Last weekend I travelled to Madison for some quality role playing. Rather than go over the results of the session (we started two wars, and got a commendation rather than a court martial-- I'm still flabbergasted about that), I'm going to discuss my trip home, and the skill roles executed.
(If you're unfamiliar with the GURPS system, they use three six sided dice, for rolls between 3 and 18. Lower being better and higher worse.)
I had planned to leave early that afternoon, but the weather was poor. Snow, sleet, bits of hail, scattered storms and high winds. Not pleasant driving conditions. I elected to wait a bit of time to see if the weather improved. This decision, amongst others, leads me to believe that I failed to take the [Common Sense] advantage. The weather failed to improve, and seeing as I had to be back Monday morning, I had to leave as it was getting dark.
Driving roll: 9- Success
Despite the sleet I did not crash my car. Driving rolls will continue to be made throughout.
Navigation: 12- Success
I manage to escape Madison with a minimum of fuss.
Area Knowledge (Wisconsin): 12- Failure
My windshield wipers need replacing. I don't find an open store that carries them on a Sunday night. Imagine that.
Driving: 11- Success. I successfully make it to the next town, despite the right side of my windshield being partially obscured. This town also gives me the opportunity to make another check for windshield wipers.
Area Knowledge (Wisconsin): 10- Success
Despite a false start, I manage to find some wipers in a Wal-Mart
Mechanic (Automobiles): 4- Critical Success!
Despite previous failures in this department, I manage to replace my windshield wipers in inclement weather without fuss. Huzzah! This roll is actually a default off of Driving; I don't have the Mechanic skill myself.
Driving: 13- Success
The roads aren't pleasant, I have to take extra time, but I manage to drive.
Health: 11- Failure
Driving in poor condition requires quite a bit of attention, and I'm worn somewhat from a marathon gaming session. I'm required to pull over and take a short nap.
Driving: 5- Success
Just a success, not a critical success. My driving skill isn't that high.
Health: 10- Failure
Again I have to take a break before I can continue driving.
Navigation: 12- Failure
I attempt a new route passing through Eau Claire. I get my exits confused, and take extra time.
Driving: 16- Failure
The local roads I have to return on are covered in snow. Deep, too. Someone is stuck on the other side of the intersection. When I stop, I can't start again.
Mechanic: 16- Failure
Luckily, as I get there the other guy had summoned help, in a guy with a truck and a tow cable. Unluckily, the first attempt takes off my makeshift bumper.
Mechanic: 14- Success
The second attempt pulls me out
Strength: 7- Success
We push t'other person's car out of the snow.
Will: 13- Failure
This is a self control roll, as apparently I have the disadvantage [Overconfidence] Against my stated intentions and better judgement I try taking the next road over back home. It is also covered in snow. Driving conditions are abysmal, I'm forced to make driving rolls every minute here. Skipping ahead to
Driving: 15- Failure
I manage most of the distance on this road, but get myself stuck again, right in the middle of the road.
IQ: 16- Failure
Despite the obvious presence of winter and the bad conditions, I failed to plan ahead and provide myself with a snow shovel.
Driving: 14- Failure
I don't manage to extricate myself from the middle of the road. After some time, a truck arrives behind me and lends me a shovel. I get to roll again
Driving: 11- Success
After some shoveling, and some shoving, we get my car moving again. I pull it over to the side. I decide to leave my car here, to retrieve it in the morning.
IQ: 6
I remember to retrieve my bottle of Coke from the backpack, preventing it from freezing, exploding and melting all over the GURPS sourcebooks. Tragedy averted.
Survival (Winter): 10- Success
Having decided to leave the car where it is and walk the next two miles, I make it home with no more ill effect.
Breaking out of the skill roll narration, in the morning we retrieved my car, and I made it in to school on time. If I had taken four hours less traveling, like I would have in clear weather, I could have spent some time studying. Then maybe I wouldn't have had to default on my IQ for the essay questions on the test.
Showing posts with label GURPS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GURPS. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
GURPS: Suburban Office
FROM: Bob Cowan, Manager of Human Resources
TO: Accounting new hires
SUBJECT: Welcome!
Hi there!
I'd just like to extend a personal "welcome!" to all you new hires in the Accounts Receivable department. Midstate is the region's leading supplier of office supplies, and I'm glad to have some new teammates to carry the tradition into the future. Despite what you may have heard, Midstate is a company where you can set down roots.
