Chargen advice for GURPS superhero game

[Kazyan]

I may be participating in a GURPS superheroes game soon. The problem is that I have 460 character points, but am not actually any good at making GURPS characters. I do try fiddle with the advantages, but often end up with a mess of a character who can't take useful actions to solve problems most of the time, and when they can, they don't have a high enough target number for a decent shot at doing so.

So, while I don't need peak optimization, I would like some advice on how to make this superhero actually feel like a 460-point character. They seem pretty good right now, but you can make a "pretty good" build on a third of the total I've been allotted, so this probably won't help when a supervillian shows up with a mini-mecha-dinosaur or whatever. Here's the character sheet, as a .png from the GURPS Character Sheet program. Page 4 doesn't have mechanics, but it has background and concept that might inform build decisions.

[Ts_]

Hey,

Here's the character sheet

The problem is that I have 460 character points, but am not actually any good at making GURPS characters.

I wouldn't be so hard on yourself. That's a nice character sheet that ticks a lot of boxes: You can levitate yourself, have some serious damage reduction vs bullets, and effective social skills around 16. You also have Luck and some other nice things.

As a general advice for supers: Ask your GM what to build for. Does everyone need to be a combat monster because the GM will regularly have armed groups target them? Or are you expected to fight by comic book rules, 1 vs 1, and it's not so much about blowing the opponent to pieces but about making them give up or preventing the civilians from getting hurt?

Also ask yourself what is it that you're hoping to optimize for? More combat abilities? More utility skills? More fun/creative abilities?

So, while I don't need peak optimization, I would like some advice on how to make this superhero actually feel like a 460-point character. They seem pretty good right now, but you can make a "pretty good" build on a third of the total I've been allotted, so this probably won't help when a supervillian shows up with a mini-mecha-dinosaur or whatever.

I don't think you can make a pretty good super hero on 150 points unless you're a total munchkin ... Around 400-500 points you have "street-level" supers and for that the character feels right.

Anyway, some things I've noticed, maybe they can be called optimizations. First let's look at the glass powers:

The way I read this, you want to be able to manipulate glass and move a lot of it. The high number of TK also gives you a lift, essentially some form of flying. The throwing is probably meant as an attack with TK as I don't think you want to be a general-purpose Dart-thrower. (Or do you?)

* Control for glass would be "rare", bringing the cost to 40 instead of 60pts. At the "occasional" level, you would get "ceramics" (and the text explicitly calls glass out as a subset of ceramics), which, I guess, includes toilet bowls, fake teeth and computer chips. ;)
* You write you can use it at 3 feet? In RAW, you need to touch the glass to gain control. Ranged (+40%) would bring it to 100 yard I guess, and then adjust range down again as needed with Limited Range. Effective range 10 yards is only a +10%.
* Similarly, Telekinesis for "ferrous metals" is -50% according to RAW. Using it just for glass seems more like a -70% or -80% limitation to me.
* The "Linked,+10%" isn't accounted for in the points? Not sure how that happened.
* Compartmentalized Mind (Glass powers only) is probably more expensive. Something like -10% to -30% perhaps, not -50%, according to the SJGames forums. (The Psionic Powers apparently has some modifiers for situations like this, but I don't have that book.)

Actually, if your GM allows "Alternative Abilities" (Powers, p11), you only pay 1/5th for the cheaper of the two abilities. (This is different and better than a -80% limitation.) There are some downside, e.g. that you need a Ready maneuver to switch between them. But it could be a good fit here as well if these are just different expressions of your glass manipulation. But you wouldn't be able to control/shape things while levitating any more, as that would be TK+Control. A small TK 5 might help here.

Glass Powers:
* Glass Lift and Control [58]
Control 2 (Glass = Rare, Collective +100%, Ranged +40%, Reduced Range 1/10 -30%, Linked +10%) [48] linked with TK 5 [Glass only, -70%, Linked +10%] [10].
* TK 20 [Glass only, -70%] [30], but Alternative Ability to the above so actually just [6]. (Flight for 6 points ... No, we're not munchkins, not at all.)
* Compartmentalized Mind 1 (Glass powers only, -10%*) [36]
* Talent 4 (Glass) [20]
= [120], then the -10% Super power modifier on some of these, so around 110.

For [24] more points you can also move the TK 20 back into the overall Glass manipulation power again if alternative abilities is not okay in this case.

