Seeking build advice: Modern conspiracy character creation

[DataPacRat]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

Okay, that's a very different concept - and one that seems very incomplete. 'Bookworm' doesn't do anything to indicate how you access secured information.

Your 'netrunner' reference suggests you're thinking of computer intrusion. There are a number of rather different models for how that's done knocking around in GURPS, so the particular skills (and potentially Advantages, Techniques, and so on) you'd want for that may vary.

I've just spent a bit of time trying to sort out this character's priorities, so I'd have a better idea what to focus on in the charsheet; and halfway done, realized the pattern I'd come up with could be described in another way: how long it takes him to access any given piece of data. Which results in something like:

1. First priority: Stuff already in his memory. Mainly IQ and Skills, and direct bonuses to those.

2. Second: Things it takes a scant few seconds to grab: Mainly his personal library of ebooks, carefully sorted and search-indexed so it's about as easy to grab a text on 19th century goatherding as it is a paper published last week on a novel consequence of game theory. Also those parts of the web that are easily Google-searchable, that he can look up on his phone without interrupting a verbal conversation. In the original build, I tried to represent this with his Signature Gear of a personal library; but now I'm considering new approaches, such as IQ with a Preparation Required or Gadget.

3. Third, things that take a bit more effort to dig up: an hour-long study session, or a similar length of time trawling through the Deep and/or Dark Web. Here's where I've had things like the Book-Learned Wisdom and Oracle (Scholarly).

And 4, things that take serious effort to learn: Having to go out to a physical library (public or private), or personal details that require the Computer Hacking skill (or its non-cinematic equivalents) to access, or a Mythbusters-style experiment to test.

Does /that/ seem like a useful guide to building a full charsheet? And/or does it suggest any approaches that haven't been mentioned yet?

[TGLS]

Going with a character concept of "guy who knows things":

1) Buy up IQ to 14 or 15, so you can get generally effective defaults in knowledge skills. Pick up dabble to cheaply raise defaults in several skills that might be important, and put 1 point into skills without defaults or will surely be important.

2) Buy several slots and points of this custom modular ability:

Digital Super Memorization: As super memorization, but you live in a society where information is easily available digitally. Information can be found for free both legally and illegally. Bad network conditions can interfere, but you may still use physical and saved media. 6 points base plus 4 points per point of abilities. (I assumed downloading and then reading balances out allowing physical media)

Consider adding the modifier (Not Combat or Social skills - 20%) for niche protection

3) Oracle (Digital) (Powers 65) would seem to be a better fit for the setting than the one from DF11.

4) Most of these are reasonable adventures in of themselves. If your character is expected to do the hacking too, keep some points handy for the computer hacking skill, unless the GM has a lot of focus there, which means:
I. The hacking skill doesn't exist
II. There should be many hackers to avoid boring all but 2 people to death.
Then you could probably rely on you modular ability to pick up the slack.

You should also invest points in the basic adventurer competencies, unless they clash with your character in some way (i.e. Social skills and shyness). Dropping combat paralysis is probably wise.

[DataPacRat]

Originally Posted by TGLS

Going with a character concept of "guy who knows things":

You've covered, well, most of this thread, and it's safe to say that I'm going to (or already have) yoink all your suggestions.

2) Buy several slots and points of this custom modular ability:

Digital Super Memorization: As super memorization, but you live in a society where information is easily available digitally. Information can be found for free both legally and illegally. Bad network conditions can interfere, but you may still use physical and saved media. 6 points base plus 4 points per point of abilities. (I assumed downloading and then reading balances out allowing physical media)

Consider adding the modifier (Not Combat or Social skills - 20%) for niche protection

I think I'll quibble about Social - there's "Getting to Yes" and texts on 'Alternative Dispute Resolutions' for Diplomacy, "Miss Manners" and her descendants for Savoir-Faire, Kevin Mitnick and other hackers' approaches to social engineering for Fast-Talk, and so on - and go for a -10% for 'No Combat Skills'.

You should also invest points in the basic adventurer competencies, unless they clash with your character in some way (i.e. Social skills and shyness).

A good link; based on it, so far, I've thrown in a point for Streetwise (with an optional specialty of 'Online'), and a Dabbler I'm calling "Some Loompanics books that stuck" for five more. I'm not bothering with trying to improve things like Carousing or Sex Appeal from their current defaults of 3-, or everyman skills like Driving that already default to 10- or more, but there's room in the middle to bring up "Liquid Projector/TL8 (Sprayer)" for pepper-spray from terrible to poor.

Dropping combat paralysis is probably wise.

You're not the first, and after skimming the forum and finding there are already some rules for being startled by violence with a possible result of freezing up, I can go with that.