You've already met the head comptroller, Gerald Luckenbill, and your immediate supervisor, Irving Weinbaum during the interviewing process. In addition to them, I expect you'll work closely with Myron Schabe, the Accounts Payable supervisor. None of that bickering which characterized the department in times past.
Thanks, and enjoy your stay at Midstate!
Sincerely
Bob Cowan
Manager, HR
~~~
By request, I'm setting up a short GURPS campaign based on the life and times of Herbert Kornfeld. Players will start the game as new hires at Midstate Office Supply. Play will revolve around accounting and the grand traditions of the Accounts Receivable brotherhood. As such, I'll be making a few modifications to the standard GURPS rules. These are by no means final, and I may add more as they occur to me.
The "Business Acumen" talent will be banned. Raise the points manually. The use of weapons is provisionally allowed, although don't go overboard. I suggest you look at the "New Skills" section.
New Advantages:
Ivy League: 10 points
You got your degree from one of our nations top colleges. This doesn't mean you know any more, but people will be act more favorably to you. You're automatically one pay grade higher than your fellow accountants with similar experience, and you'll get +1 on reaction rolls with people who know where you matriculated. (So be sure to mention it as soon as possible.) In addition, you may know people from your school in other accounting departments. See the Frequency of Appearance Table on B36
Additional Education: 5 points.
You may purchase another set of initials behind your name, which gives you an additional +1 to your reaction rolls and an additional pay grade per level. Don't let it go to your head.
New Disadvantages:
Temp -5 points
Your days are numbered, and what's worse, everybody knows it. Being a temp means you're subject to losing your job at a moment's notice. People will be wary of making long term plans around you, giving you -1 to your reaction rolls.
Compulsive Accounting: -5 points
You live for the ledger. Your life revolves around the office, and making those numbers dance. You'll volunteer for overtime, every time, and you'll resent days off. Holidays are a nightmare. You may find yourself breaking into the office just to keep adding those numbers on weekends. You get a positive reaction roll from people who rely on your accounting, but -1 from the public at large, who see you as something of a deviant. This condition would we worth more points if it wasn't so darn handy around the office.
New Skills:
Crooked Accounting: (IQ/VH)
Defaults: Accounting -6
This is the variant of accounting which lets you make the numbers fit your predetermined outcome, and to not let anyone know that you've done so. Note that failures can be embarassing...
Weapon: Letter Opener (DX/E)
The letter opener is the classic weapon of Accounting. Quick, deadly, capable of either stabbing or throwing, you're never half as safe as you are when you've got your letter opener by your side. Take the skill once for melee and again for thrown.
Weapon: Staple Gun (DX/E)
The use of common office staplers as projectile weapons. Although technically a ranged weapon, their half damage range is 2 hexes. This skill also covers the use of construction grade staple guns, which although they do significantly more damage are of a lower legality class.
Weapon: Three hole punch (DX/A)
The office weapon of choice if you're in favor of clubbing, this counts as an unbalanced weapon.
Exotic Weapon: Paypa-clip Chain (DX/H)
If you want to go for real style, you can swing around a whip of paperclips. This skill has the advantage of allowing you to assemble a new weapon whenever you get access to paper clips, but it is significantly harder to wield.
Weapon: Binder Clips (DX/A)
This is a thrown weapon. They do very little damage, but you can carry many of them without raising (much) suspicion.
Jeet-Kun Do (DX/H)
Technically, this is a variant of the Karate skill already listed in the book. Jeet-Kun Do is the favored martial art of the suburban office environment. It comes with a variety of techniques, most notably the Office Supply attack (hard) that lets you incorporate the use of one of the other office weapons into your Jeet-Kun Do attack. As a prerequisite, you also have to have skill in the weapon.
The specific details of the weapons tables entries for these items to follow.
TO: Accounting new hires
SUBJECT: Welcome!
Hi there!
I'd just like to extend a personal "welcome!" to all you new hires in the Accounts Receivable department. Midstate is the region's leading supplier of office supplies, and I'm glad to have some new teammates to carry the tradition into the future. Despite what you may have heard, Midstate is a company where you can set down roots.
You've already met the head comptroller, Gerald Luckenbill, and your immediate supervisor, Irving Weinbaum during the interviewing process. In addition to them, I expect you'll work closely with Myron Schabe, the Accounts Payable supervisor. None of that bickering which characterized the department in times past.
Thanks, and enjoy your stay at Midstate!
