TM

Written by WILLIAM H. STODDARD

Edited by NIKOLA VRTIS
Illustrated by PAUL DALY, JEAN ELIZABETH MARTIN,
DAN SMITH, and NIKOLA VRTIS
Additional Material by JOHN M. FORD, KENNETH HITE, and STEVE JACKSON
GURPS System Design z STEVE JACKSON Chief Executive Officer z PHILIP REED
GURPS Line Editor z SEAN PUNCH Chief Creative Officer z SAMUEL MITSCHKE
Assistant GURPS Line Editor z JASON “PK” LEVINE Executive Editor z MIRANDA HORNER
GURPS Project Manager z STEVEN MARSH Marketing Director z RHEA FRIESEN
Production Artist and Indexer z NIKOLA VRTIS Director of Sales z ROSS JEPSON
GURPS FAQ Maintainer z Page Design z PHIL REED and JUSTIN DE WITT
VICKY “MOLOKH” KOLENKO Art
­­­ Direction and Prepress Checker z NIKOLA VRTIS

Reviewers: Frederick Brackin, Roger Burton West, Douglas H. Cole, Peter V. Dell’Orto, S.A. Fisher,
Andrew Hackard, Vicky “Molokh” Kolenko, Phil Masters, Christopher R. Rice, Emily Smirle

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STEVE JACKSON GAMES

Stock #37-0153 Version 1.0.1 – June 2017 ®
 Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . 3 Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Division of Labor . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Recommended Books . . . . . . . . . . 3 Cities and Communities . . . . . . . 20 Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Buildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Expanding the Original Cast . . . . 39
About GURPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 The Emerald City . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Based on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Vehicles as Locations . . . . . . . . . . 22 4. Things . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Multiple Sources Wild Places . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Narrative Function . . . . . . . . . 40
and Mashups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Destructive Environments . . . . . 23 Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Setting and Drama . . . . . . . . . 23 Evidence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
1. High Concept . . . . . . . 6 Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Personalizers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Functions of Environments . . . . 24 Valuables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Starting Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 The Pathetic Fallacy . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Transcendents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Prequels and Sequels . . . . . . . . . . 6 Functions of Locations . . . . . . . . 25 MacGuffins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Filling the Gaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Indirect Exposition . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Physical Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Displacements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Clothing and Armor . . . . . . . . . . 41
Alternate Universes . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Personal Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Retelling the Original Story . . . . . . 7 . . . a probable Furnishings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Reinventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
impossibility is to be Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Premise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
One Impossible Thing . . . . . . . . . . 8 preferred to a thing Objects as Characters . . . . . . . . . . 43
Other Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Mundane Premises . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 improbable and yet
Fantastic Premises . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Life Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
possible. Availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Genre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Why Genre Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 – Aristotle, Tech Level and
Variant Technology . . . . . . . . 44
What Defines a Genre . . . . . . . . . . 9 Poetics Legality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Common Genres . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Wealth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Mood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Presupposed Items . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 3. People . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Fantastic Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
The Central Idea . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
A Theme Is Not a Thesis . . . . . . . 11 Major Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 5. Action . . . . . . . . . . . 46
From Idea to Action . . . . . . . . . . 12 Guest Stars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Agency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Inventing a New Theme . . . . . . . 12 Supporting Characters . . . . . . . . 27 Outward Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Variations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Extras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Inward Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
The Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Defining Major Characters . . 29 Action and the World . . . . . . . 46
Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Attributes and Talents . . . . . . . . 29 Possible Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Familiarity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Appropriate Actions . . . . . . . . . . 47
Adaptations of Combat Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Thematic Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Roleplaying Games . . . . . . . . . 13 Social Backgrounds . . . . . . . . . . 31 Motivated Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Martial-Arts Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Conflicting Actions . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Visible Qualities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Horror and Tragedy . . . . . . . . . . . 48
2. Places . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Motivation and Personality . . . . 33 Consequences of Actions . . . . . . 49
Describing the World . . . . . . . 14 Perks and Quirks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
The Source Material . . . . . . . . . . 14 Esoteric Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Cinematic Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Further Research . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Special Abilities and
Realistic Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Inventing New Material . . . . . . . 16 Power Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Racial Traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Narratives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The Unities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Planets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Episodic Campaigns . . . . . . . . . . 50
The Retro Solar System . . . . . . . . 17 Specifications for
Story-Arc Campaigns . . . . . . . . . 50
Terrains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Original Characters . . . . . 38 Developmental Campaigns . . . . . 50
Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Point Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Revelatory Campaigns . . . . . . . . 51
Populations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Excluded Options
Cultures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 for Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Preparing the Payoff . . . . . . . 51
War and Politics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Slice-of-Life Campaigns . . . . . . . . 51
Unusual Background . . . . . . . . . . 38
Supernatural Forces . . . . . . . . . . 20 Required Traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Contents 2
 Introduction
One of the big attractions of roleplaying games is explor- Pick your favorite novel, graphic novel, movie, television
ing the worlds of our favorite books or movies. The Cthulhu series, or other inspiration – and get started!
Mythos, The Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, and many other pub-

Recommended Books
lished works have licensed game rules – sometimes multiple
sets. But maybe you’d rather use GURPS than another system.
Or maybe you like a fictional world no one has thought of The only books that are required for use with GURPS
making into a game, or one whose author or publisher won’t Adaptations are the GURPS Basic Set. For adaptations of
license it. One of the major uses of GURPS is running cam- works in specific genres, the GM may find appropriate source-
paigns in such worlds. And one of the big topics for GURPS books useful, such as GURPS Fantasy, GURPS Horror,
questions is how to do it right! GURPS Mysteries, GURPS Psionic Campaigns, GURPS
GURPS writers have addressed this topic in the Basic Space, or GURPS Supers. Any book with game mechanics
Set (especially pp. B486-522) and in supplements, especially can be useful for the right source material – GURPS Power-
genre-focused supplements such as GURPS Fantasy, GURPS Ups 2: Perks and GURPS Power-Ups 6: Quirks in particular
Horror, GURPS Space, and GURPS Zombies. This material is are good with almost any source.
helpful and is highly recommended.
But many questions about adapt-
ing fictional sources are broader
than a single genre. It’s time for a
systematic, full-length discussion  –
Of all fictions, the marvelous journey is
GURPS Adaptations. the one formula that is never exhausted.
In gaming, “adaptation” doesn’t
mean quite the same thing as in lit- – Northrop Frye, Anatomy of Criticism
erary, graphic, or cinematic media.
Rather than a retelling of the orig-
inal story, new stories emerge from campaigns: sequels, pre-
quels, alternative versions, or more radical transformations About the Author
(see Reinventions, p. 7). This supplement’s focus is on trans- William H. Stoddard and his wife life in San Diego,
lating the original setting and characters, but if you want to California, with two cats and more books than they have time
reenvision a favorite work, you’ll find suggestions on how to count. He has been running GURPS campaigns for over
to do so. 20 years, starting with GURPS Uplift. He has run many cam-
When you’re planning a campaign based on a work of fic- paigns based on fictional or dramatic sources, about half of
tion or drama, GURPS Adaptations is your “how to” guide. them using his own adaptations of the source material.

About GURPS
Steve Jackson Games is committed to full support Internet. Visit us on the World Wide Web at
of GURPS players. Our address is SJ Games, P.O. Box sjgames.com for errata, updates, Q&A, and much
18957, Austin, TX 78760. Please include a self-addressed, more. To discuss GURPS with our staff and your fel-
stamped envelope (SASE) any time you write us! We low gamers, visit our forums at forums.sjgames.com.
can also be reached by e-mail: [email protected]. The web page for GURPS Adaptations can be found at
Resources include: gurps.sjgames.com/adaptations.
Bibliographies. Many of our books have extensive bib-
New supplements and adventures. GURPS continues to
liographies, and we’re putting them online – with links to
grow – see what’s new at gurps.sjgames.com.
let you buy the resources that interest you! Go to each
Warehouse 23. Our online store offers GURPS adven-
book’s web page and look for the “Bibliography” link.
tures, play aids, and support in PDF form . . . digital cop-
Errata. Everyone makes mistakes, including us – but
ies of our books, plus exclusive material available only on
we do our best to fix our errors. Up-to-date errata pages
Warehouse 23! Just head over to warehouse23.com.
for all GURPS releases, including this book, are available
Pyramid (pyramid.sjgames.com). Our monthly PDF
on our website – see above.
magazine includes new rules and articles for GURPS, sys-
temless locations, adventures, and much more. Look for Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for the
each themed issue from Warehouse 23! GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition. Page references that
begin with B refer to that book, not this one.

Introduction 3
 Based on . . .
To illustrate its concepts and methods, GURPS Art Thou? (2000), a film by Joel Coen about three escaped con-
Adaptations offers examples of working with published victs in rural Mississippi in 1937.
sources. Necessarily, these are older books that are in the
public domain. However, all of them are still read, all have Water Margin [Shui Hu Zhuan] (WM)
been adapted into other media, and all have been sources of
A classic Chinese novel attributed to Shi Nai’an (1296-
inspiration for later works that imitate or transform them.
1372) that tells the story of the 108 Stars of Destiny, a band
Each title is followed by a short form that will be used to
of outlaws struggling against corrupt officials. It’s loosely
refer to it later in this supplement.
based on folktales of the historical outlaw Song
Jiang (active around 1121, in the Song Dynasty).
It’s one of the oldest known sources of the mar-

When we met in tial-arts tropes of wuxia films and recent novel-

ists such as Jin Yong. It could also be a model for
a supers campaign, as many of its heroes have
Dr. Seward’s study two super-human abilities.

hours after dinner, which Recommended version: The Marshes of Mount

Liang, translated by John Dent-Young and Alex
Dent-Young (Chinese University Press, 1994-2002).
had been at six o’clock, There are many Chinese and Japanese adaptations.
Works inspired: Golden Lotus (Jin Ping Mei),
we unconsciously formed by Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng (1610), an erotic novel
that takes off from an incident in Water Margin;
a sort of board or committee. Suikoden, created by Yoshitaka Murayama (1995-
2008), a series of martial-arts-themed video games.
Many film and television versions have been cre-
– Bram Stoker, Dracula ated in Hong Kong and Japan. In a larger sense,
the entire genres of wuxia and chambara films take
off from it!

The Odyssey [Odysseia] (Odys.) Pride and Prejudice (P&P)

An epic poem by Homer, thought to have been composed A novel of manners by Jane Austen, first published 1813,
before 700 B.C. It tells how a Greek hero came back from Troy, which has become a classic British love story for its portrayal
after spending 10 years lost at sea, and finally reclaimed his of initial conflict turning into romantic attraction. It’s a model
wife and his kingdom from a crowd of ambitious suitors. The for lively roleplaying with relatively little “adventure,” but a
first part provides a model for quest stories, particularly tales good deal of comedy  – though one of its subplots involves
set at sea; it could also be read as science fiction, with each investigation, after the heroine’s younger sister elopes with a
island (like a recently discovered planet in Star Trek) holding soldier who has no intention of marrying her, and has to be
a new monster or exotic culture. The second part is a story of tracked down.
seeking revenge through covert methods.
Adaptations: Pride and Prejudice (1940), a film by Robert
Recommended version: The Odyssey, translated by Robert Z. Leonard with a screenplay co-authored by Aldous Huxley;
Fagles (Penguin Classics, 1999). Pride and Prejudice (1995), a BBC television series by Simon
Adaptation: The Odyssey (television miniseries, 1997), writ- Langton; Pride and Prejudice (2005), a film by Joe Wright.
ten and directed by Andrei Konchalovsky. Works inspired: Bride and Prejudice (2004), a film by
Works inspired: Nostoi, an ancient Greek epic, now lost, Gurinder Chadha set in modern India and Britain, with many
about other heroes coming home from Troy; The True History, Bollywood influences – and amazingly faithful to the original;
by Lucian of Samosata (second century A.D.), a satire of Lost in Austen (2008), a four-part British television series by
Homer, the oldest surviving story of space travel; The Odyssey: Dan Zeff, in which a 21st-century young woman changes places
A Modern Sequel, by Nikos Kazantzakis (1938), an epic poem with the heroine of Pride and Prejudice, derails the plot, and
about Odysseus’s departure from his homeland and his later takes desperate measures to salvage the original happy ending;
adventures; Homer’s Daughter, by Robert Graves (1955), a “Pride and Prometheus,” by John Kessel (2008), a science-fic-
witty novel about a Sicilian princess who writes the Odyssey, tion story where one of the heroine’s younger sisters meets
puts herself into it as a character, and passes it off as Homer’s both Victor Frankenstein and his creature; Pride and Prejudice
work; “Tales of Brave Ulysses” (1967), a hard-rock song by and Zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith (2009), a mash-up of
Eric Clapton and Martin Sharp; Island in the Sea of Time Austen’s story with zombie horror; Death Comes to Pemberley,
and its sequels (1998, 1999, 2000), a series of novels by S.M. by P.D. James (2011), a mystery novel in which Elizabeth and
Stirling where modern Americans displaced in time encounter Darcy investigate a murder of which her younger sister’s hus-
an ancient Greek warrior named Odikweos; O Brother, Where band is accused.

Introduction 4
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea the team leader is Mina Harker, one of Dracula’s foes;
The Dracula Dossier Director’s Handbook and the accompa-
[Vingt mille lieues sous les mers] (20KL) nying Dracula Unredacted (2015), a campaign framework
A novel by Jules Verne, first published 1870, the best known by Kenneth Hite and Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan, based on the
of his voyages extraordinaires (“amazing journeys”), which premise that Stoker’s novel is a cover story for a secret history.
were major sources of science fiction. It starts
out as a story of scientific investigation of a
mysterious sea monster, focused on three
adventurers with varied talents. The “mon-
ster” turns out to be a submarine, a classic
M ultiple ourcesS
“marvelous invention,” and becomes the and M ashups
continuing stage for a vehicle-based story of What if you want to combine two or more source works in a sin-
exploration  – one deliberately modeled on gle campaign – a crossover or mashup? This is common in fan fiction,
the nautical adventures of Odysseus. but not limited to it; Alan Moore’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Recommended version: 20,000 Leagues brought together multiple characters from Victorian fiction (see Based
Under the Sea, translated by Walter James on . . . , pp. 4-5). Far earlier, the tale of the Argonauts brought together
Miller and Frederick Paul Walter (Naval 100 heroes of Greek legends, including Atalanta, Castor and Pollux,
Institute Press, 1993) with annotations. Heracles, Laertes (Odysseus’ father), Orpheus, and Theseus – the total
Adaptation: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea cast was as big as that of Water Margin! For a sustained campaign, as
(1954), a film directed by Richard Fleischer opposed to a one-shot or guest appearance, look for common elements
that has become one of the major sources that match up closely.
for steampunk. An extreme case of mashups is the “kitchen sink” campaign, which
Works inspired: Nadia: The Secret of Blue takes material from any source in an entire genre. This approach goes
Water (1990-1991), a 39-episode anime back to the very start of roleplaying games! The original Dungeons and
series directed by Hideaki Anno, in which Dragons books took elements from The Lord of the Rings; sword and sor-
two children join forces with Captain Nemo cery by authors such as Howard and Moorcock; more recent fantasy by
to struggle against a hidden conspiracy; The Anderson, Leiber, and Vance; and other sources ranging from classical
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, by Alan mythology to “creature feature” movies.
Moore and Kevin O’Neill (2003), a graphic Example (Drac./P&P): What if Dracula had shown up in England
novel in which Captain Nemo belongs to a decades earlier, and picked one of the Bennet sisters as his prey – and
secret British team of proto-supers. George Wickham as his Renfield?

Dracula (Drac.)
A Gothic novel by Bram Stoker, first pub-
lished 1897, which gave the vampire mythos its standard The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (WWOz)
form in 20th-century literature and film. Similarly to 20,000 A children’s fantasy novel by L. Frank Baum, first pub-
Leagues Under the Sea, it brings together a small group with lished 1900, which became the leading American fairy tale.
varied backgrounds to investigate and combat a mysterious The basic plot is a quest, with the same goal as the Odyssey: to
threat. It’s notable for its heroes’ reliance on innovative sci- return home. Much of the story is a travelogue fantasy where
ence, from blood transfusions to hypnotism. They also engage the heroes pass through strange locations and encounter
in unofficial covert ops, from housebreaking in London to peculiar creatures. It’s an early example of a story set in an
guerrilla warfare in the Balkans. invented world.
Adaptations: Dracula (1931), a film directed by Tod Adaptations: The Wizard of Oz (1939), a film directed by
Browning, with Bela Lugosi as Dracula; Horror of Dracula Victor Fleming, notable for its gimmick of changing from
(1958), directed by Terence Fisher, the first film with black and white for scenes set in Kansas to color for scenes
Christopher Lee as Dracula; Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), a set in Oz; The Wiz, a Broadway musical by William F. Brown
film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, with Gary Oldman as and Charlie Smalls (1975) that reinterprets the story in terms
Dracula, emphasizing the vampire’s historical background. of African-American culture, later adapted into a film (1978)
Works inspired: Nosferatu (1922), a German silent film directed by Sidney Lumet.
directed by F.W. Murnau that made its vampire, Count Orlok, Works inspired: 13 sequels by Baum, from The Marvelous
a figure of death and corruption with no romantic aspects; Land of Oz (1904) to Glinda of Oz (1914, after his death), which
Tomb of Dracula, a Marvel Comics series mainly scripted by further explore Oz and other magical realms (plus many more
Marv Wolfman (1972-1979); Anno Dracula, by Kim Newman sequels by Ruth Plumly Thompson and others); “Tin Man”
(1992), an alternate history in which Count Dracula becomes (1974), a pop song by America; Robert A. Heinlein’s science
the ruler of the United Kingdom; Hellsing (1997-2008), a fiction novel The Number of the Beast (1986), in which inter-
manga series by Kouta Hirano in which a reformed Dracula is universal travel allows a visit to Oz; Wicked: The Life and Times
an ally of the Van Helsing family; “Buffy vs. Dracula” (2000), of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregory Maguire (1996),
an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that brings Count an “alternate universe” prequel; Tin Man (2007), a television
Dracula to Sunnydale; The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen miniseries by Nick Willing that reinterprets Oz in science-fic-
(see Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, above), where tional terms.

Introduction 5
 Chapter One

High Concept
Movie scriptwriters talk about high concept, a quick sum- run, and what you’re going to promise your players (see The
mary of what a movie is about and what’s going to bring in an Players, pp.  12-13). For a game based on a source, thinking
audience. That summary is also a mission statement for the about that source in terms of high concept can help identify
writers, a starting point for their creative work. the key elements your campaign needs to capture.
When planning a roleplaying game, you need the same For the story-title abbreviations used in the examples, see
things  – a statement of what kind of campaign you plan to Based on . . . , pp. 4-5.

Glossary
agency: The ability of characters to make things happen without fantastic elements. Also called literary realism
in an imagined world; also, the ability of players to or realistic fiction.
affect the course of events in a game. mundane: A setting, character, or story without weird or
alternate universe: A retelling of an existing story with a fantastic elements.
key event happening differently. pathetic fallacy: The practice of having natural condi-
atmosphere: Features of the physical environment that tions change to reflect a character’s emotions or the
help to create a mood. emotional implications of a storyline.
attribute: (1) In GURPS, one of a character’s four basic protagonist: The main character of a narrative or drama;
traits. (2) In painting, a distinctive possession or the character who makes the key decisions and whose
object by which a specific person such as a saint can fate the story focuses on.
be recognized. recognition: A key discovery or insight that changes a
austerity: The degree to which characters’ actions have protagonist’s understanding of the dramatic situation
consequences, either physical or legal. and leads to a climactic confrontation.
fan fiction: Stories about characters or settings from sandbox: A style of roleplaying that emphasizes exploring
works of fiction or drama, not written by the original a world without a continuing or developing plot.
creator or as authorized continuations; now primarily thaumatocracy: A society governed by people with mag-
published online. ical powers or skills. For other common types of gov-
indirect exposition: The portrayal of an imagined setting ernments, see pp. B509-510.
through the implications of a story’s events, especially theme: A recurring idea expressed in different ways in a
minor events. narrative or drama.
MacGuffin: An object whose only role in a story is to be trope: A typical element in some form of narrative or
pursued or fought over, and whose specific qualities drama.
are irrelevant. Also McGuffin or maguffin. unreliable narrator: A viewpoint character who repeat-
mimetic fiction: Stories focusing on common life expe- edly misunderstands events and situations.
riences in familial and organizational settings, and verisimilitude: The ability of an imaginative work to give
a convincing impression of reality.

Starting Point
You and your players are going to create new stories that room for a sequel. The original author may face continuing
grow out of your source. Several different strategies exist for demand for sequels to a popular work; Baum tried to end the
coming up with ideas for such stories. Oz series with The Emerald City of Oz, as Conan Doyle did
the Sherlock Holmes stories with “The Final Problem” – and

Prequels and Sequels both failed!

A sequel could begin the very day after the end of the
One of the oldest strategies goes back to storytellers in original work, asking literally, “what happened next?”
marketplaces: asking What happened next? Many stories have

High Concept 6
Other sequels start, in effect, “the next time something inter- a situation with the potential for exciting experiences. It’s
esting happened.” Or a sequel could begin a generation or also possible to change situations more radically, creating
more later, telling about descendants of the original heroes. a disastrous outcome to the original story – one where the
Recent works have developed the idea of a prequel, a work heroes need to take up different strategies, or where differ-
that tells about the younger life of a hero, his ancestors, ent heroes need to step forward.
or the earlier history of a setting. Prequels need to end up
Example (Drac.): Dracula doesn’t return in time to save
someplace consistent with the start of the original work  –
Jonathan Harker from the three vampiric women in his cas-
which can be tricky for the GM, who has several co-authors
tle. Lacking access to the legal records of his property acqui-
with their own ideas!
sitions, Lucy Westenra’s avengers are delayed in taking action
Example (Odys.): During the original story, Odysseus’ son against him, letting him establish himself as a master of
Telemachus comes to manhood – and gains the favor of his England’s underworld. This leads to a mystery campaign in
father’s patron Athena. He and a group of companions could which the original characters may appear as player characters
be sent on a quest of their own, as the subject of a campaign. or as Contacts with valuable information.

Filling the Gaps

Many sources have stories with time gaps, or multiple
stories separated in time, like the Oz series as a whole. It’s
Retelling
possible to fit adventures into the gaps, as “untold tales” the Original Story
about the original heroes. If the source defines a detailed
All of the suggested starting points are for new stories
timeline, each untold adventure may need to be assigned
based on the source – telling a different story in the same
to a specific point on it, before some events and after oth-
world, or moving the story to a different world and seeing
ers. If time sequence is vague, it may be enough to say,
what happens. But what about playing out the original story
“This is an untold story.”
in the same setting? A novel can be adapted into a movie, a
television series, or a graphic novel; why can’t any of these
Displacements be adapted into a campaign?
There are real difficulties in doing this; in fact, they’ve
Another way to tell narratives that don’t conflict with been the subject of more than one humorous story. Novel-
the source is to focus on different main characters: ists have joked for a long time about characters with minds
minor characters from the source who get promoted to of their own, who won’t do what the plot requires, but player
stars of their own stories, or original characters made characters really do have minds of their own – because each
up for the campaign. has a different creator. The GM can try to manipulate the
A campaign can be set in a location that exists in the players into staying on track, but that takes away the free-
source material, but is only briefly visited in the original dom that’s one of the big pleasures of roleplaying.
story, or even simply mentioned. Any such place could Of course, many adaptations do change the original
have its own cast of characters. story, sometimes drastically; the film version of Oz is a
Another option is to stay in the main location, but dream, not a real place, for example. If everyone is willing
promote minor characters to leading roles. These can be to accept the game as a new story based on the source, a
either named individual characters, or characters who campaign may work.
simply belong to groups. If the players really want to re-create the original story,
Example (WM): With 108 main heroes, Water Margin optional rules for letting them shape the narrative can
can’t tell all their stories in detail. A campaign could help; see, for example, Buying Success and Player Guidance
focus on the exploits of less fully described heroes. These (p. B347) and the expanded discussions in GURPS Power-
could be fitted into gaps in time, especially in the first Ups 5: Impulse Buys. The rules for Destiny Points in
half of the novel, before the heroes come to terms with Impulse Buys can help pay for this, with the original
the imperial authorities. story defining destinies for its characters. For example, if
Odysseus misses Polyphemus’ eye, he can buy a success
and live to reach Ithaca, instead of getting torn apart.
Alternate Universes
Alternate histories take off from the real world,
choosing some one key event, making it turn out differently,
and tracing the consequences. (For many examples based on
the history and myths of our world, see the GURPS Infinite
Reinventions
Instead of creating a new story in the original setting, it’s
Worlds series.) The same method can be applied to key events
possible to do the reverse: move to an entirely different setting
in fictional settings. Any of this supplement’s source works
while preserving the essential situation (as West Side Story did
could have ended some other way. Fan-fiction writers, who do
with Romeo and Juliet). Roleplaying campaigns often trans-
this a lot, talk about “alternate universes.”
form realism into fantasy, but the opposite strategy is also
The key to creating an alternate universe is finding a
workable (see Premise, pp. 8-9). Likewise, consider changing
point in the story, or in the previous events it implies, where
to a different type of fantastic element – fairy tales to horror,
things could have taken a contrasting path – but still created
or historical fantasy to science fiction.

High Concept 7
 Another style of reinvention is parody, imitation of a source Players who were anticipating heroic Chinese outlawry, for
with changes that make it funny or absurd. The key to such example, may not accept a remote galactic empire as a set-
reworking is often incongruity, a mismatch between the bor- ting, however similar the themes and incidents.
rowed material and the newly introduced characters or set-
Example (20KL): Instead of a professor of oceanography,
ting. (Though incongruity doesn’t always produce parody: The
his valet, and a harpooner, the Nautilus picks up a band of
Hobbit starts out with a clash between the respectable Bilbo
British schoolchildren (and their dog!).
Baggins and the Viking-like dwarves, but Tolkien makes their
Example (WM): In a future Galactic Empire, an official’s
adventures a serious and exciting story – and by the end, nei-
injudicious instructions to a computer lead to the creation
ther is ridiculous to the other.)
of 108 enhanced posthumans, who band together as heroic
If a proposed campaign reinvents its source, the play-
space pirates.
ers needed to know this before they agree to participate!

Premise
Every story is founded on a premise, something the audi- and necessary for them to find husbands. No one’s view of
ence has to assume for its events to be possible. For example, the world would be transformed by believing in this situa-
the premise of Water Margin is that 108 spirits are born in tion; it’s of interest because it creates the possibility of drama
human form and grow up to be heroic outlaws. This is the or comedy.
basis for their amazing fighting skills, for the superhuman Stories of this type are often called “realistic” – but GURPS
powers many of them show, and for the affinity that draws contrasts realistic with cinematic (pp. B488-489), which isn’t
them together. the same distinction. For clarity, this supplement calls them
Further stories in the same fictional world share its original mundane (as in Mundane Background, p. B144).
premise, but they may have subsidiary premises, new assump- Campaigns based on a mundane premise usually suggest
tions they take off from. Usually these have less wide-ranging mundane subsidiary premises – for example, about the career
implications than the original story – they extend or modify developments, later lives, or children of the protagonists. But
its premise rather than adopting an entirely new premise, as it’s not impossible to shift to a fantastic key.
when Baum’s The Marvelous Land of Oz introduced Princess
Example (P&P): Lydia Wickham has not been welcome
Ozma as Oz’s long-lost rightful ruler. A game based on a fic-
at Pemberley. But she arrives without warning and appeals
tional source usually needs this kind of subsidiary premise.
to her sister, Elizabeth Darcy, for help: Her husband George
Choosing a suitable premise helps to define the campaign’s
is being pressured about his latest gambling debts, not to
starting point.
repay them, but to connive at some serious
crime. Lydia is afraid he’ll get caught;
Elizabeth can see the danger of his

O I
ne mpossible hing T being blackmailed into worse crimes.
Can she and her husband thwart the
H.G. Wells described his science-fiction stories as making one impossible scheme  – and should they save Wick-
assumption and working out what it implied. This is what GURPS Space, ham, once again, in the process?
pp. 29-30, calls the “one miracle” approach to science fiction. In this book’s Example (P&P): Georgiana Darcy
terms, that “one miracle” is the premise of a fantastic story. has more than musical gifts; for several
There’s nothing wrong with a story, or a campaign, having more than years, she has been hearing the voices of
one miracle. But it’s a good idea to be cautious about adding an entirely new ghosts. On a visit to her aunt, Lady Cath-
fantastic premise. The players were probably attracted by the premise of the erine de Bourgh, she realizes that her
original source, and want to explore it. A different premise may not appeal cousin Anne has fallen under supernat-
to them; and in any case, it’s not what the campaign promised them, and it ural influence. Can her brother and his
takes time and attention away from the original premise. new wife help her uncover the mystery?
Philosophers talk of Occam’s razor, the principle that the simplest explana-
tion that actually works is the best. Storytellers and campaign designers can
think in terms of Wells’ razor: The fewer and simpler premises a story has, the F antastic
more easily the audience will accept it.
Premises
Campaigns set in fantastic worlds are
founded on fantastic premises – that is, on
assumptions that the world is different from what most peo-
Mundane Premises ple believe in some important way. The Odyssey assumes that
Some premises don’t change the nature of the fictional its hero has the favor of the goddess Athena, and more broadly
world. Rather, they add detail to it. Pride and Prejudice, for that the Greek pantheon is real. Dracula, 20,000 Leagues Under
example, starts out with five sisters of divergent personalities the Sea, Water Margin, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz make
and abilities, whose modest fortunes make it both difficult other fantastic assumptions.

