Package Deals

[MarkusDark]

Please excuse this newbie question but it is something that has always had my brain go a lil' wonky and I will fully admit I have not delved into the rulebook for the answer.

I have a package deal that costs 5 points
The package deal gives me 50 points of skills, etc. and 30 points of disadvantages (don't worry if the points don't equal the package deal, it is just numbers for help).
The character guidelines is 200 + 100 points of Disads
I build my character with 195 points + 100 points of Disads

Do I then add the package deal for 5 points and everything is just fine?

It costs me only 5 points but I get 50 points worth of stuff, putting me over the 200 limit and my disads go up to 130.

[Ben Seeman]

Originally posted by MarkusDark
Please excuse this newbie question but it is something that has always had my brain go a lil' wonky and I will fully admit I have not delved into the rulebook for the answer.

I have a package deal that costs 5 points
The package deal gives me 50 points of skills, etc. and 30 points of disadvantages (don't worry if the points don't equal the package deal, it is just numbers for help).
The character guidelines is 200 + 100 points of Disads
I build my character with 195 points + 100 points of Disads

Do I then add the package deal for 5 points and everything is just fine?

It costs me only 5 points but I get 50 points worth of stuff, putting me over the 200 limit and my disads go up to 130.

In your example, the cost of the package deal would actually be 20 points (powers/skills/etc - disads). You would have 50 less points to spend (since you bought what was in the package deal) and would have to come up with 30 points less of disads.

In your case, you would need another 150 of powers, etc. and another 70 of disads. The package deal does not give you any point discounts, simply "things that you MUST buy".

Unless I'm missing something... which could definitely be the case

[Monolith]

The Skills get added to the Skill section of the character and the Disadvantages get added to the Disadvantage section of the character. It is not 45 free points. The character must still balance out to 350. It just so happens that 50 points of the character's skills come from a package and 45 points of Disadvantage (of his maximum of 150) come from the package.

PS: It is scary to see someone with over 1,000 posts on this message board asking a "newbie" question.

[zornwil]

The two prior posters said it all re the points question, I just want to add that "Package Deal" I think has caused a lot of confusion because of the word "Deal". It is NOT a deal. They should just be called "Standard Packages".

[MarkusDark]

Thank you. I had been building a Global Guardian character and the funny thing was that by the time I was done with the packages, (figuring I had a job before becoming a guardian), I had spent almost half of my skills. Couldn't see the 'deal' in restricting my character like that. Also, their "Packages" are not correct in the points if it is a straight up one for one so that was confusing me as well. Example:

Actor Package (3 Points):
Acting (3)
Cramming 8 Or Less (5)
Disguise (3)
Knowledge Skill: Famous Actors (3)
Oratory (3)
Persusation (3)
Choose One:
High Society (3)
Streetwise (3)
Psychological Limit: Attention Seeker (-15)

The package should cost 8 points, not 3 - correct?

Hence the reason why I am so confuddled. Others aren't doing it right.

[Monolith]

Originally posted by MarkusDark
The package should cost 8 points, not 3 - correct?

By 5th Edition rules the package costs you 23 points and gives you 15 points of Disadvantages; which then apply to your overall Disadvantage total. You might want to check with your GG GM though. I think GG has it's own set of rules for Package Deals that do not work the same way as the "official" rules.

[Toadmaster]

I agree that the "deal" in the packages is sort of confusing since the freebee points are no longer included but the packages do still offer some benefits that otherwise may not be available. Many of the disadvantages would be questionable under normal circumstances, for example "subject to orders" in a structured campaign such as a military or government agency based one this is hardly a disadvantage, you follow the "mission" or there is no game, but as part of a military or agency package it is completely justified even if only marginally a disadvantage. The packages can also be used to restrict skills, advantages etc, for example in a place that firearms are severely restricted you might be prevented from taking WF smallarms unless you take a military, law enforcement of criminal package, same could go for other "powers" such as magic being resticted to a "guild" package. Finally the are quite nice for providing some color to the campaigns background and can help eliminate silliness such as a "green beret" character having less military skills than a "cook" because of players having very differant ideas of what military skills are appropriate.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: "Deal": Package Deals were "Deals" in previous editions, because you got a Package Deal bonus of 1 to 3 points on each package. 1 to 3 points is fairly marginal, but a character structured around 3 or 4 packaged deals suddenly would gain around 10 freebie points.

I personally never had a problem with that and used Package Deals heavily in my campaigns, particularly Fantasy, where each character had to have 1 (and only 1) mandatory Race Package Deal, and 0 or more Profession {Class equivalent} Package Deals with no real upper limit, only common sense/in play limits (ie, to have a 'Thief', a 'Wizard', and a 'Guardsman' package, a character would have had to of recieved appropriate training).


Also, I have used a house rule/campaign limit which says basically that the Max Disadvantages limit is raised at certain point steps, generally 25 every 100 Exp or 5 every 20, but only for Disadvantages that are taken as part of a approved Package Deal. This encourages characters to seek out new training, join organizations, and what not later in thier career rather than only as part of thier background.


In 5th Edition Package Deals are really Templates, and thats all. Organizational aids basically.....

[Super Squirrel]

Originally posted by MarkusDark
The package deal gives me 50 points of skills, etc. and 30 points of disadvantages (don't worry if the points don't equal the package deal, it is just numbers for help).

There should count for 50 of your total points and 30 of your 100 disadvantages.