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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Ogre in the Playground
     
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    Default Help with a GURPS character.

    I'm brand new to GURPS and as people have pointed out in another thread I'll be able to do quite a bit with our 1500 starting points. I need help figuring out how to allocate all those points. All I know about the campaign is that we'll be super villains.

    Some of the main things I want to be proficient at at all the telekinesis powers, teleporting (quickly and in combat and taking people things with me as well as phasing), time manipulation, mind control, and flight.

    On top of that I'll need what I assume will be fairly beefy defenses plus any other useful skills and what not. Can you gives me some good suggestions and guidelines for how much to put into each power?
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  2. - Top - End - #2
    Bugbear in the Playground
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    Default Re: Help with a GURPS character.

    I strongly suggest browsing Steve Jackson GURPS forum, because those guys know their GURPS inside and out.

    Also linking a thread where someone has statted up dozens of Marvel supers. You can get some ideas from that.

    You should also read the Basic Set (Characters + Campaigns), Supers and Powers. There are plenty of ideas in those. But, learning curves.

    http://forums.sjgames.com/forumdisplay.php?f=13

    http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread...ghlight=marvel

    TK is just a special effect. Decide what you want to be able to do, pick that Advantage and add the modifier (TK -10%). So for example, if you want a 20 DR force field, it would be DR: 20 (Force Field +20%, TK-10%) [110]. DR is just an Advantage that costs 5 points per point. Force field and TK are modifiers that vary the cost. A TK Blast would be an Innate Attack: crushing, with various modifiers (just pick your attacks straight out of Powers, it will save a lot of time).

    Teleporting is Warp. It's expensive (base 100) - Supers and/or Powers talks about combat teleports.

    Time manipulation, see Powers I think.

    Mind Control is base 50 points and Flight is base 40 points.

    Per Powers, you should get Talents to be better at your powers. So TK Talent +4 or something similar.

    What I would suggest is work out what you want to be able to do and then calculate the points. Your GM should help with this. If the schtick is TK, your defences could be the forcefield I mention above.

    You need points for Primary and Secondary stats, save at least 200 points for this. I would go with high DX for universal physical skill competence and high HT to make rolls when hurt. Defence can be your force field.

    Other Advantages you might like are: Combat Reflexes or Enhanced Time Sense, Altered Time Rate, Enhanced Move and Extra Attack.

    1,500 points should be enough to get the broad range of expensive powers you are looking for.
    Last edited by Mr Beer; 2014-08-28 at 05:18 PM.
    Re: 100 Things to Beware of that Every DM Should Know

    Quote Originally Posted by Jay R View Post
    93. No matter what the character sheet say, there are only 3 PC alignments: Lawful Snotty, Neutral Greedy, and Chaotic Backstabbing.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Bugbear in the Playground
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    Default Re: Help with a GURPS character.

    Also, I would use Alternative Attacks (Characters p.61) to make your attacks cheaper.

    So I would get an area affect Affliction (probably Agony for a supervillain), a Binding Attack, a crushing attack (pick from Powers), a knockback only attack (ditto) and maybe another one or two. You pay for the main one plus 20% cost for each of the others, this is a bargain.

    Alternative Attacks
    If you have multiple Innate Attacks, you may define them as being the
    same basic attack, but with different settings, ammo types, etc. Determine
    the cost of these “alternative attacks” as usual, but only pay full price for
    the most expensive attack. Buy additional attacks at 1/5 cost (round up).
    This can save a lot of points, but there are drawbacks. First, since the
    attacks represent a single ability, you cannot use them simultaneously,
    even if you are capable of multiple attacks. This also prevents you from
    combining them with the Link enhancement (p. 106). As well, any critical
    failure or malfunction that disables one of your attacks disables all of
    them. Finally, if your most expensive attack is somehow drained or neutralized,
    none of the cheaper attacks will work.
    You may also apply this rule to multiple Afflictions (p. 35) or Bindings
    (p. 40), or any combination of these with Innate Attacks that you cannot
    use simultaneously. With the GM’s permission, you can apply this rule to
    multipurpose Strikers (p. 88) as well.
    Re: 100 Things to Beware of that Every DM Should Know

    Quote Originally Posted by Jay R View Post
    93. No matter what the character sheet say, there are only 3 PC alignments: Lawful Snotty, Neutral Greedy, and Chaotic Backstabbing.

