Ordinary People: Characters [0] to [-50]

[Mgellis]

Originally Posted by Lonewulf

This is my first time, so be gentle.

Retired Hunter (James Crowley): -10 points
Age: 60
Height: 5’10”
ST 10, DX 10, IQ 10, HT 9 [-10]
Move 4 [-5], Speed 5, Dodge 8, Fatigue 10, HP 10, Will 10, Perception 11 [5]

Advantages:

Disadvantages: [-30]
Bad Sight (Farsighted) (Mitigator: Glasses -60%) [-10]
Honesty [-10]
Osteoarthritis (affects hips): Chronic Pain/Mild/2 hours/9 or less [-5]
Sense of Duty/Close Friends [-5]

Skills: [30]
Camouflage@IQ+1 [2]
First Aid @ IQ [1]
Shotgun @ Rifle-1 [1]
Rifle @DX+2 [4]
Public Speaking @IQ [2]
Survival/Plains @ Per [2]
Survival/Woodlands @ Per [2]
Teaching @ IQ [2]
Tracking @ Per [2]
(12 extra points can be distributed, or used for extra flavor skills, such as to demonstrate education, etc.)

Attributes: -10
Advantages:
Disadvantages: -30
Skills: 30
Total: -10

While Mr. Crowley was once a decent hunter, his vision, his knowledge, and his health have declined over the years. He now has Osteoarthritis in his hips, making it difficult for him to move around, and his abilities aren’t quite as they once were. He’s hung up his rifle (next to his collection of various trophies), and now enjoys his days in front of the fireplace, when his pain allows him to actually enjoy his time. He’s good around children, and makes a caring teacher for the next generation.

(Teaching and Public Speaking are optional “flavor/background” skills; they may be redistributed, if the GM wishes).

The 12 optional skill points should probably go towards a basic education; biology, history (maybe military history), that sort of thing, OR to boost skills already owned.

A nice start. A few suggestions...

First, please provide the current skill totals (e.g., Teaching-10 [2]); it makes the character easier to understand.

As for the "basic education"--I'm inclined to think of the stuff you pick up from your K-12 years as using skill defaults. Otherwise everyone would have a couple of points of Chemistry, a couple of points of Mathematics, etc.

Assuming this is a modern character, I would add a point or two of Driving (Automobile) and possibly Computer Operation.

And what was his profession?

Remember, 12- is considered the baseline level for "you are skilled enough that you could do this for a living."

If the guy taught professionally (e.g., high school teacher), I would raise his Teaching to Teaching-12 [8] and give him one or two subjects at 12-, too, like History (19th Century American)-12 [12] and Economics-12 [12]. That would raise him above 0 points, though. So he might need some more disadvantages.

Or assume the only teaching he does is about hunting and give him a trade from which he has retired like Electrician-12 [8].

I hope this helps.

Mark

[Mgellis]

Another teacher...

Jim Hodges

ST 10 [0] DX 9 [-20] IQ 11 [20] HT 10 [0]

Basic Lift 20 [0] HP 10 [0] Per 11 [0] Will 11 [0] FP 10 [0] Basic Speed 4.75 [0]

Advantages: Tenure [5]

Disadvantages: Appearance (Unattractive) [-4]; One Eye [-15]; Pacifism (Reluctant Killer) [-5]

Quirks: Likes explosions (and popular with some students because he likes doing demonstrations in class that involve explosions) [-1]

Skills: Area Knowledge (Middletown)-11 [1]; Chemistry-12 [8]; Computer Operation-11 [1]; Cooking-10 [1]; Driving (Automobile)-8 [1]; Teaching-12 [4]

Total points: -4

Jim has been teaching high school chemistry for years. He's a good guy; he likes teaching; he is enthusiastic about the subject. He loves making things go boom! but does not know how to build bombs or anything like that, etc.; he just knows that if you mix certain chemicals you will get "an energetic reaction." Like most normal people, he has no real combat skills and would find it very hard to actually kill someone, even in self-defense. He has some scars on the right side of his face and he is blind in his right eye--everyone thinks he got these injuries in a lab accident, but it was actually a car accident during his college years.

[Lonewulf]

Originally Posted by Mgellis

A nice start. A few suggestions...

First, please provide the current skill totals (e.g., Teaching-10 [2]); it makes the character easier to understand.

