GURPS Campaigns 4thP - rpg-dnepr.at.ua · GURPS Fourth Edition Revision by DAVID L. PULVER and SEAN M. PUNCH Cover Design by VICTOR R. FERNANDES Cover Art by JEFF KOKE, CHRISTOPHER

STEVE JACKSON GAMESISBN 978-1-55634-730-6 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Basic Set: Campaigns

GURPS Game Design by STEVE JACKSONGURPS Fourth Edition Revision by DAVID L. PULVER and SEAN M. PUNCH

Cover Design by VICTOR R. FERNANDES Cover Art by JEFF KOKE, CHRISTOPHER SHY, and ROGERIO VILELA

Edited by ANDREW HACKARD and STEVE JACKSON

Illustrated by ABRAR AJMAL, MICHAEL CLARKE, CHRIS DIEN, ALEX FERNANDEZ, ROBERTO MARCHESI, TORSTEIN NORDSTRAND, BOB STEVLIC, DAN WILLEMS, ERIC WILKERSON, and LEO WINSTEAD

´

338 CREDITS

GURPS, Warehouse 23, and the all-seeing pyramid are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Pyramid and the names of all products published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are registered trademarks or trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated,

or used under license. GURPS Basic Set: Campaigns is copyright © 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2008by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved. Printed in Thailand.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage

the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

GURPS System Design ❚ STEVE JACKSONManaging Editor ❚ ANDREW HACKARD

GURPS Line Editor ❚ SEAN PUNCHProduction Manager ❚ MONIQUE CHAPMAN

Art Director ❚ PHILIP REEDPage Design ❚ PHILIP REED

Production Artists ❚ JUSTIN DE WITT, ALEX FERNANDEZ, and PHILIP REEDPrepress Checkers ❚ FADE MANLEY and MONICA STEPHENS

Print Buyer ❚ MONICA STEPHENSMarketing Director ❚ PAUL CHAPMAN

Sales Manager ❚ ROSS JEPSONErrata Coordinator ❚ ANDY VETROMILE

GURPS FAQ Maintainer ❚ STEPHANE THERIAULT

Credits for earlier editions:

Additional Material: Steve Beeman, Craig Brown, Jerry Epperson, Jeff George, Scott Haring, Mike Hurst, Stefan Jones, Jim Kennedy, David Ladyman, Jeff Lease, Walter Milliken, Steffan O’Sullivan, Ravi Rai, W. Dow Rieder,

Art Samuels, Scorpia, Curtis Scott

Playtest: Norman Banduch, Jeb Boyt, Keith Carter, Caroline Chase, James Crouchet, Jim Gould, Scott Haring, Rob Kirk, David Ladyman, Martha Ladyman, Creede Lambard, Sharleen Lambard, C. Mara Lee, Mike Lopez,

Michael Moe, David Noel, Susan Poelma, Warren Spector, Gerald Swick, Allen Varney, Dan Willems

Blindtest: Aaron Allston, Mark Babik, Sean Barrett, Bill Barton, Vicki Barton, James D. Bergman, David Castro, Bruce Coleman, Jerry Epperson, Jeff Flowers, Dave Franz, Cheryl Freedman, Jeff George, Kevin Gona, Kevin Heacox,

Carl Leatherman, Guy McLimore, Alexis Mirsky, Joseph G. Paul, Greg Poehlein, Greg Porter, Randy Porter, Mark Redigan, Glenn Spicer, John Sullivan, Rick Swan, Kirk Tate, David Tepool, Bob Traynor, Alexander von Thorn, and many others

Reality Checking: Warren Spector, Monica Stephens, Allen Varney, Jim Gould, David Noel, Rob Kirk

Research Assistance: Mike Hurst, Jeffrey K. Greason, Walter Milliken

Helpful Comments: Many of the above, plus Tim Carroll, Nick Christenson, Jim Duncan, David Dyche, Ron Findling, Mike Ford,Steve Maurer, John Meyer, Ken Rolston, Dave Seagraves, Bill Seurer, Brett Slocum, Gus Smedstad, Karl Wu, and Phil Yanov

Many thanks to everyone above – and for all the others we couldn’t list.And special thanks to everyone who enjoyed the first three editions and said so!

Infinite Worlds Concept by John M. Ford and Steve JacksonIconic Characters Created by Kenneth Hite

Editorial Assistance by Jeff RoseProofreading by Steve Jackson and Sean M. Punch

Additional Material: Kenneth Hite, Robert M. Schroeck, William H. Stoddard

Fourth Edition Testing and Rules Refinement: James Cambias, Paul Chapman, Mark Cogan, Peter V. Dell'Orto, John M. Ford, Devin L. Ganger, Robert Gilson, Kenneth Hite, Roberto Hoyle, Steven Marsh, Phil Masters, Elizabeth McCoy, Walter Milliken, Bill Oliver, Kenneth Peters, Giles Schildt, Gene Seabolt, William H. Stoddard, Michael Suileabhain-Wilson, William Toporek,

Brian J. Underhill, Andy Vetromile, Hans-Christian Vortisch, Jeff Wilson, Jonathan Woodward

Helpful Comments: Michelle Barrett, Kim Bernard, T. Bone, C. Lee Davis, Shawn Fisher, Bob Portnell, Lisa Steele, Stéphane Thériault, Chad Underkoffler

´ ´

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . 342

10. SUCCESS ROLLS . . . 343When to Roll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344Default Rolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344Task Difficulty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345Equipment Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . 345Long Tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346Degree of Success or Failure . . . 347Optional Rule:

Influencing Success Rolls . . . . 347Repeated Attempts . . . . . . . . . . . 348

CONTESTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348Quick Contests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348Regular Contests . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349The Rule of 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349Climbing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349Digging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350Different Gravity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350Hiking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351Holding Your Breath . . . . . . . . . . 351Jumping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352Optional Jumping Rules . . . . . . . 352Lifting and Moving Things . . . . . 353Running . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354Swimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354Flying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354Throwing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355Catching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355Extra Effort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356

SENSE ROLLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358Hearing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358Taste/Smell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358

INFLUENCE ROLLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359Influencing the PCs . . . . . . . . . . . 359

WILL ROLLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360Fright Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 360

FRIGHT CHECK TABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . 360

11. COMBAT . . . . . . . . 362COMBAT TURN SEQUENCE . . . . . . . . . . 362MANEUVERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363

Multiple Maneuvers and Full-Turn Maneuvers . . . . . . . . 363

Do Nothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364Move . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364Change Posture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364Aim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364Evaluate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365Feint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365All-Out Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365Move and Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365All-Out Defense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366Concentrate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366Ready . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366Wait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366

MOVEMENT AND COMBAT . . . . . . . . . . 367

Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367Step . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368Spacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368Moving Through

Other Characters . . . . . . . . . . 368Crouching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368

ATTACKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369MELEE ATTACKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369

Melee Attack Options . . . . . . . . . 369Unarmed Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . 370Actions After Being Grappled . . . . 371

RANGED ATTACKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372Thrown Weapon Attacks . . . . . . 373Missile Weapon Attacks . . . . . . . 373

DEFENDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374Active Defense Rolls . . . . . . . . . . 374Dodging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374Blocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375Parrying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376Parrying Heavy Weapons . . . . . . . 376Active Defense Options . . . . . . . . 377

DAMAGE AND INJURY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377Damage Roll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378Damage Resistance

and Penetration . . . . . . . . . . . 378Knockback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378Fast Damage Resolution

for Multiple Hits . . . . . . . . . . . 379Wounding Modifiers

and Injury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379Injury to Unliving, Homogenous,

and Diffuse Targets . . . . . . . . . 380Effects of Injury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380Special Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381Attacks Without Damage . . . . . . . 381

CRITICAL HITS AND MISSES . . . . . . . . . 381Critical Hits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381Critical Misses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382Example of Combat . . . . . . . . . . . 382

OTHER ACTIONS IN COMBAT . . . . . . . . 382

Readying Weapons and Other Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382

When Is a Weapon Ready? . . . . . 383Typical Long Actions . . . . . . . . . . 383

12. TACTICALCOMBAT . . . . . . . . 384

Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384THE COMBAT MAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384

Hexes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384Facing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385

MANEUVERS IN TACTICAL

COMBAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385Wait Maneuver Strategy . . . . . . . . 385

MOVEMENT IN TACTICAL COMBAT . . . . . 386The “Step” in Tactical

Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386Movement Point Costs . . . . . . . . . 387

ATTACKING IN TACTICAL COMBAT . . . . . . 388Melee Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388Long Weapon Tactics . . . . . . . . . . 388Ranged Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389Pop-Up Attacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390

DEFENDING IN TACTICAL COMBAT . . . . . 390“Runaround” Attacks . . . . . . . . . . 391

CLOSE COMBAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391Entering a Foe’s Hex . . . . . . . . . . 391Leaving a Foe’s Hex . . . . . . . . . . . 391Weapons for Close Combat . . . . 391Readying in Close Combat . . . . . 391Defense in Close Combat . . . . . . 392Multiple Close Combat . . . . . . . . 392Striking Into a Close Combat . . . . 392

MULTI-HEX FIGURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392

13. SPECIAL COMBATSITUATIONS . . . . . . 393

SURPRISE ATTACKS

AND INITIATIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393VISIBILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394SPECIAL MOVEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394

High-Speed Movement . . . . . . . . 394Optional Rule: Changing

Posture in Armor . . . . . . . . . . . 395Mounted Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . 396Flying Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398

HIT LOCATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 398Tight-Beam Burning Attacks . . . . 399Targeting Chinks in Armor . . . . . . 400Striking at Weapons . . . . . . . . . . 400Subduing a Foe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401

SPECIAL MELEE COMBAT RULES . . . . . 402Attack from Above . . . . . . . . . . . . 402Combat at Different Levels . . . . . 402Size Modifier and Reach . . . . . . . 402Special Unarmed Combat

Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403Special Melee Weapon Rules . . . . 404Improvised Weapons . . . . . . . . . . 404Dirty Tricks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405

SPECIAL RANGED COMBAT RULES . . . . . 407

CONTENTS 339

CONTENTS

Malfunctions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407Firing Upward and

Downward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 407Overpenetration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 408Special Rules for Rapid Fire . . . 408Special Ranged Weapons . . . . . . 410Firearm Accessories . . . . . . . . . . 411Guided and Homing

Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412Semi-Active Homing

Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412Area and Spreading Attacks . . . . 413Attacking an Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414Scatter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414

EXPLOSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414Explosions in Other

Environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . 415SPECIAL DAMAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416

Afflictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 416Special Penetration Modifiers . . . 416

CINEMATIC COMBAT RULES . . . . . . . . . 417Dual-Weapon Attacks . . . . . . . . . . 417

14. INJURIES, ILLNESS, AND FATIGUE . . . . . 418

INJURIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418General Injury:

Lost Hit Points . . . . . . . . . . . . 419Shock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419Example of Injury . . . . . . . . . . . . 419Major Wounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420Knockdown and Stunning . . . . . 420Crippling Injury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420Optional Rules for Injury . . . . . . . 420Patient Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421Temporary Attribute

Penalties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 421Mortal Wounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423

RECOVERY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423Recovering from

Unconsciousness . . . . . . . . . . 423Natural Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424High HP and Healing . . . . . . . . . . 424First Aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424Surgery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424

Medical Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424Resuscitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425Ultra-Tech Drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425

FATIGUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426Lost Fatigue Points . . . . . . . . . . . 426Fatigue Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426Starvation and Dehydration . . . . 426Missed Sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 426Recovering from Fatigue . . . . . . 427Foraging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 427

HAZARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428Acid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428Afflictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428Atmospheric Pressure . . . . . . . . . 429Hazardous Atmospheres . . . . . . . 429Cold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 430Collisions and Falls . . . . . . . . . . . 430Hit Location from a Fall . . . . . . . 431Electricity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432Flame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433Making Things Burn . . . . . . . . . . 433Gravity and Acceleration . . . . . . 434Heat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 434Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435Radiation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 435Radiation Hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . 435Seasickness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436Suffocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 436Vacuum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437

POISON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437Describing Poisons . . . . . . . . . . . 437Special Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 438Poison Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439Drinking and Intoxication . . . . . 439Addictive Drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440Drug Withdrawal . . . . . . . . . . . . . 440Overdose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 441

ILLNESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442Disease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 442Contagion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443Infection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444

AGE AND AGING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444

15. CREATINGTEMPLATES . . . . . . 445

CHARACTER TEMPLATES . . . . . . . . . . . . 445How GURPS Works: Character

Templates Aren’t Rules! . . . . . . 445Types of Character

Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446Concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446Flexibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 446Character Templates and

Player Perceptions . . . . . . . . . . 446Selecting Traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447Setting the Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448Writing it Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448Listing Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448Discounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448Adjusting for Player

Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 448Customization Notes . . . . . . . . . . 449Additional Options . . . . . . . . . . . 449

RACIAL TEMPLATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450Concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 450Selecting Traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 451PC Races vs. NPC Races . . . . . . . 451Player-Created Races . . . . . . . . . . 451Setting the Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454Sub-Races . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 454Filling in the Blanks . . . . . . . . . . 454Character Costs vs.

Racial Strength . . . . . . . . . . . . 454

16. ANIMALS ANDMONSTERS . . . . . . 455

COMMON ANIMALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 455Animal and Monster

Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456Individualizing Animals . . . . . . . 457

PETS AND TRAINED ANIMALS . . . . . . . . 458Riding and Draft Animals . . . . . . 459War-Trained Mounts . . . . . . . . . . . 459

FANTASY MONSTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 460Damage for Animals . . . . . . . . . . . 460

ANIMALS IN COMBAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461Swarm Attack Examples . . . . . . . 461

17. TECHNOLOGY ANDARTIFACTS . . . . . . . 462

VEHICLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462Vehicle Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462Basic Vehicle Movement . . . . . . . 463

GROUND VEHICLE TABLE . . . . . . . . . . 464WATERCRAFT TABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464AIRCRAFT TABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465SPACECRAFT TABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465

Basic Vehicle Combat . . . . . . . . . 467Vehicle Weapon Mounts . . . . . . . . 467Weapons Fire from a

Moving Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . 469Scaling Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470

ELECTRONICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471Communicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471Computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 472

NEW INVENTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473Required Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473Complexity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473Concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473Prototype . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473Reinventing the Wheel . . . . . . . . . 473Testing and Bugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474Funding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 474

GADGETEERING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475Inventing Gadgets . . . . . . . . . . . . 475Quick Gadgeteering . . . . . . . . . . . 476Gadget Bugs Table . . . . . . . . . . . . 476Gadgeteering During

Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 477Gadgets for Non-Gadgeteers . . . . 477

FUTURISTIC AND

ALIEN ARTIFACTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 478Enigmatic Device Table . . . . . . . 478Anachronistic Devices . . . . . . . . . 478

WEIRD TECHNOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479Random Side Effects Table . . . . 479

MAGIC ITEMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480Enchantment Spells . . . . . . . . . . 480Enchanting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481Interruptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481Using Magic Items . . . . . . . . . . . . 482Buying Magic Items . . . . . . . . . . 482

DAMAGE TO OBJECTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483Detailed HP Calculation . . . . . . . . 483Effects of Injury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483Damage to Buildings

and Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . 484Damage to Shields . . . . . . . . . . . . 484Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 484Breakdowns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485Broken Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485

340 CONTENTS

18. GAMEMASTERING . . . . . . 486

Customizing the Rules . . . . . . . . . 486CHOOSING A CAMPAIGN TYPE . . . . . . . 486

Power Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 487High-Powered Campaigns . . . . . 487The Cinematic Campaign . . . . . . 488Damn the Rules,

Full Speed Ahead! . . . . . . . . . . 489STARTING A GAME SESSION . . . . . . . . . 490

Advance Preparation . . . . . . . . . . 490Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 490Player-Made Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . 491

RUNNING THE GAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 492Settling Rules Questions . . . . . . . 492Dealing with the Players . . . . . . . 493Playing the NPCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 493Gaming Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494Reaction Rolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 494Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495I open the door, duck under . . . . .495Keeping the Characters Alive . . . . 496Game Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 497When in Doubt, Roll

and Shout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 497ENDING A PLAY SESSION . . . . . . . . . . . 498

Awarding Bonus Character Points . . . . . . . . . . . 498

Time Use Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 499WRITING YOUR OWN

ADVENTURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500Where Do You Get

Your Ideas? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500Adventure Design . . . . . . . . . . . . 500Dungeons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 501Traps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 503Features of a

Good Adventure . . . . . . . . . . . 504Organizing a Continuing

Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 504Shared Campaigns and Travel

Between Campaigns . . . . . . . . 504

19. GAME WORLDS . . . 505CULTURES AND LANGUAGES . . . . . . . . . 505LAWS AND CUSTOMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506

Travel Etiquette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506Control Rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506

Legality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507Law Enforcement and Jail . . . . . 507Trials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 507Bribery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508Criminal Punishment . . . . . . . . . 508

SOCIETY AND

GOVERNMENT TYPES . . . . . . . . . . . 509The Big Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509Variations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510Restrictions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510

TECH LEVELS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511Variations Within a

Tech Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511Tech Level by Field . . . . . . . . . . . . 512Building up Local

Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 513Different Technologies . . . . . . . . 513Improving Skills in

Alternate Tech Levels . . . . . . . . 513Tech Level and Genre . . . . . . . . . 514

ECONOMICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 514Buying and Selling . . . . . . . . . . . 514Moving Money

Between Worlds . . . . . . . . . . . . 514Loot, and Disposing of It . . . . . . 515Gold and Silver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 515Making Your Own Goods . . . . . . 515Wealth and Status . . . . . . . . . . . . 516Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .516Hirelings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 517Finding a Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518Slaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518Loyalty Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 519

OTHER PLANES OF EXISTENCE . . . . . . 519Travel Between Game Worlds . . . . 520Types of Realities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 520Planar Cosmology . . . . . . . . . . . . 521Interplanar Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . 522

20. INFINITE WORLDS . . 523THE CAMPAIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 524

Infinite Worlds Glossary . . . . . . . 524The Interworld Treaty . . . . . . . . . . 525Dark Infinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525

AN INFINITY OF WORLDS . . . . . . . . . . . 526Classes of Alternate Worlds . . . . 526Close Parallels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 526Farther Parallels . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527Weird Parallels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527Myth Parallels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 527Hell Parallels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 528Worlds That Break the Rules . . . 528Pocket Multiverses . . . . . . . . . . . 529

INTERDIMENSIONAL TRAVEL . . . . . . . . 529Parachronic Conveyors . . . . . . . . 529Parachronic Projectors . . . . . . . . 530Parachronic Coordinates . . . . . . . 530Operations and Accidents . . . . . . 531Parachronic Detectors . . . . . . . . . 532Natural Parachronic

Phenomena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533Dimensional Highways . . . . . . . . 534Infinity’s World Classes . . . . . . . . 535

INFINITY UNLIMITED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 535Infinity Development . . . . . . . . . 536Infinity Patrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536Crosstime Recruitment . . . . . . . . 536ISWAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536Miracle Workers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 538Parachronic Laboratories . . . . . . 538

OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS . . . . . . . . . . 538The United Nations . . . . . . . . . . . 538Governments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 538

Research Foundations . . . . . . . . 539Crosstime Bounty Hunters . . . . . 539Corporations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539Keeping the Secret . . . . . . . . . . . . 540The Very Rich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 540Crosstime Colonies . . . . . . . . . . . 541

ADVERSARIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 541Centrum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 541Crosstime Bandits . . . . . . . . . . . . 542Reality Liberation Force . . . . . . . 543The Cabal:

Masters of Infinity . . . . . . . . . 543Reich-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543

PARACHRONOZOIDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544World-Jumpers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544

TIMELINE SHIFTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 544Centran Intervention . . . . . . . . . . 545Mysteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 545Effects of Tampering

with Echoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 546Marooned! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 546Locating a Shifted Timeline . . . . 546

TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . 547COMBAT MODIFIERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547SIZE AND SPEED/RANGE TABLE . . . . . . 550MANEUVERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551POSTURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551HIT LOCATION TABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . 552CRITICAL SUCCESS AND FAILURE . . . . . 556HP AND DR OF OBJECTS

AND COVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557NPC REACTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 559REACTION TABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 560

GLOSSARY . . . . . . . . . . 563

LUDOGRAPHY . . . . . . . 566

CAMPAIGN PLANNINGFORM . . . . . . . . . . 567

GM CONTROL SHEET . . 568

NPC RECORD CARD . . 569

TIME USE SHEET . . . . . 569

INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . 570

CONTENTS 341

INTRODUCTIONThis is Book 2 of the GURPS Basic

Set, Fourth Edition.Why two books? The last edition,

after all, was a single book of 256pages, plus the Instant Characters sec-tion.

The short answer is: we added a lotof material. Which translated to a lotof pages. This new edition brings in agreat deal of material that’s eitherbrand new or previously appeared inother books (especially the twoCompendiums). This new Basic Setweighs in at a total of 576 pages, morethan double the length of the last edi-tion. That’s quite a stack of paper.

We could still have done it as a sin-gle book. But for two reasons, we did-n’t. First, that would be a thick, heavybook, suitable for stopping bullets butjust a bit unwieldy to use. And second,it would be an expensive book. Really,too expensive.

By dividing the manuscript intotwo parts, we were able to get every-thing that a player has to have intoBook 1. That book has the basic sys-tem rules and everything for charactercreation. What it didn’t have, in theearly drafts, was any combat at all . . .so we added a section with the basics

of combat. Now a player needs onlyBook 1 to get into the game.

Who needs this book? Well, firstand foremost, the GM. This book goesinto detail about physical feats andcombat. It also covers vehicles andtechnology, animals and monsters,world design, and Game Mastering.“Tool kit” chapters let the GM createnew creatures (and even PC races),artifacts, character abilities, andentire game worlds.

But it’s not just for GMs. Playerswho enjoy detail and who want to par-ticipate in the creative side of thegame will definitely find this book use-ful . . . and so will players who want tobecome GMs someday. The point issimply that it’s not required.Nevertheless, the books are intendedto work together. The pages and chap-ters are consecutively numbered, andthe index covers both books and isrepeated in both.

In the final analysis, the answer to“why two books?” is simply accessibil-ity. We want the system to be easy toplay, easy to learn, and easy to get into.By dividing the text into “necessary forthe new player” and “everything else,”we hope we’ve made the new Basic

Set not just easier to carry around, butalso a better introduction to the sys-tem. Let us know how we did.

– Steve Jackson

OTHER SUPPORTAND GM TOOLS

Game Masters will also find usefulmaterial in the GURPS GM’s Screen,which includes all the tables necessaryto run a GURPS Fourth Edition game,copies of GURPS Lite and the tablesof advantages, disadvantages, andskills from the Basic Set, Book 1, aswell as several variant charactersheets and other useful tools.

If you have access to the Internet. . . and nowadays that’s almost agiven . . . there’s a great deal of sup-port available, including:

• The free SJ Games webforums atforums.sjgames.com.

• Pyramid Magazine, which, for$20 a year, gives subscribers severalarticles a week. A lot of these relatedirectly or indirectly to GURPS. Thereare also reviews, cartoons, and otherbits of data and inspiration.

• e23 is our electronic publish-ing division. Browse over towww.sjgames.com/e23/ and see whatyou find. We have already prepareddozens of PDFs, ranging from shortadventures to whole GURPS source-books, and we get more ready everyweek. This will be a very valuableresource. You can purchase gamematerial online, in PDF format, in thesame shopping cart you use for yourWarehouse 23 orders!

• And, of course, the GURPS web-site itself (www.sjgames.com/gurps/)is constantly being updated withinformation about all GURPS prod-ucts in and out of print. One brand-new feature will be implemented formany GURPS books by the time youread this: the book’s complete bibliog-raphy will be online, and every bookthat’s currently in print will have ahotlink to amazon.com!

342 INTRODUCTION

Whenever a character attempts toperform an action (e.g., use a skill),

roll three dice to determine the out-come. This is called a success roll. The

task in question succeeds if the total rolledon the dice is less than or equal to the num-ber that governs the action – most often askill or an attribute. Otherwise, it fails.

Example: If you attempt to pick a lockwith a Lockpicking skill of 9, you must roll9 or less on 3d to succeed. On a roll of 10or more, you fail.

Regardless of the score you are rollingagainst, a roll of 3 or 4 is always a success,

while a roll of 17 or 18 is always a failure.In general, the player makes the die rolls

for his character’s actions. However, the GMmay always choose to roll the dice in secret

– see When the GM Rolls (p. 344).

WHEN TO ROLLTo avoid bogging down the game in endlessdie rolls, the GM should only require a suc-

cess roll if there is a chance of meaning-ful failure or gainful success. In par-

ticular, the GM should require suc-cess rolls when . . .

• A PC’s health, wealth, friends, reputation, or equipment areat risk. This includes chases, combat (even if the target is stationaryand at point-blank range!), espionage, thievery, and similar “adventur-ing” activities.

• A PC stands to gain allies, information, new abilities, social stand-ing, or wealth.

The GM should not require rolls for . . .

• Utterly trivial tasks, such as crossing the street, driving into town,feeding the dog, finding the corner store, or turning on the computer.

• Daily work at a mundane, nonadventuring job. (To evaluate jobperformance, make monthly “job rolls”; see Jobs, p. 516.)

SUCCESS ROLLS 343

CHAPTER TEN

SUCCESS ROLLS

Regardless of the score you are rolling against, a roll of 3 or 4 is alwaysa success, while a roll of 17 or 18 isalways a failure.

When the GM RollsThere are two sets of circum-

stances under which the GM shouldroll for a PC and not let the player seethe results:

1. When the character wouldn’tknow for sure whether he had succeed-ed. This is true of all rolls to gain infor-mation, whether through skills suchas Detect Lies, Interrogation,Meteorology, and Search, advantageslike Intuition and Oracle, or supernat-ural divinatory abilities. In this situa-tion, the player declares that he isusing his ability and the GM rolls insecret. On a success, the GM gives theplayer true information – the lowerthe roll, the better the information. Ona failure, the GM either gives no infor-mation at all or lies (the higher theroll, the more severe the lie), as appro-priate.

2. When the player shouldn’t knowwhat’s going on. This includes mostSense rolls, rolls to use Danger Sense,etc. Suppose the party is walkingalong a jungle trail. A jaguar is on alimb ahead. The GM should not say,“There’s a jaguar ahead of you. Roll tosee if you notice it.” Neither should hesay, “Everybody make a Vision roll.Does anybody have Danger Sense?”Either of these approaches gives toomuch away. Instead, the GM shouldroll for each character in secret. If any-one succeeds, the GM can say, “Younotice a jaguar on a branch 20 yardsahead!” If nobody succeeds . . . they’rein for a surprise.

MODIFIERSThe rules often specify modifiers

for certain success rolls. These bonus-es and penalties affect the number youare rolling against – your “target num-ber” – and not the total rolled on thedice. Bonuses always improve yourodds, while penalties always reducethem.

For instance, the Lockpicking skilldescription states, “-5 if working bytouch (e.g., in total darkness).” Thismeans that if you are working in thedark, you must subtract 5 from yourLockpicking skill for that attempt. Ifyour Lockpicking skill is 9, you rollagainst 9 minus 5, or 4, in the dark.

A specific scenario might providemodifiers to allow for the relative ease

or difficulty of a particular situation.For instance, an adventure might statethat a lock is +10 to open due to thefact that it is primitive and clumsy. Ifyour Lockpicking skill were 9, youwould roll against 9 + 10, or 19. Sincethe highest roll possible on 3d is 18, itwould seem that success is assured.This is almost true, but not quite – seeCritical Failure (p. 348).

Modifiers are cumulative unlessstated otherwise. For instance, if youtried to open that primitive lock in thedark, both modifiers would apply, andyou would roll against 9 - 5 + 10, or 14.

See Culture (p. 23), Language(p. 23), Tech-Level Modifiers (p. 168),Familiarity (p. 169), Equipment

Modifiers (p. 345), and Task Difficulty(p. 345) for discussions of commonmodifiers.

Base Skill vs. Effective Skill

Your base skill is your actual levelin a skill, as recorded on your charac-ter sheet. Your effective skill for a par-ticular task is your base skill plus orminus any modifiers for that task. Inthe Lockpicking examples above, baseskill is 9 in all cases, while effectiveskill is 4, 19, and 14 in three differentsituations.

The terms “base skill” and “effec-tive skill” apply to all success rolls, notjust to skill rolls. When you make an

344 SUCCESS ROLLS

Default RollsWhen a task calls for a skill roll, you must have some ability with the

required skill in order to attempt the task. Ideally, you want points inthat skill . . . but an untrained person can take a stab at most tasks. Forinstance, anyone can swing a sword – although only a trained warrioris likely to have much success at it.

A skill that anyone can attempt without study is said to “default” toan attribute or another skill. This means you can attempt the desiredaction by rolling against one of your attributes or other skills at a penal-ty. This “default roll” is just an ordinary success roll.

Example: Lockpicking skill defaults to “IQ-5”; that is, anyone canopen a lock, without training, by making a success roll against 5 lessthan his IQ. If your IQ is 10, you can open an ordinary lock on a roll of5 or less on 3d. The smarter you are, the better your chances – but train-ing is always preferable!

The description of each skill shows what skills or attributes itdefaults to, and at what penalties. If a skill offers multiple defaults,always choose the best one.

Example: Interrogation defaults to “IQ-5, Intimidation-3, orPsychology-4.” If you’re not a trained interrogator, you can still getanswers out of a prisoner by outthinking him (IQ-5), frightening him(Intimidation-3), or playing “mind games” with him (Psychology-4). Ifyou had IQ 12, Intimidation at 14, and Psychology at 13, your defaultswould be 7, 11, and 9, respectively. Roll against 11, the highest of thethree.

The Rule of 20If you have a basic attribute over 20, treat it as 20 for default pur-

poses. For instance, if you have IQ 25, your default Lockpicking skill(IQ-5) is 15 – not 20. No such limit applies to defaults to other skills.

“No Default”Some actions are impossible without training. Skills like Alchemy,

Karate, and magic spells have no default. If you lack the proper train-ing, you can’t attempt these things at all.

attribute roll, defense roll (p. 374),self-control roll (p. 120), etc., yourbase skill is your unmodified score,while your effective skill is your final,modified target number.

You may not attempt a success rollif your effective skill is less than 3,unless you are attempting a defenseroll (p. 374).

TASK DIFFICULTYIf the GM feels that a success roll

should be easier or harder in a partic-ular situation, he may assess a difficul-ty modifier. This is separate from mod-ifiers for the culture, equipment, lan-guage, tech level, etc. of the personattempting the task, in that it appliesto anyone who attempts the task. It iscumulative with all other modifiers.

For instance, if the GM rules thatthe only way to sway a particular audi-ence is to make a Public Speaking rollat -2, the difficulty modifier is -2. Anyspeaker has -2, in addition to personalmodifiers (for culture, language,Voice, etc.), when dealing with thataudience.

Many skills suggest difficulty mod-ifiers – e.g., the -5 to use Lockpickingskill by touch – but the possible varietyof tasks is essentially infinite. Here aresome guidelines for GMs:

+10 – Automatic. Tasks so trivial thatthe GM should waive the need for asuccess roll, except under extraor-dinary circumstances. Example: ADriving roll to start a car.

+8 or +9 – Trivial. Situations wherefailure is extremely unlikely, andwould require incredibly bad luck.Example: A Driving roll to drivearound an empty parking lot.

+6 or +7 – Very Easy. Tasks where fail-ure is possible, but would requirebad luck. Example: A Driving roll todrive down an empty suburbanstreet.

+4 or +5 – Easy. Most mundane tasks,including rolls made by ordinarypeople at day-to-day jobs. Example:A Driving roll to commute to workin a small town.

+2 or +3 – Very Favorable. Mildlyrisky tasks that most peoplewould undertake without hesita-tion. Example: A Driving roll to

commute to work in a teemingmetropolis.

+1 – Favorable. Tasks that most peoplewould hesitate at, due to the risk,but that a career adventurer wouldregard as easy. Example: A Drivingroll to compete in a road rally.

0 – Average. Most adventuring tasks,and the majority of skill use understress. Example: A Driving roll in acar chase.

-1 – Unfavorable. Stressful tasks thatwould challenge a novice adventur-er, but not an old hand. Example: ADriving roll in a high-speed carchase.

-2 or -3 – Very Unfavorable. Stressfultasks that would challenge a pro-fessional. Skilled adventurers stillroutinely accept such risks!Example: A Driving roll in a high-speed car chase on a busy freeway.

-4 or -5 – Hard. Tasks so challengingthat even an expert will look foralternatives. A true “master” is stillunlikely to feel challenged.Example: A Driving roll to keep thecar on the road while shooting agun out the window during a high-speed chase.

SUCCESS ROLLS 345

Equipment ModifiersThe quality of your equipment modifies your skill

rolls for tasks that normally require equipment:

No equipment: -10 for technological skills, -5 forother skills. Note that many skills cannot be used at allwithout equipment!

Improvised equipment: -5 for technological skills, -2for other skills.

Basic equipment: No modifier. This is the case mostof the time.

Good-quality equipment: +1. Costs about 5¥ basicprice.

Fine-quality equipment: +2. Costs about 20¥ basicprice.

Best equipment possible at your TL: +TL/2, rounddown (minimum +2). Not usually for sale!

If you have “basic” or better equipment that is notin perfect condition, the following modifiers apply inaddition to quality modifiers:

Missing important items: -1 per item.Damaged equipment: -1 to -3.

Equipment modifiers reflect the quality of:

• Special “tools of the trade,” for criminal, military,and espionage skills such as Disguise, Explosives,Forgery, Forward Observer, Holdout, and Lockpicking.

• The contents of your backpack, for outdoor skillslike Fishing and Survival.

• Your instruments or lab, for scientific and medicalskills such as Alchemy, Diagnosis, Meteorology,Navigation, and Surgery.

• Your shop or toolkit, for Armoury, Carpentry,Electrician, Electronics Repair, Engineer, Machinist,Masonry, Mechanic, Smith, and other skills used tobuild or repair things.

• Your studio, for artistic skills – Artist, Jeweler,Photography, etc.

Example: For First Aid skill, “improvised” mightmean leaves and clean mud; “basic,” sterile bandages;“good,” a standard first-aid kit; “fine,” a crash kit(found in most ambulances); and “best,” an entire hos-pital. Missing antiseptic would give -1, while a first-aidkit salvaged from a wrecked vehicle might give -1 orworse for damaged equipment.

-6 or -7 – Very Hard. Situations thateven the masters might have sec-ond thoughts about. Example: ADriving roll in a high-speed chaseduring a blizzard.

-8 or -9 – Dangerous. Tasks at whicheven the greatest masters expect tofail. Example: A Driving roll whileshooting a gun in a high-speedchase during a blizzard.

-10 – Impossible. No sane personwould attempt such a task. TheGM may wish to forbid suchattempts altogether. Example: ADriving roll to steer a car with theknees while firing a bazooka two-handed during a chase through ablizzard.

These modifiers assume a trainedcharacter. To get an idea of how tougha task would be for someone workingat default, add the default penalty tothe difficulty modifier.

Example: Someone who neverlearned to drive is using Driving at itsDX-5 default. For him, an everydaycommute – “Easy” (+4 or +5) for atrained driver – would be “Average”(DX) or even “Unfavorable” (DX-1),

and almost certainly a stressful experience!

The GM can use difficulty modi-fiers in place of other modifiers if theoutcome of a task is too unimportant– or the action too hot – to justify stop-ping to add up a long string of modi-fiers. For instance, in a car chaseinvolving a car in bad repair, the GMmight bump the difficulty up a level ortwo instead of assessing an equipmentmodifier for the car.

Time SpentYou can reduce the penalty for a

tough task – or even get a bonus – byworking slowly and deliberately, tak-ing the time to get things right.Conversely, if you are racing to beat adeadline, even the simplest task canbecome tricky.

Extra Time: Taking more time thanusual for a task (as specified by therules or the GM) gives a bonus to anoncombat action: 2¥ as long gives +1,4¥ gives +2, 8¥ gives +3, 15¥ gives +4,and 30¥ gives +5. For instance, takinga work day (eight hours) to do a one-hour task would give +3. This bonusonly applies if it would make sense to

take extra time for the task at hand(GM’s judgment). You can take extratime to open a safe or figure out analien artifact, but not to neutralizepoison or chase a fleeing suspect!

Haste: Hurrying gives a penalty: -1per 10% less time taken. Forinstance, attempting a task in half theusual time (-50%) is at -5. The maxi-mum time reduction is normally 90%(taking 1/10 the prescribed time), at-9. In a cinematic game, the GMmight allow one attempt at -10 tocomplete a task instantly; e.g., aMechanic roll at -10 to fix a machineby kicking it! However, you cannothasten tasks that require a certainamount of time due to natural laws(e.g., a chemical reaction) or the lim-itations of equipment (e.g., the topspeed of a vehicle). When in doubt,the GM’s decision is final.

Note that if a skill specifies timemodifiers, these override the genericmodifiers above. For instance, magicspells have their own rules for extratime (see Ceremonial Magic, p. 238)and cannot be rushed save by thosewith high skill (see Magic Rituals,p. 237).

346 SUCCESS ROLLS

Long TasksThe GM may define major projects as “long tasks”

that require a number of man-hours of work with oneor more attributes or skills. For instance, the GMmight rule that building a rope bridge over a chasmrequires 40 man-hours of DX-based ordinary labor, 24man-hours of Carpentry work, and eight man-hours ofEngineer work.

The normal limit on labor for each person involvedis eight hours per 24-hour day. At the end of each day,each worker rolls vs. the skill used that day (the GMrolls for NPCs). A success puts eight man-hours ofwork toward the task; a critical success counts 50%extra. A failure counts as half as much. A critical fail-ure contributes nothing, and ruins 2d man-hours ofwork already done!

A supervisor who works a full shift with his work-ers may opt to coordinate his staff instead of workinghimself. Make an Administration roll if organizationmatters more than inspiration, or a Leadership roll inthe opposite situation (GM’s judgment). On a success,the workers get +1 to their rolls for the day; on a criti-cal success, they get +2. On any failure, the supervisorcontributes nothing at all.

It is possible to work longer shifts. To get an NPC todo this, make an Influence roll (see Influence Rolls,p. 359). Roll against HT on any day you work more thaneight hours, at -1 per hour over 10. On a success, makethe usual skill roll and (except on a critical failure) basethe man-hours contributed on the time worked. On afailure, your skill roll has a penalty equal to your mar-gin of failure or -2, whichever is worse, and you lose FPequal to the size of your penalty – but you still con-tribute extra labor if your skill roll succeeds. Treat a crit-ical failure as any other failure, except that you are soexhausted that you cannot work the next day!

It is possible to cut corners and reduce the man-hours of labor required, as described under TimeSpent. All workers doing a given type of labor maketheir skill rolls at the usual penalty for haste. Forinstance, the manual laborers working on the ropebridge above could reduce their work to 20 man-hours, but they would roll at DX-5.

Likewise, it is possible to take extra time to get abonus. For instance, if those laborers put in 80 man-hours, they would roll at DX+1. This strategy is likelyto backfire if the extra time takes the form of longshifts, however.

DEGREEOF SUCCESSOR FAILURE

Once you have calculated effectiveskill by applying all relevant modifiersto base skill, roll 3d to determine theoutcome. If the total rolled on the diceis less than or equal to your effectiveskill, you succeed, and the differencebetween your effective skill and yourdie roll is your margin of success.

Example: If you have effective skill18 and roll a 12, you succeed; yourmargin of success is 6.

If you roll higher than your effec-tive skill, you fail, and the differencebetween the die roll and your effectiveskill is your margin of failure.

Example: If you have effective skill9 and roll a 12, you fail; your marginof failure is 3.

Always note your margin of suc-cess or failure, as many rules use thesemargins to calculate results that mat-ter in play. Even when the rules don’tcall for these numbers, the GM mightwish to reward a large margin of suc-cess with a particularly favorable out-come, or assess especially dire conse-quences for a large margin of failure!

Extremely high or low rolls havespecial effects – beyond those for nor-mal success and failure – regardlessof your exact margin of success orfailure.

Critical SuccessA critical success is an especially

good result. You score a critical suc-cess as follows:

• A roll of 3 or 4 is always a criticalsuccess.

• A roll of 5 is a critical success ifyour effective skill is 15+.

• A roll of 6 is a critical success ifyour effective skill is 16+.

When you roll a critical success,the GM determines what happens toyou. It is always something good! Thelower the roll, the better “bonus” hegives you.

A critical hit is a critical successscored on an attack. The GM does notdetermine the result. Instead, use theCritical Hit Table (p. 556).

SUCCESS ROLLS 347

Optional Rule:Influencing Success RollsHere are two options for GMs who wish to let players spend bonus

character points (see p. 498) to influence game-world outcomes. Beaware that rules of this kind tend to encourage players to sacrifice long-term development for short-term success. This is most appropriate forgenres where the heroes usually “win” but don’t develop much; e.g.,classic comic-book supers. The GM might want to set a limit on howmany points each player can spend this way per game session.

Buying SuccessA player can spend bonus character points to alter the outcome of

his last success roll. It costs 2 points to turn critical failure into failure,1 point to convert failure to success, or 2 points to turn success into crit-ical success. Add these costs for multiple shifts (e.g., critical failure tocritical success costs 5 points). To keep the PCs from winning every bat-tle with a series of critical hits, the GM may choose to forbid purchaseof critical successes, at least in combat.

Note that because “guaranteed success”can destroy suspense, this optional rule isnot recommended for horror or mysterygames.

Player GuidanceA player can spend bonus character

points to specify the game-world effects of arecent success. Whenever he rolls a success(or in a situation that didn’t call for a roll),he may spend 2 points and add a plausibleelement to the world or scene. A player whorolls a critical success may spend 1 point forthe same effect. This replaces any other ben-eficial effects of the critical success.

Example: Dr. Smith is working at theFederal Laboratory for Advanced Weaponswhen a giant robot bursts through the frontdoors, four stories below. Smith makes hisSense roll and notices the attack. Smith’splayer suggests, “I was walking past thesecurity station and spotted the robot on amonitor. I go over to the console and trainthe sensors on the robot.” The GM hadn’tpreviously mentioned a security station orsensors, but since that fits his view of theFLAW, he agrees. Smith’s player pays 2points and the GM fits the scene in.

In addition to being plausible, a suggestionmust be acceptable to the GM and the other players. In general, the GMshould go along with suggestions that are imaginative, that move theplot forward, or that save a PC’s life. The GM should not approve asuggestion that would short-circuit the plot, contradict a previouslyestablished fact, or harm or steal the scene from another PC. In bor-derline cases, the player and GM can negotiate.

The GM should make a note of any element added using this rule, asit becomes a permanent part of the game world!

Critical FailureA critical failure is an especially bad

result. You score a critical failure asfollows:

• A roll of 18 is always a critical failure.

• A roll of 17 is a critical failure ifyour effective skill is 15 or less; other-wise, it is an ordinary failure.

• Any roll of 10 greater than youreffective skill is a critical failure: 16 ona skill of 6, 15 on a skill of 5, and so on.

When you roll a critical failure, theGM determines what happens to you.It is always something bad – the high-er the roll, the worse the result.

A critical miss is a critical failurescored on an attack. The GM does notdetermine the result. Instead, use theCritical Miss Table (p. 556).

REPEATEDATTEMPTS

Sometimes you will only get onechance to do something (defuse abomb, jump over a crevasse, removean inflamed appendix, please the Kingwith a song). Other times you can tryover and over again until you succeed(pick a lock, catch a fish, analyze apoison). Still other times you will not

know whether you succeeded or faileduntil it’s too late to try again (translatean old treasure map, order in a Frenchrestaurant, build a ship). Finally, thereare times when you are injured by fail-ure but can afford to fail a few times(climb a wall, impress a savagetribesman).

The GM must use common senseto distinguish between these cases,according to the exact situation inwhich the players find themselves. Asa rule:

• If the first failure kills them ordestroys the object of the attempt,that’s that.

• If a failure causes damage ofsome kind, assess the damage and letthem try again after a “reasonable”time passes. (Skill descriptions fre-quently state the time required.)

• If a failure causes no damage, letthem try again after a reasonable time,but at -1 per repeated attempt – that is,-1 on the second attempt, -2 on thethird, and so on – until they succeed orgive up.

• If repeated attempts are the normfor the task (e.g., when attacking incombat), or if it’s long task, tell themthat their attempt failed but let themtry again at no special penalty, in theusual amount of time.

348 SUCCESS ROLLS

CONTESTSSometimes a situation will arise in

which two characters must compareattributes, skills, or other traits to settlea competition. The one with the highestscore doesn’t always win . . . but that’sthe way to bet. A “Contest” is a quickway to handle such a competitive situa-tion without playing it out in detail.

In a Contest, each competitorattempts a success roll against the abil-ity being tested – with all applicablemodifiers – and then compares hisresult to his opponent’s. There are two different ways to make this comparison.

QUICK CONTESTSA “Quick Contest” is a competition

that is over in very little time – often inone second, perhaps even instantly.Examples include two enemies lung-ing for a gun, or two knife throwersseeing who gets closer to the bull’s-eye.

Each competitor attempts his suc-cess roll. If one succeeds and the otherfails, the winner is obvious. If bothsucceed, the winner is the one with thelargest margin of success; if both fail,the winner is the one with the smallestmargin of failure. A tie means nobodywon (in the examples above, bothfighters grabbed the weapon at once,or the knives hit the same distancefrom the bull’s-eye).

Margin of VictoryThe amount by which the winner

beat the loser is often important – suc-cess by 5 vs. failure by 5 generallymeans more than success by 2 vs. suc-cess by 1! The winner’s “margin of vic-tory” is the difference between hismargin of success and the loser’s margin of success if both succeeded,the sum of his margin of success andthe loser’s margin of failure if he

succeeded and the loser failed, or thedifference between the loser’s marginof failure and his margin of failure ifboth failed.

Resistance RollsMost abilities that can affect an

unwilling subject offer the subject anattempt to resist using an attribute,skill, or supernatural ability. This issometimes a Quick Contest betweenthe attacking ability and the defender’sresistance, in which case two specialrules apply:

1. The attacker must succeed towin. He cannot win by having thesmallest margin of failure. If he failshis roll, he loses automatically and hissubject does not need to attempt aresistance roll.

2. The attacker must win to affectthe subject. All ties go to the defender.

REGULARCONTESTS

A “Regular Contest” is a slow com-petition with much give and take – forinstance, arm wrestling.

Each character attempts his suc-cess roll. If one succeeds and the otherfails, the winner is obvious. If bothsucceed or both fail, the competitors’relative positions are unchanged andthey roll again. Eventually, one char-acter succeeds when the other fails. Atthis point, the one who made his roll isthe winner.

The length of game time eachattempt takes depends on the activity,and is up to the GM. In a combat situ-ation, each attempt takes one second. . . but in a library-research contest,with the fate of the world hanging onwho finds a certain obscure referencefirst, each attempt could representdays of time.

Extreme ScoresIf both contestants have a score of

6 or less, a Regular Contest can bogdown the game as both sides roll fail-ure after failure. To keep the game

moving, raise the lower score to 10and add the same amount to thehigher score.

Example: For a 5 vs. 3 Contest, add7 to each score to make it 12 vs. 10.

Likewise, a Regular Contest canbecome deadlocked if both contest-ants have scores of 14 or more,because it can take a long time beforeanyone rolls a failure. To speed up theprocess, reduce the lower score to 10and subtract the same amount fromthe higher score.

Example: For a 19 vs. 16 Contest,subtract 6 from each score to make it13 vs. 10.

When both scores are greater than20 – e.g., a Contest of ST betweendinosaurs – even this will not suffice.Instead, reduce the lower score to 10and multiply the higher score by(10/lower score), rounding down.

Example: For a 600 vs. 500 Contest,multiply the higher score by 10/500and set the lower one to 10 to make it12 vs. 10.

SUCCESS ROLLS 349

PHYSICAL FEATSBelow are rules for common phys-

ical tasks of importance to adventur-ers. For tasks not listed here, make DXrolls for matters of precision and HTrolls for feats of endurance. To deter-mine weight moved or work done, useBasic Lift. Movement speed shouldgenerally be proportional to BasicMove. For more on basic attributesand secondary characteristics, seeChapter 1.

CLIMBINGTo climb anything more difficult

than a ladder, roll against Climbingskill (p. 183). This defaults to DX-5.Modifiers to the roll depend on the dif-ficulty of the climb (see below). In allcases, subtract your encumbrancelevel from your roll as well. Climbing

while heavily laden is a dangerousmatter!

Make one roll to start the climband another roll every five minutes.Any failure means you fall (see Falling,p. 431). If you secured yourself with arope, you will fall only to the end ofthe rope unless you rolled a criticalfailure.

The table below gives skill modi-fiers and climbing speeds for somecommon climbs. In most cases, usethe speeds in the “Regular” column.The “Combat” column is for climbsinspired by rage or terror, whichalways cost at least 1 FP – or doublethe FP cost given in an adventure orassessed by the GM. Climbs in combatrequire a Move maneuver.

Type of Climb Modifier Combat RegularLadder going up no roll 3 rungs/sec 1 rung/secLadder going down no roll 2 rungs/sec 1 rung/secOrdinary tree +5 1 ft/sec 1 ft/3 secOrdinary mountain 0 1 ft/2 sec 10 ft/minVertical stone wall -3 1 ft/5 sec 4 ft/minModern building -3 1 ft/10 sec 2 ft/minRope-up -2 1 ft/sec 20 ft/minRope-down

(w/o equipment) -1 2 ft/sec 30 ft/min(w/ equipment) -1 12 ft/sec 12 ft/sec

The Rule of 16If a supernatural attack (magic spell, psi ability, etc.) offers a resist-

ance roll and the subject is living or sapient, the attacker’s effective skillcannot exceed the higher of 16 and the defender’s actual resistance. If itdoes, reduce it to that level.

Example: A wizard has an effective skill of 18 with his Mind-Readingspell. If he tries to read the mind of someone with a Will of 16 or less,he rolls against 16. If his subject has a Will of 17, he rolls against 17.And if his target has a Will of 18 or higher, he rolls against 18.

DIGGINGDigging rate depends on the type of

soil, the digger’s Basic Lift (that is,ST¥ST/5), and the quality of the toolsavailable.

Loose Soil, Sand, etc.: A man candig 2¥BL cubic feet per hour (cf/hr).

Ordinary Soil: A man can dig BLcf/hr. One man with a pick can breakup 4¥BL cf/hr, making it into loose

soil, which is easier to remove. Themost efficient way to dig is with oneman with a pick, and two shovelersclearing behind him.

Hard Soil, Clay, etc.: Must be bro-ken up first by a pick, at 2¥BL cf/hr,

350 SUCCESS ROLLS

Different GravityA world’s gravity is measured in “Gs,” with 1G being

Earth-normal conditions. In comparison, Mars has0.38G and the Moon has 0.17G.

Microgravity is extremely low gravity (e.g., that of anasteroid or small moon) – for game purposes, anythingbelow 0.1G.

Zero gravity is weightlessness, or “free fall,” as foundin space and aboard any spacecraft not spinning, accel-erating, or otherwise generating artificial gravity.

In higher or lower gravity, mass stays the same, butweight changes.

Encumbrance and Move in Different Gravity

If local gravity is more than 1G, multiply the sum ofyour body weight and the weight of everything you’re car-rying by (local gravity in Gs)-1. This is the extra weightyou’re carrying due to high gravity. Add this to yourencumbrance when determining Move.

Example: You weigh 150 lbs. and are carrying 30 lbs.of gear. On a 1.2-G world, that amounts to an extra weightof (150 + 30) ¥ (1.2 - 1) = 36 lbs. Since you’re already car-rying 30 lbs., your total encumbrance is 66 lbs.

If local gravity is less than 1G, multiply the weight ofthe gear you’re carrying by the local gravity, and use themodified weight to determine your encumbrance. Thereis a similar reduction in your body weight; this does notaffect encumbrance, but it lets you jump further (seebelow). In very low gravity, you may be able to movefaster than your Basic Move by making a series of run-ning broad jumps instead of walking!

In zero gravity, you float in space (unless using mag-netic boots, thrusters, etc.). If you can’t fly, you must pushoff from a solid surface to move. Your Move when doingso is equal to ST/2, rounded down. You will keep going atthat speed until you grab or collide with something!

Actions in Different GravityIn gravities other than 1G, the jumping rules (p. 352)

need modification. Multiply your normal jumping dis-tances by the ratio of 1G to local gravity. For instance,under 1.25G, you jump 1/1.25 = 0.8 times as far, whileunder 0.2G, you jump 1/0.2 = 5 times as far. (Exception:Do not multiply the bonus high-jump distance you getfrom a running start!) If this lets you jump at least twice

as far as normal, use the rules under Super Jump (p. 89)to determine how fast you can move by bounding along.

When throwing (p. 355), multiply distance by theratio of 1G to local gravity, just as you would for jump-ing. Damage from thrown objects does not change, asthis is based on mass.

Gravity also affects falls. Multiply terminal velocityby local gravity. See Falling (p. 431) for what thisimplies.

In zero gravity, your skills and DX rolls are affectedas well; see Free Fall (p. 197). This does not apply whenfiring beam weapons (unless they have Recoil 2 ormore) or operating vehicles or tools specificallydesigned for zero gravity (e.g., a spacecraft).

G-Increments and Attribute Penalties

If local gravity differs from your home gravity (seeHome Gravity, p. 17), you might become disorientedand suffer physiological effects. The change in gravityyou can tolerate without penalties is your “G-Increment.” This is 0.2G unless you have the ImprovedG-Tolerance advantage (p. 60).

In higher or lower gravity than usual, count thenumber of G-Increments from your home gravity,rounding down. This determines the penalties you suf-fer. For instance, an Earth native used to 1G treats0.81G to 1.19G as zero G-Increments, but 0.8G or 1.2Gcounts as one G-Increment.

DX: You are at -1 DX per G-Increment of difference(-1 per two full G-Increments, if you have the G-Experience advantage, p. 57). This applies to activitiesthat require agility or judging ballistic trajectories; itaffects Broadsword, Driving, and Guns, but not BeamWeapons or Lockpicking.

IQ: You are at -1 IQ per two full G-Increments ofhigher gravity, due to reduced blood flow to the brainand general fatigue. Lower gravity has no effect.

HT: You are at -1 HT per two full G-Increments ofhigher gravity, because the heart has to work harder.Lower your FP score by the same amount. There is noeffect in lower gravity – although microgravity or zerogravity might cause space sickness (see SpaceAdaptation Syndrome, p. 434), or even have lasting illeffects in the long term.

See Temporary Attribute Penalties (p. 421) to learnhow attribute penalties affect secondary characteristicsand skills.

and then shoveled at 2¥BL cf/hr. Alone man with both pick and shovelcan only remove 0.6¥BL cf/hr – heloses time switching between tools.

Hard Rock: Must be broken by apick at BL cf/hr (or slower, for veryhard rock!), and then shoveled at BLcf/hr.

All of the above assumes iron orsteel tools! Halve speeds for woodentools (common at TL5 and below).Divide by 4 (or more) for improvisedtools – bare hands, mess kits, etc.

Time Required and Fatigue Cost

To find the time required to dig agiven hole, find the volume of the holein cubic feet by multiplying height ¥width ¥ depth (all in feet). Then dividethe number of cubic feet by the dig-ging rate to find the hours of workrequired.

Each hour of work costs 1 FP forloose soil, 2 FP for ordinary soil, 3 FPfor hard soil, and 4 FP for hard rock.

HIKINGSustainable cross-country speed on

foot depends on ground Move. Startwith Basic Move and reduce it forencumbrance (see Encumbrance andMove, p. 17), injury (see GeneralInjury, p. 419), and exhaustion (seeLost Fatigue Points, p. 426), as appli-cable. The distance in miles you canmarch in one day, under ideal condi-tions, equals 10 ¥ Move.

If you have the Enhanced Move(Ground) advantage, you may applyyour movement multiple to this dis-tance. For instance, Enhanced Move 1(Ground) multiplies Move by two,doubling daily marching distance. SeeEnhanced Move (p. 52).

A successful roll against Hikingskill (p. 200) increases marching dis-tance by 20%. Roll daily. A group ledby someone with Leadership skill at12+ may make a single roll against thegroup’s average Hiking skill. (Hikingdefaults to HT-5 for those who havenot studied it.) Success lets the entiregroup march 20% farther; failuremeans the whole group must forgo thebonus.

When these rules result in differentspeeds for different members of aparty, the party must either move at

the speed of its slowest member orsplit up. Note that a party that hasopted to make a single Hiking roll forthe entire group has already chosennot to split up!

TerrainOnce you know your ideal daily

mileage, modify it for terrain as fol-lows:

Very Bad: Deep snow, dense forest,jungle, mountains, soft sand, orswamp. ¥0.20.

Bad: Broken ground (includingstreams), forest, or steep hills. ¥0.50.

Average: Light forest or rolling hills¥1.00.

Good: Hard-packed desert or levelplains. ¥1.25.

WeatherWeather conditions can further

modify distance traveled:

Rain: Rain halves off-road speed inany terrain. See Roads (below) for theeffects of rain on roads.

Snow: Ankle-deep snow halvesspeed in any terrain. Anything deeperdivides speed by 4 or more. Exception:Skis allow travelers to treat any depthof snow as Average terrain. ReplaceHiking skill with Skiing skill (p. 221)when traveling on skis.

Ice: Cold combined with moisture– due to rain, sleet, snowmelt, etc. –results in ice. A coating of ice halvesspeed in any terrain. Solid ice, such asa frozen lake or river, is effectively itsown terrain type; treat it as Bad ter-rain. Exception: Treat solid ice asGood terrain for those with skates.Skating skill (p. 220) replaces Hikingskill when traveling on skates.

RoadsIn fine weather, most roads count

as Average terrain, regardless of thesurrounding terrain. The best roadsmight even count as Good terrain, giv-ing a bonus.

In rain, low-quality roads – unsur-faced dirt or gravel – turn to mud.Treat them as Very Bad terrain. Betterroads behave as Average (but neverGood) terrain in the rain.

In snow or ice, treat roads asAverage terrain, but apply the move-ment penalties given under Weather(above) unless the road is cleared.

Time Required and Fatigue Cost

These rules assume you spend theentire day preparing for your hike,

hiking, or resting, leaving no time forstudy or other activities. This is truehowever small your daily mileage –the heavier your load and the worsethe traveling conditions, the moreslowly you walk and the more fre-quently you stop to rest.

Should you interrupt your travelsfor adventuring matters, you will bemissing FP when you stop. See FatigueCosts (p. 426) for details.

HOLDING YOURBREATH

Adventurers often need to holdtheir breath – whether to dive or tosurvive poison gas, strangulation, vac-uum, etc. Your HT determines thelength of time you can hold yourbreath, as follows:

No Exertion (e.g., sitting quietly ormeditating): HT¥10 seconds.

Mild Exertion (e.g., operating avehicle, treading water, or walking):HT¥4 seconds.

SUCCESS ROLLS 351

When these rules result in different speeds for different members of a party, the party must eithermove at the speed of its slowest member or split up.

Heavy Exertion (e.g., climbing,combat, or running): HT seconds.

These times assume you have onesecond to take a deep breath (requiresa Concentrate maneuver in combat).Multiply all times by 1.5 if you hyper-ventilate first – or by 2.5 if you hyper-ventilate with pure oxygen. A success-ful roll against Breath Control skill(p. 182) multiplies these times by afurther factor of 1.5. However, if youare surprised and don’t have a chanceto take a deep breath – e.g., when a gasgrenade goes off in combat – halvethese times instead.

Regardless of circumstances, eachlevel of the Breath-Holding advantage(p. 41) doubles the time you can holdyour breath.

At the end of this time, you start tolose 1 FP per second. At 0 FP, youmust make a Will roll every second orfall unconscious, and are likely to dieunless you are rescued. SeeSuffocation (p. 436) for details.

JUMPINGWhen you want to jump over

something with a Size Modifier 3 lessthan yours or smaller (which encom-passes most “ordinary” obstacles), theGM should say, “Okay, you jumpedover it,” and get on with play. Suchjumps succeed automatically. Butwhen the obstacle seems really signif-icant, or if the GM put it there as adeliberate hazard, use the followingrules.

Jumping DistanceYour Basic Move determines jump-

ing distance, as follows:

High Jump: (6 ¥ Basic Move) - 10inches. For example, a Basic Move of6 lets you jump 26” straight up. For arunning jump, add the number ofyards you run to Basic Move in thisformula. Maximum running high-jump height is twice standing high-jump height.

Broad Jump: (2 ¥ Basic Move) - 3feet. For example, a Basic Move of 6lets you jump 9 feet from a standingstart. For a running jump, add thenumber of yards you run to BasicMove in this formula. Maximum run-ning broad-jump distance is twicestanding broad-jump distance.

Those with the Enhanced Move(Ground) advantage (p. 52) may applytheir movement multiplier to BasicMove before inserting it into these for-mulas when they have a running start.This is instead of adding the numberof yards run! For instance, a horsewith Basic Move 6 and EnhancedMove 1 makes running jumps as if itsBasic Move were 12.