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Ogre in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Help with a GURPS character.

    Thank you for the tips. I tried getting more info out the dm but he said not to worry to much about the mechanics until our first session, he just wanted us to have our character concept and story but it's hard to know how to have a character concept without knowing how the mechanics will let me make him or what's viable lol.

    First session is Tuesday so we'll see how it goes but I'm sure I'll have a ton more questions by the time it's over lol.
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  5. - Top - End - #5
    Bugbear in the Playground
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    Default Re: Help with a GURPS character.

    Meh, I guess the DM will help cost stuff out on the day.

    OK, so your defences, do you avoid damage (dodging, teleporting etc.) or do you ignore damage (forcefield etc.)? If it's the former, how good are you, are you good enough to avoid a mook with a pistol or a bunch of mooks with AK47s or almost impossible for anyone to hit?

    If it's the latter, how much damage can you stop? A punch, a baseball bat, a pistol, a rifle, an RPG/tank round, a direct hit from an artillery shell? Or maybe a bit of both.

    Think about how you want your teleport to work, how much can you carry, how far is your range etc.

    I would conceptualise your TK attack array, because this is key and GURPS is very flexible in this area (and most others). Damage is cheap - points cost varies hugely but buying 1d of crushing damage costs a base of 5 points. So a 20d attack is a base of 100 points. Pistols do about 2d and rifles about 6d for comparison.

    At least one of your attacks should have an Armour Divisor, this is how you defeat tanks and superheroes. Your own DR (if you have any) should be Hardened, this resists Armour Divisors.

    One of your attacks should be area effect and cover a good size area. It should be selective so you can avoid your own side. This is not particularly expensive for what it does.

    At least one of your attacks should be non-lethal (I would again suggest a knockback, no damage attack and also a binding attack, very useful for restraining enemies).

    Your time manipulation, does it make you fast? How fast?

    Slowing other people down is an Affliction, giving the Disadvantage "Decreased Time Rate" - this would make an nasty Area Effect, Selective attack. It would not be cheap but it would be a brutal malus for superpowered opponents. Make it resisted by IQ instead of HT - costs a bit extra but plenty more capes are dumb instead of sickly.

    With your flight, how fast can you fly? Like a fast run, or a car or a plane or a rocket? How high can you fly? Are you immune to environmental effects, such as altitude? What about the cold up there?
    Last edited by Mr Beer; 2014-08-28 at 07:45 PM.
    Re: 100 Things to Beware of that Every DM Should Know

    Quote Originally Posted by Jay R View Post
    93. No matter what the character sheet say, there are only 3 PC alignments: Lawful Snotty, Neutral Greedy, and Chaotic Backstabbing.

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Ogre in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Help with a GURPS character.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Beer View Post
    Meh, I guess the DM will help cost stuff out on the day.

    OK, so your defences, do you avoid damage (dodging, teleporting etc.) or do you ignore damage (forcefield etc.)? If it's the former, how good are you, are you good enough to avoid a mook with a pistol or a bunch of mooks with AK47s or almost impossible for anyone to hit?

    If it's the latter, how much damage can you stop? A punch, a baseball bat, a pistol, a rifle, an RPG/tank round, a direct hit from an artillery shell? Or maybe a bit of both.

    Think about how you want your teleport to work, how much can you carry, how far is your range etc.

    I would conceptualise your TK attack array, because this is key and GURPS is very flexible in this area (and most others). Damage is cheap - points cost varies hugely but buying 1d of crushing damage costs a base of 5 points. So a 20d attack is a base of 100 points. Pistols do about 2d and rifles about 6d for comparison.

    At least one of your attacks should have an Armour Divisor, this is how you defeat tanks and superheroes. Your own DR (if you have any) should be Hardened, this resists Armour Divisors.

    One of your attacks should be area effect and cover a good size area. It should be selective so you can avoid your own side. This is not particularly expensive for what it does.