High Concept 8
 The subsidiary premise for a campaign based on one of Example (Drac.): Lord Godalming’s adventures in the Bal-
these works can be either fantastic or mundane. A further kans while avenging his fiancée’s death confirmed his inter-
development of the original fantastic premise can inspire est in foreign affairs. As a member of the House of Lords, he
a new campaign. Alternatively, a campaign can explore the became involved in foreign intelligence. After two decades,
mundane implications of the original fantastic premise. he’s the head of the Balkan section, dealing with bureaucratic
infighting, the plots of Serbian nationalists, and hints of more
Example (Drac.): Less than a year after their final encoun-
sinister forces that he would rather have forgotten.
ter with Count Dracula, Jonathan and Mina Harker had twin
children – a son, Quincy, and a daughter, Lucy.
Now in their teens, both have developed unusual
qualities that set them apart from other peo-
ple – and have started wondering why. Are they
If you buy the premise, you buy the bit.
adopted? Under a family curse? Bastards of some – Robert A. Heinlein, Expanded Universe
noble family? Their investigations open the door
to family secrets perhaps better left hidden.

Genre
The difference between fantastic and mundane premises is in a particular genre is promising you that particular sort
is part of genre. The word “genre” means “kind.” A genre in of experience.
literature or film is a group of works that are seen as similar Because roleplaying games are a social activity, the atti-
and that appeal to similar audiences. Many roleplaying games tudes of the other players can also affect your own pleasure.
are inspired by a specific genre; GURPS, as a universal game, If the other players have signed up for a game in a particular
has sourcebooks for various genres, such as GURPS Fantasy, genre, you can reasonably hope they’ll share your enjoyment
GURPS Horror, GURPS Mysteries, GURPS Space, GURPS of it. And since they’ll help create the story, you’re better off if
Supers, and GURPS Zombies. they make the kinds of choices that you like, which the genre
helps identify. Conversely, genre defines what other players

Why Genre Matters are entitled to expect of you – actions and characters that fit
the assumptions of the genre.
Talking about genre may be interesting to theorists and
critics. But what does it do for the GM and players?
What Defines a Genre
To the GM Each genre has its own characteristic types of content and
ways of telling stories.
Fictional works typical of a campaign’s genre give you a
model for your own work. If you know that fairy stories classi-
cally have the participants interacting with anthropomorphic Conventions
animals and supernatural and inscrutable magical beings, you The conventions of a genre are its particular ways of tell-
can set up your fairy-tale campaign to include these elements. ing a story, and the things that storytellers assume in order
Or you can intentionally go against that, and instead of the to relate the tale. It’s a convention of epic poetry, for exam-
happily nonlinear whimsy found in children’s stories, you ple, that characters speak in verse – and that no one sees any-
might play to the brutal morality tales of the original fairy thing strange in everyone speaking in verse. Long impromptu
stories – working against the usual expectations of the genre, speeches with perfect scansion don’t need special explana-
as a way of surprising your players. tions; they’re just a device for telling the story.
One of the GM’s roles is to define the reward structure of Another type of conventions takes the form of limits on
the campaign. Primarily, this means awarding bonus points what can happen in a story. For example, classic four-color
(pp. B498-499) – so characters who perform genre-appropri- supers don’t kill criminals – not because they’re incapable of
ate actions could earn an extra point for that session, whereas it, but because deadly force was considered unsuitable for
those who violate genre would forgo it. Some genres also pro- the readers.
vide special ways to spend points, such as the training mon-
tages of martial-arts stories (see GURPS Social Engineering: Tropes
Back to School). In a campaign where character points or des-
Tropes originally referred mainly to ways of using language
tiny points can be spent on successes (see Retelling the Original
in telling a story, such as similes (“he was as brave as a lion”)
Story, p. 7), the GM can restrict this to actions that fit the genre.
or metaphors (“she was a lioness”). In discussing stories, they
now often refer to typical story elements: robots or spaceships
To the Players in science fiction, assassins or encrypted messages in thrill-
For the players, genre is a basis for predicting what ers, or aristocratic people with mysterious pasts in romance.
they’re going to like. If you’ve read or watched dozens of hor- (The website TV Tropes provides many examples.) Much of
ror stories, or romances, you can reasonably anticipate that Chapters 2-4 in this supplement is about identifying story ele-
you’ll enjoy another one. The GM who says that a campaign ments and defining them in game terms.

High Concept 9
 the audience accepts not because of some
elaborate rationale but because they’re
funny. There are strong elements of humor
in Pride and Prejudice, notably in Lizzie’s
confrontations with Darcy and with Lady
Charlotte.
Martial arts (such as chambara or wuxia)
was originally a Chinese genre; it’s basi-
cally action/adventure, but with borderline
fantastic elements based on Buddhist or
Taoist beliefs. This is most familiar in film,
but Water Margin, a novel, contains almost
every element of the genre.
Mimetic fiction (also called realistic fic-
tion) is about relationships and social con-
flicts, often familial, organizational, or
political; fantastic elements are excluded,
and action/adventure is often kept in
the background. Pride and Prejudice has
strong elements of mimetic fiction.
Mystery starts out with a murder or other
crime, and focuses on a detective who has
to identify the criminal, whether by bril-
liant deduction, systematic investigation,
or stubbornness and physical toughness.
Dracula has some elements of mystery.
Romance is about love and courtship,
and most often about couples who are
attracted to each other, but can’t or won’t
Common Genres get together, often because of differences of social back-
ground. In roleplaying games, it’s more often a subplot than
A number of genres appear frequently in roleplaying games.
the main story. Pride and Prejudice is one of the major sources
Action/adventure is about carrying out tasks that involve for romance, though it’s often comedic and even ironic.
physical danger, typically in mundane settings. Some versions Science fiction takes off from a speculative scientific or
of the swashbuckling genre can be included. technological idea to describe an invention, creature, or
Alternate history (or uchronia) involves stories, usually alien world that its characters encounter. Current science
but not always mundane, set in worlds where historic events fiction mostly relies on indirect exposition  – portraying a
happened differently. A common convention is to trace the future society through characters who take its differences
change to a specific point of divergence. for granted. Science fiction often takes place in outer space.
Fantasy is inspired by myths, legends, or fairy tales, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a prototype for science fic-
generally includes magic or the supernatural; a campaign tion, set beneath the seas rather than in space; much of the
based on the Odyssey would usually be fantasy. Fantasy often Odyssey can be read as an ancient analogue of science fic-
is set in invented countries or worlds where magic is perva- tion, based on the science of navigation.
sive, as in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Slipstream and related genres such as bizarro and new
Hardboiled fiction and noir films entail some forms of weird introduce fantastic or horrific elements into mundane
mystery, but aren’t limited to it; they also include crime genres – without attempting elaborate worldbuilding, unlike
drama, stories of political corruption, and “mean streets” fantasy or science fiction. The goal is more to deconstruct the
urban fiction, in a grimmer and more cynical analog of usual vision of the world than to offer a different one.
mimetic fiction. The scenes of official corruption and abuse Superheroic fiction features people with superhuman pow-
in Water Margin are often in this spirit. ers or extraordinary skills, engaged in ongoing struggles of
Horror portrays people, creatures, or places that inspire (usually) clearly defined good and evil. It has a whole series
fear, which its characters have to endure and overcome. Hor- of standard tropes, including dual identities, code names, and
ror often has science fiction or fantasy premises, but they don’t colorful costumes.
define it – it can be better if the source of the threat is myste- Thrillers are stories that emphasize tension and suspense,
rious or incomprehensible. Dracula is an example of horror. often focused on maintaining a deception while pursuing a
Humor (or comedy) can be a mood in almost any genre goal. Stories about espionage, especially realistic treatments
(Mood, p. 11), but it can also be a genre in its own right. Char- of it, are a classic example; crime, private vengeance, and psy-
acteristic of pure humor is avoidance of grave consequences – chological dramas are other common themes. Physical action
because neither life nor fortune is at risk, or because the may be involved, but it’s not the most important element. The
heroes are saved by coincidence, or because they’re immune swashbuckling genre is a precursor; its Spanish name, capa y
to lasting harm (as with the cartoon figures of Toon). Humor espada, is the source of “cloak and dagger.” The events after
often takes off from unlikely or impossible situations, which Odysseus’ return to Ithaca are a classic thriller plot.

High Concept 10
 Mood
Different stories aim at producing different emotional come up with actions for their characters that fit the genre
effects. Classic literary theory opposed tragedy, which pro- and situation. Players who aren’t prepared to enter into
duced pity and terror, to comedy, which provoked laughter. the appropriate mood can wreck almost any campaign.
(There’s an old saying that a tragedy ends where the hero is The GM can help a campaign along by encouraging a suit-
dead, and a comedy when he’s married.) The overall emo- able mood, through such methods as pacing, scene setting,
tional quality of a work is its mood or atmosphere. dialogue, and perceived rewards and risks.
Horror, as a genre, is primarily defined by mood: terror,
Example (WWOz): Baum intentionally toned down the
horror, or shock. But other genres have typical moods as
horror and cruelty of Grimm’s Fairy Tales and the stories of
well: excitement in action/adventure, supers, thrillers, and
Charles Perrault; for example, when the Wicked Witch of the
wuxia; amusement or hilarity in comedy; romantic attrac-
West takes Dorothy prisoner, she doesn’t fatten her up for
tion in romance; “sense of wonder” in fantasy, science fiction,
eating, but makes her do chores! Baum wrote that his story
and supers.
“aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in which the won-
Mood takes on extra importance in roleplaying games,
derment and joy are retained and the heartaches and night-
because the players are co-creators of the story. If the
mares are left out.”
campaign inspires the right mood, the players will tend to

Theme
Theme is the key to developing a campaign. It’s what brings is about a specific idea of brotherhood: the brotherhood of
all of the preceding aspects of the source material together. outlaws who settle differences by open fighting, as contrasted
But it’s also one of the more elusive ideas in literary criticism. to the corruption of officials.
Theme is what a story is about, but in a very specific way. • Pride and Prejudice is about the moral element in choos-
ing a husband or wife, and the contrasting moral qualities

The Central Idea shown by its various characters in making this choice.

What is the Odyssey about? “It’s about a man named

Odysseus”  – but Odysseus is a character. Aristotle wrote
that it was a mistake to write a Heracleid that told the whole A Theme Is
story of Heracles’s life, from Zeus’ affair with Alcmene, his
mother, to his death and ascension to Olympus, because Not a Thesis
one character could be involved in many different sto- “Theme” is sometimes thought of as a statement or
ries in his life. “It’s about how Odysseus sets out to come assertion that a work makes; for example, “Within the four
home from Troy; visits some islands along the way; is seas all men are brothers,” in Water Margin. Many stories
captured on one by the Cyclops Polyphemus, blinds him, do make such a statement. They may even have a moral, a
and escapes, provoking Polyphemus to call on his father lesson to be learned from them, as in Aesop’s fables.
Poseidon, who curses Odysseus to wander at sea for 10 But not all stories make statements! There’s a name
more years”  – and at this point we’ve only covered half for those that do – roman à these, “thesis novel” – but this
of the epic! A summary of the plot isn’t the same as the is a specific type of tale; there are other types. Pride and
theme; most importantly, it doesn’t explain why all those Prejudice begins with a famous explicit statement, “It is a
incidents belong in the same story. truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in pos-
In the fourth word of the Odyssey, Homer calls Odysseus session of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife” – but
polytropos, a word with several meanings: passively, the story is an ironic commentary on that statement, not
“much-turned, much-traveled”; actively, “shifty, versatile”; an argument for it. And in any case, the thesis or moral
abstractly, “changeful, complicated.” All of these apply to isn’t the main thing that readers or viewers are looking
Odysseus, “the man of twists and turns” (in Fagles’ phras- for. Audiences look for exciting incidents, ingenious plots,
ing). The story and all its incidents illustrate polytropia in emotional involvement with characters, psychological
various ways, as he’s carried into new places, gets into trou- insight, imaginative worldbuilding, or all of these  – and
ble, and uses his cunning mind and many skills to get out – writers who have a message need to “instruct by pleasing.”
the same traits that help him when he returns to Ithaca and This is even truer for roleplaying games, whose players are
finds his house occupied by Penelope’s suitors. This is the there for fun, not to be taught lessons.
theme of the Odyssey, the underlying idea all its episodes A thesis or moral is a statement; a theme is a topic.
relate to. A story can explore a topic from many different angles,
The other sources also have themes: and make many different statements about it; the same is
• Characters in Water Margin are constantly saying, true for a campaign.
“Within the four seas all men are brothers,” and the story

High Concept 11
 • 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is about the sea itself outset that the campaign will be about a specific goal or a
and about human relationships to it – in particular, Captain specific type of activity, and that the protagonists must have
Nemo’s self-chosen exile and outlawry at sea. suitable abilities and motives. At the other is pure theme seek-
• Dracula is about redemption: of Jonathan Harker from ing – giving the players a town, a world, or a galactic empire;
captivity in Transylvania, of Renfield from his worship of asking them to agree on what brings their characters together;
Dracula, of Lucy Westenra and Mina Harker from vam- and trying out different situations to see what captures their
piric infection, and in the end of Dracula himself from his interest. Most campaigns will develop in the middle ground
own undeath. between these two options.
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz contrasts civilization with
wildness and magic. The Good Witch of the North asks
Dorothy, “Is Kansas a civilized country?” and tells her that Inventing a New Theme
Oz, not being civilized, has witches and wizards – though the Many campaigns expand the original theme of the source
wizard turns out to be a civilized man using his technological further. But this isn’t required! There are ways of asking new
skills to pretend to wizardry. questions about a source: focusing on a specific aspect of its
theme, taking up a related or more gen-
eral theme, or looking at a place or sit-
uation that was only briefly mentioned
and making it the main focus.
And story, thank God, after Example (20KL): Verne hints that
Captain Nemo is an exiled prince,
a certain point becomes irreducible, embittered by his native country’s incor-
poration into a colonial empire. What
mysterious, impervious to analysis. if he went from exile to active war on
the land powers, seeking liberation for
– Stephen King, European colonies or vengeance for his
own wrongs? An explicitly politically

Danse Macabre themed campaign could have either

British or American naval officers,
oceanographers, and engineers fighting
to keep the seas open, or younger allies
of Nemo seeking an end to imperialism.

From Idea to Action Variations

Fiction and drama aren’t about ideas for their own sake (see
A theme works best if it’s expressed in a variety of situa-
A Theme Is Not a Thesis, p. 11). They’re about ideas embodied
tions – in game terms, the campaign isn’t the same scenario
in actions and in the characters who engage in those actions.
over and over! It’s a good idea, when starting to develop a
The incidents of a story need to reflect its key ideas.
campaign, to note possible scenario concepts that relate to its
This is vital in a roleplaying campaign. Theme is a prin-
theme. This can be a resource when you have to come up with
ciple of selection. The GM needs the campaign to focus on
situations for play sessions. It can also be a good way to test
some particular type of actions. The player characters need
a possible theme before you commit to it – if you can’t come
to be people who would pursue actions of that sort, and the
up with a list of possible stories, your theme may not be rich
situations need to give them motives and resources to do so.
enough to support a campaign.
A campaign about supers isn’t likely to send its heroes to
slaughter monsters in a dungeon; a dungeon-fantasy cam- Example (Odys.): Odysseus’ cleverness is tested first in his
paign won’t require its adventurers to put on flashy costumes voyages to many islands and seacoasts, in which he encoun-
and battle the Assassins’ Guild. Or, if either of these happens, ters monsters such as Scylla and Charybdis, sorcerers such as
it needs careful effort to have it make sense in a campaign Circe, and exotic human cultures such as the lotus eaters; and
that’s about something else. then by his return home to reclaim his house from his wife’s
The GM has a spectrum of possibilities for dealing with suitors. And Penelope is shown as clever in her own right, in
theme. At one end is pure theme setting  – declaring at the putting off the suitors’ demand that she choose a husband.

The Players
One of the oldest maxims for writers and orators is to it all the more vital to ask what they need and want from a
start by considering the audience: their needs, their inter- campaign. All the other things this chapter discusses are for
ests, and their attitudes. Players are more than an audience – the sake of attracting and holding players. If you have no
they’re co-creators who shape the story that emerges from players, you aren’t a GM!
the game, rather than its passive spectators. But that makes

High Concept 12
 The players also need to hold each other’s interest. Part a reading list; for one thing, the group participation may keep
of being a good player is portraying someone in a way that them interested. It can also be helpful to hand out a few pages
brings that character to life for the other players. Another part of key facts about the source  – especially those that can be
is showing appreciation for good performance – not least by used to help design characters!
paying attention to it. One of the vital roles
of the GM is to encourage players to enter-
tain each other, but players shouldn’t wait
to be encouraged!
Adaptations
Interest of Roleplaying Games
The most basic need, in any campaign, Published roleplaying games aren’t fiction or drama; they’re toolkits and
is the players’ interest. A game requires sourcebooks for creating improvised fiction or drama. The game doesn’t
people to want to play  – and to keep on impose a specific plot – or, usually, a specific theme. Converting a game to a
wanting to play. All the different aspects different rules system means adapting the source material – in this supple-
of high concept are things you can offer ment’s terms, the places, people, and things.
players to gain their initial interest. The Obviously, these are going to have game statistics in the original game.
remaining chapters of this supplement, But it’s best not to try to translate those statistics directly into GURPS (or
especially Chapter 5, discuss ways of any other new rules system). Most rules systems have fussy technical points
keeping it. that don’t go over easily into other systems! The other game may use the
same name for a different concept, or vice versa – for example, it may say
“Subterfuge” instead of “Acting” for the ability to maintain a false identity.
Familiarity Focus on the “story” aspects of the source material, and find ways to
express them in GURPS terms. In particular, try to preserve relative ranks;
In running a campaign with a source,
it’s a big help to have players familiar with the stronger opponent, or the weapon with longer range, shouldn’t become
the source! Knowledgeable players easily inferior just from a change of rules, even if the exact value is different. This
fall into the spirit of the original. Players is much the same process as working with source material from novels or
who understand the original only from movies, and much of this supplement’s advice applies to it.
GM handouts and verbal explanations
are very likely to change it into something
different, often unknowingly.
Familiarity includes knowledge of settings, characters,
and technology and artifacts, as discussed in Chapters 2-4.
Trust
The real payoff of all these concerns is player trust. In run-
But what’s even more important is knowing the style of the ning a campaign, making up new material is unavoidable. If
original – what kinds of things people do, how they talk, and the players object to that material, finding it incongruous,
what kind of mood the story conveys (Mood, p. 11). Players their involvement is damaged, even if every bit of it has a
who know this can make up new elements that fit the source, precedent in the original. It’s even worse if the players don’t
just as the original creator did, and can help out each other’s say anything, but just silently disengage. A GM who’s built up
sense of what’s fitting. credit for knowing the source, and caring about it, is better off
What if you have players who don’t know the fictional than one who can justify every detail – and regularly has to!
world – but are interested and curious enough to try a cam- You can do several things if you want that sort of credit.
paign set in it? Ideally, you’d like them to read the book, or
watch the movie or a season of the television show. But mak- • You have to actually know the source, and care about
ing big demands on their time, before they get to play, may it. You can’t fake this by reading online summaries or quick
kill the campaign before it starts. If there’s a film or television cramming. Base your campaign on a work that you person-
version (original or adapted) that can be watched in a couple ally love.
of hours, as part of a setup session, that may work better than • When you make a substantial change, plan for and let the
players know before they decide to play.
• When you get something wrong  – and getting some-
Here I am noble; I am boyar; thing wrong is almost inevitable – admit the mistake if the
players call you on it. With any luck, they’ll accept that the
the common people know me, universe is a little different, so that the campaign can go on.
and I am master. But a stranger (This also applies to players getting something wrong. It’s a
game, not a final examination. If a player interprets some-
in a strange land, he is no one; thing from the source differently than you would, it’s better
men know him not – and to know to find a way to make this work than to force them into your
own interpretation.)
not is to care not for. I am content
Again, players also need each other’s trust. This doesn’t
if I am like the rest. mean the characters have to cooperate. Players may well act
out scenes of opposition and conflict – but cooperate in mak-
– Bram Stoker, Dracula ing those scenes as dramatic as possible!

High Concept 13
 Chapter Two

Places
The first step in designing a campaign is often
place: the creation of a setting for the campaign’s
events. This chapter starts out by looking at places;
the next two chapters discuss people and things.

Describing the World

A place can be an entire world or even a universe – a large through a work and compiling a list of locations can provide a
realm with its own natural laws. Both Odysseus and Captain starting point for making sense of its spatial layout.
Nemo are seafarers, but Odysseus’s world is one of angry gods, • Some works have double settings  – often a wild place
their monstrous offspring, and cunning sorcerers; Captain (pp. 22-23) and a more civilized one. These may be virtually
Nemo’s is the scientifically knowable world of oceanography. two separate worlds, each of which has to be mapped out in
The two offer very different possible encounters. its own right.
A world is also a place that can be traveled through – possi-
Beyond physical layout, what is the essential nature of the
bly as long as 20,000 leagues or 10 years. All this supplement’s
setting? Does the will of a god or a pantheon of gods shape
source works include journeys; even Pride and Prejudice has
it? Does it allow one or many forms of magic? Do some of
Lydia Bennet eloping to London, and Fitzwilliam Darcy help-
its human inhabitants have access to advanced technology or
ing fetch her back! Consulting a map of the larger area (or
superhuman powers? Are some of its inhabitants aliens, mon-
drawing one, for an invented world without a map) can help
sters, or talking animals?
define possible journeys and destinations. The action will take
If its natural laws are the same as ours, how dissimilar are
place in specific locations (pp. 20-23), but those locations exist
its history and geography? Did some key historical event turn
within the larger world.
out differently? Is its entire map different, or does it have an
extra continent or island, country or city, or simply a few extra
The Source Material houses and families? How variant are its technology, its eco-
nomics, and its laws and customs?
Unless told otherwise, the players will expect the game
world to be consistent with the setting as the author envi- Example (WWOz): Oz has definite directions  – Dorothy’s
sioned it. It’s possible to change a setting deliberately from the first encounter is with the Wicked Witch of the East  – and
original version! But this is much likelier to turn out well if you a central place, the Emerald City. Dorothy’s quest defines an
know the original version and depart from it only intentionally. itinerary. The scale isn’t precisely defined, but Oz seems to be
a small nation: its principal city has just over 50,000 people
The Original Work (The Emerald City, p. 21), and it takes Dorothy only six days
to travel there from the Munchkin country. The country as
Naturally, the most important source is the fictional work
a whole is a wild place as contrasted to civilized Kansas, and
itself. The reliability of other sources can be judged by how
one where magical things happen regularly. Oz is an imagi-
consistent they are with this.
nary place not to be found on real maps.
One set of questions to be answered focuses on the spatial
layout of the world.
Continuations and Adaptations
• What’s the scale of the story; that is, how big a realm do
A well-known, popular work may acquire continuations,
the characters move in? See Scale (p. 23) and Travel (p. 24).
by its original author or new creators. L. Frank Baum wrote
• Does the setting have spatial coordinates? Many stories
a total of 14 Oz books, which add dozens of new places and
are set in the real world and can rely on latitude and longitude,
groups within Oz, as well as several neighboring magical
as shown on maps (or, in outer-space campaigns, on astro-
realms, and give more details of its history and customs – not
nomical coordinates). Some invented settings have them, too.
always consistent! The eighth book, Tik-Tok of Oz, provides
• Is there a central place? Even if the source isn’t specific
two maps, one of Oz alone and one including other countries.
about directions, it may define locations as close to or remote
Material from sequels of this kind is often consistent with the
from an important site.
main source. Sequels by other authors may not be; how well
• Works without a central place can still have an itinerary,
they fit is a judgment call.
a set of locations visited and sometimes of travel times. Going

Places 14
 Another source of optional material is adaptations into as the Napoleonic Wars); a history of daily life, to get details of
other media. Many classic works of literature have been made the setting right; and possibly a specialized history – for exam-
into cinematic or graphic works, for example – more or less ple, of war, exploration, or business and commerce. If other
faithfully. (More recently, successful films or television shows fictional works are available for the period, they can help gain
may have novelizations.) As new interpretations of the source a sense of how people lived and talked.
material, these can be disregarded if they conflict with the
original; however, they may help bring the setting to life, Geography and Astronomy
especially if they portray it visually. Or the adaptation may
Where a story happened is as important as when. For a
be the starting point  – a campaign might be based on The
source set in the present, online maps are a good starting
Wizard of Oz (the movie) rather than The Wonderful Wizard
place; a map and a short article on the country will provide
of Oz (the book).
basic information  – Wikipedia articles are normally reliable
for this. Historical fiction or drama, or classics created in the
Secondary Sources past, takes more work! A good historical atlas can be a starting
Secondary sources are books and other material about a point. For detailed information, it may be worth investing in a
work, usually by people other than the creator. For stories reproduction of an older map.
set in an invented world, it may be possible to find atlases or In campaigns based on ancient epics and legends, actual
guides that describe the world in detail. Stories set in the real places may be debatable. Most scholars agree about the loca-
world may have setting guides – or, for older, more legendary tion of Troy, but the islands Odysseus visited on his way
works such as the Odyssey, speculative works that attempt to home – if they actually existed! – are still being guessed at. In
identify the real world setting. Many classic works have anno- running a campaign inspired by such a source, you can pick
tated editions, which combine the work itself and the research a theory that makes sense to you, or leave locations vague, as
in one book. You have to use your own judgment as to how far Homer did.
to trust such material – but good secondary works can fill in Science-fiction-styled campaigns may be set on planets
details that would require a lot of data gathering, or organize orbiting other stars. Some authors put their planets and solar
the information in a more systematic form. systems in remote parts of the galaxy, or in galaxies far, far
Another kind of secondary source is a roleplaying game away. Others place them relatively close to Earth, making it
based on the source material. Even if you aren’t planning to possible to consult star charts and catalogs. Older science fic-
use the specific game system – you’re probably going to use tion was often set in our own solar system – but the past 50
GURPS, if you’re reading this supplement! – any game devel- years have brought enough discoveries about the other planets
oper has to put in a lot of work organizing the information in to make the classic works no longer plausible; if your setting is
a source and figuring out its implications. the traditional “ancient dying Mars,” you may need to rely on
earlier writers such as Percival Lowell or Garrett Serviss (see

Further Research The Retro Solar System, p. 17). Recent discoveries of extrasolar
planets are doing the same to modern science fiction, as we
If your source is set in the real world, you aren’t limited learn which stars actually have planets and what other plane-
to what the author tells you about the environs. Factual tary systems are like.
information can be found on almost any real-world setting,
in books or online. When Bram Stoker writes that Dracula Technology
rented a house in London, for example, it’s fair to use his-
Technology can be included in history (or archaeology).
torical and geographical information about London in devel-
But it’s worth considering on its own, because it makes a big
oping your Dracula-based campaign. Of course, if the source
difference to what your campaign’s heroes are capable of.
contradicts the real-world information, you’re free to assume
Histories of technology can tell you when various devices
that the author has set the story in a slightly different world.
were invented. Books and online sources are available for top-
Alternatively, you can say that the author got things wrong,
ics of special interest, such as vehicles or weapons; many of
or if there’s a narrator, that he was lying to protect himself or
these are particularly handy for gamers as well! Reproductions
others, or was deceiving himself about the real situation (the
of old catalogs can help identify available gear in TL5-7 set-
unreliable narrator trope).
tings (and give an idea of the price level). For earlier historic
or prehistoric periods, archaeological books and museum
History exhibits may provide illustrations and even some statistics.
When did the story’s events happen? Many works set in the More general histories of technology can help you understand
real world take place in the author’s own time. Others are set how technology shaped past societies. This information will
in the past and can be dated by historical events or figures. often be more specific than GURPS TLs  – but if the cam-
However, events of the remote past, such as the Trojan War, paign’s not about technological change, using gear from the
may have uncertain dates, and it may even be doubtful if they same TL may be accurate enough.
actually happened; if you use historical sources, you’ll have to
decide which date to rely on. Science
After establishing the date, look over a historical timeline
If you’re starting from a work of science fiction, you may
and find out what was going on in the world, or the part of
want to read about the scientific ideas that went into it. It’s
it where the source is set. It may be worth reading historical
useful to know what conditions are really like beneath the sea
books: a history of the country or of a major event in it (such
or on other planets; for that, look for a good popularization.