Those who have Super Jump(p. 89) double the final jumping dis-tance for each level of that advantage.This is cumulative with the effects ofEnhanced Move!

Remember that 12 inches equalone foot, and that 3 feet equal oneyard (or one hex on a battle map).

Jumping DuringCombat

The jumping distance formulasassume you take the time to crouchand prepare for the jump. In combat,this takes two consecutiveConcentrate maneuvers. Halve all dis-tances if you jump without suchpreparation.

If you jump over a small obstacleduring a fight (anything with a SizeModifier 3 less than yours or smaller),you must use a Move maneuver, andthe jump costs one extra movementpoint.

To jump over a larger obstruction(e.g., a chair) or onto something (e.g.,a table) during a fight takes yourentire turn and requires a Movemaneuver. Unless the jump is extreme,the GM will assume you can make thejump. (Don’t interrupt a battle to cal-culate jumping distance every timesomebody jumps onto a chair!)

However, you must make a DX rollwhen you make a vertical jump or along horizontal one. A difficult jump(into a pit, for instance) might give -1to -5 to this DX roll. The GM deter-mines whether you must roll, and atwhat penalty. On a failure, you fall. Ittakes two Change Posture maneuversto stand up again. On a critical failure,

you fall off the thing you jumped onto,or land badly if you were jumpingdown, and take normal falling damagefor that height (see Falling, p. 431).

To clamber onto a vertical obstaclewithout risking a DX roll, take twoconsecutive Move maneuvers. Successis automatic.

Jumping SkillIf you have the Jumping skill

(p. 203), you may substitute half yourskill level, rounded down, for BasicMove in the distance formulas. Inaddition, you may roll againstJumping instead of DX whenever youmake a difficult jump.

352 SUCCESS ROLLS

Optional Jumping Rules

The following rules for jumping are optional. Only use them if youenjoy extra detail!

ST and JumpingBasic Move is a ready-made measure of jumping ability – after all, it

measures running speed, and running is just a series of rapid hops.However, unnaturally strong supers and monsters in fiction can oftenmake mighty leaps without being speedsters. To emulate this, the GMmay allow those with Basic Lift in excess of body weight to use the high-er of ST/4 (round down) or Basic Move in the jumping distance formulas.

Jumping with EncumbranceFor added realism, multiply jumping distances by the encumbrance

factors given under Encumbrance and Move (p. 17): ¥1 for None, ¥0.8 forLight, ¥0.6 for Medium, ¥0.4 for Heavy, and ¥0.2 for Extra-Heavy.

LIFTING ANDMOVING THINGS

Basic Lift – ST¥ST/5 pounds – gov-erns the weight you can pick up andmove. The GM may let multiple char-acters add their BL (not their ST)whenever it seems reasonable; e.g., tocarry a stretcher or pull a wagon.

One-Handed Lift: 2¥BL (takes twoseconds).

Two-Handed Lift: 8¥BL (takes fourseconds).

Shove and Knock Over: 12¥BL.Double this if you have a running start.The GM can also make allowances forprecariously balanced objects, tomake them easier to tilt.

Carry on Back: 15¥BL. Thus, youcan carry more than you can lift byyourself . . . but every second that yourencumbrance is over 10¥BL (that is,Extra-Heavy encumbrance), you lose1 FP.

Shift Slightly: Depending on yourfooting and the way you are braced,you could shift or rock 50¥BL.

Pulling and DraggingWhen you pull a load behind you

unassisted, use its full weight. Halveeffective weight if you are pulling asledge over snow or ice, divide effec-tive weight by 10 for a two-wheeledcart, and divide effective weight by 20for a four-wheeled wagon. (Rememberto add the weight of the sledge, cart, orwagon to that of the load before divid-ing!)

In all cases, if the surface is smoothand relatively level – for instance, aconcrete floor, a proper road, or afrozen lake – halve the effective weightof the load. This is cumulative withthe effects of a sledge, cart, or wagon.

Final effective weight pulled, afterall modifiers, cannot exceed 15¥BL ifyou are to have any hope of movingthe object at all. Determine yourencumbrance level using effectiveweight, and work out Move normally.

Lifting and MovingThings During Combat

In combat, you can pick up an itemthat weighs no more than your BasicLift by taking a one-second Readymaneuver. To pick up anything heav-ier requires multiple, consecutiveReady maneuvers: two if using one

hand, four if using two hands. To pickup an unwilling character, you musttake a second to grapple him first (seeGrappling, p. 370). He may attempt tobreak free during the time it takes youto pick him up!

To kick, body-block, shove, or oth-erwise shift an obstacle in combatrequires an Attack maneuver. You canmove or knock over up to 12¥BL thisway. If you have enough space to runyour full Move, you can knock overtwice this weight (24¥BL) by slam-ming into it at a run. This requires aMove maneuver. These rules are forinanimate objects; see Slam (p. 371)for rules governing attempts to knockover someone who can actively resist.

If using a combat map, be sure tomark the map or place a counter to

indicate an object that has beenknocked over. This is especially impor-tant for a feature that was drawn onthe map! Likewise, objects picked upby fighters should be removed fromthe map.

In all cases, if an attempt seemsreasonable, do not pause the battle tocompare weight to BL. Use commonsense. Make it fun!

Lifting SkillA successful roll against Lifting

skill (p. 205) increases your Basic Liftby 5% times your margin of successfor the purpose of picking up heavyobjects. For instance, if you haveLifting at 14, a roll of 9 lets you lift anextra 25%. Roll once per lift.

SUCCESS ROLLS 353

RUNNINGYour running speed, or ground

Move, is equal to your Basic Movescore modified for encumbrance – seeEncumbrance and Move (p. 17). Incombat, running is just a series ofMove maneuvers. Use the moredetailed rules below when it is impor-tant to know whether the heroes catchthe plane, escape the savage pygmies,or whatever.

SprintingSprinting is all-out running. It is

very fast, but also fatiguing (seeFatigue Cost, below). Use it when youneed to cover a short distance quickly,and can afford to arrive at your objec-tive somewhat fatigued.

You can sprint if you run forwardfor two or more seconds. Add 20% toyour Move after one second. Forinstance, with a Move of 7, you couldsprint at 8.4 yards/second after run-ning for one second at 7 yards/second.

On a battle map, where movementinvolves discrete one-yard hexes, dropall fractions to get a round Move score;in the example above, you would haveMove 8. Assume that even the slowestsprinter gets +1 Move. Thus, sprinterswith Move 9 or less can move one extrahex on a battle map.

If you have Enhanced Move(Ground), you can accelerate by yourBasic Move every second until youreach top speed. Use your EnhancedMove multiplier instead of the 20%bonus above. For instance, with Basic

Move 7 and Enhanced Move 2, yourun at Move 7 the first second, Move14 the next second, Move 21 the thirdsecond, and your top speed of Move 28in the fourth second.

You may only move at your maxi-mum sprinting speed if the ground isgood and you are running more or lessstraight at some goal. Any deviationfrom “forward” movement requiresyou to run at normal ground Move forone second before you can resumesprinting.

Paced RunningIf you need to run a long distance,

you will want to pace yourself to avoidexhaustion. Paced running averagesexactly half the sprinting speed calcu-lated above. For instance, with a

ground Move of 7, you would run at4.2 yards/second on good ground;thus, you could run a 7-minute mile.

Fatigue CostAfter every 15 seconds of sprinting

or every minute of paced running,roll against the higher of HT orRunning skill (p. 218). On a failure,you lose 1 FP. Once you are reducedto less than 1/3 your FP, halve yourMove for any kind of running; seeFatigue (p. 426).

Note that since paced running ishalf as fast as sprinting but burns FPat one-quarter the rate, you can runtwice as far before you run out ofenergy. This is not true for those withthe Machine meta-trait (p. 263),

because they do not fatigue – in gener-al, such characters will always sprint.

SWIMMINGUnless you are Amphibious (p. 40)

or Aquatic (p. 145), you must rollagainst Swimming skill (p. 224) anytime you enter water over your head.Swimming defaults to HT-4. Rollwhen you first enter the water, andagain every five minutes.

Modifiers: +3 if you entered thewater intentionally; a penalty equal totwice your encumbrance level (e.g.,Heavy encumbrance gives -6); +1 ifyou are Overweight, +3 if Fat, or +5 ifVery Fat (see Build, p. 18).

On a failure, you inhale water!Lose 1 FP and roll again in five sec-onds – and so on, until you drown, arerescued (see Lifesaving, below), ormake a successful Swimming roll andget your head above water. If you suc-cessfully recover, roll again in oneminute; if you succeed, go back tomaking rolls five minutes apart. Yes,you can shout for help!

You may try to get rid of armor, etc.after making your first successfulSwimming roll. Roll vs. DX for eachitem you try to remove; roll at -4 toremove shields, helmets, or torsoarmor. A failed roll means you inhalewater, with penalties as above.

Once you reach 0 FP, you mustmake a Will roll every second or fallunconscious, and are likely to dieunless you are rescued. SeeSuffocation (p. 436) for details.

Swimming SpeedLand-dwellers such as humans

have water Move equal to BasicMove/5 (round down), although it ispossible to modify this slightly; seeMove in Other Environments (p. 18).Minimum water Move for such char-acters is 1 yard/second.

Amphibious and Aquatic beingshave water Move equal to their fullBasic Move.

When swimming long distances,use a 10-second time scale. The num-ber of yards you can swim in 10 sec-onds is equal to 10 times your waterMove, modified downward forencumbrance (see Encumbrance andMove, p. 17). For instance, water Move1 and Heavy encumbrance would letyou swim four yards in 10 seconds.

354 SUCCESS ROLLS

FlyingWhen flying, use the Hiking (p. 351) and Running rules with these

changes:

• Substitute “air Move” (equal to twice Basic Speed, dropping allfractions) for “ground Move” (equal to Basic Move). Apply modifiersfor encumbrance, injury, and fatigue exactly as you would for groundMove.

• Substitute “Enhanced Move (Air)” for “Enhanced Move(Ground).” For high-speed flight (“running”), handle acceleration withEnhanced Move as described under Sprinting.

• Substitute “Flight skill” (p. 195) for “Hiking skill” and “Runningskill.”

• Ignore terrain, but note that wind and other weather conditionscan have comparable effects.

Fatigue CostAfter every minute of top-speed

swimming, roll against the higher ofHT or Swimming skill. On a failure,you lose 1 FP. Once you are reduced toless than 1/3 your FP, halve your waterMove; see Fatigue (p. 426).

If you are swimming slowly, or juststaying afloat, make this roll every 30minutes.

LifesavingYou can use the Swimming skill to

rescue a drowning person. Make aSwimming roll at -5, plus or minus thedifference in ST between you and theperson you are rescuing. If the playersthink of good lifesaving techniques,the GM may give them a bonus to thisroll.

On a failure, you inhale water andlose 1 FP, but may try again after oneminute. On a critical failure, the vic-tim nearly drowned you! This costs 6FP, and you must break off the rescueattempt.

THROWINGYou can throw anything you can

pick up – that is, anything with aweight of 8¥BL or less. If the objectyou wish to throw is not already inyour hands, you must take one ormore Ready maneuvers to pick it up.See Lifting and Moving Things (p. 353)for details.

Throwing an object during combat– whether as an attack or not –requires an Attack maneuver. You canthrow objects that weigh up to 2¥BLusing one hand; heavier objectsrequire a two-handed throw. Roll

against DX-3 to hit a specific target, or against DX to lob something into a general area. Apply the usual modifiers for target size, speed, anddistance.

Throwing DistanceTo avoid slowing down the game

with math, the GM should allow anythrow he deems reasonable . . . butwhen you need to know the exact dis-tance you can throw an object, use thefollowing procedure:

1. Divide the object’s weight inpounds by your Basic Lift to get the“weight ratio.”

2. Find the weight ratio in theWeight Ratio column of the tablebelow. If it falls between two values,use the higher value.

3. Read across to the DistanceModifier column and find the “dis-tance modifier.”

4. Multiply your ST by the distancemodifier to find the distance in yardsyou can throw the object.

Example: You have ST 12, giving aBL of 29 lbs. You need to throw a 120-lb. body over a two-yard pit. Divideweight by BL: 120/29 = 4.1. This fallsbetween 4.0 and 5.0 in the WeightRatio column, so treat it as 5.0. Theassociated distance modifier is 0.12.Multiplying by ST, your range is 0.12 ¥12 = 1.4 yards. Oops! The body just hitthe bottom of the pit.

Damage From Thrown Objects

Thrown objects inflict thrust dam-age for your ST (see Damage Table,p. 16), modified for weight as shownon the table below. Damage is usuallycrushing, but the GM may rule that asharp object does cutting, piercing, orimpaling damage instead. A fragileobject (or a thrown character) takesthe same amount of damage it inflicts;roll damage separately for the objectand the target.

Weight DamageUp to BL/8 Thrust, -2 per dieUp to BL/4 Thrust, -1 per dieUp to BL/2 ThrustUp to BL Thrust, +1 per dieUp to 2¥BL ThrustUp to 4¥BL Thrust, -1/2 per die

(round down)Up to 8¥BL Thrust, -1 per die

Example: You have ST 28, whichgives you a BL of 157 lbs. and a thrustdamage of 3d-1. You hit a foe with ahurled 50-lb. bag of cement. It isbetween BL/4 (39 lbs.) and BL/2 (78lbs.). As shown on the table above, itdoes straight thrust damage, or 3d-1.

SUCCESS ROLLS 355

Weight Distance Weight DistanceRatio Modifier Ratio Modifier0.05 3.5 2.0 0.300.10 2.5 2.5 0.250.15 2.0 3.0 0.200.20 1.5 4.0 0.150.25 1.2 5.0 0.120.30 1.1 6.0 0.100.40 1.0 7.0 0.090.50 0.8 8.0 0.080.75 0.7 9.0 0.071.00 0.6 10.0 0.061.50 0.4 12.0 0.05

CatchingIf someone throws an object at you, you may make an active defense

roll to avoid it. However, if he deliberately throws it to you – by suc-cessfully lobbing it into your general area – you can try to catch it. Rollagainst DX or a suitable Sports skill to make the catch, at -4 if you arenot taking a Wait maneuver, but at +1 per two full points by which thethrower made his roll. This counts as a parry with your catching hand.

You can also attempt to intercept a thrown object en route to a catch-er. Treat this as a parry against a thrown weapon (see Parrying, p. 376).On a success, you snatch the thrown object out of the air.

Throwing Skill and Throwing Art

When you throw an object that fitsinto the palm of your hand – such as abottle, rock, or grenade – you may rollagainst Throwing skill (p. 226) to hit atarget or a general area. Furthermore,if you know Throwing at DX+1 level,add +1 to ST before you multiply it bythe distance modifier. Add +2 to ST ifyou know Throwing at DX+2 or better.

If you have Throwing Art skill(p. 226), you can use it to throw any-thing. Roll against skill to hit. If youknow Throwing Art at DX level, add+1 to ST before you multiply it by thedistance modifier, and add +1 per dieto thrust damage. These bonusesincrease to +2 if you know ThrowingArt at DX+1 or better.

Thrown WeaponsThe rules above are for throwing

rocks, bodies, televisions . . . anythingbut weapons. Hurled weapons differ inthree important ways:

1. Thrown weapons use ThrownWeapon skills (p. 226) to hit, not DXor Throwing (but Throwing Art doesallow you to throw weapons).

2. Many throwing weapons travelsignificantly farther than “ordinary”objects due to streamlining and stabi-lization. Others have less range, due tothe way they are thrown. For instance,you can hurl a throwing knife as far asthese rules suggest, but the range atwhich it will hit point-first and inflictdamage is considerably shorter.

3. Throwing weapons have points,edges, dense striking heads, etc. thatfocus the force of impact. They almostalways do more damage than theserules would indicate.

EXTRA EFFORTThrough sheer force of will, you

can push your body past its usual lim-its when you perform physical tasks.This is called “extra effort.” Note thatif you have the Machine meta-trait,you cannot use extra effort!

You can use extra effort to increaseBasic Lift (but not ST itself) when dig-ging or lifting; daily mileage when hik-ing; Move when running or swim-ming; distance (but not Basic Moveitself) when jumping; and ST for thepurposes of throwing, making a single

356 SUCCESS ROLLS

ST roll, or drawing or cocking a bowor crossbow that’s too strong for you.You cannot use extra effort to increasethe time you can hold your breath –that would be self-defeating!

To apply extra effort, make a Willroll.

Modifiers: -1 per 5% increase incapabilities (e.g., to add 10% to ST,roll at -2). If you are fatigued, apply apenalty equal to the missing FP. Roll at+5 if you are motivated by fear, anger,or concern for a loved one (GM’s deci-sion, but you must usually fail a FrightCheck or a self-control roll for a suit-able disadvantage, or be the victim ofa successful Intimidation attempt, toget this bonus).

Extra effort costs FP whether yousucceed or fail. Instantaneous feats(e.g., jumps and throws) cost a flat 1FP per attempt. Ongoing tasks (dig-ging, running, swimming, etc.) requirerepeated extra effort rolls, and cost 1FP per roll. Hiking works differently –see below. Pay the FP cost for extraeffort immediately after you attemptyour Will roll. Note that the FP spenton extra effort do not penalize thisattempt, but give a penalty to futureattempts until you recover the FP.

On a success, you gain the desiredincrease in your physical capabilities.This does not guarantee success at thetask at hand – you could still fail theDX roll for an extra-effort jump, forinstance. On a critical success, you donot have to pay FP for your extraeffort.

On a failure, you achieve only whatyou would have accomplished withoutextra effort.

A critical failure means you loseHP equal to the FP spent on theattempt – including any FP the taskwould have cost without extra effort –and the task fails automatically! If youroll a natural 18, you must also makean immediate HT roll to avoid acquir-ing a temporary disadvantage appro-priate to the task (see below for exam-ples). Handle recovery as described inDuration of Crippling Injuries (p. 422).A sufficiently bad HT roll can result ina permanent disadvantage!

Notes for SpecificPhysical Tasks

Instead of rolling against Will touse extra effort, you may make a

Will-based roll against a relevant skill(Hiking, Jumping, Lifting, Running,Swimming, or Throwing, as applica-ble), if that would be better.

Digging: For every hour of digging,make an extra-effort roll and pay 1 FP.This adds to the usual FP cost. On acritical failure, the injury is to yourback, and will heal only with rest (notFirst Aid); on an 18, you temporarilyacquire the Bad Back disadvantage(p. 123).

Hiking: Make one extra-effort rollper day. Extra effort increases the FPyou suffer by two when you stop onthe march (see Fatigue, p. 426). Assessinjury due to critical failure at the endof the day, and base it on the modifiedFP penalty. For instance, if you wouldnormally be missing 5 FP when youstopped, you would be missing 7 FP ifyou used extra effort – and if you crit-ically failed, you would end the daywith 7 HP of injury! When usingHiking skill, make a single Will-basedHiking roll at -1 per 5% extra mileagebeyond the basic +20% for a success-ful Hiking roll (-1 for +25%, -2 for+30%, and so on).

Jumping: On a critical failure,apply the injury to the foot or leg(GM’s option, or roll randomly); on an18, you temporarily acquire theCrippled Leg disadvantage (see Lame,p. 141).

Lifting and Moving Things: Forevery minute of continuing effort,make an extra-effort roll and pay 1 FP.(This cost adds to the 1 FP per secondfor carrying encumbrance over10¥BL, if applicable.) Handle criticalfailures as described for digging.When using Lifting skill, make a singleWill-based Lifting roll, at -1 per 10%extra Basic Lift. This is instead of theusual 5% bonus per point of success.

Running: For every 15 seconds ofsprinting or minute of paced running,make an extra-effort roll and pay 1 FP.This adds to the FP cost for failed HTrolls while running! On a critical fail-ure, apply the injury to one of yourlegs; on an 18, you temporarily

acquire the Crippled Leg disadvantage(see Lame, p. 141).

Swimming: For every minute ofswimming, make an extra effort rolland pay 1 FP. This adds to the FP costfor failed HT rolls while swimming.

Throwing: Increases to ST affectboth damage and distance, but notBasic Lift for the purpose of what youcan throw in the first place. For that,make a separate extra-effort liftingattempt! Add bonuses for Throwing orThrowing Art skill after those for extraeffort.

Optional Rule: ExtraEffort in Combat

At the GM’s option, fighters can useextra effort in combat. These ruleswork differently from those above –mainly to avoid bogging down combatwith extra die rolls and calculations.

You must declare that you are usingextra effort and spend the required FPbefore you make your attack or defenseroll. A critical failure on the roll causes1 HP of injury to the arm (if blocking,parrying, or attacking with a shield,weapon, or hand) or leg (if dodging or

kicking) in addition to the usual criticalmiss results. DR does not protect youfrom this damage!

Feverish Defense: If you take anymaneuver other than All-Out Attack,you can spend 1 FP to get +2 to a sin-gle active defense roll. (You can usethis bonus to offset the penalty for par-rying multiple times with one hand;see Parrying, p. 376.)

Flurry of Blows: If you take anAttack maneuver, you can halve thepenalty for Rapid Strike (see RapidStrike, p. 370) by spending 1 FP perattack.

Mighty Blows: If you take an Attackmaneuver in melee combat, you canspend FP to gain the damage bonus ofan All-Out Attack (Strong) (see All-OutAttack, p. 365) without sacrificing yourdefenses. This costs 1 FP per attack.

You cannot use Flurry of Blowsand Mighty Blows at the same time!

SUCCESS ROLLS 357

Through sheer force of will, you can push your body past its usual limits when you performphysical tasks.

“Sense rolls” include Vision rolls,Hearing rolls, Taste/Smell rolls, andall rolls to use special senses such asScanning Sense (p. 81) and VibrationSense (p. 96).

To notice something using a givensense, roll against your Perceptionscore, modified by the applicableAcute Senses advantage (p. 35): AcuteVision for Vision rolls, Acute Hearingfor Hearing rolls, and so on.

Comprehension Rolls: A successfulSense roll means you noticed some-thing. That is often sufficient, but insome cases, the GM may require asecond roll to understand what youhave sensed; e.g., to realize that the“owl hoot” you heard is really anIndian warrior, or that the faint scentyou noticed belongs to the flower of aman-eating plant. This roll is againstIQ for details that anyone could fig-ure out, or against an appropriateskill if the significance would be loston anyone but an expert.

Danger Sense: If you have theDanger Sense advantage (p. 47) andfail a Sense roll or comprehensionroll to notice something dangerous,the GM will secretly make aPerception roll for you. On a success,you sense the danger anyhow!

VISIONMake a Vision roll whenever it is

important that you see something.

Modifiers: Any Acute Visionbonus; +3 for Hyperspectral Vision;modifiers for the size and range ofthe target (see p. 550); -1 to -9 in par-tial darkness. In total darkness,Vision rolls are impossible withoutspecial advantages or technologicalaids. To spot something in plain sight– e.g., a car coming toward you onthe road – roll at +10. This does notapply to attempts to spot hiddenobjects, read text, identify faces, etc.

When you try to spot somethingthat is deliberately hidden, the GMmay treat this roll as a Quick Contestagainst a concealment skill(Camouflage, Holdout, etc.), and mayallow – or require – a skill such as

Observation or Search to replacePerception for the roll.

Note that the curvature of a plan-et blocks vision beyond the horizon.The normal horizon on an Earth-sized planet is about three miles foran observer five to six feet in height.The GM should increase this fortaller observers or those in elevatedpositions. There is no horizon inspace!

Useful Advantages: Night Visioncancels -1 in partial darkness penal-ties per level, and Dark Vision letsyou ignore darkness penalties.Peripheral Vision gives you a Visionroll to see anything that is not absolutely, positively, directlybehind you – and 360° Vision letsyou see even that! Telescopic Visioncancels -1 in range penalties perlevel.

Limiting Disadvantages: Bad Sightgives -6 to Vision rolls to spot itemsmore than one yard away if you arenearsighted, or items within one yardif you are farsighted. RestrictedVision prevents you from noticinganything that isn’t in the directionyou are looking. Blindness meansyou can see nothing!

HEARINGMake a Hearing roll whenever it is

important that you hear a sound. TheGM will often require a separate IQroll to make out speech, especially ina foreign language.

Modifiers: Any Acute Hearingbonus; +4 for DiscriminatoryHearing; -4 for Hard of Hearing. TheGM may make this roll easier orharder, depending on the loudness ofthe sound, surrounding noises, etc.

The range at which you can hear asound at no penalty is given on thetable below. For each step by whichyou are closer than this, apply +1 tothe roll, while for each step by whichyou are more distant, apply -1. For instance, to hear normal conver-sation at 8 yards would require a rollat -3.

When you try to hear someonewho is attempting to move silently,

the GM may treat this roll as a QuickContest against his Stealth skill. Ifyou are actively listening for suchactivity, the GM may allow you tosubstitute Observation skill forPerception.

Useful Advantages: ParabolicHearing allows you to hear distantsounds as if they were nearby.Subsonic Hearing and Ultrahearingcan detect sounds that are inaudibleto normal humans.

Limiting Disadvantage: If you suf-fer from Deafness, you can hear nothing!

Hearing Distance TableSound Range (yards)Leaves rustling 1/4Quiet conversation 1/2Normal conversation 1Light traffic 2Loud conversation 4Noisy office 8Normal traffic 16“Quiet” rock band 32Heavy traffic 64Jet takeoff 128Very loud rock band 256Metallica 512

TASTE/SMELLTaste and smell are two manifesta-

tions of the same sense. Make a Tasteroll to notice a flavor, or a Smell roll tonotice a scent.

Modifiers: Any Acute Taste andSmell bonus; +4 for DiscriminatorySmell or Taste (as applicable). The GMmay modify this roll for a particularlystrong or weak taste or odor, and mayapply a penalty if it is specifically disguised.

Useful Advantages: In addition togiving a bonus to your roll,Discriminatory Smell and Discri-minatory Taste can reveal sufficientdetail to allow you to identify people,locations, and objects with precisionequivalent to hearing or vision for anormal human.

Limiting Disadvantage: No Sense ofSmell/Taste means that you cannottaste or smell anything.

358 SUCCESS ROLLS

SENSE ROLLS

An “Influence roll” is a deliberateattempt to ensure a positive reactionfrom an NPC. A PC with an appropri-ate “Influence skill” can always electto substitute an Influence roll for aregular reaction roll in suitable cir-cumstances (GM’s decision). SeeReaction Rolls (p. 494) for more onNPC reactions.

Decide which Influence skill youare using: Diplomacy, Fast-Talk,Intimidation, Savoir-Faire, SexAppeal, or Streetwise. Choose wisely!The GM may allow other skills towork as Influence skills in certain sit-uations (e.g., Law skill, when dealingwith a judge). Then roll a QuickContest: your Influence skill vs. thesubject’s Will.

Modifiers: All your personal reac-tion modifiers (although the GM orthe skill description may rule thatsome modifiers do not apply); anyspecific modifiers given in the skilldescription; -1 to -10 for using aninappropriate Influence skill (GM’sdecision).

If you win, you get a “Good” reac-tion from the NPC – “Very Good” ifyou used Sex Appeal. On any otheroutcome, the NPC resents your clum-sy attempt at manipulation. This gives

you a “Bad” reaction – “Very Bad” ifyou attempted specious intimidation(see Intimidation, p. 202). Exception:If you used Diplomacy, the GM willalso make a regular reaction roll anduse the better of the two reactions.Thus, Diplomacy is relatively safe . . .

If the subject is Indomitable(p. 60), you lose automatically unlessyou have Empathy, Animal Empathy,Plant Empathy, or Spirit Empathy, asappropriate. Intimidation attemptsagainst those with the Unfazeable

advantage (p. 95) also fail automati-cally. On the other hand, you win auto-matically – no roll required – againstthose with Slave Mentality (p. 154).

Psychological WarfareYou can use Propaganda skill for

media manipulation, and Psychologyskill for other “psyops.” This is anInfluence roll. Apply your cause’s reac-tion modifiers rather than your own,and use the average Will of the targetgroup in the Quick Contest.

SUCCESS ROLLS 359

INFLUENCE ROLLS

Influencing the PCsInfluence rolls are designed to allow PCs to affect NPC reactions.

The GM should not make Influence rolls on behalf of NPCs and tell theplayers how to react. Most players form an opinion of an NPC based onthe GM’s portrayal of the character, and few appreciate being told thatthey must roleplay a good reaction toward an NPC they do not like ortrust.

This does not mean that NPCs cannot influence PCs! When an NPCmakes a successful Influence roll against a PC, the GM should apply theNPC’s margin of victory as a bonus or penalty (as appropriate) to thePC’s die rolls when dealing with that NPC. For instance, if a beautifulspy beats the PC’s Will by 3 using Sex Appeal, the hero might suffer -3on self-controls roll for his Lecherousness and -3 to his Detect Lies skillwhere that spy is concerned. Be creative!

When you are faced with a stressfulsituation or a distraction, the GM mayrequire you to roll against your Will tostay focused. On a success, you mayact normally. On a failure, you submitto the fear, give in to the pressure, aredistracted from your task, etc.

The effects of a failed Will roll in astressful situation are often identicalto those of a failed self-control roll fora mental disadvantage. This does notmake Will rolls and self-control rollsinterchangeable. Which kind of rollyou must make depends on the causeof the stress, not on its effects.

If a game-world event causes nega-tive effects (distraction, stunning, etc.)for anyone who fails a Will roll, youroll against Will just like anyone else –even if your self-control roll to resistidentical effects from a mental disad-vantage would be easier or harder.

If a mental disadvantage causes anegative effect on a failed self-controlroll, you roll against your self-controlnumber to resist – even if your Willroll to avoid that same effect underother circumstances would differ.

However, modifiers to self-controlrolls and Will rolls to resist a particu-lar effect are usually interchangeable.For instance, a drug that gives +2 toWill rolls to resist distraction wouldalso give +2 to self-control rolls toresist disadvantages that result in dis-traction.

FRIGHT CHECKSA Fright Check is a Will roll made

to resist fear. Fright Checks can occuras often or as rarely as the GM wishes.In a horror campaign where ordinarypeople meet shockingly gruesomeThings, Fright Checks might be verycommon! With only minor adapta-tion, the GM can use these rules forawe, confusion, etc. as well as fear.

As a general rule, “ordinary” fright-ening things do not require FrightChecks. Fright Checks are for eventsso unusual and terrifying that theymight stun or even permanently scarsomeone.

What counts as “ordinary” dependson the characters and the setting. Thisis one place where a character story

can be helpful! An ordinary, 21st-cen-tury American might have to makeFright Checks for encounters withmonsters, dead bodies, and the super-natural. A battle-hardened comman-do in the same game might not haveto roll for dead bodies. And in a fan-tasy campaign, all these things maybe quite normal . . . threatening, butnormal. On the other hand, a fantasycharacter might have to make aFright Check if transported to the 21stcentury and given a ride down theinterstate . . .

Fright Check ModifiersThe following modifiers are cumu-

lative.

Advantages and Disadvantages: AnyFearlessness bonus or Fearfulnesspenalty; +2 for Combat Reflexes, or -2for Combat Paralysis. Other modifiersare conditional: -1 to -4 for Cowardicewhen your physical safety is at risk; +1for Daredevil when charging into ascary situation; +1 for Higher Purposewhen confronting threats you aresworn to oppose; +1 to +4 forXenophilia when confronting mon-sters. Unfazeable characters don’tmake Fright Checks!

Bodies: +6 for a peaceful-lookingbody, prepared for burial; +2 for adead body with no signs of violence;no modifier for most victims of vio-lence; and from -1 to -3 for grisly muti-lations. Apply another -6 if the victimwas your Dependent!

Heat of Battle: +5 if you are in com-bat when the terrifying thing happensor you first notice it.

Monsters: A given monster mightgive a basic -1 to -10 to Fright Checks.For hordes of monsters, roll at -1 for 5monsters, -2 for 10, -3 for 20, -4 for 50,and -5 for 100 or more.

Physical Circumstances: -1 if thebody, monster, etc. touches you; +1 ifyou witness it at a great distance (atleast 100 yards); or +3 if you view itremotely (using Clairsentience,closed-circuit TV, etc.). Apply -1 if thearea is physically isolated, -1 at nightor in the dark (or in daylight, if you’rea night-dweller!), and -2 if you are (orthink you are) alone.

Preparation: +1 if you have previ-ous personal experience with this kindof threat; +1 per exposure to this par-ticular threat in 24 hours; +1 to +3(depending on the quality of thereport) if you learned the details ofthis particular situation before youwitnessed it.

The Rule of 14If final, modified Will exceeds 13,

reduce it to 13 for the purpose of theFright Check. This means that a roll of14 or more is automatically a failure.This rule does not apply to other Willrolls (resistance rolls, rolls to avoiddistraction, etc.) – only to FrightChecks.

Fright Check TableWhen you fail a Fright Check, roll

3d, add your margin of failure on theFright Check, and consult the tablebelow. This sometimes gives implausi-ble results. The GM should eitherreroll these or change them to some-thing more appropriate – especiallyfor Fright Checks stemming from awe(e.g., divine beauty) or mind-warpingcomplexity (e.g., otherworldly geome-try or radical philosophical concepts)instead of fear.

Many of these results give a newmental quirk or disadvantage. TheGM assigns this trait, which must berelated to the frightening event. If pos-sible, it should also be related to thevictim’s existing mental traits! Traitsacquired this way reduce the victim’spoint value.

4, 5 – Stunned for one second, thenrecover automatically.

6, 7 – Stunned for one second. Everysecond after that, roll vs. unmodi-fied Will to snap out of it.

8, 9 – Stunned for one second. Everysecond after that, roll vs. Will, pluswhatever bonuses or penalties youhad on your original roll, to snapout of it.

10 – Stunned for 1d seconds. Everysecond after that, roll vs. modifiedWill, as above, to snap out of it.

11 – Stunned for 2d seconds. Everysecond after that, roll vs. modifiedWill, as above, to snap out of it.

360 SUCCESS ROLLS

WILL ROLLS

12 – Lose your lunch. Treat this asretching for (25 - HT) seconds,and then roll vs. HT each secondto recover; see IncapacitatingConditions (p. 428). Depending on the circumstances, this may be merely inconvenient, or humil-iating.

13 – Acquire a new mental quirk (seeQuirks, p. 162). This is the only wayto acquire more than five quirks.

14, 15 – Lose 1d FP, and take 1d sec-onds of stunning as per 10.

16 – Stunned for 1d seconds, as per10, and acquire a new quirk, as per13.

17 – Faint for 1d minutes, then roll vs.HT each minute to recover.

18 – Faint as above, and roll vs. HTimmediately. On a failed roll, take 1HP of injury as you collapse.

19 – Severe faint, lasting for 2d min-utes. Roll vs. HT each minute torecover. Take 1 HP of injury.

20 – Faint bordering on shock, lastingfor 4d minutes. Also, lose 1d FP.

21 – Panic. You run around scream-ing, sit down and cry, or do some-thing else equally pointless for 1dminutes. At the end of that time,

roll vs. unmodified Will once perminute to snap out of it.

22 – Acquire a -10-point Delusion(p. 130).

23 – Acquire a -10-point Phobia(p. 148) or other -10-point mentaldisadvantage.

24 – Major physical effect, set by GM:hair turns white, age five yearsovernight, go partially deaf, etc. Ingame terms, acquire -15 pointsworth of physical disadvantages(for this purpose, each year of agecounts as -3 points).

25 – If you already have a Phobia orother mental disadvantage that islogically related to the frighteningincident, your self-control number

becomes one step worse. If not, orif your self-control number isalready 6, add a new -10-pointPhobia or other -10-point mentaldisadvantage.

26 – Faint for 1d minutes, as per 18,and acquire a new -10-pointDelusion, as per 22.

27 – Faint for 1d minutes, as per 18,and acquire a new -10-point men-tal disadvantage, as per 23.

28 – Light coma. You fall uncon-scious, rolling vs. HT every 30 min-utes to recover. For 6 hours afteryou come to, all skill rolls andattribute checks are at -2.

29 – Coma. As above, but you areunconscious for 1d hours. Thenroll vs. HT. If the roll fails, remainin a coma for another 1d hours,and so on.

30 – Catatonia. Stare into space for 1ddays. Then roll vs. HT. On a failedroll, remain catatonic for another1d days, and so on. If you have nomedical care, lose 1 HP the firstday, 2 the second, and so on. If yousurvive and awaken, all skill rollsand attribute checks are at -2 for asmany days as the catatonia lasted.

31 – Seizure. You lose control of yourbody and fall to the ground in a fitlasting 1d minutes and costing 1dFP. Also, roll vs. HT. On a failure,take 1d of injury. On a critical failure, you also lose 1 HT permanently.

32 – Stricken. You fall to the ground,taking 2d of injury in the form of amild heart attack or stroke.

33 – Total panic. You are out of con-trol; you might do anything (theGM rolls 3d: the higher the roll, themore useless your reaction). Forinstance, you might jump off a cliffto avoid the monster. If you surviveyour first reaction, roll vs. Will tocome out of the panic. If you fail,the GM rolls for another panicreaction, and so on!

34 – Acquire a -15-point Delusion(p. 130).

35 – Acquire a -15-point Phobia(p. 148) or other mental disadvan-tage worth -15 points.

36 – Severe physical effect, as per 24,but equivalent to -20 points ofphysical disadvantages.

37 – Severe physical effect, as per 24,but equivalent to -30 points ofphysical disadvantages.

38 – Coma, as per 29, and a -15-pointDelusion, as per 34.

39 – Coma, as per 29, and a -15-pointPhobia or other -15-point mentaldisadvantage, as per 35.

40+ – As 39, above, but victim alsoloses 1 point of IQ permanently.This automatically reduces all IQ-based skills, including magic spells,by 1.

SUCCESS ROLLS 361

The complete combat system occupies threechapters. This chapter contains the core com-

bat rules. Chapter 12 adds rules for playingout combat using counters or figures ona hexagonal grid. Chapter 13 providesrules for a number of special combatsituations. Like the character-creationsystem in Book 1, the combat systemapplies equally to PCs and NPCs.

The GM decides when to startusing the combat rules. This will gener-

ally be when fighting seems likely andcombatants begin maneuvering for tacti-cal advantage. The GM may also use theserules to resolve “action” situations such as

chases and tournaments.

COMBATTURN

SEQUENCECombat takes place second by second.

Each character actively involved in thecombat gets one opportunity to act persecond, referred to as his “turn.” Aftereveryone has taken his turn, one secondhas passed.

The GM shouldn’t feel constrained bythe one-second time scale. This is just a

way of breaking a battle into manageablechunks! He should feel free to drop out ofcombat time whenever dramatically

appropriate, and to resume combat timewhen noncombat action gives way to more fighting. Consider a runninggunfight in which the combatants leap across rooftops and chase each

other up and down rickety fire escapes: the GM could resolve thisthrough roleplaying and DX or skill rolls (against Jumping, etc.),interspersed with a few seconds of combat whenever he feels theopponents have a clear shot at each other.

Active CharactersAn “active character” is involved in the combat and able to take

action. A character who is knocked out, asleep, etc. is not active. Butsomeone who chooses to do nothing is still active – “Do Nothing” is avalid combat maneuver (see p. 364).

362 COMBAT

CHAPTER ELEVEN

COMBAT

Turn SequenceThe “turn sequence” is the order in

which active characters take theirturns. It is set at the start of the fightand does not change during combat.The combatant with the highest BasicSpeed goes first and takes his turn,then the one with the next-highestBasic Speed, and so on, in descendingorder by Basic Speed. Once everyactive character has taken his turn,one second has passed and anothersecond begins.

Tied Speeds: If multiple NPCs onthe same side have the same BasicSpeed, the GM simply decides whogoes first – it isn’t really important. IfPCs are involved, ties go to the highest

DX. If there’s still a tie, GM should rollrandomly at the start of the combat todetermine who acts first, and use thatorder throughout the combat.

Sequence Chart: If a combat hasmany participants, the GM may find ituseful to make a quick list of the orderin which the combatants take theirturns.

“Your Turn”A given participant’s turn is the

one-second period that stretchesfrom when he chooses a maneuveruntil his next opportunity to select amaneuver. This overlaps the turns ofother characters.

COMBAT 363

A “maneuver” is an action thatyou can take on your turn. Each turn,you must choose one of the followingmaneuvers: Aim, All-Out Attack, All-Out Defense, Attack, Change Posture,Concentrate, Do Nothing, Evaluate,Feint, Move, Move and Attack, Ready,or Wait. Your choice determines whatyou can do on your turn, and setsyour options for active defense andmovement.

Active Defense and Maneuvers

The maneuver you choose affectsyour “active defenses” – your ability tododge, parry, or block attacks (seeDefending, p. 374). You only have toselect an active defense if you are

attacked. Your most recent maneuvergoverns the active defenses you canuse.

For the purpose of active defenses,your maneuver is considered to be ineffect until you select another maneu-ver on your next turn. For instance, ifyou chose All-Out Defense (whichgives a defensive advantage), its bene-fits would apply if you were attackedafter you took your turn, and would

persist until it was your turn again andyou took a different maneuver.

If you’re attacked before you’ve hada chance to choose a maneuver – usu-ally at the start of combat – you’re con-sidered to be taking a Do Nothingmaneuver (see p. 364).

Movement and Maneuvers

Most maneuvers allow some formof movement. The Move and Moveand Attack maneuvers allow you tomove quickly, up to a number of yardsequal to your full Move score. Othermaneuvers, such as All-Out Attack,limit you to a fraction of your fullMove.

Many maneuvers restrict move-ment to a “step.” This is movement upto 1/10 your Move, minimum 1 yard,in any direction, a change of facing(for instance, to turn around), or both.You can perform your step before orafter the rest of the maneuver; forinstance, you could step and attack orattack and step.

Some maneuvers allow no move-ment. In particular, you cannot moveif you Change Posture or Do Nothing.

For more on movement, see Move(p. 364) and Movement and Combat(p. 367).

Free Actions“Free actions” are things you

can do during any maneuver. Someexamples:

Talk. You can always talk. If the GMwants to be realistic, he should allowonly one sentence of communicationper second . . . but it is usually morefun when you ignore this limitation!

MANEUVERS

Each character actively involved in the combatgets one opportunity to act per second, referred toas his “turn.” After everyone has taken his turn, one second has passed.

Multiple Maneuvers and Full-Turn Maneuvers

Ordinary characters can only take a single maneuver when it is theirturn to act, limiting them to one maneuver per second. However, a fewtraits allow you to act with superhuman speed and take multiplemaneuvers per turn!

Some maneuvers are described as “full-turn” maneuvers. If you takeone of these, it’s the only maneuver you can perform on your turn,regardless of how fast you can act. You are assumed to be performingthat maneuver for an entire second.

Maintain spells or psi. As long asyou remain active, you can maintain aspell or ongoing psi ability, no matterwhat else you do.

Drop an item. You can drop any“ready” item at any time during anymaneuver. If you’re moving, you maydrop it at any point within your reachduring your movement.

Crouch. If standing, you may optto crouch (to make yourself a smallertarget for ranged attacks) at thebeginning of your turn. This will usu-ally slow your movement speed (seeMovement, p. 367), and you cannotcrouch and sprint. If you werealready crouching, it is a free actionto rise from a crouching position atany time.

DO NOTHINGAnyone who is just standing still is

assumed to be doing nothing. In par-ticular, when combat begins, anyonewho has not yet taken a turn is treatedas if he took this maneuver beforeentering combat.

Someone who is conscious butstunned or surprised must take thismaneuver. On each turn of DoNothing, he may attempt a HT roll torecover from physical stun or an IQroll to recover from mental stun. On asuccess, he recovers at the end of histurn – that is, he Does Nothing thisturn, but may act normally next turn.

Movement: None!Active Defense: Any (unless you’re

tied up, etc.). If you are stunned, how-ever, your active defenses are at -4until your next turn – even if yourecover.

MOVEMove, but take no other action

except those specified under FreeActions (p. 363). You may move anynumber of yards up to your full Movescore. Most other maneuvers allow atleast some movement on your turn;take this maneuver if all you want todo is move.

Players must tell the GM exactlywhere their PCs move to so that hecan keep track of the combat. The GMdecides where his NPCs move, andwill inform any players whose PCs arein a position to witness the movement.

If you are controlling a vehicle orriding a mount, take a Move maneu-ver to spend the turn actively control-ling it. Instead of you moving, thevehicle or mount moves on your turn(carrying you and other occupants).See Mounted Combat (p. 396) andVehicles (p. 462) for details.

Sprinting: If you run forward fortwo or more turns in a row, you getbonus movement on your second andlater moves; see Sprinting (p. 354).

Movement: See above.Active Defense: Any.

CHANGEPOSTURE

This maneuver lets you switchbetween any two “postures” (stancesin which you can pose your body).Valid postures are standing, sitting,kneeling, crawling, lying prone (facedown), and lying face up. Any postureother than standing slows your move-ment and penalizes your attack anddefense rolls, but also makes you asmaller target for ranged attacks.

You cannot stand up directly froma lying position. If you are lying (proneor face up), you must take a ChangePosture maneuver to rise to a crawl-ing, kneeling, or sitting posture first. Asecond Change Posture maneuver letsyou stand from any of these postures.(Going from standing up to lyingdown, however, only takes one maneu-ver – or none at all, if the change wasinvoluntary!)

You can switch between kneelingand standing (only) as the “step” por-tion of any maneuver that allows astep – you don’t need Change Posturefor that. This is instead of using thestep to move. Thus, you could go fromprone to kneeling with a ChangePosture maneuver on one turn, andthen stand up in place on your nextturn by taking a maneuver that allowsa step.

Crouching does not require aChange Posture maneuver; see FreeActions (p. 363).

Movement: None. You remain inplace as you change posture.

Active Defense: Any. Postures otherthan standing penalize your defenserolls, but also make you a smaller tar-get for ranged attacks.

AIMThis is a full-turn maneuver used

to aim a ranged weapon (or a devicesuch as a camera or telescope). Youmust choose a specific target. Youcan’t aim at something that you can’tsee or otherwise detect.

Specify the weapon you’re aimingwith and your target. If you follow anAim maneuver with an Attack or All-Out Attack with the same weaponagainst the same target, you get abonus to hit. Add the weapon’sAccuracy (Acc) to your skill, plus anybonuses for targeting systems used:sights, targeting computers, etc.

If you brace a firearm or crossbow,you get an extra +1 to Acc. A firearmor crossbow is braced if you can rest iton a sandbag, low wall, car, etc. A one-handed firearm (e.g., a pistol) is con-sidered braced if used two-handed. Atwo-handed firearm (e.g., a rifle) isconsidered braced if you are proneand using a bipod.

If you Aim for more than one sec-ond, you receive an additional bonus:+1 for two seconds of Aim, or +2 forthree or more seconds.

Your combined bonus from all tar-geting systems (scopes, sights, com-puters, etc.) cannot exceed theweapon’s base Accuracy. For instance,if you add a telescopic sight that gives+4 Acc to a pistol with Acc 2, thebonus is +2, not +4.

Movement: Step. Exception: Youcannot step if using a braced, two-handed weapon.

Active Defense: Any, but you auto-matically spoil your aim and lose allaccumulated benefits. If you areinjured while aiming, you must makea Will roll or lose your aim.

EVALUATEThis maneuver is the melee combat

equivalent of Aim. It lets you take timeto study an adversary in order to gaina combat bonus on a subsequentattack. You must specify one visibleopponent who is close enough toattack unarmed or with a ready meleeweapon, or whom you could reachwith a single Move and Attack maneu-ver. You are sizing him up and lookingfor the right moment to strike.

An Evaluate maneuver gives you+1 to skill for the purpose of an Attack,

364 COMBAT

Feint, All-Out Attack, or Move andAttack made against that opponent, onyour next turn only. You may take mul-tiple, consecutive Evaluate maneuversbefore you strike, giving a cumulative+1 per turn, to a maximum of +3.

Movement: Step.Active Defense: Any. This does not

spoil your evaluation.

ATTACKUse this maneuver to make an

armed or unarmed attack in meleecombat, or to use a thrown or missileweapon in ranged combat. To use aweapon to attack, it must be ready.

If you are using a melee weapon orunarmed attack, your target must bewithin reach. Resolve the attack asexplained under Melee Attacks(pp. 369-372). If you took an Evaluatemaneuver (above) last turn, you willhave a bonus to hit. If you took a Feint(below), your opponent may have apenalty to defend.

If you are using a ranged weapon,your target must be within theweapon’s Max range. Resolve theattack according to Ranged Attacks(pp. 372-374). If you took an Aimmaneuver (p. 364) last turn, you willhave a bonus to hit.

Movement: Step. You may step andthen attack or attack and then step –your choice. To move further and stillattack, take All-Out Attack or Moveand Attack.

Active Defense: Any.

FEINT“Fake” a melee attack. You cannot

Feint someone unless you could havehit him with a melee attack – that is,your weapon is ready and your foe iswithin reach. This maneuver is not anattack, though, and does not makeyour weapon unready.

When you Feint, roll a QuickContest of Melee Weapon skills withyour foe; if either of you is unarmed,you may roll against an unarmedcombat skill instead. Your opponentmay opt to roll against Cloak or Shieldskill, if he is suitably equipped and thiswould give him a better roll. If his DXis better than his combat skills, hemay roll against DX instead.

If you fail your roll, your Feint isunsuccessful. Likewise, if you suc-ceed, but your foe succeeds by asmuch as or more than you do, yourFeint fails.

If you make your roll, and your foefails, subtract your margin of successfrom the foe’s active defense if youattack him with Attack, All-OutAttack, or Move and Attack on yournext turn. For instance, if your skill is15 and you roll a 12, your foe defendsagainst you at -3 next turn.

If you and your foe both succeed,but you succeed by more, subtractyour margin of victory from the foe’sdefense. For instance, if your skill is 15and you roll a 10 (success by 5), andyour foe’s skill is 14 and he rolls 12(success by 2), you win by 3, so he willdefend at -3 if your next maneuver isto attack him.

You cannot Feint if your foe isunable to observe you! However, ifyour foe runs away, turns his back onyou, or loses sight of you in some wayafter you successfully Feint, he willstill suffer his defense penalty if youattack him on your next turn. If youlose track of the foe, or cannot attackhim next turn, your foe’s defensepenalty vanishes.

A Feint is good for one second! Butif you Feint and then make an All-OutAttack (Double), the feint applies toboth attacks.

In all cases, your allies cannot takeadvantage of your Feint. The defensepenalty applies only to your nextattack.

Shield Feints: After you haveattacked your foe once by strikingwith your shield (see p. 406), you mayalso Feint with your shield, rollingagainst Shield skill.

Movement: Step.Active Defense: Any. However, if you

Feint and then parry with an unbal-anced weapon, you cannot attack onyour next turn, making your Feintpointless.

ALL-OUT ATTACKAttack any foe with a ready

weapon, making no effort to defendagainst enemy attacks. If you are mak-ing a melee attack, you must specifyone of these four options before youattack:

• Determined: Make a single attackat +4 to hit!

•Double: Make two attacks againstthe same foe, if you have two readyweapons or one weapon that does nothave to be readied after use. Attackswith a second weapon held in the offhand are at the usual -4 (seeHandedness, p. 14) unless you haveAmbidexterity (p. 39).

•Feint: Make one Feint (see above)and then one attack against the samefoe. The Feint applies to this attackinstead of one you make on your nextturn.

• Strong: Make a single attack, atnormal skill. If you hit, you get +2 todamage – or +1 damage per die, if thatwould be better. This only applies tomelee attacks doing ST-based thrustor swing damage, not to weaponssuch as force swords.

If you are making a ranged attack,you must specify one of these twooptions before you attack:

• Determined: Make a single attackat +1 to hit.

• Suppression Fire: Take the entireturn to spray an area with automaticfire. This is a full-turn maneuver, andyou can only choose this option if yourweapon has RoF 5+. See SuppressionFire (p. 409).

Movement: You may move up tohalf your Move, but you can onlymove forward.

Active Defense: You may make noactive defenses at all from the pointyou take this maneuver until your nextturn. If someone attacks you after youmake an All-Out attack, all you can dois hope he misses – you can’t dodge,parry, or block!

MOVE ANDATTACK

Move as described for the Movemaneuver (p. 364), but during or afteryour move, make a single, poorlyaimed attack – either unarmed or witha ready weapon.

You attack as described for theAttack maneuver (above), but at apenalty. If you are making a rangedattack, you have a penalty of -2 or theweapon’s Bulk rating, whichever isworse – and if you took an Aim, you lose all of its bonuses. If you are

COMBAT 365

making a melee attack other than aslam (p. 371), you have a flat -4 to skill, and your adjusted skill cannotexceed 9.

Movement: As described under theMove maneuver – but since you aretrying to do two things at once, youare -2 on any rolls the GM requires toavoid falling, tripping over obstacles,etc.

Active Defense: Dodge or blockonly. You cannot parry and you maynot retreat (see Retreat, p. 377).

ALL-OUTDEFENSE

This is the maneuver to choosewhen you’re beset by foes – especiallyfoes who like All-Out Attacks! Youmust specify one of the following twooptions:

• Increased Defense: Add +2 to oneactive defense of your choice: Dodge,Parry, or Block. This bonus persistsuntil your next turn.

• Double Defense: Apply two differ-ent active defenses against the sameattack. If you fail your defense rollagainst an attack, you may try a sec-ond, different defense against thatattack. For instance, if you fail a block,you may try a dodge or a parry. If youtry a parry (armed or unarmed) withone hand and fail, a parry using theother hand does count as a “differentdefense.”

Movement: If you choose IncreasedDodge, you may move up to half yourMove. Otherwise, the only movementyou may take is a step.

Active Defense: You may chooseany legal active defense, with bonusesas described above.

CONCENTRATEYou concentrate on one primarily

mental task (even it has a minor phys-ical component, like operating con-trols, gesturing, or speaking). Thismay be casting a magical spell, using apsi ability, making a Sense roll to spotan invisible warrior, making aLeadership roll to give orders, makingan Electronics Operation roll to oper-ate a sensor, or any similar action,including most IQ-based skill rolls.This is a full-turn maneuver.

Some activities (e.g., casting spells)require you to take the Concentratemaneuver for multiple seconds. If youare forced to use an active defense,knocked down, injured, or otherwisedistracted before you finish, you mustmake a Will-3 roll. On a failure, youlose your concentration and muststart over.

Movement: Step.Active Defense: Any. However, it

interferes with concentration as notedabove.

READYTake a Ready maneuver to pick up

or draw any item and prepare it foruse; e.g., to pull a sword from itssheath or a gun from its holster, or toreload a firearm. In some cases, youmay also need a Ready maneuver toregain control of an unwieldy weaponafter a swing, or to adjust the reach ofa long weapon – see the Melee WeaponTable (p. 271).

You can use a Ready maneuver toperform physical actions other thanfighting: opening or closing a door,picking a lock, digging, lifting, etc.Continuing activities may requiremultiple, consecutive Ready maneu-vers; see Other Actions in Combat(p. 382).

Finally, a Ready maneuver lets youswitch an advantage “off” or “on” if itis not always on and does not requirean Attack or Concentrate maneuver touse.

For more information, seeReadying Weapons and Other Gear(p. 382) and When Is a Weapon Ready?(p. 382).

Movement: Step.Active Defense: Any.

WAITDo nothing unless a particular

event you specified in advanceoccurs before your next turn; e.g., afoe moves into range. If that hap-pens, you may transform your Waitinto an Attack, Feint, All-Out Attack(you must specify the option beforeacting), or Ready maneuver. If youare reacting to someone else, thisinterrupts his turn, but he canresume it after you’ve acted.

You must specify exactly what youraction will be when you take the Waitmaneuver, and what will trigger it. Forinstance, “I’ll make an All-Out Attack(Determined) with my sword on thefirst orc to move toward me.”

You may take a Wait with a readyranged weapon; this is known as “cov-ering” a target or area. If so, you mustspecify the zone that you are coveringwith that weapon. There is no penaltyto cover a one-yard area. For largerareas and additional rules, seeOpportunity Fire (p. 390).

You can use the Wait maneuverfor any “reflex action” you want toplan in advance, provided you speci-fy both the response and the actionthat will trigger it. This can includeholding a knife at a hostage’s throat,or even a noncombat action (e.g., “IfDora sees any orcs, she will pull thisrope immediately – otherwise, shedoes nothing.”). An action only qual-ifies as a “reflex” if you could do it ina single motion. The GM’s decision isfinal.

Finally, you can use Wait to coor-dinate actions with slower friends.

Stop Thrust: If you have a readythrusting weapon, you can use aWait to brace your weapon to receivea possible enemy charge. Simplystate, “I brace for a stop thrust.” Youcan convert your Wait into an Attackor All-Out Attack against any one foethat moves one or more yardstoward you to make a melee attack(armed or unarmed, including aslam or a grapple) or evade (seeEvading, p. 368). You strike first ifyou have the longer reach. If you hitand your foe fails to defend, add +1to thrust damage for every two fullyards your attacker moved towardyou.

Movement: None until your Wait istriggered. At that point, you may moveas allowed by the maneuver you spec-ified (Attack, Feint, All-Out Attack, orReady).

Active Defense: You may defendnormally while you are waiting orafter your Wait is triggered. But if youdefend while taking a Wait, you maynot transform your Wait into an All-Out Attack; you must convert yourWait into an Attack instead.

366 COMBAT

Basic movement does not require agame board. Instead, the GM shouldhave a general idea of the environ-ment, and mentally keep track of rela-tive distances between combatants orobjects – possibly referring to maps,notes, or diagrams. Should the playersask about reach or distance (“I want torun up and swing at him . . . how faraway is he?”), the GM’s judgment isfinal.

Since movement and facing issuesare in the GM’s head, it’s up to the GMhow much detail to give the players.The GM might carefully keep track ofevery yard of movement, taking noteson paper . . . or he might only worryabout exact distances when they areof vital importance. Most GMs willwant to adopt a middle ground. Forexample:

GM: “You see Indigo Joe 90 yardsnorth of you. He’s at the edge of thecemetery, crouched behind a tomb-stone, aiming his laser rifle at Kim.”

Player: “Damn, he spotted us. Isthere any cover nearby? I want to runtoward it.”

GM: “An outcropping of rock starts7 yards to your northwest, and thereare some trees about 10 yards to theeast. Your helicopter is parked 10yards behind you, if you want to fallback.”

Player: “No way! Kim will use aMove and Attack. She runs her fullMove toward the rocks, while firing atIndigo Joe with her Gauss rifle.”

GM: “Fine. You have Move 5?Okay, you’re now 2 yards from cover.Now it’s Joe’s turn. He fires an aimedshot . . .”

The GM should always provideenough detail to give the players tacti-cal choices, but not so much as tooverwhelm them. If things get confus-ing, a sketch map with a few notes canoften help. Groups that desire moredetail than that should consider usingthe tactical combat system in Chapter12 – or at least adopting some of thoserules to add extra detail to the guide-lines given here.

Here are a few “rules of thumb” formovement and combat. See MountedCombat (p. 396) and Vehicles (p. 462)

for notes on mounted and vehicularcombat, respectively.

MOVEMENTA combatant can move a maxi-

mum number of yards equal to his fullMove score if he took a Move or Moveand Attack maneuver. He can move upto half his Move if he chose an All-OutAttack or All Out Defense (IncreasedDodge) maneuver.

Obstacles and bad footing will generally slow movement. The GM

decides how many yards of movementa fighter must give up to cover oneyard of difficult terrain or to cross agiven obstacle. For instance, tangledbrush might cut Move in half, whileclimbing over a fallen body might costan extra yard of movement.

You can move while in almost anyposture, but you only get your fullMove if standing. You have 1/3 yourMove while crawling or kneeling – andyou have a flat Move 1 while lyingdown (belly crawl or rolling). You can-not move at all while sitting!

COMBAT 367

MOVEMENT AND COMBAT

STEPMost maneuvers allow you to take

a step, either before or after anotheraction. You may step a distance equalto 1/10 your Move, but never less thanone yard. Round all fractions up.Thus, Move 1-10 gives a one-yard step,Move 11-20 gives a two-yard step, andso on.

If you are capable of steps greaterthan one yard, you may break up yourmovement in a turn. For instance, ifyou had a two-yard step, you couldmove one yard, make an attack, andmove another yard during an Attackmaneuver.

You can use a step to go from akneeling to a standing posture (or viceversa) instead of moving. This requiresyour entire step, no matter how faryou could normally move.

You may always turn to face a dif-ferent direction as part of any step (oras the step, if you just want to changeyour facing).

SPACINGA human-sized fighter needs about

one yard (3’) of space; thus, two war-riors could move down a passage twoyards wide shoulder-to-shoulder – orhold it against a foe. A doorway isabout one yard wide, so a single per-son could hold it. All this assumesroom to attack and defend.Noncombatants could be packed in

much more tightly, but they wouldhave no room to react.

MOVINGTHROUGH OTHERCHARACTERS

You can always move throughspace occupied by your allies in com-bat, and you can run around an adver-sary who does not completely blockyour path (see Spacing, above). But ifthe GM rules that the only way past anopponent is through him, you musteither bowl him over (see Slam,p. 371) or “evade” him.

