How "Serious" are Disadvantages?

DevoutGuardsman · 11-09-2020, 10:56 AM

Was having a discussion with another GURPS GM as to the relative severity of Disadvantages. My argument was that Impulsive, Overconfident, Gluttonous, Short Attention Span etc aren't exactly "extreme" in the sense that they are vast outliers from the general population and are liable, and even quite likely, to turn up in a random sample from the general human population, with Self-Control adjusting the relative severity of the condition. For example, Impulsiveness at 15 or less might be a fairly regular Disadvantage that crops up in the human condition, and roleplay-wise, would resemble an occasional ducking out of a debate to go and do what you wanted anyway.

His argument is that having these Disadvantages at all would indicate a constant compulsion and is thus a psychological extreme, regardless of Self-Control or roleplaying capacity.

I'm curious: do Disadvantages function like constant compulsions or are they viable as occasionally acting in a specific way? Or is it up to roleplay.

11-09-2020, 10:56 AM	#1
DevoutGuardsman Join Date: Jan 2018	How "Serious" are Disadvantages? Was having a discussion with another GURPS GM as to the relative severity of Disadvantages. My argument was that Impulsive, Overconfident, Gluttonous, Short Attention Span etc aren't exactly "extreme" in the sense that they are vast outliers from the general population and are liable, and even quite likely, to turn up in a random sample from the general human population, with Self-Control adjusting the relative severity of the condition. For example, Impulsiveness at 15 or less might be a fairly regular Disadvantage that crops up in the human condition, and roleplay-wise, would resemble an occasional ducking out of a debate to go and do what you wanted anyway. His argument is that having these Disadvantages at all would indicate a constant compulsion and is thus a psychological extreme, regardless of Self-Control or roleplaying capacity. I'm curious: do Disadvantages function like constant compulsions or are they viable as occasionally acting in a specific way? Or is it up to roleplay.