Why I like low-powered games

I wanted to take a few moments to try and explain why I enjoy lower-point campaigns. Perhaps that is the wrong way to start. What I actually enjoy are campaigns where real-world style threats are actually threatening, like a pistol, or even a knife. I like stat “normalization” with a cap of around 13 to 14, because characters with more realistic-feeling attributes seem easier for players to get into, more so in modern day era settings. I want the players to feel like they can’t take any encounter for granted, and they have to use smart tactics and planning to get the upper hand on the bad guys. Now, to some extent I have to create bad guys that are somewhat on par with the PC’s (my dimension hopping campaign has an average point value of 120 with 30 points in disads (not counting lower than average attributes) and 5 Quirks). But on par doesn’t necessarily mean that all the NPC’s are equal to the PC’s, there are plenty of powerful bad guys, but the players know this (usually) and plan accordingly. Either ambushing the baddies, or negotiating if possible, finding an ally, or just coming up with a clever plan. Having characters that are grounded in what feel like realistic skill levels and attributes gives them a real sense of accomplishment when they do get the better of a serious bad guy.

Many great TV shows feature pretty normal folks dealing with a variety of RPG style adventures. Examples include Lost, Deadwood, Sons of Anarchy or Rome. All of those rely on [clever scriptwriters] the characters working hard to overcome various obstacles. None involve the protagonists wading into a firefight with a pistol skill of 25+ and a massive Dodge from their DX & HT of 18 and taking aimed shots at the eyes. The characters in these shows never seem optimized, or “efficient”, and they seem more believable and sympathetic as a result.

Back again!

Well, I did move, but I lost track of my blogging and now it has been two years since my “short hiatus” began.

I have been working on some non-Domibia projects in the intervening years, including another world-building effort for a place called Testudo. And now I am prepping for a large-scale dimension/time travel camapign (for GURPS). I say large-scale because there are 24 PC’s (a handful of whom haven’t been chosen by a player) and 4 NPC Allies.

I once again used a Central Casting book (Heroes Now, this time) to create the PC’s and NPC’s. Because the campaign is involving people who were not planning on becoming dimension/time jumpers I decided to just randomly create all of the characters. I have nine players who have picked two PC’s each (a primary and a secondary). It is highly unlikely that all nine will ever be playing at the same time, so I am planning on having several concurrent plots going and decide which I will run at a given session by who is going to be there. The non-chosen PC’s will be there if there is ever a guest player who doesn’t have a character to play.

I provided the players with a list of the characters, but no real game stats, so they would choose them by background and personality. It seemed to work out pretty well. We’ll see what happens when I actually get a chance to run the thing…

Here are the descriptions that I provided the players to pick from:

1. [129] 27 year old African American who grew up in the Seattle area. Always dreamed of being a ship’s captain, but didn’t get farther that serving on some large fishing ships. Instead they ended up going to University of Washington and getting a degree in Business Management. This isn’t a very nice person, they have a lot of disadvantages (ex: Greedy, Laziness, Selfish, etc) that make them unlikable. They do speak Japanese and have really good attributes. Seems like a good back-up character for someone.

2. [66] 26 year old American (mutt) who grew up in the Visalia CA area. They were raised by an older sister and have a twin. They went to vocational school and are now working as a stone mason. There isn’t a lot to sell this character, they have some goodish survival skills and is smart and dexterous.

3. [83] 24 year old Hispanic American (Costa Rican descent) who grew up in Redding CA. They ran away from home at 12 and never returned. They became involved with a gang in Buffalo NY and besides acting as low-grade muscle the gang leadership saw that the character was pretty smart so they investing in sending the PC to college. The PC has tons of electronics skills and is fairly well rounded. Again, an excellent back-up character.

4. [65] 22 year old American (mutt) who grew up in rural Tennessee. They have some good survival skills and are smart and perceptive. Other than that, they don’t have too much going for them (they work at Walmart). They could be good in an outdoorsy situation.