Evading“Evading” is moving through

ground occupied by an opponentwithout trying to knock him down.You can attempt this as part of anymaneuver that allows movement, pro-vided you can move fast enough to gopast your foe – not just up to him.

First, ask if your foe is trying tostop you. If he chooses to let you past,you “evade” him automatically – noroll is needed. If your foe wants to stopyou, roll a Quick Contest of DX.Modify your DX as follows:

-5 if your foe is standing up.-2 if your foe is kneeling.+2 if you are approaching your foe

from his right or left side.

+5 if you are approaching your foefrom behind.

+5 if your foe is lying down.

If you win, you evade him and arefree to move on. If you lose or tie, hegot in your way and stopped you.

You cannot evade anyone whileyou are being grappled (see Grappling,p. 370). You cannot evade a foe if thereis no logical way you could avoid hit-ting him, either (GM’s decision) . . .but note that huge creatures can stepover smaller ones, while small crea-tures can duck between the legs oflarger ones!

On the other hand, if you can usean advantage such as Flight or SuperJump to move up and over the foe’sreach in the vertical plane, you canevade him automatically!

CROUCHINGIf you are in a standing position,

you can elect to crouch at the begin-ning of your turn, as part of anymaneuver. If you don’t move, or if youonly step, you may also crouch afterperforming another action such asattacking or readying. However, youmay not move more than a step andthen crouch at the end of your move-ment to avoid attacks – not in one sec-ond! But if you are already crouching,you may leave your crouch at any timeas a free action.

368 COMBAT

An “attack” is an attempt to hit afoe or other target. If you execute anAttack, All-Out Attack, or Move andAttack maneuver (or convert a Waitinto any of these), you may try to hit afoe. You can only attack with aweapon if it’s ready (see Ready, p. 366).

The GM always has the option ofruling, for any reason having to dowith the situation, that some fighterscannot attack certain opponents. Forinstance, eight attackers could not hitone human-sized foe at the same time.(Even three or four attackers at oncewould be unlikely, unless their victimhad no allies!)

There are two basic types of attacks: melee attacks (pp. 369-372)and ranged attacks (pp. 372-374).Your target must be within reach if you’re making a melee attack, or

within range if you’re making aranged attack. Resolving either type ofattack takes three die rolls:

• First is your attack roll. If yourroll is successful, your attack was agood one.

• Now your foe must make adefense roll to see if he can defendagainst your blow. If he makes thisroll, he evaded or stopped the attack,and is not hit.

• If he misses his defense roll, yourblow struck home and you roll fordamage.

Some advantages (e.g., ExtraAttack) and combat options (see All-Out Attack, p. 365, and Rapid Strike,p. 370) let you attack more than once.Resolve such attacks one at a time.

ATTACK ROLLYour “attack roll” is a regular suc-

cess roll – see Chapter 10. Figure youreffective skill (base skill plus or minusany appropriate modifiers) with theweapon you are using.

If your roll is less than or equal toyour “effective” skill, your attack willhit unless your foe successfullydefends (see Defending, p. 374). If hefails to defend – or if he can’t – you’vehit him.

If your roll is greater than youreffective skill, you missed!

No matter what your effective skill,a roll of 3 or 4 always hits, and is a“critical hit”; see Critical Hits (p. 381).A roll of 17 or 18 always misses.

COMBAT 369

ATTACKING

MELEE ATTACKSWhen you take a maneuver that

lets you make a melee attack, youmust specify who you are attacking,and with what weapon. You can makea melee attack using any ready meleeweapon (including a natural weaponsuch as a kick, bite, or punch) againstany target that is within reach.

You can use some weapons inmore than one way; e.g., you canswing or thrust with a shortsword.Such weapons have multiple lines onthe Melee Weapon Table (p. 271). Whenyou attack with a weapon like this,you must indicate how you are usingit before you roll.

To HitFigure your adjusted chance to hit

by:

1. Taking your base skill with theweapon or unarmed attack you areusing.

2. Applying all conditional modi-fiers for your maneuver, situation,posture, and the target’s visibility. Adetailed list appears under MeleeAttack Modifiers (p. 547).

The result is your effective skill. Aroll of this number or less is a suc-cessful attack roll. It will hit, unless

the target succeeds with an activedefense.

Ready WeaponsA one-handed weapon is ready if

it’s being held in your hand. A two-handed weapon is ready if you aregripping it with both hands. Someunwieldy weapons (e.g., the great axe)become unready after each attackunless you are extremely strong; seethe Melee Weapon Table to learn whichweapons are unwieldy, and their STrequirements (always marked ‡).

To draw a new weapon from asheath, scabbard, or sling, or to readyan unwieldy weapon that becameunready after an attack, you must takea Ready maneuver (p. 366).

A natural weapon (punch, kick,etc.) is always ready unless the bodypart in question is occupied orrestrained; e.g., you can’t punch if youare holding a weapon with the samehand, or bite while wearing a full-facehelmet or gripping something withyour teeth.

ReachA melee weapon can only attack a

target that is within its reach (meas-ured in yards), as given on the Melee

Weapon Table. Most weapons have areach of 1, which means you must beadjacent to your target (that is, withinone yard of him). Reach plays a muchlarger role if using a game board; seeChapter 12.

MELEE ATTACKOPTIONS

Before making a melee attack, youmay specify some additional options.

Hit LocationIt is assumed that you are attacking

the target’s center of mass (the torso,on a human), unless you specify oth-erwise. If you wish to target anotherbody part (e.g., the head), see HitLocation (p. 398). If you choose toattack his weapon, see Striking atWeapons (p. 400).

Deceptive AttackYou may designate any melee

attack as “deceptive” before you roll tohit. A Deceptive Attack is intended toget past an opponent’s defensesthrough sheer skill. You can use thisoption to represent any number ofadvanced fighting techniques.

For every -2 you accept to yourown skill, your foe suffers a -1 penaltyon his active defenses against thisattack. You may not reduce your finaleffective skill below 10 with aDeceptive Attack, which normally lim-its it to skilled fighters.

The GM may opt to speed play bylimiting Deceptive Attacks to a flat -4to skill, giving the target -2 on hisactive defenses.

Rapid StrikeA Rapid Strike is a melee attack

executed swiftly enough that you getone extra attack. You must take anAttack or All-Out Attack maneuver,and you must use a ready weapon tomake the extra attack. Make twoattacks, both at -6 to skill. You can tar-get multiple opponents this way.

If you already have multipleattacks, for whatever reason, you canreplace one of them (and only one!)with two attacks at -6.

UNARMEDCOMBAT

Sometimes you have to fight with-out weapons, or with improvisedweapons. This is unarmed combat.Anyone can engage in unarmed com-bat, but certain skills make you a moreeffective unarmed fighter. For thispurpose:

• Striking skills are Boxing (p. 182),Brawling (p. 182), and Karate (p. 203).

•Grappling skills are Judo (p. 203),Sumo Wrestling (p. 223), andWrestling (p. 228).

StrikingSee the Melee Weapon Table (p. 271)

for the reach, damage, etc., of punch-es, kicks, bites, and other unarmedstrikes. For additional options, seeSample Combat Techniques (p. 230)and Special Unarmed CombatTechniques (p. 403). And see HurtingYourself (p. 379) for the effects of strik-ing an armored target barehanded . . .

GrabbingYou can grab something a foe is

holding, like a weapon. To do so, youmust have an empty hand (but someweapons, such as whips, can alsograb). Make an attack using DX or agrappling skill, with the usual penalty

to hit the hand (-4). Your opponentdefends normally.

If you hit, you’ve grabbed hold ofyour foe’s weapon. On subsequentturns, you may try to wrest it fromhim. Each attempt is a full-turnmaneuver. Roll a Regular Contest ofST. If you win, you take his weaponaway. If you lose, you lose your grip onhis weapon.

Grappling“Grappling” is an attempt to grab

your foe’s body. You must have at leastone empty hand. On a game board,you must also move into your foe’s hex(“close combat”).

Each attempt requires an Attack,All-Out Attack, or Move and Attackmaneuver. Roll against basic DX or agrappling skill to hit. Your foe maydefend normally – he can parry,dodge, or block. You may Evaluate orFeint beforehand to improve yourodds of success.

Grappling does no damage, but ifyou successfully hit, the foe has -4 toDX as long as you’re holding on. Hemay not move away until he breaksfree (see Actions After Being Grappled,p. 371) or you let go. Exception: If yougrapple a foe of more than twice yourST, you do not prevent him from mov-ing away – you’re just extra encum-brance for him!

You may grapple with any or all ofyour arms. If you grapple with morethan two arms, each arm beyond thefirst two gives a bonus of +2 to hit. Anarm committed to grappling cannotmake unarmed parries until you letgo. Letting go is a free action on yourturn.

If you are holding onto your foewith all your arms, the only furtherattacks you can make are those listedunder Actions After a Grapple, below.

Posture: To grapple a prone, kneel-ing, or sitting opponent, you mustkneel or lie down yourself, unless hisSize Modifier is two or more greaterthan yours. You may do this as part ofthe “step” component of an Attackmaneuver.

Hit Location: The rules aboveassume that you are grappling thetorso. To grab another body part,apply half the penalty given under HitLocation (p. 398) to your roll; seeGrappling and Hit Location, p. 400. If

you hit, your foe has -4 to DX onlywhen using that body part. You couldgrab a weapon arm or hand (to disarmyour victim), a leg (to trip him), or theneck (to strangle him). If you grab anarm or hand, you cannot snatch aweapon away, but you can force yourfoe to drop it by winning a RegularContest of ST – roll once per turn, asexplained under Grabbing (above).For a related technique, see Arm Lock(p. 230).

Actions After a GrappleOnce you have grappled a foe, you

may attempt the following moves onsubsequent turns (provided youropponent does not break free!). Eachaction requires an Attack or All-OutAttack maneuver.

TakedownThis is an attempt to bear your

opponent to the ground. You may onlytry this on a standing foe. Roll a QuickContest, with each contestant usingthe highest of ST, DX, or his best grap-pling skill. If you are not standing, youhave a penalty equal to the usualpenalty to hit for your posture. If youwin, your victim falls down next toyou (on a game board, he falls in yourhex and any adjacent hex of yourchoice). If he was grappling you, heloses his grip. If you lose, you sufferthe same effects! On a tie, nothinghappens.

PinYou may only attempt a pin if your

foe is on the ground and you are grap-pling his torso. Roll a Regular Contestof Strength. The larger fighter gets +3for every point by which his SizeModifier exceeds that of his foe. Thefighter with the most free hands gets+3. If you win, your foe is pinned andhelpless. You must stay there to holdhim down, but you can free one ofyour hands for other actions. If youlose or tie, nothing happens.

Choke or StrangleYou must have grappled your foe

by the neck. You must normally useyour hands, and can’t do anything elsewith them (e.g., parry) while holdingon – but if you have the ConstrictionAttack advantage (p. 43), you can useyour body instead. Roll a QuickContest: your ST vs. the higher of yourfoe’s ST or HT. You are at -5 if you useonly one hand, but at +2 per hand

370 COMBAT

after the first two. If your SizeModifier exceeds your foe’s, you cangrapple and squeeze his torso instead,in which case you roll at -5 unless youhave Constriction Attack. If you win,your foe takes crushing damage equalto your margin of victory. DR protectsnormally. Multiply injury to the neckby 1.5. If any damage – even blunttrauma (p. 379) – penetrates the vic-tim’s DR, you also start to suffocatehim! On his next turn and every sub-sequent turn until he escapes, he loses1 FP; see Suffocation (p. 436).

Choke HoldIf you have Judo or Wrestling skill,

you may try to apply a hold that canincapacitate without crushing thethroat or torso. See Choke Hold(p. 404).

Arm LockIf you have Judo or Wrestling skill,

you may try to apply a lock to restrainor cripple your opponent’s arm. SeeArm Lock (p. 403).

Neck Snap or Wrench LimbIf you grappled your foe’s neck or

skull, or a limb or other extremity, youcan twist. See Neck Snap or WrenchLimb (p. 404).

Other ActionsYou can bite or use a Striker (pro-

vided it has reach C) even if all yourhands are busy. If you’re not using ahand to grapple your foe, you can useit to Attack or All-Out Attack (eitherunarmed or with a reach C weapon),or to take a Ready maneuver. You can-not Aim, Feint, Concentrate, Wait, ormake ranged attacks unless you’vepinned your foe. You may also per-form the following free actions:

• Release your grip. Let go of thefoe, if you are grappling or pinninghim. Or you can release just one hand– but this makes it easier for him toescape.

• Throw away a ready weapon. Thisautomatically succeeds and takes notime. You may do this to get a uselessweapon out of your way, or to deprivethe foe of a chance to grab a usefulweapon (e.g., a blackjack) from you.

• Drag or carry your victim. Ifyou’ve pinned your foe, you can moveor step normally, dragging or carryinghim; see Lifting and Moving Things(p. 353) for how much you can lift ordrag. He counts as encumbrance,

reducing your Move. If you haven’tpinned him, moving away from himmeans you automatically release yourgrip unless you have at least twice hisST. If you’re that strong, you can pullor carry him with you!

SlamYou can deliberately collide with

an opponent. This requires an Attack,All-Out Attack, or Move and Attackmaneuver. Roll against DX, Brawling,or Sumo Wrestling to hit. Note thatthe -4 to hit and effective skill cap of 9for a Move and Attack do not apply toslams.

Your foe may block, dodge, orparry (but your body counts as aheavy weapon; see Parrying HeavyWeapons, p. 376). If your foe dodges,you must move at least two yards pasthim if you have enough movement. Ifyou would hit someone else, seeHitting the Wrong Target (p. 389).

If you hit, you and your foe eachinflict dice of crushing damage on theother equal to (HP ¥ velocity)/100.“Velocity” is usually just the numberof yards you moved this turn – but in

a head-on collision, add the distanceyour foe moved toward you on his lastturn (that is, use relative velocity).

If damage is less than 1d, treat frac-tions up to 0.25 as 1d-3, fractions upto 0.5 as 1d-2, and any larger fractionas 1d-1. Otherwise, round fractions of0.5 or more up to a full die. You canuse All-Out Attack (Strong) to increaseyour damage!

If your damage roll equals orexceeds that of your foe, he mustmake a DX roll or fall down. Youknock him down automatically if youroll twice his damage or more. If herolls twice your damage or more,though, you fall down instead!

If your opponent dodged and youwent past him and hit a solid obstacle,apply your damage roll to yourself(and to the obstacle, if it matters).

You can also slam with a vehicle ormount. Roll against your vehicle-oper-ation skill to hit with a vehicle, orRiding skill to hit with a mount.Figure damage based on the HP ofyour vehicle or mount.

For additional rules and specialcases, see Collisions and Falls (p. 430).

COMBAT 371

Actions After Being GrappledIf you have been grappled, you cannot take a Move maneuver unless

you have at least twice your foe’s ST. Aim, Feint, Concentrate, and Waitmaneuvers – and ranged attacks – are completely impossible. If you arepinned, you can’t take any maneuver that requires physical movement!Otherwise, you can do the following:

Attack or All-Out AttackYou can take either maneuver, with certain limitations. You cannot

use any limb that has been grappled – or bite, if your neck or head wasgrappled. You’re limited to unarmed attacks (striking or grappling) orattacks using weapons with reach C. You can stab with a dagger, butnot swing a sword!

ReadyYou can Ready an item if you have a hand free, but you must make

a DX roll. Failure means you drop the item. Ready maneuvers to switchadvantages off and on succeed automatically.

Break FreeIf you are grappled, you cannot move away until you break free by

winning a Quick Contest of ST. Your foe has +5 if he is grappling youwith two hands. If he has you pinned, he rolls at +10 if using two handsor at +5 if using only one, and you may only attempt to break free onceevery 10 seconds. If either of you has three or more arms, each armbeyond the first two gives +2. If your foe is stunned, he rolls at -4; if hefalls unconscious, you are automatically free! If you successfully breakfree, you may immediately move one yard in any direction.

Flying Tackle: As slam, but youmust have at least two legs and onearm free – most animals and vehiclescan’t do this! A flying tackle gives you+4 to hit and an extra yard of reach,and you may opt to roll againstJumping skill to hit. However, whetheryou succeed or fail, you end up lyingdown (in the same hex as your foe, ifyou are using a combat map).

Pounce: As flying tackle, but youmust have four or more legs. After youattack, make a DX, Acrobatics, or

Jumping roll. On a success, you stayon your feet! This is how some ani-mals attack, especially cats: theyknock down their foe and then claw orbite. If a mount tries this, the ridermust roll vs. Riding-4 or fall off!

Shield Rush: As slam, but youmust have a shield. Roll againstShield skill to hit, and add yourshield’s Defense Bonus to your dam-age roll. Your shield takes damageinstead of you, but you still fall down

if your opponent rolls twice yourbasic damage or more.

ShoveYou can shove a foe with one or

both arms. Roll against DX or SumoWrestling to hit. Your foe may block,dodge, or parry. If you hit, rollthrust/crushing damage – at -1 per die,if you used only one hand – and dou-ble it. This inflicts knockback (seeKnockback, p. 378), but never actualphysical injury.

372 COMBAT

RANGED ATTACKSA “ranged attack” is any attack

with a weapon used at a distance,from a thrown rock to a laser rifle.This includes Missile spells and theAffliction, Binding, and Innate Attackadvantages (unless given the Aura,Malediction, or Melee Attack modi-fiers). Most other spells and advan-tages are not considered rangedattacks.

RangeYou can only make a ranged attack

on a target that falls within yourweapon’s range. To find this, see therelevant weapon table or advantage orspell description. Most ranged attackslist Half Damage (1/2D) range andMaximum (Max) range, in yards. Yourtarget must be no farther away thanMax range; 1/2D range only affectsdamage.

A few weapons have a minimumrange, as they lob projectiles in a higharc, or have fusing or guidance limits.When using a weapon like this, yourtarget can’t be any closer than theminimum range.

To HitFigure your adjusted chance to hit

by:

1. Taking your base skill with yourranged weapon.

2. Adding your weapon’s Accuracy(Acc) if you preceded your attack withan Aim maneuver.

3. Applying the target’s SizeModifier (SM). See Size Modifier(p. 19).

4. Modifying for the target’s rangeand speed (done as a single modifier),

from the Size and Speed/Range Table(p. 550).

5. Modifying for circumstances(rapid fire, movement, darkness,cover, etc.), including any special con-ditions determined by the GM. SeeRanged Attack Modifiers (p. 548) for asummary.

The result is your effective skill. Aroll of this number or less is a suc-cessful attack roll. It will hit, unlessthe target succeeds with an activedefense.

Accuracy and Aimed Fire

All ranged weapons have anAccuracy (Acc) statistic. This is thebonus you get if you take one or moreAim maneuvers immediately beforeyou attack.

When you Aim, you can receiveother bonuses for extra seconds ofaim, bracing your weapon, or using ascope or a laser sight. These benefitsare discussed under Aim (p. 364) andsummarized under Ranged CombatModifiers (p. 548). The sum of Acc andall extra aimed-fire bonuses can neverexceed twice the base Acc of theattack.

Size ModifierA human-sized target has a Size

Modifier (SM) of 0; there is no bonusor penalty to hit. Larger targets have apositive SM, while smaller targetshave a negative SM. Add SM to yourskill. The SM of a character or a vehi-cle appears on its character sheet orvehicle description. For other objects,use the Size and Speed/Range Table(p. 550).

Target’s Range and Speed

A distant target is harder to hit. Asa rule of thumb, a target up to 2 yardsaway is close enough that there’s nopenalty to hit. At 3 yards, you have -1to hit; at up to 5 yards, -2; at up to 7yards, -3; at up to 10 yards, -4; and soon, with each approximately 50%increase in range giving a further -1to hit.

Consult the Speed/Range columnof the Size and Speed/Range Table(p. 550) to find the exact penalty. Forranges that fall between two values onthe table, use the larger penalty. Forvery distant targets, the table also pro-vides the equivalent range in miles.

Example: Infinity Patrol agentJenny Atkins is shooting on the firingrange. The target is 17 yards (50’)away. This rounds up to 20 yards, for-6 to hit.

A fast-moving target is also harderto hit. Consult the same column of thetable, but use speed in yards per sec-ond (2 mph = 1 yard/second) insteadof range in yards to find the penalty.

If the target is both distant and fastmoving, add range (in yards) to speed(in yards per second), and look up thetotal in the Speed/Range column tofind the penalty to hit. (Do not look upthe range and speed penalties sepa-rately and add them together! Greatrange mitigates the effects of speed,and vice versa.)

Examples: Agent Atkins fires herpistol at a Centrum spy who is mak-ing a getaway on a speeding motorcy-cle. Her target is 50 yards away and

traveling at 60 mph, or Move 30. Thisis a speed/range of 50 + 30 = 80. Perthe Size and Speed/Range Table, thisgives -10 to hit.

Ranged Attacks on Human Targets

When using a ranged weaponagainst a target moving at humanspeeds – anything up to Move 10 – youmay simplify the calculation by usingjust a range modifier and neglectingspeed (unless the target is flying,sprinting, or something similar).Assume that the target’s ability to takea dodge defense adequately representsthe effects of movement.

THROWNWEAPONATTACKS

“Thrown weapons” are weaponsyou must physically hurl at the target:rocks, hand grenades, ninja stars(shuriken), etc. You can also throwcertain melee weapons, such as hatch-ets, knives, and spears. See theMuscle-Powered Ranged Weapon Table(p. 275) for statistics and skillsrequired. See Chapter 13 for theeffects of grenades and incendiaries.

Treat a thrown weapon just likeany other ranged attack, with a fewspecial rules:

• Once you throw a weapon, it’s nolonger ready! Hit or miss, yourweapon is now somewhere else. If youwant to attack again, you’ll have to gofetch your weapon (from the ground. . . or your foe’s body) or ready a newone.

• The range of a thrown weapon isusually a multiple of your ST; e.g.,“ST¥2.” This is given on the Muscle-Powered Ranged Weapon Table formany common thrown weapons. Todetermine range (and damage) foranything not listed there, seeThrowing (p. 355).

• A thrown weapon travels fairlyslowly. Your target has the option ofusing a block or a parry active defenseinstead of a dodge. Success by 5+ (orcritical success) with an unarmedparry means your target has caughtthe weapon!

MISSILEWEAPONATTACKS

“Missile weapons” are rangedattacks other than thrown weapons:bows, firearms, Missile spells, rangedInnate Attacks, and so on. They fallinto two broad categories.

Muscle-Powered Missile Weapons:These include bows, slings, and cross-bows. As with thrown weapons, yourrange and damage are determined byyour ST – or in the case of a bow or acrossbow, by the weapon’s ST. See theMuscle-Powered Ranged Weapon Table(p. 275) for details.

Firearms: These include guns,beam weapons, and self-propelledprojectiles. See the Firearms Table(pp. 278-280) for statistics and specialrules for all types of high-tech missileweapons – from black-powderweapons through contemporary gunsand on to science-fiction weaponssuch as lasers.

Rate of FireAll missile weapons have a Rate of

Fire (RoF) statistic. If RoF is 1, theweapon can fire one shot per attack. IfRoF is 2 or more, the weapon is capa-ble of firing more than one shot perattack; see Rapid Fire (below).

Examples: A bow has RoF 1; it canfire one shot per attack. A .38 revolverhas RoF 3; it can fire up to three shotsper attack. A machine gun has RoF 10;it can fire up to 10 shots per attack . . .but this is still one attack roll, not 10separate attacks!

Reloading and ShotsMissile weapons also have a Shots

statistic. Once you have fired thismany shots, you must reload beforeyou can fire the weapon again.

Reloading requires a number ofReady maneuvers; see ReadyingWeapons and Other Gear (p. 382). Thetime required to reload appears inparentheses after the weapon’s Shotsentry in the weapon tables.

Reloading restores the weapon’sfull number of shots. If a weapon hasonly one shot, this represents loadinga new one. If it has multiple shots, thisrepresents changing the magazine,

belt, etc. The exception to this is multi-shot weapons that have cylinders,hoppers, or internal magazines. Theirloading time is designated “i” (for“individually loaded”), and is per shot(unless sped up by some mechanism,such as a speed loader).

Examples: A bow has Shots 1(2); itcan fire one arrow, after which it takesthe archer two seconds to prepareanother. A .38 revolver has Shots 6(3i);it can fire six shots, after which eachshot takes 3 seconds to reload. Amachine gun has Shots 200(5); it canfire 200 shots, after which it takes 5seconds to change the belt.

Rapid FireSome missile weapons have RoF 2

or more. This means they can firemultiple shots per attack, up to a max-imum equal to their RoF. For exam-ple, a .38 revolver with RoF 3 couldfire 1, 2, or 3 shots per attack. Ofcourse, you can never fire more shotsthan your weapon currently hasremaining, regardless of its RoF.

Rapid-fire weapons use the Recoil(Rcl) statistic, which measures howcontrollable the weapon is when firingmultiple shots. Rcl helps determinethe number of hits a rapid-fire attackcan inflict. The lower the Rcl, the easi-er the weapon is to control. Rcl 1means the weapon is recoilless, likemost beam weapons.

If a weapon has RoF 2 or more,you must decide how many shots (upto RoF) you wish to fire before youmake your attack roll. Firearms firedat RoF 1-3 are firing one shot per trig-ger pull; those fired at RoF 4+ areusually firing “full auto” like amachine gun – either in short burstsor continuously.

Firing a large number of shots perattack gives a bonus to hit, as shownon this table:

Shots Bonus to Hit2-4 +05-8 +19-12 +213-16 +317-24 +425-49 +550-99 +6

each ¥2 +1 to hit

COMBAT 373

Rapid fire may score multiple hitsfrom a single attack. A successfulattack means you scored at least onehit – and possibly a number of extrahits, up to a maximum equal to thenumber of shots you fired. To find thenumber of hits you scored, compareyour margin of success on the attackroll to your weapon’s Recoil.

An attack scores one extra hit forevery full multiple of Recoil by whichyou make your attack roll. The totalnumber of hits cannot exceed shotsfired. For instance, if your attack hadRcl 2, success by 0-1 would mean onehit; success by 2-3, one extra hit; suc-cess by 4-5, two extra hits; success by6-7, three extra hits; and so on.

High-RoF weapons (those withRoF 5+) can also spread fire amongmultiple targets (see Spraying Fire,p. 409) or fire lots of shots to “sup-press” an area (see Suppression Fire,p. 409). Other special rules apply torapid fire with certain weapons – seeSpecial Rules for Rapid Fire (p. 408).

374 COMBAT

DEFENDINGIf you make your attack roll, you

have not (yet) actually struck your foe,unless you rolled a critical hit. Yourattack is good enough to hit him – if hefails to defend.

There are three “active defenses”that a fighter can use to evade or wardoff an attack: Dodge (see Dodging,below), Parry (see Parrying, p. 376),and Block (see Blocking, p. 375). Youshould calculate these active defensescores in advance and record them onyour character sheet.

An active defense is a deliberateattempt to avoid a particular attack.It’s only possible if the defender isaware of the possibility of an attackfrom his assailant and is free to react. . . by moving out of the way of theattack (a dodge), deflecting the attackwith a weapon or empty hand (aparry), or interposing a shield (ablock).

If a foe makes a successful attackroll against you, you may choose oneactive defense and attempt a “defenseroll” against it. Exception: The All-OutDefense (Double Defense) maneuverlets you attempt a second defenseagainst a particular attack if your firstdefense fails.

The active defense you choosedepends on your situation – especiallythe maneuver you chose last turn.Some maneuvers restrict the activedefenses you can make. Notably, if youmade an All-Out Attack, you have noactive defense.

You also get no active defense ifyou’re unaware of the attack.Examples of situations in which noactive defense is possible include astab in the back from a “friend,” a sur-prise sniper’s shot, and a totally unex-pected booby trap. And you get noactive defense if you are unconscious,immobilized, or otherwise unable toreact.

ACTIVE DEFENSEROLLS

The defender rolls 3d against hisactive defense score. If his roll is lessthan or equal to his effective defense,he dodged, parried, or blocked theattack. Otherwise, his active defensewas ineffective and the attack struckhome. If this occurs, roll for damage.

An active defense roll of 3 or 4 isalways successful – even if your effec-tive defense score was only 1 or 2! Aroll of 17 or 18 always fails.

Your foe does not get to attempt adefense roll if you rolled a critical hitagainst him.

Several modifiers apply to activedefense rolls; see below for explana-tions of a few of these. For a completelist of modifiers, see Active DefenseModifiers (p. 548).

Injury and Active Defenses

If you are stunned, any activedefense is at -4. Active defenses nevertake a penalty for shock, however. Formore on stunning and shock, seeEffects of Injury (p. 380).

Shields and Defense Bonus

If you have a ready shield, add itsDefense Bonus (DB) to any Dodge,Parry, or Block roll against an attackthat came from in front of you or fromyour shield side.

Defense Bonus is 1 for a smallshield, light cloak, and most impro-vised shields; 2 for a medium shield orheavy cloak; and 3 for a large shield orforce shield. The Shield spell (p. 252)gives a DB of 1-4.

A shield’s DB adds to active defenserolls against melee attacks, thrownweapons, and muscle-powered missileweapons – not against firearms(unless the GM wishes to use theoptional Damage to Shields rules,p. 484).

Retreating andDropping Prone

In some situations, you may giveground or drop prone for a bonus toyour Dodge, Parry, or Block score. SeeActive Defense Options (p. 377).

DODGINGA “dodge” is an active attempt to

move out of the perceived path of anattack. This is often the best defensewhen you’re not skilled with yourweapon and you have no shield, whenyou’re attacked multiple times, orwhen your foe has such a powerfulweapon that you fear parrying orblocking it may destroy your weaponor shield.

Dodge is normally the only activedefense you can take against firearms.This does not mean you can actuallydodge bullets! A dodge against thiskind of attack represents an attemptnot to be where you think your oppo-nent will shoot, by weaving or duckingat the right moment.

Your Dodge active defense is BasicSpeed + 3, dropping all fractions, lessa penalty equal to your encumbrancelevel (see Encumbrance and Move,p. 17). List Dodge on your charactersheet for quick reference.

You may dodge any attack exceptone that you did not know about! Youonly get one Dodge roll against a givenattack.

If a single rapid-fire attack scoresmultiple hits, a successful Dodge rolllets you avoid one hit, plus additionalhits equal to your margin of success. Acritical success lets you dodge all hitsyou took from that attack.

Example: A machine gun gets fourhits against you. Your Dodge is 10.You roll an 8, succeeding by 2. Youdodge three of the hits; only one bulletstrikes you.

You only get one active defenseagainst each attack, unless you use All-Out Defense (Double Defense), butthere is no limit to the number oftimes you may dodge different attacksduring your turn.

Acrobatic DodgeIf you have put at least one point

into the Acrobatics skill, you can try a“fancy” dodge once during your turn.You may define this as jumping over asword blow, cartwheeling away, orwhatever else you like. Make anAcrobatics roll before you attemptyour Dodge roll. (If flying, roll againstAerobatics instead.) On a success, you

get +2 to that Dodge roll. On a failure,you get -2.

You can combine this option with aretreat (see Retreat, p. 377).

Sacrificial DodgeYou can defend a friend by throw-

ing yourself into the path of an attackagainst him. To do so, you must beclose enough to interpose yourselfbetween your friend and his attackerby taking a step (see Step, p. 368).Announce this after the enemy makeshis attack roll but before your friendattempts his defense roll.

Use the ordinary rules for a dodge,except that you cannot combine thiswith a retreat (see Retreat, p. 377). Ifyou succeed, you are hit by the attack.If you fail, you didn’t move in time,but your friend still gets his normaldefense roll. In either case, since youmoved, you cannot retreat if you areattacked before your next turn.

Vehicular DodgeAn evasively maneuvering vehicle

gets a Dodge roll. Instead of BasicSpeed + 3, use half the operator’s skill

(Driving, Piloting, etc.), roundeddown, modified by the vehicle’sHandling statistic. For example, abiker with Driving (Motorcycle)-14 ona motorcycle with Handling +1 wouldhave a Dodge of 8.

BLOCKINGA “block” is an attempt to interpose

a shield, cloak, or similar large objectbetween yourself and an attack. Thisrequires a ready shield or cloak. (Ifyou’re strong enough to grab and liftsomeone, you can block with hisbody!)

Your Block active defense is 3 +half your Shield or Cloak skill, drop-ping all fractions. For instance,Shield-11 would give a Block of 3 +(11/2) = 8.5, which rounds down to 8.

In general, you can block anymelee attack, thrown weapon, project-ed liquid, or muscle-powered missileweapon. You cannot block bullets orbeam weapons . . . these come too fastto be stopped this way.

You may attempt to block only oneattack per turn.

COMBAT 375

PARRYINGA “parry” is an attempt to deflect a

blow using a weapon or your barehands. You cannot parry unless yourweapon is ready – or, if you areunarmed, you have an empty hand.

You can use most melee weaponsto parry; see the Parry column of theMelee Weapon Table (p. 271) for specialrestrictions and modifiers. Some heftyweapons (e.g., axes) are unbalanced:you cannot use them to parry if you’vealready used them to attack on yourturn. (You can still parry with aweapon in your other hand, if youhave one.) A few long, well-balancedweapons (e.g., the quarterstaff) get a+1 or +2 bonus to parry due to theirability to keep a foe at bay.

Your Parry active defense with agiven weapon is 3 + half your skill withthat weapon, dropping all fractions.For instance, Broadsword-13 wouldgive a Parry of 9.

A parry won’t stop anything exceptmelee attacks or thrown weapons,unless you have special skills.Exception: If a foe attacks you with amissile weapon and he is within reachof your melee weapon, you may parry.You’re parrying the weapon, not theprojectile! For example, if an attackerfired a pistol at you from only oneyard away, you could attempt to parry

barehanded. Success would mean thatyou slapped his arm or gun aside,causing him to fire wide of your body.

Number of Parries: Once you haveattempted a parry with a particularweapon or bare hand, furtherattempts to parry with that weapon orhand are at a cumulative -4 per parryafter the first. Reduce this to -2 perparry if you are using a fencingweapon or have the Trained By AMaster or Weapon Master advantage –or to -1 per parry if both conditionsare true. This penalty only applies tomultiple parries on the same turn; itdoes not carry over between turns.

Parrying with the Off Hand: Youparry with your “off” hand (your leftor “shield” hand if right handed; seeHandedness, p. 17), or with a weaponheld in it, at -4 to skill. Since Parry iscalculated off half skill, this gives -2 toParry. You may ignore this penalty ifyou have the Ambidexterity advantage(p. 39).

Parrying Thrown Weapons: You canparry thrown weapons, but at a penal-ty: -1 for most thrown weapons, or -2for small ones such as knives,shuriken, and other weapons thatweigh 1 lb. or less.

Parrying Unarmed Attacks: If yousuccessfully parry an unarmed attack(bite, punch, etc.) with a weapon, you

may injure your attacker. Immediatelyroll against your skill with the weaponyou used to parry. This roll is at -4 ifyour attacker used Judo or Karate. Ifyou succeed, your parry struck theattacker’s limb squarely. He gets nodefense roll against this! Roll damagenormally.

Parrying WithImprovised Weapons

You can parry with anything ofsuitable size and shape, using the clos-est weapon skill. A pole or rifle couldparry like a staff, a bow like a lightclub. However, parrying just once witha bow will ruin it as a bow – althoughit may survive for a few seconds longeras a club! Other fragile objects may besimilarly ruined. Most improvisedweapons count as “cheap” for break-age; see Parrying Heavy Weapons (box)for what this implies.

Parrying UnarmedIf you are fighting without

weapons, or with at least one handfree, you may choose to parry bare-handed. Beings that lack hands (likemost animals) can’t parry unarmed –they can only dodge.

You can use Boxing, Brawling,Judo, or Karate skill – or DX, if high-er – to parry with one hand. You canalso parry with Sumo Wrestling or

376 COMBAT

You cannot use a flimsy rapier to parry a titan’s tree-sized club, the slam of a charging linebacker, or thesword of a giant robot! Heavy weapons are liable toknock your weapon away – or even break it.

The same is true for unarmed attacks from high-STcreatures. For the purpose of these rules, treat a punch,kick, bite, etc. as a weapon with an effective weight of1/10 the attacker’s ST. Use his full ST if he made a slam,flying tackle, pounce, or shield rush!

Your weapon may break if it parries anything threeor more times its own weight. (This does not apply tobarehanded parries; for damage to limbs when parry-ing unarmed, see Parrying Unarmed.)

A weapon parrying three times its own weight has a2 in 6 chance of breaking: it breaks on a roll of 1 or 2on 1d. Add +1 to these odds per whole-numbered mul-tiple past 3 (a 3 in 6 chance at 4 times weapon weight,a 4 in 6 chance at 5 times, and so on). Weapon quality

modifies these odds: +2 if the parrying weapon ischeap, -1 if fine, or -2 if very fine.

If your weapon breaks, the parry still counts unlessthe odds of breakage exceeded 6 in 6. If so, yourweapon offered so little resistance that the parry doesnot count!

Regardless of the weight of your weapon, if you areparrying unarmed or using a one-handed weapon, youcannot parry a weapon heavier than your Basic Lift –or twice BL, if using a two-handed weapon. Attemptsto parry anything heavier fail automatically; whether ornot your weapon breaks, the attack sweeps it aside anddamages you normally. If your weapon does not break,you drop it; if you are unarmed, you are knocked backone yard (make a DX roll to avoid falling over).

An attacker can also deliberately break or knockaway weapons; see Striking at Weapons (p. 400).

Parrying Heavy Weapons

Wrestling skill, but this requires bothhands. Your Parry active defense is 3+ half your skill or DX, dropping allfractions.

There’s no penalty to parry anotherunarmed attack. You are at -3 to parryweapons, unless the attack is a thrustor you are using Judo or Karate (ineither case, use your full parry). Seeindividual unarmed-combat skilldescriptions for other limitations.

A failed parry means you are hit. Ifyou are using hit locations, a failedparry against a weapon means yourattacker may choose to hit his originaltarget or the arm you parried with! Ifyour arm suffers more than half yourHit Points in injury, it is automaticallycrippled (see Crippling Injury, p. 420).

Some unarmed skills (e.g., Judo)give you special options after a suc-cessful parry. See individual skilldescriptions for details.

ACTIVE DEFENSEOPTIONS

You can improve your odds of suc-cess with an active defense by choos-ing one of these options to go alongwith it.

Retreat“Retreat” is not a separate defense,

but an option you may add to anyactive defense against a melee attack.To exercise this option, you mustmove away from your attacker: atleast one yard, but not more than 1/10your Move – exactly as for a step (seeStep, p. 368).

Retreating gives +3 to Dodge, or +1to Block or Parry. Exception: If you

parry using Boxing, Judo, Karate, orany fencing skill (Main-Gauche,Rapier, Saber, or Smallsword), aretreat gives +3 to Parry, as theseforms make superior use of mobility.

Your step back takes place immedi-ately. It is assumed to occur as yourfoe is striking. If it would take you outof your attacker’s reach, he still gets hisattack. If he has multiple attacks (e.g.,from an Extra Attack, All-Out Attack,or Rapid Strike), your retreat does notput you beyond the reach of hisremaining attacks. However, you getyour retreating bonus on all activedefense rolls against all of his attacksuntil your next turn.

If your opponent attacked you witha maneuver that allows a step, but hasnot yet taken his step, he can chooseto follow you by taking his unusedstep. In effect, he is forcing you back!

You can retreat only once duringyour turn. In other words, once youretreat, you may not retreat againuntil after your next turn.

You cannot retreat while in a sit-ting or kneeling posture, or whilestunned. You also cannot retreat if youmoved faster than your Basic Move onyour last turn (that is, if you weresprinting or using Enhanced Move).

You can retreat (by rolling) if youare lying down.

Dodge and DropWhen under fire, hit the dirt! You

may drop to the ground while dodg-ing, earning a +3 bonus to Dodge. Thisis a “dodge and drop.” It is similar to aretreat, but only effective againstranged attacks. It also has a drawback:it leaves you prone on the ground.

Like a retreat, a dodge and dropapplies to all of your defenses againstone foe for one turn. Any cover youdrop behind does not count againstthe initial attack that inspired thedodge and drop, but is effectiveagainst subsequent attacks directed atyou.

Sacrificial Dodge and Drop: You canuse dodge and drop in conjunctionwith sacrificial dodge (p. 375) to pro-tect a friend who is no more than astep away from you. If you succeed,you both fall prone and you take thehit . . . unless you succeed by 3 ormore, in which case neither of you ishit! You can also use a sacrificialdodge and drop to throw yourself onan explosive (e.g., a hand grenade). Ifyou succeed, treat the blast as a con-tact explosion (see p. 415).

Diving for Cover: You may alsoattempt a dodge and drop if you arewithin the area of effect of an explo-sion, cone, or area-effect attack andthere is cover (such as a trench) only astep away. Success means you reach itin time; failure means you don’t. Evenif there is no cover handy, an extrayard or two of distance from a blastcan still help, since explosive damagedeclines with distance. If you succeed,you are a step farther away; if you fail,you suffer the effect before you makeyour step.

Flying or Swimming: Dodge anddrop is possible only if a step wouldtake you below concealing terrain(e.g., a flyer dropping below a hill-crest). You don’t end up prone. Youcan still dive for cover to increase yourdistance from an explosion, etc.

COMBAT 377

DAMAGE AND INJURYIf your attack roll succeeds and

your target fails his defense roll (ifany), you hit him! If your attack is onethat can do damage, you must nowmake a “damage roll.” This tells youhow much basic damage you deal toyour target.

Your weapon (and, for muscle-powered weapons, your ST), or yournatural or Innate Attack, determinesthe number of dice you roll for dam-age. If your target has any DamageResistance (DR) – from armor, theDamage Resistance advantage (p. 46),

protective magic spells, etc. – he sub-tracts this from your damage roll. Ifyour attack has an armor divisor (seepp. 102, 110), this modifies your tar-get’s DR.

If your damage roll is less than orequal to your target’s effective DR,your attack failed to penetrate – itbounced off or was absorbed. A cut-ting, crushing, impaling, or piercingattack can sometimes cause damagewithout penetrating, however; seeFlexible Armor and Blunt Trauma(p. 379).

If your damage roll exceeds yourtarget’s DR, the excess is the penetrat-ing damage. If your foe has no DR,the entire damage roll is penetratingdamage.

Once you know the penetratingdamage of your attack, apply thewounding modifier for damage type(this matters only for cutting, impal-ing, and certain types of piercing dam-age; see p. 379). This gives the injurythe foe suffers, which is subtractedfrom his Hit Points.

Example: Your “basic damage”with your sword is 2d+1 cutting. Youroll 2 dice, add 1, and do 8 points ofbasic damage. Your foe has DR 3, soyour penetrating damage is 5 points.You then apply the ¥1.5 woundingmodifier for cutting attacks, resultingin 7 points of injury (always rounddown). Your foe loses 7 HP.

DAMAGE ROLLYou usually make your own dam-

age rolls, and the GM rolls for NPCs.Damage rolls are expressed as a num-ber of dice, sometimes with a modifi-er; e.g., “6d-1” or “1d+2.” A negativemodifier can’t reduce damage below 0if the attack does crushing damage, orbelow 1 if it does any other type ofdamage.

High-damage attacks may expressdamage as a number of dice with amultiplier. For instance, “6d¥3” means“roll 6d and multiply the total by 3.” Ifthose six dice came up 21, you woulddo 63 points of damage. This is just aquick way to roll lots of dice.

The result of the damage roll (afterany additive or multiplicative modi-fiers, as explained above) is the hit’s“basic damage.”

Half Damage (1/2D) for Ranged Weapons

If a ranged weapon has two rangestatistics, the first is its Half Damage(1/2D) range, in yards. If the target isat or beyond 1/2D range, divide basicdamage by 2, rounding down. (This isa simplification! Realistically, mostweapons lose striking power graduallyas air resistance slows them down, buta detailed calculation would beunplayable.)

Some ranged weapons (e.g.,grenades) do not suffer a reduction indamage; these do not list a 1/2D range.The damage of an attack modifiedwith Follow-Up (p. 105) is neverhalved, either – although its “carrier”attack is subject to 1/2D effects asusual.

Finally, if an attack has a 1/2Drange but requires a resistance roll toavoid an affliction of some sort, add+3 to the resistance roll instead ofhalving damage (if any).

DAMAGERESISTANCE ANDPENETRATION

Damage Resistance (DR) rates thedegree of protection that natural orworn armor, a force field, tough skin,etc. affords against damage. Objectsand vehicles have their own DR valuesthat protect against any damage theysuffer – and if you take cover behindor inside them, their DR also protectsyou.

Subtract DR from basic damage.The result is the “penetrating damage”that punched through or deformed thearmor enough to cause a significantinjury. For instance, if you are hit byan attack that inflicts 6 points of basicdamage and you’re wearing mail withDR 4, you take 2 points of penetratingdamage.

In general, DR from multiplesources is additive; e.g., if you have anatural DR of 2 and put on a tacticalvest with DR 15, your total DR is 17.Exceptions will always be noted.

The DR of armor often varies bybody part. If you are not using the hitlocation rules (see Hit Location,p. 398), just assume that any hitstrikes the torso, and apply its DR.

Finally, note that DR from certainsources may provide differing degreesof protection against different damagetypes.

For more on DR, see DamageResistance (p. 46) and Armor (p. 282).

Armor Divisors andPenetration Modifiers

An “armor divisor” indicates thatan attack is especially good (or bad)at penetrating Damage Resistance.Armor divisors appear on weapontables as numbers in parenthesesafter damage dice; e.g., “3d(2) pi”means 3d piercing damage with a (2)armor divisor.

A divisor of (2) or more means thatDR protects at reduced value againstthe attack. Divide the target’s DR bythe number in parentheses before sub-tracting it from basic damage; e.g., (2)means DR protects at half value.Round DR down. Minimum DR is 0.

378 COMBAT

KnockbackWhen you hit someone very hard, you may knock him away from

you! This is called “knockback.” Only crushing and cutting attacks cancause knockback. A crushing attack can cause knockback regardless ofwhether it penetrates DR. A cutting attack can cause knockback only ifit fails to penetrate DR.

Knockback depends on basic damage rolled before subtracting DR.For every full multiple of the target’s ST-2 rolled, move the target oneyard away from the attacker. For instance, a man with ST 10 would beknocked back one yard per full 8 points of basic damage. If the targethas ST 3 or less, knockback is one yard per point of basic damage! Ifthe target has no ST score at all (like a wall), or is not resisting, use itsHP instead.

Anyone who suffers knockback must attempt a roll against the high-est of DX, Acrobatics, or Judo. If he is knocked back more than oneyard, he rolls at -1 per yard after the first. Perfect Balance (p. 74) gives+4 to this roll. On a failure, he falls down.

If you knock your foe into something solid, the result – includingdamage to him and whatever he hit – is as if he had collided with itat a speed equal to the yards of knockback. See Collisions and Falls(p. 430).

“Knockback Only”: Some attacks – a jet of water, a shove (p. 372),etc. – do knockback but no damage. Roll the listed damage and workout knockback as usual, but no actual injury occurs (unless the targetcollides with something!).

Some divisors are fractions, suchas (0.5), (0.2), or (0.1). DR is increasedagainst such attacks: multiply DR by 2for (0.5), by 5 for (0.2), and by 10 for(0.1). In addition, treat DR 0 (e.g., bareskin) as if it were DR 1 against anyfractional armor divisor!

There are several other “penetra-tion modifiers” that affect the protec-tion required to stop a given attack –see Blood Agent (p. 110), ContactAgent (p. 111), Follow-Up (p. 105),Respiratory Agent (p. 108), and Sense-Based (pp. 109, 115). These are oftenfound on Afflictions and toxicattacks. See Special PenetrationModifiers (p. 416) for details.

Flexible Armor and Blunt Trauma

Flexible armor such as a leatherjacket, mail hauberk, or a modern bal-listic vest is much lighter than rigidarmor, but it doesn’t absorb the fullforce of the blows it stops. An attackthat does crushing (cr), cutting (cut),impaling (imp), or piercing (pi-, pi, pi+,pi++) damage may inflict “blunt trau-ma” if it fails to penetrate flexible DR.

For every full 10 points of cutting,impaling, or piercing damage or 5points of crushing damage stopped byyour DR, you suffer 1 HP of injury dueto blunt trauma. This is actual injury,not basic damage. There is no wound-ing multiplier.

If even one point of damage pene-trates your flexible DR, however, youdo not suffer blunt trauma.

If you layer other DR over flexibleDR, only damage that penetrates theouter layer can inflict blunt trauma.

CorrosionAn attack that inflicts corrosion

(cor) damage – acids, disintegrationbeams, etc. – destroys one point of the target’s DR per 5 points of basic

damage rolled. This affects armorfirst, then natural DR. This reducesDR against future attacks, not againstthe attack that burned off the DR!Natural DR lost by living beings healsat the same rate as lost HP.

Overpenetration and Cover

Some attacks are powerful enoughto pass right through cover, a shield,or a victim, and damage someone onthe other side. It’s usually too muchtrouble to worry about this, but if itbecomes important (e.g., shootingthrough a door, or a bystander behindyour target), see Overpenetration(p. 408).

Hurting YourselfAny time you strike unarmed (with

bare hands, feet, fangs, etc.) and hit atarget with DR 3+, you may hurt your-self! For every 5 points of basic dam-age you roll, you take one point ofcrushing damage, up to a maximumequal to the DR of the target you hit.Apply this damage to the body partyou used to attack, if you are using hitlocations. Your own DR protectsagainst this damage. Exception: Thisrule does not apply if the target’s DRhas the Tough Skin limitation (seeDamage Resistance, p. 46).

WOUNDINGMODIFIERSAND INJURY

Any damage left over after sub-tracting DR from basic damage is“penetrating damage.” If there is anypenetrating damage, multiply it by theattack’s “wounding modifier.” This is amultiplier that depends on damagetype:

• Small piercing (pi-): ¥0.5.• Burning (burn), corrosion (cor),

crushing (cr), fatigue (fat), piercing(pi), and toxic (tox): ¥1 (damage isunchanged).

• Cutting (cut) and large piercing(pi+): ¥1.5.

• Impaling (imp) and huge piercing(pi++): ¥2.

The damage after this multiplierdetermines the injury: the HP lost bythe target. Round fractions down, butthe minimum injury is 1 HP for anyattack that penetrates DR at all.Reduce the victim’s current HP totalby the injury sustained.

Example: Filthy Pierre is struck byan axe, which does cutting damage.His attacker’s basic damage roll is 7,but Pierre is wearing DR 2 leatherarmor, so he suffers 5 points of pene-trating damage. Multiplying by 1.5 forcutting damage, Pierre ends up losing7.5 HP, which rounds to 7 HP – a nastywound!

Note that blunt trauma injury hasno wounding modifier.

Where you were hit may furtheraffect the wounding modifier; see HitLocation (p. 398). The rules aboveassume a hit to the torso or face.

COMBAT 379

Some attacks are powerful enough to pass rightthrough cover, a shield, or a victim, and damagesomeone on the other side.

Fast Damage Resolution for Multiple HitsIf a rapid-fire attack scores multiple hits, you can speed play as fol-

lows: instead of rolling damage per hit, determine damage for one hit,subtract DR, and multiply the resulting penetrating damage (or blunttrauma) by the number of hits.

EFFECTSOF INJURY

If you are injured, subtract thepoints of injury from your Hit Points.Usually, you are still in the fight aslong as you have positive HP; seeGeneral Injury: Lost Hit Points (p. 419)for details. The most importanteffects are:

• If you have less than 1/3 of yourHP remaining, you are reeling fromyour wounds. Halve your Basic Speedand Move (round up), which alsoreduces your Dodge.

• If you have zero or fewer HP left,you are hanging onto consciousnessthrough sheer willpower and adrena-line – or are barely holding together, ifyou’re a machine. You must roll vs. HTeach turn to avoid falling unconscious.If you pass out, see Recovering fromUnconsciousness (p. 423) for how longit will take to recover.

• If you go to fully negative HP (forinstance, -10 if you have 10 HP), yourisk death! You must make an imme-diate HT roll to avoid dying. You mustmake another HT roll to avoid deatheach time you lose an extra multiple ofyour HP – that is, at -2¥HP, -3¥HP, andso on. If you reach -5¥HP, you dieautomatically. See Death (p. 423).

The sudden loss of HP can haveadditional effects:

380 COMBAT

Injury to Unliving, Homogenous, and Diffuse Targets

The Wounding Modifiers and Injury rules assume a human, animal,or other ordinary living being. Machines, corporeal undead, swarms,and other unusual entities are much less vulnerable to certain damagetypes:

Unliving: Machines and anyone with Injury Tolerance (Unliving)(p. 60), such as most corporeal undead, are less vulnerable to impalingand piercing damage. This gives impaling and huge piercing a wound-ing modifier of ¥1; large piercing, ¥1/2; piercing, ¥1/3; and small pierc-ing, ¥1/5.

Homogenous: Things that lack vulnerable internal parts or mecha-nisms – such as uniformly solid or hollow objects (e.g., melee weapons,shields, and furniture), unpowered vehicles, trees, and walls – are evenless vulnerable! This includes animated statues, blobs, and anythingelse with Injury Tolerance (Homogenous). Impaling and huge piercinghave a wounding modifier of ¥1/2; large piercing, ¥1/3; piercing, ¥1/5;and small piercing, ¥1/10.

Diffuse: A target with Injury Tolerance (Diffuse) is even harder todamage! This includes swarms, air elementals, nets, etc. Impaling andpiercing attacks (of any size) never do more than 1 HP of injury, regard-less of penetrating damage! Other attacks can never do more than 2 HPof injury. Exception: Area-effect, cone, and explosion attacks cause nor-mal injury.

Example: Edmund Zhang empties his 9mm machine pistol (2d+2 pidamage) at an approaching zombie. He hits three times. After sub-tracting the zombie’s DR 1, he scores 8 points of penetrating damagewith the first bullet, 7 with the second, and 10 with the third. The zom-bie has Injury Tolerance (Unliving), so the usual ¥1 wounding modifierfor piercing damage drops to ¥1/3. Rounding down, the three bulletsinflict 2 HP, 2 HP, and 3 HP of injury. The zombie had 24 HP, so it has17 HP left. Undaunted, it shambles forward. Edmund should havebrought an axe or a flamethrower!

Shock: Any injury that causes a lossof HP also causes “shock.” Shock is apenalty to DX, IQ, and skills based onthose attributes on your next turn(only). This is -1 per HP lost unlessyou have 20 or more HP, in which caseit is -1 per (HP/10) lost, roundeddown. The shock penalty cannotexceed -4, no matter how much injuryyou suffer.

Major Wounds: Any single injurythat inflicts a wound in excess of 1/2your HP is a major wound. For amajor wound to the torso, you mustmake a HT roll. Failure means you’restunned and knocked down; failure by5+ means you pass out. For details,see Major Wounds (p. 420) andKnockdown and Stunning (p. 420).

Stunning: If you’re stunned, youare -4 to active defenses and cannotretreat, and must Do Nothing on yournext turn. At the end of your turn,attempt a HT roll to recover. If youfail, you’re still stunned and must DoNothing for another turn. And so on.

For more about injuries – and howto recover from them! – see Injuries(p. 418).

SPECIAL DAMAGECertain attacks have “special

effects”: poison, electrical shocks,stunning, setting the victim on fire,

etc. See the weapon tables, specificattack enhancements in Chapter 2,and the relevant sections of Chapters13 and 14 for details.

Follow-Up DamageSome attacks, such as poison darts

and exploding bullets, have “follow-up” damage: a second type of damagethat occurs an instant after the pri-mary effect. The primary effect isalways ordinary damage of some type– piercing, impaling, etc.

If the primary damage penetratesthe target’s DR, the follow-up effectoccurs inside the target. DR has noeffect! Follow-up effects that occurinternally never inflict knockback orblunt trauma – even if their damagetype usually does.

If the primary damage fails to pen-etrate DR, the follow-up effect occursoutside the target, if appropriate, as ifthe target had been touched – just like

a linked effect (see below). Thus, poi-son that must enter the bloodstreamwould have no effect if the arrow thatcarried it failed to penetrate. On theother hand, an explosive projectilewould still do damage . . . but the DRthat stopped the primary damagewould protect against it.

Linked EffectsSome attacks have a linked effect.

This is a second type of damage orother effect that occurs simultaneous-ly with the primary effect. Make oneroll to hit, but resolve all damage andresistance rolls separately for the pri-mary effect and the linked effect. Anexample of a linked effect is a grenadethat inflicts both a crushing explosionand a blinding flash of light on deto-nation. A person in armor might beblinded but unhurt, while an unar-mored person with eye protectionmight be wounded but not blinded.

COMBAT 381

CRITICAL HITS AND MISSES“Critical hits” and “critical misses”

are critical successes and failures (seeDegree of Success or Failure, p. 347) onrolls to attack or defend in combat.

CRITICAL HITSA “critical hit” is an especially lucky

or good blow. It automatically hitshome – your foe does not get an activedefense roll!

Whenever you roll a natural 3 or 4when attacking, you get a critical hitand you roll on the Critical Hit Table(p. 556). If you have high skill or a par-ticularly good shot at your foe, youwill get critical hits more often. Withan effective skill of 15+, any roll of 5 orless is a critical hit; with an effectiveskill of 16+, any roll of 6 or less is a

critical hit. Bonuses to hit (e.g., for All-Out Attack or a large target) do makecritical hits more likely, while penal-ties (e.g., for a difficult target) makecritical hits less likely.

Example: Louis LeBlanc needs toroll 15 or less to hit Filthy Pierre. Herolls a 5. That’s a critical hit for him!(A 3 or 4 would be a critical hit foranyone!) Because this is a critical hit,Pierre gets no defense roll. The blowautomatically hits!

A critical hit is often the only wayfor an unskilled character to injure asuperior opponent in a fair fight or getthrough heavy armor with a lightweapon. Once in a while, everybodygets a lucky shot. But note that themost likely result on the table is “no

extra damage.” Even if you get luckyand hit a superior foe, your blowmight not be especially hard . . .

Critical Success onDefense Rolls

If you get a critical success on adefense roll against a melee attack,then your foe goes immediately to theCritical Miss Table (p. 556). You “fakedhim out,” knocked his weapon fromhis hand, or otherwise defended verywell!

A critical success on a defense rollagainst a ranged attack has no specialeffect, with one exception: if the attackwas a thrown weapon, a critical suc-cess on a bare-handed parry lets youcatch the incoming weapon withouthurting yourself, if you so desire.

Attacks Without DamageNot all attacks inflict damage. Some – stun rays, drugs, etc. – offer a

modified HT roll to resist (e.g., HT-2). If the victim is hit and fails hisHT roll, he’s affected; see Affliction (p. 35) for details. Other attacksrestrain the victim, requiring ST rolls to break free; see Binding (p. 40).

CRITICAL MISSESThe opposite of a “critical hit” is a

“critical miss.” You suffer a criticalmiss when you fail badly on an attackor defense roll. You might break yourweapon, throw it away, or even hityourself!

A roll of 18 is always a critical miss.A roll of 17 is a critical miss unless

your effective skill is 16 or better; inthat case, it is an ordinary miss. Amelee attack (but not a ranged attack)or defense roll that fails by 10 or moreis also a critical miss.

If you get a critical miss on anattack or a parry, roll on the appropri-ate Critical Miss Table (p. 556). Applythe result immediately. If you critical-ly miss a dodge, you lose your footing

and fall prone (no effect if alreadyprone). If you tried to block, you loseyour grip on your shield and musttake a turn to ready it before you canuse it to block again.

A firearm may also malfunction ona bad roll; see Malfunctions (p. 407). Amalfunction has “priority” over a crit-ical miss: if both would occur, only themalfunction takes place.

382 COMBAT

Example of CombatLouis LeBlanc’s weapon is a shortsword. He is

standing two yards from his foe, Filthy Pierre. On histurn, Louis takes the Attack maneuver, steps one yardtoward Pierre, and strikes!

Louis has Shortsword-15, and there are no adverseconditions that would give him a skill penalty; there-fore, he needs to roll 15 or less to hit. He swings androlls a 13, so he hits.

Pierre has a Dodge of 8, Shield-12 (giving him aBlock of 9), and Shortsword-11 (giving him a Parry of8). His Block is his best defense, so he’ll use it when-ever he can. Pierre’s small shield gives a +1 DefenseBonus (see Shields, p. 287); this increases all of hisdefenses by 1.

Pierre’s Block defense is therefore 9 + 1, for a totalof 10 . . . or 11, if he retreats. If he blocks and retreats,and rolls 11 or less, he can defend against the accurateblow that Louis just threw. But he gets a 12. Too bad!He’s hit.

Although the combat calculations may seem com-plex at first, they are simple in play! The attacker rollsagainst his skill, as shown on his character sheet. Thedefender adds up his defenses, as shown on his char-acter sheet, and rolls against the total. That’s it!

To continue the example: Louis is attacking Pierre.His blow was good, and Pierre failed to defend. So theblow got through.