Sincerely
Bob Cowan
Manager, HR
~~~
By request, I'm setting up a short GURPS campaign based on the life and times of Herbert Kornfeld. Players will start the game as new hires at Midstate Office Supply. Play will revolve around accounting and the grand traditions of the Accounts Receivable brotherhood. As such, I'll be making a few modifications to the standard GURPS rules. These are by no means final, and I may add more as they occur to me.
The "Business Acumen" talent will be banned. Raise the points manually. The use of weapons is provisionally allowed, although don't go overboard. I suggest you look at the "New Skills" section.
New Advantages:
Ivy League: 10 points
You got your degree from one of our nations top colleges. This doesn't mean you know any more, but people will be act more favorably to you. You're automatically one pay grade higher than your fellow accountants with similar experience, and you'll get +1 on reaction rolls with people who know where you matriculated. (So be sure to mention it as soon as possible.) In addition, you may know people from your school in other accounting departments. See the Frequency of Appearance Table on B36
Additional Education: 5 points.
You may purchase another set of initials behind your name, which gives you an additional +1 to your reaction rolls and an additional pay grade per level. Don't let it go to your head.
New Disadvantages:
Temp -5 points
Your days are numbered, and what's worse, everybody knows it. Being a temp means you're subject to losing your job at a moment's notice. People will be wary of making long term plans around you, giving you -1 to your reaction rolls.
Compulsive Accounting: -5 points
You live for the ledger. Your life revolves around the office, and making those numbers dance. You'll volunteer for overtime, every time, and you'll resent days off. Holidays are a nightmare. You may find yourself breaking into the office just to keep adding those numbers on weekends. You get a positive reaction roll from people who rely on your accounting, but -1 from the public at large, who see you as something of a deviant. This condition would we worth more points if it wasn't so darn handy around the office.
New Skills:
Crooked Accounting: (IQ/VH)
Defaults: Accounting -6
This is the variant of accounting which lets you make the numbers fit your predetermined outcome, and to not let anyone know that you've done so. Note that failures can be embarassing...
Weapon: Letter Opener (DX/E)
The letter opener is the classic weapon of Accounting. Quick, deadly, capable of either stabbing or throwing, you're never half as safe as you are when you've got your letter opener by your side. Take the skill once for melee and again for thrown.
Weapon: Staple Gun (DX/E)
The use of common office staplers as projectile weapons. Although technically a ranged weapon, their half damage range is 2 hexes. This skill also covers the use of construction grade staple guns, which although they do significantly more damage are of a lower legality class.
Weapon: Three hole punch (DX/A)
The office weapon of choice if you're in favor of clubbing, this counts as an unbalanced weapon.
Exotic Weapon: Paypa-clip Chain (DX/H)
If you want to go for real style, you can swing around a whip of paperclips. This skill has the advantage of allowing you to assemble a new weapon whenever you get access to paper clips, but it is significantly harder to wield.
Weapon: Binder Clips (DX/A)
This is a thrown weapon. They do very little damage, but you can carry many of them without raising (much) suspicion.
Jeet-Kun Do (DX/H)
Technically, this is a variant of the Karate skill already listed in the book. Jeet-Kun Do is the favored martial art of the suburban office environment. It comes with a variety of techniques, most notably the Office Supply attack (hard) that lets you incorporate the use of one of the other office weapons into your Jeet-Kun Do attack. As a prerequisite, you also have to have skill in the weapon.
The specific details of the weapons tables entries for these items to follow.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Max Damage
Despite the somewhat ambiguous name, this is another GURPS character that we used in the last session. Again, it'll be carted around in my briefcase
ST: 12 HP: 12
DX: 12 Per: 10
IQ: 10 Will: 10
HT: 12 FP: 12
Basic move 6. Dodge 11
Advantages:
Combat Reflexes
Daredevil
High Pain Threshold
Disadvantages:
Clueless
Impulsiveness (12 or less)
Tobacco habit
On the Edge
Pyromania
Quirks:
Believes all beautiful women are attracted to him
Catchphrase "Take it to the Max!"
Dislikes college educated nerds
Frequently smokes cigars
Never leaves enemy buildings without trying to blow them up.
