06-05-2023, 04:43 PM | #51 |
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Snoopy's basement
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Re: PCs with very different reaction modifiers
If a player wants tohave a character in a niche that the player is not good at, if I am GM, I try to help them without taking away their agency. Some subtle multiple choice for example, or an apparently inadvertent tip from an NPC, or what have you. It's tough when it's a niche I also suck at.
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06-05-2023, 10:20 PM | #52 | |
Join Date: Jun 2022
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Re: PCs with very different reaction modifiers
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Not that some challenges are going to be atomic while others are more sequential in nature, I agree with that notion completely. I'll admit, depending ont he social interaction and the Players involved, I have a tendency to do that as well. If they're of the social unskilled variety in real life, I find zooming a bit action and leaving it to drier descriptions is easier ont eh Players. If I ever had amateur or professional thespians, I'd probably stayed more zoomed in, but my Players trend towards tactical minis and beer and pretzels types. The kind who'd be inclined to make disparaging "funny voice" comments about thespian Players. I only ever got to play with thespians in LARPs or the occasional White Wolf game run by actor friends. Personally I'm fine with either style, I'm there for the story more so than the "talking in character", but I can enjoy that as well. |
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06-06-2023, 12:54 AM | #53 | |
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Re: PCs with very different reaction modifiers
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I say A is true. You say, "I disagree. B isn't true." Nevertheless players who are bad at decision making (threat analysis, creative problem solving, pattern recognition, etc.) will always be at a disadvantage when playing GURPS. Last edited by sjmdw45; 06-06-2023 at 01:04 AM. |
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06-06-2023, 01:57 PM | #54 | ||
Join Date: Jun 2022
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Re: PCs with very different reaction modifiers
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06-06-2023, 02:58 PM | #55 | |
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Re: PCs with very different reaction modifiers
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"Actually you should Wait and Step back here instead of Attacking because he's probably going to Attack you, and that will give you effectively a x4 loss ratio advantage against him for this round and next round. I know you don't get it but just trust me, Wait instead of Attacking." Feh. Don't do that. And yet, anyone who does know to do it will be 4x more effective in that fight. You MUST let players put themselves at a disadvantage by missing opportunities or there is no game for them to play. Adversarial GMing is a completely different activity that involves the GM directly using GM fiat to counter player characters. "Fine, you chop off the dragon's head, but then the splashing blood coalesces and turns into a dozen doomchildren." Merely keeping your mouth shut so the players can play is just regular refereeing. Last edited by sjmdw45; 06-06-2023 at 03:09 PM. |
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06-08-2023, 08:13 PM | #56 | |
Join Date: Jun 2022
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Re: PCs with very different reaction modifiers
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And yes, I have Players who are happier making bad choices without me saying anything, so I leave them to it, and others who much prefer getting information and being shown options. |
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06-08-2023, 09:34 PM | #57 | |
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Re: PCs with very different reaction modifiers
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Players are ALWAYS allowed to ask the GM questions. |
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06-09-2023, 02:03 AM | #58 | |
Join Date: Apr 2022
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Re: PCs with very different reaction modifiers
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Imagine the most charismastic person you can. And now imagine that person, irl, knocking at your door, after wading through sewage, and treading that stuff into your precious shag carpet. Would that not incur a reaction penalty from you? Even if you loved that person? Soaked in excrement, etc. In the Alice and Bob example: As a man, I don't really care about 'callous bricks' in fact, I like them. I would definitely react to that trait unless it's the norm, and more likely in a positive than negative way. Especially if he's not doing anything threatening. (The Odious Habit might get me tho) Then, if Alice is also beautiful/hot, etc...then while I would initially perhaps be a bit taken aback if he's THAT much of a gnarled gorilla, but walking around with a hot chick? Guy must either be doing something right, or something wrong (like coercing her) I would treat NPCs similarily, depending on their personality, the reactions could even be somewhat inverted. Looks for example, NPC could be *extremely* judgemental against handsome people. So barring some supernatural effect of the 'face man' advantages the character might have, that could make Alice more repulsive to some NPC than Bob. The modifiers as set as they are...I mostly use for randos and combat morale/willingness. And Bob could score positively there, under the right circumstance, too. Or negatively, of course. "I hate these gorilla looking mothers" says prince Babyface as he brandishes his rapier. "Prepare to die!" P.S.: The sewer example, is of course, to diminish Alice. If she showed up with a completely disgusting troglodyte then...yeah...that could lower the opinion of her.
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If it's forbidden to say anything good about something, why believe the bad that's said about it? If it's forbidden to say anything bad about something, why believe the good that's said about it? Last edited by Lovewyrm; 06-09-2023 at 02:07 AM. |
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06-09-2023, 02:08 AM | #59 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: PCs with very different reaction modifiers
There is a fine line between "I'm going to give you additional information because I think you may be misunderstanding something that would be clear to your character" and "I'm going to tell you what you should do".
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06-09-2023, 09:27 AM | #60 | |
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Re: PCs with very different reaction modifiers
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All of my mental examples are D&D examples ("don't waste your 9th level slot on upcasting Fireball! In the first combat of the dungeon, no less"), not DFRPG, but that's because my DFRPG players are quite good. |
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