    At least one of your attacks should be non-lethal (I would again suggest a knockback, no damage attack and also a binding attack, very useful for restraining enemies).

    Your time manipulation, does it make you fast? How fast?

    Slowing other people down is an Affliction, giving the Disadvantage "Decreased Time Rate" - this would make an nasty Area Effect, Selective attack. It would not be cheap but it would be a brutal malus for superpowered opponents. Make it resisted by IQ instead of HT - costs a bit extra but plenty more capes are dumb instead of sickly.

    With your flight, how fast can you fly? Like a fast run, or a car or a plane or a rocket? How high can you fly? Are you immune to environmental effects, such as altitude? What about the cold up there?
    1. Ideally I'd like to totally avoid taking damage either by teleporting out of the way or phasing similar to Vision. Secondary defense options wouldn't have to be nearly as strong but should be good enough for a backup fail safe.

    2. If it's not to costly being able to teleport anywhere I want would be ideal but if that's prohibitive then shorter ranges would be fine but at the very least a couple hundred yards and to places that I don't have line of sight to so I could teleport into a vault for instance. The ideal amount to transfer with me would be quite a bit so I can at least take my whole team with me.

    3. I want to use TK for all of my attacks whether it's physically using it to do damage, tossing heavy objects around, etc. I'm sure there's a way to do non lethal damage this way and I'm open to AoE attacks if there are any.

    4. Flight as fast a plane, great maneuverability, able to hover. Height probably isn't to much of a concern but if there's a way to negate the need to breath that'd be a definite bonus.

    5. I'd probably be more interested in being able to stop or rewind time more than speeding myself up.
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  7. - Top - End - #7
    Bugbear in the Playground
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    Default Re: Help with a GURPS character.

    Most of that is no problem to build in GURPS and you have enough points to do it.

    Time rewinding will be more difficult.

    Time stopping, you want this:

    Temporal Stasis, which is a type of Affliction (p 118 Powers).

    Rewinding time is probably a no-no, although I think some varieties of Warp allow travelling in time. Also enhancements to Luck allow Wishing - you can dictate the result of a dice roll after the roll has actually occurred, so it's like a limited re-run of time.

    p135 of Powers discusses Time Mastery and the various Advantages that would be suitable for such a character.
    Last edited by Mr Beer; 2014-08-28 at 10:18 PM.
    Re: 100 Things to Beware of that Every DM Should Know

    Quote Originally Posted by Jay R View Post
    93. No matter what the character sheet say, there are only 3 PC alignments: Lawful Snotty, Neutral Greedy, and Chaotic Backstabbing.

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Halfling in the Playground
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    Default Re: Help with a GURPS character.

    Hey, two threads ... didn't see this one.

    First of all: I agree that it's hard to talk about what your character should be without knowing the mechanics of the game. However, I'm also one of those GMs that tell their players to focus on the character concept and not the character sheet ... Sometimes it works out. And the character concept is definitely important!

    So ...
    Telekinesis, Teleportation, Flight, controlling Time

    Let's assume you can have all that (point-wise and the GM agrees to e.g. the Time thing).

    What do you want? Is there anything you cannot have? Is there anything you need? Are there others like you? Do you even know them? What do you think of regular humans?

    What's your personality and motivation? Megalomaniac? Sulking because you're the least-powered of your alien race? Mother issues? Saving Earth from overpopulation by humans?

    That's your background. But for a good story, think about how you, likely a quite evil being, can fit into a game without immediately fighting the other super villains. Are you related? Have truly common goals? Is there a greater power directing you (the super-villain league)? Do you just pretend to work together? (The last one is an easy excuse, but it can break the game by starting inner-party fighting the moment you should have "won".)

    Anyway, back to your powers:
    Is there a unifying concept to them or a source? Telekinesis, Teleportation, Time ... Those could be roughly explained by a dimension-bending power because you're from a 12-dimensional world.
    Psi also works as an explantion for almost anything.
    Telekinesis can be a source itself, but then Teleportation and Time Control are harder to explain. (Flight is just self-applied telekinesis or pushing off the ground or some such.) BTW: Telekinesis is more than a special effect: There's an advantage Telekinesis which mostly works like Strength at a distance and can be used to punch etc., I think, though Innate Attacks are probably a good complement.

