[gurps] Rule of 16: GURPS 3e versus 4e

[hal at buffnet.net]

In running the numbers, I did some thinking.

Lets say, we're going to build a mage with an IQ 15 and magery 3.  We want
the mage to be literate.  Total cost of the character at this point?  60 +
35 + 10 or roughly 1.05 times the starting point cost of a standard
"character" (ie 100 point character).

What would that same start up cost in GURPS 4e?

IQ 15 costs 100 points
Magery 3 costs 35 points
Literacy in native tongue costs zero points

Net cost is 135 points.

This is but 90% of the starting character points in GURPS 4e at 150 points.

Since GURPS 4e also permits up to 75 points in disadvantages, plus 5 points
in quirks, we have another interesting comparison to make.  What is the
point total of the above packages relevant to the maximum character points
availablel to a starting player character if the player uses all of the
maximum points?

GURPS 3e: 105/145 = 72%
GURPS 4e: 135/230 = 59%

I focused upon the cost to raise a skill without considering the prospect
that it might actually be EASIER to build a character with high skill
levels in any given spell.

Points to be spent on spells after all advantages accounted for in 3e: 40
Points to be spent on spells after all advantages accounted for in 4e: 85

Costs to raise spells in GURPS by one level are either 2 points per level
for IQ/H or 4 points per level for IQ/VH.  GURPS 4e has a straight cost of
4 points per level for either of IQ/H or IQ/VH spells.

Effectively speaking, GURPS 4e is no more or no less difficult to reach
those "high skill levels" which could be attained in GURPS 3e.  Technically
speaking, there is as much of a reason to use the RULE OF 16 in GURPS 4e as
there was in GURPS 3e - not less.

This of course presupposes that you agreed that there was a need to use the
rule of 16 in the first place with 3e ;)

I smell egg somewhere...