Comments

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  magavendon

  Posts: 112 January 2012

  My DM actually tried to remedy that situation, because he just hates me being awesome I guess, unfortunately I can't remember right now how we got around the whole problem of people beginning to expect a backpack assault. You can be sure I had a way around it, of course, being the awesome rogue that I was. ;)
  
  But it's still a good idea, nevertheless. The world should react to what people do in it. GURPS naturally has a reputation system in place. Sadly, though, I'm not very good right now at using it to have people react to my PCs in different ways. I keep trying to remind myself, but there is so much else to keep track of I just keep forgetting, heh.
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  TheMazeController

  Posts: 115 January 2012

  Verisimilitude would curb the backpack attack pretty fast in my game. If you're carrying a hobbit in your pack ... where's your stuff? if the hobbit is in the pack where is his pack? ... What about being dreadfully overbalanced if you get ambushed?
  
  I could go on and on obviously but I wouldn't be a jerk about it either... if this was an occasional tactic that the players employed as part of a plan of attack **queue huddle scene:** __"Ok Guys - Were going to go with plan Zulu... halfling pack attack."__ I would run with that no problem. It's when it gets to be the tactics du jour that I would sprinkle in a little reality.
  
  I usually dont have my players try to break the game tho - Kinda like where I read about the guy who tied a mount to a dragon... issues with that idea probably ... but in the interest of fun I would go with it until I had players trying to break the game. After that they would get slapped down.
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  HurstGM

  Posts: 205 January 2012

  I keep track of their actions with a three tier approach. Good, Evil, and Neutral. These are generalizations of course. As an example if i have someone constantly trying to get people to surrender then he kills them all for crimes in his version of justice then people will not surrender and the "bandits" who could repent and be shown mercy and change will not and fight to the death like cornered animals after all they have nothing to lose. As they gain fame of one kind or another the different "factions" will react positively or negatively off the bat. They go to a average town and they are known heros well they get treated better. They go to torgua and are great heroes they are treated like crap.
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  Black_Vulmea

  Posts: 277 January 2012

  In _Flashing Blades_ I frequently use the difference between two characters' Social Ranks as a modifier to any rolls involving social skills - having a higher social rank confers an advantage, lower social rank a penalty. This does a good job of reinforcing both the pervasive social stratification of the period as well as highlighting the importance of gaining social rank as a reward system in the game.
  
  I started adding a reputation modifier to the social rank based on a character's exploits. Frex, Riordan O'Neill is not only a sergeant of the King's Musketeers (Social Rank 8), he's also a master superior with the rapier in the French style, so in interactions between Riordan and other characters over issues of swordsmanship, Riordan gets a + 1 bump to his social rank as a reputation bonus.
  
  So far the bonuses are _ad hoc_ and situational, but at some point I'll write them down as a proper house rule.
  
  Mike aka Black Vulmea
  "_Le Ballet de l'Acier_":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/le-ballet-de-l-acier - swashbuckling adventures in the age of the Three Musketeers and Captain Alatriste
  Featured Campaign of the Month - August 2011
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  Baalshamon

  Posts: 585 January 2012

  In my own games we use a system of renown based on catagories as follows: Aggression, Discipline, Initiative, Openess, Honor, Valor, Faith, Skill, Luck, etc. the characters earn possitive and engative points in each catagory. If they are recognized by an NPC the npc gains knowledge of any catagory they person has +6/-6 or more points in. Then the NPC actions may be colored by his knowledge of the character. For example, a character with a high aggression and high initiative renown will be know as a hothead while one with a high openess renown will be known as generally freindly. Some cultures prize certain renown aspects and possession of high renown in those aspects will offer a better starting point for the character when he engages those culture socially.
  
  Renown also can be used to determine eligability for promotion in an organization. For example: Starfleet likes a negative aggression, positive openess, and possitive skill renown. If these numbers are high the player is likely to gain a promotion and if low more likely to be viewed as a frakup or scrutinized more closely by his superiors. A high initiative renown is both good and bad. I coupled with high skill the character is perceived as a leader but if coupled with low skill he may be percieved as unfocused and dangerous to his teamates.