    Do your powers rely on something? Magic or Mana? Ancient or alien or ultra-tech artefacts? Will power? Gods? Blood? Radioctivity? Do you have any other weaknesses?

    Did you always have these powers? If not, did you have to earn them or did they come to you naturally?

    Here's a fair warning, though:
    GURPS Powers has some notes on game-stopping abilities. Those are likely to make interesting plots really hard or impossible to pull off. They include Mind-Control/Mind-Reading/Precognition, because all mysteries are suddenly gone; Insubstantiality and Teleportation, because bypassing any security system makes McGuffins too easy to get; and some more.

    So your GM might have to restrict your powers somewhat, if you want all those, or make them not work unless you can see the sun or whatever.

    Regards
    Ts

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Ogre in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Help with a GURPS character.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ts_ View Post
    Hey, two threads ... didn't see this one.

    First of all: I agree that it's hard to talk about what your character should be without knowing the mechanics of the game. However, I'm also one of those GMs that tell their players to focus on the character concept and not the character sheet ... Sometimes it works out. And the character concept is definitely important!

    So ...
    Telekinesis, Teleportation, Flight, controlling Time

    Let's assume you can have all that (point-wise and the GM agrees to e.g. the Time thing).

    What do you want? Is there anything you cannot have? Is there anything you need? Are there others like you? Do you even know them? What do you think of regular humans?

    What's your personality and motivation? Megalomaniac? Sulking because you're the least-powered of your alien race? Mother issues? Saving Earth from overpopulation by humans?

    That's your background. But for a good story, think about how you, likely a quite evil being, can fit into a game without immediately fighting the other super villains. Are you related? Have truly common goals? Is there a greater power directing you (the super-villain league)? Do you just pretend to work together? (The last one is an easy excuse, but it can break the game by starting inner-party fighting the moment you should have "won".)

    Anyway, back to your powers:
    Is there a unifying concept to them or a source? Telekinesis, Teleportation, Time ... Those could be roughly explained by a dimension-bending power because you're from a 12-dimensional world.
    Psi also works as an explantion for almost anything.
    Telekinesis can be a source itself, but then Teleportation and Time Control are harder to explain. (Flight is just self-applied telekinesis or pushing off the ground or some such.) BTW: Telekinesis is more than a special effect: There's an advantage Telekinesis which mostly works like Strength at a distance and can be used to punch etc., I think, though Innate Attacks are probably a good complement.

    Do your powers rely on something? Magic or Mana? Ancient or alien or ultra-tech artefacts? Will power? Gods? Blood? Radioctivity? Do you have any other weaknesses?

    Did you always have these powers? If not, did you have to earn them or did they come to you naturally?

    Here's a fair warning, though:
    GURPS Powers has some notes on game-stopping abilities. Those are likely to make interesting plots really hard or impossible to pull off. They include Mind-Control/Mind-Reading/Precognition, because all mysteries are suddenly gone; Insubstantiality and Teleportation, because bypassing any security system makes McGuffins too easy to get; and some more.

    So your GM might have to restrict your powers somewhat, if you want all those, or make them not work unless you can see the sun or whatever.

    Regards
    Ts
    I'm not entirely sure of the angle I want to take with my story. I'm leaning towards being from an eons old benevolent hyper psionicaly power race sent to assist the world for some reason but secretly I've been subjugating worlds in an attempt to build up my own power so I can overthrow my comrades and RULE THE GALAXY!

    So far I'm looking at
    Doesn't breath
    Doesn't eat
    Doesn't sleep
    Compartmentalized mind
    Damage resistance
    Extra hit points
    Injury tolerance
    Regeneration - Extreme
    Resistant sickness - immunity
    Unaging
    Unkillable
    Psychokinetic
    Flight
    Telekinesis
    Telekinesis super effort area effect
    Warp
    Telecommunications - telesend
    Telepathy
    Mind reading
    Insubstationality
    Last edited by Invader; 2014-08-31 at 08:05 AM.
    "The icy cold fingers of reason have choked the life out of this thread and despite all logic it keeps squirming", nope, it's dead.

