Designer Notes, Part 3: GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Updating GURPS Classic

 

Another important goal for me with this supplement was to update 3e material that has not yet been updated and was related to spirits.

GURPS Classic has a lot of great material and most of it is easily ported to 4e. GURPS Religion and GURPS Spirits are still very useful, even if some of the mechanics have to be reworked. GURPS Cabal, GURPS In Nomine, and GURPS Voodoo are all fascinating settings that have not yet been updated. I believe this is mostly because an update does not need to do a lot to cover mechanics and other things that may need an update. The settings themselves are still very useable. With no formal update for any of these on the announced horizon I wanted to see how much I could cover to make a prospective GM's workload easier.

GURPS Cabal, GURPS In Nomine, and GURPS Voodoo received an update to their magic systems and some powers in GURPS Thaumatology, GURPS Powers, GURPS Magic, and GURPS Basic.

Some spirit powers however still needed either an example build to show how to update or new modifiers to make them work. Some of this material was in other 4e material, especially Pyramid and GURPS Horror. But its scattered and can be hard to find, especially if you do not have the supplements. Even if you do the GURPS library is extensive and sometimes things are tough to find.

GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits thus has a lot of new modifiers and explains ways to use existing abilities to emulate some of these effects. I also tried to grab some of the more interesting or difficult spirits to make sure the possible builds was versatile and compatible as possible with published material. Jumper gets a lot of love here that may be useful to a GURPS Cabal spirit.

For another example the Personal Power lens is basically an attribute list that lets you combine it with a spirit template or lens type and have a ready to go foe. Secondary attributes such as Dodge already included. I benchmarked these so that the Minor lens matches the small elementals in GURPS Dungeon Fantasy and the Elite lens matched the default Angel character in GURPS In Nominee.

Speaking of GURPS In Nomine I did not intend this to take the place of an update for that setting but I really like it and some of the concepts fit a broader narrative of spirits and folklore or fiction. So I put a few things in here.  If the setting is updated they may get used or they may not, if someone wanting to run the setting using 4e rules wants to use them they can choose to use this or not. The goal was just to provide as much material to cover as large a variety as possible.

Easter Egg

Here are some thoughts on using TT:Spirits to adapt the GURPS In Nomine setting.

The Elite personal attribute Lense was benchmarked against GURPS In Nomine angels and demons, leaving rom for the archangels and princes to use the Paragon attribute level. Different racial templates could be used but my first choice would probably be Imbuing Spirit. This makes them normally insubstantial but they can either use powers or spells to affect the physical world or possess people.

Different Choirs and Bands would modify this, perhaps requiring a host be a Puppet to possess them or Alternate Form to create a Host. I wanted to add a bit to Alternate Form for such a host, including an enhancement to Alternate Identity but decided it was too specific for this supplement. Additional notes…

Awareness (Symphony) becomes Illuminated.

Each Choir or Band has their own Power and they also have Celestial or Infernal as appropriate. I didn’t set out to make powers for each Choir or Band but Traveler and Dream/Nightmare are obvious examples that could fit.

Word-Bound and Sacred Word! are obvious.

Add the desired magic system, GURPS Magic in 4e is almost the same as in 3e, though new options are available. And with that you can pretty much update your GURPS In Nomine to the current edition. Most powers are easy builds, a few require more work that I wish I could have done for this supplement.

Designer Notes, Part 2: GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Example Builds

One of the requests for this by a few people was to make affordable builds for allies. Spirit Ally can be rather expensive and I was limited to RAW but there were a few things that were done to help in at least some cases. However, even a weak spirit has a lot of advantages and is thus correspondingly expensive.

Simple Fetish

A weak spirit bound into a fetish. This can be an Ally used to maintain spells in Book/Path magic, grant powers through Granted by Familiar, and adding one or more Powers (sets of related abilities) take direct action. This is a weak spirit that is killed if the fetish it is bound to is destroyed. This can be altered by adding Unkillable or other traits. Statistics: Personal Power, Minor [-40]; Fetish [-50]. -90 points.

