[gurps] Mitigators (was Cyberpunk & 4e)

[Matt Riggsby]

On 7/27/06, Michael Sarno <msarno at epix.net> wrote:
>
> There seems to be little reason to keep track of character points after
> character generation with this system. If the players and GM like it,
> then it makes sense, but I'd never want to play in a game like this. If
> the character point system isn't broken, then it should be used to
> regulate game balance.

The CP system isn't broken.  It's just not relevant.  Or rather, it's
just that awards from the GM shouldn't be taken as the sole source of
increasing a character's point value.  Buying cybernetics with cash
will change a character's point value for reasons which are entirely
sensible in the game setting, and he shouldn't be saddled with the
requirement of "buying it off."

As I've said before, this is a setting in which it is realistic and
believable for characters to suddenly acquire considerable abilities
far in excess of the rate of CP awards the GM may hand out.  For a
character with a stack of Euros and a desire to do violence, it would
be *implausible* for him not to go down to the chop shop and get wired
nerves or an implanted shotgun, thus suddenly increasing his point
value considerably.  Forcing him to pay that off, in the form of not
increasing his skills while his companions do or just as suddenly
acquiring rafts of compensating disads, would be even more
implausible.  Game balance is nice, but neither reality nor most
fictional worlds are balanced.  Therefore, attempts by the GM to force
a balance between PC point levels is likely to be a distracting
intrusion into the game reality.  You can certainly keep track of
point value changes ("My blind character just bought some eyes, so
he's at 200 points now rather than 150.").  I would, if only so I had
a general gague for how powerful existing characters were in case new
players wanted to join.  But unless you play RPGs as a game where the
primary point is acquiring abilities (that is, if you tend heavily
towards G in the GNS triangle), there's no need to "regulate play
balance" and compensate for changes in characters which make in-game
sense.



-- 
My wife's food blog is quite interesting:
http://thehappysorceress.blogspot.com