[gurps] GURPS: Nightbane?

[tbone]

On 12 May 2009, at 19:22, Jon Lang wrote:

>> Expanding that into something more generic: I can't think of any  
>> merit to
>> buying "potential" for something (like a skill) which you could buy  
>> normally
>> during play, so the concept would be meaningful only to "reserve"  
>> traits for
>> which the GM strictly enforces "must purchase at time of character
>> creation". As for a cost: I don't know, maybe 1/10 the cost of the  
>> full
>> trait?
>
> A Perk, at best; possibly a zero-point Feature.  All you're getting is
> the right to spend character points in a certain way.

Which can be a meaningful benefit when other players are denied the  
right to spend points that way. Case in point would be traits like  
Trained By a Master: part of the cost, as I understand is, is the  
right to buy things other players can't.

I know the topic at hand is a little different from TBaM, though:  
things that anybody can buy at character creation, but which only  
those with "potential" can buy afterward.

A zero-point feature can work, as you suggest - though if the GM  
allows that for some given trait, he's essentially ruling that the  
trait *isn't* restricted after character creation. Seems that anyone  
could buy it late in the game, at least as long as they claimed the  
zero-point "potential" up front.

So for that reason, I think some nominal point cost sounds good as a  
way to distinguish characters with this "potential" from those who can  
never buy the trait after creation. Handled as a "down payment", as  
you suggest.

T Bone