11-23-2019, 11:16 AM | #21 |
Join Date: Aug 2018
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Re: GURPS Power-Ups 9: Alternate Attributes
Would this include revisiting alternatives to FP-fueled magic, like T51's Essence or T79's Threshold?
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11-23-2019, 12:19 PM | #22 |
Join Date: Mar 2013
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Re: GURPS Power-Ups 9: Alternate Attributes
This. Is. Freakin'. AWESOME. Definitely the best supplement of 2019!
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11-23-2019, 12:33 PM | #23 |
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
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Re: GURPS Power-Ups 9: Alternate Attributes
I ran one GURPS campaign with tweaked attributes: one physical and three mental.
Physique covered all sorts of athletic activities and general fitness. Alertness was perception and social awareness. Intellect was basically IQ! Will covered resistance to supernatural powers and social pressure. For the secondary attributes, I did HP = Physique, FP = Will, and Basic Speed = (Physique + Alertness)/4.
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Bill Stoddard I don't think we're in Oz any more. |
11-23-2019, 01:21 PM | #24 | ||
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Yukon, OK
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Re: GURPS Power-Ups 9: Alternate Attributes
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I like the Charisma [10/level] suggestion in Alternate Attributes, especially with the resistance ability and applying it to Enthrallment skills (those need a Power-Up) and think it would be a reasonably common purchase. I like the face of the party not also tending to be the smartest. Perception I also like, and for similar reasons. I'm not a fan of decoupling it from IQ as is commonly house ruled due to point inflation, but as an optional attribute? Sure. Also sure for a Fifth Edition, especially for both with its Secondary characteristic change. Power seems a bit pricey, especially for non casters. I'd make a defense only version like Increased Will for the rugged types and then be happy though. On the other hand, except for the default magic system with so many spell skills most other systems are probably more in line with a 10 point Talent. Otherwise I like the rest. Quote:
Overall as a generic attribute system I prefer the second one a lot more and would include a Power and Magic Points as options for supernatural campaigns. For my own use I am creating two sets of Alternate Attributes Substitutes: These act a lot like Talents and I dont expect to be too popular compared to just using the RAW but they do help with flavor and niche roles. Examples: Charisma from the book which I named Presence to reduce confusion. Khaibit (Spirit flavored Per and social attribute) Enabling/Changed: These are more likely to be used and often have a small UB activation or "Awakening" cost.Mostly these will be for supernatural or exotic traits. Examples: Chi Adept, Bloodline for my Vampires (sort of like MtA) so it has a role as a skill controller and an expendable resource. Holiness (from the book). And a few others that are still just ideas, for now. We already have some people who decouple Per and Will from IQ and I expect this book to prompt more variation. However, even though it might make it harder for groups to learn a specific attribute change and its effects the ideas and support this book offers should make that easier to balance and understand. I'd like to see some things from here show up in future supplements as optional rules or traits. Holiness for example in a future priest magic book. Charisma/Charm/Presence in a future Social Engineering book, etc.
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My GURPS publications GURPS Powers: Totem and Nature Spirits; GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits; Pyramid articles. Buying them lets us know you want more! My GURPS fan contribution and blog: REFPLace GURPS Landing Page My List of GURPS You Tube videos (plus a few other useful items) My GURPS Wiki entries Last edited by Refplace; 11-23-2019 at 01:38 PM. |
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11-23-2019, 05:39 PM | #25 |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Canada
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Re: GURPS Power-Ups 9: Alternate Attributes
Using the standard magic system, where each spell or stunt is its own skill, Power at 20/level is still a bargain. Particularly for spellcasters. It would also encourage non-magic-users to look seriously at Magic Resistance and Mind Shield, which I basically never see taken. Instead everyone just buys up Will, generally being robust high HT types anyways.
Splitting out the FP/MR into attributes is one I haven't tried, but otherwise this is pretty similar to what I've tried (and keep tinkering with) for DF games.
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All about Size Modifier; Unified Hit Location Table A Wiki for my F2F Group A neglected GURPS blog |
11-24-2019, 01:12 AM | #26 |
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Southern Sweden, possibly on an Alternate Earth
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Re: GURPS Power-Ups 9: Alternate Attributes
I think this supplement is more or less groundbreaking for a toolkit system like GURPS. Very well done, I absolutely love it! It continues the discussions we had here on the board after the Pyramid article with Quintessence.
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11-24-2019, 01:16 AM | #27 |
Join Date: Mar 2013
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Re: GURPS Power-Ups 9: Alternate Attributes
I would LOVE something similar about advantages, disadvantages, and perhaps even skills :D It's like Thaumatology but not for magic :)
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11-24-2019, 07:47 AM | #28 | |||
GURPS Line Editor
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Montréal, Québec
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Re: GURPS Power-Ups 9: Alternate Attributes
Everything I say here will be prefaced with this: "It depends on the campaign."
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Looking at it another way, if the campaign is meant to have generalists who are good at everything, perhaps it's reasonable to say that's a high-powered campaign? In that case, splitting up "everything" among more, and more-costly, attributes forces everyone to be more honest about the power level. Quote:
Also, if I were basing all forms of spellcasting on Power, I wouldn't want it to become a "dump stat" for non-casters. "I won't be casting, so I'll just take Power 8 and rack up 40 points" should have consequences. Being easy meat for fear and mind control is a pretty serious consequence. On the flipside, don't overlook that everybody can cast spells. They're just skills based on Power. Sure, warriors with Power 10 won't be casting all the time, but one spell at 15-20 might be very tempting for self-buffing. Again in the campaign that inspired my example, magic-use was a matter of learning lost lore (which was a bunch of IQ/VH skills, and thus a huge investment), not of being talented in some special way. One of the campaign's casters was a big dummy of a barbarian who decided to mess around with runes.
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Sean "Dr. Kromm" Punch <kromm@sjgames.com> GURPS Line Editor, Steve Jackson Games My DreamWidth [Just GURPS News] |
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11-24-2019, 07:57 AM | #29 | |
Doctor of GURPS Ballistics
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Lakeville, MN
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Re: GURPS Power-Ups 9: Alternate Attributes
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Will-20 thus does Fright Checks vs 13; Will 10 is only 8. If spell resistance was the same way, a Wizard with Power-24 would have a magic resistance of 15; that's high but not breaking, and "Rule of 16" territory is pushed to Skill-28 and higher for things.
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11-24-2019, 10:48 AM | #30 | |||||
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Yukon, OK
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Re: GURPS Power-Ups 9: Alternate Attributes
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But for House Rule territory, I prefer to add and subtract more than sweeping changes. Quote:
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For my campaign I am using the rule of 5+ N/level to cover the innate but needs awakening concept and use the best of if 10+ and the worst of if reduced below 10 to prevent it being a dump stat. Again, this shows how powerful GURPS is and how good this book is at exploring parts of it to tweak for individual setting and campaign concepts.
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My GURPS publications GURPS Powers: Totem and Nature Spirits; GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits; Pyramid articles. Buying them lets us know you want more! My GURPS fan contribution and blog: REFPLace GURPS Landing Page My List of GURPS You Tube videos (plus a few other useful items) My GURPS Wiki entries |
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