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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pawsplay" data-source="post: 5494883" data-attributes="member: 15538">This confuses me, since the purpose of the point-based system is to make characters equivalent in effectivness. For instance, if you have Broadsword-14 and I have Lockpicking-14, then you are as good at using a broadsword as I am at picking locks, and if we both have Broadsword-14, then we are both equally good at using a broadsword. Unless the system allows for little or no choice at all, the system isn't going to enforce "balance."By balance do you mean something other than homogenity? You seem to be saying that a game that allows you to a master swordsman while I am an expert lockpicker is not balanced. Perhaps I am misunderstanding.Sure, but that's not a lack of balance, that's "choice."That may be the intention, but I don't see any evidence D&D 4e is necessarily any better than GURPS at making sure you don't create an obviously non-viable character. You say I am oversimplifying, while I don't think I am. GURPS is not rocket science, it's not even that different than D&D in important respects. Making your Strength too low in GURPS has the same significance it does in D&D. Mixing and matching powers in D&D can have unwanted consequences; the same is true if you allow endless mixing and matching in GURPS. Not only is 4e not necessarily more balanced, but the fact that everyone is geared toward the same niche (skirmish combat) means that any differences in effectiveness are all the more glaring. GURPS does allow a wider range of options. If you choose to make your character incompetent, there are a wider variety of approaches to use. Similarly, if you choose to be competent, there are a wider choice of competencies. D&D has fighters and rogues; the only major difference in making a fighter or rogue in GURPS is that you can blend between the two to whatever degree of fineness you prefer. You could makey our fighter one-armed, but that's not something that's going to happen accidentally during character creation.</blockquote>

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