5. [80] 25 year old of Laotian descent who grew up in Bellflower CA. They can do a little bit of everything, but none of it very well. They are a HS drop-out and have worked driving trucks around the LA-OC region. They can sing really well, and can handle themselves in a fistfight. This is another “utility infielder” who might be a good back-up for a main PC.

6. [21] 24 year old American (mutt) from San Francisco. Besides a high IQ, this character has lousy attributes and is missing their left ear (Hard of Hearing) and was badly burned on his face, arms and chest when a piece of hospital tech the PC was working on caught fire and lit their clothes up. They also have some book learning which could be useful and they have done some fencing (so they sorta have a sword skill…). This one is probably doomed to be an NPC.7. [23] 26 year old American (Canadian descent) who grew up in an Anabaptist community in western Maryland. The community was mostly sticking with 1700’s technology, so the character is Tech Level 5 (rather than the standard 8 for the current day). After your infant son and spouse were killed when one of the few propane tanks in the community blew up, you left the community and went out into the real world. Now, this is kind of interesting, the character saved the someone’s life and now that person is their constant companion. The companion is an NPC Ally worth 102 points. They are a 23 year old gung-ho journalist and computer geek of Iraqi descent. I am starting to feel that the roles should be reversed for these two. The Iraqi-American journalist sound much more fun to play than the depressed ex-Mennonite. Whoever chooses them can make that decision.

8. [216] 32 year old American (mutt) from rural New Hampshire. They did a lot of rock/mountain climbing as a teen. Attended West Point and served in Afghanistan and saw combat during the war as an Apache pilot. This character has a ton of useful skills (besides his Piloting: Helicopter-18). They are pretty smart and very dexterous, and no attribute is below 10.

9. [123] 31 year old Native American (Abenaki tribe) from Concord New Hampshire. The PC is good with computers and has a degree in Business Management focusing on charities and other non-profits. They have a ton of useful skills from their rural upbringing and can sail a sailboat.

10. [42] 27 year old African American (very proud of their Zairian ancestry) from Philadelphia. This character is hard to pin down. They have some useful skills from their background (stranded on a tropical island, Lost style, for several weeks) they don’t have a ton of adventurer type skills. They *are* in amazing shape with a HT (Health) of 14 + Fit (which allows faster fatigue recovery). One possible wrinkle is that the PC was married and their spouse cheated on them *while* on the vacation that is going to be the starting point of the campaign. Whoever picks this character will have to decide if they want to have the spouse as a Dependent (or Ally) that they are not very pleased with at the moment, or let their until-recently-beloved spouse suffer whatever fate I have in store for everyone… I won’t actually create an NPC until I know that they will be with the group.

11. [169] 39 year old Belgian-American ex-track and field “star” from Bowling Green KY. This character is sort of a badass. They are very strong and extrememly healthy, as well as being 25% taller than average (details to be determined by the gender that is chosen). They have some negative personality traits, but would be kind of fun to play. They are also really good to have around in a fight. They have some psionic abilities, but I don’t want other players to know what those might be, so I will not describe them here. They have a spouse who is a [79] point NPC who has a pilot’s license and is an expert horse rider (and is skilled in knife fighting!). To be honest, I pictured the PC as a guy (looking like Ninja from Die Antwoord) which would make them 7’5″ tall and weigh 300 lbs. but that can be modified if needed, if someone wants to run them as a female.

12. [5] 37 year old American (mutt) from the Sacramento area. The point value is slightly misleading, as they have some below average attributes that really lowered their point cost. They were a professional jewelry dealer with a pilot’s license prior to joining the Air Force. They served as a ground crewman for a ground attack squadron in Iraq. So they have a lot of useful skills, but aren’t anything but average in them. But they would make a good back-up character for someone that is a non-combat type.

13. [156] 28 year old American (mutt) from New York city. This character grew up in a tough neighborhood and knows how to take care of themselves. They managed to get into college and became an archaeologist (specializing in North American Plains Indians). They have some good skills (adventuring applicable) and decent attributes (including some criminal type stuff from their youth). They also have a [96] point spouse. A member of the Onandaga tribe from Canton OH, the 27 year old spouse is a locally well-known MMA style fighter who fights with Brazilian style Jiu-Jitsu. A scholarly (but roguish) character with an ass-kicking Ally could be a fun character to play.