Places 15
You may also want to know what scientists believed about the Filling In
world when the story was written. Maybe, in the world of your
Any setting from a city up to a galaxy is too big to map
campaign, those beliefs are true.
out or describe in detail. The source will leave gaps between
For a quick look into a source’s scientific assumptions,
described locations, which you can fill in. You also have the
online articles often provide enough information. But if you
option of portraying an established location within a world in
prefer go into depth, you may want to read about the history
more detail.
of scientific ideas. You may learn about related scientific con-
cepts that you can incorporate into your campaign. It also Example (Odys.): A key turning point in Odysseus’ journey is
may be possible to track down the historic works that inspired his being shipwrecked off the coast of Scheria; coming ashore,
the authors of the source. For example, Verne says that one he is befriended by Princess Nausicaa, whose father gives him
of Captain Nemo’s books is Matthew Fontaine Maury’s The passage home to Ithaca. The people of Scheria, the Phaea-
Physical Geography of the cians, are technologically
Sea, which was a historically advanced, with self-steering
important work in oceanog- ships that travel as fast as
raphy, and an influence on Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in a falcon flies. A campaign
Verne’s ideas about it. Kansas anymore. based in Scheria could map
out the palace and the sur-
Legends – Dorothy, in The Wizard of Oz rounding city in much more
detail than Homer provided.
The other big source of
fantastic elements in a world
is myths, legends, and fairy tales. Various of the sources this Building Out
supplement discusses draw on Greek mythology, Chinese sto- The other direction to take is outward from what the source
ries about Taoist sages and martial-arts masters, Balkan leg- material portrays. If the setting is the real world, read about
ends of vampires, and classic fairy tales – though all of their other regions or countries and figure out how they interact.
authors gave the material their own spin! If it’s a created world, decide what’s in the blank areas on the
Guides are available to the supernatural and mystical map, or what’s over its edge.
beliefs of many different cultures. It’s worthwhile reading col-
lections of actual legends or tales, to get the flavor of a culture’s Transforming
storytelling and to spot things to borrow. Of course, you’ll have
to decide how much of this legendry is real in your campaign. In both the preceding options, the established setting is
left unchanged. But you aren’t required to do that! There are
several different ways to create a new setting from the source
I nventing ew N M aterial material: You can set a story in the past or future of a legend-
ary or created world, when things were inevitably different.
If a source is set in an invented world, you can’t rely on
You can change a key event in a setting’s history and figure out
real-world research to learn more about the setting. But no
how the world would be different – an alternative history or an
one author can imagine a world in as much detail as the real
alternative fictional timeline. You can translate the entire story
world! You have room to make up parts of the setting that the
to a different milieu, giving its key elements appropriate new
source doesn’t describe. On a smaller scale, you can do this for
forms. You can even use the exact same setting, but with key
stories set in the real world.
characters and events having a different meaning.
Players can contribute to this process. When they create
Variants on all of these strategies have been used in the
characters, invite them to come up with backgrounds  – the
inspired works listed in Based On . . . (pp. 4-5).
place they were born, the school or workplace that trained
them, the place they live now  – and add those to the fic- Example (P&P): A campaign could be designed around the
tional world. You may need to guide them, or veto unsuitable problems of a Roman paterfamilias with five daughters to find
choices, but if possible, running with their ideas is best  – it husbands for; Roman equites (“knights”) are roughly compa-
will add to the world and encourage them to buy into it. rable in social position to English gentry.

Environments
Once you have all this information, you have to translate starting with basics like the size and age of the star and the
it into game terms. GURPS offers a wide range of tools for planet’s orbital radius. But to fit a description to your source
describing an imagined world, particularly in the Basic Set material, you’ll have to work backward for some of them. For
(pp. B505-522) and in GURPS Space. an Earthlike world (in GURPS Space terms, an Ocean or
Garden world), use the following.

Planets Stellar characteristics: If the star is one that really exists,

you can look up its mass, radius, temperature, luminosity,
If your source is science fiction, it may be set on another
and age online. If not, you’ll very likely be told its color  – a
planet or on multiple other planets. GURPS Space (pp. 73-98,
red sun or a blue-white one in the sky helps set the scene.
100-133) provides detailed rules for designing a planet,

Places 16
 The Retro Solar System
The rules in GURPS Space are based on recent obser- ones such as Earth, and 2 ¥ S for young ones, adjusted
vations of other solar systems, and on current theories of up or down by up to 50%. Calculate M as P / S for any
planetary formation. But a lot of classic science fiction planetary size.
derives from older astronomical theories  – for example, Hydrographics (Step 4, p. 114): Assign Small Ocean and
the tidal theory of James Jeans, which had a near collision Garden worlds a liquid coverage of 1d+2 ¥ 10%. If a world
with another star pulling matter out of the sun that later is old (like Mars), divide its hydrographic coverage by 2 if
condensed into planets, with those farther from the sun Large, by 5 if Standard, or by 10 if Small.
becoming solid earlier. Percival Lowell’s ancient, dying Climate (Step 5, pp. 83-84): Cloud-covered worlds such
Mars inspired science fiction from Wells’ The War of the as Venus still have absorption factor A of 0.77, regardless
Worlds and Burroughs’ A Princess of Mars to Lewis’ Out of hydrographics. The greenhouse factor G is 0.16 for any
of the Silent Planet and Heinlein’s Red Planet. Both Mars Ocean or Garden world.
and Venus were long expected to be much more like Earth Geologic Activity (Step 31, pp.  119-121): The GM has
than they are. Similarly, some classic science fiction put the option of disregarding tectonic activity, which was not
habitable planets around stars with familiar names like part of the older view of the solar system. Mountain build-
Rigel or Vega, without worrying about stellar lifespans. ing varies with planetary age: Young worlds have young,
To fit this older astronomy, some adjustments can be high mountains; old ones have old, weathered ranges or
made to the standard design process in GURPS Space. continental shields.
Placing first planets (Step 21, pp. 107-108): In creating
a solar system, either change eccentric and epistellar gas
Example: Mars
giants to conventional gas giants, or assume that all solar Orbital radius: 1.52 AU.
systems have gas giants. Blackbody temperature: 225K.
World types (Step 25, pp. 113-114): Classify Small Surface gravity: 0.376G.
worlds with blackbody temperature 191-390K as Garden Planetary diameter: 0.53 (4,213 miles).
or Ocean, and hotter ones as Chthonian. Classify Standard Atmospheric pressure: 0.34 (Very Thin).
and Large worlds with blackbody temperature 241-440K Atmospheric composition: Oxygen/nitrogen, high oxy-
as Garden or Ocean, and hotter ones as Chthonian. In gen (treat as Thin).
deciding if a planet is Garden or Ocean, roll 3d and make Hydrographic percentage: 4%.
it a Garden world on a 9 or more, without regard for stellar Surface temperature: 245K (Very Cold; ‑18°F).
age or mass. There are no Greenhouse worlds. As an ancient, dying planet, Mars has low atmospheric
Atmosphere (Step 3, pp. 81-82): Tiny worlds are still air- pressure, and its seas have long since dried up. Its atmo-
less, as are Chthonian and Hadean worlds. Atmospheric spheric oxygen is artificially elevated by ancient chemical-
pressure P for other Small, Standard, and Large worlds engineering facilities, and scant water at the poles is
isn’t affected by planetary size; however, it depends on distributed in summer by its famed canals. The few moun-
planetary age: 0.5 ¥ S for old planets, S for intermediate tain ranges are eroded down to modest highlands.

Each color goes with a particular spectral type: red with M, the diameter in miles. Adjust this for planetary temperature
orange with K, yellow with G, white with F, blue-white with A, by multiplying by square root of (B / 278); hotter planets need
and blue with B and O – but blue stars are rare and short-lived higher gravity to retain an Earthlike atmosphere.
and not likely to have planets with advanced life. Subgiants, Atmospheric pressure: Calculate B / (S ¥ D). If this is 241 to
giants, and supergiants are also short-lived; it’s best to assume 1,080, the planet is Standard; if 121 to 240, it’s Large. Atmo-
a main sequence star. Choose a suitable stellar mass on the spheric pressure P is equal to S for a typical Standard planet,
Stellar Evolution Table (GURPS Space, p. 103), assign an or to 5 ¥ S for a typical Large planet; this can be reduced
appropriate age, and determine the star’s other characteris- or increased up to 50% for a comparatively thin or dense
tics, especially its luminosity, L. atmosphere.
Orbital radius: Find the square root of the star’s luminosity; Surface temperature: The planet’s surface temperature can
this is the orbital radius in AU for an Earthlike planet. Apply be estimated from blackbody temperature B, absorption fac-
a multiplier between 0.75 and 1.33 to obtain the orbital radius tor A, and atmospheric mass M; see the World Climate Table
R for a hotter or colder climate. For later reference, calculate (GURPS Space, p.  83). The value of A can be found from
the blackbody temperature in kelvins as: hydrographic coverage: 0.95 for 20% or less, 0.92 for 21%
to 50%, 0.88 for 51% to 90%, and 0.84 for 91% or more (see
B = 278 ¥ (fourth root of L) / (square root of R).
Terrains, p. 18). The value of M is P / S for a standard planet, or
Planetary diameter: If the planet’s surface gravity isn’t 0.2 ¥ P / S for a large planet. For any Ocean or Garden world,
stated, assign a surface gravity S as a multiple of Earth’s, surface temperature T in kelvins can be calculated (assuming
between 0.5 and 1.5G. The planetary diameter D as a multi- a greenhouse factor of 0.16) as:
ple of Earth’s can be from S / 0.8 for a low-density planet to
T = A ¥ (1 + 0.16 ¥ M) ¥ B.
S / 1.2 for a high-density one; multiply by 7,930 miles to get

Places 17
Terrains at the opposite pole from mountains, having few defensible
sites, but ready mobility; cavalry often dominate their mili-
The definition of Survival (pp. B223-224) lists both land and tary. Kansas is a plains area, as are parts of Oz, including the
water terrain types, but most campaigns take place mainly on poppy fields where Dorothy, Toto, and the Cowardly Lion are
land. Different environments have different typical vegetation nearly trapped.
and present residents and travelers with different challenges. Swampland has interspersed land and water, but without
In science fiction, a planet’s main terrain (perhaps its only rapidly flowing streams or exposure to ocean waves. Water
terrain, in cinematic science fiction!) determines its hydro- Margin offers an example  – the marshes that surround the
graphic percentage (see Planets, pp. 16-17): Desert goes with outlaw base on Mount Liang. (Arctic terrain often becomes
0-20%, Plains with 21-50%, Jungle or Woodland with 51-90%, swampy in summer, because the surface snow melts, but the
and Island/Beach or Swampland with 91-100%. (Arctic plan- soil a few feet down stays frozen and can’t absorb the water.)
ets are distinguished by large orbital radius and low tempera- Swamps appear in stories mostly as obstacles, with bad foot-
ture rather than hydrographics.) ing, quicksand, biting insects, and other hazards. Crossing
GURPS recognizes eight standard land terrain types. It can them by boat is safer, but finding a way through meandering
be worth defining new types if the relevant Survival skills would channels can take a long time.
require facing different challenges, such as the radiation and Woodlands are the other tree-covered terrain. They come
mutated wildlife of a science-fictional Radioactive Wasteland in several varieties: Mediterranean scrub forest, with dry sum-
(see the GURPS After the End series), or the sparse life, dark- mers and rainy winters; deciduous forest, with trees that grow
ness, and occasional toxic atmospheres of Underground set- from spring to autumn and shed their leaves in winter; and
tings (see GURPS Underground Adventures). boreal forest, with evergreen trees that tolerate heavy snow
Arctic settings are described as cold, with bitterly harsh (mountains also have evergreen belts just below their barren
winters, though they aren’t normally frozen year-round. On peaks). Look for scenes of people walking under trees, such
Earth, days are extremely long in summer (ranging up to as the woodlands surrounding Pemberley (p. 22) in Pride and
“midnight sun”) and extremely short in winter. Vegetation is Prejudice, or the forest where Dorothy meets the Tin Woodman
low and sparse, with few or no trees. and the Cowardly Lion in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Desert terrain is also barren, but it’s hot and dry, at least in
summer and by day; it can be bitterly cold at night. Vegetation
is drought-adapted, either dry and spiny, or with thick leaves The hand-mill gives you
or body that retain water (as with cacti and succulents) – and
some deserts have little or no vegetation. Descriptions empha- society with the feudal lord;
size the sparseness of life and the long distance between water the steam-mill, society with
sources. See for example the deserts that surround Oz.
Island/Beach settings are most easily identified by being the industrial capitalist.
reached from the sea, or close to it. For example, most of the
Odyssey is set on various islands, and 20,000 Leagues Under
– Karl Marx,
the Sea features several island visits. Islands are likely to have The Poverty of
unusual plants and animals, and in stories, they may have
monsters, magical features, or societies with strange customs.
Philosophy
Jungle settings are tree-covered, often so densely that the
sky is hidden. Their climates are tropical, and for at least part
of the year, they have heavy rainfall. They provide cover for Technologies
a lot of wildlife, often dangerous. If the story features heat, Stories set in the real world can be assigned the TL of the
humidity, and strange noises and smells, it’s probably a jun- era and country where they were written, or that of their set-
gle. None of the source works actually has this type of cli- ting, for historical fiction. This is also largely true for histori-
mate, but the forest the Cowardly Lion is invited to rule in The cal fantasy, as magic doesn’t usually count as part of TL. For
Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with its many tigers and other wild science fiction or alternate history, there are several ways to
beasts, otherwise fits the archetype well. assign a TL (see also Tech Level and Variant Technology, p. 44).
Mountain settings emphasize height and the need to climb;
• If the general patterns are similar, but one or two tech-
they can occur in the midst of most other types of terrain. The
nologies are missing, delayed, or advanced, go by the typical
lower levels usually match the surrounding climate, but the
TL, and by the kind of society it permits. Don’t focus on a
levels get colder with altitude, and the peaks are often similar
single signature technology such as bronze or steam engines;
to Arctic terrain – they may even have glaciers (see Destructive
look at the overall pattern.
Environments, p.  23). If they have human inhabitants, their
• If the society reached an advanced stage without the char-
communities are often fortified, because their height makes
acteristic inventions of that age  – for example, a steampunk
them easy to defend; both the outlaw settlement in Water
world with analytical engines rather than electronic comput-
Margin and Dracula’s castle are set in mountainous terrain.
ers – use a divergent TL, such as TL(5+2) rather than TL7.
Plains on present-day Earth are usually flat and often some-
• If the society took a radically different path from the
what dry, but not barren like deserts. They get enough rain to
beginning, such as the classic science-fiction idea of a civi-
be covered with vegetation, but have few trees. Most of their
lization based on biotechnology and bioscience, define it as
plant life is grasses that spring up quickly in the rainy sea-
TL(0+1), TL(0+2), etc.
son, and die back in the dry one. Look for descriptions of vast
• If a key invention is superscience, add a ^ to the TL.
open fields and herds of grazing animals. Militarily, they’re

Places 18
 • If the entire technology is impossible to define by analo- Africa and could be called “Sub-Saharan.” This list is confined
gies to Earth’s history, call it TL^ without assigning numbers. to societies that developed such features as agriculture, cities,
literacy, or trade networks; tribal societies such as the Inuit or
By these guidelines, the Odyssey is TL1, but the brutal
the Polynesians have their own cultures – if they haven’t been
Cyclopes are TL0, and the Phaeacians, with their incredibly
overwhelmed by colonialism. Most narratives that take place
fast, self-steering ships, are TL1^. Water Margin is TL3. Pride
in the real world can be assigned to one of these. The Odys-
and Prejudice is TL5, as is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, though
sey is set in Hellenic culture, Water Margin in Chinese, and
Captain Nemo’s inventions are TL(5+1). Dracula is TL6, and so
the other source works in Western – though Count Dracula’s
is Kansas in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; Oz itself is probably
native land is close to Islamic and Orthodox societies and has
TL4, letting the young O.Z. Diggs establish himself as a wizard
been influenced by them.
with technological tricks.
Invented societies in classic literary works often share the
cultures of their creators: the people of Oz speak English and
Populations have customs understandable to an American girl, making
them Western, however exotic the details. Recent genre fan-
The standard GURPS rules (pp. B517-518) provide search tasy and science fiction is often set in invented worlds with
modifiers based on the population of villages, towns, or cit- their own distinctive customs and features, such as the var-
ies (Cities and Communities, pp. 20-21). But for describing a ious cultures of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom or J.R.R.
world, it’s useful to think in terms of population density, or Tolkien’s Middle-Earth (other than the essentially English cul-
how many inhabitants there are per square mile, averaged ture of the Shire).
over a large area. Population density can be used to define In describing invented worlds, don’t assume that every race
search modifiers over a diffuse or decentralized area. or every language matches a different culture. What GURPS
Few sources give actual populations and areas for their calls a “culture” goes with a Cultural Familiarity that negates
worlds, and still fewer give densities. With historical settings, penalties to many skill rolls (see p. B23 for a list). People who
it’s often possible to look up censuses or population estimates would logically face those penalties belong to a different cul-
(History, p. 15). If not, or in fictional settings, densities can ture. If the source mostly ignores cultural differences, it can
be estimated from the general description of the area, which be assumed that everyone has the same culture, even if realis-
can be compared with Earth’s average density in various eras; tically they wouldn’t; if it emphasizes them, start looking for
with different countries on present-day Earth, from Mongolia those who find other characters confusing.
(the sparsest) to Monaco (the densest); or with various types How many cultures should a world have? The cinematic
of present-day landscapes. See the Population Density Table advantage Cultural Adaptability costs 10 points; it’s not worth
(below) for suggested values. taking unless there are more than 10 cultures. But few source
works have, or need, as many as that – a modern-day globe-
Cultures trotting campaign can cover nearly every nation with eight.
Unless social diversity is part of a story’s theme, a handful of
Characters in GURPS are natives of a particular culture, cultures should be sufficient, and many sources need only one.
though they may be familiar with others; their adventures As discussed in GURPS Social Engineering, each cam-
may include encounters with people who have other customs. paign has a reference society. This is usually the location where
Societies have worldviews and ways of life that reflect the the story mainly happens. However, if adventurers travel
influence of particular cultures. GURPS defines these broadly, through many different societies, it’s convenient to treat their
so that they cover large areas of the world. The list of histori- native place as the reference society. Each reference society
cal and current cultures presented in GURPS Infinite Worlds has a culture and a language, which should be identified. It
includes 23 areas: Andean, Bactrian, Celtic, Chinese, Egyp- also has specific forms of Status, Rank, and/or Wealth; Social
tian, Hellenic, Hittite, Indic, Indus Valley, Iranic, Islamic, Regard and Social Stigma; and various other social traits
Japanese, Malay, Meso-American, Mesopotamian, Minoan, (Social Backgrounds, pp. 31-32). These don’t necessarily apply
Mississippian, Norse, Orthodox, Roman, Steppe, West Afri- to travelers from other societies. Their own social traits may
can, and Western. A present-day setting would have Chinese, carry over unmodified in the society they’re visiting; they may
Indic, Islamic (Near Eastern and North African), Japanese, be recognized as socially “high” or “low,” but not to a specific
Malay, Orthodox, West African, and Western  – though the degree; or their original social position may mean nothing.
Bantu cultures have spread from West Africa as far as South

Population Density Table

Density Search Modifier Planetary Era Country Landscape
<0.64 -4 Preagricultural – Barren
0.64-6.4 -3 Late Neolithic Mongolia Wilderness
6.5-64 -2 Ancient/medieval Saudi Arabia Slash and burn
65-319 -1 Current Earth United States Ranchland
320-639 0 Hyperurban future China Farmland
640-3,199 +1 – Netherlands Suburban
3,200-6,399 +2 – Vatican City U.S. cities
6,400-32,000 +3 – Singapore European cities
>32,000 +4 – Monaco Asian cities

Places 19
War and Politics Supernatural Forces
A basic question about the political background of a source Many sources in fantastic genres include supernatural
is how big its typical units (polities) are. This varies with TL: forces and abilities – of the five works with fantastic elements
TL0 worlds tend to be tribal, with chieftains and “big men” this supplement examines, only 20,000 Leagues Under the
in wealthy areas, but no states. TL1-3 worlds have city-states, Sea lacks any form of the supernatural. These forces may be
consisting of single cities (see Cities and Communities, below) humanly controllable through magical arts (see Magic and Its
and their hinterlands; powerful city-states may become Variants, p. 34). But the world may also contain supernatural
imperial capitals, like Babylon, Rome, or Baghdad. TL4-9 powers that transcend human command.
worlds have nation-states, which contain cities as municipal- Since these aren’t part of the natural world, their behav-
ities. Future worlds at TL10+ are often envisioned as plane- ior isn’t constrained by natural laws. Their forms, abilities, or
tary empires, federations, or republics, possibly belonging to manifestations can’t be equated with those of entities that are
multiplanet polities. part of nature. Often they’re beyond human understanding
The next step is to identify society and government types and control.
(pp. B509-510; see Cities and Communities for a few second- Supernatural forces aren’t necessarily all of the same kind.
ary categories). For example, Odysseus’ native island, Ithaca, There may be several sorts of mysterious powers. There may
is a dictatorship; the Chinese Empire in Water Margin is a dic- even be powers that are mysterious to the other powers.
tatorship/meritocracy (civil service examinations are a major To gain a sense of how such powers behave, and what
source of class mobility); England in Pride and Prejudice and can be expected of them, rely on the narrative, on the stories
Dracula is nominally a dictatorship with feudal aspects, but that are told about them, and on your sense of what kinds of
functionally a representative democracy; Oz has no unified stories fit them. The supernatural can take several forms in
government, but the Emerald City is a dictatorship/thaumato- a narrative:
cracy. Society/government types can be identified from history
• It can be a person such as Athena or Poseidon  – but
for stories set in the real world. Stories with invented settings
usually one without a full character sheet, like some Patrons
usually give some information on political organization – but
and Enemies.
don’t rely on the official label; the real power may lie elsewhere!
• It can be a trait bestowed by a supernatural power, such
Ordinary citizens’ encounters with government largely
as Blessed, Destiny, Divine Curse, or Weirdness Magnet; or an
reflect the Control Rating (pp. B506-507); this may be modi-
ability to manifest aspects of the supernatural, such as Chan-
fied by the Corruption rating (defined in GURPS City Stats).
neling, Medium, or Oracle. Either of these can be represented
Scenes involving law enforcement are primary evidence on
as a suitable advantage or disadvantage.
this; characters’ assumptions about their rights and duties are
• It can be a location where supernatural manifestations
indirect evidence. For example, Ithaca is CR3 with Corruption
are more likely, such as a place of very high mana (p. B235) or
‑2 before Odysseus comes home (but had Corruption 0 under
sanctity (discussed in GURPS Fantasy).
Odysseus’ rule); the Chinese Empire is CR5 with Corruption
• It can be a single event, favorable or unfavorable,
‑4. England in Elizabeth Bennet’s time is CR3 with Corruption
that someone experiences: a dream, a vision, a haunting, a
‑2, but by Mina Harker’s has become CR2 with Corruption 0.
miracle, or the like. Such events are often sent as signs of
The high seas in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea are CR1 with
something that’s about to happen or that a character needs
Corruption 0. The Emerald City is CR3 with Corruption 0.
to do.
GURPS City Stats gives a formula for computing a city’s
• It can be a physical object with supernatural properties,
Military Resources. In an empire, this can be applied to
either inherent (as with the herb moly in the Odyssey that pro-
the capital city; in a national or planetary state, a similar
tects against magic) or granted to it (such as the consecrated
calculation can be based on the total population. In a war
host that repels vampires in Dracula; see Transcendents,
story, use GURPS Mass Combat to define combat elements,
p. 41). Such objects often can be built as gadgets (pp. B116-
and use the Military Resources statistic to decide how many
117), usually with a power modifier reflecting their source,
of them are in service. In some tales, individual heroes or
such as Divine or Magical (see GURPS Powers).
their adversaries may control combat elements.

Locations
Rather than an entire locations. Each is included in a larger world
world, a place can be a and subject to its natural laws.
location within a world.
Locations are settings
for specific encounters Cities and
or scenes, or stages in
a journey. The islands Communities
Odysseus visits and the Much of the action in many campaigns
houses where Elizabeth will take place in settled sites, from
Bennet is a guest are isolated farms up to huge metropolises.

Places 20
The bigger cities actually contain multiple smaller
locations, sometimes in vast numbers. It makes sense,
though, to treat them as single places if they can be
traveled across in an hour or so, using transportation
The Emerald City
Population: 57,318 (Search +2)
available at their TL, or if they can be the site of a battle
or siege.
To describe a city from a story in game mechani- Physical and Magical Environment
cal terms, use the system in GURPS City Stats. Most Terrain: Plains
of its statistics are specifically intended to define fea- Appearance: Beautiful (+3) Hygiene: 0
tures of a community that affect games set in it, from its Normal Mana (No Enchantment)
appearance to the severity of its law enforcement. For
an example of city stats, see The Emerald City. Culture and Economy
A historical city’s population can be researched; a Language: English Literacy: Native
fictional one’s may be stated, or can be estimated from TL: 4
information on populations of real cities at a compara- Wealth: Wealthy (¥5) Status: ‑1 to 6
ble TL. At TL1-4, a population of 50,000-99,999 would
be a major city; the capitals of many kingdoms are in Political Environment
this size range. A few cities are larger, and at any one Government: Dictatorship, Thaumatocracy, City-State
time, the entire world may have one or two cities with a CR: 3 (Corruption 0)
million inhabitants. At TL5, populations increase, and Military Resources: $1.1M Defense Bonus: +8
many more people move to cities. By TL8, there are
several hundred cities with a million or more, and 30
“megacities” with over 10 million. Science fiction por-
Notes
trays even more urbanized worlds, up to planet-cover- These statistics represent the Emerald City under the Wiz-
ing cities with a trillion inhabitants! ard’s rule. Though it’s classed as a thaumatocracy, the Wizard
Appearance and Defense Bonus can be judged from has no actual magical abilities, relying on trickery to keep his
a city’s description. For government type, Control Rat- subjects happy and his enemies at a distance. For example,
ing, Corruption, and Military Resources, the experi- the city’s appearance is only Beautiful, but having its inhab-
ences of people who visit it or live in it are a guide. itants wear green spectacles makes it seem Very Beautiful
Settlements can be classed as city-states (politically (+4). The Wizard maintains a small army, but puts most of
independent, with control of the nearby countryside); his revenues into entertainments and public works, including
colonies (founded by people from another city or coun- sanitation; if his reputation as a mighty sorcerer fails him,
try and partly under its control); free cities (included in he counts on the city’s high walls to deter attack. Treat it as
a larger political unit, but with partial Legal Immunity having Reputation +3 (Protected by a mighty sorcerer; Land
inside its own boundaries); municipalities (included in a of Oz; All the time).
large political unit, and subject to its laws, but self-gov- Later, under Ozma’s rule, the city becomes genuinely
erning); or subjugated (conquered cities and other set- magical and even wealthier and more beautiful – in fact, a
tlements without self-government or legal rights). This virtual utopia.
will usually be clear from the source.
For purposes of Area Knowledge rolls, most commu-
nities can be defined as either a Village, Town, or City; very plans of important places. (For underground construction,
small settlements, or smaller areas within a community, can see GURPS Underground Adventures, pp. 13-14.)
be defined as a Neighborhood.
Size
Buildings Building areas depend on the size of the building, using the
following guidelines.
Smaller than settlements (usually) are buildings: artificial
structures where people live and work. High-TL science-fic- Floor Area Examples
tion settings may have arcologies, single edifices equivalent to (square feet)
a town or even a city. Rooms inside buildings provide settings 10 Outhouse, shed, shrine, tent
for many scenes. In some campaigns, a structure can become 50 Hut, pavilion
something like another character, based on its appearance 200 Cottage, market stall, office
and atmosphere. In some worlds, a building may have spir- 1,000 Apartment, small house, tower keep
its – guardians such as lares and penates, brownies who sneak 5,000 Commercial space, large house,
in at night to help with housework, or ghosts of people who   meeting area, small industrial
died in it.   structure, square castle, warehouse
A residential construction should be suited to the Status of 20,000 Enclosed commercial space (mall),
its inhabitants. Works of fiction will often give some idea of   fortified site, large industrial
how people of high and low Status live.   structure, lodgings, mansion, school
The GM can use some general rules for depicting struc- 100,000 Hospital, huge industrial structure
tures. Such descriptions can be used in drawing floor Over 100,000 Major commercial structure

Places 21
 Possible heights of buildings depend on TL. Before the character. (Beautiful, Very Beautiful, or Transcendent build-
powered elevator (late TL5), heights over five stories were rare, ings should be treated as Impressive.) The effect is similar to
because of the requirement for climbing stairs. Before steel- that of styling for gear (see GURPS Low-Tech, p. 14).
framed buildings (TL6), buildings taller than 10 stories were
unsafe (‑1 HT per two added stories or fraction thereof). For Example: Pemberley
heights, use the following guidelines.
Pemberley is Fitzwilliam Darcy’s home in Pride and
Stories Example Prejudice. It’s a mansion on a substantial estate, in a natural
1 One-story setting amid light woodlands. It stands three stories tall, with
2 Two-story dimensions of 160’ ¥ 125’, giving each floor an area of 20,000
5 Multistory square feet. Its construction is of stone; thus, the ground floor
10 Ancient high-rise has a weight of 3,000 tons, increased to 5,000 by the upper
20 Modern high-rise floors. This means it has DR 6, 1,700 HP, and HT 13, reflect-
50 Skyscraper ing its excellent construction and good repair. The structure
100 Burj Khalifa, Empire State Building, is Attractive (+1 to reactions) and architecturally of good
  Shanghai World Financial Center quality. This affects several skills: overall layout provides +1
to Housekeeping for cleaning, a well-laid-out kitchen gives
+1 to Cooking for preparing elaborate dishes, good acous-
tics in the ballroom furnish +1 to Musical Instrument and

Vehicles as Locations Singing, and good lighting and sight lines in picture gal-
leries offer +1 to Connoisseur (Visual Arts).
A vehicle that’s large enough for several people to live This description is based on Chatsworth House, often
in can provide a mobile base for a campaign. A larger vehi- suggested as the original inspiration for Pemberley, and
cle than that, with multiple interior spaces, is functionally Lyme Park, where the Pemberley scenes in the 1995 pro-
equivalent to a building. A huge vehicle such as an aircraft duction of Pride and Prejudice were filmed. Both of these
carrier or a starship can be compared to a skyscraper or are extremely large buildings, but Pemberley is given a
other huge building. Scenes can be set in multiple locations smaller floor area, because Austen doesn’t describe it as
within the body of the vehicle, or (rarely) on its exterior sur- extraordinarily large. However, she has Elizabeth admire
faces, or in places it visits, such as seaports or planets. its appearance, and reflect that had she accepted Darcy’s
proposal, she might have been its mistress, which sup-
Example: The Nautilus is 70 meters long (230’) and dis- ports making it Attractive – but probably not Beautiful, as
places 1,500 cubic meters when submerged (52,900 cubic it seems not to be widely famed. Given Darcy’s wealth, it
feet). Given its elongated shape (nearly a 10:1 ratio), it can seems plausible to treat it as the equivalent of good-qual-
be estimated as having SM +10. The interior of the Nautilus ity equipment for various household functions.
has a volume comparable to a high-rise.

