01-11-2017, 12:24 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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Reworking IQ-based advantages
I've been thinking about reworking IQ-based advantages like Common Sense and Intuition to a "frequency of appearance"-based model, like that used for Allies and Patron. Instead of rolling against IQ you roll against a target number, and modify the cost of the advantage accordingly.
Following the model for Allies and Patron, this would mean Common Sense (6) costs 10x1/2=5 points Common Sense (9) costs 10x1=10 points Common Sense (12) costs 10x2=20 points Common Sense (15) costs 10x3=30 points Maybe some other progression - 1/2, 1, 3/2, 2 would be better. In any case, automatic success is not available; nor is Cosmic: No Die Roll Required. Thoughts
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01-11-2017, 12:32 PM | #2 |
Night Watchman
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
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Re: Reworking IQ-based advantages
I've just had the same idea, but with an additional alternative cost structure.
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01-11-2017, 12:34 PM | #3 |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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Re: Reworking IQ-based advantages
I think that 1/2, 1, 3/2, 2 would be best - it comes close to the +100% for "Irresistible: No Die Roll Required". So that would be:
Common Sense (6) costs 10x1/2=5 points Common Sense (9) costs 10x1=10 points Common Sense (12) costs 10x1.5=15 points Common Sense (15) costs 10x2=20 points
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“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love ...” Marcus Aurelius |
01-11-2017, 07:13 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: South Dakota, USA
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Re: Reworking IQ-based advantages
Seems solid to me, but then again I was favorably disposed towards the notion anyway.
Unreliable (p. B116) and Reliable (p. P109) are the RAW options for these traits to work differently; it isn't bad but it seems a wee bit complicated. Unreliable used in a RAW manner means two rolls; first against the reliability number, then against IQ. It does have its uses, though; if I want a genius scientist (say IQ 15) who only periodically enjoys the benefits of Intuition, but when his Intuition kicks in it usually works (assuming there aren't too many wrong choices lowering the roll). Reliable isn't so bad, save it isn't a [Basic] Modifier; I can have my rural bumpkin who seems a bit thick (IQ 9) but then take 7 levels of Reliable so that Common Sense works on a roll of 16 or less. Using the Frequency of Appearance Modifiers (sans "Constant") or inverse of the self-control numbers doesn't allow you to perfectly fine tune things, but it gives you for ways to play out various mental Advantages. With some traits being capable of soaking penalties, I guess we still have a problem; the chief purpose of Reliable is to allow for a great roll when using a trait like Intuition, enough to soak penalties for multiple options, we just undid that. Right now though I am wondering... what other Advantages might make use of the alternate rules? It might help with picking the best approach.
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My GURPS Fourth Edition library consists of Basic Set: Characters, Basic Set: Campaigns, Martial Arts, Powers, Powers: Enhanced Senses, Power-Ups 1: Imbuements, Power-Ups 2: Perks, Power-Ups 3: Talents, Power-Ups 4: Enhancements, Power-Ups 6: Quirks, Power-Ups 8: Limitations, Powers, Social Engineering, Supers, Template Toolkit 1: Characters, Template Toolkit 2: Races, one issue of Pyramid (3/83) a.k.a. Alternate GURPS IV, GURPS Classic Rogues, and GURPS Classic Warriors. Most of which was provided through the generosity of others. Thanks! :) |
01-11-2017, 07:28 PM | #5 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Binghamton, NY, USA. Near the river Styx in the 5th Circle.
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Re: Reworking IQ-based advantages
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Detect (Per to detect, IQ to analyze) Discriminatory Hearing/Smell/Taste (Per to detect, IQ to memorize) Oracle (Per to discover, IQ to interpret) Blessed Clairsentience Common Sense Eidetic/Photographic Memory Empathy/Animal Empathy/Plant Empathy/Spirit Empathy Healing Illuminated Intuition Jumper Mind Control/Probe/Reading Possession Precognition Psychometry Racial Memory Sensitive Snatcher Telecommunication Temporal Inertia Visualization Warp Additionally there are a number of sense-based advantages that use Perception or a Per based Vision/Hearing/etc roll. And, of course, many physical advantages use DX or a DX based skill roll.