14. [239] 31 year old American (mutt) from a small town outside of El Paso. They have *really* good attributes (and skill levels). Besides some hobby skills and work related skills (they are a steel worker) they have Fencing and Cooking (specifically Baking) at high levels. They also are very good with animals (but like dogs most of all).

15. [140] 37 year old Arab-American from Denver. This is what I would call a “player character” if I met them in reality. They have some computer skills and some criminal type skills from a misspent youth. They moved to Israel after inheriting a house from a Palestinian family member and get recruited by the Mossad. The character works with Mossad and gets put through IDF training. They spent a lot of time in Romania and think of it as a third home. So they have combat skills (Krav Maga!) and a handful of languages and some spycraft. Unfortunately, they did lose their right eye in a firefight with some Hamas members.

16. [117] 31 year old Arab-American from Odessa TX. This character technically a Kuwaiti sheik, but is so far down the family totem pole that they are just wealthy ex-patriates. The character has a good education with a degree in psychology. Instead of practicing that he instead is a guide/pilot in the Philippines (which they fell in love with). They also have some experience with ships (from serving on a tramp steamer for a while). They also have a wee bit of occult knowledge (but no spoilers).

17. [101] 43 year old child of Swedish immigrants who grew up in Terre Haute IN. There isn’t a lot of adventuring type skills with this character. They worked as a leatherworker for a long time and then went culinary school and became a chef (Cooking skill 14). Dexterity and IQ are both 12, but they are the best of the bunch. Another possible back-up character for less dangerous missions.

18.  [173] 34 year old member of the Potowatomi tribe in central Michigan. This character is tough to describe without giving away secret stuff that the player may not want the other players knowing. They are extremely strong so when you get punched by them it is likely a fight ender. They have some small psionic ability and have made a living as a bounty hunter for the last decade. This a perfect primary character for someone, as they have a bunch of cool stuff…

19. (165] 52 year old American (mutt) from Detroit. This is a really good non-combat type character, they have a ton of social skills and some minor psionic abilities. They attended Cornell and have a degree in Business Management. While in school they part of a breaking and entering type burglary group (so they have some thief type skills). They were very active in local politics and was a friend of the mayor of Detroit. There is also a spouse. A [113] point journalist from Missouri with some useful skills.

20. [156] 63 year old American (mutt) from Shreveport LA. While old for an adventurer, this character has good attributes (specifically Health and Perception) and was an FBI agent in their past. Now they are a semi-retired journalist. They have a LOT of useful skills (as well as a bunch of interesting but not vital skills such as swing dancing and playing the fiddle). I pictured this as a female character (looking like Helen Mirren when she was 63), but as with all of these, the player has the final choice on gender.

21. [124] 21 year old American of Spanish descent from Marquette MI (in the northern part of the state). This character is a minor celebrity and has done a lot of local theater since they were 13. Now they have had some small parts in a couple of movies and are a regional spokesperson for the American Alliance for Theater & Education. They are really good at acting, singing and public speaking. They also have a background involving a lot of survival skills (Survival and Hiking and Boating, etc). They are also very attractive and would be a good “face” for the party.

22. [61] 12 year old African American kid from Waterford CT. This character is about what you would expect from a modern American kid, some sports, some games and computer skills and not too much else. They are probably going to be relegated to being a plot device (unless someone wants a real RPing challenge).

23. [7] 11 year old American (mutt) from Phoenix AZ. Another pretty typical modern kid. They grew up very poor so they don’t have as many techie skills as the 12 year old. They are pretty dexterous and smart though, even for an adult. Again, probably will become a plot device.

The characters are made for GURPS and the [#] is the point value of the PC.

Antente sample character

I decided that I will post an example/sample character for each of the races as I write them up. Currently GURPS 4th is my game of choice, so that is what I will be writing them up for (after rolling them randomly using SAFUG (for fun)).