Wild Places
In many fictional sources, cities and other settlements are
Statistics contrasted with wild places where adventures are likely and
Building statistics can be estimated according to HP and self-reliance is necessary. Commonly, these are terrains such
DR of Structures (pp.  B558-559). Use the figures for ratios as deserts, jungles, mountains, or woodlands with few inhab-
of weight to square footage there for buildings with a single itants (see Terrains, p. 18). The sea itself is often an ultimate
floor. For two or more floors, divide the total square footage wild place; in science fiction, space may be another. But coun-
by the number of floors; estimate the weight of the ground tries with human inhabitants may be “wild.” The Wonderful
floor, and add one-third of this weight for each upper level Wizard of Oz contrasts the land of Oz with the “civilized coun-
with the same area. try” of Kansas, and Dracula’s native Transylvania is opposed
In addition, a building can be defined as having traits that to modern England  – to which Dracula tries to bring his
reflect its design. archaic, predatory habits.
Quality is suitability for a particular function or activity, Wild places commonly require Survival rolls suited to
giving bonuses or penalties to the relevant skill. These can their particular terrain; see GURPS Low-Tech Companion
be defined in terms of various physical features. For a resi- 3: Daily Life and Economics, pp.  4-8, for rules for forag-
dence, bonuses or penalties to Housekeeping can be explained ing, and GURPS Low-Tech, p. 35, for fire-starting methods.
by good layout or insulation; for a medical office, bonuses or (GURPS After the End 2: The New World, GURPS Dungeon
penalties to Surgery could be explained by good lighting. Most Fantasy 16: Wilderness Adventures, and Pyramid #3/90:
buildings rank as basic equipment for their intended function After the End offer additional suggestions for surviving in
(Equipment Modifiers, p. B345) and as improvised equipment wild places.) Usually, there are no roads; travel requires
for other functions (‑2 to skill). Badly maintained or cheaply hiking (p. B351), riding (pp. B459-460), or suitable vehicles,
made buildings count as improvised equipment for any func- as well as Navigation rolls to avoid getting lost. Travelers
tion. Exceptional buildings may be considered as good or fine can encounter dangerous animals, from giant octopuses
equipment (+1 or +2 to skill). to tiger/bear hybrids (see Kalidahs, p. 44). Dangerous
Attractiveness is the appearance of a building, including its flora is also possible, whether gigantic and predatory, or
location and landscaping; it grants the same modifiers as for a simply equipped with thorns or poisonous secretions.

Places 22
In “wild” human countries – or at sea or in space – they may as deep mines are examples. Underwater, the vacuum of outer
encounter people who live outside the law. space, and planets with atmospheric composition, pressure,
or temperature radically different from Earth’s also count.

Destructive Environments (See Hazards, pp. B428-437, for game effects of such environ-
ments.) In a fantasy or horror story, magically lethal environ-
Some environments are more extreme than wildernesses, ments may exist, such as the Deadly Desert that separates Oz
with conditions that will quickly kill an unprotected human from the rest of the world.
being. Surviving them requires protective gear – or, in some Temporary hazards are also possible: natural disasters
cases, specially designed vehicles. See Equipment Modifiers such as floods, forest fires, or volcanic eruptions; humanly
(p.  B345) for going to such places without specialized gear! created conditions such as toxic gases or intense radiation; or
The glaciated regions of the Arctic or Antarctic, mountain in fantasy worlds, outbreaks of wild magic or plagues of mon-
peaks with very thin air (less than 0.5 atmospheres, found sters or demons. High-tech battlefields are another example,
above 20,000’), and extremely hot underground locations such one deliberately created to inflict harm on an enemy.

Setting and Drama

Worlds and locations can be fun to create for their own In terms of the area classes for Area Knowledge (p. B177), a
sake; many people spend happy hours drawing maps of imag- dungeon is effectively a neighborhood. A single-country world
inary cities, countries, or worlds. But in a roleplaying game, is the size of a small or large nation. A science-fictional cam-
they’re eventually going to be put to work in enabling adven- paign may be set in an interplanetary state or even a galaxy.
tures and dramatic situations.
Focus
Parameters Focus is how much of the campaign world features in
important events. Does the narrative range widely, or do
Campaign worlds usually exist in larger universes  – but
nearly all the scenes take place in a handful of locations?
most of the universe doesn’t come into the action of the cam-
Most of this supplement’s source works involve long jour-
paign. The world is the part of the universe that affects the
neys and have scenes in many places. Pride and Prejudice,
protagonists, and that they can affect. How big a world does
however, takes place in three English counties – Derbyshire,
the campaign have?
Hertfordshire, and Kent (though events in two others are
described in letters)  – most of it in five large houses. The
Scale Odyssey changes focus radically, the first half ranging all over
Scale is how big the campaign world is. That is, how much the Mediterranean, but the second narrowing to the island of
of the world do you have to know about, to account for the Ithaca and then to Odysseus’ house, after he returns there.
things the PCs might act on or be affected by? What are they A campaign with a tight focus can easily be made dramati-
likely to have in their mental map of their surroundings? cally intense. The heroes are in one place and confronted with
The world of a modern-day campaign can be as large as one situation (see Settings for Conflict, p. 26), whose resolution
the entire Earth. Any location the PCs go has a latitude and is crucial to their fates; they have to achieve it with their own
longitude. They can learn about places and people on every abilities and the resources they have at hand. Such intensity
continent, and perhaps come to the attention of or commu- isn’t as easy with a broad focus, where after each encounter
nicate with those the group encounters. In a science-fictional the heroes can go somewhere else. The payoff there is pan-
future, the entire solar system or even planets of many differ- orama: a wide-ranging view of the setting.
ent stars may form part of the “world.” In comparison, the Consider, for example, the difference between a siege and a
Odyssey takes it for granted that everyone speaks Greek, and guerrilla campaign. In either, the geography, populations, and
Water Margin that everyone (even the Tartar invaders) speaks military resources of two entire countries shape the situation.
Chinese, without getting into detail on regional dialects or However, a guerrilla campaign can range all over one of those
languages; their “worlds” are single countries, plus imaginary countries, whereas a siege brings two sets of forces together
realms surrounding them. And it’s possible to run a campaign in one fixed location. The two call for different emphases in
in an even smaller space – a single building or underground worldbuilding: short notes on as many locations as possible vs.
complex, for example. as much information as possible on just one or two locations.

Places 23
Functions of Environments Knowability
A world is a place that can be known. Some world-knowl-
The setting of a campaign serves a variety of functions.
edge is essential to any story or drama; without the ability
to anticipate likely consequences of their characters’ actions,
Scenery players can’t have agency (p. 46). Understanding at this level
Aristotle lists spectacle as an element of drama. Roleplaying isn’t a matter of special skills. It’s partly represented by rolls
games have a limited ability to present actual images of their vs. IQ, which represents the general knowledge that adults
settings. But striking scenes can be described  – landscapes, have. Much of it, though, shouldn’t even require IQ rolls; it’s
cityscapes, and weather, for example. This can create a sense the job of the GM to convey a sense of what the world is like,
of a larger space where the events of the game take place – that through exposition scenes that familiarize the players with the
is, it can add to the sense of scale (p. 23). setting (see Indirect Exposition, p. 25) – and Common Sense is
Scenery also can create a sense of atmosphere (see Mood, available for players who have trouble picking this up.
p. 11). As the word suggests, this is often done with weather: In some genres, investigation is the focus of the story, and
dense clouds for drama, sunlight for understanding or hap- skills related to it will see a lot of use: scientific skills such as
piness, rain for sorrow, fog for mystery, and so on. Likewise, Biology, Geology, Meteorology (all affected by planet type; see
different terrains (p. 18) have their own sorts of weather that p. B180 and GURPS Space), and Astronomy in science fiction;
can help define the mood of a campaign. social science skills such as Anthropology for tribal societies
and folk customs, or Sociology for complex organi-
zations; Criminology and Forensics for mysteries;
Intelligence Analysis for thrillers and some war
The Pathetic Fallacy stories. In an exotic world, some challenges may
In romantic literature, the natural environment often changes require rolls against Weird Science. The GM can
to reflect a character’s emotions. If he’s angry, the winds howl plan for how various sorts of knowledge can be use-
and blow things around; if he’s disappointed in love, rain falls like ful in solving problems, so that rolls against knowl-
tears. Literary critics call this the pathetic fallacy (from the Greek edge-granting skills have a payoff. Ideally, the
word pathos, meaning something that appeals to the emotions). audience  – the players  – should see such applica-
It can easily be overdone – but poets did it because it was effec- tions for themselves, rather than being led to them.
tive! In a game session, where there usually isn’t a single central A more intense version of this focus is the
character, natural events can reflect the emotional nuances of a story that leads up to a recognition (see Revelatory
storyline, such as dark clouds when a battle against a dangerous Campaigns, p. 51): the discovery of something that
foe is impending. changes the players’ whole understanding of the
campaign and the world – or shows them some-
thing incomprehensible.
Example (WWOz): Interplanetary courier pilot Dorothy
Travel Arashi is caught in a spacewarp and comes to a landing on the
Campaigns often include journeys, whether as short as Earthlike planet Ozu, ruled by a psionically gifted aristocracy.
from Hertfordshire to Derbyshire, or as long as the Nautilus’ Learning to understand the new world requires rolls against
20,000 leagues. If the setting is the real world, placing loca- Sociology (to comprehend the social and political system)
tions on a map will make it possible to determine distances and Psychology (to interpret the peculiar mental states some
between them. Travel routes can be identified, as can the haz- inhabitants enter into) – skills that, unfortunately, she has at
ards of taking different routes. If the setting is an invented their IQ-6 defaults!
world, a map can be sketched from whatever descriptions of it
are given, and hazards and obstacles can be placed on it. Demonstration of Premises
Some worlds are created specifically to explore “what if”
Challenge and Conflict ideas. Rather than just taking the premise (see pp. 8-9) as the
A campaign world can be a source of challenges, when springboard for a campaign, they build an entire world on it,
the protagonists struggle against it (see Conflicting Actions, exploring all of its implications. Alternate history is a classic
pp. 47-48, for major types of struggles). Character vs. nature expression of this impulse; speculation also inspires stories set
is the obvious example. But character vs. society can pit a in imagined societies with different moral assumptions, per-
small group of heroes against the world; and in a fantasy haps on distant planets, and even stories that assume different
or supernatural horror campaign, so can character vs. fate. laws of nature.
What’s crucial is to identify what it is about the world that Working things out in this way is often a private extra plea-
the adventurers want to change  – or are forced to try to sure for the GM; it’s easy to go beyond anything the players
change by a desperate situation. will need to know. But some player groups will get involved in
A world’s “natural laws” also determine what means some- the fictional world, trying to figure out how their characters fit
one can use to pursue a conflict. In a world that has magic, into it, and asking “What happens if I do this?” Players of this
mystical countermeasures may be available, such as the sort can become co-creators of game settings, or co-explorers
wondrous herb moly that protects Odysseus against Circe’s of borrowed worlds, by forcing the GM to consider unantici-
enchantments, or the kiss of the Good Witch of the North that pated questions. (See Inventing New Material, p. 16, for more
deters the Winged Monkeys from harming Dorothy. on this.)

Places 24
Commentary and Parody
Some fictional worlds comment on other fictional worlds,
Functions of Locations
The specific locations where scenes occur have additional
or on the real world, especially in stories from countries with- purposes.
out freedom of expression. A story set in a remote land, on
another planet, or in an imaginary world can make political
points without exposing the author to censorship or arrest. Milestones
A campaign based on a fictional source can use its setting to In classic quest stories, locations are markers of how far
comment on the real world. Or it can remark on the source the hero has traveled, and stopping places along the way.
itself: resolving its inconsistencies, suggesting that something If this is their primary function, they don’t need elaborate
else was really going on, questioning its premises, or showing descriptions; the hero will encounter them as single points,
how they lead to absurdities. rather than exploring them as complex regions. The sys-
tem in GURPS City Stats is designed to provide this level
Example (WM): Readers of Water Margin over the ages of information. (Quest stories may also put their heroes in
could enjoy its heroes’ many confrontations with corrupt offi- trivial locations on side trips to perform secondary tasks, or
cials, without suggesting that their own officials suffered from because they’ve lost their way.)
any lack of integrity.
Example (WWOz): Dorothy’s journey to the Emerald City
Sandboxes takes her through a series of locations and encounters: a
forest where she meets the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly
Some campaigns don’t focus on a plot, situation, or mis- Lion; two ditches they have to cross, at the second of which
sion, or on character interaction, but on the world. The char- they’re attacked by monsters called Kalidahs (p. 44); a river
acters take on definition, and discover goals to pursue, in the they cross on a raft; and a field of poppies that put several
course of exploring the world. These are commonly called of them to sleep.
sandbox campaigns.
The world for a sandbox campaign needs to be as fully
developed as possible. It can’t be a bare stage dominated by Bases
the PCs; nor can the GM do a complete job on the specific A journey needs a starting point as well as a goal. Most
locations for a planned quest or conflict, and leave the rest adventurers have a base, a place to keep their larger equip-
vague. An effective sandbox campaign needs many different ment, their mounts or vehicles, and their facilities for caring
directions to travel and goals to seek. for these. They may also live there, especially if hostile terri-
It’s not easy to run a sandbox campaign in a world taken tory surrounds it. If a base is in a city, the city itself can serve
from a fictional source; most sources develop only the parts as a kind of larger base, giving access to a variety of equipment
of the world that directly support their plotlines. Sandbox and services.
campaigns usually require inventing new material (see p. 16). In a quest campaign, the base is merely a starting point. It
Sources whose settings are places in the real world, on the may even be eliminated, leaving the hero with only what he
other hand, have nearly unlimited information available to can carry. In other cases, the hero can go on repeated short
support sandbox campaigns. journeys and come back for rest and resupply.

Indirect Exposition
Science fiction partly grew out of utopian fiction, one people don’t go around giving long explanations of how
of whose conventions was the hero’s guided tour of the things work – and more dramatically effective, as it allows
utopian society, with lectures on how it worked – which the protagonists to take action rather than turning them
actually made some sense in a setting based on con- into a passive audience. The trick is to figure out things
scious adherence to a moral ideal. Early science fiction that it makes sense for NPCs to do because the world is
moved these visions from “nowhere” to the “nowhen” of a certain way, have them do those things, and leave the
the future. In the late 1930s, John W. Campbell began players to figure out why those actions make sense. None-
insisting that writers for Astounding Science Fiction use theless, if players come out and ask how things work, or
a different technique, now called “indirect exposition”: what their characters would know, they aren’t likely to
showing people in future societies with different customs object to a short infodump. Don’t carry indirect exposition
that they took for granted. The older methods largely went so far that it makes roleplaying impossible!
out of style in fantastic fiction, acquiring labels like “idiot What if your source uses indirect exposition? This
lecture” and “infodump.” makes coming up with a description of the setting more
Players in roleplaying games can be asked to read short work. The author doesn’t walk you through the setting,
descriptions of a setting before they create their charac- noting the points of interest. To find out about it, watch
ters; they’re co-creators of the campaign, and the campaign the events the narrative shows, and ask what has to be
notes amount to the “series bible.” But once play begins, true for them to happen. In a campaign, those assump-
indirect exposition is normally more plausible  – most tions become the premises.

Places 25
 Adventurers on a long journey may establish a forward can arise anywhere, but they’re most intense in a situation
base, close to their real goal. Or a large vehicle can serve as a where neither person involved is free to just walk out  – a
mobile base (see Vehicles as Locations, p. 22), as the Nautilus courtroom scene, a debate over policy or strategy, a group
does for Captain Nemo (in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea). therapy session, an interrogation, or simply a clash between
two people who are emotionally involved with each other, as
Personal Domains in Darcy’s first proposal to Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice.
GURPS Social Engineering contains rules for compet-
Some locations  – especially residences  – are not simply
ing Influence rolls and for speaking to crowds, including the
utilitarian; they carry the stamp of their owner’s personality.
effects of acoustics.
This kind of description can help bring an NPC to life – espe-
cially an important one such as a Patron or Enemy. To come
up with something suitable, look at the occupant’s Status; his Tests
particular interests, as evidenced by his skills; and personality The location itself may be what the hero has to overcome.
traits that affect how he spends money or cares for his pos- A physical place can present adventurers with a variety of dif-
sessions. For an example, see Captain Nemo’s cabins in the ferent challenges.
Nautilus (Furnishings, p. 42).
Hazards
Some locations are dangerous in themselves; they
Mind shall not falter nor mood waver, introduce cliffs to be scaled or rivers to be forded or
though doom shall come and dark conquer. swum. This requires rolls vs. skills such as Climbing
(p. B349), Jumping (p. B352), or Swimming (pp. B354-
– J.R.R. Tolkien, The Homecoming of 355) – or vs. Perception or an appropriate Survival spe-
Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son cialty to spot hazards such as crevasses or quicksand.
Buildings (pp.  21-22) and cities (pp.  20-21) may offer
similar challenges, especially those that are designed to
repel or trap intruders. Odysseus swimming for the shore of
Settings for Conflict Scheria after Poseidon destroys his raft, and Jonathan Hark-
One of the crucial functions of locations in roleplay- er’s perilous climb down the outer wall of Dracula’s castle, are
ing games is as settings for conflict (see Conflicting Actions, examples of how such perils can fit into a larger story.
pp. 47-48).
Ordeals
Arenas A location may be a cause of pain, fear, or exhaustion,
Conflict often means physical fights or other tests of phys- through either physical or mental stress. Many natural envi-
ical abilities, such as athletic contests. An arena is a location ronments can inflict fatigue (p. B426), starvation or dehy-
where combat takes place. This can be a specially designed dration (p. B426), difficulty breathing (pp. B436-437), or
space for an athletic contest, or any location where a serious environmental stress (Terrains, p. 18). Exposure to danger can
fight breaks out, from a barroom to a battlefield. also require Fright Checks (pp. B360-361). These experiences
In playing out a fight, it’s important to take account of all call for tests of HT or Will.
the different ways its location and time affect the outcome. A
list of such modifiers appears on pp. B547-549 for one-on-one Puzzles
conflicts; movement point costs (p.  B387) are also relevant. Some locations raise questions that need answers (see
For full-scale battles, see GURPS Mass Combat. How to Be Revelatory Campaigns, p. 51). A classic example is exploring
a GURPS GM, pp. 29-30, offers other insights into how envi- ancient ruins, seeking a concealed passage or the location of
ronment affects combat. a lost treasure, typically with rolls vs. Architecture. Searching
for clues at a crime scene calls for Criminology, and analyzing
Example (Odys.): Odysseus carefully sets up the space for them relies on Forensics. A Naturalist roll could interpret the
his battle with the suitors. The banquet hall is a long room, habits of an unknown animal. Any such inquiry calls for rolls
big enough to hold archery contests. Odysseus seats himself at against some knowledge-based skill.
one end, with his bow and a quiver of arrows, far enough away To make these scenes work, figure out, first, what’s really
so the suitors can’t close with him too quickly. He arranges to going on; second, how it’s being concealed; and third, what
have the other doors barred, so no one can get behind him. clues are available to the hidden truth. A scene can fail either
Then he sends his allies to fetch spears and shields before he if the visible events come across as simply arbitrary, or if the
runs out of arrows. When the suitors acquire spears of their hidden truth is too quickly or fully revealed, taking away the
own, the doorway he stands in provides him with partial shel- mystery. Maintaining the right level of suspense is something
ter against their throws. of a tightrope for the GM.
Places of mystery are a major element in fantastic cam-
Crucibles paigns. They’re often supernatural, but they may be man-
Conflict in a game can be mental as well as physical; an ifestations of superhuman intelligences or alien creatures.
intellectual challenge such as a debate or riddle contest, a But mundane campaigns can have secretive facilities where
social one such as an attempt to influence a group of peo- unexplained things happen, run (for example) by an intelli-
ple against a rival, or a raw emotional one such as a quarrel gence agency, a criminal conspiracy, or a wealthy and pow-
between friends or lovers can all be dramatic. Such conflicts erful person.

Places 26
 Chapter Three

People
Once you’ve defined the setting, you have the background occupied by people  – the characters. To tell new stories in a
for a story or a campaign. But the foreground is mostly fictional world, you need a clear picture of the established
characters, and you need to be able
to create new characters. Character
Consider the roles that people play in the source works. traits provide a language for express-
ing a character concept.

Roles
The characters in the source material play a variety of roles, protagonists, or supporting characters can be moved into the
from its heroes to unnamed minor characters who speak a spotlight. The original protagonists can either become “first
couple of lines and vanish. Identifying these roles can help among equals” or be moved into the background, with the
you judge how much detail to go into in translating them into focus on their allies. In a campaign set far away, or in the past
game terms, from a full character sheet to no more than a or future (see Starting Point, pp. 6-8), those original protago-
name and a line or two of statistics. You can also use them nists may never appear.
as models for creating new characters who play
comparable roles (Specifications for Original
Characters, pp. 38-39).
Guest Stars
Major Characters Rather than appearing in his own story, or his own setting, a fic-
tional character can put in an appearance in an entirely different one.
The major characters in a work are the
He may be the central NPC in a scenario, as a Patron or Enemy; he can
ones the story is about – the protagonists. The
equally well be a minor encounter, as a source of aid or a bit of color.
reader or viewer identifies with them, much
If the players are familiar with a fictional character, they may enjoy
as players identify with their characters. The
having him introduced under a different name and figuring out for
outcome of the story is seen in terms of its
themselves who he is.
impact on them (see Consequences of Actions,
p.  49). They perform key actions and make Example (WWOz): In a post-Civil War steampunk campaign, a party
key decisions that bring the outcome about. of adventurers encounters a traveling circus, one of whose attractions is
The events are often shown from their point a balloonist named O.Z. Diggs.
of view. In all these ways, they’re similar to
PCs, and many campaigns will turn them into
PCs or model new PCs on them.
For practical reasons, tabletop roleplaying games usually
share the “protagonist” role among several characters  – but
S upporting haracters C
within limits: games with only one or two PCs, or with 10 or Supporting characters appear in a story because of their
more, are unusual. Works of fiction and drama are more vari- relationships to the main characters. They have names and
able. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has one protagonist, Dorothy personalities, but they’re portrayed in less depth. They don’t
Gale, and the Odyssey and Pride and Prejudice each have two. usually make key decisions, though there are exceptions, espe-
In contrast, all 108 Stars of Destiny could be counted as pro- cially for adversaries; if they make decisions, whatever inter-
tagonists in Water Margin. Don’t assume that every story is nal debate they go through isn’t the focus of the narrative.
about a small band of adventurers! Most supporting characters can be defined, in GURPS terms,
Too many main characters aren’t much of a problem for set- as Allies, Dependents, Enemies, or Patrons. In some cases, a
ting up a campaign, whether the players re-create characters source’s supporting characters can be promoted to PCs (see
from the source or make up new ones. A smaller group could Major Characters, above).
habitually work together for many reasons  – as the larger Many sources have characters who show in one scene or
group’s leaders, as a specialized force, or because of friend- chapter and never again – but who still have names, person-
ship or common background. When the campaign needs an alities, and motives. Their roles usually can be compared
expanded cast, new people can be brought in as additional with those of Allies, Dependents, Enemies, or Patrons.

People 27
Some of them can be included in character creation as Penelope’s suitors; he can plausibly be considered a second
Favors, but the GM can also just bring them onto the scene main character. Eumaeus the swineherd and Philoteus the
as needed or convenient. cowherd also fight at Odysseus’ side, but neither talks much
with anyone but Odysseus himself, and they readily follow his
Patrons orders, which makes them more like Allies.
To identify Patrons, look for characters who are more
powerful than the protagonists and provide them with sub- Dependents
stantial help, but don’t take the same risks or go along on Dependents also go along on the heroes’ journeys and are
their adventures (see Allies, below). A relationship with a with them in perilous situations. However, they need help
Patron may impose a Duty: “I give you this magic sword; use rather than offer it. One-time dependents are sometimes called
it to kill dragons.” “supplicants”: characters whose role is to ask for or need aid.
It’s possible for the same person to be both an Ally and a
Example (WM): The Emperor becomes a Patron of the 108
Dependent at different times, but anyone powerful enough to
Stars of Destiny. As such, he has Special Abilities (extensive
be a Patron can’t also be a Dependent.
social or political power); however, powerful ministers who
resent and oppose them hinder the heroes’ access to him, Example (WWOz): In Dorothy’s travels in Oz, her dog
which can be represented as a variant of Minimal Interven- Toto is always with her. He seems to be a pure Dependent;
tion. Their relationship with him imposes a Duty of fighting he doesn’t give her help or protection, whereas she’s ready to
rebels against imperial authority. stand up to the Cowardly Lion to keep him safe.

Enemies
Different sorts of characters can be identified as
Mongo only pawn in game of life.
different sorts of Enemies. The characters it’s most – Mongo, in Blazing Saddles
natural to class as Enemies are Hunters: those who
intend to kill the hero or inflict lasting harm on him.
Rivals are characters who seek to get the better of the
heroes, but not to inflict lasting harm. Those who limit the Extras
heroes’ freedom of action can also be treated as rivals. Many sources have people who play even less significant
Watchers monitor the heroes’ actions, but without attack- roles and don’t need complete descriptions. This applies
ing or restraining them. Note that it’s possible for the same to characters who are named only as members of groups, to
character to be a Patron (see above) and a Watcher. single characters who are left unnamed, and sometimes
to named characters who have only a single scene.
Example (20KL): Captain Nemo has no wish to harm Pro-
Characters of this sort can be portrayed in several ways. A
fessor Arronax; he admires the professor’s work and comes to
single, full game write-up could be created to use with all the
value his friendship. But he keeps Arronax and his compan-
members of a group, based on their average traits. A character
ions prisoner on board the Nautilus. This level of opposition
who’s going to be engaged in combat can be provided with
to their desires makes him effectively a Rival.
only combat-relevant attributes and skills. An informant can
Example (P&P): Lady Catherine de Bourgh has provided
be defined as a Contact or simply have a single skill or other
Elizabeth Bennet’s cousin, the Reverend William Collins, with
key trait listed. Or the GM can just improvise such minor
a position as a clergyman, but she also feels free to come into
characters when they appear. In a campaign, some extras can
his house and criticize his domestic arrangements. She can be
be promoted to supporting or even major characters.
treated as both a Patron and a Watcher.
Example (P&P): When Elizabeth Bennet’s aunt and uncle
Allies take her to Pemberley, Darcy’s estate, Mrs. Reynolds, his
housekeeper, shows the house to them. More important, she
Allies, like Patrons, are sources of help to the main char-
praises Darcy’s good character  – and is never on the scene
acters  – but they don’t stay behind when the heroes go on
again. If she had to perform a task, the relevant skill would
journeys or face difficulties or enemies; they’re right there
usually be Housekeeping, or perhaps Administration to super-
beside them. There’s not always a clear line between main
vise the household staff. (In a “belowstairs” campaign set at
characters and Allies. It’s mainly a question of who gets the
Pemberley, focused on the servants, she could become a major
spotlight. Allies tend to be less powerful, or to have narrower
character or even a powerful Patron!)
abilities, so they don’t become the heroes of the story. Allies’
Example (Drac.): R.M. Renfield, a patient at Dr. Seward’s
personalities are less fully developed, and they mostly inter-
lunatic asylum, is a source of information about Dracula; he
act with the primary heroes, rather than with each other or
could be treated as a Contact with Hidden Lore (Vampires).
other secondary characters.
This isn’t the result of study, but of his delusions opening him
An Ally cannot also be a Patron, but he might be a Rival or
to Dracula’s influence  – apparently partly by supernatural
perhaps a Watcher. Even a Hunter can become a temporary
means, as he seems to feel that influence even before actually
Ally in an emergency!
facing the vampire. He doesn’t so much answer the heroes’
Example (Odys.): Odysseus’ son Telemachus is the view- questions as give things away in his ravings. Between his mad-
point character in the first three books of the Odyssey, and ness and his near worship of Dracula, he’s Unreliable, proba-
he plays a leading role in Odysseus’ confrontation with bly with effective skill 10.

People 28
Organizations Example (20KL): The Nautilus (pp.  42-43) has a crew of
20 with combat skills-12, Diving Suit-18, Mechanic (Subma-
Another option is to treat minor characters as members of
rine)‑15, and Submariner-21, plus High TL +1 and Zeroed.
organizations. Individual members of the organization’s per-
As an organization, they’re Filthy Rich (not Multimillionaire,
sonnel will interact with the major characters, but they won’t
despite Captain Nemo’s huge fortune, because they don’t use
have character sheets at all – their capabilities and priorities
cash to acquire resources), giving a startup cost of $48 mil-
are those of the organization. GURPS Boardroom and Curia
lion (not including the value of the Nautilus!). They’re worth
can be used to write up organizational statistics. Tech level,
15 points as a Patron (with Special Abilities) and ‑20 points
number of members, organizational wealth, and other traits
as Enemies. Organizational Types (Boardroom and Curia,
usually can be judged from the source. For combat forces, the
pp. 11-13) include Aid (to revolutionary groups), Fraternal,
definitions of elements in GURPS Mass Combat can be relied
Research, Secret, and Voluntary. Loyalty is Very Good.
on instead.