[DataPacRat]

FYI, barring any last-minute tweaks (or corrections for accidental rule-breaking) in the next few hours, here's the charsheet I'll be proposing.


Character Concept: The answer-getter guy.

Primary party role: Force multiplier, helping the group get the greatest results while spending the least effort. Eg, telling the combat-guy that wereotters are known to retreat when presented with iridium, passing the faceman/negotiator selected excerpts from an old online dating profile, handing building security wiring plans to the techie and the sneaky-guy, and reminding the medic when nothing better is available that strawberry-leaf extract has been used to relieve minor intestinal upset.

Secondary party role: Backup techie, medic, and jack-of-most-trades.

Cost to party: Not particularly physically robust, nearly as useless as any other civilian in front-line combat. Suggested cost minimization: If he can't be kept away from a fight, use him for combat support, eg ferrying ammo, dragging wounded, etc.


GURPS Abilities: (Total: [45])
[-10] ST: 9
[-] Basic Damage: 1d-2 thrust, 1d-1 swing
[0] Hit Points: 9
[-] Basic Lift: 16 lbs
[-20] DX: 9
[100] IQ: 15
[-5] Will: 14
[-10] Perception: 13
[-10] HT: 9
[0] Fatigue: 9
[0] Basic Speed: 4.5
[0] Dodge: 7
[0] Basic Move: 4 yards/second

Zero-point items:
[0] Right-Handed
[0] Home Gravity: 1G
[0] Size Modifier: 0
[0] Native Technology Level: 8
[0] Cultural Familiarity: Western
[0] Language: English (Native)
[0] Citizenship: Canadian

Advantages: (Total: [146])
[18] "I've read /all/ the books; just give me a few minutes to go over some notes to refresh my memory..." aka "Digital Super Memorization": Modular Abilities, 6 points per slot (/nearly/ anything), 4 points per point in slot (rearranging points is slow, but not particularly costly or subject to external interference). 2 slots, 2 points each. Limitation: No Combat Skills (-10%). (pP52)
[45] "Bayesian Analytical Techniques": Common Sense, Conscious (+50%, pPowers45) (15); plus Intuition (15); plus Oracle (Digital) (pP65) (15)
[7] "Vest-o-stuff": Gizmos (5); plus Perk: Equipment: Doodad (pPowerUps9) (1); plus Signature Gear (safari vests (and cargo shorts, and belts with hidden pockets, and etc) and pocket gadgetry, value $10k) (1).

[2] "Cereal box reader": Language: French (Broken)
[6] "Geek cute": Pitiable (5); plus Perk: Appearance: Honest Face (1); plus Appearance: Average (0).
[5] "Furry Fandom": Claim to Hospitality (can find people to crash on a couch with in many cities)
[5] "They're better company than most humans": Animal Empathy
[5] "Cryonic contract": Extra life (25), Unreliable (succeeds on 5-, -80%), Accessibility (Delayed Return, estimated 20+ years to develop revival technology, -80%) (Limitations capped at -80%). (Alternate writeup: Signature Gear: Life insurance and service contract with cryonics organization worth roughly $50,000: 5 points.)
[1] "What really matters.": Perk: Controllable Disadvantage: Extreme Fanatacism (philosophy: prevent the permanent extinction of sapience) (1).
[7] "Personal Digital Library": Signature Gear, $50k value (4); plus Perk: Better Ebooks (value *1.5) (1); plus Perk: Equipment Bond (1)
[5] "Flow state": Single-Minded
[5] "Bookworm mk 1": Talent: Academic, 1 level (pPowerUps3-6)
[20] "Bookworm v2.0": Talent: Computer Wizard, 4 levels (pPowerUps3-9)
[5] "I've read a /lot/ of scifi": Versatile
[1] "Still Don't Want To Repeat The Experience": Perk: Resistant to nausea from skunk spray, +3 (skunks described at pDF5-11.)
[1] "Remember to rotate your magnetic tapes regularly." Perk: Shtick: Standard Operating Procedure (digital backups) (pPowerUps15)
[1] "Boy-scout level camper": Perk: Skill: Dabbler: Bicycling default+2, Cooking +2, First Aid +2, Hiking +2 (pPU2-16)
[1] "Science enthusiast": Perk: Skill: Dabbler: Astronomy at default+3, Biology +2, Physics+2 (pPU2-16)
[1] "Some Loompanics books that stuck": Perk: Skill: Dabbler: Holdout +1, Liquid Projector/TL8 (Sprayer) +2, Lockpicking +1, Melee Weapon: Knife +2, Scrounging +2 (pPU2-16)
[1] Perk: Skill: Cross-Trained (Computer Operation) (pPowerUps16)
[1] Perk: Skill: Efficient (Computer Operation) (pPowerUps16)
[1] Perk: Skill: Efficient (Research) (pPowerUps16)
[1] "Let me Google that for you": Perk: Skill: No Nuisance Rolls (Computer Operation, searching for data) pPU2-16
[1] "I know /all/ the libraries": Perk: Social: "Born Researcher": Networked (Organizations: Information Sources), pSE79, pSE46