Familiar Spirit

A classic, typically a small animal (and thus less expensive) mostly a way to get powers (including extra levels of Magery or Energy Reserve) at a discount using the Granted by Familiar limitation. Statistics: Embodied Animal [24] + animal template. 24 points plus the animal template which is often under 50 points, especially if the IQ is not bought up much.

Super Scout

This is a minor spirit that cannot materialize or affect the material world but is an effective invisible and insubstantial.  This is a basis for such a scout. Statistics: Minor [-40]; Unmanifested Spirit [149]. 109 points.

Designer Notes, Part 1: GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits (Devotion PM)

This is a very crunchy work and I had a lot of goals I wanted to meet with it. One of those was to come up with a generic power modifier for spirits that fit my understanding of the nature of them. The Spirit PM (GURPS Powers, p. 28) is for people getting help from spirits, not really about being a spirit.

What I first came up with was a 0% rather generic PM but my editor wanted it to be more specifically outlined and described. In doing so I came up with the Devotion PM which is similar to the Pact limitation used for priests as part of the Divine PM. Spirits are generally very focused or passionate about the things they care for or engage in vices or have other traits GURPS would call a mental disadvantage. 

I created several new power groups, leaving a lot on the cutting room floor. The published version has 27 specific power groups, though a few are modified versions from other supplements. I also included a list of Power Modifiers I felt especially appropriate in other supplements, mostly GURPS Horror and GURPS Powers.

The Devotion PM can be applied to most of them and though it is a generic -10% the value can be adjusted based on the spirit and what disadvantages apply. The Trickster power has a specific example of this. I listed some ideas for most of the Powers, mostly the concept rather than a list though to save room. The explanation for the Devotion PM gives the structure and each power gives a guideline relevant to it.

For example the Traveler power could take Compulsive Behavior for never staying in one place too long, exploration, etc. Or perhaps a Sense of Duty to their rider for a winged steed. The Psychopomp power could take Sense of Duty to religious adherents, "Those who died in battle", or anything else appropriate to getting the recently deceased to where they need to go.

Designers Notes: Secret Masters (Pyramid Scheme: Modern Action Issue)

 With the latest GURPS Kickstarter coming to a close and currently shy just $515 and 96 backers to unlock the final streatch goals I thought it a good time to do my designers notes for one of the things you can get as an add-on.

Edit: That is now just $253 and 77 backers to go as I finish and submit this post to the internet.

The Pyramid Scheme was three issues of a dozen articles and is available again at the $15 pledge value, getting you 36 great articles plus all the new supplements!

Secret Masters

This was my article for the Modern Action issue of the Pyramid Scheme Kickstarter.

GURPS Conspiracy Resources

Steve Jackson Games has long been know for a fondness of conspiracy and behind the scenes games, board games, card games, and RPGs all have had their share of fun conspiracy related themes.

GURPS Illuminati was for GURPS Third Edition and this article was a way to adapt some of it to Fourth Edition and add a fresh twist.  Instead of just being aware and part of a conspiracy the character can be in charge of one!

GURPS Fourth Edition includes the advantage Illuminated which I think we first saw in GURPS Illuminati but was also included in GURPS Voodoo another great conspiracy setting. This advantage lets you be aware of the conspiracy and grants some nice benefits.  GURPS Social Engineering (pretty much the entire series). GURPS Boardroom and Curia helps give simple stat sheets to organizations and GURPS Realm Management helps with running a country or town.  Supported by some Pyramid articles as seen here.

This is all great for players running organizations or player characters being pawns or members of such, but what I felt was lacking was being a mover and shaker.

Illuminated Master

The core idea behind this article was using existing resources and rules as much as possible. I created one new advantage, though its essentially just an Unusual Background.

This allows the player to buy Rank in an organization without actually being a member of it. The advantage includes some other stuff and the article a lot of suggestions I wont go into here (Buy it) but the concept and gist is that Rank gives you limited authority in an organization but typically requires a Duty, and required skills or other advantages and significantly accountability! However when your not the CEO or General but have them in your pocket (or at least can call in favors) you can get stuff done. I also briefly suggest options for non-supernatural advantages. After all you dont need magical powers to manipulate people!

