Challenge Standard
One of the things I first got confused about in GURPS is the Task Difficulties. 3rd ed didn't describe it as clearly and this made a wide discrepancy in the challenges different GMs would send. Unlike skills described in other systems (like d20) there were only very few examples of average tasks to save on space. A criticism is that it would give a description what the skill but it would rarely give examples tasks to roll for, and very rarely examples of various other tasks w/ different difficulties.
So a common problem would be that different GMs may have widely different standards for a "Roll". I know its a bitch of standardization problem but it's not a big deal unless you are like me. Usually the problem is what is the GM's definition of Professional.
The Skill Check. B171
"Your base skill measures your odds of success at an 'average' task in a stressful situation where the consequences of failure are significant."
Each GM have a standard by which they consider task difficulties. This is important when optimizing a character so that you know what to expect in the rolls they ask. Things to consider:
- "Will the GM ask me to roll for every little thing?"
- "Does this GM consider Extra Time, Haste, Non-Hazardous Tasks, Concentration, has he put B171 to heart or memorized the examples of Task Modifiers?"
- "Is he a grounded realist/skeptic or a likes fantasy and cinematics?"
- "What does he think of Social Skills and How he balances between the Roll and Role-playing?"
- "What is your GM character build style? What he considers important or in his world 'Realistic' or a Priority. "
These basic questions provide enough detail to go into character creation if your a GURPS geek trying a new GM, but for newbies or passing fancies your better off asking for a pre-gen.
GM challenge standards in GURPS can be tricky. As a GM Being skeptical and a Kill-joy helps from making future head aches when your players are really curious and inventive, BUT what is more important is to have really good imagination. In the bottom line, you've got to sell it to them.
Good Reasoning, Empathy, and Experience really helps judge the proper difficulty to a challenge, but more importantly such reasoning is important when your players need to Know the reason behind your call. Its not bad being questioned, eventually players stop asking once they get your vibe.
Examples of Difficulties. read B171 carefully "...consequences of failure are significant". First of before the heroics and the cinematics, enumerate the sober challenges of a particular skill. In your given personal experience (and experience is 80% of this, background is 19.99%) compare these to the tasks given in examples in B345.
Ex. Compare the use of Driving to...something unusual Psychology Roll.
In an Average Challenge, the example given is a car chase for driving.
Consider why a Chase is considered Challenging?
- Compared to a road rally (favorable, +1), you have unpredictable turns.Whats the worse that can happen, Fail the chase and lose the car.
Certainly not crash, Why?
Because the risks does not reflect the challenge. If there was a risk of crashing it would be from the margin of failure not from failing a car chase. When people are on a car chase, crashing is on their list of things to avoid.
Imagine a professional Driver (a taxi, limo, buss driver) asked to chase another vehicle, By the book, the system gives the driver a 75% chance of catching up.
Now consider Psychology?
What is the Basic Professional Favorable circumstance of a psychology test? On TV we see an interview which takes a couple of hours until the patient comes to a point. Given that circumstance, we can guess that it considered a mundane task (a +4) and since it is a professional the skill is 12 (as in the book). Now take out the favorable and mundane environment, and put in some stressful elements.
Ex. A long and friendly talk in a cafe while maintaining a interactive conversation. A professional Psychologist can get a pretty good idea with a 75% chance of success.
Now put some creative modifiers: Speaking in a Bar, Holding a decent conversation and listening with other participants...
...Daily Show
Don't be afraid to make mistakes and learn, your not a "god" controlling a world or a "Judge" or referee, you're their friend who is having fun with them.
Don't be afraid of killing the mood. Friends come to relax, have fun, laugh their ass off once in a while as well. You can wrestle back control once all of you have vented .
So a common problem would be that different GMs may have widely different standards for a "Roll". I know its a bitch of standardization problem but it's not a big deal unless you are like me. Usually the problem is what is the GM's definition of Professional.
The Skill Check. B171
"Your base skill measures your odds of success at an 'average' task in a stressful situation where the consequences of failure are significant."
Each GM have a standard by which they consider task difficulties. This is important when optimizing a character so that you know what to expect in the rolls they ask. Things to consider:
- "Will the GM ask me to roll for every little thing?"
- "Does this GM consider Extra Time, Haste, Non-Hazardous Tasks, Concentration, has he put B171 to heart or memorized the examples of Task Modifiers?"
- "Is he a grounded realist/skeptic or a likes fantasy and cinematics?"
- "What does he think of Social Skills and How he balances between the Roll and Role-playing?"
- "What is your GM character build style? What he considers important or in his world 'Realistic' or a Priority. "
These basic questions provide enough detail to go into character creation if your a GURPS geek trying a new GM, but for newbies or passing fancies your better off asking for a pre-gen.
GM challenge standards in GURPS can be tricky. As a GM Being skeptical and a Kill-joy helps from making future head aches when your players are really curious and inventive, BUT what is more important is to have really good imagination. In the bottom line, you've got to sell it to them.
Good Reasoning, Empathy, and Experience really helps judge the proper difficulty to a challenge, but more importantly such reasoning is important when your players need to Know the reason behind your call. Its not bad being questioned, eventually players stop asking once they get your vibe.
Examples of Difficulties. read B171 carefully "...consequences of failure are significant". First of before the heroics and the cinematics, enumerate the sober challenges of a particular skill. In your given personal experience (and experience is 80% of this, background is 19.99%) compare these to the tasks given in examples in B345.
Ex. Compare the use of Driving to...something unusual Psychology Roll.
In an Average Challenge, the example given is a car chase for driving.
Consider why a Chase is considered Challenging?
- Compared to a road rally (favorable, +1), you have unpredictable turns.Whats the worse that can happen, Fail the chase and lose the car.
Certainly not crash, Why?
Because the risks does not reflect the challenge. If there was a risk of crashing it would be from the margin of failure not from failing a car chase. When people are on a car chase, crashing is on their list of things to avoid.
Imagine a professional Driver (a taxi, limo, buss driver) asked to chase another vehicle, By the book, the system gives the driver a 75% chance of catching up.
Now consider Psychology?
What is the Basic Professional Favorable circumstance of a psychology test? On TV we see an interview which takes a couple of hours until the patient comes to a point. Given that circumstance, we can guess that it considered a mundane task (a +4) and since it is a professional the skill is 12 (as in the book). Now take out the favorable and mundane environment, and put in some stressful elements.
Ex. A long and friendly talk in a cafe while maintaining a interactive conversation. A professional Psychologist can get a pretty good idea with a 75% chance of success.
Now put some creative modifiers: Speaking in a Bar, Holding a decent conversation and listening with other participants...
...Daily Show
Don't be afraid to make mistakes and learn, your not a "god" controlling a world or a "Judge" or referee, you're their friend who is having fun with them.
Don't be afraid of killing the mood. Friends come to relax, have fun, laugh their ass off once in a while as well. You can wrestle back control once all of you have vented .
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