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 03-11-2020, 06:09 PM   #41
Elf Monkey 16
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Default Re: How many character points do you give out per session?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anders View Post
My problem with this (and with spending character points) is that less effective characters get fewer points (since they have to spend them to get successes), which in turns keeps their character less effective (since they can't spend them to improve). Has this happened in your campaigns?
I hadn’t thought of that. I’ve used it for one and a half campaigns so far and I’ve not noticed it but that doesn’t necessarily mean it hasn’t. The players have been really reserved about using them so far but the choice is there.
Elf Monkey 16 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2020, 05:00 AM   #42
Rathbone
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Plano, Texas
Default Re: How many character points do you give out per session?

Quote:
Originally Posted by bocephus View Post
Could you give some detail on why you have two different systems?

Im just curious. Is it more player expectation or something else.
It is more player expectation.

In the Group (Ages & Alternities) that gets 3-4 pts per session, I inherited the Main GM Role (4 people in group, I GM 95% of Sessions). The Original GM established the timing and Pattern of 3 standard and 1 bonus for extra good play). Because of Pacing of Games and Character Growth I have not really thought to change.


The other group (Haunt's Heroes) has 7 Members of which 6 GM from time to time. Of that 6, 3 of us GM about 80-90% of the time. We also have about eight 'active' game worlds with 4 being used regularly. So that characters may advance at a good pace that tends for us to award more points per session.
__________________
'What the "Boss" doesn't Know won't hurt me'
Rathbone is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2020, 05:02 AM   #43
Anders
 
Anders's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Default Re: How many character points do you give out per session?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Elf Monkey 16 View Post
I hadn’t thought of that. I’ve used it for one and a half campaigns so far and I’ve not noticed it but that doesn’t necessarily mean it hasn’t. The players have been really reserved about using them so far but the choice is there.
I take your experience over my theoretical worries any day.
__________________
“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love ...” Marcus Aurelius
Anders is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2020, 06:33 AM   #44
malloyd
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Default Re: How many character points do you give out per session?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anders View Post
I take your experience over my theoretical worries any day.
The theoretical problem after all only comes up if your players actually *spend* them. They won't once they realize these things are the same as unspent character points. I can't recall a case anybody ever has spent a character point on anything except negating a crippling or lethal wound in some way or other. It's just too big a price for anything that isn't undoing a game ending disaster.
__________________
--
MA Lloyd
malloyd is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2020, 01:33 PM   #45
mr beer
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Default Re: How many character points do you give out per session?

Usually 4 points per session, with 8 for end-of-arc sessions.

I'm going to experiment with blocks of 50 CP at a time for my next campaign. So start characters as 100 CP DF types, and 'level' them quickly. Probably 1 'level' per session for the first two games and then slow it down.
mr beer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-12-2020, 07:34 PM   #46
malloyd
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Default Re: How many character points do you give out per session?

On the actual question, I generally aim for 5, because we don't get to play as often as we used to, and I'd like everybody to at least be able to remember the last time they bought something new - I'd scale it back if we played every week. I also allow something for "time use" during internal time skips (2 points per season), which are relatively common, though I don't try to synch game time with real time.
__________________
--
MA Lloyd
malloyd is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 03-15-2020, 07:47 PM   #47
weby
 
weby's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Default Re: How many character points do you give out per session?

In my current campaign (9 years ongoing with about 35 sessions/year) for the majority of the campaign I gave 1 point/hour of play, half of what went to a pool to buy training packages and similar. I also gave 5-25 point bonus things for completing adventures. The bonuses were about a third of the basic points in total.

Now we are in the "end game" portion of the campaign and the point gain is doubled as the players need more points for their godly powers.

In my previous game I gave about half of that, that is 1 point/2 hours of play, but they were freely usable and the bonuses were 10 points(fixed) for completing an adventure.
__________________
--
GURPS spaceship unofficial errata and thoughts: https://gsuc.roto.nu/
weby is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2020, 03:19 AM   #48
Michele
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Udine, Italy
Default Re: How many character points do you give out per session?

1 to 3 points per session. I think that more than that leads to inflation and characters quickly becoming demigods. 3 is for good roleplay and a successful session, 2 is the average, 1 for just attending with indifferent to poor roleplay and providing few if any contributions, during a session that isn't particularly successful for the group. It's "experience", after all, if the character is still alive at the end of it...

That said, I see the point of giving more points if a group plays not that often.
__________________
Michele Armellini
GURPS Locations: St. George's Cathedral
Michele is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2020, 07:32 AM   #49
Dalin
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Saint Paul, MN
Default Re: How many character points do you give out per session?

Quote:
Originally Posted by weby View Post
Now we are in the "end game" portion of the campaign and the point gain is doubled as the players need more points for their godly powers.
What was the starting point value of characters? Where are they now? (I’m just curious!)
Dalin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-16-2020, 06:32 PM   #50
weby
 
weby's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Default Re: How many character points do you give out per session?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dalin View Post
What was the starting point value of characters? Where are they now? (I’m just curious!)
Starting point was 100 points and they are currently at 4693 to 5076 points, that is after 377 sessions with typical length of 7-9 hours.
__________________
--
GURPS spaceship unofficial errata and thoughts: https://gsuc.roto.nu/
weby is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
character points

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 05:53 AM.


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