Disadvantages: (Total: [-69])
[-15] "Live forever or die trying": Obsession (Immortality), resist 12- (-10); plus Cowardice, resist 15- (-5); plus Unusual Background: Cryonicist (0)
[-7] "Occasional anhedonia": Chronic Depression, resist 15-. (During bouts, tries to cope by retreating into comforting nostalgia of 1980's media and comics.)
[-10] "Moe": Bad Sight (Nearsighted), Mitigator (glasses)
[-5] "Civilian": Pacifism (Reluctant Killer)
[-5] "Intellectual Integrity": Code of Honor (Scientist's) (3e, pAC89)
[-5] "Snores loud enough to be mistaken for a wildebeest in heat": Noisy, 5 levels (10), Only when asleep (-50%)
[-5] "Furry fan": Xenophilia, resist 15-
[-5] "It's so hard to restrain myself around those who willfully blind themselves to what the evidence implies." Odious Personal Habit: Prefers the truth to being popular: Reaction penalty -2 (10); Limitation: Accessibility: Self-Control Roll of 12- (-50%).
[-3] "Non-24-hour sleep/wake disorder": Extra Sleep (averaging 10.625 hours of sleep out of every 25.5); plus Controllable Disadvantage: Insomniac (1)
[-2] "Asthma": Unfit, Mitigator (inhalers)
[-1] "Schizoid": Oblivious (-5); plus Shyness, Severe (-10); plus Quirk: Uncongenial (-1); plus Indomitable (15)
[0] "Semi-permanently Unemployed": Independent Income (government cheque): $800/month (20); plus Wealth: Poor (Starting Wealth: $4,000) (-15); plus Debt (general debts): -$160/month (-4); plus Status 0 (monthly cost of living $600) (0); plus Debt (to pay for cryonic contract): $40/month.
[-1] "Short and wide": Build: Overweight
[-1] "My brain's screwed up enough already": Quirk: Vow: Teetotaler
[-1] "The Bayesian evidence strongly implies...": Quirk: Belief: Atheist
[-1] Quirk: Extremely Limited Disadvantage: Kleptomania: "Compulsively downloads torrents of ebooks." (pPU6-11). (Or possibly 'Quirk: Collector: illegal ebook torrents' (pPU6-27).)
[-1] Quirk: Distinctive Speech: "Enunciates like he learned English from books." (pPU6-16)
[-1] "Computer nerd pale": Quirk: Sunburns easily (pPU6-24)