Now Louis rolls for damage. Louis’ player hasalready figured how much damage he does with ashortsword and written it on his character sheet. Hehas ST 11, so his swing does 1d+1 damage. He rollsone die and gets a 4. Adding one point yields a 5, soPierre takes 5 points of basic damage.

However, Pierre is wearing cloth armor, which hasDR 1. This subtracts a point from Louis’ damage roll –only 4 points of damage penetrate Pierre’s armor.

A shortsword is a cutting weapon, with a ¥1.5wounding modifier. This multiplies the penetratingdamage . . . so Pierre takes a 6 HP wound! That blowcould knock a lesser man down. Sad but true . . . onegood sword blow can settle a fight.

The GM subtracts 6 from Pierre’s HP. Luckily forPierre, this is not more than half of his original 12 HP,so he does not have to roll to see if he is knocked downor stunned. However, if he attacks on his next turn, hewill have a shock penalty equal to the HP he lost or -4,whichever is the lower penalty. Since he lost 6 HP, he’sat -4 to skill.

And the fight continues.

OTHER ACTIONS IN COMBATCombatants can perform actions

other than attacking and moving.Physical actions usually require Readymaneuvers, while mental ones call forConcentrate maneuvers.

READYINGWEAPONS ANDOTHER GEAR

A “ready” item is one that is inhand, ready for action. A weapon or

other device is unready if in a holster,scabbard, pocket, belt, or pack; on thefloor or a table; etc.

It generally takes a single Readymaneuver to ready an item that is onyour belt, in a pocket, in a scabbard orholster, or slung over your back.

If you stand still, a single Readymaneuver also lets you ready an itemfrom a table, wall rack, etc., providedit is within your reach (normally oneyard).

A single Ready maneuver lets youaccept one item that another person is

holding out to you. He must be closeenough to reach you (one yard, for ahuman), and he must have taken aReady maneuver on his turn in orderto hold out the item for you. You mustboth stand still. Note that you cannotexchange two items simultaneously.Each object exchanged requires a sep-arate Ready maneuver on the part ofeach person involved. (Recall thatthese rules are for combat; obviouslytwo people walking down the streetcan hand things back and forth atwill.)

Some additional rules:

Picking something up from theground. You must be kneeling, crawl-ing, sitting, or lying down to do so,unless you have arms with a two-yardreach! If you are standing, you mustfirst take a Change Posture maneuverto kneel, sit, etc.

Readying a weapon. You can onlyattack or parry with a weapon that isin your hand and ready to use. Youmust “ready” some weapons againafter each attack! For instance, youmust ready a poleaxe after each swing,because its momentum carries itaway. See the weapon tables inChapter 8 to learn which weaponsrequire readying after use.

Reloading a weapon. This requiresseveral consecutive Ready maneuvers.The number of Ready maneuversrequired appears in parentheses afterthe weapon’s Shots statistic. Forexample, a longbow requires twoReady maneuvers: one to ready thearrow by removing it from yourquiver, and one to ready the bow byplacing the arrow to the string anddrawing it. That takes two turns. Onthe third turn, you can Aim or Attack.

Readying a shield or cloak. If ashield or cloak is on the ground, orslung on your back, it takes a numberof Ready maneuvers equal to itsDefense Bonus to prepare it for com-bat. It takes the same amount of timeto don your cloak or sling your shieldagain – but you can drop it on the

ground with a single Ready maneuver(not a free action!). For the purpose ofreadying, treat a buckler as a weapon,not as a shield.

Long actions. Many physicalactions take more than one second tocomplete. In combat, choose theReady maneuver each turn until youare finished. This is not a specificmaneuver, but a “generic” choice thatlets you do one second’s worth of anymulti-second action. The GM decideshow many turns each action takes; seeTypical Long Actions (p. 383) for exam-ples. Some things (like piling up rocksto stand on) can be interrupted in themiddle if necessary, to take any neces-sary maneuver or other action. Otherthings (like ritual magic) can’t beinterrupted; if you stop in the middle,you must start over.

If an action takes a long time, youcan help the GM keep track of eventsby counting the seconds each time youannounce the maneuver. For instance,to reload a weapon, you would say,“Reloading my gun – one second” onyour first turn, and, “Reloading mygun – two seconds and finished” onyour second turn.

TYPICALLONG ACTIONS

See the table above for the dura-tion of typical long actions. You musttake a Ready maneuver each second.

The times required for long actionsare realistic, but they can also sidelinea player – for instance, if his characterrummages through his backpack. Ifthe GM deems it dramatically appropri-ate, he may let PCs shave off a few seconds by making a successful DX orIQ roll, at the cost of failure havingother problems (e.g., dropping thebackpack and spilling its contents).

This completes the combat system.Get out there and fight!

When you are comfortable withthese rules, you can proceed toChapter 12, Tactical Combat, if youwish to use a hex grid for more preciseresolution of battles. GMs may alsoconsult Chapter 13 for advanced rulesconcerning factors that might notcome into play in every battle: hit loca-tions, mounted opponents, surpriseattacks, and various exotic weapons.See also pp. 462-470 for rules for vehi-cles, pp. 455-461 for rules for animals,and p. 547-559 for the collected com-bat tables.

COMBAT 383

Action TimePick up a heavy object in one hand (weight up to 2¥BL) 2 sec.Pick up a heavy object in two hands (weight up to 8¥BL) 4 sec.Open an unlocked box, briefcase, chest, door, etc. 1 sec.Find a loose item in a box, briefcase, pack, etc.

(if it’s not hidden) 2d secondsFind an item in your own pocket 1d secondsWrite a brief note 5 sec. per sentenceRead a brief note 2 sec. per sentenceSwallow a pill or potion 2 sec.Light a candle, cigarette, fuse, match, torch, etc. 2 sec.Replace a weapon in its scabbard, drop a small item

into your pocket 2 sec.Search an unresisting person fairly thoroughly 1 min.Put on a suit of armor 3 sec. per piece (30 sec./piece

for a vacc suit or battlesuit)

When Is a Weapon Ready?A weapon is “ready” if it is in your hand and ready to attack. It takes

one turn to ready a weapon from its scabbard (but see Fast-Draw,p. 194). A few special rules:

Changing Grips: Some long weapons require one extra turn ofreadying to go from a one-yard to a two-yard reach, or from a two-yardto a three-yard reach, or vice versa. An unready weapon may be re-read-ied to any legal reach, regardless of how you used it before; this is justpart of the Ready maneuver.

Unbalanced Weapons: A few large and unwieldy weapons are car-ried out of line by their momentum when you attack. Unless your STis at least 1.5 times that required to wield the weapon, they becomeunready after you attack with them; to use them again, take a Readymaneuver. If you fall down, lose your balance, or are stunned, and yourweapon is one that requires readying after each use, it becomesunready!

Holstering: It takes one second to return a pistol to a holster.Scabbarding: It takes two seconds to return a weapon to a scabbard

or belt-loop.

These rules let you resolve combat using counters or figures on a hexago-nal grid. They assume you have already mastered the combat system inChapter 11, and cover only the exceptions and special cases that arise when

using that system on a map.

FIGURESYou need a marker or miniature figure to represent each combatant.

This can be metal, plastic . . . even cardboard. These rules assume one-inch hexes, or a 50mm scale, for maps – but 25mm figures are easier to

handle. Of course, you need not use figures! Any counter will do, as longas it has a “front” to indicate facing and some way to show when the

fighter it represents is prone.Gamers who want the fun of detailed figures at the cost of card-

board counters should consider Cardboard Heroes, SJ Games’line of upright cardboard figures.

CHAPTER TWELVE

TACTICALCOMBAT

You need not use figures! Any counter will do, as longas it has a “front” to indicate facing and some way toshow when the fighter it represents is prone.

384 TACTICAL COMBAT

THECOMBAT MAP

Tactical combat uses a “combat map” marked off in hexagons, or hexes. Eachone-inch hex on the map represents an area one yard across. At the start of com-bat, pick a suitable map, typically one you have drawn on a blank sheet of hexa-gon paper.

HEXESOne hex on the combat map represents one yard of distance. It is also the basic

unit of movement: each hex a fighter moves represents one yard of movement.The number of hexes you can move on your turn depends on your Move scoreand your maneuver (see Maneuvers in Tactical Combat, p. 385).

Each human-sized or smaller fighter must occupy one hex. Exceptions includeclose combat (see Close Combat, p. 391), swarms (see Swarm Attacks, p. 461), andsituations in which people are crowded together but not fighting (you could cramup to four ordinary-sized humans into a single hex, if they were friendly).

TACTICAL COMBAT 385

A human-sized fighter who is lyingdown or who has the Horizontal dis-advantage occupies two hexes; seeChange Posture (below). Larger fight-ers also occupy more than one hex;see Multi-Hex Figures (p. 392).

Treat a fractional hex (e.g., one cutin half by a wall) as if it were a full hex:you can move through it and occupy itwithout penalty, unless the GM rulesotherwise. You can also move throughan ally’s hex, although the movementcost is higher. You cannot movethrough or occupy a hex completelyfilled by a solid barrier (e.g., a pillar).

FACINGYou must “face” toward one of

the six hexes adjacent to your hex atall times. Your facing defines yourfront, right, left, and back hexes (seeillustration).

Your front hexes are the hexes youcan see into and easily move into. Youcan move into any adjacent hex – butsideways and backward movement isslower.

For a right-handed fighter, theright side is the “weapon side” and the

left side is the “shield side.” For a left-handed fighter, these are reversed.

MANEUVERS INTACTICAL COMBAT

Tactical combat uses the maneu-vers described in Chapter 11 underManeuvers (p. 363), but some of thesehave additional complications on ahex grid. Several of these notes refer to“movement points”; see Movement inTactical Combat (p. 386) for details.

MoveYou receive movement points

equal to your Move.

Change PostureIf a human-sized fighter lies prone

or has the Horizontal disadvantage, hetakes up two hexes. If you lie down orare knocked prone, your lower halfoccupies the hex you were standing inand your upper half can occupy any

adjacent hex. If you get up from aprone posture, you may choose to getup into either of your hexes.

All-Out AttackYou must move first and then

attack – not vice versa. You mayremain stationary, turn in place, ormove forward. If you choose to moveforward, you may move up to twohexes or expend movement pointsequal to half your Move (round up),whichever is more. You may notchange facing at the end of your move.

Move and AttackYou receive movement points

equal to your Move.

All-Out DefenseIf you choose the Increased Dodge

option, you may use movement pointsequal to half your Move (round up).

ReadyYou can pick up an item that is in

your own hex or any hex within yourreach (usually one hex).

WaitThe greater precision of tactical

combat on a hex grid allows manymore options with this maneuver; seeWait Maneuver Strategy (below) andOpportunity Fire (p. 390). If you arewaiting with a melee weapon, yourweapon’s reach is crucial: a longweapon lets you strike a charging foebefore he can get to you!

Wait Maneuver StrategyThe Wait maneuver can be very useful in a tactical

situation where you want to block a fleeing foe – or toprotect someone behind you.

If you have taken a Wait maneuver, you can attackat any time – even in the middle of someone else’smovement! If you did not move at all on your turn, youmay take a step (see The “Step” in Tactical Combat,p. 386) and then strike. If your foe is still standing afteryour blow falls, he may continue his movement.

This is the best way (and almost the only way) tokeep a faster foe from running past you on a clearfield. If you take another maneuver (for instance, tofight with someone else), you are distracted – and, ona one-second time scale, a faster foe should be able torun past you! But if you are waiting for him, you’llhave a chance to intercept him, or hit him, as he triesto go by.

In tactical combat, movement ismeasured more precisely, on a hex-by-hex basis, and a fighter’s facingbecomes very important.

Movement PointsAn easy way to keep track of move-

ment is to assume that a Move or Moveand Attack maneuver gives you a num-ber of “movement points” equal toyour Move score; e.g., Move 5 wouldgive you 5 movement points to useduring a Move or Move and Attack. AnAll-Out Attack or All-Out Defense(Increased Dodge) maneuver gives halfas many movement points, roundedup; e.g., Move 5 would give 3 move-ment points during these maneuvers.

MOVEMENTAND FACING

Movement and facing interactwhen you move as part of a Move,Move and Attack, All-Out Attack, orAll-Out Defense (Increased Dodge)maneuver.

Forward Movement and Facing

It costs one movement point toenter each hex when moving forward.A “forward” move is a move into oneof your three front hexes. If you gostraight ahead, your facing will notchange; otherwise it will change byone hex-side: you must turn to face thehex as you enter it (see illustrationabove).

Thus, you can change directionwhile moving “forward.” Three con-secutive hexes of “forward” move-ment let you run in a half-circle andend up facing the opposite direction(see illustration below).

Backward and SidewaysMovement and Facing

If you take a Move, Move andAttack, or All-Out Defense (IncreasedDodge) – but not an All-Out Attack –and don’t want to move forward, youcan move backward (A) or sideways(B), keeping the same facing (see theillustration to the right). Each side-ways or backward hex costs twomovement points.

386 TACTICAL COMBAT

MOVEMENT INTACTICAL COMBAT

The “Step” in Tactical Combat

Some maneuvers, such asAttack or Ready, allow you totake your usual step in anydirection (see Step, p. 368).Each yard of step – usuallyone yard, for humans –equals one hex of movement.You may change facingfreely before or after you

move.

In these diagrams, a red arrow indicates a figure and its facing. A yellow arrow indicatesmovement.

TACTICAL COMBAT 387

You can also “sidestep” into a fronthex (C) while keeping your originalfacing. This is allowed during an All-Out attack (as well as on a Move, etc.).It also costs two movement points.

Facing Changes and Movement

At the end of your turn, if you tooka Move or Move and Attack maneuverand used no more than half of yourmovement points – or if you chose theAll-Out Defense (Increased Dodge)maneuver – you may turn to face inany direction.

If you took a Move or Move andAttack and used more than half of your

movement points, you may changeyour facing by one hex-side.

You may also change facing beforeor during your movement on a Move,Move and Attack, or All-Out Defense

(Increased Dodge) maneuver, but thiscosts movement points. Each hex-sideof facing change counts as one yard ofmovement; e.g., turning 180° coststhree movement points.

Movement Point Costs

Direction of TravelForward: 1 movement point per hex.Sidestep or backward: 2 movement points per hex.

PostureCrouching: +1/2 movement point per hex.Kneeling: +2 movement points per hex.Crawling: +2 movement points per hex.Lying down: All movement points to move one hex.Sitting: Cannot move!

Facing ChangesChange facing before or during a move: +1 move-

ment point per hex-side of change.Change facing at end of move: Free! You may face

any direction if you used no more than half your move-ment points; otherwise, you may opt tochange facing by one hex-side.

ObstructionsMinor obstruction in hex (e.g., an ally, or a body on

the ground): +1 movement point per obstruction.Severe obstruction in hex (several bodies, a barricade,

etc.): You must either bypass the hex or jump over (seeJumping, p. 352).

Enemy in hex: You must evade (see Evading,p. 368).

Bad FootingTreacherous ground (mud, waxed floors, etc.): +1

movement point per hex (or more, at the GM’s option).Stairs (up or down): +1 movement point per hex.Shallow water (no more than 1/6 your height): +1

movement point per hex.Deeper water: All movement points to move 1 hex.

Use these movement point costs when you take a Move, Move and Attack, All-Out Attack, or All-Out Defense(Increased Dodge) maneuver. You can always move at least one hex per turn, no matter how severe the penalties.

Most other maneuvers allow a step (see Step, p. 368). In this case, “cost” does not matter – you can move yourfull step (usually one hex), regardless of facing, posture, or terrain.

Attacks work as described inChapter 11, with the difference that ahex grid permits precise determina-tion of range, facing, arc of vision, andarea of effect. This calls for a few extrarules – especially for combat in thesame hex as your foe (see CloseCombat, p. 391).

MELEE ATTACKSNormally, you can only attack into

your front hexes. The distance atwhich you can attack depends on yourweapon’s “reach.”

Reach of a WeaponA melee weapon’s “reach,” as given

on the Melee Weapon Table (p. 271),defines the hexes into which you canattack with it, as follows:

Reach C (“Close”): You can strikeonly at targets in your own hex.

Reach 1 (1 yard): You can strikeinto any hex marked “Front” in thediagram below.

Reach 2 (2 yards): You can strikeinto any hex marked “2” in the dia-gram below.

Reach 3 (3 yards): You can strikeinto any hex marked “3” in the dia-gram below.

Most melee weapons have a one-yard reach, and can hit only yourthree front hexes.

Some weapons have more thanone reach. For instance, a knife canslash at “close” and one-yard reach.With a spear, you can have a reach ofeither one or two yards, depending onhow you hold it. Larger pole weaponscan have a reach of one, two, or threeyards!

Most weapons with a reach of twoor more yards require a Ready maneu-ver to “change grips” and go from onereach to another. For instance, if youare holding a halberd with a grip thatlets you strike three hexes away, youhave to ready it for one turn beforeyou can use it to strike someone oneor two hexes away. A few balanced

weapons (e.g., the greatsword andquarterstaff) let you attack at morethan one reach without taking a Readymaneuver. The Melee Weapon Tableshows which weapons require a gripchange and which do not.

Note that if you’re very large, yourreach will increase – see Size Modifierand Reach (p. 402).

Attacking Through an Occupied Hex

You can attack “through” someoneelse in melee if you are using aweapon with a reach of two yards ormore. You may attack through afriend at no penalty (this is a basicpart of your training with any longweapon). If you attack through anenemy’s hex, the penalty is -4. If yourattack passes along a line between twohexes, there is no penalty unless bothhexes are occupied. If they are, treatthe situation as a single occupied hex– friendly, unless foes occupy bothhexes.

Wild SwingsA Wild Swing is a melee attack

against a foe to your side (left or right)or back, or against a foe you can’t see.It’s unlikely to hit, but sometimes it’sbetter than nothing.

388 TACTICAL COMBAT

ATTACKING INTACTICAL COMBAT

Long Weapon TacticsThe Attack maneuver lets you step before or after you attack.

Stepping after you attack in melee combat can give you the upper handif your weapon has more reach than your opponent’s. Suppose youhave a spear and your adversary has a broadsword. You could attackfrom two hexes away and then step back, ending your turn three hexesfrom your foe. Since his weapon has a one-hex reach, he could notreach you with an Attack, as the Attack maneuver limits him to a one-yard step (of course, a foe with Move 11 or higher could step farther).To strike back, he would have to take an All-Out Attack or a Move andAttack . . . either of which would restrict his defenses, leaving him opento your next attack! And even if he does get close enough to attack, youcan always retreat when you defend . . .

A Wild Swing is at -5 to hit or thecurrent visibility penalty, whichever isworse, and your effective skill cannotexceed 9 after all modifiers. You can-not target a particular part of the foe’sbody; if using hit locations, roll ran-domly.

A Wild Swing need not be a swing– it could be a thrust. However, youcannot make a “wild thrust” at a dis-tance of more than one yard.

You can combine a Wild Swingwith an All-Out Attack, but you maynot choose the “Determined” option toget +4 to hit to offset the Wild Swingpenalty. You can also make a WildSwing during a Move and Attack; usethe more severe penalties of the two.

If you have Peripheral Vision(p. 74), two-handed melee attacks intoyour right and left hexes, and one-handed attacks to the same side (e.g.,right hand to right hex), are not WildSwings. However, one-handed attacksto the opposite side (e.g., right hand toleft hex), and attacks on foes behindyou, are still Wild Swings.

If you have 360° Vision (p. 34), noattack to your sides or back is a WildSwing – but attacks to the back andopposite side at -2 due to the clumsyangle of attack.

Note that some martial-arts tech-niques (e.g., Back Kick, p. 230) allowyou to attack foes behind you withoutmaking a Wild Swing.

RANGED ATTACKSRanged combat on a hex grid also

requires a few additional rules.

Arc of VisionIf you have a ranged weapon, you

can attack into any of the white hexesin the diagram above. If you havePeripheral Vision (p. 74), you canattack into any of the white or grayhexes. And if you have 360° Vision(p. 34), you can attack into any of thewhite, gray, or black hexes. In all threecases, the hexes you can attack intodefine your “arc of vision.”

Shooting BlindIf you have a ranged weapon, you

may attack someone outside your arcof vision – or in total darkness, orwhile blinded – by “shooting blind.”Use the rules for Wild Swings (above),but the penalty is -10 and your effec-tive skill cannot exceed 9 after allmodifiers. (As Murphy’s Law predicts,you are often less likely to hit your tar-get than anyone else in the vicinity; seeHitting the Wrong Target, below.)Needless to say, you cannot take theAim maneuver!

Firing Through an Occupied Hex

You can target an enemy if you candraw a straight line between any partof your hex and any part of his with-out passing through a solid obstacle.Use a straightedge (such as a ruler) todetermine this. However, if your cho-sen straight line passes through anoccupied hex, the occupants of thathex are “in the way.” You may hit themif you miss your intended target – seeHitting the Wrong Target, below.

Anyone in the way (friend or foe)gives you a -4 penalty. If your attackpasses through several occupiedhexes, apply this penalty for each per-son in the way!

If your attack passes along a linebetween two hexes, there is no penaltyunless both hexes are occupied. If theyare, treat it as a single hex penalty (-4).

Someone lying down is never “inthe way” unless you, too, are on theground. Someone kneeling or sittingis not in the way unless either you oryour target is also kneeling or sitting.

These rules assume human-sizedor smaller combatants. A fighter witha Size Modifier 2 or more greater thanyours (3 or more if he’s kneeling or hasthe Horizontal disadvantage, 4 ormore if he’s prone) completely blocksyour line of sight – you can’t shoot pasthim – unless you’re higher up.

Hitting the Wrong Target

If you attack with a ranged weaponand miss, you may hit someone else.You must check for this if you fail yourattack roll.

You may hit anyone – friend or foe– if he was in your line of fire. Todetermine this, check the line alongwhich you attacked. Any hex this linepasses through is “in the way.”Combatants who are kneeling or lyingdown are not in the way unless you,too, are at their level.

Because hitting the wrong target isa matter of pure chance, your attackroll against each possible target is thesame: a flat 9 or the number youwould have had to roll to hit him onpurpose, whichever is worse.

TACTICAL COMBAT 389

Roll first for the target closest toyou. If you miss, or if that targetdodges, roll for the next target. And soon. Keep rolling until you hit, or some-one blocks or parries your attack, oryou run out of targets. If your attackwent along a line between two occu-pied hexes, roll randomly to see whichone you check first.

Anyone (friend or foe) gets thesame defense against this attack thathe would have had had your attackbeen intentional.

Overshooting and Stray Shots

If you make your attack roll butyour foe blocks or parries successfully,assume your weapon or missile hitsthe ground. It has no chance of hittinganyone.

If your foe dodges, however, theprojectile goes past him and may hitsomeone else. Proceed as for Hittingthe Wrong Target, above, but start withthe closest target on the other side ofyour foe. (You already know you didn’thit anybody between you and your foe,or he would not have had to defend.)

Opportunity FireIf you have a ranged weapon, you

may watch a specified area and attackas soon as a target presents itself. Thisis called “opportunity fire.”

To use opportunity fire, you musttake the Wait maneuver. You muststand still and watch for a target in aspecified area. You must face the areayou are “covering.” You may do noth-ing else.

If a target appears in the specifiedarea, you must attack it (you can try todiscriminate, but this will give a penal-ty to hit – see below). Your attack takesplace immediately. If two or more peo-ple are taking opportunity fire at thesame target, assume that their attacksare simultaneous.

If no target appears, you simplywasted your turn!

All of the area to be “covered” mustbe within your arc of vision (seep. 389). The larger the area you haveto watch, the greater the penalty whenyou attack:

Hexes Watched Attack Penalty1 02 -13-4 -25-6 -37-10 -411+ -5

You may also specify a singlestraight line, and say that you will fireat the first target that crosses the line.The penalty for this kind of opportuni-ty fire is only -2.

When you attack, apply the appro-priate penalty above as well as all rele-vant ranged-combat modifiers. Youcannot claim any of the bonuses listedfor the Aim maneuver (p. 364).Exception: If you watch a single hex(only), you can Aim and Wait. Eachsecond you wait for a target alsocounts as an Aim maneuver, and youwill get the normal bonus for thatamount of aiming when you finallyattack.

The GM should make sure thatplayers carefully specify the area theyare watching for opportunity fire. Inconflicts between PCs, the playersshould tell the GM in secret so thattheir opponents do not know wherethey are planning to fire.

Target Discrimination: Normally,when you take opportunity fire, youmust attack the first target thatappears in the designated area –friend or foe! You are free to specifythat you are not attacking automati-cally, usually to avoid shooting afriend. If so, the GM will make aVision roll for you when a targetappears and tell you whether youthink it is friend or foe. However, youhave an extra -2 to hit because of thetime you spent deciding.

390 TACTICAL COMBAT

DEFENDING INTACTICAL COMBAT

Active defenses work as described inChapter 11, with a few additional rules.

Defending AgainstAttacks from the Side

Against an attack that comes fromone of your side hexes, you defend at

-2 unless you have Peripheral Vision(p. 74) or 360° Vision (p. 34).Regardless of those advantages:

• If you have a shield, you cannotblock an attack that comes from yourweapon side, only one that comes fromyour shield side.

• If you have a one-handed meleeweapon, you cannot parry an attack thatcomes from the other side of your body,only one that comes from the sameside, unless your weapon arm has theExtra-Flexible enhancement or youpossess the Double-Jointed advantage.

Pop-Up AttacksA “pop-up attack” is a special Attack maneuver in which you emerge

from cover, move no more than one hex, make a ranged attack, andreturn to cover – all in the space of one turn! Examples include duckingaround a corner or a tree, or out of a trench. This is possible with anythrown weapon, firearm, or crossbow, but not with a bow or a sling.

You cannot aim a pop-up attack. In fact, there is an extra -2 to hitbecause you couldn’t see your target at the beginning of your turn.

Note that when you emerge from cover to attack, anyone targetingyour hex with opportunity fire can attack you. If so, your only legaldefense is a dodge.

Defending AgainstAttacks from the Back

Against an attack that comes fromyour back hex, you cannot defend at allunless you have Peripheral Vision(which lets you defend at -2) or 360°Vision (which lets you defend at nopenalty). Even if you have one of thoseadvantages, you have an extra -2 toparry an attack from behind, and can-not block at all, unless your weapon or

shield arm has the Extra-Flexibleenhancement or you have the Double-Jointed advantage.

RetreatingA retreat takes you one step – nor-

mally one hex – directly away from thefoe you are defending against. Youcannot retreat into an occupied hex.You may change facing by one hex-side, if you wish, as you retreat.

TACTICAL COMBAT 391

“Close combat” is any situation inwhich you occupy the same hex asyour foe or try to move through hishex. Use the rules given under Evading(p. 368) and Unarmed Combat (p. 370)in Chapter 11, but with the additionsbelow.

ENTERING AFOE’S HEX

You may move or step into anenemy’s hex using any maneuver thatallows you enough movement to enterthat hex. You are in “close combat” assoon as you enter an opponent’s hex,regardless of your maneuver or that ofyour foe.

If you take a Move, Move andAttack, or All-Out Attack maneuver, youcan always run into a foe’s hex and stopthere, facing him. If you do not wish tostop, you must attempt to evade (p. 368)or slam (p. 368) your foe – your choice,within the limits of your maneuver.

When you enter an enemy-occu-pied hex, you occupy half the hex. Youhave the half of the hex from whichyou entered; he has the other half. Toenter any of your front hexes on theenemy’s side, you have to “movethrough” him by evading.

Evading in Tactical Combat

To evade a foe, you must haveenough movement points not only toenter his hex, but also to leave his hex!If your movement ends in his hex, youcannot evade on that turn.

LEAVING AFOE’S HEX

If you start your turn in a foe’s hexand he isn’t grappling you, you canmove out of the hex through any of thethree hexes on your side of the hex. Ifyou do this using a Move or Move andAttack, you must spend movementpoints to change facing, sidestep, orstep backward. To use forward move-ment to leave through one of the threehexes on your foe’s side, you mustevade him (see above).

If you take a maneuver that allowsa step, you can step out of the hex andattack, feint, etc. with a one-hex reachweapon – or you can make a close-combat attack and then step out – butyour step can only take you into one ofthe three hexes on your side of the hex.

If your foe has grappled you, youmay still choose a maneuver on yourturn, but you cannot leave the hexuntil you break free (see Actions AfterBeing Grappled, p. 371).

WEAPONS FORCLOSE COMBAT

You can only use small, easily man-aged weapons in close combat. Youcan attack with any melee weaponwith reach “C.” If using a rangedweapon, ignore the usual speed/rangepenalty and apply the weapon’s Bulkstatistic as a penalty to hit.

READYING INCLOSE COMBAT

You must make a DX roll to readya weapon in close combat. If you fail,you still take a Ready maneuver butyou accomplish nothing. If you havethe Fast-Draw skill, you must maketwo rolls: the DX roll above and a Fast-Draw roll to get your weapon quickly.If you fail the Fast-Draw roll, youready the weapon but it takes a fullReady maneuver.

“Runaround” AttacksA fast-moving fighter can sometimes start in front of a foe and run

behind him to strike from his back hex. Against a true attack frombehind, no active defense is possible, because the victim did not knowthe attack was coming. If the attacker starts in front and runs behind,outmaneuvering his victim through sheer speed, the victim does knowhe’s being attacked. Treat it as a side attack: -2 to active defenses, unlessthe victim has compensating advantages.

CLOSE COMBAT

DEFENSE INCLOSE COMBAT

You can dodge normally in closecombat. You can only parry using anempty hand or a weapon with reach“C” (e.g., a knife). You cannot block atall!

You can retreat (see p. 377) in closecombat, if you aren’t being grappled.Simply step out of close combat andinto any of the three hexes on yourside of the close-combat hex. Thisgives the usual bonus to your activedefense roll.

Shields in Close CombatA shield becomes a potentially

deadly nuisance in close combat. Itstill provides its Defense Bonus, but ithampers you while you wear it.

Any attack you make in close com-bat – except for the initial slam, attack,etc. when you first move into the foe’shex – has a penalty equal to theDefense Bonus of your shield! Any DXroll you attempt in close combat afteryour first turn of close combat has thesame penalty.

It takes a one-turn Ready maneu-ver and a successful DX roll to get ridof your shield in close combat.

MULTIPLE CLOSECOMBAT

Any number of people may partici-pate in close combat in the same hex.This is easy to depict with flat coun-ters, but it can be difficult to showwith 3D figures – especially if somefighters are standing and others arelying down. A good compromise is toallow a fighter to declare himself in

close combat with an opponent whilestill in an adjacent hex.

Up to two fighters may combinetheir efforts in a takedown attemptagainst a single foe; up to three maywork together in a pin attempt againsta single foe. In either case, use the ST,DX, or grappling skill of the attackerwith the best score, and add 1/5 (rounddown) of the score of each of hishelpers.

392 TACTICAL COMBAT

MULTI-HEX FIGURESGiants, large animals, monsters,

vehicles, etc. often occupy more thanone hex. It can be helpful to makemulti-hex counters or, if using figures,to cut cardboard bases of the appro-priate size.

The head or front of a multi-hexfigure controls its movement. Handledistance moved, direction of move-ment, and facing exactly as if thecreature’s head were a normal one-hex figure. The rest of the body fol-lows. This might mean, for instance,

that a dragon’s head moves only 3hexes while its tail sweeps through10. That’s all right – and it’s a goodway for the dragon to knock peopleover.

A multi-hex figure cannot fitthrough a map space narrower thanits widest point. However, the GMshould be lenient in allowing large fig-ures to overlap walls and the like.Remember that when a hex is cut by astraight wall, etc., a partial hex countsas a full hex.

Arc of VisionThe head of a multi-hex creature

determines its arc of vision. This doesmean that much of a large creature’sbody may fall outside its own arc ofvision! However, many large creaturesalso have Peripheral Vision (p. 74).

Front, Side, and Back Hexes

Each multi-hex creature hasfront, right, left, and back hexes, cor-responding to those of a human (seeillustration).

Slam and OverrunWhen a figure two or more hexes

in size moves through a smaller one,treat it as a slam (see Slam, p. 371).This gives the small figure a chance toget out of the way. If it fails to do so, itwill probably be knocked down! Thelarger figure can keep right on movingunless it is itself knocked down.

Striking Into a Close CombatIf you are not in close combat yourself, you may help allies who are

in close combat by standing outside the close-combat hex and attack-ing an enemy who is in close combat with them. Your attack is at -2,plus any modifier for the target’s posture (lying down, for instance).

If you hit, your foe may only defend as explained in Defense in CloseCombat.

If you miss, or your foe successfully dodges, you may hit someoneelse – friend or foe – in the hex. If there is more than one possible tar-get, roll randomly to see who you “attack” first. Your attack roll is a flat9 or the number you would have had to roll to hit him on purpose,whichever is worse. If you hit, the victim may attempt any legal close-combat defense. Keep rolling until you run out of targets or you actu-ally hit someone.

SURPRISE ATTACKSAND INITIATIVE

SPECIAL COMBAT SITUATIONS 393

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

SPECIALCOMBAT

SITUATIONS

When the PCs surprise a group ofadversaries, or vice versa, the sur-prised party may not be able to reactimmediately. In this case, the attack-ers should get one or more “freeturns.” The GM is responsible fordetermining when the attackers haveachieved surprise.

A character with Combat Reflexes israrely surprised, and will never “freeze.”He also gets +6 on all IQ rolls to recov-er from surprise. Note that many wildanimals have Combat Reflexes – seeChapter 16 for examples.

Total SurpriseWhen the defenders are taken com-

pletely by surprise, they “freeze.” TheGM rolls 1d. This is the number of sec-onds that pass before the defenderscan react at all. Until that time is up,they are mentally stunned and musttake the Do Nothing maneuver.Exception: Those with CombatReflexes never freeze, and treat totalsurprise as partial surprise.

Adventurers, guards, etc. rarely suf-fer total surprise unless they are actu-ally asleep. But total surprise would beappropriate if a group of werewolvescame charging through the door of thelocal library. (In fact, such an extremecase might justify a Fright Check – atleast for the librarian.)

After the initial “freeze” ends, eachdefender must roll against his basic IQat the start of his turn until he recov-ers. On a success, he must take DoNothing that turn, but can act nor-mally for the rest of the combat. On afailure, he is still mentally stunned; hemay roll again at the start of his nextturn. A low-IQ character, taken totallyby surprise, could miss the wholecombat!

Partial SurpriseThis may occur when the defend-

ers were expecting trouble . . . or wheneach party surprised the other! TheGM should require each side to roll forinitiative.

To determine who gets the initia-tive, the leader of each side rolls 1d. Aleader with Combat Reflexes gets +2,or +1 if he doesn’t have CombatReflexes but someone else on his sidedoes (this bonus is not cumulative formore than one character). The leaderwith the higher IQ gets +1. Havingeven one point in Tactics skill gives +1on initiative rolls; Tactics at level 20+gives +2. The GM can apply othermodifiers as he sees fit; e.g., if hethinks one side was more alert thanthe other.

If one side is totally leaderless, theGM rolls for them. They get an auto-matic -2 to initiative. (This does notapply to animals or any other groupwith IQ 5 or less.)

The side that gets the highest rollgets the initiative, and can move andact normally. Everyone on the otherside is mentally stunned, and mustmake IQ rolls on their turns, asdescribed for total surprise, to snapout of it. However, with partial sur-prise, there is a +1 bonus to IQ on thesecond turn, +2 on the third turn, andso on . . . even low IQ characters catchon after a few seconds. Note that ani-mals often have Combat Reflexes,which counteracts their low IQ.

If the initiative roll is a tie, nobodywas taken by surprise.

These advanced combat rules cover less-commontactical situations, or offer additional detail. Theyare modular – the GM decides which rules are inforce in a given situation.

A combat situation where somefighters can’t see their foes affectsattacks and defenses.

Attacker cannot see anything. If theattacker is blind or in total darkness,he can make a Hearing-2 roll – or usesome other method – to discover hisfoe’s location. If he fails his Hearingroll, he may attack in a randomly cho-sen direction (on a map, he must spec-ify the hex). He attacks at -10 (-6 if heis accustomed to being blind). Roll hitlocation randomly.

Attacker cannot see his foe, but cansee his other surroundings. If only theattacker’s foe is invisible, use the rulesabove, but the attack penalty is only-6.

Attacker cannot see his foe, butknows his location for sure. If the foe isin a single smoke-filled hex or the like,use the rules above, but no Hearingroll is required and the attack penaltyis only -4.

Defender cannot see his attacker. Ifthe attacker (including his weapon) is

invisible but the defender is awarethat he is being attacked, he maydodge at -4. If the defender makes aHearing-2 roll, he may also parry orblock – still at -4. If he is completelyunaware of his attacker, he gets nodefense at all! If the attacker is insmoke or unnatural darkness, but thedefender is not, he defends normally,since he can see the weapon coming.

Note also that an unseen fightercan safely try things that a normalfighter could never do – or he may justwait in a corner until his foe isexhausted!

Torches and FlashlightsA torch or flashlight reduces the

penalty to attack rolls for darkness.Assume that any such light within lineof sight reduces the penalty from -10(total darkness) to -3. Almost everylight source has a limited range orradius – see the item description fordetails.

You can also use a torch as aweapon: treat it as a baton that doesone point of burning damage as alinked effect (see Linked Effects,p. 381). A torch can set things afire,given enough time. Most oil you’relikely to encounter in a medievalworld catches fire after three secondsof contact with an open flame; ordi-nary clothing ignites after four sec-onds, and kindling after 10 seconds.Other things are left to the GM’s judg-ment.

It’s possible to carry a light in your“off” hand, leaving your weapon handfree for combat. It’s even possible toparry with it – at the usual penaltiesfor using the off hand. A torch or ordi-nary flashlight will smash on the firstblow if it is used to parry a weaponthree times its weight or more! TL7+“police” flashlights are serviceablebatons: triple the cost and weight foran ordinary heavy flashlight (seeCamping and Survival Gear, p. 288).

394 SPECIAL COMBAT SITUATIONS

VISIBILITY

SPECIAL MOVEMENTMost forms of enhanced mobility

have significant effects on combat.

HIGH-SPEEDMOVEMENT

It’s possible to go so fast that youcan’t easily stop or change course.Such “high-speed movement” occurswhenever your present velocityexceeds your Basic Move. These rulesapply equally to living beings and tofast-moving vehicles.

You may decide to accelerate tohigh speed at the end of any turn dur-ing which you’ve moved your fullBasic Move – modified for encum-brance, if any – in one direction, moreor less (no more than one 60° turn).You must have taken either a Move ora Move and Attack maneuver thatturn, and you must be standing up.

Once you switch to high-speedmovement, you move as describedunder Sprinting (p. 354). You maystart the next turn with a velocity up to

20% greater than your Move (at mini-mum, +1 Move). If you have theEnhanced Move advantage, or are avehicle with a top speed greater thanyour Move, you may start your nextturn with a velocity up to 100%greater than Basic Move. In all cases,use the high-speed movement rulesbelow.

VelocityKeep track of your velocity (in

yards per second). You can increase itor decrease it at the end of each turn;see Accelerating, below. You mustmove as fast as your velocity – that is,if your velocity is 17, you must move17 yards that turn unless something(e.g., bad footing) slows you down.

Maneuvers DuringHigh-Speed Movement

If you’re moving at high speedunder your own power, you shouldtake either a Move or a Move andAttack maneuver. This applies to a

mount, but not to riders or vehiclecrew. If you don’t (or if no one is con-trolling a vehicle), see Losing Control,p. 395.

Direction and Turning Radius

At high speeds, it’s hard to changedirection quickly. You must continueto move in a generally forward direc-tion. A major change of direction (upto 60°) is only possible after you’vemoved straight ahead for a distanceequal to at least (currentvelocity/Basic Move) yards, roundeddown. This number is your turningradius. For instance, if your currentvelocity is 13 and you have Basic Move5, you must move at least 13/5 = 2.6yards, which rounds to 2 yards,between each change of facing.

Until you have moved a distanceequal to your turning radius, you mustcontinue to move forward. If you areusing the Tactical Combat rules, youcan move into any of your three front

hexes, but without changing facing. Ifyou have legs or similar, you can rollagainst DX or Jumping to cross obsta-cles; otherwise, you collide with any-thing you can’t maneuver around orwhich doesn’t dodge out of the way.

Note: These rules are cinematic buteasy to use. A more realistic turningradius would be (velocity squared)/10yards; those who enjoy complexity arewelcome to use this.

If your Basic Move is 0, do not usethe rules above. You cannot turn at allunder your own power! You can onlydrift. To execute a turn, you must bepushed, towed, etc.

Attacking and DefendingYou can fight normally during

high-speed movement, subject to thelimits of your combat maneuver. Youcan dodge, but you cannot retreat ordive for cover. The GM should alwaysapply speed modifiers when you’reunder attack – or attacking!

AcceleratingIf your velocity is less than your

top speed at the end of your turn, youcan increase it by an amount up toyour Basic Move, to a maximum ofyour rated top speed. Top speed is20% over your Move if you are sprint-ing and don’t have the EnhancedMove advantage.

DeceleratingInstead of accelerating, you can

decelerate, reducing your velocity by

an amount up to your Basic Move (ormore, with some risk – see below). Ifyour deceleration reduces your veloci-ty to Basic Move or less at the end ofyour turn, you are no longer at highspeed, and may use the ordinarymovement rules next turn.

Pushing the EnvelopeYou can try to decelerate by up to

Basic Move ¥ 2. You can also attemptto change direction before you’vemoved the requisite distance. Eitherrequires a DX+3 roll – or a vehicleoperation skill roll, modified by thevehicle’s Handling statistic, if you aredriving a vehicle.

Hasty deceleration requires a rollat -1 per two full yards/second beyondBasic Move by which you cut yourspeed. For instance, if your BasicMove is 5 and you decelerate by 9yards/second, you must roll at -2.

An earlier turn (or a tighter turn;e.g., 120° instead 60°) calls for a roll at-1 per full increment of Basic Move by

which your velocity exceeds yourBasic Move. For instance, if you’removing at 23 yards/second and haveBasic Move 3, you must roll at -6.

If you fail, you lose traction and fallor spin out of control – see LosingControl, below.

Tactical MovementIf you are using the tactical move-

ment rules with high-speed move-ment, your movement points equalyour velocity at the start of your turn.You cannot sidestep or step back.Turning radius limits facing changes:a 60° turn is a one hex-side facingchange.

Minor obstructions and bad foot-ing cost movement points as usual(see Movement Point Costs, p. 387),and also decelerate you at the end ofyour turn by an amount equal to theextra movement points paid. Forexample, if your high-speed velocity is14 and you run through six yards ofmud (+1 movement point per hex),you’ll automatically decelerate to avelocity of 8 at the end of the turn. Addthis to any voluntary deceleration. Ifthe total exceeds your Basic Move, rollas described for Pushing the Envelope,above. If it exceeds Basic Move ¥ 2,you lose control automatically.

Losing ControlIf you are running on the ground

and lose control, you trip. You fallover, skid for 1/4 your remainingmovement straight ahead (unless youhit something), and then stop. If youland on the ground and skid to a stopwithout hitting anything, you sufferdamage for a fall at your currentvelocity; see Falling (p. 431). If you hitsomething, you suffer (and inflict) col-lision damage instead; see Damagefrom Collisions (p. 430).


Optional Rule: Changing Posture in Armor

For enhanced realism, you can let encumbrance level affect the timeit takes to perform a Change Posture maneuver. At encumbrance level0 (None) or 1 (Light), Change Posture takes one second, as usual. Atlevel 2 (Medium), it takes two seconds to change posture – and so on.While you are partway through a posture change, you are considered tobe in the old posture. This rule may slow play, but it can also give a real-istic edge to lightly armored combatants.

You also lose control if you areknocked out, or take any combatmaneuver but Move or Move andAttack, while moving at high speed.For instance, if you were stunned andforced to Do Nothing, you would tripas described above.

Exception: If you are moving onthree or more wheels, you’re more sta-ble. The GM may rule that you merelydecelerate your maximum safe decel-eration each turn instead of tripping,unless your loss of control was theresult was a critical failure or injury(stunned, etc.).

High-Speed Flying and Swimming

Only use Basic Move if you aremoving on the ground. Use basic airMove when flying, and basic waterMove when swimming (see Move inOther Environments, p. 18). If you losecontrol in the air or water, you don’ttrip; instead, you must move your cur-rent velocity straight ahead and thendecelerate by your maximum safedeceleration. You can do nothing else –this effectively ends your turn!

MOUNTEDCOMBAT

Knights, cowboys and Indians, andother adventurers often fight from thesaddle. A mount not only providesadditional mobility, but its extraheight and momentum can make therider’s attacks more effective, whilethe shock of a mounted charge canpanic unprepared opponents. Somemounts even fight in their own right.

With the exception of the occasion-al camel or elephant, mounted war-riors usually ride horses, and theserules assume that. For the differencesbetween horses and various mountsfrom fantasy and science fiction, seethe pertinent animal descriptions.

Ordinarily, a rider can direct a war-trained mount by voice and foot pres-sure, leaving both hands free forweapon use. However, all Riding rollsare at -3 for “no hands,” or -1 if onlyone hand is on the reins. Riders whoneed both hands to control theirmount may drop what they are hold-ing. It requires a Ready maneuver andDX-3 roll to return a weapon to its

scabbard while a mount is bucking; acritical failure means you drop it!

Nonsapient mounts without wartraining (see War-Trained Mounts,p. 459) are liable to “spook” at danger– especially at the sounds of gunfireand injured animals of their ownspecies! All combat Riding rolls are at-3 for a well-broken mount withoutwar training – and at -6 or worse forone that is not fully broken.

The rider must make a Riding+2roll to get any mount except a war-trained mount to charge into or overany obstacle, or onto bad footing, or toperform risky maneuvers like jumps,tight turns, etc., unless they’re a mat-ter of life and death for the mount!Failure means the mount disobeys;see Spooked Mounts, p. 397.

Mounting UpMounting a horse or similar crea-

ture takes two consecutive maneuvers:Move to jump or climb up, followedby Change Posture to seat yourself.You can leap astride in only one turn ifyou make a Riding, Acrobatics, orJumping roll at -3 (no penalty if youare using stirrups) – but on any fail-ure, you fall!

When you are using TacticalCombat, a rider is in the center of a 3-hex mount like a horse, or the frontof a 2-hex mount like a gryphon. An

elephant or similar mount wouldhave a flat back, and a rider couldstand up and move around; tradition-ally, an elephant carries the driver, ormahout, on its neck, and a howdah, aplatform with several fighters, on itsback.

Movement and Maneuvers

See Riding and Draft Animals(p. 459) for the Move of variousmounts. The animal’s Basic Move isthe pace it can achieve while walkingor trotting; its Enhanced Move is for a gallop, and uses the rules under High-Speed Movement (p. 394).Encumbrance penalties apply normal-ly (see Encumbrance and Move, p. 17)

. . . but few mounts willingly carrymore than Medium encumbrance.

In combat, the mount can take anymaneuver, unless it’s moving at highspeed. Then it is limited to Move orMove and Attack.

The rider can take any maneuver.Use Change Posture to dismount safe-ly from a mount that hasn’t moved, orthat has moved only a step. Otherwise,the only way to get off is to jump orfall. To jump off safely, take a Move orMove and Attack maneuver and makean Acrobatics or Jumping roll. On anyfailure, you fall!


Falling Off: If the mount makes asuccessful DX roll for a difficult actionlike a jump, tight turn, or hasty decel-eration, the rider must make a Ridingroll. On a failure, the rider is unseated,even though the mount performed themaneuver. If the mount fails its DXroll for a risky action, see result 12 onthe Mount Loss of Control Table(below) for effects.

Spooked MountsIf a mount fails a Fright Check, or

refuses to perform a particular feat, itwill usually shy and buck. The ridermust make a Riding roll and take aReady maneuver every second toregain control.

A critical success calms the mountimmediately; three ordinary successesin a row will have the same result.Three failures in a row, or a single crit-ical failure, means a total loss of con-trol (see below). A long alternation ofsuccesses and failures means youspend your time fighting your mountinstead of the enemy! Fortunately, abucking mount is still free to dodge, asis the rider – although no other defens-es are possible.

Mount Loss of Control Table

Roll 2d on the following table ifyou completely lose control of amount. Also refer to the appropriateresult – without rolling – whenever arider is thrown, a mount falls, etc.

2 – You are thrown from your mount.Take damage for a three-yard fall(adjust this for an unusually tall orshort mount). If you remain con-scious, you may attempt an imme-diate Animal Handling-3 roll to callyour mount back. If you fail, youmay make a repeated attemptevery 5 minutes.

3 – You lose your grip and fall. Takedamage for a two-yard fall; aJumping or Acrobatics roll willnegate this. Otherwise, as 2, above.

4 – You drop whatever you were hold-ing. Now roll again!

5 – The mount charges directly towardthe foe, hazard, etc.

6-7 – The mount is exhausted and willnot fight, or move at faster than aslow walk (Move 2), until it getsseveral hours of rest.

8-9 – The mount seems to settle down,but is now fractious: -1 to allRiding rolls for the rest of thisengagement. If you get this resultmultiple times, the penalty iscumulative.

10 – The mount charges directly awayfrom the foe, hazard, etc.

11 – The saddle comes loose. AllRiding rolls and attack rolls madewhile riding are at -3 until you dis-mount and spend 4d seconds tight-ening the straps. If you’re ridingwithout a saddle, treat as 3, above.

12 – The mount falls! It must make aDX+1 roll or it breaks a leg. In anycase, the rider must roll vs. Riding-2. On a failure, he is unseated andtakes damage for a three-yard fall.On a success, he must make anoth-er Riding roll, this one at a penaltyequal to his Encumbrance, to leapclear of the falling mount. On asuccess, he leaps clear and takesdamage as per 3, above. On a fail-ure, the mount falls on him, inflict-ing thrust/crushing damage basedon its ST, plus the damage for a 2-yard fall.

Attacks by MountsA war-trained mount can attack if

it takes an appropriate maneuver; seeChapter 16 for details. A horse canbite, kick with hooves, or trample;iron horseshoes give +1 to kicking ortrampling damage. The rider’s attack isat an extra -2 if the mount attacked onits last turn.

Panic: If a mounted fighter chargesdirectly toward an NPC who is unusedto facing cavalry (GM’s option), theGM may require him to make a Willroll to stand his ground and fight. If hefails, he’ll try to run instead. Anyonewith Combat Reflexes gets +6 to thisroll. Those with a SM equal to orgreater than that of the mount do nothave to roll!

Cavalry WeaponsMelee Weapons: A rider uses melee

weapons at the lower of his MeleeWeapon skill or Riding skill. Thus, atrained rider has no penalties to usemelee weapons while mounted. If themount’s velocity is 7 or more relativeto the foe, the attack has -1 to hit but+1 damage. Use the same rules whenattacking from a motorcycle or similar

open vehicle (substitute Driving skillfor Riding skill above).

Lances: Lance skill appears onp. 204. To couch a lance, a rider musthave a saddle and stirrups. A couchedlance’s damage depends on themount’s mass and velocity. Work outdamage for a collision between themount and the target – (mount’s ST)¥ (distance moved last turn)/100 diceof damage, rounded down – and addthe lance’s thrust/impaling bonus of+3. Example: A ST 25 warhorsecharging at Move 8 inflicts 2d+3impaling damage.

Tournament jousting uses bluntedwooden lances, specially designed tobreak if they strike very hard. Theseinflict the same amount of damage,but it is crushing – and if the damageexceeds 15 points, the lance snaps,limiting damage to 15 points.

Using Ranged WeaponsWhile Mounted

Attack: Firing from atop a movinganimal tests both marksmanship andriding. Roll against the lower of Ridingor ranged weapon skill to hit. If youare firing a noisy weapon (e.g., anunsilenced gun), you must make aRiding roll after each attack. On a fail-ure, the mount is spooked (seeSpooked Mounts, above); on a criticalfailure, you lose control (see MountLoss of Control Table, above).

Aim: You may Aim a rangedweapon while mounted, but if themount moves more than a step, yousuffer the same penalties that youwould if firing from a moving vehicle:you can’t benefit from extra turns ofAim, or from telescopic scopes andother targeting systems.

Tricks: To turn in the saddle andfire at the foe behind you: -4 toweapon skill, and -1 to any Riding rollmade that turn. To hang on the farside of the mount and shoot over it orunderneath it: -6 to weapon skill, -3 toany Riding roll. This latter movemeans your foe’s only targets are yourfoot, face, eyes, skull, and one hand.But if he attacks and misses by 4 orless, he hits your mount!

Mounted DefenseA mount’s only defense is Dodge.

Some mounts may have barding (seeHorse Armor (Barding) Table, p. 286)or natural DR.


A rider can Dodge, Block, or Parry.If he has Riding at 12+, all of thesedefenses are at normal levels. For aless-skilled rider, reduce active defens-es by the difference between 12 andthe rider’s skill; e.g., someone withRiding-9 would have -3 to all activedefenses.

Height DifferenceA cavalryman on horseback is

effectively three feet above a standingfoe. See Combat at Different Levels(p. 402).

Mounted CombatResults

A rider who is stunned must makea Riding roll at -4 or fall off. A riderwho suffers any knockback is auto-matically knocked off unless he has asaddle and stirrups, in which case hegets a Riding roll at -4 per yard ofknockback to stay on.

If any attack aimed at a rider miss-es by 1, it hits the mount unless itmakes its active defense roll; thereverse is true for attacks aimed at themount. Of course, either may beattacked intentionally!

If the mount is hit, the rider mustroll vs. Riding, minus the shock penal-ty suffered by the mount, to keep itfrom spooking (see p. 397). If themount is crippled and falls, effects areas per result 12 on the Mount Loss ofControl Table.

Multiple RidersOn a horse-sized or larger mount, a

second human-sized or smaller ridercan hang on behind the one control-ling the mount. The controlling riderhas an extra -1 to Riding skill. The pas-senger uses the lower of the controlling

rider’s skill or his own ST on any roll toavoid falling off, but does so at -3.

FLYING COMBATHeroes may fly using advantages

(Flight, Telekinesis, etc.), magic spells,antigravity belts, and so forth. A fewspecial rules apply to combat whileairborne.

Aerial MovementIf the ceiling is high enough, fliers

can move over other fighters! Humansnormally fly in a horizontal position(so that they can watch the groundand see where they’re going); treatthem as two-hex figures when usingthe Tactical Combat rules.

Changing Height: Vertical move-ment costs the same as horizontalmovement. Moving a yard verticallyand a yard horizontally simultaneous-ly (diagonal movement at 45°) coststhe same as 1.5 horizontal yards.

Steps and Retreats: Use your basicair Move to calculate the distance youcan step or retreat during combat(see Step, p. 368); flyers are often fastenough to step 2+ yards. If a flyerretreats as part of an active defense,he can specify that he is doing sovertically.

Flying Fast: See High-SpeedMovement (p. 394). A diving flyer canaccelerate faster: add +10 to basic airMove and double top airspeed on anyturn spent diving and doing nothingelse (a Move maneuver).

Cannot Hover: If you are flyingunder your own power using Flightwith the Cannot Hover, ControlledGliding, or Gliding limitation, youmust take a Move or Move and Attackmaneuver and move at least 1/4 your

top airspeed each turn, or you’ll stalland start to fall. You might also stall ifyou lose control during high-speedmovement (p. 394) and suffer suddendeceleration that pushes you below1/4 your top airspeed. You may recov-er from a stall by turning your fall intoa dive and regaining speed. Roll vs.DX-4 each turn to do so.

Flight CeilingOn Earth, an unprotected human

has trouble breathing past 6,000’, andneeds an oxygen mask or an advan-tage such as Doesn’t Breathe past20,000’; see Atmospheric Pressure(p. 429). On worlds with greater airpressure, higher flight is possible. Onworlds with little atmosphere, thereverse is true. If you use wings to fly,you can’t fly in a trace atmosphere ora vacuum.

Aerial Attack and Defense

There is no penalty to attack ordefense rolls in flight. Flyers are nor-mally no less stable than fighters onthe ground.

Attack: When flyers attack foes onthe ground, use the Combat atDifferent Levels rules (p. 402). Weaponreach becomes very important! Don’tworry about the relative height of twobattling flyers – as long as they’re closeenough to engage at all.

Defense: When a flyer retreats, hecan retreat out of the plane of anattack – not merely away from hisattacker. If a flyer can hover, and hasenough space to move one step up ordown, he gets +1 over and above theusual retreating bonus when heretreats. To perform an AcrobaticDodge (p. 375), use Aerobatics skill.


HIT LOCATIONWhen you strike at an enemy, you

can usually choose what part of hisbody to attack. Some body parts, or“hit locations,” are harder than othersto hit in a fight; some are more (orless) vulnerable to specific damagetypes. There are a few exceptions:

• Completely unaimed attacks –Wild Swings, stabs in the dark,grenade fragments, etc. – cannot delib-erately target a hit location. UseRandom Hit Location (p. 400) instead.

• Attacks that cover a large area –such as an avalanche or a cone ofdragon fire – make hit location irrele-vant. See Large-Area Injury (p. 400).

• Fatigue damage always ignoreshit location.

Deciding Where to Attack

Where to hit a foe depends onmany things – your skill, your foe’sarmor, and whether you want to kill

him! A humanoid target has the loca-tions listed below (see the hit locationtables on pp. 552-554 for non-humanoids). Each location gives thepenalty to attack rolls to hit that loca-tion (in parentheses), followed by anyspecial damage effects.

Torso (0): The chest and abdomen.No penalty to hit, and no effect ondamage. This is the default target forattacks: if you don’t specify a hit loca-tion, you are attacking the torso.

Vitals (-3): The heart or lungs (fromthe front) or the kidneys (frombehind). Certain attacks can target thevitals for increased damage. Increasethe wounding modifier for an impal-ing or any piercing attack to ¥3.Increase the wounding modifier for atight-beam burning attack (see box) to¥2. Other attacks cannot target thevitals.

Skull (-7): The part of the head thathouses the brain. The skull gets anextra DR 2, the wounding modifier forall attacks increases to ¥4, knockdownrolls are at -10, and critical hits use theCritical Head Blow Table (p. 556).Exception: None of these effects applyto toxic damage.

Eye (-9): Impaling, piercing, andtight-beam burning attacks can specif-ically target the eye. Injury over HP/10blinds the eye; otherwise, treat as askull hit without the extra DR 2! (Aswith skull hits, toxic damage has nospecial effect.)

Face (-5): The jaw, cheeks, nose,and ears. Many helmets have an openface, allowing this attack to ignorearmor DR! Knockdown rolls are at -5,and critical hits use the Critical HeadBlow Table. Corrosion damage (only)gets a ¥1.5 wounding modifier . . . andif it inflicts a major wound, it alsoblinds one eye (both eyes on damagegreater than full HP).

Neck (-5): The neck and throat.Increase the wounding multiplier ofcrushing and corrosion attacks to¥1.5, and that of cutting damage to¥2. The GM may rule that anyonekilled by a cutting blow to the neck isdecapitated!

Groin (-3): The lower torso. Jacketsand light armor don’t always coverthis area. Treat as a torso hit, exceptthat human males (and the males ofsimilar species) suffer double the usualshock from crushing damage (to amaximum of -8), and get -5 to knock-down rolls.

Arm or Leg (-2): A good way to dis-able without killing! Against a livingtarget, reduce the wounding multipli-er of large piercing, huge piercing, andimpaling damage to ¥1. Any majorwound (loss of over 1/2 HP from oneblow) cripples the limb – but damage

beyond the minimum required toinflict a crippling injury is lost. Note:The penalty to hit an arm with a shieldis -4.

Hands or Feet (-4): As for an arm orleg, but damage over 1/3 HP in oneblow inflicts a crippling major wound(excess damage is still lost). This givesyou a chance to cripple the foe withlittle real damage. However, your foemight just switch hands (or hop) andfinish you off! Note: The penalty to hita hand holding a shield is -8.

Weapon (varies): The place to strikeif you need to take the foe unharmed,if you have to disarm a friend, or ifyou just want to show off. See Strikingat Weapons (p. 400).


Tight-Beam Burning AttacksA “tight-beam burning attack” is any ranged burning attack that isn’t

a jet, cone, area-effect, explosion, or follow-up attack. For instance, alaser is a tight-beam burning attack, while a torch or a flamethrower isnot. Such attacks can target the eyes and vitals for bonus damage, butdivide damage by 10 for the purposes of Making Things Burn (p. 433)and Catching Fire (p. 434).

Grappling and Hit Location

Halve hit location penalties (roundup) if you are grappling a body part –it’s easier to grab a body part than tostrike it. This does not apply to grab-bing a weapon!

Random Hit LocationYou never have to target a hit loca-

tion – you can always just strike at“whatever target presents itself.” To doso, attack with no modifier for hitlocation. If you hit, and your foe failsto defend, roll 3d on the appropriatehit location table to find out where theblow fell; see Hit Location Tables(p. 552). The GM decides what table touse for non-humanoids.

Use random hit location for a WildSwing (p. 388), shooting blind(p. 389), suppression fire (p. 409),fragmentation damage (p. 414), andany other situation where the GMfeels targeting a location is unrealistic.If a random attack comes from direct-ly above, treat “feet” as “hands” and“legs” as “arms.”