And some genre ideas for existing advantages, skills, and techniques as well as book recommendations.

What is Left?

Articles are very tight word count and I left out a lot of potential ideas that could have been done in a supplement.  Recently I started in a campaign where I am playing a godling with Business as a domain and Businessman! for a wildcard. Manipulating corporations seemed a good for him so I proposed this advantage and article to the GM (Christopher Rice). He countered with buying Rank with Cosmic which is a good option, especially for controlling one or just a few organizations. I'll add my proposed ideas to that response here. Mind you these are proposed and have not yet been submitted or accepted and he may have differing opinions or ideas.

• Cosmic (Rank (Organization Name, Unattached), +50%): Your Rank is unofficial and does not require you to have a Duty or obligation to the organization. Your a known associate, perhaps retired or a benefactor and people will know about your relationship.
• Cosmic (Rank Organization Name, Stealth), +100%: You have effective Rank in the organization but your orders and requests are effectively "Black Box" and not traceable directly to you or even a specific associate.  This cinematic capability can represent the work of a department that can issue commands or requests without accountability or people desiring to look into the directives. It can also represent fake identities, shell companies holding assets, or simply a network of contacts through which requests can be made without holding a single valued asset responsible. Includes the Unattached level and commands can be obviously from your or untraceable at your discretion.
• Cosmic (Rank, (Organization Name, Illuminated), +300%: This godlike tricks level has all the advantages of Stealth above, but extraordinary access as well. Orders can be issued with absurdly fast reaction times as you bypass normal channels and procedure and no one really knows who or why such directives were made. While the organization may be held accountable by others, internally no one can be properly assigned responsibility. Its up to the effects and GM to see if this results in finger pointing a scapegoat (personal rivals for example) or closing ranks to present a unified front.

Rank can be normal, Informal, -50% (GURPS Power-Ups 8: Limitations, p. 15), or Courtesy - though the limitations of Courtesy Rank (p. B29) still apply in that most non trivial requests will be denied as you have respect, but without authority.

The GM's other suggestion was Rank! a wildcard version. That could look something like this.

Rank! (20/level)

You have extraordinary leadership and social presence and people tend to listen to you even when they probably shouldn't. This can come from extreme social skills such as Talker! or knowledge within various fields and about organizations.  This could allow any 5 point power (per level) the GM approves, including different types of Rank. The powers must be plausible uses of Rank and if they are limited use traits (Contact, Serendipity, etc.) that trait is unavailable for the normal duration. This is similar to how traits like Blessed work under Divine Favor.

* Compare to alternative abilities which would get you up to 16 instances of Rank per level for the same 20 points. Though you could have different levels of Rank in differing organizations, instead of the same in 16 organizations. Its more expensive (that is a LOT of organizations!) but more versatile and certainly easier bookkeeping!

Mitzadu would likely take it with Aspected (Merchant), -20% and Costs CP as an aspect of his godly Domain (Business), though if he had Domain (Leadership) or something similar it would be without the Aspected modifier.

Anyhow I hope you found this useful or at least interesting and even better if you like the concept enough to add that Pyramid to your pledge.  And there is more material I could add, including many more examples should a full supplement be requested,

Designers Notes: Names Have Power

Personal Stuff

Names Have Power is my fourth published article for Pyramid, but is actually the first one of those to be written. I wrote it for issue #3/66 The Laws of Magic and was disappointed it did not make it in, but it was up against some strong competition.
I wrote it with the help of fellow authors in a now defunct writers group and thought it was good.
Looking back at it some 4 years later and with more experience plus Steven Marshes notes, it left a lot to be desired. Especially in organization, as I tried to cover as much as I could in as short a space as possible.
We left a Powers as Magic section on the cutting room floor as the editor found it too confusing, partly because I tried to explain an entirely new magic system in 212 words!
As much as I like that system I would have gone with Sorcery had it been published when I sent in this article. Since other constructions for magic as powers were left in those systems could still see benefits from this article.
Also cut out and moved around was some stuff on Syntactic or Symbol magic.
My goal in writing this article was to give the GM and players options to add True Names to a campaign, regardless of the magic systems in use.  This article achieves that and I am proud to have written it.  In fact, though I am happy and proud of every article published so far, this one was more personal than the rest. After 4 years seeing it in print makes me very happy indeed.