For attacking, an Innate Attack is usually a lot cheaper than ST and Throwing, but you would have to buy it in addition to TK. Using various modifiers, you can have glass-knife like attacks for maybe 5-7 points / die of damage. See the excerpt from Psionic Powers for a similar power to throw pebbles like bullets with Telekinesis: http://www.warehouse23.com/media/SJG37-0132_preview.pdf
You could also increase the TK 20 [6] to TK 40 [12] ... Since you get the -70% on the TK and the 1/5 for an alternative ability (maybe! and only until about 60 points before the 1/5, which is TK 40), that's just 6 more points for an extra 2d of TK damage, giving you a total of about 4d thrust for Throwing. (Throwing is based on thrust, for glass swords it would be 7d swing damage, which isn't too shabby ...)

Other useful tricks: Alternate Attacks (unlike Alternative Abilities, not an optional rule) if you want to build multiple "throw glass" attacks with different properties. (Sharper impaling things or an area-effect rain of glass.)

Other suitable offensive skills might be an Affliction that inflicts Blind, when you're focusing light through your body (only with a strong light source on you, e.g. the sun or a spotlight).

You also put a lot of points in ST (and HP). I wonder if you need to be a brawler & a ranged fighter E.g. a bit of IQ always goes a long way, especially for your social skills.

But if you want to be a brawler, you could e.g. get some switchable (glass) Claws and Striking ST with a One Attack Only -60% (only works for your glass claws): You're not overall strong, but you accelerate your own attacks. The problem with this, while it seems like a natural way to build such things, is that even discounted Striking ST is more expensive than an Innate Attack:

You currently have
ST 14 [40], HP 20 [12] as you have it now is [52]. Gives 1d basic thrust damage. (+ skill bonus)
ST 10 [0], HP 20 [20], Striking ST +10 [20], Switchable Long Talons [13] = [53]. At ST 20 you get 2d damage, and the long talons make that 2d+2 cut or imp, your choice. (+ skill bonus, so probably around 3d+1.)
Notice how that's still not much stronger than if you wield a piece of (unbreakable ;) glass in your TK 20 that you have already paid for ... (But you could fight while flying, I suppose.)
Then there's
ST 10 [0], HP 20 [20], Innate Attack 3d Cut (Melee Reach C,1 -20%) [17] for a total of [37]. It would probably be used with a knife or sword skill then, instead of brawling.

Anyway. You might want to skip the close-ranged fighting because you already have the TK that in particular works at close range, too. You'd lose the ability to parry, but I'm not sure if a bare-handed parry is such a good idea against a mech if you're made out of glass ...

On to other things:

Your background story sounds like you have "Regrowth" for your limbs ... That's about 40 points (there's a +50% enhancement to make it take 1 minute to reattach a limb, and a -50% limitation to only allow reattachment, not general regrowth of new material ... so, back at 40). I can actually see a glass character that can manipulate glass to have some form of regeneration as well, maybe limited by "needs to have access to either broken off pieces or be in the lab". On the other hand, those things are expensive, and it depends on the cruelty of your setting whether you'll actually ever lose a hand ...

Similarly, you could argue that you can reshape your own body even more. Either to change form (Double-Jointed at least, not sure how "real" your joints are?) or to flow/levitate through obstacles (which is more in the 100+ pt range, not sure how to model that the best way.) If the T-1000 can do it ...
Or change your colour (like you already do under certain circumstances) to gain a lot of camouflage, so levels of Chameleon, or even some form of Invisibility ("I'm transparent") for about [40]. This could turn your social character into a pretty sneaky one, too.

As a much more modest ability, if you can reshape glass, you might want to use some form of Artist (Glass-working) skill to create really nice things. A nice present can give another bump in social situations. It's IQ-based, but the RAW already says that rolls can often be DX-based instead, and in any case it should get your Talent bonus (even just the TK should give a +4 to DX-based things).

That's all I can think of for now. Not sure how much that helps or if you can apply any of these optimizations.

Best regards
Ts

[Kazyan]

Thanks for your detailed reply!

Hey,

I wouldn't be so hard on yourself. That's a nice character sheet that ticks a lot of boxes: You can levitate yourself, have some serious damage reduction vs bullets, and effective social skills around 16. You also have Luck and some other nice things.

As a general advice for supers: Ask your GM what to build for. Does everyone need to be a combat monster because the GM will regularly have armed groups target them? Or are you expected to fight by comic book rules, 1 vs 1, and it's not so much about blowing the opponent to pieces but about making them give up or preventing the civilians from getting hurt?

Also ask yourself what is it that you're hoping to optimize for? More combat abilities? More utility skills? More fun/creative abilities?