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01-11-2017, 08:29 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: South Dakota, USA
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Re: Reworking IQ-based advantages
Thanks ericbsmith!
For some of these, the roll against IQ makes at least some sense. Granted it might be because I don't have a proper understanding of things like Common Sense and Intuition; I tend to think of them as things separate from real world intelligence or at least GURPS IQ. Could just be a matter of perception; does one not expect a genius to avoid doing dumb things, or get to the right answer before fully understanding how? Maybe not, in which case this is a good time to let me know, so I don't complicate the thread! ^^' That or perhaps the real issue is Unreliable needs to be more granular? Become the legitimate inverse of Reliable as -X% per -1?
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My GURPS Fourth Edition library consists of Basic Set: Characters, Basic Set: Campaigns, Martial Arts, Powers, Powers: Enhanced Senses, Power-Ups 1: Imbuements, Power-Ups 2: Perks, Power-Ups 3: Talents, Power-Ups 4: Enhancements, Power-Ups 6: Quirks, Power-Ups 8: Limitations, Powers, Social Engineering, Supers, Template Toolkit 1: Characters, Template Toolkit 2: Races, one issue of Pyramid (3/83) a.k.a. Alternate GURPS IV, GURPS Classic Rogues, and GURPS Classic Warriors. Most of which was provided through the generosity of others. Thanks! :) |
01-11-2017, 10:15 PM | #7 |
Join Date: Oct 2008
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Re: Reworking IQ-based advantages
Some thoughts:
Cost: the base cost = 9- activation seems to make them higher cost for most PCs since most PCs have more then IQ 9. Using half the base value and the normal things for patron/ally would seem more like it. Thus common sense base value: 10/2=5: 6- costs 3 9- costs 5 12- costs 10 (=same cost as normal common sense, thus giving equal result at IQ 12) 15- costs 15 no roll needed costs 20 (=same cost as common sense with +100% cosmic No die roll required) Use of activation number instead of attribute roll: Activation rolls do not have critical success and critical failure so you will be missing those from the IQ based system. Is that good or bad? It depends... |
01-12-2017, 02:27 AM | #8 | |||
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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Re: Reworking IQ-based advantages
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Activation number. Activation number. Activation number. IQ Could go either way. Activation number Don't know enough about it in game to say. Activation number Activation number IQ Activation number or Will? Activation number Activation number Activation number Could go either way Activation number Activation number IQ Activation number Activation number These are, of course, suggestions. YMMV
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01-12-2017, 03:33 AM | #9 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: U.K.
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Re: Reworking IQ-based advantages
Incidentally, if and when creating the possibility of a low activation number, I'd soften the description of the consequences of failure for some advantages. Empathy in particular is quite chancy for modest-IQ folks if used as written, and Sensitive is downright dangerous; if the GM has to lie to you about your read on an NPC on a failure, and you fail more often than not... Well, the rational response is to treat all results as lies, isn't it?
Saying "You're not sure" on an ordinary failure, and only lying on a critical failure, makes much more sense. Even then, as a relatively kind-hearted GM, I'd drop broad hints about the critical failure lie. I don't want some kind of roleplaying clusterfudge, with my helpful plot-driving information-giver NPC being knifed in the kidneys, just because my dice decided to come up 17 and the players weren't even aware of it. ("Open" critical failures, on stuff like combat rolls, worry me far less. Bad stuff happening occasionally is all part of the roleplaying fun for everyone. But bad stuff happening on hidden rolls is generally no fun at all.)
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01-12-2017, 04:01 AM | #10 | |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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Re: Reworking IQ-based advantages
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