Skills:
Pistol 14
Rifle 12
Light machine gun 12
Machine gun turret 12
Minigun 14
Knife 12
Brawling 14
Explosives 11
Fast draw (pistol) 13
Interrogation 9
Intimidate 9
Motorcycle 11
Gambling 9
Now, I didn't have the Max Damage sheet done when the holiday session came around, so I handed it off to one of the experienced min maxers-
Ok, I'm writing this as another role playing session is going on in the background. We've been ordered to kill all the rebels, and found out that there are women and children behind them, who we've also apparently been ordered to kill. (I took a nasty sword wound, so I'm unconscious and out of the battle, so I've got time to blog.) I'm hearing them discuss what to do about the orders:
Nuba: Do we really have to kill them all?
Sprok: I could leave the children, kill the women.
Nuba: What? NO!
Kimball: What? NO! Sprok; we're near a coastal town. We can sell them into slavery.
If you could pay off moral bankruptcy on an installment plan we'd be making payments into the next century.
Back to where I interrupted myself: Ok, I had handed the character sheet over to one of the min maxers, who promptly fiddled some extra stuff on here. So if you're reading this, this is where berserk went. Didn't fit the character. And the skills have been shuffled around.
The discussion behind me has gone into auditing someone's parry skill. As far as we can tell it's five points higher than he thought it was. Fascinating stuff. Maybe I should keep blogging...
ST: 12 HP: 12
DX: 12 Per: 10
IQ: 10 Will: 10
HT: 12 FP: 12
Basic move 6. Dodge 11
Advantages:
Combat Reflexes
Daredevil
High Pain Threshold
Disadvantages:
Clueless
Impulsiveness (12 or less)
Tobacco habit
On the Edge
Pyromania
Quirks:
Believes all beautiful women are attracted to him
Catchphrase "Take it to the Max!"
Dislikes college educated nerds
Frequently smokes cigars
Never leaves enemy buildings without trying to blow them up.
Skills:
Pistol 14
Rifle 12
Light machine gun 12
Machine gun turret 12
Minigun 14
Knife 12
Brawling 14
Explosives 11
Fast draw (pistol) 13
Interrogation 9
Intimidate 9
Motorcycle 11
Gambling 9
Now, I didn't have the Max Damage sheet done when the holiday session came around, so I handed it off to one of the experienced min maxers-
Ok, I'm writing this as another role playing session is going on in the background. We've been ordered to kill all the rebels, and found out that there are women and children behind them, who we've also apparently been ordered to kill. (I took a nasty sword wound, so I'm unconscious and out of the battle, so I've got time to blog.) I'm hearing them discuss what to do about the orders:
Nuba: Do we really have to kill them all?
Sprok: I could leave the children, kill the women.
Nuba: What? NO!
Kimball: What? NO! Sprok; we're near a coastal town. We can sell them into slavery.
If you could pay off moral bankruptcy on an installment plan we'd be making payments into the next century.
Back to where I interrupted myself: Ok, I had handed the character sheet over to one of the min maxers, who promptly fiddled some extra stuff on here. So if you're reading this, this is where berserk went. Didn't fit the character. And the skills have been shuffled around.
The discussion behind me has gone into auditing someone's parry skill. As far as we can tell it's five points higher than he thought it was. Fascinating stuff. Maybe I should keep blogging...
Saturday, January 1, 2011
"Black" Tyrone Gallowglass
A while back I expressed my desire to cart around a mobile GURPS session in my briefcase. As such, I've slowly been accumulating a cast of generic characters to let people borrow. The idea is to be ready at a moments notice, and be able to introduce the game to anyone who's willing to try it. This is one of those characters. First, a bit of background.
He's named for the Black Tyrone, a famed British regiment in India. And by "British" I mean it served the crown, but was composed of Irishmen. Kipling wrote about it. I figured that Black Tyrone makes an excellent name, so I borrowed it. Yeah, stealing names isn't very creative, but I want simple names that evoke the character for this suite. So by appending to him the title "Irish Mercenary" you know most of what you need to know about him, and his character. If you're still annoyed, well, save your complaints until we get to Max Damage, ok? Cause they'll be even more relevant then. On with the sheet:
Oh, wait, one more thing. I abbreviate things on the sheet to make it slightly less confusing to the new player. If you want calculate a basic lift for encumbrance and such, go ahead but I'll ignore it.
ST: 11 HP 12
DX: 12 WP 10
IQ: 10 PE 10
HT: 11 FP 11
Basic move: 5, dodge 9
Advantages:
Combat Reflexes
Patron (Irish Underground)
Danger Sense
Fearless (1)
Disadvantages:
Paranoia
Chummy
Duty (Irish Underground)
Greed
Compulsive Spending
Quirks:
Hates Englishmen
Dirks Irish Beer, Whiskey. Will drink other things, but will complain about them not being irish.