We're expecting comic book rules, for the most part, since that's what we agreed to when dsicussing the setting. The GM has mentioned that "monster of the week" will happen if we play frequently, so I'm expecting a lot of cinematic combat, but of course we do have to talk to NPCs. Utility skills are important to me in principle, but I find it difficult to come up with what to do with them in practice.

This playgroup is not shy about random hit locations and crippling injuries. It'll matter.

I don't think you can make a pretty good super hero on 150 points unless you're a total munchkin ... Around 400-500 points you have "street-level" supers and for that the character feels right.

Poor word choice on my part: you definitely can't make a superhero on 150 points, but you can make a character who is competent at their niche without dragging down the party when they can't do their thing. I think we agree that a "street-level" superhero is different than a "pretty good" adventurer.

Anyway, some things I've noticed, maybe they can be called optimizations. First let's look at the glass powers:

The way I read this, you want to be able to manipulate glass and move a lot of it. The high number of TK also gives you a lift, essentially some form of flying. The throwing is probably meant as an attack with TK as I don't think you want to be a general-purpose Dart-thrower. (Or do you?)

* Control for glass would be "rare", bringing the cost to 40 instead of 60pts. At the "occasional" level, you would get "ceramics" (and the text explicitly calls glass out as a subset of ceramics), which, I guess, includes toilet bowls, fake teeth and computer chips. ;)
* You write you can use it at 3 feet? In RAW, you need to touch the glass to gain control. Ranged (+40%) would bring it to 100 yard I guess, and then adjust range down again as needed with Limited Range. Effective range 10 yards is only a +10%.
* Similarly, Telekinesis for "ferrous metals" is -50% according to RAW. Using it just for glass seems more like a -70% or -80% limitation to me.
* The "Linked,+10%" isn't accounted for in the points? Not sure how that happened.
* Compartmentalized Mind (Glass powers only) is probably more expensive. Something like -10% to -30% perhaps, not -50%, according to the SJGames forums. (The Psionic Powers apparently has some modifiers for situations like this, but I don't have that book.)

Actually, if your GM allows "Alternative Abilities" (Powers, p11), you only pay 1/5th for the cheaper of the two abilities. (This is different and better than a -80% limitation.) There are some downside, e.g. that you need a Ready maneuver to switch between them. But it could be a good fit here as well if these are just different expressions of your glass manipulation. But you wouldn't be able to control/shape things while levitating any more, as that would be TK+Control. A small TK 5 might help here.

Discussing these in reverse order to organize our thoughts better:

• Alternative Abilities are allowed. I'd intended the two Linked advantages to represent a smooth transition in control with respect to distance--so a chunk of glass could be shifted in and out of the Control range with Telekinesis no problem, but it would have a fixed shape while out of the Control range. Alternative Abilities probably work just as well, so I'll take a closer look at the rules.
• The limited Compartmentalized Mind does seem cheap for action economy, but the GM ruled that it's -50%. I think this is a holdover from previous games.
• It appears that we're not seeing the +10% from Linked because the -10% from the Super modifier is canceling it out. But that doesn't matter because I'll basically be replacing it with your rendition below.
• I'll discuss the Accessibility and the occasional/rare multipliers with the GM. And Compartmentalized Mind being too cheap, too, so I'm not That Guy.
• I totally forgot to make it Ranged. My bad.

Glass Powers:
* Glass Lift and Control [58]
Control 2 (Glass = Rare, Collective +100%, Ranged +40%, Reduced Range 1/10 -30%, Linked +10%) [48] linked with TK 5 [Glass only, -70%, Linked +10%] [10].
* TK 20 [Glass only, -70%] [30], but Alternative Ability to the above so actually just [6]. (Flight for 6 points ... No, we're not munchkins, not at all.)
* Compartmentalized Mind 1 (Glass powers only, -10%*) [36]
* Talent 4 (Glass) [20]
= [120], then the -10% Super power modifier on some of these, so around 110.

For [24] more points you can also move the TK 20 back into the overall Glass manipulation power again if alternative abilities is not okay in this case.

I really like the construction of Control 2 Linked to TK 5 with an Alternative Ability of TK 20. It's like a having not just a narrative distinction between finesse and raw power, but a mechanical one.