So, here is an Antente character.

I rolled Zepherine up using my SAFUG system and then converted her to GURPS (I find it more fun to roll NPC’s randomly and then create the backstory for their attributes). I also used the old Central Casting: Heroes of Legend book to generate her background (again, I like being surprised as the GM). The lower Speed and the Ham-Fisted disad were taken to simulate the fact that her whole body agility is greater than her fine motor skills (per the SAFUG rolls).

Zepherine was born into a very poor family, the third of ten children. Her father, Henri, made a bare living as a wood cutter, clearing land for other poor farmers. By the time she was five she had started helping out and by the time she was a teen she was at home in the woods and supplementing the family income by poaching in the royal game reserves.

When she was 12 she began selling poached venison to a local crime boss who was so impressed with her avarice and pluck that he introduced her to a criminal colleague by the name of Jacque Un Oeil. Jacque was a smuggler and sometime pirate who operated in the main port of Mandelemer. She worked for Jacque on a pirate ship for a year, sailing all along the coast and looting foreign merchant ships.

When traveling home to show off how well she was doing to her siblings and parents she was arrested for her association with a known pirate and being a probable smuggler. After several weeks of fairly mild torture she still did not confess anything and her situation came to the attention of the Comtesse Fanchette DuBois who owned the land that Zepherine had grown up on. She admired the girl’s willpower and loyalty to her bosses and decided that she would be a useful pawn in the daily intrigues that bubbled around Reine Anais XIII’s court.

Comtesse DuBois who was 76 was surprised that she enjoyed the company of Zepherine, who she was pleased to learn was intelligent and perceptive. Thus began an unusual friendship that continues to this day. The Comtesse taught Zepherine to comport herself amongst aristocrats (somewhat) and also instructed her in theology. When Zepherine was 16 she was given a ring bearing the Comtesse’s seal and a letter explaining that she was to be treated as a landowner. Even though this is largely symbolic, Zepherine is extremely proud of her semi-landed status and is extremely careful of the letter and ring.

During her continued exploits as a low-level pirate she met and befriended a Treori (think faun) circus performer named Short-horn the Juggler. She and Short-horn spent a lot of time carousing and getting into small scale adventures while she traveled with the circus. She and Short-horn remain friends and try to get in contact whenever possible.

Zepherine is impulsive, greedy and somewhat thoughtless, but has a good heart when you get past her tough exterior. She is not a stand-up fighter and prefers ambushing and then taking prisoners when possible. She spends her money as fast as she makes it and always seems to be broke. She would make a viable PC, but her lack of real armor could make it tough in a combat heavy campaign.

Zepherine la Puce (the Flea)
20 year old Antente female

ST : 10 HP: 10 Speed: 6.00 [-5]

DX: 14 [80] Will: 13 [10] Move: 6

IQ: 11 [20] Per: 13 [10] Height & Weight: 5’7” 130 lbs.

HT: 11 [10] FP: 11 SM: 0

Dodge: 9 Parry: 10

Social Background
TL: 3 [0]
Cultural Familiarities: Antente (Native) [0].
Languages: Ahngli (Accented/None) [2]; Lan (Broken/None) [1]; Wansi (Native/None) [0].
The Ahngli she learned from her Treori friend and Lan is a sort of lingua franca in seafaring regions.

Advantages [29]

Ally (Short-horn the Juggler) (75% of starting points) (6 or less) [2], Appearance (Beautiful) [12], Patrons (Comtesse Fanchette DuBois) (6 or less; Special Abilities: extensive social or political power) [8], Status (+1) (Gadget/Can Be Stolen: Thief must win a Quick Contest of DX or ST) [4]

Disadvantages [-60]

Duty (Comtesse DuBois) (6 or less (quite rarely)) [-2], Greed (12 or less) [-15], Ham-Fisted (-1) [-5], Impulsiveness (12 or less) [-10], Overconfidence (15 or less) [-2], Selfish (15 or less) [-2], Sense of Duty (Comtesse DuBois) (Individual) [-2], Sense of Duty (Short-horn the Juggler) (Individual) [-2], Social Stigma (Criminal Record) [-5], Wealth (Poor) [-15]

