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Old 02-05-2023, 03:38 PM   #1
Kerobelis
 
Join Date: Feb 2023
Default Character Advice - Weird War 2 4e

Hi All

First time posting.

I am looking for some advice on character building. We are playing in a Weird War 2 campaign set in France. We are part of a secret group fighting the Nazi weirdness.

The campaign allows pretty much anything as there is magic, psionics, super powers, vampires, etc. I made a modern day mage (a soldier who tinkered in magery). I was trying to figure out how to purchase (Either with money or with points) some sort of magic armor. How would you go about this? Is it feasible to make a cloth armor resistant to bullets or with a high DR? Or is it better to take some sort of advantage? I was looking for something in the DR 5 - 10 range? We have access to a lot of the books.

I am confused as we are at a different tech level that the base line for magic fantasy (we are TL 7 and i have standard wealth). What is the cost for a 4 capacity power stone (425 for TL 3 i think)? Or what about potions, what is the cost factor (if any)?

We have played 5 sessions already but our GM is allowing us to do some rebuilding now we have some knowledge of the game. We have fought zombies, enemy casters, soldiers with rifles, weird iron robots or golems with heavy machine guns (high DR as well). I have no idea what is next, but I would like to give my guy some defense if he is hit. We started with 200pts, now at 215. I have 15 points unspent and I am allowed (With GM permission) to do further tweaks if necessary.

Right now he is more the jack of all trades caster, poor defenses, but a lot of versatility and some capability in melee combat or with a pistol. But only 1 DR from cloth armor and a poor dodge makes me worried.

All ideas are welcome.
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Old 02-05-2023, 04:44 PM   #2
johndallman
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
Default Re: Character Advice - Weird War 2 4e

The trouble with DR is the sheer amount of damage flying around. DR 10 will make you fairly resistant against pistols and SMGs, but rifles and machine guns will still kill you quite fast.

If you have Magery, presumably you have access to the spells-as-skills magic system? Learning either Body of Air or Body of Fire will mean that bullets only do 1 HP while you have the spell up; learning Invisibility will make it very hard for anyone to shoot at you. Those methods worked rather well in the Weird War II campaign I played in.
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Old 02-05-2023, 05:03 PM   #3
Kerobelis
 
Join Date: Feb 2023
Default Re: Character Advice - Weird War 2 4e

Quote:
Originally Posted by johndallman View Post
The trouble with DR is the sheer amount of damage flying around. DR 10 will make you fairly resistant against pistols and SMGs, but rifles and machine guns will still kill you quite fast.

If you have Magery, presumably you have access to the spells-as-skills magic system? Learning either Body of Air or Body of Fire will mean that bullets only do 1 HP while you have the spell up; learning Invisibility will make it very hard for anyone to shoot at you. Those methods worked rather well in the Weird War II campaign I played in.
Thanks for the advice. To date, that is what i have been focusing on. Staying in the back and trying to not cause too much attention to myself. I do have invisibility and blur.

I have themed my spell selection around 4 groupings of spells (Fire, healing, light and darkness, and movement). I didn't notice body of flame, but looking at it now it is pretty expensive to use. I'm 13 IQ and Magery 4. I only have 14 fatigue.

As for the DR 10 not stopping everything, that is okay. I just want something for when I do get noticed. Even DR 5 could be of some help.

I know there is a Bullet proof vest but its pretty heavy and i was looking for a more flavorful item (i.e. magic).
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Old 02-05-2023, 09:28 PM   #4
Fred Brackin
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Default Re: Character Advice - Weird War 2 4e

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kerobelis View Post
I was trying to figure out how to purchase (Either with money or with points) some sort of magic armor. H

I am confused as we are at a different tech level that the base line for magic fantasy (we are TL 7 and i have standard wealth). e.
.....and you have answered your own question. Get some tL7 kevlar-based armor. On p.284 of Characters you can get a "Frag Vest with plates" that wil provide substantial protection to your Torso.

It might cheating a little since the world around you is very early TL7 and the vest is rather later TL7 but with as much going on in your setting as there is in your setting I wouldn't worry about it. At most I'd charge 2x$ as if it were a full TL higher.

TL does not normally change the price for lower TL items. See Gurps' universal touchstone, the Thrusting Broadsword for $600 everywhere you go. Though you do get a better quality broadsword for the same money at TL7+ but that's a special rule. Mostly stuff available at a lower TL costs the same at a higher as long as it is normallya vailable.
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Old 02-05-2023, 10:11 PM   #5
Kerobelis
 
Join Date: Feb 2023
Default Re: Character Advice - Weird War 2 4e

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Originally Posted by Fred Brackin View Post
.....and you have answered your own question. Get some tL7 kevlar-based armor. On p.284 of Characters you can get a "Frag Vest with plates" that wil provide substantial protection to your Torso.

It might cheating a little since the world around you is very early TL7 and the vest is rather later TL7 but with as much going on in your setting as there is in your setting I wouldn't worry about it. At most I'd charge 2x$ as if it were a full TL higher.