Uses Colorful Profanity
Tells great stories, carefully scoured of identifying details
Always believes the fight is going well.
Skills:
Streetwise 14
Fasttalk 12
Brawling 15
Lockpick 10
Stealth 10
Pistol 15
Rapier 14
Intimidate 9
Gambling 11
Move Silently 9
So yeah, one big amalgamation of Irish jokes, right? I'd apologize if I felt there was anything to apologize for. Be thankful that I didn't give him "homemade explosives" as a skill. Still, I expect he's a lot of fun to play; he certainly looked like it when my brother Sam took him for a test run over the holidays. Greed means he's willing and eager to take any mission for money, compulsive spending and chummy mean that he'd rather buy a round for the bar than hoard the money. And paranoia means he's never too trusting of his new drinking buddies. Oh, and he hates the English. Of course he does.
So let's ask Private Mulvaney what he thinks:
"Now there are Oirish an' Oirish. The good are as good as the best, but the bad are wurrst than the wurrst. 'Tis this way. They clog together in pieces as fast as thieves, an' no wan knows fwhat they will do till wan turns informer an' the gang is bruk. But ut begisn again a day later, meetin' in holes an' corners an' swearin' bloody oaths an' shtickin' a man in the back an' runnin' away, an' thin waitin' for the blood-money on the reward papers-- to see if it's worth enough. Those are the Black Oirish, an' 'tis they that bring dishgrace upon the name av Oireland, an' thim I wud kill--as I nearly killed wan wanst."
(From Soldiers Three, by Ruyard Kipling)
He's named for the Black Tyrone, a famed British regiment in India. And by "British" I mean it served the crown, but was composed of Irishmen. Kipling wrote about it. I figured that Black Tyrone makes an excellent name, so I borrowed it. Yeah, stealing names isn't very creative, but I want simple names that evoke the character for this suite. So by appending to him the title "Irish Mercenary" you know most of what you need to know about him, and his character. If you're still annoyed, well, save your complaints until we get to Max Damage, ok? Cause they'll be even more relevant then. On with the sheet:
Oh, wait, one more thing. I abbreviate things on the sheet to make it slightly less confusing to the new player. If you want calculate a basic lift for encumbrance and such, go ahead but I'll ignore it.
ST: 11 HP 12
DX: 12 WP 10
IQ: 10 PE 10
HT: 11 FP 11
Basic move: 5, dodge 9
Advantages:
Combat Reflexes
Patron (Irish Underground)
Danger Sense
Fearless (1)
Disadvantages:
Paranoia
Chummy
Duty (Irish Underground)
Greed
Compulsive Spending
Quirks:
Hates Englishmen
Dirks Irish Beer, Whiskey. Will drink other things, but will complain about them not being irish.
Uses Colorful Profanity
Tells great stories, carefully scoured of identifying details
Always believes the fight is going well.
Skills:
Streetwise 14
Fasttalk 12
Brawling 15
Lockpick 10
Stealth 10
Pistol 15
Rapier 14
Intimidate 9
Gambling 11
Move Silently 9
So yeah, one big amalgamation of Irish jokes, right? I'd apologize if I felt there was anything to apologize for. Be thankful that I didn't give him "homemade explosives" as a skill. Still, I expect he's a lot of fun to play; he certainly looked like it when my brother Sam took him for a test run over the holidays. Greed means he's willing and eager to take any mission for money, compulsive spending and chummy mean that he'd rather buy a round for the bar than hoard the money. And paranoia means he's never too trusting of his new drinking buddies. Oh, and he hates the English. Of course he does.
So let's ask Private Mulvaney what he thinks:
"Now there are Oirish an' Oirish. The good are as good as the best, but the bad are wurrst than the wurrst. 'Tis this way. They clog together in pieces as fast as thieves, an' no wan knows fwhat they will do till wan turns informer an' the gang is bruk. But ut begisn again a day later, meetin' in holes an' corners an' swearin' bloody oaths an' shtickin' a man in the back an' runnin' away, an' thin waitin' for the blood-money on the reward papers-- to see if it's worth enough. Those are the Black Oirish, an' 'tis they that bring dishgrace upon the name av Oireland, an' thim I wud kill--as I nearly killed wan wanst."
(From Soldiers Three, by Ruyard Kipling)
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