As for the "basic education"--I'm inclined to think of the stuff you pick up from your K-12 years as using skill defaults. Otherwise everyone would have a couple of points of Chemistry, a couple of points of Mathematics, etc.

Well, surely there must be ways to demonstrate the knowledge of the learned from the folk that never went to school. ;)

Assuming this is a modern character, I would add a point or two of Driving (Automobile) and possibly Computer Operation.

Those 12 points can go into that.

And what was his profession?

My dear boy... I guess bold print really doesn't help. Here, I'll try all caps:

"RETIRED HUNTER (James Crowley)"

Remember, 12- is considered the baseline level for "you are skilled enough that you could do this for a living."

Yes, but remember that it's been quite a while since he's actually done it, so if he returned to his profession, he would be quite rusty at it.

If the guy taught professionally (e.g., high school teacher), I would raise his Teaching to Teaching-12 [8]

He does not teach professionally. In fact, in the description later, it says outright that teaching is "flavor". Teaching is not his job.

I implore you, please read the character sheet before commenting. :)

and give him one or two subjects at 12-, too, like History (19th Century American)-12 [12] and Economics-12 [12]. That would raise him above 0 points, though. So he might need some more disadvantages.

However, those would be hobby skills, or skills he's learned from friends.

Or assume the only teaching he does is about hunting and give him a trade from which he has retired like Electrician-12 [8].

Actually, hunting was his trade that he retired from. He did it professionally.

I hope this helps.

Mark

It did, a little. ;)

ETA: I edited the char sheet, and distributed the 12 points I left undistributed earlier. I wanted to make him somewhat modular, in case GMs wanted to "fine-tune" him themselves, but it seems to have led to some confusion.

I didn't give him Computer Operation, as I imagine him as less-than-modern; he's living, maybe, in the mid-1900's. Also, he's British (explaining stuff like "Honesty" and the like. :D), though the character can fit into later years or earlier years. He essentially is going to end up an NPC for any Call of Cthulhu type game I run. :)

[Lonewulf]

10 year old girl (Angelica Smith): -26 points

ST 7 [-30], DX 9 [-20], IQ 10, HT 10

SM -1, HP 7, Speed 4.75, Move 4, Dodge 7, Willpower 10, Perception 10, Fatigue 10

Languages: English Accented/Accented, Spanish Accented/Accented [2]

Advantages: 45
Attractive [4]
Musical Ability 1 [5]
Patron/Parents [30]
Perk: Honest Face [1]
Pitiable [5]

Disadvantages: -35
Dead Broke [-25]
Pacifism/Reluctant Killer [-5]
Social Stigma/Minor [-5]

Skills: 2
Artist – 8 [1]
Musical Instrument/Piano – 9 [1] +1 Musical Ability

Attributes: -48
Advantages: 45
Disadvantages: -35
Skills: 2
Total: -26

Angelica Smith is a young girl with exposure to both Spanish and American cultures, thanks to her mother being Hispanic and her father being from Texas. She’s shown an aptitude for musical instruments and is currently learning to play the piano; however, she does not have a preference for learning musical instruments, and feels herself more drawn to more physical artistic endeavors. Nonetheless, her parents are attempting to make her a good pianist, and have funded some of the best instructors for her.

(She doesn't have many skills, but I figured at her age skills would be few and far between...)

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Jimmy Durtz, 8-Year-Old Boy [-15 Points]

Culture: CF: Western [0], English (Native / Native) [0],

Attributes: ST 7 [-30], DX 10 [0], IQ 9 [-20], HT 11 [10],

Secondary: SM -1 [0], Speed: 5.25 [0], Ground Move: 4 [-5], Hit Points: 7 [0], Fatigue: 11 [0], Perception: 12 [15], Willpower 10 [5],

Advantages: Less Sleep X2 [4], Patron (0-Point Mom, 15 or Less) [30],

Disadvantages: Curious (12-) [-5], Social Stigma (Minor) [-5], Trickster (15-) [-7], Wealth (Dead Broke) [-25],

