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Old 12-07-2008, 12:50 PM   #1
Proteus
 
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Default How-To: Variable (Uncontrollable) Fatigue Cost?

I was peeking at some Shadowrun material the other day, and realized part of what I miss from its magic system under GURPS: the uncertainty a mage has about what the exact price will be (in fatigue or health loss) for casting a spell.

Now, GURPS seems to be quite devoted to fixed and knowable costs: you can fiddle with whether a power activates (such as with Fickle or Unreliable), and you can scale how strongly a power works (via Variable), but I haven't seen any method for assessing random costs given a constant "output."

I've looked at Backlash, but it only enforces conditions or basic-characteristic penalties on the user. I suppose what I'm looking for is some way to link an attack, directed at the user, upon any use of the power -- but I don't see a way to do that using the rules as written.

Any suggestions from the GURPS gurus out there?
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Old 12-07-2008, 02:22 PM   #2
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Default Re: How-To: Variable (Uncontrollable) Fatigue Cost?

For a power, I'd just make "1d FP cost" worth -15% and make "2d FP cost" worth -35%, the same as for 3 FP and 7 FP, respectively.
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Old 12-07-2008, 03:16 PM   #3
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Default Re: How-To: Variable (Uncontrollable) Fatigue Cost?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty
For a power, I'd just make "1d FP cost" worth -15% and make "2d FP cost" worth -35%, the same as for 3 FP and 7 FP, respectively.
If you're into fine tuning like me, make "costs 1d FP" a -17.5% modifier (as the average of 1d is 3.5, and it's the cost of 3.5 levels of costs fatigue). Now, it's a hell of a lot more complicated to calculate, and the difference ought to be minimal, but it might matter, and the player won't feel cheated, if he is a math geek.
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Old 12-07-2008, 03:43 PM   #4
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Default Re: How-To: Variable (Uncontrollable) Fatigue Cost?

Variable fatigue cost with an average cost of N points should be worth a slightly larger limitation than a fixed fatigue cost of N.
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Old 12-07-2008, 06:09 PM   #5
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Default Re: How-To: Variable (Uncontrollable) Fatigue Cost?

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Originally Posted by cmdicely
Variable fatigue cost with an average cost of N points should be worth a slightly larger limitation than a fixed fatigue cost of N.
Innate Attack costs slightly less for a variable attack with an average damage of N points than it does for a fixed damage of N, so you might be on to something. With that you're only talking about a 5% increase, however, which would translate into each 1d FP giving a -18.375% discount, instead of 17.5%. If you're working with an ability with a base cost of less than 50 points (25 if 2d, 12 or so if 3d, etc), this distinction might not really that important, as it only shows up at odd intervals.
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Old 12-07-2008, 08:21 PM   #6
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Default Re: How-To: Variable (Uncontrollable) Fatigue Cost?

Quote:
Originally Posted by SuedodeuS
With that you're only talking about a 5% increase, however, which would translate into each 1d FP giving a -18.375% discount, instead of 17.5%.
I'd call it just a flat -5% adjustment, but it only looks to make sense WRT amounts measured in dice... Costs 1d FP would be a -22% limit in that case.
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Old 12-08-2008, 08:51 AM   #7
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Default Re: How-To: Variable (Uncontrollable) Fatigue Cost?

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Originally Posted by SuedodeuS
Innate Attack costs slightly less for a variable attack with an average damage of N points than it does for a fixed damage of N, so you might be on to something. With that you're only talking about a 5% increase, however, which would translate into each 1d FP giving a -18.375% discount, instead of 17.5%.
The risk premium should be higher for a variable damaging cost on the user (FP or HP) than to a variable effect on someone else, generally. The variable cost means the user has a wider range of circumstances in which they cannot be certain of the safety of using the ability; since the cost is assessed before the effect, it can also make the ability not work at all in conditions where, on average, it should.

(It also enables the user to try, with a < 50% chance of success, to use it in circumstances where, with a fixed cost of the average, it would not work, but this is less of a benefit than the cost of uncertainty.)
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