Defining Major Characters

When you’ve identified the major characters, you’ll want Power-Ups 3: Talents). Characters in cinematic campaigns
to think about how to describe them in GURPS terms. This may have both Talent and high attributes – as can larger-than-
doesn’t have to mean doing full character sheets; unless life characters in realistic ones.
they’re going to play an active role in the campaign, they don’t
Examples: Georgiana Darcy (P&P) has Musical Ability.
need complete GURPS statistics. But working out a descrip-
Ned Land (20KL) has Seafarer – note that it includes Thrown
tion can help you decide what sort of protagonists your cam-
Weapon (Harpoon)! Odysseus (Odys.) has Smooth Operator
paign will have.
(see p.  37). Oz the Great and Terrible (WWOz) has Clown  –
For any trait with multiple levels  – attributes, skills, and
odd though the name sounds, the skill list is a close fit to the
many advantages and disadvantages – a good approach is to
tricks he uses!
identify the major character who’s at the high end; give his
traits suitable values; and then fit other characters in between
his values and average values. Major characters rarely have Strength
below-average traits, unless they’re there to make a specific Strength is something of a special case. It doesn’t affect
dramatic point. skills, and it can be used in performing physical feats such
as lifting heavy objects. It can have a value
higher than 20. High ST scores can sometimes
be estimated from stated multiples of human
All the world’s a stage, strength, comparisons with animals (“as strong
And all the men and women merely players; as a horse”), or descriptions of physical feats. For
people without superhuman attributes, GURPS
They have their exits and their entrances, Template Toolkit 1: Characters suggests a range
And one man in his time plays many from 8 to 18 for ST.
It’s also possible to have limited aspects of
parts. . . . high strength. A racial template can include Arm
– William Shakespeare, As You Like It ST, Lifting ST, or Striking ST; the perk Special
Training can allow a human character to acquire
one of them. The cinematic skill Power Blow lets
a martial artist double or even triple his ST by
A ttributes and alents T concentrating. The perk Strongbow allows a skilled archer to
draw a heavier bow than his ST would normally permit.
Attributes and secondary characteristics should be
approached differently in epic or cinematic campaigns and in Examples: Ned Land (20KL) is a skilled harpooner and is
realistic campaigns (see Modes, p. 49). In a cinematic cam- described as exceptionally large and strong; he could have
paign, attributes (and Will and Per) can go as high as 20, and ST 12-13. Odysseus (Odys.) uses a bow other Greek warriors
perhaps a point or two higher for a truly extraordinary hero. can’t even string; he has ST 15, with +2 from the Strongbow
For real-world-style campaigns, an attribute of 17 would give perk and his Bow skill. Wu Song (“Pilgrim,” WM) at one point
most Average skills a default of 12, or “good enough to get a in the story lifts a stone weighing 400-500 catties (533-677
job” (see Choosing Your Skill Levels, p. B172); hardly any real- lbs.), throws it above his head, and catches it; ST 20 would
istic human beings are so broadly competent. A good range in give him BL 80 lbs., which would let him lift 640 lbs. and
campaigns with realistic sources is 9-14. See p. 9 of GURPS throw it 1.6 yards (see p. B355). Professor Van Helsing (Drac.)
Template Toolkit 1: Characters for detailed guidelines for says that Dracula is as strong as 20 men; since an average
both realistic and cinematic sources. man’s BL is 20 lbs., Dracula’s would be 400 lbs., which would
Exceptionally gifted people in realistic campaigns have give him ST 45 – but van Helsing may be overestimating, as
narrower ranges of high ability  – precisely the sort of thing there’s a scene where Renfield, a normal human, physically
that Talents are designed to represent (pp. B89-91 and GURPS restrains Dracula briefly.

People 29
Skills training), or Elite (picked troops with exceptional abilities).
People with realistic abilities usually can be assigned to one of
Major characters usually get the chance to demonstrate these levels. Numerical equivalents could be 9-11 in the best
multiple proficiencies. Some have a huge range of expertise. combat skill for Inferior fighters, 11-13 for Average, 13-15 for
Others may have one or two main skills that largely define Good, and 15-17 for Elite. (The effective skill, taking equip-
them. A close reading or watching of the source can identify ment and organizational support into account, can be higher;
the tasks its protagonists accomplish, and provide a basis for GURPS Boardroom and Curia recommends Contact skill
judging their approximate skill. It’s also necessary, though, levels of 12, 15, 18, and 21.) Similar judgments can be made
to think about competencies that aren’t explicitly described, about duelists, brawlers, and other less formal combatants.
but that are essential to support those that are, or make sense Epic or cinematic adventurers often are comparable to
given a character’s background. Elite forces, or even better. It’s often possible to find descrip-
As a rough guideline, someone who does an activity as a tions of their notable feats and work out how good they
hobby is likely to have skill 10, give or take a point; for exam- have to be to bring them off. Supporting characters, such as
ple, Lizzie Bennet (P&P) has Musical Instrument (Large companions and adversaries, can be scaled down from the
Keyboard)‑11, because she plays the pianoforte but doesn’t main characters: With skill two levels lower, an adversary
practice assiduously (see p. 35). A skill that defines an occupa- will probably lose but presents a respectable challenge; skill
tion or role can generally be set at 12, or 14 for high-risk activi- four levels lower gives very little chance, and a foe with skill
ties. Professor Arronax’s valet Conseil (20KL) has Savoir-Faire six levels lower will win only by sheer luck.
(Servant)‑12; Ned Land (also 20KL), a harpooner – a danger- Characters based on source material generally don’t need
ous trade – has Thrown Harpoon-14. Highly regarded experts to have techniques. Even so, an explicitly described combat
can be set at skill 16 or higher; for example, Abraham van Hel- move or other feat may match up with a technique, which
sing (Drac.) is an expert medical practitioner, with Diagno- should then be included in the write-up. It’s both good charac-
sis-16 and Physician-16. History’s greatest experts in a field, or ter design and good storytelling to limit characters to a hand-
cinematic geniuses, can be given ratings of 20+; for example, ful of techniques, usually to one for each major skill, which
Captain Nemo (20KL) qualifies for Engineer (Electrical)‑21 can act as a signature move.
for the high-powered batteries and other electrical apparatus What skills should a combatant have? For armed combat,
on board the Nautilus. Again, see GURPS Template Toolkit 1: look through weapon tables for the nearest equivalent to a
Characters, pp. 12-13, for more detailed guidelines. character’s weapon of choice, and take the skill it falls under.
A high skill level can be achieved several ways! One prac- Unarmed combat is more of a judgment call.
titioner may simply have a large number of points in the one
Striking: If the hero uses only his fists, give him Boxing,
skill; this makes him a narrowly focused professional or gives
especially if he favors evasive footwork and defensive attacks.
him an innate high aptitude for that one endeavor (like a chess
Brawling goes with crude ferocity, including biting, eye-goug-
prodigy). Another may have one or more levels of Talent; this
ing, and slams, and with the use of blackjacks or brass knuck-
gives him broader competence in a range of related areas such
les. Exotic hand strikes and fancy kicks such as back kicks and
as musical, social, or technological skills. Still another may
jump kicks are the mark of Karate. Characters who rarely fight
have a high attribute – making him equally gifted at IQ-based
probably lack all these skills and rely on DX.
skills in abstract knowledge, social interaction, and tool use,
Grappling: Fighters who throw their opponents, particu-
or at DX-based skills in body movement, combat, and vehicle
larly after deflecting their attacks, are using Judo. Those who
handling. Which is the best fit doesn’t depend on ability in a
slam or shove them, in combination with grappling them, are
single skill, but on a character’s spectrum of skills.
using Sumo Wrestling. Wrestling relies on basic
grapples, but applies them in takedowns and
pins (p.  B370); it’s also commonly combined
Martial arts knowledge was esoteric knowledge with the use of melee weapons, which is rare
and was preserved as such. The skills and knowledge for the other two skills. Again, characters who
rarely grapple with anyone probably rely on DX.
involved were both part of a tradition . . .
Example (Odys.): After returning from his
– Peter Lorge, Chinese Martial Arts: voyages, Odysseus visits his house, disguised as
From Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century a beggar – but he’s threatened with a beating by
Iros, a younger man who regards the house as
his territory. The two men end up fighting for
Combat Skills the entertainment of Penelope’s suitors. One of the options
Odysseus considers is killing Iros with one punch!
In most campaigns, participants repeatedly face the test of Odysseus is a strong man (p. 37), but not the equal of
combat. If the fighting abilities on the character sheet don’t Heracles or even Ajax; his basic thrust damage can’t be high
match what the person does in the source material, the mis- enough to kill. Power Blow could double his effective ST,
match will show up at dramatic moments, and it’s likely to but he’d have to raise his skill extraordinarily high to count
have serious consequences. on using it without prolonged concentration – and he never
GURPS Mass Combat classifies troops into four broad raises his strength in that way in other scenes (for example, in
levels of capability: Inferior (minimal training and little his wrestling with Ajax in the Iliad). However, there’s a third
or no combat experience), Average (actual combat experi- option: damage from a blow to the skull is ¥4, which could be
ence), Good (prolonged combat experience or highly realistic enough to kill.

People 30
 The attack penalty for the skull is ‑7;
Boxing-18 would let Odysseus hit on an 11 or
less, which could be raised as high as 14
or less with Evaluate (which he might be doing
Martial-Arts Styles
while he decides how to attack!). With ST 15, Some sources describe their characters using forms of combat that
he inflicts 1d crushing damage with a punch, involve multiple skills, or even being trained or training others. For
raised to 1d+2 by his Boxing skill; spending 1 example, in Water Margin, Wang Jin, an instructor in the Chinese army
FP on a mighty blow (p. B357) increases this driven into exile by the corrupt official Gao Qiu, teaches Shi Jin (“Nine
to 1d+4, or 5-10. The skull reduces this to 3-8, Tattooed Dragons”), one of the 108 Stars of Destiny, the full range of
which is quadrupled to 12-32; assuming Iros combat skills used by the army (see below). Such source-material pas-
has 10 HP, he’ll have to roll vs. HT to survive sages can be the basis for a martial-arts style.
an average blow. A style should include the skills required to use any named weap-
ons – though identifying which weapons are actually meant can take
some research! Unarmed-combat skills can be chosen based on the
Social Backgrounds kinds of moves that are described; include Acrobatics, Riding, or other
skills if adherents are shown using them. To choose techniques, look
The starting point for someone’s social
background is to identify his native society first for narrative about signature moves; if any technique would be
(and its culture and language). This may be especially useful in the described style of combat, consider including
the reference society (see p. 29) of the story, or it. Decide whether the style is realistic or cinematic, and if cinematic,
a different one. Odysseus is a native of Greece; add suitable skills and techniques. To complete the style, choose perks
Song Jiang and his companions, of the that fit its skills and weapons, and think about suitable optional traits.
Chinese Empire; and Elizabeth Bennet and
Fitzwilliam Darcy, of the United Kingdom. Chinese Imperial Military Combat
In contrast, Dorothy Gale is an outsider in
14 points
Oz, and her social position in Kansas means
Water Margin lists 18 weapons that a martial-arts instructor in the
nothing there; the same is true for Dracula
Chinese Imperial army is required to know how to use. The specific
in the United Kingdom  – though not for
list varies based on version and translation; a typical list consists of
the American Quincey Morris or the Dutch
bolas, bow, broadsword, buckler, crossbow, flail, guisarme (identified
Abraham van Helsing; both are treated with
in GURPS Low-Tech as a dueling bill), ge (use stats for a halberd, but
respect suited to their (modest) Status.
it has no point at the end and does no thrust damage), hammer (this
appears to be a melon head hammer, a form of round mace often used
Status in pairs, rather than a European warhammer), hatchet, lance, mace,
Status is generally the easiest thing to pike, quarterstaff, rake, trident, two-handed sword, and ji (identified in
identify about people in stories. In an indus- GURPS Martial Arts as a type of halberd). Several included skills cover
trialized society, or in a town or city in any more than one weapon: Axe/Mace covers mace and hatchet; Polearm
society, ordinary people are usually Status ‑1 encompasses ge, rake, and ji; Spear includes pike and trident; Staff is for
to 1; in a preindustrial society where farm- the quarterstaff and can be used with the pike.
ers are bound to the land by law or custom,
Skills: Axe/Mace; Bolas; Bow; Broadsword; Crossbow; Lance;
they’re Status ‑2 to 0. Any society may have
Polearm; Riding (Horse); Shield (Buckler); Spear; Staff; Two-Handed
people with higher Status gained by Rank,
Flail; Two-Handed Sword.
Wealth, or public office. In an aristocratic
Techniques: Cavalry Training; Feint; Hands-Free Riding; Hook;
society, some people may be born to high
Retain Weapon; Sweep.
Status, as gentry (Status 2-3), nobility (Status
Cinematic Skills: Kiai; Power Blow.
4-6), or rulers (Status 6-8).
Cinematic Techniques: Dual-Weapon Attack; Dual-Weapon Defense.
Example (Drac.): Dracula claims the title Perks: Exotic Weapon Training (Trident); Form Mastery (Spear); Off-
of count. This is an intermediate level of Hand Weapon Training; Quick-Sheathe; Strongbow.
nobility, higher than baron but lower than
duke, making him probably Status 5. Optional Traits
Advantages: Combat Reflexes; Fit or Very Fit.
Wealth Disadvantages: Code of Honor (Soldier’s); Duty; Obsession (Perfect
my martial art).
Wealth often isn’t spelled out in sources.
Skills: Brawling; Expert Skill (Hoplology); Fast-Draw (Arrow, Sword,
If not, assume the level of Wealth that can
Two-Handed Sword); Savoir-Faire (Military); Teaching.
support a character’s Status or its cost of liv-
ing. For example, Dracula’s Status 5 goes
with Multimillionaire 1; Odysseus’ Status 6
(see p. 37) with Multimillionaire 2. down estimates of cost of living or purchasing power, but
Mimetic fiction may give actual numerical amounts. this can demand serious library research. But what can
It’s not usually easy to translate these into GURPS $  – for be done is to look at ratios between different amounts,
some well-documented eras it may be possible to track and choose wealth levels that have comparable ratios.

People 31
In doing this, be careful not to mix up monthly or annual force of some 100,000 men, a suitable command for Rank 8,
incomes; the total investments that produce those incomes (in giving Song Jiang Outlaw Rank 8 for 24 points and then Mili-
the form of Independent Income); and starting wealth, which tary Rank 8 for 48 points.
represents a different, often smaller amount of disposable
funds and personal possessions. Other Traits
Example (P&P): The Bennets have 5,000 pounds of invested Other social traits, such as Social Regard and Social
funds, which will be divided among their five daughters when Stigma, can be assigned following their definitions in the
Mr. Bennet dies, bringing each daughter 50 pounds a year; Basic Set and clarifications in GURPS Social Engineering.
this implies a 5% rate of return (which was fairly typical
Examples: Witches and wizards in Oz seem to have Social
for the era). Mr. Darcy, however, has 10,000 pounds a year;
Regard (Feared) – the Wizard is “Oz, the Great and Terrible”
assuming the same 5% rate, his investments would be worth
(WWOz). During their time as heroic outlaws, the 108 Stars of
around 200,000 pounds.
Destiny have Social Stigma (Criminal Record) (WM). Dracula
During Mr. Bennet’s lifetime, he has the right to live at the
has both Social Regard (Feared) and Social Stigma (Monster)
Longbourn estate; this raises his family’s standard of living.
in his native land (Drac.).
We might guess that it doubles their worth, giving them 500
pounds a year, or 1/20 of Mr. Darcy’s income. This would
fit their being Wealthy (and Status 2) and Mr. Darcy’s being
Filthy Rich (and Status 4).
Visible Qualities
In GURPS terms, then, Darcy has starting wealth of Social interaction is also affected by outward appearance –
$500,000. Monthly pay for his Wealth level would be $80,000 and this usually can be judged from a source. Visual media
to $160,000; Independent Income 20 would give him $100,000 present images of their characters; writers typically give
a month, or $1,200,000 a year. In GURPS terms, one pound descriptions to draw readers into a story. If the author doesn’t
is $120, and his total fortune is $24,000,000, far more than explicitly describe a character’s appearance, it often can be
his starting wealth – but he isn’t going to turn it into cash (see judged by other people’s reactions.
Independent Income, p. B26). Realistically, most people range from Attractive to Unat-
tractive – but in stage plays, films, television shows, comics,
and animation, a kind of improved realism prevails in which
Rank the range is from Attractive to Average. Following this lead in
Rank can be based on the size of a command, following the defining characters in GURPS terms isn’t likely to offend the
guidelines in GURPS Social Engineering: 5 at Rank 1, 20 at players’ sense of realism. Outright cinematic campaigns often
Rank 2, 100 at Rank 3, and ¥100 for each three added levels. The have heroes who are Handsome or Beautiful, and ordinary
rules for variant costs of Rank in GURPS Social Engineering people who are Attractive. Nonetheless, a realistic campaign
may be useful in describing nonstandard organizations. based on a movie might give Average or even Unattractive
looks to characters played by quite appealing actors when that
Example (WM): The outlaws of Mount Liang have hierar-
seems suitable based on how others react.
chical titles and a chain of command, typical resources, and
Authors are less likely to describe the quality of a char-
special assets (cinematic skills and chi powers), but have nei-
acter’s voice. Both Voice and Disturbing Voice are extreme
ther dominance or uniqueness, nor legitimacy, so their Out-
traits, with larger point values and providing bigger bonuses
law Rank is worth 3 points/level. After gaining an imperial
or penalties, akin to Ugly or Handsome. It’s best to give char-
pardon and being sent against the Tartars, they have Military
acters these traits only if a source makes a point of how their
Rank worth 6 points/level. The novel gives them a fighting
voices sound.

People 32
 Example (Odys.): Odysseus’ journey back to Ithaca is Example (Drac.): Renfield’s belief that he can gain immor-
delayed by a year as the lover of Circe and then by seven years tality by eating other living beings is a Severe Delusion. It gets
on Ogygia, the island of Calypso  – two goddesses to whom him locked up in an asylum, and others react to him with fear
most mortal men would have no appeal. It would be reason- or pity because of it.
able to make him Handsome.
Finally, some traits show up mainly
in outward behavior: Bestial, Clueless,
Laziness, No Sense of Humor, Odious
Miles is likely to attempt to take over any situation Personal Habit, Stubbornness, and Work-
in which he is involved . . . (If he doesn’t at least try to sort aholic. Judge these by described behavior,
rather than verbal statements or internal
everything out himself, then he’s not being played right.) mental processes. (Bully could be listed
– Vorkosigan Saga Sourcebook here, but it also has a self-control roll.)
and Roleplaying Game Examples: Renfield’s eating flies and
spiders could be counted as an Odious
Personal Habit in addition to his Delu-
sion. Ned Land’s unwillingness to give up seeking escape
Motivation and Personality from the Nautilus (20KL) could plausibly be taken as a dis-
play of Stubbornness.
The essence of a character is his psychology – both his out-
ward behavior, as others perceive it, and his drives and inten-
tions, as he experiences and expresses them. Internal mental
traits fall into two main groups: active and reactive.
Perks and Quirks
Active traits express a person’s agency (see p. 46) through Minor character traits can be represented as perks
moral choices, and especially through standards that he lives (pp.  B100-101) and quirks (pp.  B162-165). Despite their low
by. In GURPS terms, these can be represented by self-imposed point value, these are invaluable in capturing what’s dis-
mental disadvantages (p. B121). tinctive about a fictional character! In action/adventure
genres – particularly martial arts and swashbuckling – Style
Examples: Most of the 108 Stars of Destiny (WM), belong- Familiarity perks may be common, and it can be useful to
ing to the “fraternity of the lakes and rivers,” have Code of work out the details of the associated styles (see Martial-Arts
Honor (Pirate’s), though some of them have Code of Honor Styles, p. 31).
(Soldier’s), and their leader, Song Jiang, clearly has Code of
Honor (Confucian). Captain Nemo (20KL) has Fanaticism; he Examples: Wu Song (WM) has the perk Drunken Fighting.
also has taken a Vow never to set foot on land (for game pur- Darcy (P&P) is almost the archetype of the quirk Proud. Drac-
poses, this is Minor, comparable to vegetarianism). Dorothy’s ula (Drac.) has the perk Good with Wolves.
adventures (WWOz) could be taken as a model of Honesty – GURPS Power-Ups 2: Perks and GURPS Power-Ups 6:
even though Oz is “not a civilized country,” she behaves as if Quirks define a large number of perks and quirks, many cus-
she were in Kansas, asking openly for help and helping others tomizable to fit a particular character. But the GM should feel
when she can. free to create new ones to fit minor peculiarities of published
Reactive traits, tendencies to feel certain emotions or per- characters. For example, the Tin Woodman (p. 36) has the fol-
form certain actions without choosing them, are mainly repre- lowing minor exotic quirk.
sented by traits with self-control rolls (pp. B120-121). (Honesty Affected by Rust: A quirk-level variant of Fragile – if you get
is a special case; it has a self-control roll, but it’s also self- wet, your body surfaces oxidize. At the end of any day spent
imposed.) Bear in mind that these are extreme traits! Resisting exposed to moisture, roll against HT+4, or against HT under
on a 15 or less fits a normal person with a definite susceptibil- extreme conditions such as torrential rain. On a failure, your
ity to some form of behavior: he can restrain himself if giving joints stiffen (giving ‑2 to DX and ‑1 to Basic Speed) until they
in to his impulses would be against his interests or conflict are oiled and moved back and forth. On a critical failure, or
with his self-imposed mental disadvantages, but he’ll always if your joints are currently stiffened and you fail again, you
notice the temptation, and if it’s strong (a risk of death for are paralyzed (p. B429) until oiled! If part of you is splashed
Cowardice, or a Handsome/Beautiful person of suitable sex or soaked, make an additional roll vs. HT to avoid localized
for Lecherousness), he’s likely to give in. Resistance on a 12 effects on that body part.
or less, or worse, indicates definite impulse control problems!
For many people, quirk-level versions (see Perks and Quirks,
below) are more suitable. Esoteric Arts
Example (WM): Li Kui (“Iron Ox”) repeatedly pleads to go Characters in some of the fantastic genres can learn to do
along on secret missions, vowing to be discreet, but eventu- things that aren’t possible in the real world. Finding the right
ally, he picks a fight and makes a spectacle of himself. This way to represent these abilities in GURPS can be a challenge!
could be portrayed as Bad Temper (9). Realistic skills can achieve specific results in specific ways,
which are subject to reality testing, but magic, for example,
Various other disadvantages without self-control numbers has been envisioned in many different ways. Making GURPS
represent internal mental traits as well. Again, any full-blown rules fit something that a particular storyteller has invented
version (as opposed to a quirk) is an extreme trait. demands ingenuity.

People 33
Cinematic Skills Other sources treat magic as a tool that can be applied to
many different tasks (a good fit to symbol magic – see GURPS
What GURPS calls cinematic skills are actually low-end
Thaumatology, pp. 168-177; see GURPS Thaumatology:
supernatural abilities  – but they aren’t called “magic.” The
Ritual Path Magic for another take on rituals).
best-known examples are the chi-based feats of martial-arts
Many mages work with magical objects or substances.
legends and films, which have advantages such as Trained by a
For example, magic in the Odyssey often involves herbs and
Master as a prerequisite – meaning that the student is enlight-
potions – not only Circe’s use of a potion to change men into
ened enough to transcend normal human limits. GURPS
swine, but also Helen’s use of herbs (learned in Egypt) to make
Thaumatology: Chinese Elemental Powers discusses apply-
Telemachus forget his grief for Odysseus. Such arts could be
ing chi to several non-combat-oriented skills.
described in GURPS as Herb Lore or Alchemy. For more
The skills of Enthrallment and Musical Influence aren’t
options for either bringing out the hidden powers of natural
classified as cinematic, but they definitely aren’t realistic, and
things, or imbuing them with new powers, see the discussion
they have advantages as prerequisites. They can represent
of material magic in GURPS Thaumatology, pp.  95-120;
the ability to influence hearers’ minds with which legends of
Alchemical Elixirs in GURPS Thaumatology: Ritual Path
many cultures credit bards.
Magic; “The Material Difference” in Pyramid #3/66: The
Weird science is another essentially cinematic ability: sci-
Laws of Magic; or “Dungeon Brewmasters” in Pyramid #3/82:
ence as practiced in movies, pulp novels, and comic books (see
Magical Creations.
GURPS Powers: The Weird). The Weird Science skill allows
Mages may follow magical or spiritual disciplines that
coming up with radical new inventions, possibly including
release hidden abilities of their adherents, or grant them new
superscience inventions such as Captain Nemo’s various elec-
ones from external sources (see Special Abilities and Power
trical devices.
Modifiers, below). GURPS Thaumatology, pp. 196-214, offers
Example (WM): Shi Qian (“The Flea”) is amazingly good at guidance on “magic as powers”; GURPS Powers: Divine
bypassing obstacles with acrobatic movement, and might be Favor, GURPS Thaumatology: Chinese Elemental Powers,
given Flying Leap, Light Walk, or Lizard Climb. and GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery are detailed worked
examples that may suit specific campaigns. Abilities gained
Magic and Its Variants in this way often have an additional power modifier from a
requirement for Disciplines of Faith or a suitable Vow (see
The ability to use magic is common in myths, legends, GURPS Powers, pp. 22-23).
and older fiction and in fantasy stories inspired by them; the
Odyssey, Water Margin, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz all
have characters with magical abilities. The question is which
of the various approaches in GURPS best represents a source’s The Flea was someone accustomed
version of magic. Any fictional version of magic is going to
require customization of GURPS magic, but the closer the ini-
to flying over walls and floating on
tial fit, the less work will be necessary. rooftops; leaping barriers and crossing
The starting point for this process is identifying the way city defenses was nothing to him.
that magic functions in the narrative of the source. (Bear
in mind that a source may have multiple forms of magic  – – Shi Nai’an, Water Margin
or even a large number of specific magical capabilities that
aren’t systematized.)
Some mages interact with personified magical forces: gods,
spirits, demons, and the like. They may be able to call such
beings to take on visible form, often through summoning spells
Special Abilities and
(as in the Necromantic college in mana-based magic) or spirit Power Modifiers
rituals (in Path and Book magic – see GURPS Thaumatology, Not just “magic as powers,” but many other forms of spe-
pp. 159-162). They might perceive beings that are invisibly cial powers appear in various sources. Examples include the
present, using Medium or a suitable Detect; or they could have abilities of the Greek gods (Odys.), of many of the 108 Stars
the ability to enter the spirit world, perhaps using a spirit rit- of Destiny (WM), and of Dracula and his brides (Drac.). These
ual. They may even have lastingly present familiars as Allies. capabilities transcend normal human abilities and have spe-
Whatever magic they work involves bargaining with the pow- cial rules, given at length in GURPS Powers.
ers that grant it, often with the aid of Spirit Empathy to allow The abilities that make up a power share a power modifier
the use of Influence skills. (GURPS Powers, pp. 20-29), which expresses their source and
Some mages work through procedures, often called “spells” typically includes various factors that can limit their users in
or “rituals.” Older sources often envision elaborate, time-con- ways not inherent in the underlying advantages. For exam-
suming procedures, similar to Path and Book magic; more ple, the Psionic modifier (‑10%) reflects the existence of anti-
recent works, such as the Harry Potter novels, and including psi advantages (Neutralize and Static) and of technological
many stories inspired by fantasy gaming, have spells that can devices that can block or shut down psi (discussed in GURPS
be cast in seconds, like mana-based magic. Sources don’t nec- Psi-Tech). Modifiers can always be altered to fit a source!
essarily go into detail about how their procedures are worked For example, in some settings, anti-psi technology may be
out, but some suggest fixed routines that have to be memo- impossible; in others, developing and maintaining psionic
rized or looked up (Book magic and mana-based magic are abilities may require regular meditative exercises equivalent
good fits to these, as well as GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery). to Disciplines of Faith (Mysticism).