Quirks: Distractible [-1], Obsession: Dinosaurs [-1], Proud [-1], Slob [-1],

Skills: Area Knowledge (Home Town): 9 [1], Bicycling: 11 [2], Brawling: 10 [1], Climbing: 9 [1], Computer Operation/TL8: 9 [1], Current Affairs/TL8 (Pop Culture): 9 [1], (Science/Technology): 9 [1], (Sports): 9 [1], Detect Lies: 10 [1], Expert Skill (Dinosaurs): 9 [4], Fast Talk: 8 [1], Mathematics/TL8 (Pure): 7 [1], Scrounging: 12 [1], Search: 12 [2], Sports (Baseball): 9 [1], Stealth: 9 [1], Swimming: 11 [1],

Notes: Jimmy is an exceptionally troublesome kid growing up in a modern, single-parent household. He doesn't sleep much, plays pranks, gets into fistfights at school, finds things that have been hidden from him, and can't keep his nose out of other people's business. He's great in gym class and okay at Math for his age, and he applies himself to his pet obsession, but he does poorly in his other classes due to his difficulty concentrating. Jimmy's mother describes him as "high-spirited" and refuses to put him on Ritalin, dismissing his antics as signs of his (debatable) genius.

[Lonewulf]

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel

Patron (50-Point Mom, 12 or Less) [40]

I didn't add a patron for the girl because I was under the impression that Patrons and Allies were more for PCs than NPCs...

Also, I may be a GURPS dummy, but it seems to me like the skills you have for an 8 year old boy are just a tad high. I can see a lot of low-level skills (with appropriate situational modifiers), but not a lot of professional-level skills. ;)

[roguebfl]

No the section on Children in Basic Set, recomend Child Player characters take Patron [30] to represent their parents.

[Maz]

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

Jimmy Durtz, 8-Year-Old Boy [0 Points]
Notes: Jimmy is your typical kid

Speaking as a School teacher I second Lonewulf's notice of the skills being way too high. Consider that 4 pts in a skill is usually pretty high for a modern adult. The only things I would actually give skills in is maybe some sports, bicycling, climbing, and swimming. Only computer use if his really good at it.

Yes I've known kids who are 'experts' on dinosaurs but it's only as long as they read the same book day out and day in, it's not knowledge that they can apply or do anything with. and even then they often mix things together.
This just means they have a default in the skill and know how to use a book. If you've known kids like this you will know that they come to you and blabber on about a lot of the things they 'know' but they are juzt repeating what they have read or seen. They can't awnser general questions on the subject.

Also I wouldn't give an 8-year old Native in his written language. Hell you could even justify accented speech because most of them just don't have a big enough vocabulary to express their feelings or understand what adults talk about.

In fact I would lower all his stats with at least one. If indeed he is supposed to be a typical 8 year old.

His base speed is also too high. No way can an 8 year old can run as fast as an average adult.

...he should most likely also be SM:-1

[Maz]

GURPS 3e has some suggestionson stats on children:
ST for an 8-year-old is listed as 3e ST:6 thats = 4e ST: 7 or 8.
The rest of the stats are the same in both systems so:

ST: 8
DX: 8
IQ: 8
HT: 7


Btw. for the typical 10 year old it would be:
ST: 8
DX: 9
IQ: 8
HT: 8

[Mgellis]

Originally Posted by Lonewulf

Well, surely there must be ways to demonstrate the knowledge of the learned from the folk that never went to school. ;)
Those 12 points can go into that.

<snipped>

"RETIRED HUNTER (James Crowley)"

<snipped>

I imagine him as less-than-modern; he's living, maybe, in the mid-1900's. Also, he's British (explaining stuff like "Honesty" and the like. :D), though the character can fit into later years or earlier years. He essentially is going to end up an NPC for any Call of Cthulhu type game I run. :)

Okay. When you said "retired hunter" it implied "he's retired, but what he loves to do is hunt." Very few people in the 20th century make a living as a hunter, after all--even if he had grown up in the 1880s and was now retired in the 1930s, it would be unusual. I'm afraid it just didn't make much sense the way you wrote it in the original posting. (More likely, the guy did not hunt for a living himself, but made his living as a hunting guide. Now that would make a lot more sense. If that's the case, he might have other skills, but as you said, he's rusty, and perhaps some of the skills are now only at the default level.)

As for "basic education," stuff someone would have learned in school or reading on their own, etc.--generally, the best thing to do is assume that all that is covered under IQ, skills defaults, and, if necessary, GM fiats if it is a skill the character simply couldn't know much about (e.g., Piloting (High Performance Spacecraft).

Mark