Starting points for a realistic game?

[tkdguy]

I'm going to run a near-future, hard science fiction game. I want to keep things mostly realistic, so while there will be some advancements in technology, they won't be anywhere near the Star Trek level.

 

I think 75 points base + 75 points of disadvantages would be a bit too much for this game. I can do 50 pts. base + 50 pts. disads, but it may be too low a point total. Maybe 60 pts. base + 60 pts. disads will work. The system would be 5th Ed. Skills will be common; powers would only come from items. Combat may or may not be common, depending on what type of characters the players create.

 

Any recommendations?

[L. Marcus]

I'd go with 50+50. I'd say that would get you the level of characters in Firefly, apart from River Tam -- to me, she's an NPC.

[tkdguy]

Sounds good to me. It may be easier for starting players as well. Thanks.

[IndianaJoe3]

50 points of Complications is a lot. The 6e standard for Competent Normals is 70+30.

[tkdguy]

Are the points for 6e different from 5e? I'm using the latter, although 70+30 also sounds good to me.

 

I may vary the point totals depending on the character types, but I'll try to keep things as consistent as possible.

[IndianaJoe3]

Yeah, they boosted starting points to make up for figured characteristics going away. They also increased the base points and reduced the amount of Complications (Disadvantages) needed at every level.

[tkdguy]

I see. I'm sticking with 5e for now, but I like the idea of having a higher base point total with less points for disadvantages.

[Ranxerox]

Fifty points is a lot of disadvantages when you aren't much tougher than an average Joe.  I'm going to second 70+30. 

[tkdguy]

Sounds good. I want the characters to be capable but not quite action-hero level, although a few will come close.

[IndianaJoe3]

I created a sample character at 70+30 points and it came across as competent but not exceptional, so it's probably enough. Still, at that level, the characters would either wind up being highly focused but not very broad, or jacks-of-all-trades but masters of none.

[tkdguy]

Here are some character types that would be available:

 

Police

Private investigators

Military, any branch

Astronauts, civilian or military

Colonists on the Moon, Mars, etc.

Scientists

 

70+30 sounds like a good fit for most of them. Should I give more points to military and astronauts, perhaps 80+40? Keep in mind I'm running 5e.

[IndianaJoe3]

Well, if you give more points to one set of archetypes, everyone will take them unless the extra 10 points of disads are obviously crippling.

[tkdguy]

Good point.

[Jazzidemus]

Well I think if you look at characters like say the aforementioned Firefly, they are rather focused on their skill sets. the Leader, the Pilot, the Mechanic, the Warrior, the Grenade guy (heavy ordinance), the Doctor. This helps with keeping the  team complementary to each other. I also think that the 70 + 30 is a good feel. Any more in the Disads, and I agree with Joe it would be rough on the characters.

[Xavier Onassiss]

My last Star Hero (Terracide) game, I began with the PCs around 150pts. This was in 6E, so it wasn't 75+75; more like 100+50.  It started out okay, but after 30 sessions or so, the characters were very powerful and I was having a lot of difficulty really challenging them. I think if I did it over again I'd start out around a total of 100 or 125.

[Tasha]

The trick is to give players enough points to make a character that can have a decent Speciality, but who can still participate in other parts of the game (ie combat). IMHO leaving PC's behind on the ship just keeps 2 players from actively participating, and having the Combat Specialists not have enough points for Non Combat skills leaves them out of the Non combat parts of the game.

[tkdguy]

That's what I want to do, since my group will be small, so the players will need to have several proficiencies. Knowing them, they'll want some combat ability, although they won't necessarily go into combat every session.

[tancred]

My last 2 Heroic-level games (PA and now TravellerHero) I have used 100+50.

This is 5e because that's what my players know.

 

100+50 lets them be quite good at their specialties but also have some other flavor things to use.

TravellerHero in particular is VERY skills-heavy. Only one player is playing an alien with any powers at all (I have one Aslan warrior/scout).

 

One thing to watch out for, though. If you start at 100+50, don't be too generous with how much XP you give out.

I was rather over-generous at first, and now things that should be hard for some characters are pretty routine.

I have to keep coming up with more and more reasons why some particular task is either extra-difficult or doesn't apply at all.

 

On the other hand, at least they're learning that combat in Traveller is dangerous even when you use Hero rules...

[Xavier Onassiss]

My last 2 Heroic-level games (PA and now TravellerHero) I have used 100+50.

This is 5e because that's what my players know.

 

100+50 lets them be quite good at their specialties but also have some other flavor things to use.

TravellerHero in particular is VERY skills-heavy. Only one player is playing an alien with any powers at all (I have one Aslan warrior/scout).

 

One thing to watch out for, though. If you start at 100+50, don't be too generous with how much XP you give out.

I was rather over-generous at first, and now things that should be hard for some characters are pretty routine.

I have to keep coming up with more and more reasons why some particular task is either extra-difficult or doesn't apply at all.

 

On the other hand, at least they're learning that combat in Traveller is dangerous even when you use Hero rules...

 

 

This sounds very similar to my experience. Thanks for posting.

[Vondy]

What about:

 

Competent Normal Template + Professional Template + 10 Points for fluff?

[tkdguy]

That works too. Thanks.

[Vondy]

That works too. Thanks.

 

It might require some latitude in the fluff points to account for variance in professional deal points.

 

But, this is the basic method I use for creating characters for games that are more down to earth.

[NuSoardGraphite]

A very realistic game, I would do 50+50. The reason why I would go 50pts in disadvantages is because realistically, everyone has some little psychological quirks that will come into play during the game that will either interfere with their relationships or hinder them at some point during the game (gambling addiction, Sex addition, alcoholic, hatred of something or some kind of prejudice etc) and almost everyone would have family and friends they'd want to protect (DNPC's) organizations that watch them (Police, astronaut, military) or want to get them (criminal, individual in huge amounts of debt) or have social issues (racial/cultural minority, social awkwardness, LBGT etc). It's pretty easy to come up with 50pts worth of Disadvantages.

 

Just remember to remind your players that it isn't a superhero game, or even a heroic action/adventure game where they need to pump their primary characteristics. If anything, they only need to put some points into their defining characteristics (STR if they want to be strong. Dex if they want to be agile. INT if they want to be a smart detective etc) and the rest needs to be used for skills. If they want to fight better, their skill are better spent in Combat Skill Levels and Martial Arts.

[tkdguy]

I'd definitely include Psych Lims and DNPCs. I'd probably keep the latter at 8- (or 11- at most), unless a character conception requires a higher level; I don't see that happening too often in my game. And the cost can be pretty steep in 5e.

[Jazzidemus]

I always like DNPC's, good background stuff and filler. Unless it's a major story arc I myself go 8-, but if I focus on a particular character then I bump his disads up one (8- ->11-, 11- -> 14-). Watched's, Hunted's, DNPC's. If I feel particularly mischievous I'll bump up his unluck 1d6. Then when his Arc is over I'll back them down to where they belong or even drop them down one for the following Arc. Of course I do this all behind screen. My Players know about it but they don't know when I'll do it.