People 34
 The big question about special abilities in most sources dragon isn’t a power; it’s what a dragon is – if an anti-power
is their magnitude. On one hand, how do they compare with could shut it down it would make dragons suddenly vanish.
normal human capabilities? On the other, how do they com- A dragon might have a talent for wielding fire, or for flying,
pare with each other? GURPS Supers rates combat abilities but it can’t have a talent for “being a dragon.” A dragon’s fiery
as I-scale (equivalent to a big animal), D-scale (equivalent breath could be a magical power, which an anti-magic spell
to a tank), C-scale (equivalent to a battleship), or M-scale could shut off, but it could also be an inherent part of the
(even more potent); similar ratings can be used for abilities draconic nature.
in sources – though before the twentieth century, hardly any
fictional beings exceeded I-scale. Relative power levels are
trickier, especially with supers. Supers tend to become more Examples
powerful over time, they’re more powerful as protagonists The following characters from various source works illus-
than as guest stars, and (lately) they may have different power trate many of this chapter’s recommendations.
levels in comics vs. in films and television. Usually, it’s possi-
ble to identify the highest level of any given ability in a setting;
below that, who ranks whom is a judgment call – and the GM
Elizabeth Bennet (“Lizzie”)
needs to be ready to make it. 75 points
Psionic abilities (described on pp. B254-257 and in multi- Lizzie Bennet is the second of five sisters, and very much
ple supplements) have been added to various classic science her father’s daughter. She shares his love of reading, which
fiction, superhero adventures, and anime (and discussed in has helped her express herself clearly and at times forcefully.
GURPS Psionic Powers). The concept of “psi” wasn’t defined She’s physically active, thinking nothing of a three-mile
till the 1940s, but it derives from earlier research on psychic walk, and has an eye for landscape. Like most of her sisters,
abilities and hypnotism, as seen for example in Dracula. she’s attractive, but not beautiful, though she has striking,
perceptive eyes. As an unmarried daughter, she lives with
her parents, sharing in their lifestyle; she has $500 (20%
Racial Traits of her starting wealth) available for personal possessions
Some sources include beings that aren’t human and have and expenses.
abilities human beings don’t have – or lack abilities that human ST 9 [‑10]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 11 [10].
beings do have! Portraying such characters requires creating Damage 1d-2/1d-1; BL 16 lbs.; HP 9 [0]; Will 12 [0]; Per 12 [0];
racial templates that define their racial traits (pp. B450-454). FP 11 [0].
Despite the word “racial,” such templates aren’t limited to bio- Basic Speed 5.25 [0]; Basic Move 5 [0]; Dodge 8.
logical species; they can be created for classes of supernatural 5’6”; 110 lbs.
entities or for models of constructed beings. Optionally, they
can be defined for certain kinds of nonsapient entities, such as Social Background
animals (in place of creature statistics; see Life Forms, p. 44)
TL: 5 [0].
or vehicles (pp.  42-43). Racial templates could be provided
CF: Western [0].
for such beings as Cyclopes in the Odyssey or the Winged
Languages: English (Native) [0].
Monkeys in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
A racial template is a laborsaving device. It’s efficient to
Advantages
work out traits shared by a whole group of characters and use
Attractive [4]; Fit [5]; Resistant to Influence Skills (+3) [5];
that as a baseline, and it saves space on character sheets to
Status 2 [5]*; Wealthy [20].
write “Winged Monkey” and a point value rather than “Extra
Perks: Classic Features (Fine eyes); Friend (Charlotte
Arm,” “Flight (Winged),” “Odious Personal Habit (Prankster),”
Lucas). [2]
and so on. But even with those who are the only member of
their race to appear in a story, such as the Cowardly Lion in
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – or who are one of a kind, such as
Disadvantages
the Scarecrow – it can be useful to distinguish inherent traits Code of Honor (Gentlewoman’s) [‑10]; Pacifism (Reluctant
of their “kind” from individually acquired traits. This infor- Killer) [‑5]; Sense of Duty (Family) [‑5]; Social Stigma (Sec-
mation helps someone who wants to play a similar character ond-Class Citizen) [‑5].
or when the GM would like to add more such beings later in Quirks: Close to her father; Determined; Quick to judge. [‑3]
the campaign. Note that, if someone is magically transformed
(as Odysseus’ men were turned into pigs by Circe), he gains a Skills
new racial template, but he keeps his original acquired indi- Area Knowledge (Meryton) (E) IQ [1]‑12; Artist (Callig-
vidual traits, even if he can’t use them in his new form. raphy) (H) IQ-1 [2]‑11; Connoisseur (Landscape) (A) IQ-1
Racial templates are different from powers! A power is the [1]‑11; Dancing (A) DX+1 [4]‑11; Games (Whist) (E) IQ [1]‑12;
ability to do something; it has a power modifier, which usually Hiking (A) HT-1 [1]‑10; Literature (H) IQ-1 [2]‑11; Musical
includes ways of shutting it down. For example, a fire power Instrument (Large Keyboard) (H) IQ-1 [2]‑11; Naturalist
would grant the ability to create, control, or use fire in various (H) IQ-2 [1]‑10; Public Speaking (Informal Debate) (E) IQ+1
ways; if it had the Magical power modifier, then anti-magic [2]‑13; Riding (Horse) (A) DX-1 [1]‑9; Savoir-Faire (High
powers or spells, or entering a no-mana zone, could temporar- Society) (E) IQ+1 [2]‑13; Sewing (E) DX [1]‑10; Writing (A)
ily shut off that ability. In contrast, a racial template defines IQ-1 [1]‑11.
you as being something, and has no power modifier. Being a * Includes +1 from Wealthy.

People 35
Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodman Skills
Area Knowledge (Munchkin Country) (E) IQ [1]‑10; Art-
300 points
ist (Woodworking) (H) IQ-2 [1]‑8; Carpentry (E) IQ+1 [2]‑11;
Nick Chopper was the son of a woodcutter in the Munchkin Mechanic/TL4 (Carts & Wagons) (A) IQ [2]‑10; Professional
country, who inherited his father’s trade, and he worked Skill (Forester) (A) IQ+4 [16]‑14; Survival (Woodlands) (A) Per
to save money to marry a Munchkin servant girl. The girl’s [2]‑10; Two-Handed Axe/Mace (A) DX+1 [4]‑13.
employer connived with the Wicked Witch of the East to put
a curse on his axe, which successively cut off his limbs and
then his head, and finally cut his body in two. A friendly tin- Hu Sanniang (“Steelbright”)
smith replaced each part with a metal prosthetic. These were 370 points
highly durable but subject to rusting when wet. Dorothy Gale Hu Sanniang is one of the spirits who were reborn as the
found him rusted into immobility in the woods and helped 108 Stars of Destiny. Her preferred fighting style uses two
him by fetching and using his oil- swords nearly as long as she
can. Believing that having no heart is, from which she gets her
made him unable to love, the Tin nickname  – in full trans-
Woodman (as he was now called) lation, “Ten Feet of Blue.”
decided to join Dorothy’s trip to She started out as a foe
see the Wizard of Oz, hoping to of Mount Liang, during a
acquire a replacement heart. clash between the outlaws
This represents Nick Chopper and the Zhu family, one of
just after Dorothy finds him. At whose sons was betrothed
this point, he has little wealth, liv- to her; the lecherous Wang
ing in a hut with few possessions Ying (“Shorty”) accepted
other than his axe and his oil-can. her challenge to a duel, and
ST 13 [30]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 10 [0]; she defeated him and took
HT 14 [40]. him prisoner. After several
Damage 1d/2d-1; BL 34 lbs.; HP 13 more fights, she pursued
[0]; Will 12 [10]; Per 10 [0]; FP Song Jiang, who led her into
N/A . an ambush and made her a
Basic Speed 6.50 [0]; Basic Move 6 prisoner. Her fiancé died
[0]; Dodge 9. in further combat, so Song
5’11”; 190 lbs. Jiang gave her to Wang
Ying as a wife and made her
Social Background an officer in his cavalry. She
TL: 4 [0]. played both roles honorably
CF: Western [0]. for the rest of her life.
Languages: English (Native) [0]. Hu’s swords are often
described as “sabers”; this
Advantages is a common Western label
for the dao. However, the
Damage Resistance 6 (Can’t
dao in GURPS Martial Arts
Wear Armor, ‑40%) [18]; Doesn’t
is classed as a broadsword,
Breathe [20]; Doesn’t Eat or Drink
making it much shorter
[10]; Doesn’t Sleep [20]; Immu-
than 5’. Treating them as
nity to Metabolic Hazards [30];
oversized weapons with
Immunity to Pain [30]; Injury Tol-
SM +1 (GURPS Low-Tech
erance (Homogenous, No Blood)
Companion 2: Weapons
[45]; Signature Gear (Good-quality felling axe) [1]; Unfaze-
and Warriors, pp. 20-21) gives them ¥1.3 reach; if they start
able [15]; Unkillable 1 [50]; Unusual Background (Has Gad-
out at 46”, near the upper limit for broadswords (p. B208), this
geteer friend) [15].
gets them to exactly 5’. This is comparable to a bastard sword,
Perks: Equipment Bond (Felling axe); Striking Surface;
so they can be given reach 1, 2. Their other stats then are dam-
Weapon Bond (Felling axe). [3]
age sw+3 cut/thr+1 imp; parry 0U; cost $1,575; weight 11.25
lbs., rounded to 11 lbs.; and required ST 16.5, rounded to 17.
Disadvantages
Two levels of the Huge Weapons (ST) perk let her wield them
Delusion (Believes himself incapable of feeling) [‑5]; No with ST 15, which becomes her ST, despite her small stature
Sense of Smell/Taste [‑5]; Numb [‑20]; Pacifism (Self-Defense (a classic wuxia trope!).
Only) [‑15]; Status ‑1 [‑5]; Struggling [‑10]; Unhealing (Total)
[‑30]; Vow (Avoid harm to sentient creatures) [‑10]. ST 15 [50]; DX 15 [100]; IQ 11 [20]; HT 11 [10].
Quirks: Affected by Rust (p. 33); Disadvantage Embellish- Damage 1d+1/2d+1; BL 45 lbs.; HP 15 [0]; Will 13 [10]; Per 11
ment (Pacifism, Moved to tears if he causes harm); Distinctive [0]; FP 11 [0].
Features (Made of tin); Responsive; Sexless. [‑5] Basic Speed 6.50 [0]; Basic Move 6 [0]; Dodge 10*.
Features and Taboo Traits: Neither has nor spends FP. 5’4”; 120 lbs.

People 36
Social Background of the Odyssey, he’s a prisoner on a remote island, ruled by the
TL: 3 [0]. goddess Calypso, who hopes to persuade him to marry her
CF: Chinese [0]. and accept the gift of immortality.
Languages: Chinese (Native) [0]. Unlike standard light galleys, Odysseus’ ships had no
Transport capability. In its place, they had weapons and
Advantages shields for their crews, who could disembark and fight as
Charisma 1 [5]; Combat Reflexes [15]; Daredevil [15]; Des- Medium Infantry. Normally he would have had to pay the
tiny (Death in the service of the Emperor) [10]; Reawakened cost of raising 50-60 elements of land forces, but these were
[10]; Resistant to Influence Skills (+3) [5]; Signature Gear (Pair sons of wealthy households on Ithaca, coming along out of
of fine dao) [26]; Status 3 [10]†; Very Fit [15]; Very Wealthy loyalty and the hope of loot, and are treated as levies, with no
[30]; Weapon Master (Sword) [20]. cost to raise them.
Perks: Flourish; Huge Weapons (SM); Huge Weapons 2 ST 15 [50]; DX 14 [80]; IQ 16 [120]; HT 14 [40].
(ST); Off-Hand Training (Broadsword); Weapon Bond (Dao); Damage 1d+1/2d+1; BL 45 lbs.; HP 15 [0]; Will 16 [0]; Per 16
Weapon Bond (Dao). [7] [0]; FP 14 [0].
Basic Speed 7.00 [0]; Basic Move 7 [0]; Dodge 11*.
Disadvantages 6’2”; 225 lbs.
Code of Honor (Confucian) [‑10]; Impulsiveness (12) [‑10];
Sense of Duty (108 Stars of Destiny) [‑5]; Social Stigma (Sec- Social Background
ond-Class Citizen) [‑5]; Vow (Marriage to Wang Ying) [‑5]. TL: 1 [0].
Quirks: Admiration (Song Jiang); Pacifism (Prefers to cap- CF: Hellenic [0].
ture foes rather than kill them); Proud. [‑3] Languages: Classical Greek (Native/None) [‑3].

Skills Advantages
Artist (Calligraphy) IQ [4]‑11; Broadsword (A) DX+2 [8]‑17; Combat Reflexes [15]; Fit [5]; Handsome [12]; Hard to Kill 1
Expert Skill (Military Science) (H) IQ-1 [2]‑10; Fast-Draw [2]; Heroic Archer [20]; Multimillionaire 2 [100]; Patron (Ath-
(Sword) (E) DX+1 [1]‑16*; Judo (H) DX-2 [1]‑13; Jumping (E) ena; Highly Accessible, +50%; Minimal Intervention, ‑50%;
DX [1]‑15; Lasso (A) DX [2]‑15; Leadership (A) IQ+1 [2]‑12‡; Special Abilities, +100%; 12 or less) [120]; Smooth Operator 1
Parry Missile Weapons (H) DX+1 [8]‑16; Poetry (A) IQ [2]‑11; [15]; Social Chameleon [5]; Status 6 [15]†.
Riding (Horse) (A) DX+1 [4]‑16; Savoir-Faire (High Society) Perks: Naval Training; Strongbow; Style Familiarity
(E) IQ [1]‑11; Tactics (H) IQ-1 [2]‑10. (Heroic Spear Fighting); Weapon Bond (Composite Bow). [4]
Techniques: Dual-Weapon Attack (Broadsword) (H) Broad-
sword [5]‑17; Hands-Free Riding (H) Riding (Horse) [4]‑16; Disadvantages
Quick Mount (A) Riding (Horse) [3]‑16. Code of Honor (Gentleman’s) [‑10]; Curious (12) [‑5];
* Includes +1 from Combat Reflexes. Weirdness Magnet [‑15].
† Includes +1 from Very Wealthy. Quirks: Compulsive Lying (Conceals his true identity at first
‡ Includes +1 from Charisma 1. meeting); Easily Influenced (Desirous); Obsession (Returning
to Ithaca); Proud. [‑4]

O brave new world, that hath Skills

Acting (A) IQ+2 [4]‑18‡; Artist (Woodworking) (H) IQ-2
such people in it! [1]‑14; Boating (Sailboat) (A) DX [2]-14; Bow (A) DX+4 [16]‑18;
Boxing (A) DX+4 [16]‑18; Carousing (E) HT+2 [1]‑15‡; Con-
– William Shakespeare, noisseur (Literature) (A) IQ-1 [1]‑15; Dancing (A) DX-1 [1]‑13;
The Tempest Diplomacy (H) IQ [2]‑16‡; Disguise (A) IQ-1 [1]‑15; Farming
(A) IQ-1 [1]‑15; Fast-Draw (Arrow) (E) DX+2 [2]‑16*; Fast-
Talk (A) IQ+1 [2]‑17‡; Leadership (A) IQ+1 [2]‑17‡; Navigation
Odysseus (Sea) (A) IQ-1 [1]‑15; Observation (A) Per-1 [1]‑15; Psychol-
ogy (H) IQ [4]‑16; Public Speaking (A) IQ+1 [2]‑17‡; Religious
675 points Ritual (Greek polytheistic) (H) IQ-2 [1]‑14; Savoir-Faire (High
Odysseus is the king of Ithaca, a remote Greek island, and Society) (E) IQ+2 [2]‑18‡; Seamanship (E) IQ [1]‑16; Shield
is a skilled and exceptionally strong warrior; in an archery (E) DX+2 [4]‑16; Shiphandling (H) IQ [4]‑16; Shortsword (A)
contest, no other man can even string his favorite bow. More DX-1 [1]‑13; Spear (A) DX [2]‑14; Stealth (A) DX-1 [1]‑13;
important, though, is his quick mind, which enables him to Strategy (H) IQ [4]‑16; Survival (Island/Beach) (A) Per-1
deal with almost any task that comes his way, from building a [1]‑15; Survival (Woodlands) (A) Per-1 [1]‑15; Swimming (E)
boat to begging for a meal. Above all, he’s a master of deceits HT+1 [2]‑13; Tactics (H) IQ-1 [2]‑15; Thrown Weapon (Spear)
and stratagems; even Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war, (E) DX+1 [2]‑15; Thrown Weapon Sport (Disc) (E) DX [1]‑14;
finds him impressive and has long been his Patron. Wrestling (A) DX+5 [20]‑19.
Odysseus has Multimillionaire 2, with starting wealth of
$5,000,000, and he invested one-fifth of that in his Trojan ven- * Includes +1 from Combat Reflexes.
ture, mostly on a fleet of a dozen light galleys (see below) – but † Includes +3 from Multimillionaire 2.
lost it all to Poseidon’s anger on his return voyage. At the start ‡ Includes +1 from Smooth Operator 1.

People 37
 Specifications for
Original Characters
What if the original characters aren’t going to be the pro- make sense. Then add up the point costs. For example, write up
tagonists of the campaign? (See Starting Point, pp. 6-8.) The the five younger heroes from Dracula; the Scarecrow, the Tin
newly created characters will need to fit the source material Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion from The Wonderful Wizard
and the setting. Part of setting up a gaming adaptation of a of Oz; – or, for a lower-powered campaign, the Guardian of the
work is providing the players with guidelines for creating Gates, the Soldier with the Green Whiskers, and the girl who
suitable characters. Doing GURPS treatments of established waits on Dorothy in the Wizard’s palace (named Jellia Jamb in
characters (as discussed in the preceding section) provides a later books). The range of point scores should suggest a base-
basis for those guidelines. line, which can be adjusted up or down to suit the premise of
the campaign (see pp. 8-9).
What if the characters you select have wildly different point
Writers don’t start out by drawing values? After all, writers don’t start out by drawing up charac-
ter sheets for their heroes! There are three basic options:
up character sheets for their heroes.
• List the characters by point value, from lowest to higher,
and pick one of the characters in the middle as your baseline,

Point Value adjusted up or down to a convenient round number.

• Take one of the higher-point characters as a baseline,
To start with, how many character points should the PCs and give the less powerful characters traits that reflect nar-
have? Pick out a group of people from the published work rative advantages, to explain how they can keep up with their
whose roles in the overall story are roughly comparable, and more powerful companions: Daredevil, Destiny, Hard to Kill,
draw up character sheets for them, giving them whatever traits Higher Purpose, Luck, Pitiable, or Serendipity.

Excluded Options for Characters

One of the important things to do in planning a characters who spend time together should usually fall
campaign is to decide what traits protagonists are not into a narrow range of Status.
allowed to have. Limits may be either hard (absolute) or • Mental disadvantages that make effective coopera-
soft (subject to exceptions if there’s a really good narra- tion and trust impossible, or that make it impossible to
tive justification). function in a society, may be disallowed.
• Cinematic skills and advantages that give access to
• Attributes should have an upper limit for unmodi-
them, such as Trained by a Master, may be unavailable.
fied human beings; see Attributes and Talents (p. 29). For
• Special abilities such as magic or psionics may be
realistic nonhuman creatures, ST limits should be pro-
prohibited.
portional to the longest dimension for a creature’s SM
• Exotic and supernatural advantages and disadvan-
(see p. B19).
tages should be unobtainable in a mundane campaign. In
• Upper and lower limits may be set on social traits
a fantastic campaign, specific advantages and disadvan-
such as Status and Wealth. In realistic campaigns,
tages may be banned if they don’t fit the premise.

Unusual Background
Some traits don’t fit at all in the setting of a story On one hand, the point cost of Unusual Background
(see Excluded Options for Characters, above). But other represents the rarity of a particular trait in a setting, fol-
traits, though unlikely, aren’t impossible. To include lowing the general assumption that traits that cost more
them, while keeping them rare, the GM can require an are less common. On the other, it reflects the advantage
Unusual Background. gained from having traits that most people can’t have and
Unusual Background typically reflects, not an active probably aren’t prepared to deal with – and may not even
ability, but a passive state. For example, the active ability believe in.
to create new devices in the course of play could be repre- The point cost of Unusual Background typically ranges
sented as Gadgeteer, but simply owning such a device – as from 5 points for a modestly unusual trait, such as access
an earlier invention, an inheritance, a gift, or a purchase – to cutting-edge technology (p.  B345), to 50 points for
would be Unusual Background (see p. B477). extremely rare traits, such as being a demigod or belong-
ing to the world’s only super-team.

People 38
 • Forget the whole issue of point value. Instead, ask
players to propose character concepts, and let them build
any character whose concept fits the source material and
the campaign, and who meets the other guidelines.
Expanding
the Original Cast
Required Traits A campaign can have a mixed cast  – some or all of
the heroes of the source work, plus some newly introduced
Player characters may be required to have certain heroes. This is a natural development in a “what happened
traits: high enough attributes to survive their adventures; next” campaign (Prequels and Sequels, pp. 6-7). It can also
wealth enough to fund them; training in certain manda- be the basis for an alternate universe campaign (p. 7) where
tory skills; or possession of a disadvantage such as Code of some additional people have joined the team – though care
Honor, Pacifism, or Sense of Duty. If people in the source has to be taken that the added people don’t put the original
material all have certain traits, that argues for requiring heroes in the shade! In either case, the question is how to
those traits for newly created player characters. make the new people fit into a group that was created with-
Example (WM): The 108 Stars of Destiny are mas- out them.
ters of the martial arts; all of them should have at least The obvious option is to find a useful role that no one in
one of Heroic Archer, Trained by a Master, or Weapon the original group is playing. In 20,000 Leagues Under the
Master. (In fact there are scenes of characters training Sea, for example, we have Professor Arronax, the scientist;
other characters  – see Expanding the Original Cast.) Conseil, his servant, with his trick of having memorized
Their origin as spirits can be represented by making the classifications of all marine animals; and Ned Land,
them all Reawakened. the man of action – but no ship’s engineer to figure out the
Example (WWOz): The Wizard’s help to Dorothy’s Nautilus’ design.
companions takes the form of tricking them into believing Another possibility is to have a new character in the
in themselves. They all have Delusions about their own same niche as an existing one, if it’s a niche where multiple
lack of wisdom, love, and courage. Helping Dorothy isn’t occupants can be useful. The old and new characters may
so easy for him, because her problem isn’t a Delusion (she be rivals, friendly or otherwise. They may also be the best of
really is a long way from Kansas!). friends, like the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger (intro-
duced in Ozma of Oz, Baum’s third Oz novel).
A new character can be a romantic interest for an exist-
Division of Labor ing one. This happens near the end of Water Margin, when
Zhang Qing (“Hotshot”) dreams of teaching a young woman
In many campaigns, it’s desirable for participants to
have niches, types of activity that they do really well and the art of throwing stones with infallible accuracy  – and
that other people can’t take over from them. This idea then meets the actual lady, Qiu Qiongying (“Jade Arrow-
is something of a formula in genre-based series such tip”), who leaves a rebel army to fight beside him and later
as GURPS Dungeon Fantasy and GURPS Monster marry him.
Hunters. Fictional sources don’t usually adhere so strictly This illustrates another possibility: having a former
to a formula, but groups of characters often play distinct adversary turn into an ally, out of sympathy or necessity.
roles. The real point of niches is their ability to contribute Suppose, for example, that Elizabeth Bennet’s sister Lydia,
in different ways to the pursuit of a goal; an examination a few years after her marriage to George Wickham, discov-
of the source can suggest what those ways are. ered that he was involved in some dishonest scheme and
Not all stories have to have niches. Characters with had gotten in over his head, and turned to her older sisters
much the same general abilities can be distinguished by and their husbands for help (as discussed under Mundane
background or personality. In this kind of campaign, it’s Premises, p. 8)?
important to provide a little “downtime” where charac-
ters’ personalities can emerge.
that characters fit their roles (see GURPS Template Toolkit 1:
Example (Drac.): Professor van Helsing contributes schol-
Characters for guidance in depth).
arly and arcane knowledge; John Seward, medical skills;
Campaigns set in more differentiated societies, such
Arthur Godalming, wealth and social influence; Quincey Mor-
as Europe and North America in the 19th century, have
ris is a man of action; and Jonathan Harker provides legal
far more occupations. But it’s possible to group them into
knowledge. Mina Harker not only has a telepathic link with
broader types, each represented by a template. Some such
Dracula but is the real leader of the group – things start going
list can be a worthwhile project for a GM whose players
wrong when she’s excluded from the men’s discussions and
need help with finding their way through character creation.
only begin going right when she takes charge.
The templates can also offer built in niche protection, if
that’s wanted.
Templates Example (Odys.): The Odyssey portrays nobles (both men
It can be useful to draw up templates for character creation. and women), bards, sorceresses (see Magic and Its Variants,
If belonging to a nonhuman race is an option, a racial template p. 34), domestic servants, and herdsmen. These and perhaps a
is definitely needed (Racial Traits, p. 35). If a source portrays a few other occupational roles could cover the likely character
society with definite roles, occupational templates can ensure types in a campaign based on Greek heroic tales.

People 39
 Chapter Four

Things
Literary critics don’t have a standard name for inanimate Witch of the East are vital story elements. Such things are
objects, though they often play an important role in narra- more recognized in theater and film (as props) and in art crit-
tive and drama. The mighty bow of Odysseus that lesser men icism (where they’re called attributes). They’ve been vital to
can’t string or draw, the Nautilus that Captain Nemo com- roleplaying games from the beginning. GURPS calls many
mands, and the silver shoes (changed to ruby slippers in the of them equipment (pp. B264-289) or technology and artifacts
movie) that Dorothy Gale takes from the body of the Wicked (pp. B462-485).

Narrative Function
One important way to classify artifacts is by narrative may describe particular types of clues, which make certain
function, the role they play in a storyline or scenario. skills important both for spotting essential details (often with
a Per-based skill) and for making sense of them (often with

Gear an IQ-based skill). The GM can pick other objects to use in

roles similar to ones found in the source work.
Gear is what char- The major characters may use their own investigative
acters use to perform skills, turn to an Ally or Contact for help, or even undertake
tasks. In most sources, a search for someone with suitable expertise (discussed in
people have the supplies GURPS Social Engineering) to get information. For exam-
and equipment they need to use their skills. Character design ple, John Seward calls in his old teacher Abraham Van Helsing
can include purchasing gear suited to the listed skills, or to diagnose Lucy Westenra’s mysterious anemia (Drac.).
belonging to an organization that can provide what’s needed Evidence in a scenario can be planned out in advance – but
(see GURPS Boardroom and Curia). Performing a task with it’s not a good idea to make the whole story depend on find-
improvised equipment can display unusual skill; good- or ing and understanding one clue; what if the investigators can’t
fine-quality or technologically innovative equipment can indi- make sense of it, or can’t find it in the first place? A successful
cate access to unusual resources. In either case, equipment roll against any investigative skill should give some kind of
modifiers (p. B345) should apply. The logic also can be turned hint at what’s going on, if there’s any sensible way for it to
around: A fictional character who owns a piece of equipment do so – even if the GM didn’t plan for the use of that par-
will normally have the skill for using it. A catalog of available ticular skill. Understanding how the game world works (see
gear can be based on what the source describes, and more Describing the World, pp. 14-16) can help in coming up with
generally on the setting’s TL (see Technologies, pp. 18-19). suitable clues.
Missing or unavailable equipment can give rise to dramatic
situations. Heroes may need to improvise gear from available
resources, scrounge for cheap gear, or persuade other peo- Personalizers
ple to give them what they need. Both Odysseus (Odys.) and The heroes of stories often have distinctive, recogniz-
Dorothy Gale (WWOz) have to deal with such issues. able possessions, like the pictorial attributes of saints that
symbolize their martyrdoms. Such objects may be perfectly
Example (Odys.): Odysseus owns a composite bow, made
standard gear in the setting; for example, many of the 108
partly of horn and sinew. He has ST 15 – but his Strongbow
Stars of Destiny (WM) have favorite weapons, and Quincey
perk and Bow-18 skill let him draw a bow with ST 17, and he’s
Morris (Drac.) carries a Bowie knife (written up on pp. 197
wealthy enough to pay $3,600 (4¥ list price) for a fine bow.
and 200 of GURPS High-Tech as a “survival knife”). Or they
This gives him 1/2D 384, Max 480, and Damage 1d+5 imp,
can be high quality, like Odysseus’ bow (see Gear, above) or
with other statistics unchanged. He doesn’t actually carry his
Hu Sanniang’s 5’ swords (see p. 36). GURPS defines such
bow with him on his voyages, but when he gets back to Ithaca,
personalizers as Signature Gear. Their owners may also have
it’s there waiting for him.
Weapon Bond or Equipment Bond as a perk (see GURPS
Power-Ups 2: Perks).
Evidence Especially in fantastic stories, the heroes or their enemies
may have the ability to create one-of-a-kind gear by methods
In an investigative scenario or campaign, objects and infor- such as invention, gadgeteering, or enchanting (see Fantastic
mation can be evidence of some secret or mystery. The source Items, p. 45). Anything of this sort is a personalizer.

Things 40
 Example (WWOz): Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodman, is sometimes, of terror. Secondarily, they may play a role in the
never seen without his axe (p. 36). Since he’s a woodcutter, storyline, as omens, threats, or the goals of quests, for exam-
this is best described as a felling axe (GURPS High-Tech, ple. They may even be usable by the heroes, as sources of spe-
p. 24). This costs $100; since Oz is TL4, one point of Signa- cial powers, or as protection against them, as Odysseus uses
ture Gear is worth $1,000, more than enough to pay $500 the magical herb moly given to him by Hermes (Odys.).
for a good-quality axe that gives +1 to Carpentry and Pro- It’s hard for an object to continue inspiring wonder,
fessional Skill (Forester). Consider it improvised equipment though, if the PCs rely on it all the time to solve problems.
for Artist (Woodworking). Chopper wields it two-handed, so Limiting an object’s use can protect its transcendence. Maybe
in combat, it can be treated as a lighter great axe, inflicting it’s only available once, or a few times; maybe it can be made
sw+2 cutting damage. active but not fully controlled; maybe its use is stressful, peril-
ous, or even corrupting.