For attacking, an Innate Attack is usually a lot cheaper than ST and Throwing, but you would have to buy it in addition to TK. Using various modifiers, you can have glass-knife like attacks for maybe 5-7 points / die of damage. See the excerpt from Psionic Powers for a similar power to throw pebbles like bullets with Telekinesis: http://www.warehouse23.com/media/SJG37-0132_preview.pdf
You could also increase the TK 20 [6] to TK 40 [12] ... Since you get the -70% on the TK and the 1/5 for an alternative ability (maybe! and only until about 60 points before the 1/5, which is TK 40), that's just 6 more points for an extra 2d of TK damage, giving you a total of about 4d thrust for Throwing. (Throwing is based on thrust, for glass swords it would be 7d swing damage, which isn't too shabby ...)

Other useful tricks: Alternate Attacks (unlike Alternative Abilities, not an optional rule) if you want to build multiple "throw glass" attacks with different properties. (Sharper impaling things or an area-effect rain of glass.)

With TK being more generally-applicable than an Innate Attack, I'll go with that. There are a lot of interesting things I could make Innate Attacks for like raining glass or throwing shards, but with this being a superhero game, I'll just try cool tricks and buy them later if they become reliable/too cool.

Other suitable offensive skills might be an Affliction that inflicts Blind, when you're focusing light through your body (only with a strong light source on you, e.g. the sun or a spotlight).

With how useful status effects are, I'll look into this.

You also put a lot of points in ST (and HP). I wonder if you need to be a brawler & a ranged fighter E.g. a bit of IQ always goes a long way, especially for your social skills.

But if you want to be a brawler, you could e.g. get some switchable (glass) Claws and Striking ST with a One Attack Only -60% (only works for your glass claws): You're not overall strong, but you accelerate your own attacks. The problem with this, while it seems like a natural way to build such things, is that even discounted Striking ST is more expensive than an Innate Attack:

You currently have
ST 14 [40], HP 20 [12] as you have it now is [52]. Gives 1d basic thrust damage. (+ skill bonus)
ST 10 [0], HP 20 [20], Striking ST +10 [20], Switchable Long Talons [13] = [53]. At ST 20 you get 2d damage, and the long talons make that 2d+2 cut or imp, your choice. (+ skill bonus, so probably around 3d+1.)
Notice how that's still not much stronger than if you wield a piece of (unbreakable ;) glass in your TK 20 that you have already paid for ... (But you could fight while flying, I suppose.)
Then there's
ST 10 [0], HP 20 [20], Innate Attack 3d Cut (Melee Reach C,1 -20%) [17] for a total of [37]. It would probably be used with a knife or sword skill then, instead of brawling.

Anyway. You might want to skip the close-ranged fighting because you already have the TK that in particular works at close range, too. You'd lose the ability to parry, but I'm not sure if a bare-handed parry is such a good idea against a mech if you're made out of glass ...

I don't actually remember why I put 14 points into ST, so asking about that is a good call. I'll keep high HP because damage is scary, and save points for all the other stuff.

On to other things:

Your background story sounds like you have "Regrowth" for your limbs ... That's about 40 points (there's a +50% enhancement to make it take 1 minute to reattach a limb, and a -50% limitation to only allow reattachment, not general regrowth of new material ... so, back at 40). I can actually see a glass character that can manipulate glass to have some form of regeneration as well, maybe limited by "needs to have access to either broken off pieces or be in the lab". On the other hand, those things are expensive, and it depends on the cruelty of your setting whether you'll actually ever lose a hand ...

Similarly, you could argue that you can reshape your own body even more. Either to change form (Double-Jointed at least, not sure how "real" your joints are?) or to flow/levitate through obstacles (which is more in the 100+ pt range, not sure how to model that the best way.) If the T-1000 can do it ...
Or change your colour (like you already do under certain circumstances) to gain a lot of camouflage, so levels of Chameleon, or even some form of Invisibility ("I'm transparent") for about [40]. This could turn your social character into a pretty sneaky one, too.

Word choice is hard--I meant to imply that she needs immediate specialist attention in order to reattach, e.g. from her creator. Sopme forRegrowth is a good idea to mechanically justify it. I'll fiddle with it and see if it'll fit in the point budget.

This playgroup is not shy about random hit locations and crippling injuries. It'll matter.

As a much more modest ability, if you can reshape glass, you might want to use some form of Artist (Glass-working) skill to create really nice things. A nice present can give another bump in social situations. It's IQ-based, but the RAW already says that rolls can often be DX-based instead, and in any case it should get your Talent bonus (even just the TK should give a +4 to DX-based things).

This is cute and good and perfect for a street-level super. Consider it done.

That's all I can think of for now. Not sure how much that helps or if you can apply any of these optimizations.

Best regards
Ts

You're the bomb and I appreciate your communication style.