What the Article is About

True Names are an important concept in several magic traditions and fiction, from Egyptian lore (which inspired the Path of Ren for Ritual Path Magic) to various Symbol and Rune systems and perhaps most notably the Earthsea series by Ursula K. Le Guin.
GURPS Thaumatology has some information on the topic, but I was happy and proud to be able to expand on it. I hope the readers find this article worthwhile.
What is in it?

• Researching True Names using the Invention rules and other methods.
• GURPS Magic spells and related notes.
• Optional rules for Ritual Path Magic, including a new Path.
• Modifiers for Magic as Powers.
• Some ideas on Symbol Magic
• A discussion on various Traits, including some new ones,
• Some fluffy flavor text that is meant to explain and inspire the use of Names as power.

Pyramid #3/111 Combat II Review and author notes

So this months Pyramid #/111 Combat II is out and I decoded to review it here.
More talk about the issue can be found on the Steve Jackson Games Forums.

Articles...

The Witched Gun

I liked this article, well researched and good flavor stuff with decent crunch.

There was a lot of background flavor and cultural references which I liked. The crunch felt a little lacking but covered several magic systems and options. The reason it feels lacking was it felt like a mall part of the word count and by covering so many systems it was almost like a bunch of footnotes.

Overall I did like it, and the crunch includes new options as well as pre-built abilities to save the GM and players time.

The Wrestler

This adds a new profession to the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game. The Wrestler adds a new option to your game and includes a full template. Its a great well written article by the DFRPG author and GURPS line editor Sean Punch that lets players have a nonlethal combat specialist. Sometimes you want to capture instead of kill your foe and these guys are great at it.

Astroduel!

Car Wars in space?!

This is a great setting and should be given its own book and possibly series, or a kickstarter box treatment. Seriously this is a great Space Opera setting and I think the best one in that genre GURPS has produced.

The key feature that makes it work is the setting feature that FTL travel only works through Stargates and these stargates have a harder time with larger ships. This means that starship travel is based around smaller starships which are more affordable on PC budgets. It then goes over some history which took the setting from an established and stable interstellar government to more of a Wild West or Pirate and Privateer setting that supports Car Wars style dueling and fighting.

The article includes several worked spaceship designs and is really suitable for some forms of Space Opera.  Space Opera is a large and popular genre that includes Star Trek, Star Wars, Starship Troopers, Lensmen, Fifth Element and many other books and media.

This variant is more towards the square jawed heroes, dashing rogues, western/frontier, and party focused space combat.

                 Settings are hard to do, GURPS has so much breadth and appeals to such varied interests that no setting can appeal to a majority of GURPS players. However David Pulver created one that can I think appeal to a lot of them.

Animal Combat Styles

This was my article so I wont speak to its quality, however I can speak to the reason I wrote it.

GURPS Martial Arts was designed primarily for humanoid combat. While certain nods were given to animals in that and other books I felt we needed more. This article covers the most common ones such as hunting cats, diving attacks of hawks and falcons, and even pack tactics. The article is great for beastmasters, druids, shaman, and any shapeshifter or animal (trained or PC) and includes styles ans new techniques for most animal types.

Creepy Charly

The Author J. Edward Tremlett specializes in creative and often odd character and setting ideas, He did not disappoint with this one with Creepy Charley. A mysterious Arms dealer that comes with varied backgrounds and possible plot hooks.This is a good one, aimed at modern day but could be converted to other settings.

Random Thought Table

A good solid look at Strategy and ideas for just making combat more interesting. Solid reading, especially for newer GMs.

Overall great reading but the crown jewel of the issue IMHO is Astroduel!  which I feel obligated to say again is a GREAT SETTING.

I like complex and rich settings, I really do. But this one is a simple beer and pretzel setting that can get more complex if you want it to.