Injury Tolerance and Hit Location

The Injury Tolerance advantage(p. 60) can alter the effects of hit location.

Diffuse or Homogenous: Ignore allknockdown or wounding modifiersfor hit location. (Eyes and limbs canstill be crippled.) All injuries use thewounding modifiers from Injury toUnliving, Homogenous, and DiffuseTargets (p. 380).

No Brain: Hits to the skull get noextra knockdown or wounding modi-fier. Hits to the eye can cripple the eye;otherwise, treat them as face hits, notskull hits.

No Eyes, No Head, or No Neck: Youlack the hit location(s) in question,and your foes cannot target it.

No Vitals: Hits to the vitals or groinhave the same effect as torso hits.

Unliving: Hit location has its usualeffect, save that piercing and impalingdamage to any location other than theeye, skull, or vitals uses the woundingmodifiers from Injury to Unliving,Homogenous, and Diffuse Targets.

Large-Area InjurySome attacks affect much or most

of the victim’s body – for instance,dragon’s breath, a bomb blast, a hugefire, or immersion in an acid pit. Inparticular, any damage described asbeing “area effect” or “cone,” and anyexternal explosion, inflicts large-areainjury.

A melee attack from an attackerwhose Size Modifier exceeds that ofhis target by seven or more is also alarge-area injury – if the attacker isstriking unarmed or with a weaponscaled to his body size. (If he wishesto target a hit location, his tiny vic-tim must be pinned or otherwiseimmobile.)

Damage Resistance protects nor-mally against large-area injury – but ifyour DR varies by location, your“effective DR” is the average of yourtorso DR and the DR of the least pro-tected hit location exposed to theattack (which could still be yourtorso), rounding up. If your DR variesagainst different attacks, “least pro-tected” refers to the location with thelowest DR against that particular typeof attack.

A location protected by cover ormasked by the body does not count as“exposed to the attack.” Against anexplosion or cone, only locations fac-ing the blast or cone are exposed (e.g.,if you’re turned away, your face andeyes aren’t exposed). For damagecaused by immersion in a hazardousenvironment (e.g., fire or acid), onlythe immersed locations are exposed.Against a true area effect, all locationsare exposed.

Don’t modify large-area injury forhit location (that is, treat it as a torsohit) unless only one location isexposed. If a single limb (hand, arm,etc.) is exposed, damage in excess ofthat required to inflict a major woundis lost.

Hit Location for Non-Humanoidsand Vehicles

It is impossible to supply hit loca-tion rules for every type of animal ormachine. Instead, we provide someguidelines: see Non-Humanoid HitLocation Tables (pp. 552-554) andVehicle Hit Location Table (pp. 554-555).

STRIKINGAT WEAPONS

You might strike at a weaponbecause you want to take its user alive. . . or because the weapon is the onlything you can reach, or is less well-armored than its wielder.

State whether you are striking todisarm or to break the weapon, andthen roll to hit. You are at -5 to hit areach “C” melee weapon (e.g., a knife)or a pistol; -4 to hit a melee weaponwith reach 1 (broadsword, mace, etc.)or a medium-sized firearm (e.g., a car-bine or sawed-off shotgun); and -3 tohit a melee weapon with reach 2+(spear, greatsword, polearm, etc.) or arifle. Attempts to disarm are generallyat an extra -2, but see next page.


Targeting Chinks in ArmorYou may use a piercing, impaling, or tight-beam burning attack to tar-

get joints or weak points in a suit of armor, vehicle, etc. Roll at -8 to hita chink in the foe’s torso armor, or at -10 for any other location (face,eyes, vitals, arm, etc.), instead of using the usual hit location penalty. Ifyou hit, halve DR. This is cumulative with any armor divisors.

Striking at Weapons in TacticalCombat: A reach “C” weapon is in itswielder’s hex. A weapon with a one-yard reach is in the user’s hex and inthe hex directly in front of him. A 2- or3-yard weapon is in the two or threehexes directly in front of the user. Seethe diagram on p. 400. However, youcan always strike at a reach 2+weapon on your first turn after it wasused to attack or feint against you.

Defending Your WeaponDodge: You can dodge normally to

protect your weapon.Parry: You can only parry using

the weapon that was attacked – andonly if it’s ready. If you have abroadsword in one hand and a knifein the other, and your foe targeted theknife, you can’t parry with the sword.A parry represents turning yourweapon so that the foe’s blow missesor slides off harmlessly.

Blocking: You cannot block anattack on your weapon.

You may combine a dodge or aparry with a retreat to get the usualbonus. The Defense Bonus of a shieldprovides no benefit whatsoever.

Knocking a Weapon Away

A strike to disarm is an attempt toknock or twist the weapon out of yourfoe’s grasp without damaging it. Onlya weapon that can parry can attemptto disarm, which limits disarming tounarmed attacks, melee weapons, andcertain thrown weapons. You have anextra -2 to hit unless you use a fencingweapon (main-gauche, rapier, saber,or smallsword).

If you hit and your foe fails todefend, roll a Quick Contest ofweapon skills with your foe; if you’reattempting to knock away a missileweapon, your opponent rolls againstDX. Either of you may opt to make aST-based skill roll instead of the stan-dard DX-based one, if that would bebetter. You get +2 if you use Jitte/Sai orWhip skill (having it is not enough!).Your foe gets +2 if he is using a two-handed weapon.

If you win, you disarm your foe; hisweapon flies one yard in a randomdirection. If your foe wins or ties, hekeeps his weapon, but it will beunready unless he won by 3 or more.

If you roll a critical failure, you are theone disarmed!

Breaking a WeaponYou can instead target a weapon

with the intent to chop through, shat-ter, or otherwise wreck it. You maymake such an attack with any weapon– even a firearm.

If you hit and your foe fails todefend, roll your normal damageagainst his weapon. See Damage toObjects (p. 483) for effects. A weapon’sweight and composition will deter-mine its DR and HP. (For weaponsbought as advantages, see GadgetLimitations, p. 116.)


Subduing a FoeAt times, you want to subdue an enemy without killing him.

Knockout gas, high-tech stunners, magic, and similar tricks are the bestways to take prisoners – most weapons are entirely too final! But if youneed to defeat someone without harming him, and you have only ordi-nary weapons, you still have several options:

Disarm him. You can do this by striking at his weapon to knock it out of his hand or break it. Of course, he might not surrender, eventhen . . .

Pull your punches. You do not have to strike at full strength. You canchoose to use any ST value less than your own when you strike withbare hands or a melee weapon, thrown weapon, bow, or sling (but notwith a crossbow or a firearm). For example, if your normal ST is 10,you could strike at only ST 9 in order to deliver a lighter wound . . . ortap at ST 1 to touch your foe without doing any harm.

Turn your blade. You can strike with the flat side of any swing/cut-ting weapon (sword, axe, etc.); this turns its usual cutting damage intocrushing damage. You can also poke with the blunt end of athrust/impaling weapon (spear, halberd, etc.); this reduces damage by 1point and makes damage crushing. Reversing a reach 2+ impalingweapon to attack with its blunt end requires a Ready maneuver.

Pin him. If you can grapple your foe, you can “pin” him (seeUnarmed Combat, p. 370) and then tie him up. This takes about aminute with ropes, two seconds with ready handcuffs. For anotheroption, see Arm Lock (p. 403).

Suffocate him. For details, see Choke or Strangle (p. 370), Choke Hold(p. 404), and Suffocation (p. 436).

Strangulation and SmotheringIt is possible to render someone unconscious – or even kill him –

through suffocation without inflicting significant HP damage. SeeSuffocation (p. 436) for details.

If you do not wish to choke your victim (see Actions After a Grapple,p. 370), you must somehow prevent him from breathing, or restrict theflow of blood (and thus oxygen) to his brain, without crushing histhroat. If he is restrained, unconscious, or otherwise unresisting, youhave many options: hold his nose and mouth shut by hand, cover hisface with a pillow or similar object, or constrict either of his carotidarteries (on his neck).

If you are conscious and being smothered, you can choose not toresist and feign unconsciousness. In most cases, you can only fool yourattacker if he has been smothering or strangling you for at least 10 sec-onds. You must make a Will roll to lie passively in the grip of anassailant who is suffocating you! Winning a Quick Contest of Acting vs.your attacker’s IQ may fool a hasty or squeamish foe into believingyou’re unconscious.

These rules add additional options– and complexity – to meleeattacks and defenses.

ATTACKFROM ABOVE

Ambush from above is a good sur-prise tactic. Roll a Quick Contest tosee if it works: your Stealth vs. the vic-tim’s Vision. A victim walking along atrail, alley, etc. is at -2 to notice some-one lurking above, unless he specifi-cally states he is looking in the trees,high windows, etc.; then he gets +2(but -2 to notice things on his ownlevel!). Peripheral Vision is of no spe-cial value in this situation.

If you win the Quick Contest, yourvictim fails to spot you. He gets noactive defense against your attack! Atthe GM’s option, a particularly unwaryindividual might “freeze up”; seeSurprise Attacks and Initiative (p. 393).Even if you lose – or your target iswarned – your victim’s active defensesare at -2 against your attack. However,an alerted foe can take a Wait maneu-ver and make a “stop thrust” when youdrop (see Wait, p. 366).

You can drop from any heightbefore attacking (a special kind of“step”). You have an extra -2 to hit.Regardless of the results of yourattack, you take falling damage if youdropped from more than two yards –see Falling (p. 431). You may attemptan Acrobatics roll to reduce this.Natural ambushers-from-above (e.g.,jaguars) have Catfall (p. 41).

You can opt to drop onto your vic-tim instead – animals often attack thisway! Resolve damage to yourself and

your target sep-arately fromyour attack.Note that avictim is a

soft thing toland on, unless

he has DR 3+.

COMBAT ATDIFFERENTLEVELS

Suppose you want to jump onto atable and strike down at a foe? Orfight your way up a staircase? If youand your foe are at different levels, thevertical distance affects combat. Thisrule is for melee combat. For rangedweapons, see Firing Upward andDownward (p. 407).

One foot of vertical difference, orless: Ignore it.

Up to two feet of vertical difference:Ignore it unless you are using hit loca-tions. In that case, the higher fighterhas -2 to hit the feet or legs, and +1 tohit the head (skull, face, or eyes) orneck. The lower fighter has +2 to hitthe feet or legs, and -2 to hit the head.These modifiers are in addition to nor-mal hit location penalties.

Up to three feet of vertical difference:As above, but the lower fighter is at -1to any active defense, while the upperfighter is at +1 to his active defenses.

Up to four feet of vertical difference:As above, but the lower fighter is at -2to defend, while the upper fighter is at+2. The upper fighter cannot strike atthe lower fighter’s feet or legs.

Up to five feet of vertical difference:The lower fighter cannot strike at theupper fighter’s head, and the upperfighter cannot strike at the lower fight-er’s feet or legs. The lower fighter is at-3 to defend, while the upper fighter isat +3.

Up to six feet of vertical difference:The upper fighter may only strike atthe lower fighter’s head. The lowerfighter may only strike at the upperfighter’s feet or legs. Neither gets anyspecial bonus or penalty to attack. Thelower fighter is at -3 to defend, whilethe upper fighter is at +3.


SPECIAL MELEE COMBAT RULES

Size Modifier and ReachIf your SM is greater than 0, you

have a longer reach with your arms.Increase the upper end of the reach ofany melee weapon according to thetable at right.

You also get +1 to hit when you grap-ple per +1 SM advantage you have overyour target.

Example: A giant with SM +3 gets +2to the upper end of reach – a weaponwith reach 2-3 has reach 2-5 in hishands! If he grapples a human (SM 0),he gets +3 to hit. He gets no bonus tograpple another giant.

SM Reach+1 +0*+2 +1+3 +2+4 +3+5 +5+6 +7+7 +10+8 +15+9 +20+10 +30

* A reach “C” weaponincreases to reach 1, butthere are no other effects.

Over six feet of vertical difference:Combat is impossible unless the fight-ers adopt some strange position; e.g.,the upper fighter lies down and reach-es over the edge. In that particularcase, he would effectively bring him-self three feet closer, and his foe couldstrike at his head and arm. The GMmay offer appropriate bonuses andpenalties for any odd tactics that theplayers employ.

Effects of ReachIf your weapon or Size Modifier

gives you more than one yard of reach,each yard past the first brings the foethree feet closer to you. This does notbring you any closer to your foe! Forexample, a greatsword (two-yardreach) would let you fight as if yourfoe were three feet closer. If you werestanding six feet below him, youwould fight as though he were onlythree feet higher. He would not enjoy asimilar benefit unless he, too, had longreach.

Typical DistancesSet distances by common sense

and mutual agreement (beforehand, ifpossible). Some examples: Ordinarystairs rise eight inches per step (forsimplicity, you may want to call themone foot). The seat of a chair is lessthan two feet tall. An ordinary diningtable is less than three feet tall. Thecounter in a shop is about four feettall. The hood of a car, or the bed of awagon, is about three feet tall. Theroof of a car, or the seat of a wagon, isover four feet tall.

SPECIALUNARMEDCOMBATTECHNIQUES

Here are some additional optionsfor unarmed fighters who are not con-tent merely to punch, kick, and grap-ple. Most require Brawling, Judo,Karate, or Wrestling skill. You canimprove your ability with some ofthese techniques – see Sample CombatTechniques (p. 230).

Arm LockAn arm lock is an attempt to

restrain or cripple an opponent by

twisting his arm. It uses Judo orWrestling skill. To perform an armlock, you must have two hands freeand make a successful barehandedparry with Judo or Wrestling againstyour opponent’s melee attack.

On your first turn following theparry, you may attempt to captureyour attacker’s arm if he is still withinone yard. This is an attack: step intoclose combat and roll against Judo orWrestling to hit. Your foe may use anyactive defense – he can parry yourhand with a weapon! If his defensefails, you trap his arm in a lock.

Your foe may attempt to break free(see Actions After Being Grappled,p. 371) on his next turn, but you are at+4 in the Quick Contest. If he loses, hehas a cumulative -1 on future attemptsto break free.

On your next turn – and on eachturn thereafter, until your foe breaksfree – you may try to damage thetrapped arm. Roll a Quick Contest: thehighest of your Judo, Wrestling, or STvs. the higher of your victim’s ST orHT. If you win, you inflict crushing

damage equal to your margin of victo-ry. The target’s natural DR (unless ithas the Tough Skin limitation) and theDR of his rigid armor protect normal-ly. Flexible armor has no effect!

If you cripple your victim’s arm, hedrops anything in that hand. You caninflict no further damage on a crip-pled limb, but you can continue to rollthe Contest each turn. If you win, yourtarget suffers shock and stunning justas if you had inflicted damage.

The rolls to inflict damage arecompletely passive and do not countas attacks! You can simultaneouslymake close combat attacks on youropponent, who defends at -4 in addi-tion to any other penalties due to thedamage caused by the lock itself.

You can also use this ability offen-sively. Instead of waiting to parry anattack, grapple your foe normally withJudo or Wrestling skill. If he fails tobreak free on his next turn, you mayattempt an arm lock on your nextturn, just as if you had parried hisattack.


Choke HoldThis Judo and Wrestling technique

involves locking one forearm aroundthe target’s neck and applying pres-sure to the windpipe. The more thevictim struggles, the tighter the chokebecomes. This can quickly subdue anopponent.

To apply a choke hold, you mustgrapple your victim from behind usingboth hands. Treat this as a normalgrapple (see Grappling, p. 370), butroll against your Judo at -2 orWrestling at -3 to hit. A victim who isaware of you may attempt any legaldefense, but suffers the usual penaltiesfor an attack from behind.

On your foe’s next turn and on sub-sequent turns, he may attempt tobreak free. You are at +5 in the QuickContest. But note that you controlyour victim’s neck and head – not hisarms and legs. He can attack you witha Wild Swing (p. 388), Back Kick(p. 230), etc., at the usual -4 for beinggrappled.

On your next turn – and on eachturn thereafter, until your foe breaksfree – your victim loses 1 FP, perSuffocation (p. 436). If you wish, youmay choke him for crushing damageat the same time (see Actions After aGrapple, p. 370), and get +3 to ST forthis purpose.

Elbow StrikeYou can attack an enemy behind

you in close combat by jabbing back-ward with your elbow. Roll againstBrawling-2 or Karate-2 to hit. There isno modifier for not facing the enemy,but apply an extra -1 to hit if you tar-get a specific hit location. On a hit, rollyour usual punching damage. Treat anelbow strike at a foe in front of you asa normal punch.

Knee StrikeThis is a vicious, snapping blow

with the knee. Unlike a kick, it onlyhas reach C. Roll against Brawling-1or Karate-1 to hit. If you have grap-pled your target, he defends at -2 . . .and if you grappled from the front,you may attack his groin at no penal-ty! On a hit, roll your usual kickingdamage.

Lethal StrikeThis is a blow that focuses all of

your strength onto a single narrow

point: a toe, a few stiffened fingers,etc. It is an option for any punch orkick with Karate. Roll against Karateto hit, but at -2 over and above anyother penalties. You get -1 to damage,but your blow is piercing instead ofcrushing. This lets you target the vitalsor eyes! There is a down side: theHurting Yourself rule (p. 379) applies ifyour target has DR 1+ (as opposed toDR 3+).

Neck Snap or Wrench Limb

This brute-force technique consistsof grabbing and suddenly twisting thevictim’s head to break the neck, or alimb to dislocate or break it.

You must first grapple your oppo-nent by the neck or desired limb using

both hands; see Grappling (p. 370).Your victim may attempt to break freeon his turn. If he fails, then on yournext turn, roll a Quick Contest: yourST-4 vs. the higher of your victim’s STor HT. If you win, you inflictswing/crushing damage on the neck orlimb. Damage to the neck has theusual ¥1.5 wounding modifier for hitlocation. The target’s natural DR(unless it has the Tough Skin limita-tion) and the DR of his rigid armorprotect normally. Flexible armor hasno effect!

You may make repeated attemptson successive turns, but your oppo-nent may attack you or attempt tobreak free, subject to the usual limita-tions of being grappled.

TramplingYou can trample a victim if your

Size Modifier exceeds his by 2 or more

– or by only 1, if he’s lying prone andyou’re not.

Trampling is a melee attack: roll vs.the higher of DX or Brawling to hit.The victim’s only legal defense is adodge. If you hit, you inflictthrust/crushing damage based on yourST; if you have Hooves, add +1 per dieof damage.

If you knock down a foe in a colli-sion or slam and keep on moving, youautomatically overrun and trampleyour opponent. Do not make anyattack or defense rolls – roll damageimmediately, based on half your ST,rounded down.

In all cases, if your SM exceedsyour victim’s by 3 or more, don’t worryabout hit location – your attack countsas a large-area injury (see Large-AreaInjury, p. 400).

SPECIAL MELEEWEAPON RULES

Some melee weapons are morecomplicated than others! Below aresome special cases.

CloaksYou can snap a cloak in your oppo-

nent’s face or use it to block his vision;treat either as a Feint (see Feint,p. 365). You can also use a cloak tograpple. Roll against Cloak skill to hit;reach is C, 1. Otherwise, treat this justlike an unarmed grapple (seeGrappling, p. 370).

Fencing WeaponsThe “ready” position of a fighter

using Main-Gauche, Rapier, Saber, orSmallsword skill keeps his weaponpointed toward his foe at all times. As


Improvised WeaponsYou sometimes want to hit a foe with something other than a “real”

weapon. If so, the GM should treat the object as the weapon it resem-bles most closely: a stick would be a baton, light club, or quarterstaff; aheavy tool would be equivalent to a mace or a maul; a length of chainwould serve as a clumsy morningstar; and so on.

If an improvised weapon is especially clumsy, add a penalty of -1 to-3 to hit or parry with it, or increase the minimum ST required. If it isshorter or lighter than a “real” weapon of the same type (or not verysharp, for a blade), reduce damage.

well, the “fencing weapons” used withthese skills are light and maneuver-able. These factors make it easy for afencer to recover from a parry or fallback in the face of an attack.

With a fencing weapon, you get +3to Parry instead of the usual +1 whenyou retreat (see Retreat, p. 377). Youalso suffer only half the usual penaltyfor multiple parries (see Parrying,p. 376). However, your Parry has apenalty equal to your encumbrancelevel, and you cannot parry flails at all.

FlailsA weapon with a length of chain

between the handle and the head is a“flail.” Because of the chain, a flail canwrap around a foe’s weapon or shieldwhen he tries to defend against it. Anyattempt to parry a flail is at -4; fencingweapons, with their light blades, can-not parry flails at all! Even a shield isless useful against a flail: all blocks areat -2.

GarrotesA “garrote” is a cord or wire used

for strangling. You can only use it onan unaware or helpless victim, andyou must attack from behind (thisoften requires Stealth rolls!).

Once you are in position, rollagainst Garrote skill to hit. You musttarget the neck, at the usual -5 to hit.In most cases, your target is unaware,so you can safely make an All-OutAttack (Determined) for +4 to hit.

The victim may attempt to parrywith his hand or a ready close-combatweapon, but he does so at -3. Unlesshe has Combat Reflexes, he is mostlikely mentally stunned, for an addi-tional -4 to his defense roll. On a suc-cess, he manages to put his hand orweapon between his throat and thegarrote. The hand takes no damageunless you are using a wire garrote.

On the turn of the attack and everysubsequent turn, you may choke thevictim (see Actions After a Grapple,p. 370), and get +3 to ST in the ensu-ing Quick Contest. Treat the damageas crushing (¥1.5 to the neck) for arope garrote, cutting (¥2 to the neck)for a wire one. In addition, your victimstarts to suffocate (see Suffocation,p. 436). To break free, the victim mustwin a Quick Contest of ST-5, Judo-3,or Wrestling-3 against your Garroteskill.

An improvised garrote (almost anypiece of rope) gives -2 to skill. A wiregarrote must be equipped with han-dles, or you will take thrust/cuttingdamage to each hand!

PicksMelee weapons that inflict

swing/impaling damage – picks,warhammers, etc. – do a lot of dam-age, but may get stuck in your foe! Atthe start of the turn following anyattack that penetrates the foe’s DR andinflicts damage, you must either relin-quish your weapon and leave it stuck

in your foe (a free action), or attempta ST roll to free it (a Ready maneuver).

On a successful ST roll, yourweapon comes free. If it is one thatmust be readied after an attack (anyweapon with “‡” next to its ST statis-tic), you can ready it next turn. On afailure, it is stuck. You can’t use it orready it – and if you wish to move,you’ll have to let go. On later turns,you have two choices: let go of yourweapon or try another ST roll. Shouldyou ever get a critical failure on the STroll, the weapon is permanently stuck(but you can retrieve it from a fallenfoe after the battle).


Dirty TricksCreative players will constantly invent new combat tricks – for

instance, throwing sand in the enemy’s face to blind him. This presentsa problem for the GM. On the one hand, creativity should be encour-aged; it makes the game more interesting. On the other hand, tricksonly work when they’re new and original. If sand in the face workedevery time, barbarian warriors would leave their swords at home andcarry bags of sand instead!

The best solution is to let “tricks” work once – maybe twice – andthen assume that word has gotten around. If you, as the GM, think thatthe players’ clever idea is a good one, you should give it a fair chance towork. But remember that elaborate tricks can fail elaborately . . . andword gets around. The first Trojan horse was a great success. It hasn’tworked since then.

IQ and Dirty TricksOften, the GM will find it appropriate to require an IQ roll when a

fighter attempts a clever trick. Depending on the circumstance, the GMmay:

• Make the trickster roll vs. his IQ to pull off the trick properly.• Make the victim roll vs. his IQ to see through the trick.• Require a Quick Contest of IQ to see who outsmarts whom.

There’s no hard-and-fast rule! Just remember: nobody who takes anIQ 8 fighter should be allowed to play him as a genius!

Liquids in the FaceThis is one of the most common “dirty tricks.” Treat liquid tossed in

the face as a thrown weapon with Acc 1 and Max 3. Remember the -5to target the face!

On a critical hit, the liquid gets in the victim’s eyes, blinding him for1d seconds (the GM rolls secretly). On any other hit, the target maydefend normally – but note that it is impossible to parry a liquid. If hefails to defend, he must make a Will roll to avoid flinching. On a failure,he flinches: -2 to further defenses that turn, and -2 to any DX or Senseroll on his next turn. On a success, the attack has no effect . . . unlessthe victim has Bad Temper!

This assumes a relatively harmless substance, like beer. Acid, poison,etc. have their usual effects.

When the weapon comes free, itdoes half as much damage as it didgoing in. For example, if the originalwound was 4 points, it does another 2points. Failed ST rolls cause no extradamage.

If your foe tries to move awaywhile your weapon is stuck in him,roll a Quick Contest of ST. If he wins,he pulls the weapon from your grasp!If you win, your foe can’t move. On atie, the weapon comes free and doesdamage as above.

ShieldsA shield is an excellent defense

against low-tech weapons, but you canalso use it offensively:

Shield Bash: A shield “bash” is anordinary melee weapon attack. Ashield can only hit foes in your frontor shield-side hexes. See the MeleeWeapon Table (p. 271) for statistics.

Shield Rush: A shield “rush” is anattempt to knock your foe down byrunning into him shield-first. SeeSlam (p. 368) for details. You cannotdo this with a buckler.

WhipsWhips are effective disarming

weapons. When you strike to disarmwith a whip, you get +2 in the ensuing

Quick Contest; see Knocking a WeaponAway (p. 401).

You may try to entangle your oppo-nent instead of his weapon. Thisattack is at an extra -4 to hit, andinflicts no damage, but follows theLariat rules (p. 411) if successful.

Whips are poor defensive weapons,and get -2 to Parry. Whips are alsounbalanced, and cannot attack andparry on the same turn – and longwhips actually become unready afteran attack or a parry. It takes one turnto ready a two-yard whip, two turns toready a whip three yards or longer.

Additional rules apply, dependingon the type of whip:

Whip: You can “crack” an ordinarybullwhip – this is the sound of the tipbreaking the sound barrier! Thisrequires an attack at -4 to skill, butinflicts +2 damage. Any whip blow ispainful: anyone who suffers a whipwound to his arm or hand must rollagainst Will, modified by the shockpenalty for the injury. On a failure, hedrops anything in that hand.

Kusari: This is a weighted chain.You can adjust reach from 1 to 4 yardswith a Ready maneuver. Treat it as awhip when disarming, entanglingopponents, or readying. Treat it as aflail vs. enemy defenses: -2 to block

and -4 to parry. If someone parriesyour kusari with a weapon, make askill roll immediately. On a success,your kusari entangles his weapon. Afailure has no special effect; a criticalfailure means you drop the kusari!Your opponent may disentangle hisweapon on his turn. This requires afree hand and a DX roll. If he does not,you may make a disarm attempt onyour next turn without rolling to hitfirst: state that you are attempting todisarm and immediately roll theQuick Contest. This still counts as anattack. You cannot use a kusari ifthere is no headroom, or in an areafull of obstacles (nearby people countas obstacles). On a critical miss, a rollof 3, 4, 17, or 18 indicates that youhave hit yourself in the face!

Monowire Whip: An ultra-techwhip made of superfine wire. A con-trol allows you to vary length from 1 to7 yards, changing both reach andready time. Adjusting the lengthrequires a Ready maneuver. Whenused to snare an opponent or aweapon, the whip cuts into its target,inflicting thrust+1d(10) cutting dam-age every turn it is pulled taut until thevictim escapes. A “drop weapon” criti-cal miss indicates that you have hityourself or a friend.


The following rules add extra detailin ranged combat situations.

MALFUNCTIONSThis optional rule applies only to

firearms, grenades, and incendiaries.A “malfunction” is a mechanical fail-ure of the weapon; e.g., a misfire or ajam. Unlike a critical failure, a mal-function does not normally endangerthe user.

For the purpose of this rule,firearms, grenades, and incendiarieshave a “malfunction number,” or“Malf.,” a function of TL.

TL Malf.3 124 145 166 or higher 17

A fine or very fine firearm gets +1to Malf.; a cheap weapon gets -1.Specific types of weapons might havea higher or lower Malf., as indicatedin their descriptions. The GM is freeto lower a weapon’s Malf. for mis-treatment, lack of maintenance, ordamage.

Regardless of the attacker’s skill, aweapon will malfunction instead offiring on any unmodified attack rollequal to or greater than its Malf. Theexact effects depend on the weapon.

Firearm MalfunctionTable

When a weapon malfunctions, roll3d on the following table:

3-4 – Mechanical or electrical problem.

5-8 – Misfire.9-11 – Stoppage.12-14 – Misfire.15-18 – Mechanical or electrical prob-

lem, and possible explosion.

Mechanical or ElectricalProblem

The weapon fails to fire. A success-ful Armoury or IQ-based weapon skillroll (takes a Ready maneuver) can

diagnose the problem. Once the prob-lem is known, make an Armoury skillroll to correct it. Each repair attempttakes one hour, and any critical failuredestroys the weapon.

Grenades: This represents a fusingproblem: the weapon detonates 1dseconds late.

MisfireThe weapon fails to fire. A suc-

cessful Armory+2 or IQ-basedweapon skill roll (takes a Readymaneuver) can identify the problem.If the weapon is a revolver, the nextshot will fire normally. Otherwise,each attempt to fix the problemrequires three Ready maneuvers, twohands free, and a successfulArmoury+2 or IQ-based weapon skillroll. Critical failure causes a mechan-ical or electrical problem.

Grenades: The grenade is a dud,and will never explode.

StoppageThe weapon fires one shot, then

jams or otherwise stops working.(Treat the fired shot as a normalattack.) Each attempt to clear thestoppage requires three Ready maneu-vers, two hands free, and a successfulArmoury roll, or IQ-based weaponskill roll at -4. A success fixes theweapon. Failure means it isn’t fixedyet, but you can try again. Critical fail-ure causes a mechanical or electricalproblem.

Beam weapons: Treat as a mechan-ical or electrical problem.

Grenades and other single-useweapons: The weapon is a dud; it willnever fire or explode.

ExplosionAny TL3 firearm or TL4 grenade,

breechloader, or repeating firearmmay blow up in the gunner’s face,inflicting 1d+2 cr ex [2d]. If theweapon uses an explosive warhead,use the warhead’s damage instead.TL5+ weapons do not explode – treatas a mechanical or electrical problem.

FIRING UPWARDAND DOWNWARD

Firing downward increases the dis-tance you can throw or fire a projec-tile; firing upward decreases it. Thiseffect is unlikely to matter at short dis-tances, but can be important at longrange. Ignore it entirely for beamweapons like lasers!

Firing Downward: For every twoyards of elevation you have over yourtarget, subtract one yard from theeffective distance, to a minimum ofhalf the real ground distance.(Example: You are 40 yards away fromyour target, and 10 yards higher.Subtract 5 yards from effective range.You fire as though you were only 35yards away.)

Firing Upward: For every yard ofelevation your target has over you, addone yard to the effective distance.(Example: You are 40 yards away fromyour target, and 10 yards lower. Add10 yards to effective range. You fire asthough you were 50 yards away.)

COVERTo take cover behind an obstacle,

simply move so that it is between youand your attacker. You might alsohave to kneel or lie prone, dependingon the obstacle’s height. Cover pro-tects one or more hit locations, mak-ing you harder to hit with rangedweapons.

You must normally expose yourskull, eyes, face, and neck to see a tar-get. You must expose your weaponarm and hand to fire a one-handedweapon. You must normally exposeboth arms and hands to fire a two-handed weapon, plus half of yourtorso and vitals, unless you are firingthrough a narrow slit. Your groin, legs,and feet can remain hidden if thecover is sufficient to protect them. Youmight have to expose more of yourbody if the cover is partial, or if youare unable to kneel, sit, or lie pronebehind low cover.


SPECIAL RANGEDCOMBAT RULES

If your foe is partially behind cover,you have three options:

• Target a location that is notbehind cover. Your attack takes theusual hit location penalty. If the loca-tion is only half exposed, you have anextra -2 to hit.

• Roll randomly for hit location.Your attack takes no hit locationpenalty, but shots that hit a coveredlocation strike the cover instead. Forshots that hit a location that is onlyhalf exposed, roll 1d: on a roll of 4-6,the shot strikes cover, not the target.

• Ignore the cover and try to shootright through it! This is only likely tobe effective if you have a powerfulweapon or your target is behind lightcover. You have an extra -2 to hit.(Exception: If your foe is completelyconcealed by cover, you suffer theusual penalty for shooting blind, typi-cally -10.) The cover adds its “coverDR” against the attack. For structures,this is typically the barrier’s DR +(HP/4); see the Structural DamageTable (p. 558) and Cover DR Table(p. 559) for more information. For thecover DR of living things, see Over-penetration, below.

Cover is normally only effectiveagainst ranged weapons, but certainobstacles might interfere with meleeattacks as well. You can fight across alow obstacle if your attacks have suffi-cient reach to strike past it. Thus, twofencers could duel across an interven-ing table, but could not strike eachother’s legs or feet.

OVERPENETRATIONWhen you inflict piercing, impal-

ing, or tight-beam burning damagewith a ranged attack, there is achance that damage might passthrough your target and harm some-thing on the far side; e.g., an innocentbystander. Similarly, a powerfulattack might go right through cover(see Cover, above) or a shield (seeDamage to Shields, p. 484) – or evenpenetrate a building or vehicle, dam-aging it and its occupants.

The GM decides who is likely to behit due to overpenetration. A hit isautomatic if the second target isimmediately behind the first; e.g.,someone taking cover or blockingwith a shield. Otherwise, see Hittingthe Wrong Target (p. 389) andOccupant Hit Table (p. 555) to deter-mine who is hit.

An attack only overpenetrates if itsbasic damage exceeds the target’s“cover DR.” To find this value, addtogether the target or cover’s DR – onboth sides, for a person in armor – andHP (for flesh), 1/2 HP (for a machine,vehicle, or other Unliving target), or1/4 HP (for a Homogenous object).Use the object’s DR alone if it’s a thinslab, like a wall or a door. Finally,apply any armor divisor.

If the attack does enough damageto penetrate cover DR, determine ifanyone on the other side is hit. If so,they get the cover DR plus their ownDR against the damage.

Example: Special Agent Ira Grayspots an assassin with a rifle, andthrows himself in front of the VIP he’s

protecting just as the gunman fires.The armor-piercing rifle bullet – a7d(2) pi- attack – hits him in the chest!The bullet’s basic damage is 20 points.Gray’s DR 8 ballistic vest stops only 4points due to the armor divisor of (2).Gray takes 16 points of penetratingdamage. Halved for small piercing,this inflicts an 8 HP wound. Whatabout the VIP? Gray’s vest gives DR16, since both sides count, and Grayhas 12 HP. The total cover DR is 28,halved for the armor divisor of (2) togive DR 14. Since the bullet’s basicdamage was 20, it overpenetrated. TheVIP wasn’t wearing armor, so he takes6 points of damage, halved for smallpiercing, and suffers a 3 HP injury.He’s wounded, but not badly – SpecialAgent Gray saved his life.

SPECIAL RULESFOR RAPID FIRE

The following additional rules arefor use in conjunction with Rapid Fire(p. 373). They only apply when mak-ing a ranged attack at RoF 2+.

Automatic Weapons and Full-Auto Only

Automatic weapons – firearmswith RoF 4+ – use the Rapid Fire rules.Most can fire both controlled burstsand “full auto” (that is, for as long asthe trigger is held down).

Some automatic weapons (e.g.,machine guns) can only fire full auto;they lack a semi-automatic or limit-ed-burst setting (“selective fire”). Aweapon that is “full-auto only” has a“!” after its RoF statistic. The onlyway to fire a short burst with such aweapon is to hold down the triggerfor a fraction of a second. MinimumRoF is one-quarter full RoF (roundup) or shots remaining, whichever isless.

Rapid Fire vs. CloseStationary Targets

Rapid fire generally results in onlya fraction of the shots fired hitting thetarget. This is realistic . . . except whenthe target is up close and unable tomove. This situation arises whenshooting your way through a wall,door, or parked car with a shotgun orassault rifle – or when performing anexecution.


If your target is totally immobile(for instance, an inanimate object, orsomeone who is completely restrainedor unconscious) and has a SizeModifier high enough to completelycounteract the range penalty, a suc-cessful attack roll means that half theshots fired (round up) hit. If the attacksucceeds by the weapon’s Recoil ormore, all of the shots hit.

Example: When shooting at a doorwith SM +2, this rule would apply atany range up to 5 yards (range modifi-er -2). If the target were a man (SM 0),this would only apply at a range of upto 2 yards (range modifier 0) – andonly if he were tied up or unconscious.

Shotguns and Multiple Projectiles

A weapon with a RoF followed by amultiplier (e.g., RoF 3¥9) fires shotsthat release multiple, smaller projec-tiles. The most common example is ashotgun. The first number is the num-ber of shots the weapon can actuallyfire; this is how much ammunition isused up. When resolving the attack,however, multiply shots fired by thesecond number to get the effective RoF.

Example: Father O’Leary’s shotgunhas RoF 3¥9. He chooses to fire threetimes at a demon flapping towardhim. For the purpose of the Rapid Firerules, he his three shots are an attackat RoF 3 ¥ 9 = 27, because each shellreleases multiple buckshot pellets.

At extremely close range, multipleprojectiles don’t have time to spread.This increases lethality! At ranges lessthan 10% of 1/2D, don’t apply the RoFmultiplier to RoF. Instead, multiplyboth basic damage dice and the target’sDR by half that value (round down).

Example: Father O’Leary’s shotgunhas 1/2D 50, so once that demon fliesto within 5 yards, it is close enoughthat the pellets won’t disperse much. IfO’Leary fires three times, his RoF is 3,not 27. But since the attack is a ¥9multiple-projectile round, a ¥4 multi-plier applies to both basic damage andthe demon’s DR. The shotgun’s basicdamage is 1d+1, so O’Leary rolls 4d+4for each hit (up to three, depending onhow well he rolls). However, thedemon’s DR 3 becomes DR 12 againstthe damage.

Spraying FireA weapon fired at RoF 5+ can

attack multiple targets. All the targetsmust be in the same general direction(within a 30° angle), and you mustengage them in succession – fromright to left or from left to right, yourchoice.

Announce how many shots youwill fire at each target before you rollto hit. You may split up your RoFhowever you wish. If the targets aremore than one yard apart, traversingbetween them wastes some shots. ForRoF 16 or less, you lose one shot foreach yard between targets. For RoF16+, you lose two shots per yard.These “wasted” shots may hit unin-tended targets (see Hitting the WrongTarget, p. 389).

Make a separate attack roll againsteach target. Your effective RoF foreach attack is just the number of shotsyou fired at that target. Since aweapon is harder to control when youswing it to engage multiple targets,add +1 to effective Recoil for yourattack on the second target, +2 toRecoil when you engage the third tar-get, and so on.

Example: Sgt. Kelly, Special AirService, kicks open the door and seesthree armed terrorists. With nohostages in sight, Kelly opens fire! Hisweapon is a 4.6mm PDW (see p. 278).He sprays fire at all three terrorists,using his weapon’s full RoF of 15. The

first two terrorists are standing 2yards apart; the third is 4 yards fromeither. Kelly fires 5 shots at the first,wastes 1 shot traversing to the second,fires 4 shots at him, wastes 3 shots tra-versing to the third, and fires his last 2shots. He resolves this as three sepa-rate rapid-fire attacks: one at RoF 5with the PDW’s normal Recoil of 2,one at RoF 4 and Recoil 3, and one atRoF 2 and Recoil 4.

Suppression FireIf you have a weapon with RoF 5+,

you can lay down “suppression fire.”This involves holding down the triggerand “hosing down” an area with fire.This will affect anyone who enters thearea before the start of your next turn.There needn’t be a target in the areawhen you start!

To use suppression fire, select a tar-get zone two yards across at somepoint within your weapon’s range,take the All-Out Attack (SuppressionFire) maneuver, and start shooting.This maneuver takes an entire second;you can do nothing else that turn.

Specify how many shots you arefiring, up to your weapon’s full RoF. Ifyour weapon has RoF 10+, you cansuppress multiple two-yard zones, aslong as they are adjacent and you fireat least five shots into each zone. Youreffective RoF in each zone is the num-ber of shots you fired into that zone,not your total shots.


Once you start suppression fire,you must attack anyone – friend or foe– who enters the zone or a swath thatextends one yard to either side of aline drawn from you to the center ofthe zone. With the exception of penal-ties for target visibility, all normalattack modifiers apply – including therapid-fire bonus for your effective RoFand any bonus for aiming prior to sup-pressing. Your final effective skill can-not exceed 6 + your rapid-fire bonusfor most weapons, or 8 + your rapid-fire bonus for vehicle- or tripod-mounted ones.

If you hit, use Random HitLocation (p. 400) – you cannot target aparticular hit location with suppres-sion fire. This may result in someshots hitting cover (see Cover, p. 407).If all your shots somehow manage tostrike targets, you can score no furtherhits that turn.

SPECIAL RANGEDWEAPONS

Certain ranged weapons are “spe-cial cases,” and require additionalnotes.

BolasThe bolas is a thrown entangling

weapon. The target can dodge orblock, but if he tries to parry, thebolas hits his parrying arm, witheffects as described below.(Exception: A successful parry with acutting weapon cuts the cords, ruin-ing the bolas!)

You may aim a bolas at any bodypart. If it hits, it does its damage andwraps around its target. To escape, thevictim requires a free hand, and mustmake three successful DX rolls. Eachattempt counts as a Ready maneuver,during which time the victim maytake no other actions. Animals roll toescape at -3 for paws or at -6 forhooves.

If you hit a weapon, or an arm orhand that is holding something, rolla Quick Contest: your Bolas skill vs.the target’s ST. If you win, the targetdrops what he’s carrying (this doesnot affect a shield strapped to thearm). If you hit a leg or foot, youentangle two legs; a running targetmust make a DX roll or fall, taking1d-2 damage. If you hit the neck, the

bolas cuts off the target’s breathing(see Suffocation, p. 436) until heescapes.

CrossbowsWhen you buy a crossbow, you

must specify its ST. It takes two sec-onds to cock any crossbow of your STor less.

A stronger bow does more dam-age but takes longer to cock. A cross-bow with ST 1 or 2 greater than yourown takes six seconds to cock. Acrossbow with ST 3 or 4 greater thanyours requires a “goat’s foot” deviceto cock (takes 20 seconds). You can-not cock a stronger crossbow, exceptusing slow mechanical devices. Youcan still fire it!

Remember that in addition tococking time, it takes one turn toready a bolt – unless you have Fast-Draw (Arrow) – and one turn to loadthe bolt into the crossbow.

Flaming ArrowsA flaming arrow is made by wrap-

ping oil- or fat-soaked cloth, grass, etc.around the shaft just behind thearrowhead; it takes 10 seconds to pre-pare, and must be used within threeseconds of preparation. It is clumsy inflight, giving -2 to hit. If it hits, treat itas an arrow that does one point ofburning damage as a linked effect (seeLinked Effects, p. 381). The chance ofthe flame spreading depends on whatthe arrow strikes.

Hand GrenadesIt takes a Ready maneuver to grab

a hand grenade from your belt, webgear, etc. To use it, you must arm it(“pull the pin”); this requires a secondReady maneuver. After that, you canthrow it normally.

Most grenades have a fixed delay(typically under 5 seconds), but somedetonate on impact. If the grenade has


Suppression fire involves holding down the trigger and “hosing down” an area with fire. Thiswill affect anyone who enters the area before thestart of your next turn. There needn’t be a target in the area when you start!

a delay, you can take one or two sec-onds to Aim (and hope no one shootsyou!) before you throw it. Otherwise,it is just barely possible for the enemyto pick up a grenade that lands next tohim and throw it back! It takes himone second to kneel down, one toready the grenade, one to throw . . .

HarpoonsMost harpoons are barbed. Use the

rules under Picks (p. 405), except thatthe tether lets you attempt the ST rollto free the weapon at a distance. Aharpooned victim can move, but nofarther than the tether’s length; to gofurther, he must win a Quick Contestof ST to pull the tether out of yourhands. He might have to beat ST 50(or even higher!) to escape if the teth-er is made of thick rope and tiedsecurely to something solid (e.g., aship).

LariatsLike a harpoon, treat a lariat as a

thrown weapon, despite the fact thatyou hold onto one end. You may aim alariat at any body part. Your targetmay dodge or parry – and if he suc-cessfully parries with a cuttingweapon, he damages the lariat as if hehad tried to cut it (see below). But if hetries to parry and fails, you automati-cally ensnare his parrying arm!

If you hit the target’s arm or torso,you ensnare it. On subsequent turns,you must take a Ready maneuver tokeep the victim snared. Roll a QuickContest of ST on your turn. If you win,you immobilize your opponent; if youlose, he pulls the lariat from yourgrasp.

If you lasso the neck, use the samerules, but your victim is at -5 in theContest. If you win, the lariat cuts offthe victim’s breathing – seeSuffocation (p. 436).

If you rope the foot, the targetmust make a DX roll to remain stand-ing (this is instead of the Contestabove). He rolls at -4 if he was run-ning. If he falls, he takes 1d-4 damage– or 1d-2 if he was running. On sub-sequent turns, use the rules above tokeep him entangled.

You must keep the lariat taut at alltimes to immobilize or suffocate yourvictim. This requires a Ready maneu-ver each turn. If your horse is trainedto do this for you, substitute its ST foryours in the Quick Contest.

To escape from a taut lariat, cut therope (DR 1, 2 HP). To escape from alimp lariat (including one pulled fromthe attacker’s grasp), use the rulesgiven under Bolas (p. 410).

A lariat takes 1 turn per 5 yards toready after a miss. A typical lariat is 10yards long.

Molotov Cocktails and Oil Flasks

A “Molotov cocktail” (TL6) is a bot-tle filled with gasoline and fitted witha burning “fuse” – often just a rag.Once you have it in hand, it takes aReady maneuver to light its fuse (ifyou have a torch or lighter) and anAttack maneuver to throw.

In theory, the bottle bursts uponhitting a hard surface (anything withDR 3+), spilling the gasoline, whichimmediately catches fire. In reality,Molotov cocktails are notoriouslyunreliable. They have a Malf. of 12,regardless of tech level (seeMalfunctions, p. 407): on any attackroll of 12+, the fuse separates from thebottle in flight, the bottle fails tobreak, or the fuel doesn’t ignite.

If your target is a person, he maydodge or block, but not parry. If hedodges, the bottle shatters on theground at his feet. The same thinghappens if he fails to defend but doesnot have DR 3+ (the bottle bounces offwithout breaking). If he blocks, itbreaks on his shield.

If your target is the ground, or ifyou targeted a person but hit theground instead, the Molotov cocktailsets fire to a one-yard radius; see Area-Effect Attacks (p. 413). On a battlemap, the target hex is filled withflame.

If the Molotov cocktail bursts onthe target, it inflicts 3d burning dam-age, and then 1d burning damage persecond. Most DR protects at only 1/5value; sealed armor protects com-pletely. If you hit the target’s shield, ittakes this damage instead, and thewielder may continue to use his shielduntil it is destroyed (the fire is on theoutside). Use the Damage to Shieldsrule (p. 484), or just assume that hemust discard his shield after the bat-tle. If you hit the ground, the flamedoes 1d-1 burning damage per secondin a one-yard radius. In all cases, theflame burns for 10d seconds.

“Greek fire” (TL3) consists ofnaphtha – a light petroleum product

distilled from crude oil, roughly simi-lar to gasoline – mixed with fat or tarand saltpeter to make it sticky andburn hotter. It should be very expen-sive! Treat earthenware flasks filledwith Greek fire as Molotov cocktails.This is the classic fantasy “oil flask.”

Below TL3, flammable, hot-burn-ing liquids are unavailable in realisticgame worlds.

Note that these weapons are fragile.Roll 1d for each bottle if you fall; itbreaks on a roll of 1-4. A foe maystrike at a bottle on your belt (-5 tohit); it breaks automatically if hit.Either result soaks you in flammableliquid: any burning damage will setyou on fire!

NetsA net is a thrown entangling

weapon. The target may dodge orparry it. If he successfully parries witha cutting weapon, he damages the net;treat a net of any size as a diffuseobject with DR 1 and normal HP forits weight. If the target fails to defend,he is entangled, and cannot move orattack until freed.

To escape, the victim requires atleast one free hand, and must makethree successful DX-4 rolls. Eachattempt counts as a Ready maneuver,during which time the victim maytake no other actions. Animals roll atan extra -2, as do humans with onlyone hand available; rolls to escapefrom a small net are at +3. If the victimfails three consecutive rolls, hebecomes so entangled that he must becut free.

It is also possible to escape a net bydamaging it. The victim can only useattacks with reach “C,” but they hitautomatically. Use the Breaking aWeapon rules (p. 401) – but treat a netas diffuse (see Injury to Unliving,Homogenous, and Diffuse Targets,p. 380).

You may also use a small net as amelee weapon. It has a reach of 1 or 2yards. Handle the attack as per Lariats(above) and the victim’s attempt tobreak free as per Bolas (p. 410).

FIREARMACCESSORIES

These rules cover the effects of thefirearm accessories mentioned inChapter 8.


Bipods and TripodsIf a weapon has an attached bipod,

a prone shooter may treat it as if itwere braced (see Aim, p. 364) andreduce its ST requirement to 2/3 nor-mal (round up). To open or close afolding bipod requires a Readymaneuver.

A heavy weapon may be mounted,on a tripod or similar device. The gun-ner cannot move or step on any turnhe fires the weapon, but he can defendnormally. He may ignore the weapon’sST requirement while it is on itsmount. Removing a weapon from itsmount, or reattaching it, requiresthree Ready maneuvers – more, forsome very heavy weapons.

Laser SightsThese devices use a low-powered

laser beam to project an aiming dotonto the target. Some use a visiblebeam; others use a beam visible onlyto infrared or ultraviolet vision.

Laser sights have a maximumrange at which they are effective;beyond that range, the dot is too dis-persed to be visible. If no maximumrange is given, assume the sight’srange is matched to the 1/2D range ofthe weapon on which it is mounted.

If you can see your own aimingdot, you get +1 to hit, regardless ofwhether you took an Aim maneuver.But if the target can see it, he gets +1to Dodge! Activating a laser sight is afree action; specify whether it’s onbefore you Aim or Attack.

ScopesA telescopic sight, or “scope,” gives

a bonus to hit if you take an Aimmaneuver. With a fixed-power scope,you must Aim for at least as many sec-onds as the scope’s bonus. With a vari-able-power scope, you may Aim forfewer seconds, but this reduces yourbonus by a like amount. Scopes arevariable-power unless otherwisenoted.

A scope may be integral to aweapon, attached, or part of a vehicle’ssighting system. Telescopic Vision(p. 92) also gives a scope bonus. Youcan only use one scope (includingTelescopic Vision) at a time. Someadvanced scopes also function asnight-vision devices.

SilencersA silencer muffles the sound of

gunshots. Someone several roomsaway indoors, or out of your line ofsight outdoors, gets a Hearing+5 rollto hear an unsilenced shot. This rollmay be at up to +4 for a high-poweredweapon or quiet environment, ordown to -4 for a low-powered gun ornoisy environment (GM’s discretion).A typical silencer gives an extra -4,while the best commercial silencersmight give -6.

Anyone who is in front of yourweapon and exposed and closeenough for you to attack with it auto-matically hears the shot – even with asilencer. However, the silencer makesthe sound difficult to localize: the lis-tener must make an IQ roll (not aHearing roll) to deduce your locationunless you’re in plain sight.

Silencers are most common forauto pistols and submachine guns, butexist for many other weapons.

GUIDEDAND HOMINGWEAPONS

Some weapons can be steered, orsteer themselves, once launched. Thismakes it easier to hit distant targets!These weapons appear late in TL6,and are commonly available from TL7on. Most are rocket-propelled, save forunderwater torpedoes – but magicalor exotic examples may exist in somegame worlds.

Guided WeaponsA “guided” weapon is a projectile

that can receive steering commands inflight. This enables the firer to keep iton course. The weapon relies on theoperator’s skill to reach its target. Earlyguided missiles had to be steered bythe operator using a joystick. Modernsystems merely require him to keepthe launcher’s sights trained on the tar-get; the missile and launcher’s elec-tronics do the rest.

Most reference works categorizeguided weapons according to how thelauncher communicates with the pro-jectile. For instance, a “wire-guided”missile or torpedo receives commandsvia thin wires that spool out behind theprojectile in flight, while a “radio-guid-ed” weapon receives commands viaradio. There are many other systems!

Treat an attack with a guidedweapon exactly like any other rangedattack, except for these special rules:

Aim: If you Aim a guided weaponbefore you Attack, you receive its Accbonus – but you don’t have to aim. Ifthe projectile takes multiple seconds toreach its target (see Time to Target,below), the attack is automaticallyaimed and gets its Acc bonus.

Attack: If the target is within theweapon’s 1/2D range, the weapon canhit on the turn you fire it. Use anAttack or All-Out Attack maneuver tofire. If the target is more distant, use aConcentrate maneuver – and since theprojectile will be in flight for several


Semi-Active Homing Weapons“Semi-active” laser or radar homing is common on TL7+ missiles.

The seeker head on this type of projectile detects and homes in on thereflections of a laser or radar beam directed at the target. As for otherhoming weapons, the firer does not need to do anything once theweapon is launched. However, someone (the firer or an ally) must aima properly modulated laser or radar beam at the target until the mis-sile hits.

Modern soldiers often sneak up close to their targets and use rifle-sized “laser designators” to direct laser-homing “smart bombs” ormissiles launched by distant aircraft or artillery. Designating a targetrequires continued Aim maneuvers and a DX-based roll againstForward Observer skill (p. 196); failure means the weapon misses itstarget.

seconds, you will also have to takeConcentrate maneuvers on one ormore subsequent turns.

Modifiers: Treat a guided weaponas any other firearm when assessingmodifiers, but ignore range modi-fiers! Your target might have “elec-tronic countermeasures” (ECM) thatgive a penalty to hit. Details dependon the ECM and the guidance system,and are outside the scope of theBasic Set.

Homing WeaponsA “homing” weapon is a projectile

that steers itself to the target. It has itsown homing sense – called a “seekerhead,” on a missile – that determineshow it tracks its target. This equates toa sensory advantage; e.g., an infrared-homing missile uses Infravision, whilea radar-homing missile uses ScanningSense (Radar). Some weapons havemultiple homing senses! Use theweapon’s homing sense(s) instead ofyour senses when assessing combatmodifiers; e.g., radar ignores darknessbut can be jammed.

Homing weapons use the usualranged combat rules, with these mod-ifications:

Preparation Time: Some launchersrequire several seconds to insert bat-teries, turn on and warm up electron-ic systems, etc. These activities requireReady maneuvers, but are already fac-tored into the time to ready a newshot, as listed with the Shots statistic.

Aim: Your weapon must “lock on”to the target before you can fire. Thistakes an Aim maneuver, and usuallyrequires you to be able to see the tar-get. This special Aim maneuverrequires a roll against your weaponskill: Artillery (Guided Missile), forhoming missiles – not Guns orGunner.

Attack: Fire a homing weaponusing a Ready maneuver, not anAttack maneuver – the projectileattacks on its own! If the target iswithin the weapon’s 1/2D range, theweapon attacks on the same turn; oth-erwise, see Time to Target, below.When you make the attack roll, do notroll against your skill to hit. Instead,use the weapon’s skill of 10, adding itsAcc if you made your skill roll for“lock on.”

Modifiers: Homing missiles ignorerange modifiers and all modifiers foryour injury, movement, posture, etc.!Base visibility modifiers on the projec-tile’s homing sense, not on your sens-es. Anything that jams this sense (e.g.,radar jammer vs. radar homing) givesa penalty to hit. All other ranged com-bat modifiers (for size, speed, etc.)apply normally.

Time to TargetIf a guided or homing attack has a

1/2D statistic, do not halve damage.Instead, read this as the attack’s speedin yards/second. The projectile can hita target at up to its 1/2D range on theturn you launch it. It requires multipleturns to reach a more distant target.Defer the attack roll until the projec-tile actually reaches its target.

The projectile continues to close ata speed equal to its 1/2D until it hastraveled a total distance equal to itsMax (that is, for Max/speed seconds,including the turn of firing). If it stillhas not hit, it will crash, self-destruct,etc. Thus, it’s possible to “outrun” aguided or homing attack . . . if you’refast enough!

Some further special rules:

Guided Weapons: Take aConcentrate maneuver each turn tosteer the weapon. Should you losesight of the target while the attack isen route, your attack misses automat-ically! You must make an Attack orAll-Out Attack (Determined) on theturn the projectile reaches the target.Resolve the attack as if you had firedthe weapon that turn. If you cannotmake an Attack or All-Out Attack, theprojectile will fly past the target andcrash.

Homing Weapons: You are nolonger in control of the projectile onceyou launch it. It will home on its own.The projectile itself will take an Attackmaneuver on the turn that it reachesthe target.

AREA ANDSPREADINGATTACKS

Some attacks – dragon’s breath, gasbombs, etc. – affect a wide area.Damage from all such attacks uses theLarge-Area Injury rule (p. 400), unless

the victim is so big that only a singlebody part is contained within the area.

Area-Effect AttacksGas bombs, Molotov cocktails, and

similar attacks – including anythingwith the Area Effect enhancement(p. 102) – affect everyone within aspecified radius. Damage does notusually decline with distance. On amiss, use the Scatter rule (see p. 414)to determine where the area is cen-tered. Active defenses don’t protectagainst an area attack, but victimsmay dive for cover or retreat out of thearea; see Dodge and Drop (p. 377).

Cone AttacksDragon’s fire, wide-beam micro-

wave and sonic weapons, and any-thing with the Cone enhancement(p. 103) are examples of cone attacks.A cone attack requires a roll to hit . . .but it might still catch the target in thearea of effect on a miss! On a hit, thecone is on target; otherwise, use theScatter rule (see p. 414) to determine anew target point. Once you know thetarget point, imagine (or trace on abattle map) a line between the attack-er and that point. The cone spreads toeither side of this line, out to its maxi-mum range.

A cone is one yard wide at its ori-gin, but increases in width at a “rate ofspread” equal to its specified maxi-mum width divided by its maximumrange. For instance, a cone with amaximum range of 100 yards and amaximum width of 5 yards wouldspread by one yard per 20 yards ofrange; out at 60 yards, it would bethree yards wide. If maximum widthis unspecified, assume the conespreads by one yard per yard of range.

A cone affects everyone within itsarea, but anyone who is completelyscreened from the attacker by anobject or person is behind cover,which protects normally. Targets mayattempt a dodge defense to leave thearea or get to cover; see Dodge andDrop (p. 377).

DissipationCertain cone and area attacks dissi-

pate with distance. This is common forrealistic wide-area beam weapons andarea-effect burning attacks. Attackswith the Dissipation limitation(p. 112) also use these rules.


In the case of a damaging attack(e.g., Innate Attack), damage declineswith the target’s distance from the cen-ter of the area or the apex of the cone.For a cone, divide damage by thecone’s width in yards at the target’s

distance from the apex. For an areaeffect, divide damage by the distancein yards between the target and thecenter of the effect.

For an attack that allows a HT rollto resist (e.g., Affliction), find the

“damage divisor” as above, but do notapply it to damage (if any). Instead,use the divisor as a bonus to the HTroll to resist; e.g., two yards from thecenter of an area effect, add +2 to HT.


Attacking an AreaYou can deliberately attack an area of ground with

an area-effect or explosive attack. For a Molotov cock-tail, grenade, etc., this means you lobbed it in a high

arc. Roll to hit at +4. There’s no defense roll, but any-one in the area can dive for cover; see Dodge and Drop(p. 377).

When an area-effect, cone, or explosive attack miss-es its target, it’s important to know where it actuallyends up!

If you fail your attack roll, you missed your targetby a number of yards equal to your margin of failure,to a maximum of half the distance to the target (roundup). If the enemy dodges, use his margin of success todetermine distance instead.

Exception: If your target was flying or underwater,or you’re using the Artillery or Dropping skill to fireupon or bomb a target you can’t see, you miss by yardsequal to the square of your margin of failure. This doesnot apply to a dodge.

To determine the direction of your miss, roll onedie. Take the direction you are facing as a roll of 1, 60°clockwise (the next facing, on a hex map) as a roll of 2,and so on. Your attack misses in that direction, by thenumber of yards determined above.

EXPLOSIONSCertain attacks, such as hand

grenades and Explosive Fireball spells,produce a blast when they hit. Suchattacks have the notation “ex” aftertheir damage type: “cr ex” for a crush-ing explosion, “burn ex” for a burningexplosion, and so on.

In addition to doing the listed dam-age to whoever was struck directly, anexplosion inflicts “collateral damage”on everything within (2 ¥ dice of dam-age) yards. For instance, if an explo-sion does 6d¥2 damage, everyonewithin 24 yards is vulnerable –although some might be lucky enoughto take little or no damage.