TL does not normally change the price for lower TL items. See Gurps' universal touchstone, the Thrusting Broadsword for $600 everywhere you go. Though you do get a better quality broadsword for the same money at TL7+ but that's a special rule. Mostly stuff available at a lower TL costs the same at a higher as long as it is normallya vailable.
Thanks

We had one character using the TL 6 version from the High tech book. We thought that fit the era better. That is probably the best answer, but i would prefer the rule of cool and use something magical.
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Old 02-05-2023, 10:44 PM   #6
Fred Brackin
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Default Re: Character Advice - Weird War 2 4e

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Originally Posted by Kerobelis View Post
Thanks

We had one character using the TL 6 version from the High tech book. We thought that fit the era better. That is probably the best answer, but i would prefer the rule of cool and use something magical.
You can probably have your armor magically enhanced by a few pts at least. The Spell/Enchantment for it is on p.480 of Campaigns.
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Old 02-05-2023, 11:27 PM   #7
mr beer
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Default Re: Character Advice - Weird War 2 4e

The problem with WW2 armour is that its not bullet proof and its very easy to die in GURPS when people shoot you with rifles.

If you learn the Missile Shield spell, you will be bulletproof while it's on. Invisibility is close to being bulletproof, while also being a more versatile spell.

You may want to start investing points into extra Fatigue or an Energy Reserve to get some extra points for casting spells. Once you build up an extra 10 points or so, it can make a real difference.

At your base skill of 15 you already have a 1 point discount on spell cost, which is good and especially good for any spells that you can Maintain at a cost of zero. You can have a 1 point Blur on at all times for example.

If the campaign is going to run for a while and your GM isn't going to limit your Magery level, another 50 CP gets you to Magery 9 and a base skill of 20 in all Hard spells, which halves casting time and provides another discount to -2 cost.

Another way to build a powerful mage are getting Modular Abilities (B71) and applying the Spells only (-20%) cost modifier. I'd probably go with Cosmic Power and apply Spells Only (-20%) and 6 levels of Takes Extra Time (-60%, takes 64 seconds to shuffle points around), meaning you pay only 2 CP per point. That gives you access to all the spells you want, and you only need a minute's notice to move points around. That's no good for emergency combat but makes you extremely flexible in general.

Last edited by mr beer; 02-05-2023 at 11:34 PM.
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Old 02-06-2023, 09:53 AM   #8
Kerobelis
 
Join Date: Feb 2023
Default Re: Character Advice - Weird War 2 4e

Quote:
Originally Posted by mr beer View Post
The problem with WW2 armour is that its not bullet proof and its very easy to die in GURPS when people shoot you with rifles.

If you learn the Missile Shield spell, you will be bulletproof while it's on. Invisibility is close to being bulletproof, while also being a more versatile spell.

You may want to start investing points into extra Fatigue or an Energy Reserve to get some extra points for casting spells. Once you build up an extra 10 points or so, it can make a real difference.

At your base skill of 15 you already have a 1 point discount on spell cost, which is good and especially good for any spells that you can Maintain at a cost of zero. You can have a 1 point Blur on at all times for example.

If the campaign is going to run for a while and your GM isn't going to limit your Magery level, another 50 CP gets you to Magery 9 and a base skill of 20 in all Hard spells, which halves casting time and provides another discount to -2 cost.

Another way to build a powerful mage are getting Modular Abilities (B71) and applying the Spells only (-20%) cost modifier. I'd probably go with Cosmic Power and apply Spells Only (-20%) and 6 levels of Takes Extra Time (-60%, takes 64 seconds to shuffle points around), meaning you pay only 2 CP per point. That gives you access to all the spells you want, and you only need a minute's notice to move points around. That's no good for emergency combat but makes you extremely flexible in general.
Thanks for the advice. I totally missed the missile shield spell! I can get that easily as I have the prerequisites.

I'm a GURPS newbie, so I didn't understand that last paragraph. I need to go read my book!

I'm still confused if magic items have a cost factor for this being TL 7 vs TL3? Any advice on that?
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Old 02-06-2023, 10:10 AM   #9
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
Default Re: Character Advice - Weird War 2 4e

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kerobelis View Post
Thanks for the advice. I totally missed the missile shield spell! I can get that easily as I have the prerequisites.

I'm a GURPS newbie, so I didn't understand that last paragraph. I need to go read my book!

I'm still confused if magic items have a cost factor for this being TL 7 vs TL3? Any advice on that?
Optionally, you could charge Unusual Background points for them, representing most people not knowing about them or being prepared to defend against them. But in a Weird War setting that might not apply.
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Old 02-06-2023, 10:21 AM   #10
Fred Brackin
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Default Re: Character Advice - Weird War 2 4e

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Originally Posted by Kerobelis View Post

I'm still confused if magic items have a cost factor for this being TL 7 vs TL3? Any advice on that?
No. Costs of things is not adjusted for TL.
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