Character Development with Points Question

[trooper6]

Originally Posted by Koningkrush

I found the section in the Basic Set where it talks about modification and development.
One solution it gives is that if using money is allowed to gain advantages or traits, then harsh recovery rules and potential complications should be involved. The benefit comes with risk, basically.
However, what if a character is a machine? I can't see much risk in installing a new form of technology or interface compared to a surgical procedure on a living thing. The worst I could think of happening is damage to a component which would only require simple replacement or repair.

Have you ever installed some component to your computer that turns out isn't properly compatible and it wrecks your system? And you have to reboot. Maybe reinstall? Can you imagine how much time it takes to restart a robot?

Maybe rather than "surgery takes a few hours and then you recover for x days," it takes x days to reprogram install the item and rewire the whole system, reprogram the computer to use the new item and then do debugging and optimization. My computer takes forever to secure empty my trash when I have a lot of stuff in there. I could easily see a complicated mechanism such as a Robot needing time to do all the installation and maintenance. And since Robots don't heal, rather they need to be repaired, I can easily see the repairs taking some time. I have to drop my car off to the mechanic for a couple of days...and my car wasn't as fancy as a robot.

That said, Ultra-Tech speeds up the surgery time and recovery for installing cybertech. And if the GM prefers that sort of faster timeline and recovery time, that could also be used.

[Lord Azagthoth]

Originally Posted by trooper6

Can you explain your GM CP pool in more detail? It seems interesting, but I don't quite understand how it works.

I use up to +/-10% of a PC's total CP (just to keep myself in check). I use this buffer only for temporary features or features which should appear during specific events. When alot of PCs have several features which involve making pre-session rolls for appearance, it can temper alot with the scenario. For instance, in the opening campaign, the heroes got attacked several times by bounty hunters, a Sith assassin, Mandalorians from another clan... and distracted the players too much from the original story. Even if the Frequency is 4 or less, they could happen in one session. When they don't have it on their character sheet but I have it in my GM CP Pool, I can decide when it occurs. I can plan it beforehand so it goes with the campaign and sometimes even becomes part of the current campaign or becomes the capmaign itself.

There's also something in RAW which reserves a certain amount of CP which de GM can use. But this is inherent to the character

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by trooper6

Have you ever installed some component to your computer that turns out isn't properly compatible and it wrecks your system? And you have to reboot. Maybe reinstall? Can you imagine how much time it takes to restart a robot?

You can have actual physical damage from noncompatable components, or defective components.

But aside from that, finding out you need to upgrade and recompile your kernel before you can even install the new device drivers for your integrated grappling hook would suck. What would suck more is having to get the drivers edited or even custom written to be compatible with your OS at all!

Or you spend the character points and get lucky and it goes absolutely perfectly.


As a GM I don't charge points for things earned in play, and I don't give points back for having your arm cut off... because things earned in play can be lost in play, just as having your arm got lost in play.

But spending the points on a "found in play" thing does make it more "sticky", it sends a very clear signal to me that you love the new thingy and your vision of the character now incorporates it as an integral feature.

And if you just upgrade your character between sessions, you totally pay points and cash. I'm strictly enforcing this in my DF game.

[weby]

Originally Posted by Koningkrush

I'm a bit confused on how character points work in GURPS when it comes to in game development.

Do you need to use character points for everything that would improve your character permanently? Say I walked into a clinic and paid a bunch of money to genetically engineer a new physical advantage. Would I have to pay character points in addition to the cost of the procedure, or would I only have to pay the monetary value in game?

If the things is available generally for money in the setting, then you do not normally pay points, but if it is something that requires special things to get then you pay points. That is the basic test. But it all depends on the setting and what the GM has designated.

A good example is a cybernetics in a cyberpunk setting. The GM may say any of the following for his view of the setting:
-They are commonly available: Just pay the money.
-While commonly available they may have other benefits compared to normal gear and thus require Accessory perk for each in addition to money.
-They require special means to get and thus points, but they have their drawbacks and thus have limitations like breakable gadget, require maintenance,electric and such. Thus they require the lowered cost in addition to money.
-They are just advantages, thus you need to pay full point cost in addition to money.

I'm assuming if you need character points in addition, it's meant to limit how fast a character can develop in one session. A multimillionaire could get a 100 points of free advantages in a high TL society.

Yes, in scifi setting you really need to think of how to balance the thing(Thus the four options above for cyberpunk). The high wealth character should get some benefit from the wealth but it should not overwhelm all other sources of power.

I tend to go with option 3 generally(less points due to limitations, but costs points) to allow the high wealth ones to buy stuff that helps them and yet allow other characters to not fall behind.

If this is how it is, is it the same with disadvantages? If I blow the head off of my enemy, does his twin brother come after me if I don't immediately buy off the disadvantage with character points?

For disadvantages it again depends, the GM may reward you bonus points for achieving your goal to pay for all/some of it if it was indeed a character goal or he may assign other suitable disadvantages for the full or partial cost.

In my games I look at the circumstances surrounding the situation, if there was not enough "bonus" to pay for the disadvantage, I may replace it with something else.
Examples:
Maybe the killed person was liked->bad reputation
Maybe you did it in secret and would be the target of murder investigation if it came out->secret(killed him)
If he had someone watching him->maybe that organization becomes interested in your doings and you gain enemy(watcher)

And so on.

[Kalzazz]

My preferred approach (and what I use for my Star Republic UT setting) is

1. Cyberware is a straight up shoppable for the most part, you hand over the moneys, you get your cyberware, no fuss, no muss, same as buying a sword or a gun or a toaster pastry. Though it might be somewhat tricksier to get more awesome or less legal stuff (same as getting any other shoppable, harder to find very fine balanced swords or poisons etc)

2. Not using Cyberware can be a Vow and can also be a Pact limitation on your powers. Just like Vow: Use No Edged Weapons or whatnot

3. As a shoppable, yes, rich people can have more cyberware. Thats one of the reasons they paid the points for wealth. Same as rich people being able to afford more blinged out 'Swords of Awesome' etc

4. Of course, I expect people with cyberware to make some effort to maintain them etc, just like I would with a sword . . . but I don't go harbinger of doom on them etc about it

Though, were I to redo it, I might well play up the maintenance and such aspects of it. I just love the image of a cybered up warrior being something that must be carefully tended and cared for by a large staff, resulting the true pinnacle of first world military might with many hours of care for every hour in the field like a gleaming high performance jet fighter. Or the idea that it takes an entire manor of people to support one knight.

In another game in another system long ago, my own cybered up character took an entire medbay and a cyberneticist with her on her travels to keep herself properly tuned up, as well as a gym and a conditioning coach so as to actually remain in fighting trim. One of the true moments of awesome in that game was that, after defeating a terrorist, the terrorist complained 'I would have won . . . . except they spent so many credits on you they could have fed my planet for a year!'

It does depend on the setting of course . . . . . but in my Star Republic setting, cyberware is generally considered a happy good thing for proper competent first world professionals and is something that 'should be had', so I wouldn't make people buy it with CP than I would make people buy a sword or laptop with it

If its something that is supposed to be super weird and distinctive? Then yeah, buy it with CP

[trooper6]

What a cool campaign setting Kalzazz. Maybe I'll try something like it myself one day!