The listed damage only applies “asis” to the target struck. For everythingelse caught in the blast, roll this dam-age but divide it by (3 ¥ distance inyards from the center of the blast),rounding down. Roll damage individ-ually (but the GM can save time byusing one roll for several NPCs). Usetorso armor to determine DR againstexplosion damage.

If an explosive attack has an armordivisor, it does not apply to the collat-eral damage. For example, the shaped-charge warhead of an anti-tank rockethas an armor divisor of (10), but thisonly reduces the DR of a target it actu-

ally strikes; those nearby get their fullDR against the blast.

Explosions are considered incendi-ary attacks, and can start fires; seeCatching Fire (p. 434).

Anyone caught in a blast mayattempt an active defense roll to divefor cover from the explosion’s collater-al damage and fragmentation; seeDodge and Drop (p. 377).

Fragmentation DamageMany grenades, bombs, and

artillery shells have metal casingsdesigned to shatter when theyexplode, producing a storm of sharpfragments. Some are packed with

Scatter

extra material (pellets, nails, etc.) toenhance this effect.

Fragmentation damage, if any,appears in brackets after explosivedamage; e.g., “[2d]” means 2d frag-mentation damage. Everyone within(5 ¥ dice of fragmentation damage)yards is vulnerable. For example, that[2d] attack would throw fragmentsout to 5 ¥ 2 = 10 yards.

The farther a target is from theblast, the less likely the fragments areto hit him. A hit is automatic if theexplosive attack actually strikes thetarget. The fragments attack everyoneelse in the area at skill 15. Only threemodifiers apply: the range modifierfor the distance from the center of theblast to the target, the modifier for thetarget’s posture (prone, etc.), and thetarget’s Size Modifier. It is possible forseveral fragments to hit! For everythree points by which the attack rollsucceeds, one additional fragmentstrikes the target.

The only active defense againstfragments is to dive away from theexplosion that produced them; seeDodge and Drop (p. 377).

For each hit, roll hit location ran-domly. If that location is behind cover,the fragment hits cover.

Fragmentation damage is cutting.Note that if an explosive attack has anarmor divisor, this does not apply tothe fragments it produces.

Airbursts: Against an airburst, donot apply posture modifiers – lyingprone under an airburst does notdecrease the body area exposed to therain of fragments! Only overheadcover protects.

Incidental Fragmentation: Anexplosion with no listed fragmenta-tion damage can still create fragmentsif there is any loose or frangible mate-rial at the explosion site. Incidentalfragmentation damage ranges from1d-4 for ordinary earth to 1d for anexplosion on loose scrap.

Hot Fragments: White phosphorus-type smoke warheads produce thiseffect. The fragments typically inflict1d(0.2) burning damage every 10 sec-onds for one minute.

DemolitionSometimes the only way to deal

with a problem is to blow it up! If theadventurers are using or facing

explosives, the PCs or GM shoulddecide how many dice of damage – inmultiples of 6d – the blasting chargeis supposed to do, and what kind ofexplosive it is.

Explosives normally do crushingdamage with the Explosion modifier(p. 104) – and often the Fragmentationmodifier (p. 104).

How Much Explosive? An explo-sion doing 6d¥n damage takes (n¥n)/4pounds of TNT. If you are using anexplosive other than TNT, divide the weight required by its relative

explosive force (REF) – see theRelative Explosive Force Table, below.

How Big a Blast? Reverse the for-mula to determine how much damagea given weight of explosive will do:damage is 6d ¥ square root of (weightof explosive in lbs. ¥ 4 ¥ REF).

Example: A 1920s Chicago safe-cracker plans to blast through a bankvault. Estimating the toughness of thevault (see p. 557), he decides he needs ablast that does 6d¥8 damage. He’s usingdynamite. The weight of dynamite heneeds is (8 ¥ 8)/(4 ¥ 0.8) = 20 lbs.


Relative Explosive Force TableTL Type REF Description3 Serpentine Powder 0.3 Standard gunpowder, pre-1600.4 Ammonium Nitrate 0.4 Common improvised explosive.4 Black Powder 0.4 Standard gunpowder, 1600-1850.5 Black Powder 0.5 Standard gunpowder, 1850-1890.6 Diesel Fuel/

Nitrate Fertilizer 0.5 Common improvised explosive.6 Dynamite 0.8 Commercially available for mining,

demolition.6 TNT 1.0 The basic, stable, high explosive.6 Amatol 1.2 TNT-ammonium nitrate. Fills

bombs & shells in WWII.6 Nitroglycerine 1.5 Unstable! If dropped, detonates

on 13+ on 3d.7 Tetryl 1.3 Common for smaller explosive

shells and bullets.7 Composition B 1.4 Another common explosive filler.7 C4 Plastic Explosive 1.4 Standard military and

covert-ops explosive.9 Octanitrocubane 4 Theoretical advanced explosive.10 Stabilized Metallic

Hydrogen 6 Exotic science-fiction explosive.

Explosions in Other EnvironmentsOther Atmospheres: These rules assume Earth-normal air pressure.

A thicker or thinner atmosphere enhances or reduces the blast effect.Underwater, divide collateral damage by range in yards instead of 3 ¥range in yards. In a vacuum or trace atmosphere, with no medium tocarry the shockwave, damage comes only from the expanding gasesthemselves: divide damage by 10 ¥ range in yards.

Contact Explosions: A person can throw himself on a grenade, etc. toprotect his friends; see Sacrificial Dodge and Drop, p. 377. He takes max-imum possible damage; his DR protects him normally. Everyone elsegets his torso’s DR + HP as “cover DR.”

Internal Explosions: If an explosive goes off inside someone – e.g., afollow-up attack penetrates the target’s DR, or a dragon swallows ahand grenade – DR has no effect! In addition, treat the blast as an attackon the vitals, with a ¥3 wounding modifier.

These rules cover attacks that don’tsimply bash through the target’s DR toinjure him.

AFFLICTIONSAn “affliction” is any attack that

causes a baneful effect – blindness,choking, stunning, etc. – instead ofdamage. Examples include tear gas,stun guns, the Affliction advantage(p. 35), and most other “nonlethal”weapons and powers.

The target of an affliction alwaysgets a modified HT roll to resist; e.g.,HT-3. His DR normally adds to thisroll; for instance, DR 1 gives +1 to HT.However, afflictions often have armordivisors or special “penetration modi-fiers” (see below) that bypass some orall of the target’s DR. For example, DRgives no HT bonus against a follow-upaffliction if the “carrier” attack pene-trates DR.

On a failed HT roll, the victim suf-fers the effects of the affliction: stun-ning for high-tech stun guns, chokingand partial blindness for tear gas, etc. See Afflictions (p. 428) for descrip-tions of the most common effects.Since afflictions represent a hugevariety of different attacks – frombeam weapons to chemical agents to

psionic mind blasts – you should con-sult the footnotes to the relevantweapon table for full details.

Linked Afflictions: Some attacksthat inflict ordinary damage have anaffliction “linked” to them. For exam-ple, a cattle prod does burning dam-age and requires the victim to make aHT-3 roll to avoid stunning. Anyonehit by such an attack must attempt hisresistance roll or suffer the affliction,regardless of whether any damage pen-etrates his DR.

Side Effects: Certain damagingattacks cause an affliction as a “sideeffect” . . . if they inflict injury. The vic-tim gets a HT roll to resist, but typi-cally at -1 per 2 points of injury.

SPECIALPENETRATIONMODIFIERS

In addition to armor divisors (see Armor Divisors and PenetrationModifiers, p. 378) and follow-upattacks (see Follow-Up Damage,p. 381), there are several other “pene-tration modifiers”:

Blood Agent: The attack mustreach an open wound or mucous

membrane (eyes, open mouth, nose,etc.) to be effective. If it does not, ithas no effect at all. See Blood Agent(p. 110) for detailed rules.

Contact Agent: This is most com-mon for contact poison, nerve gas,and exotic “hand of death” effects.The attack must touch bare skin orporous clothing to have any effect.Any DR stops it, unless the DR is lim-ited with Tough Skin. Exception: If theattack is an Area Effect (p. 102) orCone (p. 103), it affects everyone inthe area who lacks the Sealed advan-tage (either innate or granted by asealed suit).

Respiratory Agent: The attackaffects only those who inhale it. DRhas no effect – but the attack cannotharm those who are holding theirbreath, breathing supplied air (e.g., ina vacuum suit), or using a gas mask orrespirator. It is also totally ineffectiveagainst anyone who has either theDoesn’t Breathe or Filter Lungsadvantage.

Sense-Based: The attack is chan-neled through one or more of the vic-tim’s senses (e.g., vision or hearing),as specified for the attack. It can onlyaffect someone using the targetedsense. See Sense-Based (p. 109) fordetails.


SPECIAL DAMAGE


The following rules are shameless-ly unrealistic and strictly optional, butcan be fun in larger-than-life games!

Bulletproof NudityPCs with Attractive or better

appearance can get a bonus to activedefenses simply by undressing! Anyoutfit that bares legs, chest, or midriffis +1. Just a loincloth or skimpyswimwear is +2. Topless females getan extra +1. Total nudity gives no fur-ther bonus to defense, but adds +1 toMove and +2 water Move.

Cannon FodderThe GM may rule that minor NPCs

are mere “cannon fodder,” with theseeffects:

1. They automatically fail alldefense rolls . . . yet never All-OutAttack.

2. They collapse (unconscious ordead) if any penetrating damage getsthrough DR. If they are unprotected,or if the hero’s attacks are such thatdamage would always penetrate,there’s no need to roll damage at all. Inany event, don’t bother keeping trackof HP!

Cinematic ExplosionsIn reality, a grenade or anti-tank

rocket will almost certainly kill anunarmored man. In cinematic com-bat, explosions do no direct damage!Ignore fragmentation, too. All a blastdoes is disarray clothing, blackenfaces, and (most importantly) causeknockback. Every yard of knockbackfrom a cinematic explosion causes atoken 1 HP of crushing damage.

Cinematic KnockbackIn reality, guns cause little or no

knockback. But in cinematic combat,a big gun can blast foes through win-dows and even walls! Work outknockback for a piercing attack justas if it were a crushing attack. Inaddition to rolling to see if he fallsdown, anyone who suffers knockbackfrom any attack must make an IQ rollor be mentally stunned on his nextturn. This roll is at -1 per yard ofknockback.

Flesh WoundsImmediately after you suffer dam-

age, you may declare that the attackthat damaged you (which can includemultiple hits, if the foe used rapid fire)was a glancing blow or “just a fleshwound.” This lets you ignore all but 1HP (or FP) of damage . . . at the cost ofone unspent character point. If youhave no unspent points, the GM mightlet you go into “debt”: he will subtractthese points from those you earn forthe adventure.

Infinite AmmunitionPCs always have spare ammuni-

tion or power cells. If they use up allthey are carrying, they immediatelyfind more. Furthermore, weaponsnever malfunction.

Melee EtiquetteIf a PC chooses to fight unarmed or

with melee weapons, his opponentsalways face him one-on-one, one at atime. Unengaged NPCs can dancearound the fight uttering shrill cries ofencouragement, but wait their turn toattack.

If the foe is a super-strong monsterthat could kill or maim the hero witha single blow, it rarely strikes to inflictdamage directly. Instead it slams thehero, or grabs him and tosses himaround!

TV Action ViolenceIf struck by a potentially lethal

attack (including a rapid-fire attackthat inflicts multiple hits), the herocan choose to convert his faileddefense roll into a success. This costshim 1 FP and he loses his next turn.

The hero cannot spend FP to avoidunarmed attacks or melee or thrownweapon attacks that inflict crushingdamage (or no damage, such as agrapple), unless they would hit theskull or neck. Likewise, he cannotavert attacks on his weapons or non-living possessions.

With this rule in effect, thoseinvolved in a fight with lethal weapons“duck for cover” and are forced “ontothe defensive” until they’re exhausted.

CINEMATIC COMBAT RULES

Dual-Weapon AttacksThis optional rule might be cinematic . . . but it is balanced enough

to use in a realistic campaign. The GM has the final say.If you have at least two hands, you can strike with two hands at once

using an Attack maneuver instead of an All-Out Attack (Double) maneu-ver. Each hand can attack unarmed, with a one-handed melee weapon,or with a pistol. Of course, if your ST is high enough, you can wield atwo-handed weapon in one hand!

Each attack is at -4 to hit, but you can learn the Dual-Weapon Attacktechnique (p. 230) to reduce this penalty. You have an extra -4 (total -8)with your “off” hand, unless you have Ambidexterity (p. 39) or learnOff-Hand Weapon Training (p. 232).

Roll to hit separately for each hand. You can attack one target or two– but to strike two foes with melee attacks, they must be adjacent. If youaim both attacks at a single opponent, he defends at -1 against them, ashis attention is divided!

If you already have multiple attacks – for instance, from an ExtraAttack (p. 53) – you may “trade” only one of these for a Dual-WeaponAttack. All your remaining attacks must be simple, single-weaponattacks.

The life of an adventurer is not all song and glory. You get tired. Youget your clothes dirty. You might actually get hurt – or even worse,

killed!Fortunately, all these problems can be cured. Even death.

Read on . . .

INJURIESWounds and ailments cause “injury”: a (usually) tempo-

rary loss of Hit Points. Thus, your HP score measures yourability to sustain injury; see Hit Points (p. 16).

Injury often results from “penetrating damage”: thedamage left after Damage Resistance is subtracted fromthe basic damage of an attack. However, disease, overex-

ertion, and the like can cause injury without damage.If any injury reduces you to 0 or fewer HP, you will soon fall

unconscious. You can even go to negative HP . . . but if you gotoo far, you risk death. For the average man, the difference

between full HP and negative HP is one or two swordblows or bullets. This is realistic . . . and dramatic.Even in cinematic battles, heroes rarely shrug off

dozens of blows. Instead, they avoid being hit.Armor helps . . . but fights can be deadly, so think

before you act!

The life of an adventurer is notall song and glory. You get tired.You get your clothes dirty. Youmight actually get hurt – or evenworse, killed! Fortunately, all these problems can be cured. Even death.

418 INJURIES, ILLNESS, AND FATIGUE

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

INJURIES,ILLNESS, AND

FATIGUE

INJURIES, ILLNESS, AND FATIGUE 419

GENERAL INJURY: LOST HITPOINTS

Repeated wounding eventuallycauses anyone or anything to weakenand collapse, even if no single injury isvery great. The chart below summa-rizes the effects of being at low or neg-ative HP. All effects are cumulative.

Less than 1/3 your HP left – You are reeling from your wounds.Halve your Move and Dodge(round up).

0 HP or less – You are in immediatedanger of collapse. In addition tothe above effects, make a HT roll atthe start of your next turn, at -1 perfull multiple of HP below zero.Failure means you fall unconscious(or simply stop working, if youweren’t truly alive or conscious inthe first place); see Recovering fromUnconsciousness (p. 423). Successmeans you can act normally, butmust roll again every turn to con-tinue functioning. Exception: If youchoose Do Nothing on your turn,

and do not attempt any defenserolls, you can remain consciouswithout rolling. Roll only on turnsduring which you attempt adefense roll or choose a maneuverother than Do Nothing.

-1¥HP – In addition to the aboveeffects, make an immediate HT rollor die. (If you fail by only 1 or 2,you’re dying, but not dead – seeMortal Wounds, p. 423). If you suc-ceed, you can still talk, fight, etc.,as above (until you fail a HT rolland collapse). Roll again each timeyou suffer injury equal to a furthermultiple of your HP, whether as aresult of one wound or many. Forinstance, if you have 11 HP, youmust roll to avoid death at -11 HP.If you survive, you must roll againat -22 HP, -33 HP, and so on . . .

-5¥HP – You die immediately. Youhave lost a total of 6 times your HP!Nobody can survive that muchinjury.

-10¥HP – Total bodily destruction, ifthis makes sense given the sourceof the damage – 200 points ofarrow wounds leave a messy butrecognizable corpse; 200 points offire injury leaves nothing but an

unrecognizable lump of charcoal.The difference can be important insettings where resurrection, reani-mation, etc. are possible!

SHOCKWhenever you suffer injury,

reduce your DX and IQ by the num-ber of HP you lost – to a maximumpenalty of -4, regardless of yourinjuries – on your next turn only. Thiseffect, called “shock,” is temporary;your attributes return to normal onthe turn after that.

Shock affects DX- and IQ-basedskills, but not active defenses or otherdefensive reactions; see TemporaryAttribute Penalties (p. 421). Therefore,on the turn after you are badly hurt, itis often a good idea to try flight or All-Out Defense instead of an immediatecounterattack!

High HP and Shock: If you have 20or more Hit Points, your shock penal-ty is -1 per HP/10 of injury (drop allfractions). Thus, if you have 20-29 HP,it’s -1 per 2 HP lost; if you have 30-39HP, it’s -1 per 3 HP lost, and so forth.The maximum penalty is still -4.

Example of InjuryFiendish Friedrick has HT 12 and HP 14. He has the

ill fortune to be trapped in a dead-end corridor by ahorde of orcs. He fights valiantly, but the monsterskeep coming.

The first wound Friedrick receives is a spear thrustthat inflicts 4 HP of injury. This reduces him to 10 HP.He will have a -4 shock penalty on his next turn.

Then the orc leader swings a halberd. The GM isusing hit locations, and says the orc strikes atFriedrick’s right arm. Friedrick fails to block and suf-fers 11 HP of injury. This is over Friedrick’s HP/2, so itcripples his arm. But injury to a limb can’t exceed theminimum required to cripple it. For Friedrick, HP/2 is7. Damage over HP/2 is 8 HP, so he only loses 8 HP.Now he is at 2 HP . . . and has the One Arm disadvan-tage!

Since a crippling wound is also a major wound,Friedrick must make a HT roll to avoid being stunnedand knocked down. If he fails by 5 or more, he couldeven pass out! Luckily, he succeeds. He’ll have a -4shock penalty (the maximum) next turn, but he cankeep on fighting. He picks up his axe left-handed . . .

However, Friedrick now has less than 1/3 his HPleft. His movements slow and falter: he is at half Moveand Dodge.

Soon, Friedrick takes another blow. This inflicts 2HP of injury, reducing him to 0 HP. At the beginning ofhis next turn, he rolls vs. HT – and succeeds! Grimly, hehangs on to consciousness. Despite the -2 for shock, heslays another orc. For two more turns, he makes suc-cessful HT rolls. He is wounded again, dropping to -3HP, but fights on. But on his third turn, he fails his HTroll and instantly falls unconscious.

Friedrick has desecrated the orcs’ sacred burialgrounds, so they’re mad. They keep hacking at himafter he falls! When he reaches -14 HP, he must roll vs.HT or die. He succeeds . . . and the orcs keep hacking.At -28 HP, and again at -42 HP, he must make anotherHT roll to survive. Each time, he rolls a 12 or less andclings to life. But the orcs keep hacking. Eventually,Friedrick reaches -70 HP (-5¥HP) and dies automati-cally.

Only strong magic can help Friedrick now! And ifthe angry orcs keep hacking until he is at -140 HP(-10¥HP), there won’t even be a body to revive – justFriedrickburger.

MAJOR WOUNDSA “major wound” is any single

injury of greater than 1/2 your HP. Ifyou are using hit locations, a lesserinjury that cripples a body part alsocounts as a major wound – seeCrippling Injury (below). Any majorwound requires a HT roll to avoidknockdown and stunning (see below).

KNOCKDOWNAND STUNNING

Whenever you suffer a majorwound, and whenever you are struckin the head (skull, face, or eye) or vitalsfor enough injury to cause a shockpenalty (see Shock, p. 419), you mustmake an immediate HT roll to avoidknockdown and stunning.

Modifiers: -5 for a major wound tothe face or vitals (or to the groin, on ahumanoid male); -10 for a majorwound to the skull or eye; +3 for HighPain Threshold, or -4 for Low PainThreshold.

On a success, you suffer no penaltybeyond ordinary shock.

On a failure, you’re stunned; seeEffects of Stun, below. You fall prone (ifyou weren’t already), and if you wereholding anything, you drop it. Thiseffect is called “knockdown,” and isn’tthe same as “knockback” (see p. 378).

On a failure by 5 or more, or anycritical failure, you fall unconscious!See Recovering from Unconsciousness(p. 423).

Those with Injury Tolerance (p. 60)suffer reduced effects: No Brain meansthat skull, face, and eye injuries don’tcause knockdown or stunning unlessthey are major wounds – and eventhen, the roll is at no special penalty.No Vitals means that vitals and groininjuries don’t cause knockdown orstunning unless they are majorwounds, in which case the roll has nospecial penalties. Homogenous andDiffuse include No Brain and NoVitals.

Effects of StunA failed knockdown roll can cause

“stun,” as can certain critical hitresults and some afflictions. If you arestunned, you must Do Nothing onyour next turn. You may perform any

active defense while stunned, but yourdefense rolls are at -4 and you cannotretreat.

At the end of your turn, you mayroll against HT. On a success, yourecover from stun and can act nor-mally on subsequent turns. On a fail-ure, you remain stunned; your nextmaneuver must also be Do Nothing,but you get another roll at the end ofthat turn . . . and so on, until yourecover from stun.

Mental Stun: If you are surprised,you might be mentally stunned; seeSurprise Attacks and Initiative (p. 393).This sort of stunning works asdescribed above, but you must makean IQ roll, not a HT roll, to snap out ofit. You’re not hurt – you’re confused!

CRIPPLINGINJURY

When using hit locations, sufficientinjury to a limb, extremity, or eye maycripple it. This requires a single injurythat exceeds a certain fraction of thetarget’s HP. For humans andhumanoids, these thresholds are:


Optional Rules for InjuryThese rules add realism, and give heroes with med-

ical skills or healing abilities exciting tasks to perform– but they also require extra record keeping, so they areoptional.

BleedingIf you are injured, you may continue to lose HP to

bleeding. At the end of every minute after beingwounded, make a HT roll, at -1 per 5 HP lost. On a fail-ure, you bleed for a loss of 1 HP. On a critical failure,you bleed for 3 HP. On a critical success, the bleedingstops completely. On an ordinary success, you do notbleed this minute, but must continue to roll everyminute. If you do not bleed for three consecutive min-utes, the bleeding stops for good. Otherwise, you orsomeone else will need to make a First Aid roll to stopthe bleeding; see First Aid (p. 424).

The GM decides which wounds bleed. Cutting,impaling, and piercing wounds usually bleed; crushingwounds generally don’t, but there are always excep-tions. Minor burning and corrosion injury does notbleed significantly: the damage sears the flesh, cauter-izing the wound and preventing blood loss. However, ifsuch injury causes a major wound, treat it as a bleed-ing wound, oozing blood plasma until properly treated.

Accumulated WoundsIt normally takes a single injury over HP/3 to cripple

an extremity – or over HP/2 to cripple a limb. For extrarealism, you can keep track of injury by hit location, inwhich case total injury over HP/3 or HP/2, as appropri-ate, cripples the body part. Be aware that this leads tocomplicated record keeping! One good way to handlethis is to make tally marks by the affected body part onthe character’s picture.

Excess injury is still lost under this rule. Forinstance, if you have 11 HP, a total of 6 HP of injurycripples your arm. Ignore further injury, except for thepurpose of determining dismemberment. Repeatedblows to a limb or extremity cannot kill you.

Last WoundsIt can happen that a sorely wounded hero is

knocked out, or even killed, by a 1 HP blow to the foot.There are those who find this unrealistic. If you wish,use this optional rule: once you have less than 1/3 yourHP left, you can totally ignore any wound to a limb orextremity unless: (a) it is a critical hit; (b) it is enoughto cripple that body part; or (c) it inflicts injury equalto 1/3 your HP or more at once.

Limb (arm, leg, wing, striker, orprehensile tail): Injury over HP/2.

Extremity (hand, foot, tail, fin, orextraneous head): Injury over HP/3.

Eye: Injury over HP/10.

It is sometimes possible to cripplea body part with less damage or nodamage at all; e.g., with a specific crit-ical hit result.

A blow to a limb or extremity cannever cause more injury than the min-imum required to cripple that bodypart. For example, if a man has 10 HPand suffers 9 points of injury to hisright arm, he loses only 6 HP – theminimum required to cripple his arm.Exception: No such limit applies to theeyes!

Dismemberment: If injury to a bodypart before applying the above limitwas at least twice what was needed tocripple it, the body part is not justcrippled but destroyed. A cuttingattack or explosion severs a limb orextremity; otherwise, it’s irrevocablycrushed, burned, etc.

Crippling Extra LimbsIf you have more than two of a par-

ticular limb (arm, leg, etc.), a cripplingblow is injury over HP/(number oflimbs of that kind); e.g., if you havefour arms, injury over HP/4 cripplesan arm.

If you have more than two of agiven extremity (hand, foot, etc.), acrippling blow is injury over HP/(1.5 ¥number of extremities of that kind);e.g., if you have four feet, injury overHP/6 cripples a foot.

Effects of Crippling Injury

Any crippling injury is also a majorwound, and requires a HT roll forknockdown and stunning; seeKnockdown and Stunning (p. 420).Below are some additional effects spe-cific to particular body parts; all theseeffects apply to dismemberment aswell. These last until the fight is over,and possibly longer – see Duration ofCrippling Injuries (p. 422).

Hand: You drop anything you werecarrying in that hand. If you wereusing two or more hands to hold an object, roll vs. DX to avoid drop-ping it. You cannot hold anything(e.g., a weapon) in that hand. You canwear a shield on that arm and use it to

block, but you cannot attack with it.Until healed, you have the One Handdisadvantage (p. 147).

Arm: As for a crippled hand . . . but while someone with a crippledhand could at least carry something inthe crook of the arm, you cannot use acrippled arm to carry anything! Youdo not drop a shield on that arm(unless the arm is severed), but you cannot use it to block – and sinceit’s just hanging in front of you, reduceits usual Defense Bonus by one. Untilhealed, you have the One Arm disad-vantage (p. 147).

Foot: You fall down! You cannotstand or walk without a crutch or

something to lean on. You can stillfight if you brace yourself against a wall. If you have nothing to lean on,you may assume a kneeling or sittingposture. Until healed, you have the Lame (Crippled Legs) disadvan-tage (p. 141).

Leg: You fall down! You can stillfight if you assume a sitting or lyingposture. Until healed, you have theLame (Missing Legs) disadvantage(p. 141).

Eye: You are blind in that eye. Untilhealed, you have the One Eye (p. 147)disadvantage – or Blindness (p. 124), ifyou lose all your eyes – unless youhave some substitute for eyes.


Patient StatusHospitals often describe a patient as being in Good, Fair, Serious, or

Critical condition. Here’s how these familiar terms equate with injuryin GURPS.

Good: Vital signs are stable and within normal limits; indicators areexcellent; patient is conscious. This means he has 1/2 or more his fullHP; e.g., an average human (10 HP) with 5 to 10 HP remaining.

Fair: Vital signs are stable and within normal limits; indicators arefavorable; patient is conscious but in moderate to severe discomfort. Hehas at least 1 HP, but less than 1/2 his full HP; e.g., the same person at1 to 4 HP.

Serious: Vital signs may be unstable or outside normal limits; indi-cators are questionable; patient is badly injured or acutely ill, and maybe unconscious. He is at 0 HP or worse, but above -1¥HP; e.g., our vic-tim at -9 to 0 HP.

Critical: Vital signs are unstable and outside normal limits; indica-tors are unfavorable; patient is often unconscious, and may not survive.He is at -1¥HP or worse; e.g., our patient at -10 HP or below.

Temporary Attribute PenaltiesShock, afflictions, and many other things can temporarily lower your

attributes. ST reductions affect the damage you inflict with muscle-powered weapons. IQ penalties apply equally to Will and Per. However,there are no other effects on secondary characteristics; for instance, ST,DX, and HT reductions do not affect HP, Basic Speed, Basic Move, orFP.

An attribute penalty always reduces skills governed by the loweredattribute by a like amount. For example, -2 to IQ would give -2 to all IQ-based skills (and to all Per- and Will-based skills, since IQ reductionslower Per and Will).

Exception: Defensive reactions that don’t require a maneuver to per-form – active defenses, resistance rolls, Fright Checks, etc. – never suf-fer penalties for attribute reductions. For instance, -2 to DX would notaffect Block, Dodge, or Parry.

Note that permanent attribute losses require recalculation of all sec-ondary attributes and skills!

Nonhuman Body PartsExtra Arms: If you have three or more arms, a

crippled arm (hand) simply reduces the numberof arms (hands) you can use. You only suffer anactual disadvantage if reduced to fewer than twoarms (hands).

Extra Head: If an extraneous head is crippled,you lose the benefits of that Extra Head; see Extra

Head (p. 54).Extra Legs: If you have three

or more legs, see Extra Legs(p. 54) for the effects of a crip-pled foot or leg.

Striker: You cannot use yourStriker to attack. If your Striker is

also a wing or a tail, see below foradditional effects.

Tail: Any advantages the tailprovides (e.g., Extra Arm orStriker) no longer function. As

well, your balance is off: -1 DX,except for close manual tasks. Ifyou’re a swimmer or wingedflyer, the DX penalty is -2 and

you are at half your usual wateror air Move (which will also

halve your top speed withEnhanced Move).

Wing: If you have Flight (Winged), youcannot fly – and if you were airborne,

you fall. If your wing is also a Striker,you cannot use it to attack.

Duration of Crippling Injuries

If you suffer a cripplinginjury, make a HT roll to see how

serious it is. For battlefieldinjuries, roll at the end of combat.

Success means the crippling is temporary, failure means it’s last-ing, and critical failure means it’s permanent. Dismemberment is automatically permanent –

don’t bother rolling!

Temporary Crippling: Until you are back at fullHP, you suffer the disadvantages describedunder Effects of Crippling Injury, above. Onceyou are fully healed, these effects disappear.

Lasting Crippling: You suffered a broken bone,badly torn (or burned) muscle, or other lingeringdamage. Roll 1d. This is the number of months itwill take for the injury to heal fully. (If the injuryis treated by a physician, subtract 3 from the rollat medical TL7+, 2 at TL6, or 1 at TL5 – but theperiod of healing is never less than one month.)

Permanent Crippling: You lose the use of thatbody part. It is either nonfunctional or gone.Either way, you acquire a new disadvantage (One


Hand, Lame, etc., as appropriate). Youget no extra character points for this!It simply lowers your point value. Insome settings, even this degree ofinjury is curable; see RepairingPermanent Crippling Injuries (p. 424).

MORTAL WOUNDSIf you fail a HT roll to avoid death

by 1 or 2, you don’t drop dead, but suf-fer a “mortal wound.” This is a woundso severe that your internal injuriesmight kill you even after you stopbleeding.

If you are mortally wounded, youare instantly incapacitated. You mayor may not be conscious (GM’s deci-sion). If you suffer further injury andmust make another HT roll to avoiddeath, any failure kills you.

While mortally wounded, you mustmake a HT roll every half-hour to avoiddeath. On any failure, you die. On a suc-cess, you linger for another half-hour –then roll again. On a critical success,you pull through miraculously: you areno longer mortally wounded (but youare still incapacitated).

If you’re alive but mortally wound-ed, surgery may be able to stabilizeyour condition – see Stabilizing aMortal Wound (p. 424). At TL6+, “trau-ma maintenance” can keep you alivewhile waiting for surgery. This involvesCPR, oxygen, transfusions, etc. Insteadof rolling vs. HT every half-hour, rollagainst the higher of your HT or yourcaregiver’s Physician skill every hour –or every day, if you are on a heart-lungmachine or similar life support. Youdo not need to roll at all if you’re putinto magical or ultra-tech suspendedanimation!

If you recover from a mortal wound,make a HT roll. On a failure, you lose apoint of HT permanently. On a criticalfailure, the GM may apply theWounded disadvantage (p. 162) orsome other effect (e.g., reduced appear-ance due to scarring).

DEATHIf your character is killed, you may

still wish to keep track of furtherinjury. In certain futuristic or magicalworlds, the dead can be brought backto life by prompt treatment, as long asthe body is mostly intact (not reducedto -10¥HP).

Instant DeathDecapitation, a cut throat, etc. can

kill anyone, regardless of HT and HP.If a helpless or unconscious person isattacked in an obviously lethal way,he’s dead. Don’t bother to roll for dam-age, calculate remaining HP, etc. Justassume that he drops to -5¥HP.

This does not apply to a merelyunaware victim. If you sneak upbehind a sentry with a knife, you can’tautomatically kill him. Game it outrealistically. Target the vitals or neck.Since it’s a surprise attack, he won’t behitting back: make an All-Out attack!Your attack roll will almost certainly

succeed. Your victim gets no activedefense at all. You will probably inflictenough injury to incapacitate or killhim. But it isn’t automatic.

Dying ActionsWhen a PC or important NPC is

killed in any but the most sudden andthorough fashion, the GM shouldallow a “dying action.” If this is a finalblow at the enemy, it should take nomore than a turn. If it’s a deathbedspeech, the GM should stretch time alittle bit for dramatic purposes! This has nothing to do with realism,but it’s fun.


RECOVERYThe Injuries rules may seem harsh,

but don’t despair . . . you can get better!

RECOVERINGFROMUNCONSCIOUSNESS

Failure by 5 or more on a knock-down roll, a failed HT roll to stay con-scious at 0 HP or less, and many otherthings (e.g., certain critical hits) canleave you unconscious. It is up to the

GM to decide whether you are trulyunconscious or just totally incapacitat-ed by pain and injury – but either way,you can’t do anything. You recover asfollows:

• If you have 1 or more HP remain-ing, you awaken automatically in 15minutes.

• At 0 HP or worse, but above -1¥HP,make a HT roll to awaken every hour.Once you succeed, you can act normal-ly. You do not have to roll against HTevery second to remain conscious

unless you receive new injury. But sinceyou are below 1/3 your HP, you are athalf Move and Dodge.

• At -1¥HP or below, you are in badshape. You get a single HT roll toawaken after 12 hours. If you succeed,you regain consciousness and can actas described above. But if you fail, youwon’t regain consciousness withoutmedical treatment – use the rulesgiven under Stabilizing a MortalWound (p. 424). Until you receivehelp, you must roll vs. HT every 12hours; if you fail, you die.

“Now stand aside.”“ ’Tis but a scratch.”“A scratch? Your arm’s off.”“No it isn’t.”“Then what’s that?”“. . . I’ve had worse.”

– King Arthur and the Black Knight,Monty Python and the Holy Grail

NATURALRECOVERY

Rest lets you recover lost HP,unless the damage is of a type thatspecifically does not heal naturally(for an example, see Illness, p. 442). Atthe end of each day of rest and decentfood, make a HT roll. On a success,you recover 1 HP. The GM may give apenalty if conditions are bad, or abonus if conditions are very good.

FIRST AIDThe two main uses for First Aid

skill (p. 195) are bandaging and treat-ing shock.

BandagingIt takes one minute to apply pres-

sure or a tourniquet to stop bleeding.This restores 1 HP.

Using the Bleeding rule (p. 420),someone who is wounded but receivesa successful First Aid roll within oneminute of his injury loses no HP tobleeding. A later roll will prevent fur-ther HP loss.

Treating ShockAfter bandaging, the aid-giver may

take extra time to apply a more elabo-rate dressing and treat the victim forshock. He must keep the victimwarm, comfortable, calm, and still.After the time indicated on the First

Aid Table, he may roll against First Aidskill.

On a success, the medic rolls asindicated on the table to see howmany HP the victim recovers – mini-mum 1 HP. A critical success restoresthe maximum possible HP! This rollincludes the 1 HP for bandaging; thus,a roll of 1 HP restores no further HP.

On a critical failure, the victimloses 2 HP instead of recovering anyHP at all!

SURGERYSurgery can physically repair dam-

age to the body, but it’s risky at low TLs– especially prior to the invention ofanesthesia (mid-TL5) and blood typ-ing (TL6). See Surgery skill (p. 223)for general modifiers and for theeffects of a failed skill roll. Some addi-tional rules:

Equipment: Basic equipment gives-6 at TL1, -5 at TL2-3, -4 at TL4, -2 atTL5, and +(TL-6) at TL6+. Equipmentquality further modifies the roll; seeEquipment Modifiers (p. 345). Themodifiers for TL5+ surgery assumethat anesthetic is available. If it isn’t,apply a -2 penalty to skill. This isinstead of the usual -1 for a missingitem.

Infection: Before TL5 (and, at theGM’s option, even during much ofTL5), antiseptic practice is poor.Check for infection (see Infection,p. 444) after any surgery.

Stabilizing a Mortal Wound

Each attempt takes one hour. Theroll is at -2 if the patient is at -3¥HP orworse, or -4 if he’s at -4¥HP or worse.On a failure, repeated attempts areallowed, at a cumulative -2 perattempt. If the victim dies on the table,resuscitation may be possible; seeResuscitation (p. 425).

Repairing LastingCrippling Injuries

It is possible to fix a lasting crip-pling injury (see Duration of CripplingInjuries, p. 422) through surgeryrather than leaving it to heal on itsown. This takes 2 hours. On a success,measure the injury’s remaining recov-ery time in weeks rather than months.But on a critical failure, the injurybecomes permanent!

Repairing PermanentCrippling Injuries

Radical surgery can fix certain per-manent crippling injuries at TL7+;exact details are up to the GM. Thisoften requires prosthetic or transplantparts, which might be costly or hard tofind. At TL7-8, the procedure mightonly restore partial functionality. Thiskind of operation is also tricky: -3 orworse to skill. On a failure, the patientneeds 1d months to recover beforeanother attempt is possible.

MEDICAL CAREAnyone under the care of a

competent physician (Physician skill12+) gets +1 on all rolls for naturalrecovery.

The healer may also make aPhysician roll to cure the patient.Only one physician may roll perpatient, but a single physician cancare for up to 200 patients. The exactnumber of patients a physician canattend to and the frequency withwhich he may roll to cure themdepend on the TL of his Physicianskill; see the Medical Help Table,below. On a success, the patientrecovers 1 HP; on a critical success,he recovers 2 HP. This is in additionto natural healing. However, a criti-cal failure costs the patient 1 HP!

High-tech physicians depend heav-ily on equipment but still receive good


First Aid TableTech Level Time per Victim HP Restored

0-1 30 minutes 1d-42-3 30 minutes 1d-34 30 minutes 1d-25 20 minutes 1d-2

6-7 20 minutes 1d-18 10 minutes 1d

9+ 10 minutes 1d+1

High HP and HealingThe healing rates given for natural recovery, first aid, magical heal-

ing spells, the Regeneration advantage, etc. assume someone withhuman-scale Hit Points; that is, with fewer than 20 HP. Those withmore HP heal in proportion to their HP score. Multiply HP healed by 2at 20-29 HP, by 3 at 30-39 HP, by 4 at 40-49 HP, and so on, with eachfull 10 HP adding 1 to the multiple.

basic training; therefore, a TL6+physician performs as though he wereTL6 if he has to make do without thegadgetry to which he is accustomed,as long as the surroundings are clean.

RESUSCITATIONReviving a drowning, asphyxiation,

or heart attack victim requiresresuscitation. Make a successfulPhysician/TL7+ roll – or a FirstAid/TL7+ roll at -4. Each attempt takesone minute. Repeated attempts arepossible, but there is almost always atime limit.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR) and rescue breathing, widelytaught after 1960, are more effectivethan earlier forms of resuscitation.First Aid rolls (but not default rolls) torevive victims of drowning or asphyxi-ation are at -2 instead of -4.


Medical Help TableMedical Frequency Patients

TL of Rolls per Doctor0 There are no physicians.

Get well by yourself.1-3 Weekly 104 Every 3 days 105 Every 2 days 156 Daily 207 Daily 258 Daily 509 2 ¥ daily 5010 3 ¥ daily 5011 4 ¥ daily 100

12+ 5 ¥ daily 200

It just so happensthat your friend hereis only MOSTLYdead. There’s a bigdifference betweenmostly dead and alldead.

– Miracle Max,The PrincessBride

Ultra-Tech DrugsMiraculous drugs are a staple of science-fiction medicine. Below is

a quick-and-dirty system for designing TL9+ drugs.

Effects: Select one or more attribute modifiers, advantages, or dis-advantages to represent the drug’s effects and (usually bad) side effects.Most medical drugs give Rapid Healing, Resistant to Disease, HTbonuses, or similar benefits. Some mitigate disadvantages, cancelingthem for the drug’s duration (e.g., a psychiatric drug might suppressDelusions and Paranoia). A few provide unique effects, such as healinglost HP or FP.

Duration: Select the duration of the effects. Standard durations areshort-term (lasts [25 - HT] minutes), medium-term ([25 - HT]/4 hours),long-term (one full day), or very long-term (up to a week). Multiple dosesgenerally extend duration rather than increasing effect; e.g., two dosesof a long-term drug last two days.

Potency: The subject gets a HT roll to resist disadvantages and othernegative effects. The drug’s potency is a modifier to this roll. Assumethat each doubling of dosage gives an extra -1 to the roll.

Form: A drug may be a pill, injection, aerosol, contact agent, oraerosol contact agent. Many drugs are available in multiple forms. Mostpills require 30 minutes or more to take effect, but can be dissolved indrinks. Contact agents (e.g., patches) take at least 5 minutes. Aerosolsand injections take effect almost immediately.

Cost: This can vary, but here’s a rule of thumb. Sum the absolutepoint values of all traits the drug adds or removes. Multiply the sum bya base cost for duration: $2 for short-term, $10 for medium-term, $50for long-term, or $250 for very long-term. For drugs that heal, use thepoint cost of HP or FP, as appropriate, and treat permanent healing as“long-term.” Potency modifies price: double cost for each -1 to HT rolls.Multiply final cost by 2 for aerosols or contact agents, by 10 for aerosolcontact agents.

LC: This will vary by society and with the nature of the drug. Medicaldrugs are typically LC3. Drugs perceived as socially harmful might beLC2 or even LC1.

Example: A “truth drug” that forces the subject to roll HT-3 or suffer-4 to Will for (25 - HT) minutes would cost 20 (point value) ¥ $2 (short-term) ¥ 8 (potency) ¥ 1 (injection) = $320 per dose. It would probablyonly be available to spies: LC2.

Running long distances, usingextra effort, being suffocated, castingmagic spells, and many other thingscan cause “fatigue”: a temporary lossof Fatigue Points. Your Fatigue Points(FP) score starts out equal to your HT,but you can modify this; see FatiguePoints (p. 16). Just as injury representsphysical trauma and comes off of HP,fatigue represents lost energy andreduces FP. When you lose FP, keeptrack of it on your character sheet.

LOST FATIGUEPOINTS

The chart below summarizes theeffects of being at low or negative FP.All effects are cumulative.

Less than 1/3 your FP left – You arevery tired. Halve your Move,Dodge, and ST (round up). Thisdoes not affect ST-based quantities,such as HP and damage.

0 FP or less – You are on the verge ofcollapse. If you suffer furtherfatigue, each FP you lose also caus-es 1 HP of injury. Thus, fatiguefrom starvation, dehydration, etc.will eventually kill you – and youcan work yourself to death! To doanything besides talk or rest, youmust make a Will roll; in combat,roll before each maneuver otherthan Do Nothing. On a success,you can act normally. You can useFP to cast spells, etc., and if you aredrowning, you can continue tostruggle, but you suffer the usual 1HP per FP lost. On a failure, youcollapse, incapacitated, and can donothing until you recover to posi-tive FP. On a critical failure, makean immediate HT roll. If you fail,you suffer a heart attack; seeMortal Conditions (p. 429).

-1¥FP – You fall unconscious. Whileunconscious, you recover lost FP atthe same rate as for normal rest.You awaken when you reach posi-tive FP. Your FP can never fallbelow this level. After this stage,any FP cost comes off your HPinstead!

FATIGUE COSTSThe following activities commonly

result in FP loss.

Fighting a BattleAny battle that lasts more than 10

seconds will cost FP – you expendenergy quickly when you fight foryour life! Those who make no attackor defense rolls during the fight areexempt from this fatigue, but otheractions (e.g., casting magic spells) stillhave their usual FP cost. Assess thefollowing costs at the end of the battle:

No Encumbrance: 1 FP.Light Encumbrance: 2 FP.Medium Encumbrance: 3 FP.Heavy Encumbrance: 4 FP.Extra-Heavy Encumbrance: 5 FP.

If the day is hot, add 1 FP to theabove – or 2 FP for anyone in platearmor, an overcoat, etc. Full-coveragearmor at TL9+ is climate-controlled.This counts as a cooling system, andnegates the penalties for hot weather.

These costs are per battle, not per10 seconds of battle. A very long battlemay cost more (GM’s decision), but itwould have to run for 2 or 3 minutes(120 to 180 turns!) before extra FPcosts would be realistic.

HikingUse the FP costs for fighting a bat-

tle, but assess them per hour of roadtravel; e.g., one hour of marching withlight encumbrance costs 2 FP (3 FP ona hot day). If the party enters combatwhile on the march, assume they’vebeen walking for an hour, unlessevents dictate otherwise, and assessfatigue accordingly.

OverexertionCarrying more than extra-heavy

encumbrance, or pushing/pulling avery heavy load, costs 1 FP per second(see Lifting and Moving Things, p. 353).For FP costs for other forms of heavyexertion, see Extra Effort (p. 356).

Running or SwimmingEvery 15 seconds of sprinting, or

minute of paced running or swim-ming, requires a HT roll to avoid los-ing 1 FP. Encumbrance has no direct

effect on this, but you run or swimmore slowly. See Running (p. 354) andSwimming (p. 354).

Special AbilitiesMost magic spells (see Chapter 5),

many advantages (such as Healing,p. 59), and a few cinematic skills (forinstance, Power Blow, p. 215) cost FPto use, as does any trait with the CostsFatigue limitation (p. 111).

STARVATION ANDDEHYDRATION

When you buy equipment, don’tforget food! The traveler’s rationsunder Camping and Survival Gear(p. 288) are the minimum necessary tokeep you healthy on the road; missingeven one meal weakens you.

Note to the GM: If keeping up withthe party’s meals doesn’t sound likefun, feel free to ignore this whole sec-tion. Travel is much more hazardous ifyou have to keep track of food andwater!

StarvationA human needs three meals per

day. For each meal you miss, take 1FP. You can only recover “starvation”fatigue with a day of rest: no fightingor travel, and three full meals. Eachday of rest makes up for three skippedmeals.

DehydrationIn temperate areas, where water is

easy to come by, assume that you canrenew your supplies as needed. But ifwater is in short supply, watch out! Ahuman (or elf, dwarf, etc.) needs 2quarts of water a day – 3 in hot cli-mates, 5 in the heat of the desert! Ifyou get less than you need, you lose 1FP every eight hours. If you drink lessthan a quart a day, you lose an extra 1FP and 1 HP per day. You can regainall FP lost to dehydration after a day ofrest with ample water supplies. Yourecover lost HP at the usual rate.

MISSED SLEEPThe average human can function

for a 16-hour “day.” He must then rest


FATIGUE

for an eight-hour “sleep period.” LessSleep (p. 65) shortens this sleep peri-od, thereby increasing useful daylength; Extra Sleep (p. 136) and Sleepy(p. 154) do the opposite. Getting lesssleep than your sleep period costs FPthat you can only recover by sleeping.

Interruptions, noise, and disadvan-tages such as Chronic Pain (p. 126),Insomniac (p. 140), Light Sleeper(p. 142), and Nightmares (p. 144) canreduce the quality of your sleep. Ingame terms, your sleep counts asfewer hours – or none at all.

Those who have the Doesn’t Sleepadvantage (p. 50) can ignore this entiresection!

Staying Up LateIf you’ve been awake for more than

your normal day (typically 16 hours),you start to get tired. You lose 1 FP ifyou fail to go to sleep, and 1 FP perquarter-day (usually four hours) youstay awake after that.

If you’ve lost half or more of yourFP to lack of sleep, you must make aWill roll every two hours you spendinactive (e.g., standing watch). On afailure, you fall asleep, sleeping untilyou are awakened or get a full night’ssleep. On a success, you have -2 to DX,IQ, and self-control rolls. Those withthe Slow Riser disadvantage (p. 155)get an extra -1.

If you’re down to less than 1/3your FP due to lack of sleep, roll asabove once per 30 minutes of inac-tion or two hours of action. This canbe very dangerous!

Getting Up EarlyIf you sleep for less than your full

sleep period, you’ll still be tired when

you wake up. Subtract twice the hoursof missed sleep from your day to deter-mine how long you can stay awake.For example, if your sleep period iseight hours and you sleep only sixhours, you’ve missed two hours ofsleep. You will suffer the effects of stay-ing up late after only 12 hours: yourusual 16-hour day, minus four hours(twice your hours of missed sleep).

RECOVERINGFROM FATIGUE

You can recover “ordinary” lost FPby resting quietly. Reading, talking,and thinking are all right; walking

around, or anything more strenuous,is not. Lost FP return at the rate of 1FP per 10 minutes of rest. The GMmay allow you to regain one extra FPif you eat a decent meal while resting.Certain drugs, magic potions, etc. canrestore missing FP, as can spells suchas Lend Energy and Recover Energy(see p. 248).

You can only recover from fatiguecaused by missed sleep by sleeping forat least one full sleep period. Thisrestores 1 FP. Further uninterruptedsleep restores 1 FP per hour.

You need food or water to recoverFP lost to starvation or dehydration;see Starvation and Dehydration(above).


ForagingIn hospitable terrain, you can supplement your supplies by forag-

ing for food. On any day, each character can “forage” as the party trav-els. A successful Survival or Naturalist roll collects enough edibleplants and berries for one meal. (On a 17, you poisoned yourself. Rollvs. HT. On a success, you lose 1 HP; otherwise, lose 1d HP. On an 18,you shared with your friends: the whole party suffers – each PC rollsindependently.)

In suitable terrain, a successful skill roll with a missile weapon (at-4) bags a rabbit or similar creature, providing meat for two meals.Near water or at sea, a successful Fishing roll has similar results.

Each forager gets one Survival or Naturalist roll and one missile orFishing roll per day.

Alternatively, the party can take some time off from travel and dosome serious foraging. Each character can make five Survival orNaturalist rolls and five missile or Fishing rolls per day. Foragers cansmoke meat and fish over a fire and add it to the regular store ofrations.

The GM can impose penalties in areas with little plant or animal life(e.g., -3 in snow, -6 in desert), and cumulative penalties for repeatedforaging in an area.

Besides the ordinary combat risksof swords, guns, and spells, adventur-ers commonly face other hazards.

ACIDAcids range from extremely weak

to extremely strong (e.g., hydrochlo-ric, perchloric, nitric, and sulfuricacids). Most laboratory acids are dan-gerous only to the eyes, but strong orhighly concentrated acids can “burn”through equipment and flesh. Forgame purposes, treat strong alkalisjust like strong acids.

If the victim is splashed with strongacid, he suffers 1d-3 points of corro-sion damage. If the acid splashes onhis face, he must make a HT roll toavoid eye damage. On a failure, or ona direct hit to the eyes, the damage isto his eyes. Use the Crippling Injuryrules (p. 420) to see whether he isblinded – and if so, whether the blind-ness is permanent. On a critical fail-ure, permanent blindness is certain(acquire the Blindness disadvantage,p. 124).

If the victim is immersed in acid, hetakes 1d-1 corrosion damage per sec-ond. If his face is immersed, he mustalso roll for eye damage (see above)every second.

If the victim swallows acid, hetakes 3d damage at the rate of 1 HPper 15 minutes. A successful Physicianor Poisons roll can halt this damage;treatment requires 2d minutes.

Used against a lock’s pins or othersmall, vulnerable items, acid requires3d minutes to eat through the item.

A vial of acid powerful enough toproduce these effects is a TL3 item,and costs $10.

AFFLICTIONSAn “affliction” is a harmful effect

other than direct injury or fatigue,usually the result of an attack, hazard,illness, magic spell, or toxin. In mostcases, the victim gets a HT roll toresist, and only suffers the afflictionon a failure. Duration depends on thecause; see the relevant disease, haz-ard, poison, spell, or weapon descrip-tion for details.

Irritating ConditionsCoughing or Sneezing: You are at -3

to DX and -1 to IQ, and cannot useStealth.

Drowsy: You are on the verge offalling asleep. Make a Will roll everytwo hours you spend inactive. On afailure, you fall asleep, and sleep untilyou are awakened or get a full night’ssleep. On a success, you have -2 to DX,IQ, and self-control rolls.

Drunk: You are highly intoxicated:-2 to DX and IQ, and -4 to self-controlrolls except those to resist Cowardice.Reduce Shyness by two levels, if youhave it.

Euphoria: You have a -3 penalty toall DX, IQ, skill, and self-control rolls.

Nauseated: You have -2 to all attrib-ute and skill rolls, and -1 to activedefenses. As well, roll vs. HT after youeat, are exposed to a foul odor, fail aFright Check, or are stunned, andevery hour in free fall or in any situa-tion where you might suffer motionsickness. A rich meal in the past hourgives -2; anti-nausea remedies give +2.On a failure, you vomit for (25 - HT)seconds – treat as Retching, below.

Pain: You have a penalty to all DX,IQ, skill, and self-control rolls. This is-2 for Moderate Pain, -4 for SeverePain, and -6 for Terrible Pain. HighPain Threshold halves these penalties;Low Pain Threshold doubles them.

Tipsy: You are slightly intoxicated:-1 to DX and IQ, and -2 to self-controlrolls except those to resist Cowardice.Reduce Shyness by one level, if youhave it.

IncapacitatingConditions

All of these afflictions prevent youfrom taking voluntary action for theduration. In addition to their othereffects, you’re effectively stunned (-4 to

active defenses). In combat, you mustDo Nothing on your turn. If an afflic-tion lets you drop, you can sit, kneel, goprone, etc. if standing, or go prone ifkneeling or sitting. If it lets you stagger,you can drop, change facing, or step orcrawl one yard. In all cases, you arestill effectively stunned.

Agony: You are conscious but insuch terrible pain that you can donothing but moan or scream. If stand-ing or sitting, you fall down. While theaffliction endures, you lose 1 FP perminute or fraction thereof. After yourecover, anyone who can crediblythreaten you with a resumption of the

pain gets +3 to Interrogation andIntimidation skill rolls. Low PainThreshold doubles the FP loss and tor-ture bonus. High Pain Threshold letsyou overcome the agony enough tofunction, but at -3 to DX and IQ.

Choking: You are unable to breatheor speak. You may do nothing butdrop. While the choking endures, yousuffer the effects of suffocation (seeSuffocation, p. 436). If you have anobject lodged in your throat, a friendcan try a First Aid roll to clear it; roll at-2 before TL7. Each attempt takes 2seconds. If you have Doesn’t Breatheor Injury Tolerance (Homogenous),you cannot choke!

Daze: You are conscious – if you arestanding, you remain upright – but youcan do nothing. If you are struck,slapped, or shaken, you recover onyour next turn.

Ecstasy: You’re incapacitated withoverwhelming pleasure. Treat asAgony, but neither Low PainThreshold nor High Pain Thresholdhas any effect – and instead of a bonusfor torture, someone offering to con-tinue the pleasure gets +3 to anyInfluence roll! If you have Killjoy,you’re immune.


HAZARDS

I laugh in the face of danger, and then I hideuntil it goes away.

– Xander, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Hallucinating: You can try to act,but you must roll vs. Will before eachsuccess roll. On a success, you merelysuffer 2d seconds of disorientation.This gives -2 on success rolls. On a fail-ure, you actually hallucinate for 1dminutes. In this case, the penalty is -5.The GM is free to specify the details ofyour hallucinations, which need not bevisual. On a critical failure, you “freakout” for 3d minutes. You might do any-thing! The GM rolls 3d: the higher theroll, the more dangerous your action.

Paralysis: You cannot move any vol-untary muscles, and fall over if you arenot in a balanced position. You remainconscious, and can still use advantagesor spells that require neither speechnor movement.

Retching: You are conscious butvomiting (or suffering dry heaves). Youcan try to act, but you will be at -5 toDX, IQ, and Per, and automatically failat any action that requires aConcentrate maneuver. At the end ofthe retching spell, you lose 1 FP. Yougain no benefit from recent meals ororal medication – you’ve thrown it up.

Seizure: You suffer a fit of somekind. Your limbs tremble uncontrol-lably, you fall down if standing, andyou cannot speak or think clearly. Youcan do nothing. At the end of theseizure, you lose 1d FP.

Unconsciousness: You are knockedout, just as if you had suffered injury.

Mortal ConditionsComa: You collapse just as if you

had been wounded to -1¥HP or belowand passed out; see Recovering fromUnconsciousness (p. 423). You get asingle HT roll to awaken after 12hours. On a failure, you won’t recoverwithout medical treatment. Until youreceive treatment, roll vs. HT every 12hours. On any failure, you die.

Heart Attack: Your heart stopsfunctioning (“cardiac arrest”). Youimmediately drop to -1¥FP. Regardlessof your current HP, you will die inHT/3 minutes unless resuscitated – seeResuscitation (p. 425). If you survive,you will be at 0 HP or your current HP,whichever is worse. Missing HP healnormally. If you die and it matterswhat your HP total was, treat this asdeath at -1¥HP or your current HP,whichever is worse. Injury Tolerance(Diffuse, Homogenous, or No Vitals)grants immunity to this affliction.

ATMOSPHERICPRESSURE

Regardless of its composition, anatmosphere may be difficult or impos-sible to breathe if its pressure is wrong.We measure air pressure in “atmos-pheres” (atm.); 1 atm. is air pressure atsea level on Earth.

Trace (up to 0.01 atm.): Treat anatmosphere this thin as vacuum (seeVacuum, p. 437).

Very Thin (up to 0.5 atm.): The airis too thin to breathe. Earth’s atmos-phere becomes “very thin” above20,000’. If you lack protection (e.g., theDoesn’t Breathe advantage, or a respi-rator and oxygen tanks), you suffocate– see Suffocation (p. 436). Vision rollsare at -2 without eye protection.

Thin (0.51-0.8 atm.): Earth’s atmos-phere is “thin” between 6,000’ and20,000’. Thin air is breathable if oxy-gen is present in Earthlike percent-ages, but it is hard on unprotectedindividuals. Increase all fatigue costsfor exertion by 1 FP. Vision rolls are at-1 without eye protection. Finally, any-one who breathes thin air for an houror more must check for “altitude sick-ness.” Make a daily HT roll at +4.Critical success means acclimatiza-tion – do not roll again. Successmeans no effect today. Failure meansheadaches, nausea, etc., giving -2 toDX and IQ. Critical failure means thevictim falls into a coma after 1d hours;see Mortal Conditions (above). Rollagainst Physician skill once per day torevive the victim before he dies.


Hazardous AtmospheresEarth’s atmosphere is 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen (plus 1% com-

prising a number of other gases). Visitors to other planets (and victimsof lab accidents or death traps) might encounter other atmospheres,most of which are unsafe for humans without proper protection. Ofcourse, “breathable air” for humans might be deadly for nonhumans,and vice versa!

Corrosive: The atmosphere reacts with exposed flesh. Those with theSealed advantage are safe; those in sealed suits might be safe, but somegases eat away at seals. Small concentrations in otherwise breathableair require a roll at HT to HT-4 every minute to avoid 1 point of corro-sion damage. Victims suffer coughing (see Afflictions, p. 428) after los-ing 1/3 their HP, blindness (as the disadvantage) after losing 2/3 theirHP. Atmospheres made up mostly of corrosive gases have effects com-parable to immersion in acid (see Acid, p. 428) and count as suffocat-ing. Corrosives include ammonia and nitrides. Chlorine and fluorineare extremely corrosive and toxic!

Toxic: The atmosphere is poisonous. Individuals without respirators,Doesn’t Breathe, Filter Lungs, etc. are susceptible. Ordinary airborneindustrial pollutants might require a daily HT roll to avoid 1 point oftoxic damage. Lethal gases would call for a HT-2 to HT-6 roll everyminute to avoid 1 point of toxic damage. If such gases make up most ofthe atmosphere, they inflict at least 1d toxic damage per 15 seconds (noresistance possible) and count as suffocating. A typical toxic gas is car-bon monoxide. Chlorine and fluorine are deadly in tiny concentrations,and also corrosive.

Suffocating: The atmosphere is unbreathable. For humans, thismeans it lacks oxygen. Those without Doesn’t Breathe or an air supplystart to suffocate (see Suffocation, p. 436). Hydrogen, methane, andnitrogen are all suffocating. As noted above, an atmosphere made upmostly of corrosive or toxic gases is suffocating as well – but these usu-ally kill so rapidly that suffocation becomes irrelevant.

Dense (1.21-1.5 atm.): The air isbreathable, with some discomfort: -1to all HT rolls, unless you have a pres-sure suit. If the air contains more than50% oxygen, you must wear a “reduc-ing respirator” that lowers oxygen par-tial pressure, or suffer -2 to DX due tocoughing and lung damage.

Very Dense (1.51+ atm.): As“dense,” but a reducing respirator isrequired if the air is more than 10%oxygen. Usually quite hot from green-house effects.

Superdense (10+ atm.): As “verydense,” but the atmospheric pressureis so great that it can actually crushsomeone who is not native to it, unlesshe has Pressure Support or an armoredsuit that provides this advantage; seePressure (p. 435). Visitors to Venus, ordeep inside Jupiter, experience hun-dreds of atmospheres of pressure! Suchatmospheres are often poisonous,which presents a separate problem.

