difficulty check modifiers?

Quote:
Originally Posted by FF_Ninja View Post
I typically try to roll skills even if the chance of success is very high. There's always the chance for an exceptional result if their magnitude of success is high enough, and players love to roll.
I'd like to recommend Basic 343 "When to Roll". Excessive rolling can actually get in the way of gameplay and/or drag it down. And it's not like we require rolling for walking or opening a door which are technically DX+10 rolls (every second for walking).

But also, every roll invites the possibility for failures and critical failures. And that doesn't always make sense. You can get some silly situations (check out how often you're "supposed" to roll Piloting!).
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by cosmicfish View Post
While I do not think that GURPS is perfect I do think that it is more balanced than what I am likely to create by GM fiat.
kirbwarrior is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-22-2021, 01:21 AM   #9
Opellulo
 
Opellulo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Rome, Italy
Default Re: What are some of your best GM hacks for applying difficulty check modifiers?

As a general rule I use skill checks only when failing them would create an interesting situation either for action or roleplay, so I avoid any roll for common or basic situations.
During the game then I move in a general +2/-6 area, using positive bonuses as prizes for well acted or unexpected solutions, and if the player's idea is REALLY good then I award an automatic success.

It works for me because it keeps the flow going and forces a little pro-activity to players that in this way are not just waiting for their turn to roll dices.
__________________
“A strange game. The only winning move is not to play. How about a nice game of chess?”
Opellulo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-22-2021, 04:33 AM   #10
Tinman
 
Tinman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: New York City
Default Re: What are some of your best GM hacks for applying difficulty check modifiers?

I use a combination of:
1) how deep into the adventure the PC's are.
2) the quality of the enemy they are dealing with at that point (boss or elite vs mook).
3) The finances of the enemy. Are they going to have good locks or standard, ect...

Then I'll give a modifier that 'feels' right. It gets easier over time & now when an encounter happens & I don't have the modifiers prepared, I calculate it automatically.

It's like an improvised BAD as jmurrell mentioned up-thread.
Tinman is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
difficulty, modifiers

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:57 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.