Skills & Techniques: (Total: [46])
[-] Acting IQ-5-2 = 8-
[1] Area Knowledge: 2016, TL8 (city: Niagara) IQ/E 15-
[-] Area Knowledge: 2016, TL8 (small nation: Ontario) AEcity-2 = 13-
[-] Area Knowledge: 2016, TL8 (large nation: Canada) IQ-4 = 11
[-] Area Knowledge: 2016, TL8 (planet: Earth) IQ-4 = 11
[1] Area Knowledge (Deep Web) IQ/E 15-
[1] Area Knowledge (Dark Web) IQ/E 15-
[-] Astronomy IQ-6+3 = 12-
[-] Bicycling DX-4+2 = 7-
[-] Biology IQ-6+2 = 11-
[-] Carousing HT-4-2 = 3-
[12] Computer Operation/TL8 IQ/E+4 = 23-
[1] Computer Programming/TL8, IQ/H: 13+4 = 17-
[1] Connoisseur (Computers) IQ/A = 14-
[1] Connoisseur (Literature, optional specialty: SF&F) IQ/E = 15-
[-] Connoisseur (Literature) IQ/A 13-
[-] Connoisseur (other) IQ-5+1 = 11-
[-] Cooking IQ-5+2 = 12-
[1] Current Affairs/TL8 (Science & Technology) IQ/E 15-
[1] Current Affairs/TL8 (Regional: Niagara) IQ/E 15-
[-] Diplomacy IQ-6-1-2 = 6-
[-] Electronics Operation/TL8 (Communications) IQ-5+4 = 14-
[-] Electronics Operation/TL8 (Media) IQ-5+4 = 14-
[-] Electronics Operation/TL8 (other) IQ-5 = 10-
[1] Electronics Repair/TL8 (Computers) IQ/A+4 = 18-
[1] Expert Skill (Computer Security) IQ/H+4 = 17-
[-] Fast-Talk IQ-5-1-2 = 7-
[-] First Aid IQ-4+2 = 13-
[1] Geography/TL8 (Regional: Niagara) IQ/H 13-
[-] Hiking HT-5+2 = 7-
[1] History (region: Niagara) IQ/H = 13-
[1] History (Computer Science) IQ/H = 13-
[-] History (other) IQ-6 = 9-
[1] Hobby (comics) IQ/E 15-
[1] Hobby (scifi) IQ/E 15-
[1] Hobby (RPGs) IQ/E 15-
[-] Holdout IQ-5+1 = 11-
[1] Intelligence Analysis/TL8 (opt.spec.: Data Mining, pTHS-THM15) IQ/A 14-
[-] Intelligence Analysis/TL8 12-
[-] Intimidation Will-5-1-2 = 6-
[-] Leadersip IQ-5-2 = 8-
[-] Liquid Projector/TL8 (Sprayer) DX-4+2 = 7-
[1] Literature (optional specialty: SF&F) IQ/A = 14-
[-] Literature IQ/H 12-
[-] Lockpicking/TL8 IQ-5+1 = 11-
[1] Mathematics/TL8 (Applied) IQ/H 13-
[-] Melee Weapon: Knife DX-4+2 = 7-
[-] Merchant IQ-5-2 = 8-
[1] Musical Instrument (Harmonica) IQ/H 13-
[1] Occultism (optional specialty: Hermetic syncretism) IQ/E 15-
[-] Occultism 13-
[-] Panhandling IQ-4+3-2 = 12-
[-] Performance IQ-5-2 = 8-
[1] Philosophy (Bayesianism) IQ/H 13-
[-] Physics IQ-6+2 = 11-
[-] Politics IQ-5-2 = 8-
[-] Psychology (AI) IQ-6+4 = 13-
[-] Psychology (humans) IQ-6 = 9-
[-] Public Speaking IQ-5+1-2 = 9-
[4] Research/TL8 IQ/A+1 = 17-
[-] Savoir-Faire IQ-4-1-2 = 8-
[-] Scrounging Per-4+2 = 11-
[-] Sex Appeal HT-3-1-2 = 3-
[4] Speed-Reading IQ/A+1 = 17-
[-] Stealth 10-
[1] Streetwise (optional specialty: online) IQ/E-1-2 = 12-
[-] Streetwise 10-
[-] Swimming HT-4+1 = 6-
[-] Teaching IQ-5+1-2 = 9-
[-] Thrown Weapon (Knife) DX-4 = 5-
[-] Typing, CompOp-3 = 20-
[1] Writing IQ/A+1 = 15-
[2] Technique: Memory Palace: IQ-3 = 12- (pSEBtS16)
[-] Technique: Computer Intrusion (Hard): CompOp-8 = 15- (pTHSTHM15)
[-] Technique: Private Messaging (Hard): CompOp = 23- (pTHSTHM15)

Unspent Points: Total [2]


Base Points: 170
Disadvantages: 69
Total: 239

Attributes: 45
Advantages: 146
Skills: 46
Unspent: 2
Total: 239


150+Disad version: Drop Common Sense, Honest Face, skunk-spray resistance, cross-trained, no nuisance rolls, 1 point of library's Signature Gear value.

[DataPacRat]

Originally Posted by DataPacRat

FYI, barring any last-minute tweaks (or corrections for accidental rule-breaking) in the next few hours, here's the charsheet I'll be proposing.

There's always something. I just mathed, and if I drop Academic Talent, crank IQ by another level (minus Will and Per), and knock off a level each for the expensive skills, then the points balance out - and almost all his IQ skills will go up a point.

[Donny Brook]

Instead of making the sapience philosophy a perk, make it a Pact or a Temp Disad of your Bayesian Analysis.

[DataPacRat]

(And I mis-priced the Modular Abilities. Ah well, it's all working out.)

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Instead of making the sapience philosophy a perk, make it a Pact or a Temp Disad of your Bayesian Analysis.

It's an interesting thought, and might work with another character, but not quite how I'm playing this one.

The version of Bayesianism I'm using doesn't necessarily imply any particular set of values, merely what's most likely the best course to take to achieve whatever the values are. As it happens, taking the long view, whether your values are the ultimate-selfish "stay alive" or the ultimate-altruist "save humanity", a lot of the mid-term goals and actions are the same: learn more about how the world works, grab useful resources, make allies, and so on. For this character, I want to play up that he's not entirely sure what his ultimate values will turn out to be, if he's forced into a situation where he has to pick one or the other, but his usual rule-of-thumb to think things out quickly is personal preservation.