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  10. - Top - End - #10
    Bugbear in the Playground
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    Default Re: Help with a GURPS character.

    Regeneration is expensive but also cool, Extreme is probably the only level strong enough to be directly useful in combat. Given you can easily Warp away for the 10 seconds or so needed to recover any injury, you will be tough to defeat. Note if you don't have Regrowth [25], you won't recover limbs, eyes etc. but then you can always kill yourself and regrow them that way.

    What level of Unkillable are you after? With Extreme Regeneration and Unkillable 3 you can be killed but will coalesce within a short time period (less than a minute certainly), ready for vengeance, which can be quite intimidating for your unfortunate foes.

    You should have Unaging I think, otherwise you can die of old age.

    insubstantiality is it's own form of Injury Tolerance i.e. immune to damage, I guess you can switch this on and off? You can be Insubstantial and able to affect the material world but then a) the GM may well not let you and b) probably not worth also spending the 300 points on Unkillable 3, Regeneration and Regrowth.
    Last edited by Mr Beer; 2014-08-31 at 05:45 PM.
    Re: 100 Things to Beware of that Every DM Should Know

    Quote Originally Posted by Jay R View Post
    93. No matter what the character sheet say, there are only 3 PC alignments: Lawful Snotty, Neutral Greedy, and Chaotic Backstabbing.

  11. - Top - End - #11
    Ogre in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Help with a GURPS character.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mr Beer View Post
    Regeneration is expensive but also cool, Extreme is probably the only level strong enough to be directly useful in combat. Given you can easily Warp away for the 10 seconds or so needed to recover any injury, you will be tough to defeat. Note if you don't have Regrowth [25], you won't recover limbs, eyes etc. but then you can always kill yourself and regrow them that way.

    What level of Unkillable are you after? With Extreme Regeneration and Unkillable 3 you can be killed but will coalesce within a short time period (less than a minute certainly), ready for vengeance, which can be quite intimidating for your unfortunate foes.

    You should have Unaging I think, otherwise you can die of old age.

    insubstantiality is it's own form of Injury Tolerance i.e. immune to damage, I guess you can switch this on and off? You can be Insubstantial and able to affect the material world but then a) the GM may well not let you and b) probably not worth also spending the 300 points on Unkillable 3, Regeneration and Regrowth.
    I do have unaging on the list and def unkillable 3. I think I'm going with injury tolerance/diffuse with possession instead of insubstantiality because I thought there was an option to be able to turn it on and off but I can't seem to find it now and I'm not sure if it's worth taking carry items, affect substantial, and partial change.
    "The icy cold fingers of reason have choked the life out of this thread and despite all logic it keeps squirming", nope, it's dead.

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  12. - Top - End - #12
    Bugbear in the Playground
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    Default Re: Help with a GURPS character.

    IT: Diffuse doesn't go with Damage Reduction flavour wise IMO, though it might with a force field.

    I think though if you have IT: Diffuse + Regeneration: Extreme + Unkillable 3, there really isn't much you should be afraid in the way of damage, particularly as you going able to Warp out of danger as well.

    You won't need Regrowth as your limbs can't be cut off.

    High Pain Threshold could still be useful.

    Resistance: Metabolic Hazards, Immune [30] seems appropriate.
    Last edited by Mr Beer; 2014-08-31 at 10:14 PM.
    Re: 100 Things to Beware of that Every DM Should Know

    Quote Originally Posted by Jay R View Post
    93. No matter what the character sheet say, there are only 3 PC alignments: Lawful Snotty, Neutral Greedy, and Chaotic Backstabbing.

  13. - Top - End - #13
    Pixie in the Playground
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    Default Re: Help with a GURPS character.

    If you take Warp with the Blink +25% modifier, it can be used like a dodge, rolling against IQ to teleport away from an attack. Blink eliminates the -10 penalty to doing a warp without any time spent concentrating.

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