Valuables Example (Drac.): Consecrated communion wafers are dis-

tributed daily in the Mass, but their effects on vampires in
Other objects are important as embodiments of wealth  –
Dracula are visible manifestations of divine power. When
gems, gold and silver coins, banknotes, or marketable goods in
Van Helsing first uses them, he emphasizes having obtained
general. Such things may be described in detail (see Decorated
special permission  – this amounts to having a Contact with
Equipment, pp. 37-38, and Jewelry, pp. 38-39, in GURPS Low-
supernatural talents. (By the end of the novel, though, he’s
Tech), but often they’re generic heaps of precious metal or
keeping vampires off by drawing circles with powdered
bundles of dollar bills. Their only required statistic is a value
wafers. Authors aren’t immune to turning rare wonders into
in GURPS $.
convenient machinery!)
In a realistic story, valuables are a medium of
exchange; they’re used to buy or rent useful objects
or hire employees. In a cinematic one, such practical
issues are often swept aside. Valuables serve more as MacGuffins
a store of value – in fact, as treasure, like the gold, sil- Alfred Hitchcock popularized the word MacGuffin (some-
ver, and silk that appear repeatedly in Water Margin. times McGuffin or maguffin) for objects whose only role in a
story is to be pursued or fought over  – such as the Maltese
Transcendents Falcon in the movie by that title. What the object actually is
and does is unimportant. The heroes can’t make use of it, or
Finally, some objects embody extraordinary pow- sell it and send the proceeds; in the end, it will be taken away
ers or higher realms. Their primary narrative func- from them.
tion is to convey a sense of awe or amazement – or,

Physical Form
In game-mechanical terms, equipment serves various func- removed: 175 lbs., $2,500. In their place is a large tank (GURPS
tions and takes forms suited to these functions. High-Tech, p. 74) of advanced TL(5+1) design that holds air
for 10 hours: 35 lbs., $600. (This is better than realistic TL8

Clothing and Armor air tanks.) Armor added to the chest allows full duration unaf-
fected by local pressure; this can be treated as medium bronze
Unless they’ve washed up naked after a shipwreck, like segmented plate (GURPS Low-Tech, p. 111) giving +4 DR: 18
Odysseus on the shore of Scheria, a story’s characters will be lbs., $2,700. The total suit has DR 6 for hit locations 3-5, 9-
wearing something. A film, television show, or graphic novel 10, and 17-18; provides air for 10 hours, assuming mild exer-
will provide visual images. A novel or epic often describes tion (pp. B351-352); and confers Immunity to Eye and Nose
garments and grooming; if the descriptions are incomplete, Irritants, No Sense of Smell/Taste, and Tunnel Vision. Total:
a history of costume can provide illustrations. The price $5,800, 228 lbs.
of garments can be estimated from the wearer’s Status
(Clothing, p. B266).
Armor and protective gear, as described in the source, fre- Personal Gear
quently can be matched up with equipment in GURPS Low- The simplest way to identify personal gear is from descrip-
Tech, GURPS High-Tech, or GURPS Ultra-Tech. If the source tions of characters carrying or using it. This applies particu-
describes it as having superior qualities, give it higher DR, larly to weapons. Some research may be needed to identify the
lighter weight, or other advantages. If specific dimensions, obscure ones – such as the guisarme and the voulge in the list
weights, or capabilities are mentioned, match the weight and of military weapons in Water Margin.
appearance as closely as possible. A character sheet typically lists things the source’s author
didn’t bother to write about, or the director to show  – but
Example (20KL): The diving suits in 20,000 Leagues Under
that may become relevant in dealing with typical chal-
the Sea are essentially TL5 closed-dress rigs (GURPS High-
lenges. Anyone who travels can be expected to have per-
Tech, p.  73), but with the external compressor and air hose
sonal basics, and likely a share of group basics (see p. B288).

Things 41
In many settings, all major characters can be assumed to Research; see GURPS Low-Tech Companion 1: Philosophers
have a standard load of basic gear (Presupposed Items, p. 45). and Kings, pp.  33-34), some 30 paintings by artists from
People in a TL5-8 campaign can be given personal accessories Raphael to Delacroix, a number of sculptures, and a pipe
(GURPS High-Tech, pp. 31-32); similar lists can be worked organ, but all fitted into about 1,000 square feet. To make
out for lower and higher TLs. Characters can be assumed to room, his personal cabin is small and almost monastic.
have equipment for maintaining their primary gear – a whet-

Vehicles
stone for bladed tools or weapons, or a gun-cleaning kit for
firearms, for example. Anyone with a skill can be expected
to have tools, reference materials, supplies, and other things Vehicles are some of the most significant artifacts in sto-
needed to practice it  – in compact form to carry around, ries. They provide a means of making journeys (Travel, p. 24).
or in more elaborate form for use in a workplace (Other They can transport other possessions. Large ones can be lived
Machines, p. 43). in, and even act as mobile settings (Vehicles as Locations,
p. 22). The cost of a vehicle, and its styling and furnishings,
Furnishings can make it evidence of the owner’s Status. If he invented it,
it can give proof of his genius.
Furnishings usually aren’t acquired as separate items;
Vehicles in realistic stories, and some vehicles in fantas-
they’re treated as part of the standard of living for a given TL,
tic stories, can often be compared to vehicles included in the
culture, and Status. Their normal effect is to provide evidence
Basic Set (pp. B464-465) or various supplements. If there isn’t
of Status. In some cases, furnishings may count as good- or
a close enough match, it may be possible to find information
fine-quality equipment for a particular skill; for example, a
on real-world vehicles that can be used in working out GURPS
wealthy person might have a superior kitchen stove or elec-
statistics. For purely imaginary vehicles, especially fantas-
tronic sound system. The GM may need to give suggestions
tic ones, the GM will need to make up statistics – unless the
for how people of different classes live in a particular setting.
author has done so.
Similar judgments can be made about the furnishings of a
business or other organization, following guidelines in GURPS
Boardroom and Curia, p.  5. Schools or other instructional Example: The Nautilus
organizations can provide facilities for learning; see GURPS To illustrate how statistics can be worked out for a vehicle,
Social Engineering: Back to School, pp. 28-29. here is the Nautilus. (Terms and notation are as defined in
Wanderers who aren’t required to assign 80% of starting Vehicle Statistics, pp. B462-463.)
wealth to furnishings and other fixed assets (p.  B26) must
include any furnishings they own in their list of personal TL: The Nautilus was built around 1860 (TL5), but uses
gear  – and account for their weight and cost! This doesn’t more advanced technology than really existed then: TL(5+1).
apply to wanderers who have large vehicles as their resi- ST/HP: Captain Nemo tells Professor Arronax that the
dences (Vehicles as Locations, p. 22). They can have furnish- Nautilus weighs 1,356.48 tonnes, which is approximately
ings suited to their Wealth and Status, whose specific weight 2,991,000 lbs. or 1,496 tons. As a powered vehicle, it counts as
and cost need not be accounted for – though usually they’ll Unliving, giving it ST/HP 576.
be compact. Hnd/SR: The Nautilus is comparable in size to a TL6 tramp
steamer (p. B464) and can be given the same statistics: ‑3/6.
Example (20KL): Captain Nemo has a museum of ocean- HT: Most machines have HT 10, but the Nautilus was
ographic specimens, a library of 12,000 books in many lan- expensively built to high standards, and operates under condi-
guages (perhaps 1,000 shelf feet, a fine library giving +2 to tions where failure could be catastrophic: HT 12.

Structures
Structures are normally treated as locations. Habitable • Since they don’t move, they have no Hnd. However,
dwellings, in particular, can usually be defined as build- they’re usually large enough to have a high SR: a mobile
ings (pp. 21-22). (For underground construction, see home could have SR 4 (similar to a bus); a small aerostat,
GURPS Underground Adventures, pp. 13-14.) Some SR 3 (similar to a blimp); and a small space station SR 5
structures are potentially movable and gain their integrity (similar to a star freighter).
entirely from internal construction, though they may have • Give them Acceleration (Move) of 0, and Top Speed
a point of attachment; aerostats (hollow structures held of 0 (no Enhanced Move).
aloft by lighter-than-air gases), large rafts, mobile homes, • Range doesn’t apply, since they don’t move under
and orbital stations are examples. These can be described their own power.
as vehicles, with some modifications (see pp. B462-463): • An aerostat by definition has Stall 0.
• Not being able to move under their own power, they See GURPS Spaceships 6: Mining and Industrial
have ST 0, and usually Taboo Trait (Fixed ST). If writ- Spacecraft and “Alternate Spaceships” in Pyramid #3/34:
ing them up as characters, give them Injury Tolerance Alternate GURPS for tips on using the GURPS Spaceships
(Homogenous) and base their Payload on HP rather than rules to design detailed game stats for structures.
ST (a +0% modifier).

Things 42
The Nautilus
SUBMARINE/TL (LARGE SUB)
TL Vehicle ST/HP Hnd/SR HT Move LWt Load SM Occ. DR Range Cost Loc. Draft Notes
5+1 Nautilus 576 -3/6 12 0.08/25 1,654 33 +10 23 224 24,850 $120M 4gs 21’ [1]

Notes
[1] Cost is estimated with GURPS Mass Combat rules. See Notes, below, for details on weapons.

Move: The highest speed mentioned for the Nautilus is 50 it inflicts (576 ¥ 16) / 100 = 92.16d of crushing damage, rounded
mph, which equates to Move 25. Its Acceleration isn’t defined, down to 92d; the ram makes this 92d+92 damage to its target.
but can be estimated. A tramp steamer (p.  B464), with Top Collision damage to the Nautilus itself is at ‑1 per die.
Speed 6, has acceleration 0.01, or 1/600 of its Top Speed,
As a combat element (see GURPS Mass Combat), the
implying that it can reach Top Speed in 10 minutes (600 sec-
Nautilus can be represented as a very fine TL6 subma-
onds); the Nautilus, at an equivalent TL, seems to function as
rine – actually TL(5+1) – of class Nav, T1 with TS 8,000
a high-performance vehicle, so its Acceleration can be set at
and sea mobility. Its cost to raise is $60,000,000, doubled to
1/300 of Top Speed, or 0.0833, rounded to 0.08, which lets it
$120,000,000 for one level of High TL.
reach Top Speed in just over five minutes. A more typical speed
is 32 mph (Move 16), a normal cruising speed (p. B463). At
this speed, its turning radius is 16/0.08 = 200 yards, about
2.6¥ its length (pp. B394-395).
Loaded Weight (LWt.): 2,990,000 lbs. is 1,495 tons. This
increases to 1,654 tons when fully submerged; the differ-
Objects as Characters
There are times when it makes sense to define an inan-
ence comes from filled water tanks in the outer hull.
imate object by giving it a character sheet. This is a stan-
Load: The Nautilus isn’t designed as a cargo vessel. Its
dard option for vehicles (see Personalizers, pp. 40-41).
carrying capacity might be estimated at 33 tons (the Basic
In some fictional worlds, inanimate objects really are
Lift for its ST, equivalent to Payload 10).
characters, in a sense that goes beyond game mechanics:
SM: At 70 meters long (77 yards), the Nautilus has SM
They are sapient, have personalities, are capable of agency
+10. It’s a fast, narrow craft, so this isn’t increased for
(see p. 46), or all three. In fantasy, this could apply to mag-
box shape.
ically animated beings (including spontaneously animated
Occ.: The largest number of crewmen seen at once is 20;
ones such as the Scarecrow in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz)
the biography of Captain Nemo included in The Mysterious
or certain enchanted objects (see GURPS Thaumatology,
Island refers to “some twenty of his closest friends.” There
pp. 116-120); in science fiction, typical examples are com-
is space for at least three passengers.
puters, AIs, and robots (see GURPS Ultra-Tech, pp. 27-35,
DR: According to Captain Nemo, the inner hull is five
for general rules). Such beings should be defined much like
centimeters thick (2”), and made of steel, which gives it DR
human characters; however, they typically are Unliving
112 (see p. B558). The thickness of the outer hull isn’t spec-
(fantasy entities such as golems may be Homogenous), and
ified, but the weight budget is more than enough to allow it
in science fiction, they often have Digital Mind.
to be equally thick, for total DR 224.
Range: The “20,000 leagues” or 49,700 miles of the title
is completed with only one stop to replace the submarine’s
batteries, roughly midway through the voyage. This can be
taken as an estimate of its range. Other Machines
Cost: The cost of the Nautilus is never specified (but Machines are comparable partly to furnishings and partly
see below). to vehicles. They have a complex internal structure (making
Locations (Loc.): The design includes a very small super-them Unliving rather than Homogenous) and an intended
structure and four windows for observation: 4gs. As a pow- function. They aren’t normally designed for long-term occu-
ered vehicle, the Nautilus also has vital areas. pancy, though they may have a seat for an operator. Their
Draft: The diameter of the Nautilus is eight meters (8.75functions are too widely variable to be defined by any simple
yards). It has 90% of its volume underwater when its tanks are
system of rules, but GURPS Low-Tech, GURPS High-Tech,
empty; given its cylindrical cross-section, perhaps 20% of its
GURPS Ultra-Tech, and GURPS Low-Tech Companion 3:
diameter is above water, giving it draft 21’. Daily Life and Economics offer examples.
Notes: The Nautilus carries no conventional weapons, but is Heavy weapons, whose operation calls for Artillery or Gun-
equipped with a ram. At cruising speed (32 mph or Move 16), ner rolls, can be classified as machines, from TL1 battering
rams and TL2 ballistae to TL7 HEAT rounds and
guided missiles (or the science-fictional weapons in
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without. GURPS Ultra-Tech). If such weapons turn up in a
source, they usually can be approximated by one of
– American folk saying the heavy weapons in the various tech supplements.

Things 43
Life Forms Kalidah
Kalidahs are Oz’s most dangerous predators. They have
Animals, and even plants, can sometimes be written up as heads like those of tigers and bodies like those of bears. They
characters; this is appropriate for animals that can speak, like often go upright, especially to attack with the large, sharp
the Cowardly Lion, and for loyal companions that are treated claws on their front feet; when doing so, they are limited to
as Allies or Dependents. But nonsapient life forms typically Move 5.
are given partial statistics. The Basic Set provides guidelines
and multiple examples (pp.  B455-461). This also applies to ST: 22 HP: 22 Speed: 6.00
most nonsapient monsters. DX: 12 Will: 12 Move: 9
IQ: 4 Per: 10 Weight: 1,300 lbs.
HT: 12 FP: 12 SM: +2
Example: Kalidahs
As the heroes travel to the Emerald City, two Kalidahs Dodge: 10 Parry: 12 DR: 2
attack Dorothy and her companions. These are huge, fierce Bite (16): 2d+1 cutting. Reach C, 1.
beasts, larger than the Cowardly Lion, who is “as big as a Talons (16): 2d+1 cutting or impaling. Reach C, 1.
small horse.” Since horses have SM +1, they are given SM
+2, with length four yards, ST 22, and weight 1,300 lbs. Their Traits: Bad Temper (12); Combat Reflexes; Night Vision
other attributes average those of grizzly bears and tigers; how- 2; No Fine Manipulators; Semi-Upright; Sharp Teeth;
ever, their Will is raised and their Per lowered from those of a Social Stigma (Monster); Talons; Temperature Tolerance
tiger. They appear to be true animals, without sapience. They 2; Wild Animal.
are universally feared and hence are classified as “monsters.” Skills: Brawling-16; Survival (Woodlands)‑12.

It was not likely that a private individual could have such a marvel
of mechanical engineering at his command. Where and when could
he have built it? How could he have kept its construction a secret?
– Jules Verne, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Availability
In running a campaign, there are two big questions about maintaining it, repairing it, obtaining supplies to use with it,
objects: Which ones exist in the setting, and how can PCs gain and understanding its implications.
access to them? Skills such as Engineer, Computer Programming, and Bio-
engineering can be used to design and build more advanced

Tech Level and equipment, and a gadgeteer can achieve heroic feats along
these lines (pp.  B473-477). An inventor can get past some
Variant Technology of the usual tech-level restrictions on gear.
Example (Drac.): Much of the struggle against Dracula
Availability of technology is what GURPS tech levels are
based on. What defines a TL isn’t laboratory demonstrations, turns on the use of TL6 technology and organization as a
the experiments of mad scientists, or prototype designs, but weapon. Dracula has access to the technology, but doesn’t
devices that have been brought into production. In market fully understand it. For example, he travels back to Tran-
economies, most of the technology that defines a TL can be sylvania by sailing ship, but his foes go by train and inter-
purchased for money  – though it may be so expensive that cept him!
only a national government can afford it!
Once a setting’s TL has been defined (Technologies,
pp. 18-19), it’s usually fair to assume that devices at that TL
Legality
are available, whether or not the source discusses them. This Certain types of material objects may be technically pos-
can be modified to fit a variant TL. sible but unavailable for legal reasons. This will depend on
Some sources bring together characters from different TLs. the society’s Control Rating (CR), as discussed under War and
Giving some people High TL (if the setting is a less advanced Politics (p. 20). For weapons and some other gear and equip-
country) or Low TL (if it’s the most advanced country in the ment, this is defined in terms of Legality Class (p. B507). In
world) can represent this kind of gap. Low-TL people may be fact, what weapons are legally permitted in a setting is one of
able to use High-TL equipment – if you can fire a crossbow, the main indications of its CR. Of course, outlaws won’t pay
you can figure out a rifle or a laser – but they’ll have trouble any attention to such limitations!

Things 44
 Possessions can be restricted for reasons other than their rules for making such requests. GURPS Boardroom and
use in combat or intrigue. Many societies have sumptuary Curia, p. 16 discusses typical sorts of aid obtainable from
laws, which either prohibit owning, wearing, or consuming organizations of various types.
certain things (for example, Prohibition in the United States)
or permit them only to certain social classes (for example,
ancient Irish laws that defined how many different colors peo- Fantastic Items
ple of different ranks in society could wear). This reflects the Some items simply can’t be purchased in a given setting;
culture of a setting (Cultures, p. 19). they have to be acquired from extraordinary sources. Most
of these appear in the fantastic genres, and it’s convenient

Wealth to call them fantastic items generically. However, they could

also be “best equipment possible at your TL” (p. B345), which
The ability to acquire gear is usually constrained by cost. might be provided by a government or comparably power-
This may be simply a matter of checking the price to buy the ful organization. Conversely, in a society where magic is
equipment (pp.  B264-289 and GURPS Low-Tech, GURPS commonly practiced (Supernatural Forces, p. 20), making
High-Tech, and GURPS Ultra-Tech). But inventing new equip- enchanted objects may be a recognized career, and it may be
ment also has costs: the inventor must pay for the facilities for possible to commission magical gear or even buy it from a
his work, and for each prototype that he tests (p. B474). dealer – in which case such gear is restricted by money and
In creating a character, this limit is usually applied the legality in the usual ways.
other way around. First decide what equipment the character What fantastic equipment is available can be determined
needs, and then determine how much Wealth it will take to directly or indirectly. Directly acquired equipment is paid for
buy that equipment, or to invent it, and give the person that with character points, based on the advantages it grants. That
much Wealth. fact that it’s equipment is represented by giving it gadget lim-
itations (pp. B116-117). The GM may want to consider giving it
a power modifier as well (see p. B254 or GURPS Powers), such
as Divine for sacred relics, Magical for mystical objects (in a
Artifacts are those odds world where such objects are rare and can’t normally be pur-
chased), or Superscience for unique creations of gadgeteers
and ends that look as (pp. B475-477; see GURPS Powers, p. 107, for a definition of
Superscience). The power modifier represents the narrative
though they could do justification for the object’s availability. Other modifiers may
be applied to define the object’s abilities more accurately. If
a lot more than lie such equipment is rare, its possessors may be required to have
an Unusual Background (see p. 38).
around looking interesting. Having a fantastic item grant a one-time benefit can lower
its point cost; someone who is designated as the owner of such
an item pays 1/5 the normal cost per use. The GM can simply
– Alec Worley, Empires disregard the point costs of items acquired through adven-
tures, as the benefits they grant are only temporary (discussed
of the Imagination under Transcendents, p. 41).
A common way to gain fantastic items indirectly is to have
them granted by a Patron (pp. B72-74; p. 28). This will usually
be at least an ultra-powerful individual such as a manifesta-

Presupposed Items tion of a god; it may be a true god. The ability to offer fantastic
gear is Special Abilities at the +100% level; if the equipment is
In some campaigns, it makes sense for the heroes to have provided on a continuing basis, rather than for a single task,
possessions and equipment they weren’t required to pay for. mission, or quest, that’s Equipment at the +100% level. If the
The crew of a large vessel, for example, commonly aren’t PC has a Duty to the Patron, the provision of equipment for the
co-owners and don’t have to pay its cost. Soldiers may have performance of that Duty does not require a special modifier.
equipment issued by the army they serve in. The same is true
Example (WWOz): After Dorothy melts the Wicked Witch
in many mundane, nonadventuring jobs: doctors in a hospital
of the West, she acquires her magical golden cap, which has
or forensic scientists in a police department get supplies and
the power to summon the Winged Monkeys. Two of them can
equipment by requisitioning them, not by paying for them out
carry Dorothy (and Toto!), who probably weigh about 60 lbs.
of pocket.
The Cowardly Lion is “as big as a small horse,” perhaps 800
In general, it’s appropriate for anyone who has a Duty to be
lbs. (similar to a pony – p. B460), which suggests that about 27
provided with the equipment needed to perform it – though
Winged Monkeys would be needed to carry him; adding a few
this can vary with the cultural background.
more for the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, the total band
might be close to 50. They count as Allies with the Minion
Organizationally Provided Items and Summonable enhancements, and always appear when
Another way to get possessions without paying for them summoned. Each of the three uses of the golden cap would
is to make a special request to a sponsoring organization. be worth one-fifth the resulting point cost – if Dorothy had to
GURPS Social Engineering: Pulling Rank provides detailed pay it.

Things 45
 Chapter Five

Action
The topics of the last three chapters – places, people, and To create a campaign, its places and things, and especially its
things  – are the nouns of a story or a campaign. But gram- people, need to be put into action.
mar needs verbs as well as nouns: words that describe actions.

Agency
Agency is the ability to make things happen. Agency is wealth, relationships, and social positions. In other words,
important to roleplaying games in two ways. First, players nearly all the things that define a lot of characters relate to
want to have agency  – to make choices that affect the out- outward action.
come of a scene, session, or campaign. They don’t want to
just sit there while the GM tells them a story. Second, players
normally want their characters to have agency – to be people Inward Action
(or aliens or creatures or robots!) whose actions make a dif- Internal action is subtler. It involves performing tasks that
ference. Even in a horror game where the world is doomed change the doer – gaining him insight or knowledge, or shap-
and people are going mad or losing their humanity, the player ing his own character. This can be purely private and solitary.
characters struggle to fight off madness and despair and to But relationships can change the people involved in them;
save the world for another day. emotional involvement with another person can be a form of
internal action.
The ability to perform internal actions is represented by
Conflict is necessary to fiction and Will, IQ, and some skills. These can be used to learn, seek
drama – and to roleplaying games! understanding, live by a commitment, or struggle against a
psychological weakness – or to resist doing any of these things!
The results of making these choices include skills and many
Outward Action mental advantages and disadvantages, particularly self-im-
posed disadvantages and changes in the self-control number
The obvious form of action, and the one many games for behavioral disadvantages. Inward action is about making
focus on, is external action, doing things that bring about a one’s self a certain kind of person.
change in the world – or prevent one. (“The world” includes Physical training is a borderline case. It changes the attri-
other people.) butes (ST, HT, and sometimes DX) and the skills of the per-
The ability to perform external actions is represented on son undergoing it, which could be considered “internal.” But
a character sheet by physical attributes, Per, and many skills. those traits are used mainly to act on the external world. And
The things characters have to act on are other characters, effective training often involves doing things similar to out-
technology and artifacts, and settings. The results of these ward action: running to gain HT and become Fit, sparring
actions include arrival at various places; victory or defeat in to learn fighting skills, or using tools to practice craft skills,
struggles with other characters; objects found or created; and for example.

Action and the World

People act not only on things in a world (themselves among it depends on the available technology, on the skills that it’s
them) but within a world. What kind of world it is determines possible to learn, and on the organizations and resources that
the nature of those actions, in several ways. can support an enterprise. Fantastic worlds add one or more
“miracles”: advanced or superscientific technologies, magic,

Possible Actions cinematic skills, or superhuman powers.

To turn a source into a campaign setting, start by
What is it possible to do? This is a question about the world, identifying things that it shows to be definitely possi-
and especially about its natural laws; it’s an important part of ble  – especially activities that are springboards for plots
the campaign’s premise (pp.  8-9). In a mundane campaign, or may provide premises for new stories (Premise, pp. 8-9).

Action 46
Just as important, identify things that shouldn’t be possible: Cyclops demonstrates his savagery by violating this cus-
actions that have been shown to be impossible, that would tom). Such requirements can often be treated as variants
clash with the genre (for example, spell casting in hard sci- within existing versions of a disadvantage, but it’s perfectly
ence fiction), or whose possibility would give characters legitimate, and sometimes necessary, to define a new version
shortcuts around the complications of the original story; see with a new name. Code of Honor (Xia) from GURPS Martial
also Excluded Options for Characters, p. 38. Arts and Disciplines of Faith (Contemplation) from GURPS
Thaumatology: Chinese Elemental Powers, for example,

Appropriate Actions were created for their sourcebooks; these could fit some of the
heroes of Water Margin.
The actions in a story have to be appropriate to its nar-
rative conventions; each fictional setting operates in a way
consistent with those conventions. Wuxia heroes can hardly
walk down the street without meeting someone skilled in
martial arts and getting into a contest of skill (as in early
chapters of Water Margin). Four-color supers have similar
battles between colorfully costumed heroes and villains,
who wield amazing powers but somehow never actually
kill anyone. Such typical situations are features of the cam-
paign’s genre (pp. 9-10).
Even mimetic fiction has genre conventions (p.  9). These
may seem like “just the way things are,” but that’s because pres-
ent-day audiences take these particular customs for granted.
In designing a campaign world, keep the genre expecta-
tions in mind. Either make traits and events that clash with
them impossible, or make them difficult to achieve – for exam-
ple, by requiring an Unusual Background (see p. 38).

Thematic Actions
Thematic actions are activities a campaign focuses on
(From Idea to Action, p. 12). In designing a campaign, iden-
tify its key activities by how much time the source spends
on them. The players will expect that their characters can
do those sorts of things. For example, Water Margin has con-
stant scenes of armed or unarmed duels; Pride and Prejudice
keeps coming back to social position, manners, and court-
ship. Find rules that give expanded detail and a wider range
of options for them than the Basic Set provides; GURPS
Martial Arts and GURPS Social Engineering are particu-
larly useful.

Motivated Actions
The campaign setting also provides reasons to act. These
can be external rewards and threats; for example, the story
of Water Margin is set in motion by the corrupt Gao Qiu’s
rise to imperial favor. But they can also be internal motives
that fit the cultural background; for example, in Pride and
Prejudice, the initial conflict is a result of Darcy’s pride, and
its later resolution, of his sense of what his honor as a gen-
tleman demands.
In designing a campaign, think about the culture of its Conflicting Actions
characters  – both what it recognizes as credible rewards Conflict is necessary to fiction and drama – and to roleplay-
and threats, and what codes of conduct it encourages, rep- ing games! We want the heroes to succeed (but see Horror and
resented as Code of Honor, Disciplines of Faith, Fanaticism, Tragedy, p. 48), but if there’s no doubt of their success, there’s
Sense of Duty, Vows, and similar traits. Internal motives no tension and little involvement. GURPS represents immedi-
are especially suited to a campaign that emphasizes inward ate uncertainty of success with success rolls, with Regular and
action (p. 46). Quick Contests, and often with combat scenes. But it’s more
Codes of conduct can be customized to reflect a fictional effective if these grow out of a long-term conflict and form
setting. Odysseus, for example, lives by an ancient Greek part of a continuing struggle. There are several options for
concept of honor that makes a guest’s person sacred (the such a central conflict.

