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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Voadam" data-source="post: 9187153" data-attributes="member: 2209">One of the things with GURPS is the atomization of details leading to compound costs of multiple things being appropriate for a single concept you want to build up to.I remember sitting down to translate a long time AD&D magic user character of mine with well defined characterization and see how I would stat him out in GURPS. In the campaign I had been a mage who had been a talker who made deals, became a spelljamming merchant, and worked his way up politically to be a merchant prince political power mover and shaker, part of a city state ruling triumvirate, which was all narrative in D&D with a little non weapon proficiency aspect. His stats were basically magic user with spells and items. His vast trade empire and political power and network of contacts and allies was all narrative, no accounting of gps and such but a bunch of hooks for the DM to use and to guide some roleplay interactions.So in 3e GURPS lite to just do the merchant prince stuff there is status and wealth to start as advantages pretty core to being a merchant prince. Also a lot of expensive point options to get to a rich noble. Being able to buy pretty much anything you want without considering the cost is 50 character point, status is five points each with eight levels of status available to buy. Reputation and allies could be appropriate. Merchant prince skills are a bit of a judgment call, Merchant definitely, but also Influence diplomacy, and Influence savoir-faire, Area knowledge. Leadership?So a potential lot of points out of the character point pool before building stats and mage and spell stuff or any of his appropriate skills like spelljamming pilot and research and occult.It is real easy to spend a ton of GURPS points on executing stuff for a flavor concept in the system out of the pool that goes to all your stats and combat aspects as well.The system really rewards narrow specialization in a number of ways, and throwing as many points as you can at your stats. The more focused with fewer things to spend points on, the higher level results you can get.One answer is to build to the game you expect to actually require mechanics for and turn characterization into your roleplay as much as you can instead of mechanics. Since I did not track wealth in D&D or spend money as a merchant prince, it does not really need to cost points if I am not going to spend on hand money in GURPS. Those points can then go to magery and all the prereq spells so I can throw lightning bolts again.Another option is to ignore most appropriate skills and advantages but pick out a few. Take merchant and influence for skills, and for advantages take a token status and then move on. Spend a small flavor tax of points and then build for the mechanics of the character you want to focus on with points (probably a combat niche or style or specific powers).Another is just to accept that being able to do a bunch of stuff in the system generally means being a master of none. To get a bunch of advantages and skills the stats are probably going to be lower.</blockquote>

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