These rules assume you are nativeto 1 atm. and can function normallyat 0.81-1.2 atm. If your native pres-sure differs from 1 atm., multiply allthe pressure ranges above by yournative pressure in atm. For example,if you’re native to 0.5 atm., a “dense”atmosphere for you would be 0.61-0.75 atm. and a “thin” one would be0.26-0.4 atm.

COLDCold can be deadly, but only magic

or superscience can produce coldquickly enough to cause damage incombat. Armor offers its usual DRagainst such “instant” cold attacks,but it must be insulated or heated toshield against prolonged exposure toambient cold.

Make a HT or HT-based Survival(Arctic) roll, whichever is better, every30 minutes in “normal” freezingweather. For most humans, thismeans temperatures below 35°F, butsee Temperature Tolerance (p. 93). Inlight wind (10+ mph), roll every 15minutes. In strong wind (30+ mph),roll every 10 minutes. Additionally,strong wind can dramatically reducethe effective temperature (the “windchill factor”). Also see the modifiersbelow:

Modifier toSituation HT RollLight or no clothing -5Ordinary winter clothing +0“Arctic” clothing +5Heated suit +10Wet clothes additional -5Every 10° below 0°F

effective temperature -1

Failure costs 1 FP. As usual, onceyou go below 0 FP, you will start tolose 1 HP per FP. Recovery of FP orHP lost to cold requires adequate shel-ter and a heat source (flame, electricheat, body warmth, etc.).

Thermal Shock: Sudden immersionin icy waters (e.g., any of Earth’soceans far from the equator) or a cryo-genic environment can cause death bythermal shock. Note that impurewater (e.g., saltwater oceans) can bebelow the usual freezing temperature!If you are wearing a completely water-proof “dry suit,” you are only affectedas per normal freezing. Otherwise, rollagainst HT once per minute of immer-sion. Do not modify this for clothing.On a success, you lose 1 FP. On a fail-ure, you lose FP equal to the margin offailure. Don’t forget to check fordrowning as well!

COLLISIONSAND FALLS

When a moving object hits anotherobject, this is a collision. Use the rulesbelow for ramming attempts, acciden-tal crashes, falls, and dropped objects.

Damage from CollisionsAn object or person’s Hit Points

and velocity determine collision dam-age. Mass only matters indirectly:massive objects usually have high HP,but it would hurt more to collide witha locomotive than with a pillow of thesame mass! HP take into account bothmass and structural strength.

“Velocity” is how fast the characteror object is moving in yards per sec-ond (2 mph = 1 yard per second).Velocity could be anything up toMove. It might exceed Move when div-ing or falling; see High-SpeedMovement (p. 394).

An object in a collision inflictsdice of crushing damage equal to (HP¥ velocity)/100. If this is less than 1d,treat fractions up to 0.25 as 1d-3,fractions up to 0.5 as 1d-2, and anylarger fraction as 1d-1. Otherwise,round fractions of 0.5 or more up to afull die.

If an object is bullet-shaped, sharp,or spiked, it does half damage, but thisdamage is piercing, cutting, or impal-ing, rather than crushing.


Immovable ObjectsIf a moving object hits a stationary

object that is too big to push aside –like the ground, a mountain, or an ice-berg – it inflicts its usual collisiondamage on that object and on itself. Ifthe obstacle is breakable, the movingobject cannot inflict or take moredamage than the obstacle’s HP + DR.

Hard Objects: If the immovableobject is hard, use twice the HP of themoving object to calculate damage.Clay, concrete, ordinary soil, and sandare all “hard,” as is a building, moun-tain, or similar obstacle.

Soft Objects: If the immovableobject is soft – e.g., forest litter, hay,swamp, or water – damage is normal.However, elastic objects (mattresses,nets, airbags, etc.) give extra DRagainst collision damage, rangingfrom DR 2 for a feather bed to DR 10for a safety net, trampoline, or airbag.When striking water or a similar fluid,a successful Swimming roll (or vehiclecontrol roll, if “ditching” a vehicle)means a clean dive that negates alldamage. This roll is at a penalty forvelocity; use the speed penalty fromthe Size and Speed/Range Table (p. 550).

FallingA fall is a collision with an immov-

able object: the ground. Find yourvelocity when you hit using the FallingVelocity Table.

Example: Bill is pushed out a fifth-story window. He falls 17 yards. Whenhe hits the street, his velocity is 19yards/second. Bill has 10 HP, but heuses twice this because he hit a “hard”surface. Damage is (2 ¥ 10 ¥ 19)/100 =3.8d, which rounds up to 4d crushing.

Falls and Armor: All armor, flexibleor not (but not innate DR), counts as“flexible” for the purpose of calculat-ing blunt trauma from falling damage.Thus, even if the victim has enougharmor DR to stop the falling damage,he suffers 1 HP of injury per 5 pointsof falling damage. See Flexible Armorand Blunt Trauma (p. 379).

Controlled Falls: If you are free tomove, you can use Acrobatics skill toland properly. On a success, reducefalling distance by five yards when cal-culating velocity. If falling into water,you can do this or attempt a properdive (see above) – decide which first!

Terminal Velocity: “Terminal veloci-ty” is the maximum speed a fallingobject can achieve before air resist-ance negates further accelerationunder gravity. Air resistance is rela-tively negligible for distances shownon the table, but increases drasticallyfor longer falls.

Terminal velocity varies greatly byobject. For human-shaped objects onEarth, it is 60-100 yards/second. Usethe low end for a spread-eagled fall,the high end for a swan dive. Fordense objects (e.g., rocks) or stream-lined objects, it can be 200 yards/sec-ond or more!

The terminal velocity rules assumeEarth-normal gravity (1G) and atmos-pheric pressure (1 atm.). Multiply ter-minal velocity by the square root ofgravity in Gs. Then divide it by thesquare root of pressure in atm. Thus,gravity under 1G, or pressure above 1atm., reduces terminal velocity; gravi-ty over 1G, or pressure below 1 atm.,increases it. Note that terminal veloci-ty is unlimited in a vacuum!

Damage from Falling Objects

If an object falls on someone, findits velocity on the table above and cal-culate damage as for an ordinary col-lision. To hit someone with a droppedobject, use Dropping skill (p. 189).Most dropped objects will have Acc 1.Your target cannot avoid the objectunless he knows it’s coming. If he’saware of it, he can dodge.

A falling object with a SizeModifier equal to or greater than thatof whoever it lands on impedes thevictim’s movement. He may move onlyone yard on his next turn, and hisactive defenses are -3. These penaltiesresult from bulk, not mass, so ST isirrelevant.


Falling Velocity TableFall Velocity Fall Velocity Fall Velocity Fall Velocity1 yard 5 13-14 yards 17 35-37 yards 28 68-71 yards 392 yards 7 15 yards 18 38-39 yards 29 72-75 yards 403 yards 8 16-17 yards 19 40-42 yards 30 76-79 yards 414 yards 9 18-19 yards 20 43-45 yards 31 80-82 yards 425 yards 10 20-21 yards 21 46-48 yards 32 83-86 yards 436 yards 11 22-23 yards 22 49-51 yards 33 87-90 yards 447 yards 12 24-25 yards 23 52-54 yards 34 91-95 yards 458 yards 13 26-27 yards 24 55-57 yards 35 96-99 yards 469 yards 14 28-29 yards 25 58-61 yards 36 100-103 yards 4710-11 yards 15 30-32 yards 26 62-64 yards 37 104-108 yards 4812 yards 16 33-34 yards 27 65-67 yards 38 109-112 yards 49

Alternatively, calculate velocity in yards per second as the square root of (21.4 ¥ g ¥ distance fallen in yards), where g isthe local gravity in Gs (g = 1 on Earth). Round to the nearest whole number.

Hit Location from a FallIf using hit locations, roll randomly for the hit location damaged in

a fall. If the injury is to an extremity or a limb, do not ignore injury inexcess of that required to cripple it. Instead, subtract the full amountfrom HP! If the fall would cripple a limb, roll 1d. On 5-6, all limbs ofthat type are crippled, although there is no extra injury.

Collision AngleThe angle at which you hit adjusts

velocity, affecting damage. This isespecially true in collisions betweentwo moving objects!

Head-On: In a head-on collisionbetween two moving objects, collisionvelocity is the sum of the objects’velocities. The slower object cannotinflict more dice of damage than thefaster one.

Rear-End: If a faster object over-takes and strikes a slower one, colli-sion velocity is that of the strikingobject minus that of the struck object.The struck object cannot inflict moredice of damage than the striking one.

Side-On Collisions and Falls: If amoving object strikes a stationary one,or strikes a moving object side-on, col-lision velocity is that of the striking orfalling object. The struck object can-not inflict more dice of damage thanthe striking or falling one.

Example: A car with 60 HP, movingat 50 mph (velocity 25), strikes apedestrian with 10 HP. The pedestrianwas fleeing from the car at Move 5, sothis is a “rear-end” collision. Collisionvelocity is 25 (car) - 5 (pedestrian) =20. The car inflicts (60 ¥ 20)/100 = 12dcrushing damage on the pedestrian;the pedestrian inflicts (10 ¥ 20)/100 =2d crushing damage on the car.

OverrunsIf the Size Modifier of the striking

object in a collision exceeds that of thestruck object by two or more (e.g., acar hitting a man) the striking object“overruns” the struck object. Thisinflicts additional crushing damage:roll thrust damage for ST equal to halfthe striking object’s HP (or half its STscore, if it has one). Even a slow-moving elephant or a tank can crush

someone who doesn’t get out of theway. This rule does not apply to falls.

Anything with a ST attribute candeliberately trample as well; seeTrampling (p. 404).

Whiplash and CollisionAnyone inside an object that comes

to a sudden stop in a fall or a collision(a falling elevator, a crashing car, etc.)takes damage. Find the speed lost inthe “stop” and work out falling dam-age for this velocity. Seatbelts or strapsgive DR 5 vs. this damage; airbags giveDR 10. In a collision involving an openvehicle, also work out knockback fromthis damage for those who weren’tstrapped in. This is how far they fly . . .

ELECTRICITYIf an uninsulated person is exposed

to electricity, he may receive a shock.The effects of electric shock are highlyvariable, ranging from momentarystunning to instant death! This sectionhelps the GM assess these effects if acharacter receives a shock during anadventure. If a specific attack or sce-nario gives different rules, they over-ride the guidelines below.

All electrical damage falls into oneof two classes: nonlethal or lethal.Against either, metallic armor (e.g.,plate armor) provides only DR 1 – andif the wearer is grounded, he actuallyattracts electrical attacks, giving theattacker +2 to hit.

Nonlethal ElectricalDamage

High-voltage, low-power shocksare unlikely to kill, but can stun thevictim or even render him uncon-scious. This is called “nonlethal elec-trical damage.” Examples includeelectric stun weapons, realistic elec-tric fences, and static shocks on acool, dry day. The GM should require

an immediate HT roll wheneversomeone is zapped.

Modifiers: From +2 for a short cir-cuit in a battery-powered gadget downto -3 or -4 for a specially designed stunweapon. Nonmetallic armor gives abonus equal to its DR – but surfaceshocks (e.g., from a cattle prod) tendto flow over armor rather thanthrough it, and have an armor divisorof (0.5), while energy weaponsdesigned to arc through armor havean armor divisor of (2) or even (5).

On a failure, the victim is stunned.An instantaneous jolt (static electrici-ty, electrolaser, etc.) stuns for one sec-ond, after which time the victim mayroll vs. HT once per second to recover.A continuous shock (stun gun, electricfence, etc.) stuns for as long as the vic-tim is in contact with the source, andfor (20 - HT) seconds after that, with aminimum of 1 second. After this time,the victim may roll vs. HT each secondto recover. The basic HT modifier forthe strength of the shock (but not forDR) applies to all recovery rolls.

Electromuscular Disruption (EMD):Some ultra-tech weapons deliver amore powerful current that inducesconvulsions. The HT roll is at -5, and ifthe victim fails, he is knocked downand paralyzed instead of merelystunned. Otherwise, the effects are asabove.

Lethal ElectricalDamage

High-power shocks cook flesh andinflict real damage; they can even stopthe victim’s heart! This is called “lethalelectrical damage.” Examples includepower mains, lightning bolts (naturaland magical), and cinematic electricfences.

Lethal electric shocks inflict burningdamage: only 1d-3 to 3d around thehouse, but 6d on up for lightning, trans-mission lines, etc. A victim who suffersany injury must make a HT roll at -1 per2 points of injury suffered. On a failure,he falls unconscious for as long as thecurrent is applied, and for (20 - HT)minutes afterward, with a minimum of1 minute. He will be at -2 DX for anoth-er (20 - HT) minutes when he recovers.Failure by 5 or more, or any critical fail-ure, results in a heart attack; see MortalConditions (p. 429). Lethal electrical


In a collision involving an open vehicle, workout knockback for those who weren’t strappedin. This is how far they fly . . .

damage also causes “surge” effects invictims who have the Electrical disad-vantage (p. 134).

Localized Injury: Attacks that don’taffect the target’s entire body – includ-ing most magical electricity attacks –cause pain and burns, but not uncon-sciousness or cardiac arrest. Treat thisas normal burning damage, except thatthe victim must make a HT roll at -1 per2 points of injury suffered. On a failure,he is stunned for one second, afterwhich time he may roll vs. HT once persecond to recover. If the injury is to thearm or hand, he must also make a Willroll or drop anything carried in thathand.

FLAMEExposure to flame inflicts burning

damage. See Wounding Modifiers andInjury (p. 379) and Hit Location(p. 398) for wounding effects. Beloware some additional special rules.

Fire SourcesAdventurers often encounter flam-

ing oil (see Molotov Cocktails and OilFlasks, p. 411), high-tech weapons,Innate Attacks, and battle magic (seeFire Spells, p. 246) . . . not to mentionthe burning rubble these attacks leavebehind!

If you spend part of a turn in a fire(e.g., running through the flames), youtake 1d-3 burning damage. If youspend all of a turn in a fire of ordinaryintensity – or if you are on fire – youtake 1d-1 damage per second. Veryintense fires inflict more damage; forinstance, molten metal or a furnacewould inflict 3d per second! Use Large-Area Injury (p. 400) in all cases.

Continued exposure to a fire canresult in intense heat that can rapidlyfatigue you even if the flames them-selves cannot penetrate your DR. SeeHeat (p. 434).

Incendiary Attacks: Any attack withthe Incendiary damage modifier(p. 105) does one point of burningdamage in addition to its other dam-age; in effect, it has a one-point linkedburning attack. Examples includetorches (see Torches and Flashlights,p. 394) and flaming arrows (seeFlaming Arrows, p. 410). High-techtracer bullets also qualify.


Making Things BurnMaterials are grouped into six “flammability classes,” based on the

amount of burning or incendiary damage needed to set them aflame:

Super-Flammable (e.g., black powder, ether): Negligible damage(candle flame).

Highly Flammable (e.g., alcohol, paper, tinder): 1 point.Flammable (e.g., dry wood, kindling, oil): 3 points.Resistant (e.g., seasoned wood, clothing, rope, leather): 10 points.Highly Resistant (e.g., green wood, flesh): 30 points.Nonflammable (e.g., brick, metal, rock, fireproof synthetics): N/A.

A fire source (including any incendiary attack) that inflicts the list-ed amount of burning damage in a single damage roll ignites the mate-rial immediately. Divide damage by 10 for tight-beam burning attacks.If the flame fails to ignite the material immediately, but could do so onits best damage roll, roll damage once per second for as long as it is incontact. Even if the flame is incapable of inflicting enough damage onits best roll, it may set things afire with prolonged contact. Roll 3d forevery 10 seconds of contact. Materials one category up (e.g., Flammablematerials taking 1 point per second) catch fire on a 16 or less; those twocategories up (e.g., Flammable materials touching a candle flame)catch on a 6 or less.

Once a material starts burning, it may ignite adjacent materials.Make separate rolls for it based on the fire’s damage (1d-1 per secondfor an ordinary fire).

Catching FireA single hit that inflicts at least 3

points of basic burning damageignites part of the victim’s clothing.(The Ignite Fire spell does this at itsthird level of effect; see p. 246). Thisdoes 1d-4 burning damage per secondand is distracting (-2 to DX, unless thedamage simply cannot harm the tar-get). To put out the fire, the victimmust beat it with his hands. Thisrequires a DX roll, and each attempttakes a Ready maneuver.

A single hit that inflicts 10 or morepoints of basic burning damageignites all of the victim’s clothes. Thisdoes 1d-1 burning damage per secondand is very distracting (-3 to DX,except when rolling to put out thefire). To put out the fire, the victimmust roll on the ground. This requiresa DX roll, and each attempt takes threeReady maneuvers. Jumping intowater takes only one second, andautomatically extinguishes the fire.

If a wooden shield takes 10 or morepoints of burning damage in one sec-ond, the bearer is at -2 to DX, andtakes 1d-5 burning damage per seconduntil he gets rid of it.

In all cases, remember to applyshock penalties to DX if the flameinflicts injury!

The above guidelines assume ordi-nary clothing. Armor is good protec-tion against fire; clothing worn overarmor (e.g., a surcoat) might burn, butthe armor’s DR reduces the damagenormally. Clothing that is wet or wornunder armor is almost impossible toignite, and won’t stay lit. On the otherhand, fancy dresses, lace cuffs, and soon, ignite if they take even 1 point ofburning damage!

Remember to divide damage fromtight-beam burning attacks by 10when applying the rules above.

GRAVITY ANDACCELERATION

A change in gravity can be harmful.These rules describe health effects; seeDifferent Gravity (p. 350) for the effectsof gravity on common tasks.

Space AdaptationSyndrome (“Space Sickness”)

Those who are not native to micro-or zero gravity (“free fall”) maybecome nauseated and disoriented bythe constant falling sensation. Rollagainst the higher of HT or Free Fallwhen you first enter free fall. TheSpace Sickness disadvantage (p. 156)gives -4.

On a success, you are unaffected.On a failure, you are nauseated (seeAfflictions, p. 428), which may triggervomiting. If you begin to retch whilewearing a vacc suit, you may choke;treat this as drowning (see Swimming,p. 354). Roll against the better of HT orFree Fall every 8 hours to recover. Ifyou suffer from Space Sickness, youcannot adapt!

High AccelerationMake a HT roll whenever you expe-

rience a sudden acceleration (“G-force”) of at least 2.5 times your homegravity. Treat a home gravity under0.1G as 0.1G for this purpose.

Modifiers: -2 per doubling of accel-eration (-2 at 5¥ home gravity, -4 at10¥, and so on); +2 if seated or lyingprone, or -2 if upside down.

On a failure, you lose FP equal toyour margin of failure. On a criticalfailure, you also black out for 10 sec-onds times your margin of failure.

A sudden acceleration may throwyou against a solid object. If this

happens, treat it as a collision withthat object at a velocity equal to 10 ¥G-force of the acceleration.

HEATIn ordinary hot weather, you will

experience no ill effects if you stay inthe shade and don’t move aroundmuch. But if you are active in temper-atures in the top 10° of your comfortzone or above – over 80°F, for humanswithout Temperature Tolerance (p. 93)– make a HT or HT-based Survival(Desert) roll, whichever is better, every30 minutes.

Modifiers: A penalty equal to yourencumbrance level (-1 for Light, -2 forMedium, and so on); -1 per extra 10°heat.

Failure costs 1 FP. On a critical fail-ure, you suffer heat stroke: lose 1d FP.As usual, if you go below 0 FP, youstart to lose 1 HP per FP. You cannotrecover FP or HP lost to heat until youmove into cooler surroundings.

In addition, at temperatures up to30° over your comfort zone (91-120°for humans), you lose an extra 1 FPwhenever you lose FP to exertion ordehydration. At temperatures up to 60°over your comfort zone (121-150° forhumans), this becomes an extra 2 FP.

Intense Heat: Human skin starts toburn at 160°; see Flame (p. 433) fordamage. Even if no damage pene-trates your DR, you will rapidly over-heat if the ambient temperature ismore than 6 ¥ your comfort zone’swidth over your comfort zone (e.g., ina fire). After 3 ¥ DR seconds, make aHT roll every second. On a failure, youlose 1 FP. Your DR provides its usualprotection against burning damage,but it has no effect on this FP loss.

Sunburn: After a day of full sun onunprotected skin, an albino will benear death and a light-skinnedCaucasian will be very uncomfortable(1d-3 damage). Darker-skinned indi-viduals may itch, but aren’t in muchdanger. Details are up to the GM.

Armor: Armor prevents sunburnand provides its full DR against burn-ing damage – but only armor that pro-vides Temperature Tolerance (throughinsulation or a cooling system) canprevent FP loss due to heat. This fea-ture is standard on battlesuits andTL9+ combat armor.


Clothing that is wet or worn under armor isalmost impossible to ignite, and won’t stay lit.On the other hand, fancy dresses, lace cuffs, andso on, ignite if they take even 1 point of burningdamage!

PRESSUREAdventurers are most likely to

encounter extreme pressure in super-dense atmospheres (see AtmosphericPressure, p. 429) or deep underwater(where pressure increases by about 1atmosphere per 33’ of depth).Pressures in excess of your native pres-sure – 1 atm., for a human – are notalways immediately lethal, but presentserious risks.

Over 2 ¥ native pressure: You risk“the bends” (see below) if you experi-ence over 2 ¥ native pressure and thenreturn to normal pressure. WithPressure Support 1, the bends are onlya risk when returning from over 10 ¥native pressure. With PressureSupport 2 or 3, you are immune to thebends.

Over 10 ¥ native pressure: You maybe crushed! On initial exposure andevery minute thereafter, roll vs. HT at abasic +3, but -1 per 10 ¥ native pres-sure. If you fail, you suffer HP of injuryequal to your margin of failure. If yourSize Modifier is +2 or more, multiplyinjury by SM. With Pressure Support2, read this as “Over 100 ¥ native pres-sure” and “-1 per 100 ¥ native pres-sure.” With Pressure Support 3, youare immune to pressure.

The BendsWhen you are breathing air that

has been compressed (e.g., usingscuba gear), your blood and tissuesabsorb some of the nitrogen gas in thecompressed air. When you return tonormal pressure, or “decompress,”this nitrogen escapes, forming smallbubbles in the blood and muscles.This can result in joint pains, dizzyspells, possibly even death. Thesesymptoms are known as “the bends.”

You risk the bends if you return tonormal pressure after experiencingpressure greater than twice yournative pressure (or 10 times nativepressure, with Pressure Support 1).To avoid this, you must decompressslowly, spending time at intermediatepressures to allow the nitrogen toescape harmlessly.

Divers and mountaineers use pre-cise tables to determine decompres-sion times based on time spent at agiven pressure. For game purposes, atup to 2 atm. (about 33’ underwater), ahuman can operate for any amount oftime and return without risk. At up to2.5 atm. (50’ depth), a human cansafely operate for up to 80 minutesand return without requiring slowdecompression. Greater pressuresreduce the safe time without slow

decompression: at 4 atm. (100’depth), it’s about 22 minutes; at 5.5+atm. (150’ depth), there is no safeperiod.

Safe decompression involves slow-ly lowering the pressure, either natu-rally (e.g., a diver deliberately takinghours to reach the surface) or in adecompression chamber. The timerequired increases with both pressureand exposure time. It can be severalhours – or even days.

If you fail to decompress slowlyenough, make a HT roll. Critical suc-cess means no ill effects. Successmeans severe joint pain, causingagony (see Incapacitating Conditions,p. 428); roll vs. HT hourly to recover.Failure means unconsciousness orpainful paralysis; roll vs. HT hourly toregain consciousness, with each fail-ure causing 1d of injury. Once con-scious, you suffer joint pain, asdescribed above. Critical failureresults in painful death. Recom-pression to the highest pressure expe-rienced lets you roll at HT+4 everyfive minutes to recover from alleffects short of death.

An instant pressure reduction canalso result in explosive decompres-sion; see Vacuum (p. 437) for details.All effects are cumulative!

RADIATIONRadiation threatens high-tech

heroes in the form of solar flares, cos-mic rays, nuclear accidents, radioac-tive materials, and lethal weapons(nuclear bombs, particle beams, etc.).Exposure is measured in rads. Themore rads received, the greater thechance of ill effects.

Whenever a character is exposed toradiation, the GM should note boththe dose and the date. Each dosediminishes separately from all others;it starts to heal after 30 days, at therate of 10 rads per day. However, 10%of the original dose never heals (exceptvia ultra-tech, magic, etc.).

Example: A reactor technicianspends a day in a “hot” environmentand receives a 200-rad dose. After 30days, that particular dose starts to healat 10 rads/day. After another 18 days,the remaining dose is 20 rads – 10% of200 rads – and stops healing.


Radiation HazardsCosmic Rays: A constant hazard for space travelers. Inflict 1

rad/week. Only massive shielding protects people.Fallout: Small radioactive particles, such as those produced by a

ground-burst nuclear bomb. Inflicts 2-5 rads/minute within a few hoursof the blast, and several rads/hour over the next day. If you breathe orswallow fallout (in contaminated food or water), the ingested materialdelivers a continuing dose (see below).

Fission Plant Accident: 1,000 rads/hour or more! This is only in closeproximity (e.g., the reactor room); divide dose by the square of the dis-tance in yards from the source.

Ingested Radioactive Material: Plutonium, radium-226, uranium-235, etc. Even tiny doses can cause 1 rad/day to several rads/minute,depending on the isotope. (Some radioactive materials, such as pluto-nium, are also extremely toxic!)

Innate Attack: An attack with the Radiation damage modifier(p. 105) delivers one rad per point of damage rolled.

Nuclear Blast: One-megaton fission air or space burst at 2,000 yards:6,600 rads!

Effects of Radiation on Living Things

When a living being accumulatesat least 1 rad (but no more than onceper day, for continued exposure to agiven source), he must make a HT roll.On the Radiation Effects Table, below,find his current accumulated dose inthe “Accumulated Dose” column.Apply the modifier in the “HT” col-umn to his HT roll. Then roll the dice.Use the first result in the “Effects” col-umn on a critical success, the secondon a success, the third on a failure,and the last on a critical failure.

Radiation Effects TableAccumulated Dose HT Effects1-10 rads +0 –/–/A/B11-20 rads +0 –/A/B/C21-40 rads +0 A/B/C/D41-80 rads -1 A/B/C/D81-160 rads -3 A/B/C/D161-800 rads -4 A/B/C/D800-4,000 rads -5 C/D/E/EOver 4,000 rads -5 D/E/E/E

–: The dose has no obvious effect,but doses continue to accumulate.

A: Radiation burns and chronic“somatic” damage. HT hours after irra-diation, suffer 1d of injury and gainLow Pain Threshold for one week(those with High Pain Threshold losethis instead). If you recover, make twomore HT rolls with the modifier onthe table: one to avoid sterility, theother to avoid gaining the TerminallyIll (1 year) disadvantage. Gain eithercondition only on a critical failure.

B: Hematopoietic syndrome. As A,but as well, after HT hours you arenauseated (see Irritating Conditions,p. 428) for a further (40 - HT) hours;lose 1d each from DX, IQ, and FP; andacquire the Hemophilia disadvantage.Each day, make a HT roll with themodifier on the table. On a criticalsuccess, you heal 2 points each of DX,IQ, and FP; on a success, you recover1 point of each; on a failure, there isno improvement; and on a critical fail-ure, you lose 1 point of each and arenauseated that day. After recoveringall lost DX, IQ, and FP, you no longersuffer from Hemophilia or need tomake daily HT rolls.

C: Gastrointestinal syndrome. As B,but in 1d/2 weeks, you also lose all

body hair and must make daily HTrolls. On a critical failure, you suffer1d points of injury; on a failure, 2points of injury; on a success, 1 pointof injury; and on a critical success,injury stops and normal recovery canoccur (and hair starts to grow back).Until injury stops, you haveSusceptible to Disease -3 (p. 158) andsuffer from nausea. If you lose morethan 2/3 of your HP to radiation, yourteeth and nails start to fall out.

D: Terminal radiation sickness. AsC, except HP loss begins in 1d/2 days,and even a critical success won’t stopdaily HP loss – it only postpones it fora day. Death is certain.

E: Rapid cerebrovascular death.After one hour, you lose 1d from eachof DX, IQ, and FP; take 1d of injury;gain Hemophilia, Low PainThreshold, and Susceptible to Disease-3; and are nauseated. Make an hourlyHT roll. Critical failure means instantdeath from brain hemorrhage; failuremeans loss of another 2 points of DX,IQ, and FP, and 2 more points ofinjury; success means 1 extra point ofeach; critical success mean no declinethat hour.

Other Effects: In addition to theseeffects, a single dose of 200+ rads caus-es sterility and blindness for 1dmonths; a dose of 500+ rads makes itpermanent. An accumulated dose of100+ rads increases the risk of birthdefects. Should you become a parent,make a HT roll, at +3 if you are male.On a failure, the child has some sort ofbirth defect (GM’s option).

Radiation andNonhumans

The above effects apply to humansand most other mammals. Other crea-tures may have Radiation Tolerance(p. 79).

Machines are not affected unlessthey have the Electrical disadvantage(p. 134). Each time such a machineaccumulates a dose of 100 rads, makea HT roll at a basic +4, -1 per 100 radsaccumulated dose. On a failure, itceases to function until repaired. On acritical failure, it is destroyed (anydata stored on it is also lost).

Radiation ProtectionAny material between you and the

radiation source grants a ProtectionFactor (PF) that reduces your received

dose. Divide your dose by PF; e.g., PF100 means 1/100 the dose. Half aninch of lead, 1.5 inches of steel, or 750yards of air has PF 2; a yard of waterhas PF 8; a yard of earth has PF 27;and a yard of concrete has PF 64.

Shielding protects differentlyagainst certain types of radiation.Radiation from solar flares and plane-tary radiation belts (like the Van Allenbelt) is mostly free electrons and alphaparticles: multiply PF by 20. Againstcosmic rays, divide PF by 100!

Radiation TreatmentAll costs below are per treatment.

At TL7, drugs are available that canhalve your effective rad dosage if adose ($500) is taken 1-3 hours inadvance. Chelating drugs are alsoavailable to get radioactive fallout outof your system; a dose ($500) halvesexposure after 3 days and eliminates itentirely after a week. This has noeffect on radiation already absorbed!

At TL8, advanced chelating drugs($500) encapsulate and remove falloutin 12 hours.

At TL9, advanced anti-radiationdrugs or cell-repair nanotechnology($1,000) can give +3 to all HT rolls vs.radiation for 2 weeks.

At TL10+, cell-repair nanotech orrejuvenation technology might beable to completely repair the ravagesof radiation, provided the victim isstill alive.

SEASICKNESSThose aboard a seagoing vessel

(excluding large, modern vessels withroll stabilizers) must check for sea-sickness on their first day afloat. Usethe rules for the Motion Sickness dis-advantage (p. 144) – but if you lackthat disadvantage, you roll at HT+5,and with a success by 5 or more, or acritical success, you suffer no illeffects at all.

SUFFOCATIONIf you completely lack air – see

Actions After a Grapple (p. 370), ChokeHold (p. 371), and Holding Your Breath(p. 351) for examples – you lose 1 FPper second. If you are drowning aftera failed Swimming roll, you can getsome air, but you also inhale water:roll vs. Swimming every five seconds;


failure costs 1 FP (see Swimming,p. 354).

At 0 FP, you must make a Will roll every second or fall unconscious.You are likely to die unless rescued(see Lost Fatigue Points, p. 426).Regardless of FP or HP, you die afterfour minutes without air.

If you get clean air before you die,you stop losing FP and start to recov-er FP at the usual rate (see Recoveringfrom Fatigue, p. 427). If you areunconscious, you awaken once youhave 1 FP. If you were drowning, a res-cuer must also make a First Aid roll toget the water out of your lungs inorder to save you – see Resuscitation(p. 425).

If you went without air for morethan two minutes, roll vs. HT to avoidpermanent brain damage: -1 to IQ.

VACUUMVacuum is the absence of air – but

these rules also apply in trace atmos-pheres, where there is almost no air. Ifyou are exposed to vacuum withoutprotection (e.g., a vacc suit or theVacuum Support advantage), the fol-lowing rules apply.

Breathing Vacuum: You can’t holdyour breath in vacuum – and you mayrupture your lungs if you try (1d ofinjury). If you exhale and leave yourmouth open, you can operate on theoxygen in your blood for half the timelisted under Holding Your Breath(p. 351). After that, you begin to suffo-cate (see Suffocation, p. 436).

Explosive Decompression: Whenan area suddenly goes from normal

pressure to little or none (a“blowout”), body fluids boil, bloodvessels rupture, and eardrums pop.Take 1d of injury immediately, androll vs. HT to avoid the bends (see TheBends, p. 435). Also roll vs. HT+2 foreach eye; failure means One Eye orBlindness, as appropriate. Finally, rollvs. HT-1 to avoid Hard of Hearing.Use the Duration of Crippling Injuriesrules (p. 422) to determine how longthese disadvantages last.

Extreme Temperatures: Vacuumitself is neither “cold” nor “hot,” but inthe absence of air, surfaces in shadowwill eventually grow very cold, whilethose in sunlight will become extreme-ly hot. For example, on the moon –with its month-long “day” – the tem-perature can range from -243°F (atnight) to 225°F (at noon).


POISONPoison can show up on weapons;

on darts, needles, or spikes in traps; infood or drink offered by a treacherousfoe; and anywhere else you did notexpect it. Human foes are not the onlyones who can poison you. Snakes,insects, and certain other creatureshave natural poison (usually bloodagents) – and eating the wrong plantor animal may treat you to a dose ofdigestive poison.

DESCRIBINGPOISONS

A poison’s description includes itsname, means of delivery, delay, resist-ance roll, effects (injury and symp-toms), and cost per dose – and possi-bly notes on what constitutes a“dose,” how to use or conceal the poi-son, and how to treat it (including anyantidotes).

A poison can have multiple sets ofeffects. For example, tear gas is both arespiratory agent (with one set ofeffects) and a vision-based agent (withother effects).

DeliveryA given poison might reach its vic-

tim in any of several ways:

Blood Agent: The poison mustreach a mucous membrane (eyes,open mouth, nose, etc.) or an openwound. If it is sprayed or spat, it mustactually strike one of these vulnerableareas (so a spitting cobra must targetthe face). If it is delivered as a gas orwide-area spray, only those with theSealed advantage (p. 82) – or with oneof Doesn’t Breathe (p. 49) or FilterLungs (p. 55) and one of NictitatingMembrane (p. 71) or Protected Vision(p. 78) – are immune. These advan-tages might be natural or provided byequipment.

Contact Agent: The poison must beinhaled or touch skin to take effect. Ifit is use to poison a melee weapon, theweapon must hit an unarmored andunclad hit location for the poison toaffect the target. If it is delivered as agas or wide-area spray, it affects every-one in the area who lacks the Sealedadvantage (whether natural or provid-ed by a suit, vehicle, etc.).

Digestive Agent: The victim mustswallow the poison. This is typical ofpoisonous plants and toxic substancessuch as arsenic. If the poison has aslight but distinctive taste (e.g.,cyanide), the GM can allow the victima Taste roll or Perception-basedPoisons roll – at a basic -2, but +2 perdoubling of dosage – to notice it in

time. Poisons that are easier to detectgive a bonus; those that are harder todetect, or whose taste is masked bysuitable food or drink, give a penalty.To force someone to swallow a poisonrather than spit it out, you must grap-ple him by the head or neck and main-tain your hold for 10 seconds.

Follow-Up Poison: The poison mustbe placed on a piercing or impalingweapon, or injected using a hollowprojectile, hypodermic needle, etc. Ifthe weapon penetrates DR and doesany damage, it delivers the poison.Most “follow-up” poisons are simplyblood or contact agents injected intothe body.

Respiratory Agent: The poison is agas that only affects those who inhaleit into their lungs. Delivery is usuallyvia an area or cone attack (e.g., gasgrenade, spray gun, or dragon’sbreath), but an entire atmospherecould be poisonous! Only Doesn’tBreathe and Filter Lungs protect com-pletely against respiratory agents – buta victim who makes a Sense roll tonotice the poison in time may hold hisbreath (see Holding Your Breath,p. 351). Unconscious or stunned vic-tims inhale automatically. An impro-vised mask, such as a wet towel overthe face, gives +1 to HT to resist.

Sense-Based Agent: The poisonaffects the victim through a specificsense. It has no effect on those wholack that sense or have appropriateprotection. A smell-based agent is usu-ally a foul stench that induces nausea;suitable protection is nose plugs, a res-pirator, or the Protected Sense (Smell)advantage. A vision-based agent isgenerally a cloud of gas that irritatesthe eyes; appropriate protection is agas mask, goggles, or the ProtectedSense (Vision) advantage. See Sense-Based (p. 109).

DelayMost poisons require a few sec-

onds to several hours to take effect.This is nearly always true for digestiveagents.

Delays given are for victims withSize Modifier 0. The victim’s size mod-ifies delay: each +1 to SM doubles thedelay; each -1 to SM halves the delay.For example, if the delay is 1 hour,someone with SM -2 is affected in only15 minutes.

Resistance RollSome poisons give the victim a HT

roll to resist. Make this roll after thedelay, if any, has passed. There is oftena modifier: a mild poison might callfor a HT+2 roll, while one that isalmost impossible to resist mightrequire a HT-8 roll! HT to HT-4 is typ-ical. DR never affects this roll.

If you’re in a poisonous environ-ment (like a gas cloud or toxic atmos-phere) and make your initial HT roll,you must roll again once per second

until the poison affects you or youleave the area. If the poison has adelay, roll after each delay periodinstead.

Some poisons are specific to cer-tain species and do not affect others.Others are easier or harder for partic-ular species to resist. These effects areup to the GM.

Effects of PoisonThe most common effect of poison

is toxic or fatigue damage. Mild poi-sons might only inflict 1 HP or FP;more severe poisons might inflict 1dor more. DR has no effect on this dam-age. These HP and FP losses heal nor-mally, but if the poison is cyclic (seebelow), no healing is possible untilafter the final cycle!

Damaging poisons sometimesaffect their victims gradually, causingdamage each time a specified intervalof time passes. The description ofsuch a poison specifies the length ofthis interval and the total number ofcycles. The interval may vary fromone second (for a fast-acting agent)

to one day (for a slow poison). Thetotal number of cycles may be two toseveral dozen.

If a resistible poison is cyclic, thevictim gets a new HT roll to resistevery cycle. On a success, he shakesoff the poison; on a failure, an addi-tional cycle of damage occurs. Notethat even a poison that inflicts 1 HP ofinjury per day can be lethal if it’s hardto resist and lasts for two dozen cycles!

A poison always has some symp-toms. The basic damage includes

symptoms such as swelling, headache,and fever. Poisons that inflict toxicdamage may have more severe symp-toms that occur automatically afterthe poison causes enough injury (usu-ally 1/3, 1/2, or 2/3 of the victim’s HP).For example, a poison might result inblindness once the victim loses 1/2 hisHP. Symptoms vanish when the vic-tim’s HP rise above this threshold.

Some poisons cause effects otherthan injury or fatigue, includingattribute penalties, irritating or inca-pacitating conditions (see Afflictions,p. 428), temporary disadvantages, oreven the removal of existing advan-tages (e.g., an alchemical poison thatnegates Magery). The victim usuallygets a resistance roll against theseeffects, and the effects always have aspecific duration. The default dura-tion is a number of minutes equal tothe margin of failure on the resistanceroll. In a poisonous environment, afailed resistance roll means the effectslast for as long as you’re in the envi-ronment plus the duration.

Cost Per DoseIt is up to the GM whether a par-

ticular poison is for sale – it might beimpossible to extract in a usefulform, or the authorities might wantto keep it off the market. If a poisonis available, its cost often reflects howdifficult it is to obtain, not its effec-tiveness. In most game worlds, peo-ple who sell poisons are criminals. Allof these factors make cost per dosehighly variable. See Poison Examples(p. 439) for suggestions . . . but theGM is free to use whatever prices hefeels are reasonable.

DosageThe statistics given in a poison’s

description always assume one “dose”:enough poison to produce thedescribed effects in one victim. Someadditional notes:

Contact Agents: One dose of a con-tact agent coats or affects a single hitlocation.

Gases and Sprays: One dose of arespiratory agent, or a blood or con-tact agent in gas or spray form, affectsone hit location on one victim. For arespiratory agent, this must be theface. Ten doses are enough to affecteveryone in a room (say, a 2-yardradius).


Special DeliveryTwo qualifiers can apply to several of the standard means of delivery:

Cumulative: A poison may be mild in low concentrations but becomeharmful with continued exposure. The GM must decide how muchexposure constitutes a “dose.” This might be time-based (e.g., a toxicatmosphere that requires an hour of exposure) or based on the victim’sbulk or body mass (ST/10 ounces of liquid, HP/5 pills, etc.). See Drinkingand Intoxication (p. 439) for a detailed example.

Persistent Gas: A respiratory agent or area-effect blood or contactagent typically persists for 10 seconds or more, depending on wind.Some contact agents leave a poisonous residue on exposed surfaces untilthey’re washed away.

Poisoned Weapons: One dose of afollow-up poison envenoms the tip ofa piercing or impaling weapon, or fillsa hypo. Poisoning the edge of aweapon, so that a cutting attack candeliver it, requires three doses peryard of reach. Most poisons on bladesonly last for one successful strike orthree blocked or parried ones. Missesand dodged attacks do not rub off thepoison.

Varying the Dosage: It is possible tovary the dosage of a digestive agent ora follow-up poison delivered by hypo-dermic. Each doubling of dosage (andcost!) halves the delay and interval,doubles damage, gives -2 to HT rolls toresist, and gives +2 to all rolls to detectthe poison (including the victim’sSense rolls, and any Diagnosis orForensics roll made to investigate thevictim’s symptoms or death). Usingless than one full dose may reversethese modifiers or simply make thepoison ineffective, at the GM’s option.

TreatmentIf the poison has a delay, there may

be time to treat the victim before hesuffers any ill effects. Since he will notyet be showing symptoms, he must beaware of his predicament in order toseek help!

A poisonous animal bite is usuallyobvious – but the GM may require aNaturalist roll to realize that an ani-mal is venomous. Sucking the poisonfrom the wound takes a minute,requires a First Aid or Physician roll at-2, and gives +2 on HT rolls to resist.

If the victim suspects a digestiveagent, he or a friend can induce vom-iting to expel the poison. This takes 10seconds, calls for a First Aid orPhysician roll, and gives +2 to resistthe poison. But for some poisons,vomiting is a bad idea – it can increaseinjury!

It might also be possible to take anantidote. Antidotes exist for only a fewpoisons. Where they do exist, they areusually specific to the poison. The cor-rect antidote gives the victim a bonusto HT rolls to resist the poison, or evencompletely halts the poison.

Medical procedures – chelation,gastric lavage, intravenous fluids, oxy-genation, etc. – can also give a HTbonus, but only if the treatment suitsthe poison. Such measures require aPhysician roll. The HT bonus neverexceeds TL/2 (round up, minimum+1).

To learn whether it is safe to inducevomiting, or which antidotes or proce-dures to use, you must identify the

poison. This is tricky before symp-toms appear! The GM may requirerolls against Poisons (to identify aresidue on a dart, in a glass, etc.),Naturalist (to identify a venomousanimal), or even Intimidation (to forcethe poisoner to reveal what he used).

Once the victim takes damage,symptoms appear. At this point, aDiagnosis or Poisons roll can identifythe poison. If the poison is cyclic, thecorrect antidote or medical proce-dures can help prevent further dam-age, providing their bonus to futureHT rolls.

DRINKING ANDINTOXICATION

If you drink too much alcohol in ashort period of time, you may becomeintoxicated. Keep track of how many“drinks” you consume each hour. Forsimplicity, one drink is a full mug orcan of beer (12 oz.), a full glass of wine(4-5 oz.), or a shot of spirits (1.5 oz.).

At the end of any hour duringwhich you consume more than ST/4drinks, roll against the higher of HT orCarousing. If you continue to drink,continue to roll once per hour.


Poison ExamplesArsenic (TL1): A digestive agent with a one-hour

delay and a HT-2 roll to resist. Inflicts 1d toxic damage,repeating at hourly intervals for eight cycles. $1/dose.LC1.

Cobra Venom (TL0): A follow-up poison with a one-minute delay and a HT-3 roll to resist. Inflicts 2d toxicdamage, repeating at hourly intervals for six cycles. Avictim who loses 1/3, 1/2, or 2/3 HP has -2, -4, or -6 DX,respectively. $10/dose. LC1.

Cyanide (TL4): This fast-acting poison is deadly inany form. As a follow-up poison or respiratory agent, ithas no delay. As a contact or digestive agent, it has a 15-minute delay. In all cases, there is no HT roll to resist!Inflicts 4d toxic damage. $2/dose. LC1.

Mustard Gas (TL6): An area-effect respiratory andcontact agent. As a contact agent, it has no delay and aHT-4 roll to resist, and inflicts 1 point of toxic damage,repeating at 8-hour intervals for 24 cycles. As a respira-tory agent, it has a two-hour delay and a HT-1 roll toresist, and inflicts 1d toxic damage, repeating at one-hour intervals for six cycles. $10/dose. LC0.

Nerve Gas (TL6): An area-effect contact agent withno delay and a HT-6 roll to resist. Inflicts 2d toxic dam-age, repeating at one-minute intervals for six cycles. Anerve gas usually causes agony, paralysis, retching, orseizure as well; see Afflictions (p. 428) $20/dose. LC0.

Smoke: Ordinary smoke is an area-effect respiratoryagent with a 10-second delay and a HT roll to resist.Causes coughing (see Afflictions, p. 428) for the timespent in the smoke plus one minute times the marginof failure. Dense smoke can cause actual damage. LC4.

Tear Gas (TL6): An area-effect respiratory andvision-based agent. As a respiratory agent, it has nodelay and a HT-2 roll to resist, and causes coughing (seeAfflictions, p. 428). As a vision-based agent, it has nodelay and a HT-2 roll to resist, and causes blindness.Both effects endure for the time spent in the gas plusone minute times the margin of failure. Tear gas isopaque: Vision rolls are at -1 to -3 per affected yard.$10/dose. LC2.

Individuals unprepared for mustard, nerve, or teargas may have to make Fright Checks!

Modifiers: -1 per drink over ST/4that hour; -2 on an empty stomach, or+1 if you have recently eaten; +2 forthe Alcohol Tolerance perk (p. 100), or-2 for the Alcohol Intolerance quirk(p. 165).

Each failure shifts you one levelfrom sober to tipsy to drunk to uncon-scious (drunken stupor) to coma; seeAfflictions (p. 428) for details. A criti-cal failure drops you two levels: soberto drunk, tipsy to unconscious, ordrunk to coma. If penalties reduceyour roll to 2 or less, critical failuremeans you drop three levels!Remember that any roll 10 or moreabove effective skill is a critical failure;e.g., a roll of 11+ against a modifiedHT of 1.

Pink Elephants: If you are drunk,make one additional HT+4 roll. On afailure, you are also hallucinating (seeIncapacitating Conditions, p. 428).

The Heaves: If you are drunk andkeep drinking, your body will try topurge itself of the alcohol (which is atoxin, after all!). When a failed HT rollindicates that you would fall uncon-scious or into a coma, make a second,unmodified HT roll. On a success, youvomit up the alcohol instead of pass-ing out; treat this as retching (p. 429).On a critical failure, however, you passout and then retch; treat this as chok-ing (p. 428).

Sobering Up: To sober up, you mustfirst stop drinking. After half as manyhours as the total number of drinksyou consumed, roll vs. HT. Variousremedies may give a bonus. On a suc-cess, you move one step toward sober.Continue to roll each time this manyhours pass until you are sober.Exception: To recover from a coma,you need medical help!

Hangovers: If you are tipsy orworse, you must roll vs. HT when youstop drinking, at -2 if you’re drunk or-4 if you’re unconscious. On a failure,you will suffer a hangover. This kicksin 1d hours after the end of the drink-ing session – or on awakening, if youpass out or fall asleep before this time– and lasts hours equal to your marginof failure. During this time, you willsuffer from moderate pain (seeIrritating Conditions, p. 428) andacquire Low Pain Threshold (or loseHigh Pain Threshold, if you have it).The GM may decide that preventative

treatment (including drinking plentyof water and possibly taking a mildanalgesic) gives you a bonus to thisroll.

ADDICTIVEDRUGS

The habitual use of a mind-alteringsubstance can lead to dependency.Abusers have the Addiction disadvan-tage (p. 122), and may suffer with-drawal (see box) if forced to go with-out the drug.

Below are rules for three commonclasses of addictive drugs. Note thatthese are also poisons. If someonetakes a large dose, follow all the usualrules for poison on pp. 437-439, exceptwhere specified otherwise.

StimulantsStimulants elevate the user’s mood

and energy level . . . temporarily.Potent ones – e.g., amphetamine –

restore 1d FP, and give Doesn’t Sleepand Overconfidence (12). Theseeffects endure for (12 - HT) hours,minimum one hour. After that time,the user loses twice the FP he recov-ered (e.g., if his FP jumped from 8 to10, he drops to 6 FP), and gains thedisadvantages Bad Temper (12) andChronic Depression (9) for an equallength of time.

If the user takes multiple doses in24 hours, he must roll vs. HT after thesecond and later doses, at a cumula-tive -1 per dose after the first. On acritical failure, he suffers a heartattack (see Mortal Conditions, p. 429).

Stimulants are cheap and onlyslightly addictive. If they are legal,stimulant addiction is a MinorAddiction (-1 point); if they are illegal,it is a -5-point Addiction.

HallucinogensHallucinogens – e.g., LSD and

mescaline – cause disorientation,


Drug WithdrawalUse these rules when you try to give up an Addiction, either volun-

tarily or because you are broke, imprisoned, or in a place where yourdrug just isn’t available.

Withdrawal is a painful process that requires a series of daily with-drawal rolls. It normally takes 14 successful rolls to shake the habit(thus, it always takes at least two weeks), but the GM is free to vary this.Should you manage to withdraw, you must “buy off” your Addictiondisadvantage immediately.

The effects of withdrawal rolls depend on whether the drug is phys-iologically or psychologically addictive.

Physiological Dependency: Your body has come to rely on the drug!Make daily withdrawal rolls against HT (maximum 13). Each successputs you a day closer to shaking off your Addiction. The results of fail-ure depend on whether the drug is available. If it is, you give in and takea dose; if you still want to try to withdraw, you must restart the processfrom day one. If the drug is not available, you take 1 HP of injury andmay continue the process . . . but that day doesn’t count toward the 14successful rolls needed to withdraw. You cannot naturally recover HPlost to withdrawal until you either succeed or abandon the attempt.

Psychological Dependency: You’ve convinced yourself that you can-not function without the drug. Make withdrawal rolls against Will(maximum 13). Use the physiological dependency rules, except that ifyou fail a roll and the drug is unavailable, you don’t take injury. Instead,you gain -1 point of drug-related quirks, chosen by the GM. These van-ish if you give in and take a dose of the drug (but then you must restartthe process). If you don’t give in, these quirks grow into progressivelymore severe mental disadvantages. If you make 14 successful Will rolls,you withdraw – but you must make one final Will roll. On a failure, youkeep any quirks or disadvantages incurred along the way!

hallucinations, and fits of paranoia.They may induce psychologicaldependency, but not physiologicaladdiction.

Most of these drugs are taken oral-ly and require about 20 minutes towork. Make a HT-2 roll to resist. On afailure, the user starts hallucinating(see Incapacitating Conditions, p. 428).This lasts for hours equal to the mar-gin of failure. After that time, the usermay roll vs. HT-2 once per hour toshake off the drug’s influence.

Addiction is typically worth -10points if the drugs are legal, -15 pointsotherwise.

DepressantsDepressants induce drowsiness,

lassitude, and (in large doses) insensi-bility. All offer a HT roll to resist. Aswith any poison, a large dose gives apenalty – see Dosage (p. 438). Massivedoses may lead to overdose (see box).Commonly abused depressantsinclude:

Sedatives: These include sleep aids,anti-anxiety drugs, and many psychi-atric drugs. A typical sedative is takenorally and requires 20 minutes to takeeffect. Make a HT-2 roll to resist. On afailure, the user becomes drowsy (seeIrritating Conditions, p. 428) for hoursequal to the margin of failure.Habitual users need larger and largerdoses to produce the same effect,

increasing the risk of overdose.Sedatives are cheap and highly addic-tive. If the user acquires them legally,he has a -5-point Addiction; otherwise,he has a -10-point Addiction.

Painkillers: Potent painkillers, suchas morphine, are used to treat chronicor surgical pain. Abuse is often theunintended result of legitimate use.Taken orally, there is a delay of 20minutes; injected, there is no delay.Roll vs. HT-4 to resist. On a failure, theuser acquires the High Pain Threshold(p. 59) and Unfazeable (p. 95) advan-tages, and the Laziness disadvantage(p. 142), and experiences euphoria

(see Irritating Conditions, p. 428). Alleffects last for hours equal to the mar-gin of failure. Painkillers powerfulenough to produce these effects areexpensive and totally addictive.Addiction is worth -15 points if thedrugs are legal, -20 points otherwise.

Heroin: This opium derivative hasfew legitimate uses. It is typicallyinjected, in which case there is nodelay. Roll vs. HT-4 to resist. Failureincapacitates the user for hours equalto the margin of failure – treat this asecstasy (see Incapacitating Conditions,p. 428). In addition to the usual risk ofoverdose, there is always the chancethe heroin was “cut” with toxic filler;effects are up to the GM. Heroin isvery expensive, incapacitating, totallyaddictive, and illegal; Addiction toheroin is a -40-point disadvantage.


OverdoseAnyone who takes two or more doses of depressants risks an “over-

dose.” This definitely includes taking a single dose of two or moredepressants! Any alcohol at all counts as an extra dose. Drug interac-tions can kill . . .

Overdose occurs on a critical failure on any resistance roll for mul-tiple doses. As with any poison, each doubling of dosage gives -2 toresistance rolls – and as for all success rolls, a roll of 10 or more aboveeffective skill is a critical failure. For instance, heroin offers a HT-4 rollto resist. If a HT 10 man takes a double dose, his effective HT is 10 - 4- 2 = 4. He overdoses on a 14 or higher.

Overdose causes unconsciousness for hours equal to the margin offailure. As well, the drug acts as a poison with a resistance roll equal toits usual resistance roll (the most difficult roll, for two or more drugs);e.g., HT-4, for heroin. It inflicts 1 point of toxic damage, repeating at 15-minute intervals for 24 cycles. If the victim reaches -1¥HP, he slips intoa coma (see Mortal Conditions, p. 429).

Maladies and strange diseases mayaffect adventurers in far-off lands . . .or even at home. The search for a cure– whether for the Princess’ wastingdisease, an alien plague, or a terrorist’sbioweapon – is a wonderful plotdevice. The invention of diseases is anexcellent opportunity for the GM toexercise a morbid sort of creativity.

Magical or technological items, theResistant advantage (p. 80), and highHT can all protect you from disease.Risks are greatest in warm, moistareas. If you catch something, youwon’t know until the symptoms startto show . . . the GM makes your roll toavoid it!

DISEASEMost diseases are caused by

microorganisms and spread by infect-ed people or animals – but some haveother causes!

News about disease-ridden areastravels fast; a successful CurrentAffairs roll can alert adventurers to thepresence of disease in a region.Spotting locals suffering from symp-toms requires a Perception-basedDiagnosis or Physician roll. And in anarea where animals are carrying a dis-ease that people can catch, investiga-tors would need to examine an infect-ed specimen and make a successfulVeterinary roll to realize the danger.

Defining a DiseaseDiseases are defined in much the

same way as poisons (see Poison,p. 437). For each disease the PCsencounter, the GM should specify:

Vector: How the disease spreads.Diseases are generally blood, contact,digestive, or respiratory agents. Theseterms mean just what they do for poi-sons; see Delivery (p. 437).

Resistance Roll: The HT roll toavoid the disease. Anyone exposedmust roll, possibly at a penalty. Mostdiseases allow a roll at HT to HT-6.The means of exposure can modifythis roll; see Contagion (p. 443). On asuccess, the victim does not contract


ILLNESS

the disease. On a failure, he does, buthe gets further rolls – once per “cycle”– to throw off the disease.

Delay: This is the incubation period– the time between initial exposure tothe disease and the appearance of thefirst symptoms in those who fail toresist. This is 24 hours for a “generic”disease, but can vary considerably forreal-life diseases.

Damage: The disease’s effects ingame terms. This is typically 1 point oftoxic damage, but it might be higher –up to 1d – for virulent diseases. DRdoes not protect against disease!Symptoms (fever, sneezing, coughing,spots, rash, etc.) appear after the sub-ject starts to suffer injury. Injury fromdisease will not heal naturally until thevictim makes his HT roll to recover!

Cycles: Like a cyclic poison, a dis-ease damages its victim at regularintervals until he makes a HT roll or amaximum number of cycles passes.The “default” interval between HTrolls is one day. The number of cyclesvaries with the deadliness of the dis-ease; for instance, a potentially fataldisease might only inflict 1 HP percycle but endure for 20-30 cycles.

Symptoms: A disease can causeattribute penalties, temporary disad-vantages, etc. after the victim loses a

specified fraction (typically 1/3, 1/2,2/3, or all) of his HP to it.

Contagion: Some diseases are mild-ly or highly contagious – althoughsometimes not until after the incuba-tion period.

The combination of resistance roll,damage, and cycles determines “dead-liness.” By carefully selecting thesestatistics, the GM can distinguishbetween a virulent but mild flu thatends in a day or two (24-hour delay,HT-2, 1 point of toxic damage, 12-hourinterval, six cycles) and a slower butusually fatal disease (72-hour delay,HT-5, 1 point of toxic damage, dailyinterval, 30 cycles).

DiagnosisOnce the symptoms of a

disease become apparent, identifica-tion requires a successful roll against Diagnosis or Expert Skill(Epidemiology) – or Veterinary, for an

animal illness. This cannot identify atotally new illness, but a good rollmight give enough information toallow treatment.

TreatmentAppropriate remedies – herbs,

drugs, etc. – can provide a bonus tothe cyclic HT rolls to shake off certaindiseases. At TL6+, antibiotics (e.g.,penicillin) give +3 to recover frommost bacterial diseases. At any TL, aphysician’s care provides the samebonuses to recover from disease that itgives to recover from injuries (seeMedical Care, p. 424).

However, some diseases are drug-resistant, in which case ordinarymedicine gives no bonus. At TL7+,drug treatments can often mitigatethe effects of such illnesses – usuallyby reducing damage or lengtheninginterval – but these aren’t cures.Radiation treatment, gene therapy,nanotech, magic, and psi might stillwork, however.

Immunity andSusceptibility

Differential Susceptibility: Membersof a given ethnicity, sex, or race maybe more or less susceptible to a partic-ular disease. For instance, the GMmight decide that dwarves areimmune to the Purple Shakes, andthat elves get +2 on their HT rollsagainst it . . . but that the mortalityrate among male giants is 100% unlessthey are treated within two days. Asuccessful Diagnosis or Physician rollreveals differential susceptibility, ifapplicable.

Natural Immunity: Some individu-als are simply immune to a specificdisease. If the GM rolls a 3 or 4 foryour first attempt to resist a disease,you are immune! He should note thisfact and not tell you – under normalcircumstances, you have no real wayof knowing about your immunity.


Most diseases are caused by microorganismsand spread by infected people or animals – butsome have other causes!

ContagionIf you enter a disease-ridden area or encounter a disease carrier,

make a HT roll at the end of the day to resist the disease. On a failure,you catch the disease! Modifiers to this roll include the disease’s basicvirulence modifier and the least advantageous applicable modifier fromthis list:

Avoided all contact with possible victims: +4.Entered dwelling or shop of victim: +3.Spoke with victim at close quarters: +2.Touched victim briefly: +1.Used victim’s clothes, blankets, etc.: +0.Ate victim’s cooked flesh (animal, we hope!): +0.Ate victim’s raw flesh (ditto!!): -1.Prolonged contact with living victim: -2.Kissing or other intimate contact with victim: -3.

Proper precautions – masks, antiseptics, etc. – provide a bonus tothose who know and understand them. The GM should consider limit-ing such measures to PCs from cultures that understand the germ theory of disease (late TL5).

Acquired Immunity: Anyone whosurvives a given disease may beimmune in the future. This dependson the illness. You only catch measlesonce, for instance – but mumps cancome back over and over.

Vaccination: Vaccination won’tcure disease, but it provides almostcertain immunity. At TL5, vaccinesexist for a few diseases – notablysmallpox – but aren’t widespread. AtTL6+, new vaccines appear constantly,and most can be stored for long peri-ods of time, like other medicines.Developing a new vaccine is difficultand time-consuming; use the rulesunder New Inventions (p. 473), rollingagainst Bioengineering skill. AtTL10+, exotic treatments (e.g.,nanomachine colonies) can give indi-viduals or entire societies theResistant to Disease advantage.

INFECTIONA microorganism that attacks open

wounds may cause an “infection.”

