Something between Terminally Ill and Self Destruct?

[BraselC5048]

One thing I'm looking for is a disadvantage halfway between Terminally Ill and Self Destruct. The character is 18, and plans to die in 15 years, at age 33. Terminally Ill (2 years) is worth -50 points, Self Destruct (age 50) is worth -10 points. I figure something in between the two wound be either -15 or -20 points.

Same character, different problem. She's been trained in Traps/TL 6, but her default from her sky-high lockpicking skill is higher than the skill level I want for her Traps skill. About 3 or 4 levels. Simple Incompetence wouldn't work, since she knows what she's doing and could improve her skill level later, so what? -1 pt per level off, or -1 pt total? Likely the latter?

[panton41]

Originally Posted by BraselC5048

One thing I'm looking for is a disadvantage halfway between Terminally Ill and Self Destruct. The character is 18, and plans to die in 15 years, at age 33. Terminally Ill (2 years) is worth -50 points, Self Destruct (age 50) is worth -10 points. I figure something in between the two wound be either -15 or -20 points.

Terminally Ill is that the character will die within a reasonable period of game time due to actual illness, implanted bombs, magic, etc. Self Destruct is more of a racial characteristic for races kind of like the Replicants from Blade Runner where they live to a date and then rapidly shut down and die. There's also Short Lifespan which can be coupled to Self Destruct (which sets in at the first aging roll). However, two of those options are racial, not personal.

My understanding is there's really nothing that models what you're looking for (especially if its for personal reasons) because "Anyone might be hit by a truck in that time!" (Direct quote from the Basic Set.) And, for that matter, anyone reasonable would change their mind. If not I'd call it a Vow (or a negative Destiny), "Will kill myself/die at 33."

Same character, different problem. She's been trained in Traps/TL 6, but her default from her sky-high lockpicking skill is higher than the skill level I want for her Traps skill. About 3 or 4 levels. Simple Incompetence wouldn't work, since she knows what she's doing and could improve her skill level later, so what? -1 pt per level off, or -1 pt total? Likely the latter?

I'd just let her have the Traps skill at the higher level per RaW and call it a day. Unless its an NPC I can't imagine someone wanting to deliberately "nerf" their character. Especially in what are likely skills related to the underlying concept.

And if it's an NPC simply declare "She's going to die at 33yo and her Traps skill is intentionally low" and leave it at that. I know it's fun and kind of a game in itself, but there's no reason to build NPCs using character generation rules.

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by ciaran_skye

There's also Short Lifespan which can be coupled to Self Destruct (which sets in at the first aging roll).

Self Destruct [-10]; Short Lifespan 1 [-10], gives you someone with 16 active adult years before death. As Age of Maturity is a 0-point feature, switching from Maturity at 9 years/Death at 25, to Maturity at 18 years/death at 34 is a 0-point feature.

It's worth noting that Self Destruct [-10]; Short Lifespan 4 [-10] totals -50 points and means death after 2 active adult years, the same as Terminally Ill [-50].

[Not]

Originally Posted by NineDaysDead

It's worth noting that Self Destruct [-10]; Short Lifespan 4 [-10] totals -50 points and means death after 2 active adult years, the same as Terminally Ill [-50].

Wow. That is some mighty fine play-testing there. Or a certifiable obsessive/compulsive at work. Maybe both.

[Flyndaran]

Don't forget that all of these lifespan dis/advantages only count if the game lasts that long. Most don't making such dis/advantages background color.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Don't forget that all of these lifespan dis/advantages only count if the game lasts that long.

Or if the game features aging effects. You can be sure that if people are getting crateloads of points from these traits, I'd make aging magic a standard weapon in combat against races known to be short-lived. "Oh, it's mayfly elves! Break out Pall Mall's Cloud of Cancerous Malaise. Eh, we can breathe it . . . you'll live to three score and ten less two – we can have B'Tox the Youth Wizard fix that later – but they'll just die."

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by BraselC5048

One thing I'm looking for is a disadvantage halfway between Terminally Ill and Self Destruct. The character is 18, and plans to die in 15 years, at age 33. Terminally Ill (2 years) is worth -50 points, Self Destruct (age 50) is worth -10 points. I figure something in between the two wound be either -15 or -20 points.

Is the game going to last long enough for this to matter? Is it a function of chronology or personal experience? And critically, how is it enforced? There are relatively few settings I'd allow many points for this as just a character's *plan*. Though I'd probably usually let you take it as a -1 point Vow.

Same character, different problem. She's been trained in Traps/TL 6, but her default from her sky-high lockpicking skill is higher than the skill level I want for her Traps skill. About 3 or 4 levels. Simple Incompetence wouldn't work, since she knows what she's doing and could improve her skill level later, so what? -1 pt per level off, or -1 pt total? Likely the latter?

Write down whatever lower value than you could have, get zero points back for it, and call it done.

I always allow a character to be handicapped as much as you want for free, and I really can't imagine a GM that wouldn't let you do that for something as small as this. It usually comes up when somebody insists their character concept *requires* more disadvantages than the disadvantage limit. Amazingly when offered the option to play all the disadvantages they want but not get any more points back than the limit, they almost always discover it was less vital to the concept than they first thought....

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by BraselC5048

One thing I'm looking for is a disadvantage halfway between Terminally Ill and Self Destruct. The character is 18, and plans to die in 15 years, at age 33.

"Planning" to die when it is 33 is a quirk.

Originally Posted by BraselC5048

Same character, different problem. She's been trained in Traps/TL 6, but her default from her sky-high lockpicking skill is higher than the skill level I want for her Traps skill. About 3 or 4 levels. Simple Incompetence wouldn't work, since she knows what she's doing and could improve her skill level later, so what? -1 pt per level off, or -1 pt total? Likely the latter?

Seriously? You want more points for something less restrictive than the incompetence perk?

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

"Planning" to die when it is 33 is a quirk.

Or a particularly morbid Odious Personal Habit.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Or if the game features aging effects. You can be sure that if people are getting crateloads of points from these traits, I'd make aging magic a standard weapon in combat against races known to be short-lived. "Oh, it's mayfly elves! Break out Pall Mall's Cloud of Cancerous Malaise. Eh, we can breathe it . . . you'll live to three score and ten less two – we can have B'Tox the Youth Wizard fix that later – but they'll just die."

For those curious about splitting the two, I'll just note this:

Originally Posted by Chinese Elemental Powers, p. 33

Unaging (Chi, -10%; Not immune to aging
attacks, -35%) [9].