Action 47
Character vs. Fate/God stories. Character vs. monster belongs here if the monster is
nonsapient. Examples: Incidents in The Wonderful Wizard of
A struggle against a supernatural force. This may take the
Oz and the Odyssey; much of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
form of trying to overcome a curse or taint, such as vampir-
In designing a campaign world, focus on environmental
ism. Struggles to evade a prophecy also belong here. A charac-
hazards (Wild Places, pp.  22-23; Destructive Environments,
ter vs. monster story belongs here if an offended god sent the
p. 23); dangerous events such as storms, floods, or fires; and
monster. Example: the Odyssey.
predatory or aggressive life forms, including outright mon-
In designing a campaign world, look at the supernatural
sters (Life Forms, p. 44). Dealing with dangerous living crea-
versions of Enemy, and at supernaturally themed disadvan-
tures can often involve physical combat.
tages that such a being might inflict: Destiny, Divine Curse,
Phantom Voices, Unluckiness, Unnatural Features, or even
Weirdness Magnet. Character vs. Self
Conflict with gods doesn’t usually take the form of combat; A mainly internal conflict, where people try to overcome
the odds are hopelessly against any mortal who attempts it. their own weaknesses or choose between two possible selves.
A hero might defeat a monster or a divine servitor such as the This is important in GURPS, in the form both of self-imposed
angel that wrestles with Jacob in Genesis 32:22-32. A tragic “virtuous” disadvantages (p. B121) and of disadvantages with
hero may inspire awe by contending against an impossibly self-control rolls (pp.  B120-B121). If it’s going to be brought
superior foe. into the foreground, players should be asked to portray the
struggle – for example, by revealing actions or
by characters debating with themselves. The
GM can encourage this by awarding charac-
H orror and ragedy T ter points for well-played scenes. Examples:
In Pride and Prejudice, when Darcy confesses
We like our heroes to succeed – but there are genres and modes where his love for Elizabeth. In Dracula, after Mina
they don’t. Tragic heroes suffer terribly and often die; characters in hor- has been infected with vampirism.
ror, if they survive, often lose bodily integrity, sanity, or friends and loved Character vs. self is the least likely form
ones, and gain haunting memories. of conflict to give rise to physical combat.
What makes this sort of story enjoyable? Part of the pleasure is sheer However, a protagonist may need to strug-
intensity of feeling; the audience empathizes with the characters’ suf- gle against himself to find the will to fight –
fering or fear, but at the same time has it framed within a narrative or or to hold back from excessive violence. A
drama, so that it moves but doesn’t overwhelm them. Part of it is also close emotional relationship with a foe can
that there is an element of success. The tragic hero is destroyed, not by also make inner conflict a hindrance in a
random accidents or external enemies, but by his own choices, particu- fight; for example, the foe’s margin of vic-
larly his insistence on preserving his own character. The hero of a horror tory in an Influence roll can act as a penalty
story struggles to endure and continue to act even in the face of terror. to an attack roll.
These genres are to inward action what action/adventure and thrillers
are to outward action.
Dracula is one of the classics of horror. Captain Nemo, the adversary Character vs. Society
in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, is a nearly perfect tragic hero, with his A variant on character vs. character, in
brilliance, self-imposed exile, and desperate loneliness. which the protagonists struggle not against
individual opponents, but against organi-
zations or an entire culture. Some versions
assume a good society whose values have
Character vs. Character been corrupted; others reject even these fundamental values.
A struggle between two characters or groups of char- “Victims of society” stories about prisoners, fugitives, subju-
acters: this is the most common form of action/adventure gated or exploited people, or inhabitants of dystopia fit here.
story, but also includes capers, mysteries, and romances. It Can have very large casts of characters; can include character
can include character vs. machine or character vs. monster vs. machine if the machine is under human control. Example:
if the machine or monster is sapient. Examples: Pride and Water Margin.
Prejudice; 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; Dracula; the climac- In designing a game world, look at the social background
tic struggle in the Odyssey. (Cultures, p. 19; War and Politics, p. 20). Organizations that act
In designing a campaign world, treat such conflicts as on behalf of the society or its rulers can be described using
involving an Enemy or a series of short-term adversaries. GURPS Boardroom and Curia. The central characters can be
These can be Watchers or Rivals rather than Hunters. This given Enemy (normally organizational rather than individual),
type of conflict often turns into physical combat; see Combat Secret, or Social Stigma of some appropriate form.
Skills (pp. 30-31) for guidelines on skill levels for opponents. In realistic campaigns, character vs. society doesn’t usually
take the form of physical combat; numbers and organization
favor society too heavily. Winning out against society depends
Character vs. Nature partly on personal integrity, and partly on influence and orga-
A struggle against the impersonal forces of the natural nizational skills (see GURPS Social Engineering). Cinematic
world. This is another classic form of action/adventure story. campaigns can give small bands of heroes the ability to win
The type of conflicting action includes castaways striving to fights against vastly superior numbers, through amazing skill
survive, disaster and post-apocalyptic stories, and hunting or heroic endurance.

Action 48
Consequences of Actions enough about the possible good consequences to be willing
to risk the possible bad consequences. Combat is the proto-
When the dice come out, it’s the fact that actions have type for this, which is why it’s so central to most campaigns –
consequences that makes the roll dramatic. When players but it’s not the only example. Characters can take physical or
pick up the dice, they’re saying that their characters care emotional risks in many ways. Ideally, every roll of the dice
should carry some real risk with it.
On one hand, the source material’s “natural
laws” define what these consequences are, and
It matters not how strait the gate, what risks the heroes are taking. On the other,
How charged with punishments the scroll. the consequences of in-game actions can include
departures from the source material: they can
I am the master of my fate, supply takeoff points for new storylines, perma-
nently change or even kill major characters, or
I am the captain of my soul. even transform the entire setting (for example,
– William Ernest Henley, “Invictus” in a revelatory campaign; see p.  51). It’s best
for the GM to think through these possible out-
comes ahead of time!

Modes
Mode is the way a campaign presents its content. This is a important, with the goddess Athena providing advice and help
separate question from what the content is. In terms of content, with minor obstacles, so that the story isn’t slowed down. Water
the mundane contrasts with the fantastic (Premises, pp. 8-9); Margin is even more so, with even the largest battles being
in terms of mode, the realistic contrasts with the cinematic. fought as one-on-one duels of opposing leaders. The Wonderful
Mode is one of the features of a source that make a big Wizard of Oz is mainly cinematic, though the Wizard’s reliance
impression on its audience. Players who enjoyed a cinematic on technology and fast-talk is a touch of realism.
book or movie will expect to play their characters in a cin-

Realistic Modes
ematic style, and to have the game world and play style let
this work; being held back by realistic details will spoil their
fun. Players who enjoy figuring out those details will feel Realism in GURPS is largely a matter of verisimilitude, a
cheated if handwaving works as well as careful preparation. flow of events that gives a convincing impression of reality.
Although it’s possible to switch modes, players need to know This approach became common with the emergence of novels
about it before the campaign starts. So identifying a source’s as a literary form. An important part of realism is austerity, the
mode is vital. degree to which actions have consequences in the campaign
world and the difficulty of avoiding those consequences. The

Cinematic Modes standard GURPS rules provide moderate realism; it’s possi-
ble to go further to gritty realism, using rules that emphasize
What GURPS calls “cinematic,” earlier ages might have obstacles and consequences.
called epic or theatrical. Epics have large-scale narratives Realistic characters are shown as human, complex, and
that carry the reader along, a focus on individual heroes, and flawed; their motives reflect their social relationships or emo-
broad characterization with straightforward motives. Theater tional conflicts. Dialogue tends to be down to earth, without
provides visual spectacle and striking dialogue. Cinema adds elaborate speeches. Good tactics in a fight can take advantage
visual storytelling devices such as montage, panorama, and of the combat environment, but battles may come down to
crosscutting, and a sense of movement. numbers and endurance; the GM should consider adopting
Cinematic works can be recognized in a number of ways. rules for things like bleeding or damage to weapons. Rather
Their characters tend to be archetypes or stereotypes, with than slowing down the story, practical details and planning
straightforward motives and without psychological complex- are a big part of what the story is about.
ity (though they can have inner conflicts); major characters Pride and Prejudice is at the realistic end of the spectrum;
are driven by ideals or passions. Dialogue is passionate, elo- its most theatrical touch is the articulate dialogue of its main
quent, or witty; characters whose players aren’t so eloquent characters. Dracula has a strong element of realism in its
may get lots of rolls vs. Public Speaking or Influence skills! heroes’ use of scientific inquiry, business organization, and
Battles are decided by outcomes of heroes fighting one on technology; Dracula himself is the most cinematic figure
one; crowds of lesser foes are only temporary obstacles. The in the novel  – which doesn’t work to his advantage! 20,000
drive of the narrative to reach a climax carries the story Leagues Under the Sea is on the borderline: Nemo himself
along, usually to an unambiguous defeat or victory. Game is a larger-than-life figure, but the novel’s heroes are not;
rules such as wildcard skills, cinematic mechanics, and in and while Verne gives Nemo’s inventions verisimilitude with
particular spending points to buy success (p.  B347) help to exact engineering measurements, their capabilities are not
attain this. extrapolated from real technology, but dictated by the needs
The Odyssey is largely cinematic, with a larger-than-life of the story – in effect, they’re a cinematic rendering of the
hero undergoing a series of adventures  – and, even more idea of realism.

Action 49
 Narratives
Roleplaying games are played by narrating the characters’ take a back seat: It might be improbable that there are that
actions and delivering their dialogue. Every game naturally many criminal masterminds, monsters, or superpowered
creates an ongoing story. But there are different ways to orga- villains in the setting, but somehow, they’ll keep turning up.
nize a story. Campaigns with sources will often follow the The player characters become more capable as they earn
same narrative form as their source – but they don’t have to; character points, but they won’t have long-term projects.
switching narrative form can help create a fresh starting place Fundamentally, everything in this sort of campaign should
in a familiar setting (see Premise, pp. 8-9). remain the same.

Story-Arc Campaigns
The Unities Many recent television series have adopted story
arcs, often lasting a season; similar arcs appear in
French playwrights in the 17th century talked about the uni-
ties of place, time, and action, appealing to the authority of Aris- comic books. In an arc, each episode has its own
totle. In fact, Aristotle was only concerned with unity of action; short-term plot, but it also contributes to an ongo-
he briefly mentioned unity of time as a rule some dramatists ing story that builds up to a larger resolution. In
followed, and said nothing about unity of place. series about heroic adventurers, an arc often has
Unity of place meant that a story or drama had a single loca- a “Big Bad” whose schemes develop in the back-
tion (see pp. 20-23). This can be good in some stories, giving a ground of some episodes, and who create subor-
tighter focus – for example, country-house mysteries or haunt- dinate threats in others, but who isn’t defeated till
ed-house stories  – but it isn’t necessary for a long story, or a the very end.
series of episodes. Many roleplaying games observe a variant of The focus of a story-arc campaign is a primary
unity of place in keeping the party together – but splitting up the villain to be defeated, or a big problem to be solved.
group can create dramatic tension. However, this should be done The heroes often start out not clearly knowing
cautiously, as keeping track of parallel series of events and keep- what they’re up against. As the campaign contin-
ing players interested when their characters are offstage can ues, they get more evidence, face more problems,
be challenging. and acquire more resources. At the same time, they
Unity of time meant that a story should all take place in a have to resolve a series of smaller problems, some
single day. Any number of effective stories break that rule! In a tied to the major issue and others not. They can
less restrictive variant, a story can be required to take place in pursue long-term goals  – so long as their projects
a single continuous span of time, with backstory being brought pay off at the end of the arc; after that, they typi-
in by having its events remembered or narrated, as Odysseus cally go back to their starting point, though often
tells the story of his disastrous voyage home while a guest of much more capable.
the Phaeacian royal family. Jumping forward in time between Example (Odys.): The Odyssey breaks into two
sessions is the game analog of unity of time. story arcs. The better known tells of Odysseus’ voy-
Unity of action involves having a connected series of events. age home from Troy; the opposition he faces in this
They should all reflect the same theme (From Idea to Action, is the curse of Poseidon. After he gets home, a new
p.  12) and be part of the same central conflict (Conflicting story arc begins, in which he has to take control of
Actions, pp. 47-48). Each action’s success or failure should affect his palace back from his wife Penelope’s suitors.
a larger struggle. Scenes unrelated to this will come across as
distractions and are best kept short – and when the outcome is
decided, the story is over; you’ll need to come up with a new one, Developmental
even if it stars the same people.
Campaigns
Novels and single films often have a continuing
development of the plot and characters from chap-
Episodic Campaigns ter to chapter, without episodes or story arcs. The external
situation changes because of the main characters’ actions;
Some sources, and some campaigns, are divided into self- meanwhile, their knowledge of it grows. In many stories, they
contained episodes. This was common for television shows themselves are changed by involvement in it – often by grow-
and comic books of the 1950s and 1960s. Before that, it was ing, as Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy grow in Pride
found in picaresque novels (from Spanish picaro, “rogue”), and Prejudice. However, tragedy can show originally great
which followed an adventurer through a series of uncon- people brought low by their own actions, as with Captain
nected exploits. Nemo is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
An episodic campaign needs a new situation, challenge, or A developmental campaign won’t bring the action to a stop
adversary every session or two. Enemies usually won’t reap- at the end of sessions or episodes; the narrative flow continues
pear after their defeat, though exceptions can be made for from meet-up to meet-up. It can be useful to end sessions at
those who leave a big impression. World-building concerns moments of high dramatic tension.

Action 50
 This type of structure is best for campaigns with internal Meant To Know, may drive the protagonist mad. But recog-
action (p. 46). If external adversaries appear, they’re likely to nition can also occur in adventure stories, where it confronts
be continuing figures, rather than a series of short-term foes; the hero with a crucial choice, and even in comedies, where it
the personal relationship between protagonists and antag- brings about the happy ending.
onists may be an important focus. Campaigns may also be This kind of campaign needs an ultimate secret for the
about exploring a country or a world, carrying out a large- player characters to uncover. Discovery of the secret brings
scale project, or working to preserve or change something. the campaign to a natural endpoint, by removing its goal or
making individual people unable to act, as in the loss of san-

Revelatory Campaigns ity in cosmic horror (see GURPS Horror, pp. 142-146). Or it

can change the genre of the campaign to one that takes the
Some novels and films lead up to a climactic scene where revelation as a premise, as in post-apocalyptic campaigns. It’s
the central characters learn something of deep significance. best to make the players aware of the prospect of either sort
In classical drama, this was called recognition: a critical dis- of outcome; it can come as a total surprise to their characters,
covery or insight, such as learning one’s own or another per- but players who don’t expect to be surprised may be unhappy.
son’s true identity. This is akin to the end of a mystery, where
Example (WWOz): The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has a reve-
the detective reveals the identity of the murderer – but to the
latory ending, when Dorothy learns that the silver shoes that
detective, this is his job or his vocation, and he’ll go on in the
she took from the body of the Wicked Witch of the East had
next story to investigate another crime, not much changed
always had the power to return her to Kansas  – just as her
from what he was. Recognition in tragedy changes (and often
three friends had always had intelligence, love, and courage.
destroys) the hero’s whole life or self-image. In horror, rec-
After that, Dorothy is back home in Kansas and her adventure
ognition of a monster, or insight into Things Man Was Not
is over.

Preparing the Payoff

The classic description of plot divides it into exposition (the having to sit and watch while others in the group have the big
introduction of the central characters and of the problem), dramatic confrontation.
complication (a series of efforts to solve the problem that leave • If possible, a positive outcome should depend on every-
it unsolved and in fact increase the tension), climax (the point one using more than one ability or making more than one
of highest tension, at which the problem is resolved), and choice.
denouement (the interval after the climax where the effects • Despite the dramatic significance of dice (Consequences
on the characters and setting become evident). Roleplaying of Actions, p. 49), the outcome of the climactic struggle
games often have a similar sequence (but see Slice-of-Life shouldn’t depend on a single throw of the dice.
Campaigns, below). However, depending on narrative struc- • If someone performs an intentionally self-sacrificial
ture, the main climaxes may come at the ends of single ses- action, and dies or is irreversibly harmed, don’t undercut it
sions, story arcs, or entire campaigns. dramatically by undoing the consequences.
Most readers or viewers  – or players  – invest emotion
in a story: they care what happens to its characters. The
climax brings this involvement to its greatest intensity,
in a sequence of actions where both sides in the central
conflict are at their fullest strength. The denouement
Slice-of-Life Campaigns
Some genres and forms have stories that neither end in a
shows the point of rest that follows. In a complex plot, this climax, nor are divided into episodes with smaller climaxes.
includes accounting for minor characters and subsidiary Examples include television soap operas and “slice of life”
conflicts, so that the loose ends are tied up. Together these comics. This is an option for roleplaying games as well.
are the payoff of the story. After they’re over, the audience Slice-of-life campaigns still need to provide the same sat-
should have no residual feelings of “what about this?” isfactions as other campaigns. They just do it in a series of
A GURPS campaign has the advantage that players small payoffs, rather than one big payoff. Dramatic confron-
generally care about their characters, right from the first tations may involve one character or part of the total cast.
scene. But the GM can’t know in advance what those Revelatory scenes can give significant information without
characters will care about, or how they’ll get to the big changing everything. Problems can be solved, and jobs com-
confrontation or test. A campaign has several co-authors pleted, while others are still being worked on. This kind of
with ideas of their own! The GM needs to define the cen- ongoing story often has less intensity, but it gives the plea-
tral conflict and the person or situation that acts as the sure of getting to know a cast of characters, in a gaming
opposition; plant hints that lead the protagonists to it; style that puts characterization above action.
and suggest motives for going into the arena. Slice-of-life storylines can work well in sandbox cam-
Some elements are worth remembering in setting up paigns (p. 25). Discovering new features of a richly detailed
a climactic scene: world can provide the small payoffs that slice-of-life cam-
• All of the player characters have to be present and paigns rely on.
involved. Nothing is more disappointing to a player than

Action 51
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (20KL),
Index
Bennet, Elizabeth (“Lizzie”), 28, 30, 31; Dependents disadvantage, 27, 28, 44.
characters, 12, 28-30, 33, 39; conflicts, source work, 4; stats, 35; usage ideas, Diving suits, 41.
48; Control Rating, 20; culture, 19; 8, 39. Dracula (Drac.), characters, 9, 28, 29, 30, 31,
equipment, 41, 42; examples using, 8, Bizarro genre, 10; see also High Concept. 32, 33, 34, 39, 40; conflicts, 48; Control
12, 28-30, 33, 41, 42-43; genre, 10; mode, Campaigns, austerity, 6, 49; climactic scenes, Rating, 20; culture, 19, 31; equipment,
49; Nautilus, 22, 29, 42-43; overview, 51; developmental, 50-51; episodic, 20, 40, 41, 44; examples using, 5, 7, 9, 28,
5; premises, 8; settings, 18, 20, 26; tech 50; indirect exposition, 25; modes, 49; 29, 31-33, 39, 41, 44; genres, 10; mode,
level, 19; terrains, 18; theme, 12; tragedy, narratives, 50-51; payoff, 51; recognition, 49; overview, 5; premises, 8; setting, 18,
48, 50. 6, 24, 51; revelatory, 51; slice-of-life, 20, 31; special abilities, 20, 34, 35; tech
Action/adventure genre, 10; see also High 51; story-arc, 50; story unities, 50; see level, 19, 44; terrains, 18; theme, 12; wild
Concept. Actions, Characters, High Concept, places, 22.
Actions, agency, 6, 46; appropriate, 47; Players, Setting. Emerald City, 21.
based on theme, 12; conflicting, 47-48; Chambara genre, 10; see also High Concept. Enemies disadvantage, 20, 27, 28.
consequences of, 49; horror, 48; inward, Character conflict types, vs. character, 48; Equipment, see Artifacts, Technology,
46; modes, 49; motivated, 47; outward, vs. fate/god, 47-48; vs. nature, 48; vs. self, Vehicles.
46; possible, 46-47; thematic, 47; tragedy, 48; vs. society, 48. Fan fiction, 5, 7; definition, 6; see also
48; verisimilitude, 6, 49; see also Conflict. Characters, attributes, 6, 29; cinematic skills, Campaigns, High Concept.
Adventures, see Action, Campaigns, 34; combat skills, 30-31; esoteric arts, Fantasy genre, 10; see also High Concept.
Characters, High Concept, Setting. 33-34; examples, 35-37; excluded options, Favor advantage, 28.
Aerostats, 42. 38; expanding the original cast, 39; Gear, see Artifacts, Technology, Vehicles.
Agency, 6, 46; see also Actions, Conflict. extras, 28-29; guest stars, 27; life forms, Glossary, 6.
Allies advantage, 27, 28, 34, 44; example, 45. 44; magic, 34; major, 6, 27; martial-arts GURPS, 3, 6, 8, 15, 18, 19, 27, 32-34, 40,
Alternate history genre, 10; see also High styles, 31; motivation, 33; niches, 39; 44, 48, 49; After the End, 18, After the
Concept. objects as, 43; organization membership, End 2: The New World, 22; Basic Set,
Alternate universes, definition, 6; usage, 7, 29, 45; original, 38-39; perks, 33; 16, 42, 44, 47; Boardroom and Curia,
39. personality, 33; point value, 38-39; power 29, 30, 40, 42, 45, 48; City Stats, 20, 21,
Artifacts, armor, 41; as characters, 43; as modifiers, 34-35; quirks, 33; protagonist, 25; Dungeon Fantasy, 39; Dungeon
evidence, 40; availability, 44-45; clothing, 6, 27; racial traits, 35; required traits, 39; Fantasy 16: Wilderness Adventures,
41; cost, 45; fantastic, 45; furnishings, skills, 30-31; social backgrounds, 31-32; 22; Fantasy, 3, 9, 20; High-Tech,
42; gear, 40; legality, 44-45; life forms, special abilities, 34-35; supporting, 27-28; 40-42, 43, 45; Horror, 3, 9, 51; How to
44; MacGuffins, 6, 41; machines, 43; Talents, 29; templates, 39; unity of action, Be a GURPS GM, 26; Infinite Worlds,
narrative function, 40-41; personal gear, 50; unity of place, 50; unity of time, 50; 7, 19; Low-Tech, 22, 31, 41, 43, 45;
41-42; personalizers, 40; potentially visible qualities, 32-33; see also Actions, Low-Tech Companion 1: Philosophers
movable structures, 42; presupposed, Players. and Kings, 42; Low-Tech Companion
45; structures, 21-22, 42; tech level, 44; Chinese Imperial Military Combat style, 31. 2: Weapons and Warriors, 36; Low-
technologies, 18-19, 44; transcendents, Chopper, Nick, 36; axe, 41. Tech Companion 3: Daily Life and
41; valuables, 41; see also Technology, Comedy genre, 10; see also High Concept. Economics, 22, 43; Martial Arts, 31,
Vehicles. Conflict, mental, 26; setting and, 23, 24, 26; 36, 47; Mass Combat, 20, 26, 29, 30,
Attributes, 6, 40; see also Artifacts, types of, 47-48; see also Actions. 43; Monster Hunters, 39; Mysteries,
Characters. Control Rating (CR), 20, 44. 3, 9; Power-Ups 2: Perks, 3, 33, 40;
Austerity, 6, 49. Cultural Familiarity advantage, 19. Power-Ups 3: Talents, 29; Power-
Ups 5: Impulse Buys, 7; Power-Ups
6: Quirks, 3, 33; Powers, 20, 34, 45;
Powers: Divine Favor, 34; Powers:
The Weird, 34; Psi-Tech, 34; Psionic
The fighting Homer describes – duels Campaigns, 3; Psionic Powers, 35;
Social Engineering, 19, 26, 32, 40, 47,
between chieftains who ride up to the battle line 48; Social Engineering: Back to School,
9, 42; Social Engineering: Pulling
in chariots, dismount, and exchange speeches, Rank, 45; Space, 3, 8, 9, 16, 17, 24;
sometimes quite long ones, before engaging Spaceships, 42; Spaceships 6: Mining
and Industrial Spacecraft, 42; Supers,
man-to-man with spear and shield – is clearly 3, 9, 35; Template Toolkit 1: Characters,
29, 30, 39; Thaumatology, 34, 43;
a creation of the epic muse rather than a Thaumatology: Chinese Elemental
Powers, 34, 47; Thaumatology: Ritual
representation of actual battle conditions. Path Magic, 34; Thaumatology:
Sorcery, 34; Ultra-Tech, 41, 43, 45;
– Robert Fagles, Introduction to the Iliad Underground Adventures, 18, 21, 42;
Zombies, 3, 9; see also Pyramid.

Index 52
Hardboiled fiction genre, 10; see also High
Concept.
High concept, alternate universes, 6, 7, 39;
central idea, 11-12; common genres, 10;
Oh, I can’t think about this
definition, 6; displacements, 7; genre
conventions, 9; genre types, 10; mashups, now! I’ll go crazy if I do! I’ll think
5; mood, 11; multiple sources, 5; one
impossible thing, 8; players and, 12-13;
premise, 8; prequels, 6-7; reinventions,
about it tomorrow . . . After all . . .
7-8; retelling the story, 7; sequels, 6-7;
source works, 4-5; starting point, 6-8; tomorrow is another day!
theme, 6, 11-12; tropes, 9; untold tales, 7;
see also Campaigns.
Horror genre, 10; see also High Concept.
– Scarlett O’Hara,
Hu Sanniang, 36-37.
Humor genre, 10; see also High Concept. in Gone with the Wind
Indirect exposition, definition, 6; usage, 10,
24, 25; see also Setting.
Kalidahs, 44. Rank advantage, 32. Table, population density, 19.
MacGuffins, 6, 41. Realistic fiction genre, 10; see also High Tech level (TL) 18-19, 44.
Mars, 17. Concept. Technologies, 18-19, 44; research about, 15;
Martial arts genre, 10; see also High Recognition, 6, 24, 51. see also Artifacts, Vehicles.
Concept. Recommended books, 3. Thaumatocracy, 6; Emerald City, 21.
Mimetic fiction genre, 10; see also High Reference society, 19, 31. Theme, 6, 11-12; unity of action and, 50; see
Concept. Roleplaying games, adapting, 13. also High Concept, Campaigns.
Mimetic fiction, 6, 10. Romance genre, 10; see also High Concept. Thriller genre, 10; see also High Concept.
Mundane, 6; actions, 46; genres, 10; Sandbox, 6, 25, 51; see also Setting. Tin Woodman, 36; axe, 41.
premises, 8; traits in, 38. Science fiction genre, 10; see also High Trope, 6, 9; see also High Concept,
Mystery genre, 10; see also High Concept. Concept. Campaigns.
Narratives, see Campaigns, High Concept. Setting, 14-26; arenas, 26; atmosphere, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,
Nautilus, 22, 29, 42-43. 6; bases, 25-26; buildings, 21-22, 42; see 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
New weird genre, 10; see also High Concept. challenge and conflict, 24; cities, 20-21; Uchronia genre, 10; see also High Concept.
Noir film genre, 10; see also High Concept. commentary, 25; communities, 20-21; Unities, in stories, 50.
Objects, see Artifacts. conflict and, 23, 24, 26; crucibles, 26; Unreliable narrator, 6, 15.
Odysseia, see Odyssey. cultures, 19; demonstration of premises, Unusual Background advantage, 38, 45,
Odysseus, 11, 12, 16, 24, 26, 29-31, 33, 47; 24; describing, 14-16; destructive 47.
companions, 28; equipment, 40, 41; environments, 23; drama and, 23-26; Vehicles, 42-43; as locations, 22, 26;
source work, 4; stats, 37. environments, 16-20, 24-25; example example, 42-43; see also Artifacts.
Odyssey (Odys.), characters, 7, 12, 28-31, buildings, 22; example city, 21; focus, Verisimilitude, 6, 49.
33, 37, 39; conflicts, 48; Control Rating, 23; hazards, 26; indirect exposition, 25; Vingt mille lieues sous les mers, see 20,000
20; culture, 19, 31; equipment, 20, 34, information sources, 14-16; inventing Leagues Under the Sea.
40; examples using, 7, 12, 16, 26, 28-31, new material, 16; knowability, 24; Water Margin (WM), actions, 47; characters,
33, 37, 39, 40, 50; genres, 10; magic, locations, 20-23, 25-26, 42; milestones, 7, 25, 28, 29, 31-34, 36-37, 39, 43;
34; mode, 49; overview, 4; premises, 25; ordeals, 26; parody, 25; pathetic conflicts, 48; Control Rating, 20; culture,
8; protagonists, 27; setting, 18, 20, 23; fallacy, 6, 24; personal domains, 26; 19, 31; equipment, 31, 41; examples
special abilities, 20, 34; tech level, 19; planets, 16; politics, 20; populations, using, 7, 8, 25, 28, 29, 32-34, 36-37,
terrains, 18; theme, 11. 19; puzzles, 26; retro solar system, 17; 39; genres, 10; language, 23; magic, 34;
Pathetic fallacy, 6, 24; see also Setting. sandbox, 6, 25, 51; scale, 23; scenery, martial-arts style, 31; mode, 49; overview,
Patrons advantage, 20, 27, 28. 24; sources of information, 14-16; 4; premises, 8; protagonists, 27; setting,
Pemberley, 22. supernatural forces, 20; terrains, 18; tests, 18, 20, 23, 31; special abilities, 34; tech
Players, genre expectations, 9; interest, 13; 26; travel, 24; war, 20; wild places, 22-23. level, 19; terrains, 18; theme, 12; wild
source familiarity, 13; trust, 13; see also Shui Hu Zhuan, see Water Margin. places, 22.
Characters. Signature Gear advantage, 40. Wealth trait, 31-32, 38, 45.
Power modifiers, 34-35; objects and, 20, 45. Slipstream genre, 10; see also High Concept. Weapon Bond perk, 40.
Pride and Prejudice (P&P), actions, 47; Social Regard advantage, 33. Equipment Bond perk, 40.
characters, 8, 28, 29, 32, 33, 35; conflicts, Social Stigma disadvantage, 33. Winged Monkeys, 45.
26, 48; Control Rating, 20; culture, 19, Social traits, cultures, 19; characters, 31-32, Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The (WWOz),
31; examples using, 5, 8, 22, 28, 29, 32, 38. characters, 25, 28, 29, 32, 33, 35, 36,
33, 35; genres, 10; mode, 49; overview, 4; Solar system, planets, 16-17; retro, 17. 39, 41, 44, 45, 51; Control Rating, 20;
Pemberley, 22; premises, 8; protagonists, Source works, 4-5, see also specific works. culture, 19, 31; equipment, 41, 45, 51;
27; setting, 14, 18, 20, 23, 31; tech level, Status trait, 31. examples using, 14, 24, 24, 27-29, 32,
19; theme, 11; thematic actions, 47; Steelbright, 36-37. 33, 36, 39, 41, 44, 45; Kalidahs, 44;
terrains, 18; see also Bennet. Stories, see High Concept. mood, 11; overview, 5; setting, 18, 20, 31;
Protagonist, 6; see also Characters. Strength (ST) attribute, 29. premises, 8; protagonists, 27; tech level,
Pyramid #3/34: Alternate GURPS, 42; #3/66: Superheroic fiction genre, 10; see also High 19; terrains, 18; theme, 12; wild places,
The Laws of Magic, 34; #3/82: Magical Concept. 22; Winged Monkeys, 45.
Creations, 34; #3/90: After the End, 22; Supernatural forces, 20; struggle against, 48. Wuxia genre, 10; see also High Concept.
see also GURPS. Survival skill, 18.

Index 53
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