Quirks [-3]

Easily Frustrated [-1], Proud (of status) [-1], Romantic [-1], Shows off with her foreign cutlass [-1]

Skills [59]

Area Knowledge (Coast of Bradelemar) IQ/E – IQ+0 11 [1], Area Knowledge (Local woodlands) IQ/E – IQ+2 13 [4], Armoury/TL3 (Bowyer/Fletcher) IQ/A – IQ+0 11 [2], Axe/Mace DX/A – DX+0 14 [2], Bow DX/A – DX+0 14 [2], Brawling DX/E – DX+2 16 [4], Carousing HT/E – HT+1 12 [2], Climbing DX/A – DX+0 14 [2], Fast-Talk IQ/A – IQ+1 12 [4], Holdout IQ/A – IQ-1 10 [1], Knife DX/E – DX+2 16 [4], Knot-Tying DX/E – DX-3 11 [1], includes: -3 from ‘Ham-Fisted’, Naturalist (Domibia) IQ/H – IQ-1 10 [2], Navigation/TL3 (Land) IQ/A – IQ+0 11 [2], Professional Skill (Wood Cutter) IQ/E – IQ+1 12 [2], Running HT/A – HT+0 11 [2], Savoir-Faire (High Society) IQ/E – IQ+0 11 [1], Seamanship/TL3 IQ/E – IQ+1 12 [2], Shortsword DX/A – DX+0 14 [2], Stealth DX/A – DX+1 15 [4], Streetwise IQ/A – IQ+1 12 [4], Survival (Woodlands) Per/A – Per+1 14 [4], Theology (Riante) IQ/H – IQ-2 9 [1], Thrown Weapon (Knife) DX/E – DX+0 14 [1], Urban Survival Per/A – Per+0 13 [2], Wrestling DX/A – DX+0 14 [2]

Stats [125] Ads [29] Disads [-60] Quirks [-3] Skills [59] = Total [150]

Hand Weapons

1 Cutlass $500 Wgt:2
Swing Dam:1d cut Reach:1 Parry:10 ST:8
Thrust Dam:1d-1 imp Reach:1 Parry:10 ST:8
Hilt punch Dam:1d-2 cr Reach:C Parry:11 ST: Skill: Brawling

1 Dagger $20 Wgt:.25
Dam:1d-3 imp Reach:C Parry:10 ST:5

1 Hatchet $40 Wgt:2
Dam:1d cut Reach:1 Parry:10 ST:8

1 Small Knife $30 Wgt:.5
Swing Dam:1d-3 cut Reach:C, 1 Parry:10 ST:5
Thrust Dam:1d-3 imp Reach:C Parry:10 ST:5

Ranged Weapons

1 Dagger Dam:1d-3 imp Acc:0 Range:5 / 10
RoF:1 Shots:T(1) ST:5 Bulk:-1 Rcl:- $20 Wgt:.25

1 Hatchet Dam:1d cut Acc:1 Range:15 / 25
RoF:1 Shots:T(1) ST:8 Bulk:-2 Rcl:- $40 Wgt:2

1 Short Bow (ST 10) Dam:1d-2 imp Acc:1 Range:150 / 200
RoF:1 Shots:1(2) ST:7† Bulk:-6 Rcl:- $50 Wgt:1.5 Notes:[3]

1 Small Knife Dam:1d-3 imp Acc:0 Range:5 / 10
RoF:1 Shots:T(1) ST:5 Bulk:-1 Rcl:- $30 Wgt:.5

Armor & Possessions

10 Arrow $20 Wgt:1 Location: Quiver
1 Boots, Light Leather $50 Wgt:1.5 Location: Feet
1 Leather, Light (Torso) $180 Wgt:3.3 Location: Torso
1 Ordinary Clothes (Status +0) $120 Wgt:2 Location: Body
1 Shoulder Quiver $30 Wgt:1.5 Location: Shoulder