Infections are possible anywhere, butsome places (especially jungles) mayharbor especially severe forms ofinfection.

Open wounds treated with antibi-otics (TL6+) never become infectedexcept on a critically failed First Aid orPhysician roll. People wounded underless-than-clean circumstances (GM’sdecision) and who do not receivetreatment must make a HT+3 roll,modified as follows:

Ordinary “clean” dirt in wound: +0.Dung or other infected matter in

wound: -2.Locale harbors a special infection:

-3.

These modifiers are cumulative,and replace those listed underContagion (p. 443).

On a failure, the wound is infected.Treat this as any other disease. A typi-cal infection requires a daily HT roll,modified as above, with failure indi-cating the loss of 1 HP. Most infections

progress until the victim either makesa HT roll, ending the infection, ortakes so much injury that he dies.

Treatment with antibiotics (TL6+)gives +3 to HT rolls. This usually haltsthe infection before serious injury canoccur.

If drugs are unavailable, or if thepatient doesn’t respond, a surgeon cancut out the infected tissue if the injuryfrom infection hasn’t progressedbeyond a certain point. On the head ortorso, this limit is the patient’s HP/2.On a limb or extremity, it is theamount of injury required to cripplethe body part. Surgery cannot helpinfections more severe than this.

The surgeon must make a Surgeryroll. This inflicts 2d of injury to thehead or torso, or amputates a limb orextremity. On a success, it cures theinfection. On a failure, damage oramputation occurs but the patientremains infected.


AGE AND AGINGAs discussed under Age (p. 20), you

can start your adventuring career atany age that falls within your race’susual lifespan. However, unless youare Unaging (p. 95), you will experi-ence gradual decline once you agepast a certain point.

Beginning at age 50, make a seriesof “aging rolls” each year to see if oldage is taking its toll. (If you did notnote an exact birthday, roll on the firstday of every game year.) At age 70, rollevery six months. At age 90, roll everythree months!

If you have Extended Lifespan(p. 53), each level doubles the age atwhich you must make aging rolls (50years), the ages at which aging rollsbecome more frequent (70 and 90years), and the time intervalsbetween aging rolls (1 year, 6 months,and 3 months). If you have ShortLifespan (p. 154), each level halvesthese numbers.

Aging rolls are a series of four HTrolls – one for each of your four basicattributes, in the following order: ST,DX, IQ, HT. You may not use any formof Luck (p. 66) on these rolls.

Modifiers: Your world’s medicaltech level minus 3; e.g., -3 at TL0, or+4 at TL7. +2 if you are Very Fit, +1 ifFit, -1 if Unfit, or -2 if Very Unfit.

On a failure, reduce the attribute inquestion by one level. A critical failure,or any roll of 17 or 18, causes the lossof two levels. Exception: If you haveLongevity (p. 66), treat any roll of 16or less as a success, and treat a 17 or18 as an ordinary failure – and if yourmodified HT is 17+, only an 18 fails!

When you lose an attribute level toage, reduce your point value accord-ingly. Reduce all secondary character-istics and skills based on that attributeto reflect its new level. For instance, ifaging reduces your IQ by one, yourPerception, Will, and skills based onany of those three quantities also drop

by one. If any attribute reaches 0 fromaging, you die a “natural” death.

At the GM’s option, you may loseadvantages or gain disadvantages ofequivalent point value instead of los-ing an attribute point. For example,your Appearance could decline, or youcould gain Hard of Hearing.

Artificial YouthIn some settings, magic or technol-

ogy can halt or reverse aging. Shouldyou become younger through anymeans, you regain all attribute levelslost between your new age and yourold one. This simply increases yourpoint value; you do not have to “buyback” the recovered attribute levels.Even without magic or high technolo-gy, you can spend earned characterpoints to raise your attributes to com-bat aging.

I’m 37. I’m not old.– Dennis,

Monty Python and the Holy Grail

CREATING TEMPLATES 445

The GM is responsible for establishing which professional, social, and racialorigins are (and aren’t) appropriate for PCs. No GM can hope to anticipate everypossible character concept, but a good GM shares his expectations with his play-ers and helps those who are struggling for ideas. One effective way to do this is to

provide the players with a set of “templates”: collections of traits that typify thekinds of characters that are likely to figure prominently in the campaign.

This section gives rules for template design, and is intended for GMs.It assumes you have read the rules for template use in Chapter 7.

CHARACTERTEMPLATES

A “character template” is a carefully structured list of the attrib-ute levels, secondary characteristics, advantages, disadvantages,and skills the GM feels a PC should possess to fill a particular pro-fessional, social, or dramatic role in the campaign. The GM calcu-

lates all point costs in advance and gives the results with the tem-plate, reducing the amount of math involved in character creation.

The main purpose of a character template is to prevent newplayers from overlooking vital abilities when choosing from amongall the options in Chapters 1-6. The secondary goal is to acceleratecharacter design. Thus, a template should list only necessary traits– not everything that might fit. The player should always have room

to customize his PC!

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CREATINGTEMPLATES

How GURPS Works: Character Templates Aren’t Rules!

Character templates are not rules. They are just a char-acter-design aid with no effect on point costs, success rolls,NPC reactions, character development, or any other aspectof game play. The traits on templates are suggestions as towhat abilities a hero will need to fill his role in the gameworld. Make sure your players know this! They should feelfree to customize or alter templates, or to create characterswithout using templates at all.

TYPES OFCHARACTERTEMPLATES

Most character templates fall intoone of the general categories below – afew will fall into more than one. Thereis no harm in mixing PCs built usingdifferent classes of templates within asingle campaign.

Occupational TemplatesSomeone who does a certain job

(e.g., a physician or a mechanic)should have the necessary job skills –see Jobs (p. 516). Not all occupationsare jobs, however; you could createoccupational templates for hereditarynobles, idle rich, slaves, students, etc.These latter templates might includeDuties, codes of conduct (see Self-Imposed Mental Disadvantages,p. 121), and “entrance requirements.”All occupational templates shouldsuggest Wealth and Status appropri-ate to the occupation, and shouldspecify attribute levels and advantagesthat would lead to success at – or suc-cessful adaptation to – that career.

Cultural TemplatesCultural background is a powerful

defining concept in many settings. Forinstance, Alexander the Great was firstand foremost a Macedonian, and thisidentified him throughout his adven-tures. A cultural template might spec-ify the genetic traits of a closed breed-ing group, skills taught to all membersof a culture, or the beliefs and preju-dices of a given tribe, nation, or reli-gion. It will often include CulturalFamiliarity and Languages.

Dramatic TemplatesA dramatic template defines a

character’s role in the plot – often interms of an archetype such as “wiseman” or “trickster.” Some roles aregenre-specific (“screaming victim” israre except in horror, for instance);others are universal (e.g., “femmefatale”). The dramatic templateensures that the PC has the traits heneeds to advance the plot, regardless ofhis exact occupation or culture. Thistype of template attempts to definepersonality as much as ability; there-fore, it often includes more mentaldisadvantages than other kinds oftemplates.

CONCEPTA character template is a partially

built character. To design it, you needa “concept” – a clear idea of what itrepresents and where it fits in – just asfor a fully realized character (seeCharacter Concept, p. 11). Decide onthe type of template you are designingand what role it will fill, and then visu-alize which traits would best meet thedemands of that role in your cam-paign. Use your knowledge of thegame world to help you here!

Example: We shall construct a“heroic knight” template for a fantasycampaign. This template is both dra-matic (the “heroic” part) and occupa-tional (the “knight” part). We couldcreate separate templates for eachaspect – or even treat one as a “lens”on the other (see Lenses, p. 449) – butwe have chosen to keep things simple.We decide that a heroic knight shouldbe strong, honorable, a wise leader,and a skilled warrior.

FLEXIBILITYThe concept behind a template

should be sufficiently flexible that theplayer can easily individualize hischaracter. Leave enough creative“space” that the player is not stuckplaying a stereotype. There are twouseful measures of flexibility: thenumber of abilities on the charactertemplate (its degree of detail) and theextent to which those abilities use upthe player’s “budget” for character cre-ation (its point cost).

Degree of DetailA “dense” character template

includes many traits. It defines a par-ticular role precisely . . . so preciselythat it can rob a PC of individuality. A“sparse” template makes a few sugges-tions, perhaps only a skill or two. Itmakes the resulting PC easier to cus-tomize, but leaves inexperienced play-ers wondering, “What’s my role?” Thesecret is to strike a balance betweenthe two: don’t try to give the templateevery trait that might fit – just focus onthe traits that define the role!

Template CostThe more expensive the template,

the more points you’re spending forthe player. Keep the campaign power

446 CREATING TEMPLATES

Character Templates and Player Perceptions

The character templates you offer your players will affect their viewof the game world and the type of campaign you intend to run. Supposeyou are planning a fantasy campaign. If you present only thief and war-rior templates, your players will justifiably conclude that you intend torun a freebooting campaign set in a world where rough-and-tumble“professional adventurers” are common. But if you also include tem-plates for farmers, herbalists, and minstrels, your players may inferthat you intend a more staid campaign, set in a quasi-medieval world.Make sure your template list sends the right message!

Always make clear when templates are for PCs and NPCs alike –and when they aren’t. Players usually assume that the abilities listedon templates reflect status quo in the game world. For instance, theywill expect enemy thieves and warriors to have certain abilities . . .and spend their points and cash to prepare accordingly. If thisassumption proves costly or fatal, you might end up with confused orangry players!

Finally, design your templates as a complementary set. If some tem-plates outshine others, or are clearly of lower quality, the players mightfeel that you favor those who play certain character types – even if thatis not actually the case.

level in mind and come in under thepoint budget for PCs, leaving enoughunspent points (and enough unusedpoints in disadvantages, if you areenforcing such a limit) that the playercan customize his character. If a tem-plate absolutely must tie up a lot ofpoints, make it “interactive” (seep. 449).

Example: We’ll design our heroicknight for a 150-point game with a-75-point disadvantage limit. Thismeans we’ll try to spend fewer than150 points total, and take less than thefull -75 points of disadvantages.

SELECTINGTRAITS

The next few sections offer concrete advice on selecting the actu-al traits that appear on charactertemplates.

AttributesThe 9-13 range is suitable for most

characters. “Adventuring” templatesshould have one or two above-averagescores, but those for most normal jobsshould leave everything at 10.Remember that an 11 or 12 is note-worthy, and that a 13 or 14 is excep-tional – see How to Select BasicAttributes (p. 14). Dramatic templatesare a special case, as it often serves thepurposes of drama for an archetype tohave extreme attributes. Still, try toavoid excessive stereotyping.

Example: We see our knight as acapable warrior, so we give him supe-rior physical attributes: ST 12 [20],DX 12 [40], and HT 12 [20]. To reflecthis wisdom and resolve, we give himIQ 11 [20] – he is supposed to be awise leader, not a genius. This comesto 100 points.

SecondaryCharacteristics

It is usually best to leave Hit Points,Will, Perception, Fatigue Points, BasicSpeed, and Basic Move at their basevalues. Tweaking these numbers islikely to confuse new players. Unlessthe concept absolutely requires excep-tional talent in one of these areas (e.g.,high Perception for a detective), justchoose attributes that give fair sec-ondary characteristics and leave fine-tuning to the adventurous player.

AdvantagesFor occupational templates, list the

job’s requirements (e.g., Languages fora translator) or benefits (e.g., ClericalInvestment for a priest). Other possi-bilities include “tricks of the trade”(e.g., Combat Reflexes for a soldier)and talents that would lead a person toselect this particular career (e.g.,Night Vision for a thief).

For cultural templates, also consid-er genetic and cultural traits (e.g., “AllNortherners have TemperatureTolerance”), as well as CulturalFamiliarity (p. 23), Languages (p. 23),and Social Regard (p. 86).

For dramatic templates, includetraits that are invariably found in liter-ary and cinematic examples of thearchetype (e.g., Charisma orHandsome appearance for a swash-buckler).

Justify each advantage using anargument similar to one of thoseabove – which means that most advan-tages on a character template shouldbe learned or social in nature. Also, tryto avoid unusual advantages. If everysingle character of a given type has arare advantage, it will dilute the valueof the advantage and possibly strainthe suspension of disbelief.

Example: A knight requires Status 2[10]. His Wealth should be at leastComfortable [10], to cover his cost ofliving and buy his expensive equip-ment. This costs 20 points.

DisadvantagesFor the most part, follow the advice

given for advantages. In the case ofoccupational templates, avoid disad-vantages that are liable to inhibit jobperformance (e.g., Honesty for athief). Focus instead on those that arelikely to help with the chosen career(e.g., Fat for a sumo wrestler) andthose that are expected (e.g.,Disciplines of Faith or Vows for apriest). Some professions tend to leadto disadvantages, a few of whichmight be so common that they merit aplace in the template (e.g., SocialStigma for a thief).

Dramatic templates are oftendefined almost entirely by their men-tal disadvantages, and frequently have“good” disadvantages or tragic flaws –see Disadvantages for Heroes (p. 119).

Example: Our knight owes fealty tohis liege lord, so we give him Duty(Liege lord, 9 or less) [-5]. Since he’s aheroic knight out of fantasy, we alsogive him Code of Honor (Chivalry)[-15], Honesty (6) [-20], and Vow(Never refuse a request for aid) [-15].This comes to -55 points.

SkillsPick the skills needed for the char-

acter to be competent at the role thetemplate describes. Avoid excessivenumbers of skills, but include all nec-essary skills, a few skills that are com-plementary but not vital, and perhapsone or two skills that serve mostly toprovide background color.

When assigning skill levels,assume that skill 12 suffices for “safe”jobs (e.g., accountant or librarian)and that skill 14 is plenty for “risky”jobs (e.g., assassin or surgeon) –including most “adventuring profes-sions.” Save skill 16+ for those whotruly stand out in their field; don’twater down the value of high skill bymaking it commonplace.

Of course, these guidelines assumerelatively realistic characters. Manylarger-than-life heroes have dozens ofskills at high levels. It is up to the GMwhether he wishes to encourage thispattern of skill buying in his campaign.


The character templates you offer your playerswill affect their view of the game world and thetype of campaign you intend to run.

Examples: Our knight is an adven-turer first, so we make his primaryskills Broadsword-14 [8], Lance-14[8], Riding (Horse)-12 [2], andShield-14 [4]. We make his leadershipabilities secondary: Leadership-11 [2]and Tactics-11 [4]. Finally, we addArmoury (Melee Weapons)-10 [1] andHeraldry-10 [1] as background skills,to cover his knowledge of arms andarmor. Total cost is 30 points.

SETTINGTHE PRICE

Total the cost of everything on the character template. This is the“template cost”: the number ofpoints the player must pay to pur-chase the template.

If template cost comes to morethan 90% of the campaign’s startingpoints (see Starting Points, p. 10), play-ers are liable to find it restrictive. Toremedy this, lower attribute levels,remove noncritical advantages andskills, or add a few appropriate disad-vantages. Alternatively, you can try tooptimize the template (see below).

If you still can’t get template costdown to a reasonable level, it is likelythat the starting points you’ve selectedare less than ideal for the heroes yousee working well in the game world. Itmight be a good idea to revise thecampaign power level! See PowerLevel (p. 487) for advice.

Example: Our knight has spent 100points on attributes, 20 on advantages,-55 on disadvantages, and 30 on skills.That’s 95 points, which is well withinthe recommended 90% limit for a 150-point campaign (135 points).

OptimizationExperienced players usually

attempt to minimize the point costand maximize the effectiveness oftheir characters. New players areunlikely to do so; therefore, it is a goodidea to optimize templates so thatcharacters built with them are not lessefficient than scratch-built PCs. Thereare two main methods for doing this:

1. Select attribute levels that mini-mize the cost of the chosen skills. Forinstance, an Average skill at DX+2level costs 8 points; six such skillswould cost 48 points. An Average skillat DX+1 costs 4 points; six skills at thislevel would cost only 24 points. Bylowering six skills from DX+2 toDX+1, you could free up 24 points –and if you then spent 20 points on DX,you could raise DX by one level,regain the original skill levels, andsave 4 points!

2. Add advantages that give skillbonuses at discount rates – notablyTalents (see p. 89).

If you have trouble justifying this,remember: templates are blueprintsfor adventurers – exceptional charac-ters built with more points than theaverage person – so high attributesand rare advantages are going to bemore common than in the generalpopulation.

WRITING IT UPUse the following format for the

final character template (illustratedhere using our heroic knight):

Heroic Knight95 points

You are a brave knight out of fan-tasy or fairy tales – strong, honorable,a wise leader, and a skilled warrior.

Attributes: ST 12 [20]; DX 12 [40]; IQ11 [20]; HT 12 [20].

Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-1/1d+2; BL 29 lbs.; HP 12 [0]; Will


Listing SkillsWhen listing skills, include all relevant information in the following

format:

Skill Name (Difficulty) Relative Level [Point Cost]-Actual Level

For instance, “Broadsword (A) DX+2 [8]-14.” This might look oddnow, but it makes things much more transparent when the time comesto customize the character!

It can also be helpful to break down skill listings as follows:

Primary Skills: Vital skills, at level 12+ – or at 14+, if they are likelyto matter in life-or-death situations.

Secondary Skills: Helpful skills that it’s hard to imagine the charac-ter not having, at level 11+.

Background Skills: Anything else that fits, chosen for descriptive rea-sons rather than utility, usually at a lower level than primary and sec-ondary skills.

DiscountsAvoid the temptation – often carried over from other RPGs – to offer

a discount on template cost. A character built using a template shouldbe indistinguishable from an equivalent character designed from theground up.

Adjusting for Player ExperienceWhen designing character templates, be sure that they take into

account the character-creation habits of your experienced players. Forinstance, if all their warriors have Combat Reflexes and all their wiz-ards have Magery 3, your templates should follow suit – even if the“typical” warrior or wizard in the setting lacks this level of talent. Thisputs the characters of inexperienced players who use your templates onan equal footing with those of more experienced players.

11 [0]; Per 11 [0]; FP 12 [0]; BasicSpeed 6.00 [0]; Basic Move 6 [0].

Advantages: Status 2 [10]; Wealth(Comfortable) [10].

Disadvantages: Code of Honor(Chivalry) [-15]; Duty (Liege lord; 9or less) [-5]; Honesty (6) [-20]; Vow(Never refuse a request for aid)[-15].

Primary Skills: Broadsword (A)DX+2 [8]-14; Lance (A) DX+2[8]-14; Riding (Horse) (A) DX[2]-12; Shield (E) DX+2 [4]-14.

Secondary Skills: Leadership (A) IQ[2]-11; Tactics (H) IQ [4]-11.

Background Skills: Armoury (MeleeWeapons) (A) IQ-1 [1]-10; Heraldry(A) IQ-1 [1]-10.

CUSTOMIZATIONNOTES

Give the player a few thoughts onhow he can make his character differ-ent from other PCs built using thesame character template. Forinstance, you might include a brief listof useful traits to buy with leftoverpoints, advice on how to flesh out theplayer-defined traits in the template(e.g., self-imposed mental disadvan-tages, Patrons, and the details of Uglyappearance), or thoughts on appropri-ate or necessary equipment.

Example: We mention that theplayer should specify his knight’s coatof arms and liege lord. He also needsweapons, armor, and a mount! SinceWealth (Comfortable) cannot cover allthat, we suggest using a few leftoverpoints to purchase additional Wealth –or to buy his liege lord as a Patronwho can provide these things.

For an occupational template, thisis the place to note the job roll, month-ly pay, and wealth level for the job –see Jobs (p. 516). Job prerequisitesshould appear in the template; there isno need to reiterate them here.

ADDITIONALOPTIONS

Character templates need not be“set pieces.” With a little extra effort,you can greatly expand the versatilityof templates by building in tools thatlet the player customize his characterin the course of buying the template.

LensesYou can treat common variations

on templates as “lenses” throughwhich to view the basic design. A lensis a package of advantages, disadvan-tages, and skills that adds to the basetemplate, changing its emphasis. Itmight be specific to just one templateor applicable to several (or all) tem-plates in your campaign. Some lensesare mutually exclusive; others can“stack.”

A lens should not add traits thatoppose or that are redundant withthose on the base template(s). If this isinevitable, explain what to do whenconflict occurs. A lens should also becompatible with all other lenses theplayer can select at the same time (butdon’t worry about mutually exclusivelenses).

The player adds the cost of anylenses selected to the cost of the basetemplate and writes down both sets ofabilities.

Example: It is possible to representthe “heroic knight” in our example asa “warrior” template modified by“heroic” and “knight” lenses:

Warrior101 points

You are a fantasy warrior – a bar-barian, knight, swashbuckler, orsomeone else who lives by the sword.

Attributes: ST 12 [20]; DX 12 [40]; IQ10 [0]; HT 12 [20].

Secondary Characteristics: Dmg 1d-1/1d+2; BL 29 lbs.; HP 12 [0]; Will10 [0]; Per 10 [0]; FP 12 [0]; BasicSpeed 6.00 [0]; Basic Move 6 [0].

Skills: Armoury (Melee Weapons) (A)IQ-1 [1]-9; Shield (E) DX+2 [4]-14;and two weapon skills, each (A)DX+2 [8]-14.

LensesHeroic (-9 points): You are wise, hon-

orable, and a leader of men. Add +1IQ [20], Honesty (6) [-20], Vow(Never refuse a request for aid)[-15], Leadership (A) IQ [2], andTactics (H) IQ [4].

Knight (+3 points): You are an invest-ed knight, with all the attendantprivileges and duties. AddComfortable [10], Status 2 [10],Code of Honor (Chivalry) [-15],Duty (Liege Lord, 9 or less) [-5],Heraldry (A) IQ-1 [1], and Riding(Horse) (A) DX [2].

Interactive TemplatesAlong with fixed character traits,

you may wish to include a number ofchoices with identical point costs.These can be specific (e.g., High PainThreshold or +1 ST; Chemistry-14 orMathematics-14) or general (e.g., anyDX/Average weapon skill at 15; anythree IQ/Hard sciences at 14), as longas the point cost is the same. A goodcompromise is to set aside a pool ofpoints that the player can spend on aspecific list of options however hesees fit.

Once you are comfortable withtemplate design, consider using thisoption for all your templates. It sim-plifies the player’s choices withouteliminating them and is an effectivestepping-stone to unassisted characterdesign. It is especially useful for men-tal disadvantages, because it gives theplayer more latitude in defining hischaracter’s personality.

Example: Not all knights usebroadswords; many prefer the mace.On our heroic knight template, wecould replace “Broadsword (A) DX+2[8]-14” with “Axe/Mace or Broad-sword, both (A) DX+2 [8]-14” and letthe player choose.

We could also offer a choice ofmental disadvantages. Instead ofrequiring Code of Honor, Honesty, andVow, we could say: “A total of -50points chosen from Charitable [-15*],Code of Honor (Chivalry) [-15],Honesty [-10*], Selfless [-5*], Sense ofDuty [-2 to -20], Truthfulness [-5*],and Vow [-5 to -15].” Note how disad-vantages with variable values offer arange of point costs, and how disad-vantages that require self-control rollsare marked (*) to indicate that theymight be at ¥.5, ¥1, ¥1.5, or ¥2 value,depending on the self-control number.


The baseline character in GURPSis human, but nonhumans are com-mon in many game worlds. The col-lection of traits that differentiate anonhuman species from humanity iscalled a “racial template.”

Unlike character templates, racialtemplates are not normally optional orcustomizable – every member of aspecies must purchase its racial tem-plate, exactly as written. Furthermore,racial templates are subject to a num-ber of special rules that have ramifica-tions in play, and may even include“hidden features” that can affect out-comes in the game.

CONCEPTBefore building a racial template,

you should develop a clear idea ofwhat it is you are designing. A racialconcept is not a character concept –you are creating an entire species, andmust consider morphology, survivalstrategies (biological, technological, ormagical), group behavior, and culture.

What Is a Race?A “race” is normally a biological

species – human, tiger, elf, Gray alien,etc. – but you need not limit yourselfto this definition. A race might be agenetically engineered subspecies, aparticular category of fantastic crea-ture (for instance, “faerie” or “vam-pire”), or a specific make or model ofconstruct (golem, robot, sentientcomputer program, etc.). What mat-ters is that every member of the grouppossesses a common set of identifi-able traits.

What Do They Look Like?

A race’s appearance suggests manyof its racial traits. For instance, aspecies with four arms needs to pur-chase Extra Arms, because it has twomore arms than a human, which is anadvantage. Likewise, a species withone eye should have One Eye, as itslack of binocular vision puts it at a dis-advantage next to a human.

Be sure to distinguish betweenpurely cosmetic features and thosethat actually affect play. Outwardappearance is often just a “specialeffect,” and special effects should notcost points – see Features and TabooTraits (p. 452). Only genuine differ-ences in function, relative to a human,call for definition in terms of attrib-utes, advantages, and disadvantages.Assigning point values to racial char-acteristics unnecessarily is a sure-fireway to make a multiracial campaignconfusing, if not unbalanced.

How Do They Think?Decide how members of the race

act, and lend some thought to therace’s dominant cultural background.These things determine the race’smental traits, including racial skills.Here again, be careful to distinguishfeatures that affect play from thosethat do not.

The most challenging problem is todetermine how the race thinks. This iscrucial if you expect people to roleplay


RACIAL TEMPLATES

members of the race! Humanity’s twoprimary motivations seem to be sexand material comfort. Other racesmight not share these drives. Ofcourse, any biological creature mustfeel some instinct to preserve its youngand itself, or the race will vanish.Races that lack this drive would havepsychologies that humanity wouldfind truly alien.

SELECTINGTRAITS

A racial template consists of attrib-ute modifiers, secondary characteris-tic modifiers, advantages, disadvan-tages, quirks, and skills that apply toevery member of the race. A race mayalso have features that do not have apoint cost but that do have in-gameeffects.

Most of the mental and physicaltraits in Chapters 1-3 are suitable asracial traits. More rarely, social traitsare appropriate – for instance, anentire race might enjoy Social Regardor suffer from Social Stigma.

As the GM, you are free to assignexotic (1) and supernatural (5) traitsto racial templates as needed – even ifsuch traits are otherwise forbidden (inwhich case nonhumans are likely tobe the only ones who have such traits).A few traits explicitly note that theyare reserved for racial templates, andcannot occur otherwise.

In all cases, make sure that thetraits you choose are in line with theracial concept and, more importantly,make sense.

Racial AttributeModifiers

If the ST, DX, IQ, or HT of an aver-age member of a race differs from thehuman norm of 10, that race has a“racial attribute modifier.” This costs±10 points per ±1 to racial average STor HT, or ±20 points per ±1 to racialaverage DX or IQ.

A member of a race with suchmodifiers pays for his personal scoresas usual, and then applies his racialmodifiers to find his final scores.

Example: A racial +10 to ST costs100 points, while a racial -1 to IQ costs-20 points. A racial template withthese modifiers notes “ST+10 [100]”and “IQ-1 [-20].”

A member of this race buys a per-sonal ST 9 [-10], IQ 14 [80]. He thenapplies his racial attribute modifiers:ST+10 gives ST 19, and IQ-1 gives IQ13.

Racial SecondaryCharacteristic Modifiers

These work much as do racialattribute modifiers. The main differ-ence is the point cost: ±1 to HP costs±2 points; ±1 to FP costs ±3 points;and ±0.25 to Basic Speed or ±1 to Will,Perception, or Basic Move costs ±5points.

Example: A racial -0.75 to BasicSpeed would cost -15 points. A racialtemplate with this modifier wouldnote “Basic Speed-0.75 [-15].”

A member of a race with suchmodifiers calculates his basic second-ary characteristics from his attributesas usual, after applying all racialattribute modifiers. He may buy thesecharacteristics up or down, as usual.After that, he applies racial secondarycharacteristic modifiers to find hisfinal scores.


PC Races vs. NPC RacesA “player character race” is one that the PCs can belong to at the

time of character creation. A “nonplayer character race” is one reservedfor NPCs under the GM’s control. There is no rule distinction betweena PC race and an NPC race. As the GM, you are free to assign a race toeither category – or even to move a race from one category to the otherduring the course of the campaign.

Try not to be too restrictive, however. GURPS, being a generic sys-tem, has rules for most situations. This makes it feasible to allow PCsto belong to races reserved for NPCs in other games (ghosts, monsters,robots, etc.) if the players and GM are up to the roleplaying challenge.

Player-Created RacesIt is the GM’s job to design the racial templates for his campaign.

The rules given here have fewer arbitrary limitations and balancing fac-tors than do those for creating individual characters, because this isintended to be a GM’s system, and the GM is free to decide what is bal-anced in his campaign.

That said, the adventurous GM might allow an especially good play-er or group to design races for their characters. This can be a majortime-saver for the GM in a campaign that calls for a plethora of non-human species!

A few tips for GMs who wish to allow player-created races:

• Watch out for abuse. The lack of balancing factors in these rulesmakes it possible to create a race that has a significant advantage ineffectiveness over the human race. Do not allow such races – at least,not as PCs.

• Do not allow abilities (or combinations of abilities) that you do notwant in the PCs’ hands, however balanced they may be. In particular,keep an eye on exotic and supernatural traits. If a trait is strictly off-lim-its to all PCs, then the race of the PC should be unimportant.

• Player-generated races work best in game worlds that already havemany different races, because “yet another race” will rarely upset thecampaign. Be sure to have a few ready-made PC races on hand for play-ers who do not wish to create their own, however – and to serve asexamples for those who do.

• Be leery of player-created NPC races. In most game worlds, NPCraces are supposed to be somewhat mysterious. Mystery is hard tomaintain when the creator is a member of the party!

Example: A member of a race withDX+2, HT+1, and Basic Speed-0.75buys a personal DX 12 [40], HT 12[20]. His racial attribute modifiersmake this DX 14, HT 13. These attrib-utes give Basic Speed 6.75. Next, hebuys his Basic Speed up to 7.75, for 20points. At the very end, he applies hisracial Basic Speed-0.75 to get a finalBasic Speed 7.00.

Racial Advantages and Disadvantages

A nonhuman race could conceiv-ably possess almost any advantage ordisadvantage that an individual could. . . within reason. When in doubt, theGM should exercise common sense.

Traits related to build – Skinny,Overweight, Fat, Very Fat, Dwarfism,and Gigantism (see Build, p. 18) – arerelative to the racial norm. They’revalid for individuals, not races. To cre-ate an entire race that is smaller orlarger than humanity, assign anappropriate Size Modifier (see SizeModifier, p. 19). This has no point cost– the advantage of longer reach can-cels out the disadvantage of being alarge target, while the disadvantagesof being short balance the advantageof being hard to hit. Individual mem-bers of such races can have any build;e.g., an ogre with racial SM +1 couldtake Dwarfism and have a personalSM of 0.

Note that racial disadvantages donot count against the campaign disad-vantage limit (see Disadvantage Limit,p. 11). This limit applies only to per-sonal disadvantages. For instance, aplayer in a campaign with a -75-pointdisadvantage limit may take up to -75points in disadvantages, regardless ofwhich race he selects for his PC.

Racial QuirksIt can be useful to assign a few

quirks on a racial basis to define arace’s minor disadvantages or person-ality traits. Use these sparingly, how-ever – players are obligated to roleplaytheir quirks, and too many racialquirks can result in a complicated,unplayable character.

Racial quirks do not count againstthe normal limit of five quirks.

Features and Taboo Traits

Many traits distinguish a race with-out actually increasing or reducing its

capabilities. Such traits cost 0 points,and fall into two categories:

Features: A “feature” is just a noteon how the race differs cosmetically orphysiologically from humanity whenthat difference does not grant anadvantage or a disadvantage. Forinstance, a human subspecies geneti-cally modified to lack an appendix hasa feature; so does a fantasy race thatbears a magical mark from birth.Faster and slower maturation are fea-tures as well. A race’s native environ-mental conditions are also features, ifthey differ from the human norm(humans are adapted to 1G of gravity,have a temperature “comfort zone” of35° to 90°, and breathe 78% nitro-gen/21% oxygen at 1 atm of pressure).A race that can tolerate a broader spec-trum of conditions than humanity hasan advantage, however!

Taboo Traits: A specific advantage,disadvantage, or skill might be off-limits (“taboo”) for the race – that is,no member of the race can possessthat trait. Given the number of possi-ble choices, and the small odds that agiven character would actually take aparticular trait, this is not considereda disadvantage. Often, “taboo traits”result from racial disadvantages; forinstance, No Legs (Sessile) logicallyforbids movement-related traits. Tokeep a race fun to play, do not assignexcessive numbers of taboo traits,and give a plausible cultural, psycho-logical, or physiological reason foreach one.

Racial Skill Bonusesand Penalties

A race with a particular gift for askill or a set of skills has an advantage,while a race that is unusually inepthas a disadvantage.

Racial talent for one skill costs 2points for +1 to skill, 4 points for +2,or 6 points for +3 (the maximum

bonus allowed). Write this as, forinstance, “+1 to Forgery [2]” or “+3 toFast-Talk [6].” This trait does not actu-ally grant the skill – it gives a bonuswhenever a member of the race rollsagainst that skill or its default.

Treat a racial knack for a group ofrelated skills as a Talent (see p. 89).Each +1 to those skills costs 5 pointsfor six or fewer skills, 10 points forseven to 12 skills, or 15 points for 13or more skills. The maximum bonus is+4. If this is not a standard Talent,note which skills get the bonus. (Keepan open mind – some unusual thingsmight be “closely related” for a racethat thinks nothing like humanity!)

Racial ineptitude at one skill is aflat -1 point for -4 to skill. This is justa racial Incompetence quirk (seep. 164), and is subject to all the usualrules for Incompetence. To keep

things balanced, no race can beincompetent at more than five individ-ual skills (-5 points), and the affectedskills must be important in the gameworld to qualify for points.

Evaluate racial incompetence at agroup of related skills like a Talent, butput a minus sign in front of the cost.For instance, -2 with 7-12 skillswould be a -20-point racial disadvan-tage. A race can have only one “groupincompetence.”

The bonuses and penalties aboveapply to all specialties of any affectedskills.

Effects of Experience: When an indi-vidual improves a racially modifiedskill, disregard the racial modifiersand calculate the new level based sole-ly on the points he spent. Apply theracial skill bonus to his final skill level.For example, a member of a race with+1 to Fast-Talk would pay only 1 pointto have Fast-Talk at IQ. If he wanted toimprove Fast-Talk to IQ+1 later on, hewould pay 1 more point.


Any biological creature must feel some instinctto preserve its young and itself, or the racewould vanish. Races that lack this drive wouldhave psychologies that humanity would findtruly alien.

Racially Learned SkillsA “racially learned skill” is an auto-

matic level of proficiency acquired byevery member of the race. It is usuallyinnate or instinctive. For instance, a fly-ing race might possess racial Flightskill, while a race with padded feetmight have Stealth skill on a racialbasis.

Price racially learned skills just as ifan individual character were learningthem; see the Skill Cost Table (p. 170).Write them in the format used on char-acter templates (see Listing Skills,p. 448), calculating the final skill levelbased on the racial average attributescore. For instance, a race with DX+4,HT-1 would have racial average DX 14,HT 9, and would write “Flight (A) HT[2]-9” and “Stealth (A) DX+1 [4]-15.”The actual skill levels that an individualmember of the race enjoys vary accord-ing to his personal attribute scores.

Effects of Experience: Members of arace may improve racially learned skillsjust as they would any other skill. Forinstance, if a race has Flight at HT, itwould cost an individual member ofthat race 2 points to increase his skill toHT+1.

Racial MagicMany races of fantasy and horror

are magical. Below are two possibleways to handle magical powers.

Advantages: Any advantage mightstem from the race’s magical nature as a“special effect” (see Advantage Origins,p. 33). Such advantages require manato work. If regions without mana arecommon in the campaign world, applythe limitation “Mana Sensitive,” worth-10%, to the cost of such abilities.

Racially Innate Spells: Every memberof the race might have the inborn abili-ty to cast one or more spells; seeChapter 5. Ignore the usual prerequi-sites and buy the spells using the rulesfor racially learned skills (above). Addracial Magery, if any, to the race’s skilllevel. Magery is not required for racial-ly innate spells – but without Magery,the race’s magic only works in areas ofhigh or very high mana (see Mana,p. 235). A race that can only cast racial-ly innate spells pays the usual 5 pointsfor Magery 0, but may buy Magery 1+with a -40% Accessibility limitation:“Racially innate spells only.”


SETTINGTHE PRICE

The point cost of a racial template– called the “racial cost” – is the sumof the point values of its constituenttraits. Anyone who wishes to play amember of the race must pay itsracial cost. If racial cost is 0 points ormore, treat the template as an advan-tage; if racial cost is negative, treat itas a disadvantage. (It costs 0 points toplay a human, but there is no need tonote this, as characters are assumedto be human unless they buy a racialtemplate.)

A template with a negative racialcost does not count against the cam-paign disadvantage limit, if any (seeDisadvantage Limit, p. 11). Individualmental, physical, and social problemsare as likely for members of low-pow-ered races as they are for humans andmembers of high-powered races!

Players must normally purchase allelements of a racial template as a unit,and may only “opt out” of a given traitwith the GM’s permission. Opting outof an advantageous trait saves points,while opting out of a disadvantageousone costs points. In both cases, payracial cost normally and note thechanges separately – for instance, “NoInfravision [-10]” or “No Bad Sight[25].” See Omitting Racial Traits(p. 262) for additional details.

SUB-RACESA “sub-race” is a sizeable portion of

a race that differs significantly fromthe racial norm. Examples includeextreme sexual dimorphism, true bio-logical subspecies, half-breeds, andradical mutations (or even upgrades,in the case of robots).

Sub-races should share most of theparent racial template, but with a fewimportant differences (and a match-ing adjustment to racial cost). Writeup sub-races exactly as you would“lenses” for a character template – seeLenses (p. 449).

FILLING INTHE BLANKS

After finalizing any racial template,try to answer the following questions.The answers will help you present the

race to the players and help them role-play members of that race!

• What do they look like? How big?How tall? What shape? What color?Do they have hair? What color? Dothey have eyes? Do they have distinc-tive markings? Do they have hands orclaws? What direction do their jointsbend?

• Were they created or did theyevolve? Where? What environmentalpressures combined to give them theiradvantages and disadvantages?

• How do they live? How do theygovern themselves? Are they gregari-ous or solitary in nature? If they are

gregarious, do they favor large cities,small villages, or family groups?

• How do they think? Do they havea racial philosophy? Do they have areligion? Do they have many religions?How do they react in an emergency?Do they like new things, or are theycomplacent? Can they be trusted?

• How do they get along with oth-ers? Do they fight among themselves?How do they react to new races?Suspiciously? Enthusiastically? Dothey trade with other races? Are thereother races they particularly like ordislike?


Character Cost vs. Racial StrengthMany GMs will want to create at least a few races with powers far

beyond those of normal humans. In game terms, this means a highracial cost. This may create an apparent contradiction in the campaign:“If these guys are so great, why don’t they control the whole world?”

The most obvious answer is “They do!” There’s no reason whyhumanity has to be the dominant race of the campaign. Mankind couldbe an insignificant minor race or an audacious upstart to the ancientcivilizations of the nonhumans!

However, the GM needn’t forsake superhuman races in an anthro-pocentric campaign. The factors that allow individuals to excel arequite different from those that allow one race to dominate another. Ananthropocentric story or campaign usually assumes that humanity hasseveral advantages, relative to other races, that would never show up ona character sheet.

Humans are prolific. A woman can easily bear six to 12 children inher lifetime; a man can father children with a huge number of women.Other races might be strictly monogamous, tied to a complex fertilitycycle, or generally infertile, allowing humanity to dominate themthrough sheer numbers. This is borne out in nature, where extremelycapable species – such as the dominant carnivores – inevitably havesmaller populations than “lesser” species.

Humans are aggressive. They tend to want money, property, andpower for its own sake. A pragmatic race might let the humans movein and assume the burden of running things! They might insist on a fewbasic rights, but not necessarily political power. Of course, an extreme-ly powerful or supernatural race might pursue goals that humans can-not comprehend, leaving humanity to do as it pleases.

Humans are organized. A super-race might never need to bandtogether for protection from nature as humanity’s ancestors did. Sucha race might be unable to withstand an organized human military cam-paign or political program. Indeed, such a race might find real eco-nomic and cultural benefit in accepting organization by humanity.

This discussion applies equally to extremely low-powered races vis-à-vis humanity. The members of a hive mind or primitive horde mightbe no match for us individually, but be more prolific, aggressive, andorganized than we are as a race!

An “animal” is any nonsapient naturalcreature; for instance, a rhinoceros or atiger. A “monster” is any fantastic or unnat-ural creature – either sapient, like a drag-on, or nonsapient, like a flesh-eating slime– that lacks a civilization. Both are consid-ered characters, with racial templates (seeChapter 15) that show how they differfrom human beings.

Since animals are normally nonsapientand have few or no skills, and since mon-sters are most often intended as adver-saries for the PCs, the GM need not createthem as fully fleshed-out characters. If theGM controls a creature, he can simplyrefer to its unmodified racial template – orjust list a few combat statistics, if the thingis intended as an opponent.

However, animals and monsters intend-ed as PCs always require full statistics. TheGM might wish to create some animal andmonster NPCs as fully realized characters,too. This is the difference between “a wolf”and “the canny old wolf that terrorized thevillage”!

COMMONANIMALS

Below are descriptions of a few com-monly encountered beasts. Use these asguidelines when assigning statistics to ani-mals not listed here.

ApesApes are intelligent – too intelligent to

be really predictable. Animal Handlingrolls are at -1 with such creatures. Apesattack in close combat by grappling andbiting, rather than by punching or kicking.

ANIMALS AND MONSTERS 455

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

ANIMALS ANDMONSTERS

ChimpanzeeA peaceful plant-eater. A chimp

won’t fight unless it or its young arethreatened.

ST 11; DX 12; IQ 6; HT 12.Will 10; Per 10; Speed 6; Dodge 9;

Move 7.SM 0; 140 lbs.

Traits: Arm ST +3; Bad Grip 2;Brachiator; DR 1; Sharp Teeth;Wild Animal.

Skills: Climbing-14.

GorillaA great ape.


Move 7.SM +1; 400 lbs.

Traits: As chimpanzee.Skills: Climbing-14.

BearsWhen making reaction rolls for

bears, remember that grizzly, polar,and cave bears are mostly carnivorousand ill-tempered. Any mother bearwith cubs will be aggressive: -3 toreactions!

A bear walking or running on fourlegs is a two-hex creature. When itstands on its hind legs to fight, it is aone-hex creature.

Black BearA small, omnivorous bear.



Traits: Blunt Claws; DR 2; No FineManipulators; Semi-Upright; SharpTeeth; Temperature Tolerance 2;Wild Animal.

Skills: Brawling-13.

Grizzly BearST 19; DX 11; IQ 4; HT 13.Will 11; Per 10; Speed 6; Dodge 9;

Move 8.SM +1; 800 lbs.

Traits and Skills: As black bear, plusBad Temper (9).

Polar BearST 20; DX 11; IQ 4; HT 13.Will 11; Per 10; Speed 6; Dodge 9;

Move 7 (Water Move 3).SM +1; 1,000 lbs.

Traits and Skills: As grizzly bear, plusSwimming-13.

Cave BearA prehistoric creature.

ST 23; DX 11; IQ 4; HT 13.Will 11; Per 10; Speed 6, Dodge 9;

Move 7.SM +1; 1,400 lbs.

Traits and Skills: As grizzly bear.

CatsCats are only domesticated in the

sense that they tend to hang aroundhuman settlements. It is a very raretrainer who can teach a cat a trick itdoesn’t feel like learning . . .

House CatA domestic feline, kept as a pet,

familiar, or mouser.


Move 10.SM -3; 10 lbs.

Traits: Catfall; Combat Reflexes;Domestic Animal; Night Vision 5;Quadruped; Sharp Claws; SharpTeeth.

Skills: Brawling-16; Jumping-14;Stealth-14.

LionA big, lazy cat, found in both plains

and jungle. Lions hunt in smallgroups.


Move 10.SM +1 (2 hexes); 500 lbs.

Traits: DR 1; Laziness; Night Vision 5;Quadruped; Sharp Claws; SharpTeeth; Temperature Tolerance 1;Wild Animal.

Skills: Brawling-15; Running-13.

TigerA solitary hunting cat, usually a

jungle dweller.



Traits: Combat Reflexes; DR 1; NightVision 5; Quadruped; Sharp Claws;Sharp Teeth; TemperatureTolerance 1; Wild Animal.

Skills: Brawling-15; Stealth-13;Swimming-13.

456 ANIMALS AND MONSTERS

Animal and Monster StatisticsCreature statistics in this chapter appear in an abbreviated form.

Attributes: These are racial averages, suitable for a typical encounter.The GM might wish to increase ST for especially large specimens, ordecrease it for young or scrawny examples. Find racial attribute modi-fiers for templates by subtracting 10 from the racial average score; e.g.,the ST 14 listed for a black bear means its racial template would haveST+4.

Secondary Characteristics: These, too, are racial averages. They arederived from attributes using the usual formulas – but note that manyanimals have racial Will, Perception, and Move modifiers. For damage,see Damage for Animals (p. 460). Calculate Basic Lift normally, if need-ed. Assume that HP equal ST and FP equal HT, unless noted otherwise.Dodge is based on Basic Speed, and includes the +1 for CombatReflexes, if applicable. Size Modifier (SM) and average weight alsoappear here.

Traits: A summary of the creature’s most important meta-traits,advantages, and disadvantages, from the perspective of interacting withhumans. Most creatures have other traits, but these only matter whencreating a full-fledged racial template.

Skills: The creature’s significant skills, at racial average levels.Assume that a creature with the Wild Animal meta-trait will also haveSurvival skill in its native habitat at a level equal to its Perception.

DeerDeer are swift herbivores, frequent-

ly hunted for food.

Red DeerA large deer, common in medieval

Europe and still widespread today.

ST 12; DX 13; IQ 3; HT 12.Will 10; Per 10; Speed 6.25; Dodge 9;


Traits: Hooves; Impaling Striker(Antlers); Quadruped; Weak Bite;Wild Animal.

Skills: Running-13.

DogsDomesticated dogs are used for

hunting or as pets (or, if large enough,as draft animals). There are manybreeds; statistics can vary greatly. Costranges from negligible to $10,000+. Ahealthy, trained dog – even a mongrel –is always worth at least $200.

Large Guard DogST 9; DX 11; IQ 4; HT 12.Will 10; Per 12; Speed 5.75; Dodge 8;


Traits: Chummy; DiscriminatorySmell; Domestic Animal; Quadru-ped; Sharp Teeth.

Skills: Brawling-13; Tracking-13(bloodhounds have Tracking-15 orbetter!).

FalconsThese birds of prey are commonly

used for sport hunting. A trained fal-con – or one disturbed by a stranger –might attack a human. A diving falconcan reach Move 70!

Large FalconST 3; DX 14; IQ 3; HT 10.Will 10; Per 12; Speed 6; Dodge 9;

Move 2 (Ground).SM -4; 5 lbs.

Traits: Acute Vision 3; Domestic (orWild) Animal; Enhanced Move 1(Air Speed 24); Flight (Winged; AirMove 12); No Fine Manipulators;Sharp Beak; Sharp Claws.


SharksSome sharks are almost docile,

feeding primarily on whatever fishhappen to swim by at the wrongmoment. Those sharks aren’t any funat all.

Tiger SharkA large, aggressive shark.

ST 19; DX 13; IQ 2; HT 12.Will 10; Per 12; Speed 6.25; Dodge

10; Move 7 (Water).SM +2 (4 hexes); 900 lbs.

Traits: Bad Temper (9); CombatReflexes; Crushing Striker (Snout);Discriminatory Smell; Doesn’tBreathe (Gills); Enhanced Move 1(Water Speed 14; Costs Fatigue 2);


Individualizing AnimalsThe GM is not bound by the statistics given to ani-

mals, which describe typical creatures. Individualsmay vary!

AttributesST: May vary significantly – perhaps by as much as

20%, for large creatures. High ST is extremely valuablefor draft animals.

DX: Rarely varies by more than a point either way.IQ: Realistically, this is fixed, as noted in the Domestic

Animal and Wild Animal meta-traits (see Mentality Meta-Traits, p. 263). Even a one-point increase in IQ makes abeast a genius of its kind. However, allowing an occa-sional animal of any species to be IQ 6 makes for someinteresting pets!

HT: May vary by one or two points in either direction.

Secondary CharacteristicsAny change in attributes will affect these scores nor-

mally. In addition:

HP: May vary by up to 20% in either direction, espe-cially on a large creature.

Will: May vary by one or two points either way.Strong-willed creatures tend to be ornery but hard tospook – which is desirable for war beasts, less so forpets.

Per: Rarely varies by more than a point either way.High Per is greatly prized in hunting animals!

FP: May vary by up to 20% either way.Speed and Move: May vary a little bit. Even a one-

point increase can grossly inflate the price of a horse orother mount.

TraitsAdvantages and Disadvantages: These rarely vary

much – but feel free to give an animal mental disad-vantages and quirks that reflect its personality. Uniquebeasts might have other mundane traits; e.g., a horsewith Danger Sense or Luck.

Meta-Traits: Morphology meta-traits should neverchange. However, Domestic Animal and Wild Animalare interchangeable for a few species.

SkillsThese are unlikely to vary much without training –

see Animal Training (p. 458).

CostAny improvement in an animal’s stats will increase

its market value. ST and FP are valuable for draft ani-mals, Will for war beasts, Per for hunting animals,Move for mounts, and IQ and skills for any trained ani-mal. Likewise, inferior stats will decrease value. In theabsence of specific formulas, details are up to the GM.A normally wild animal with Domestic Animal andMount skill would be worth a small fortune!

Ichthyoid; Pressure Support 2;Sharp Teeth; Subsonic Hearing;Vibration Sense; Wild Animal.

Skills: Brawling-15; Survival (OpenOcean)-14.

Great White SharkAn apex predator!


Move 7 (Water).SM +3 (7 hexes); 7,000 lbs.

Traits: As tiger shark, plus Hard toKill 2.

Skills: Brawling-12; Survival (OpenOcean)-14.

SnakesSnakes are among the most com-

mon reptiles on Earth; they are foundin temperate or warmer climates onsix of the seven continents.

PythonA large constrictor. Statistics are

for a 15’ Indian python, but lengthscan reach 30’!



Traits: Cold-Blooded (50°); Constric-tion Attack; Vermiform; WildAnimal.

Skills: Stealth-12; Wrestling-13.

RattlesnakeA common poisonous snake. Even

little ones are dangerous; the giganticdiamondback described here (8’ long)is deadly. Modifiers to HT roll forvenom: +1 if venom is immediatelysucked out; +2 if antivenin (TL6+) isused.



Traits: Cold Blooded (50°); Fangs;Toxic Attack 2d (Cyclic, 1 day, 4cycles; Follow-Up, Fangs;Resistible, HT-4); Vermiform; WildAnimal.

Skills: Brawling-15; Stealth-13.

Wild BoarsWild hogs are hunted for food – but

they’re dangerous game. Boars aresmart, evil-tempered, and likely toattack even when encountered byaccident. They try to knock a mandown with a slam and gore him whilehe’s down. Sows are less aggressiveand smaller (give them lower ST andweight).

Large BoarST 15; DX 12; IQ 5; HT 14.Will 12; Per 12; Speed 6.5; Dodge 10;


Traits: Bad Temper (9); CombatReflexes; Cutting Striker (Tusks);DR 2; Quadruped; Wild Animal.

Small BoarA javelina or peccary.



Traits: As large boar, but only DR 1.

WolvesThese wild carnivores hunt in

packs. They can be domesticated,more or less, but never like a dog.

Timber WolfST 10; DX 12; IQ 4; HT 12.Will 11; Per 14; Speed 6; Dodge 9;


Traits: Discriminatory Smell; DR 1;Night Vision 2; Quadruped; SharpTeeth; Temperature Tolerance 1;Wild Animal.

Skills: Brawling-14; Tracking-14.


PETS AND TRAINED ANIMALSOrdinary trained animals are prop-

erty purchased with cash, not advan-tages bought with points. The GMcontrols their actions – but the bettera beast’s training, the more likely it isto do what its owner wishes.

These rules do not apply to uniqueanimal companions, such as familiars.For a creature like that, determine itspoint total as a character, and then seeAllies (p. 36) to find its point cost as anadvantage.

ANIMALTRAINING

To train an animal, you must knowthe appropriate specialty of AnimalHandling skill (p. 175). The level oftraining an animal can absorbdepends strictly on its IQ:

IQ 2 – Average reptile. It can learn tocome when called for food and rec-ognize its master, and not to attackhim (usually!).

IQ 3 – Average horse or hawk. It canlearn commands appropriate to itswork – hunting commands for ahawk, riding or pulling commandsfor a riding or draft animal, etc. –and general tolerance for allhumans or for specific masters(trainer’s choice). It knows itsname and comes when called (if itfeels like it).

IQ 4 – Average dog. As above, plus“fetch,” “attack,” “find,” “sit,” etc.,as appropriate for the species. Ittries to warn its owner of dangers itperceives, and fights – and evendies – for its master.

IQ 5 – Average monkey. As above, butwith more complexity. The GMmay allow anything he ever saw atrained animal do in the movies . . .

Find training time by comparingthe IQ level of the training to the ani-mal’s actual IQ score on the table onp. 459. These times assume the train-er works with the creature for aboutfour hours a day, in a pair of two-hoursessions.

This table gives the time needed totrain the animal to the general levelgiven above. To teach a specific newtrick – if the GM agrees the animal canlearn it – allow 14 days for an IQ 5creature, 30 days for one of IQ 4, or 90days for an IQ 3 animal.

Value of Trained Animals

Training may affect the value of adomestic animal, as follows:

IQ 2 creatures can learn so littlethat training doesn’t enhance theirvalue.

IQ 3 creatures are of little useunless trained. Decrease the value of anIQ 3 domestic animal by 1/3 if it is“unbroken” (that is, untrained). Anyyoung specimen is automaticallyunbroken and therefore cheaper.

IQ 4 creatures are assumed to betrained to IQ 3 level when bought; ifnot, decrease price by 1/3, as above.When an IQ 4 creature is fully trainedto IQ 4 level, increase its base value by50%.

IQ 5 creatures follow the IQ 4 rule.In addition, when an IQ 5 creature isfully trained to IQ 5 level, double itsbase value.

If a domestic animal (anything withthe Domestic Animal meta-trait) hashigher IQ than normal for its species, itis worth much more when fullytrained: multiply by 4 for +1 IQ or by10 for +2 IQ. For example, an IQ 5horse is worth 10 times base value.

If a wild animal (anything with the Wild Animal meta-trait) is cap-tured and trained, its value goes upmarkedly – especially if the creature

is intelligent or ferocious. Details areup to the GM. All Animal Handlingrolls to train wild beasts are at -5.

RIDING ANDDRAFT ANIMALS

Below are descriptions of severaldomestic animals kept for riding anddraft purposes. If you are using minia-tures, a horse is considered a three-hex figure, with the rider in the middlehex. Donkeys and small mules aretwo-hex figures. For mounted combatrules, see p. 396.

Cost: The costs listed assume abeast trained to IQ 3 level (see above).Several factors can increase this price:

• Increases in ST raise cost by apercentage equal to the ST increase.(Very strong specimens might beworth more than this formula wouldindicate!)

• Increases in IQ raise cost asdescribed under Value of TrainedAnimals.

• Increases in Move drasticallyraise a riding animal’s value! Doublecost for +1 Basic Move, and quadrupleit for +2 Basic Move. Remember tomultiply Basic Move for EnhancedMove, if any.

Other changes are up to the GM.

CamelsA dry-plains native, the camel can

go for four days without drinking. Itsstubborn temper gives -4 to AnimalHandling rolls.


Move 7.SM +1 (3 hexes); 1,400 lbs.

Traits: Bad Temper (12); DomesticAnimal; Enhanced Move 1(Ground Speed 14); Hooves;Peripheral Vision; Quadruped;Reduced Consumption 3 (WaterOnly); Stubbornness; Weak Bite.

Skills: Survival (Desert)-12.Cost: $1,500.

Donkeys, Horses, and Mules

These animals were domesticatedin Europe and Asia before recordedhistory. They were introduced to theAmericas in the late 15th and 16thcenturies.

Cavalry HorseA light warhorse.



Traits: Combat Reflexes; DomesticAnimal; Enhanced Move 1(Ground Speed 16); Hooves;Peripheral Vision; Quadruped;Weak Bite.

Skills: Brawling-10; Mount-12.Cost: $4,000.

DonkeySturdy, but too small for an adult

to ride.



Traits: Domestic Animal; EnhancedMove 1/2 (Ground Speed 8);Hooves; Quadruped; Weak Bite.

Cost: $1,000.

Draft HorseST 25; DX 9; IQ 3; HT 12.Will 10; Per 11; Speed 5.25; Dodge 8;



IQ of IQ Level of TrainingAnimal 2 3 4 5

2 60 days Imp. Imp. Imp.3 30 days 360 days Imp. Imp.4 7 days 180 days 360 days Imp.5 2 days 90 days 180 days 720 days

Imp.: Training to this IQ level is impossible.

War-Trained MountsWar-trained riding animals are worth more than other mounts.

Before TL4, they are taught to enter battle and fight savagely, even iftheir rider is unhorsed. A trained warhorse is likely to attack anyoneother than its owner who approaches it! At TL4+, they are not taughtto fight, but to be reliable transportation, not afraid of gunfire orscreams.

At any TL, it takes a year of war training (after “basic” training to IQ3 level) to get the mount fit to ride into battle. This doubles its value.The statistics and cost given for the cavalry horse and heavy warhorseunder Riding and Draft Animals assume a beast with this training.

Up to three more years of training are possible, giving +1 per yearon all Riding and Animal Handling rolls in combat, and increasing basevalue by 50% per year.

Traits: Domestic Animal; EnhancedMove 1 (Ground Speed 12);Hooves; Peripheral Vision;Quadruped; Weak Bite.

Cost: $2,000.

Heavy WarhorseST 24; DX 9; IQ 3; HT 12.Will 11; Per 12; Speed 5.25; Dodge 9;


Traits: As cavalry horse, but with BadTemper (12) and Enhanced Move 1(Ground Speed 14).

Skills: Brawling-12; Mount-13.Cost: $5,000.

Large MuleST 22; DX 10; IQ 3; HT 12.Will 12; Per 12; Speed 5.5; Dodge 8;


Traits: As donkey, but EnhancedMove 1/2 (Ground Speed 9) andsterile.

Cost: $2,000.

PonyST 18; DX 10; IQ 3; HT 11.Will 11; Per 12; Speed 5.25; Dodge 8;


Traits: As draft horse, but EnhancedMove 1 (Ground Speed 14).

Cost: $1,500.

RacehorseSome are faster!



Traits: As draft horse, but EnhancedMove 1 (Ground Speed 18).

Skills: Mount-12; Running-12.Cost: $4,000+.

Saddle HorseAn ordinary riding horse.



Traits: As draft horse.Skills: Mount-11.Cost: $1,200.

Small MuleST 18; DX 10; IQ 3; HT 12.Will 12; Per 12; Speed 5.5; Dodge 8;


Traits: As donkey, but sterile.Cost: $1,000.

ElephantsOften domesticated. Intelligent,

loyal, and hardworking.


Move 4.SM +3 (10 hexes); 12,000+ lbs.

Traits: Crushing Striker (Tusks);Domestic (or Wild) Animal; DR 4;Enhanced Move 1 (Ground Speed8); Peripheral Vision; Quadruped(but replace No Fine Manipulatorswith One Arm); Trunk (Extra-Flexible; Long, +1 SM; Weak, 1/4ST); Weak Bite.

Cost: $10,000.

OxenOxen are steers trained to work in

the fields. They are hardier and easierto keep than horses.



Traits: Domestic Animal; DR 2 (Skullonly); Enhanced Move 1 (GroundSpeed 8); Impaling Striker (Horns);Neutered; Quadruped; Weak Bite.

Cost: $1,500.


Here are three sample monsters fromfantasy. If the GM changed the names andfiled off the serial numbers, they couldwork equally well in a science-fictionbackground!

BasiliskThis creature resembles a small snake

with a hideous face and a crested head. Itattacks with a “death gaze”: if it meets itsvictim’s eyes, it can kill using the power ofits mind.

ST 2; DX 12; IQ 3; HT 12.Will 10; Per 10; Speed 6; Dodge 9; Move 4.

SM -3; 2 lbs.Traits: DR 1; Toxic Attack 3d (Maledic-

tion 1; Psychokinetic; Vision-Based);Vermiform; Wild Animal.

GryphonThe gryphon is a beautiful creature,

with the head, wings, and forefeet of aneagle, and the hindquarters of a lion. It isimmune to abilities that affect

FANTASY MONSTERS

Damage for AnimalsBasic damage for a beast is thrust for its ST, found by consulting the

Damage Table (p. 16). Modify this as follows:

A bite does thrust-1. Weak Bite, common for large herbivores, givesan extra -2 per die. A bite is crushing unless the creature has SharpTeeth (cutting) or Fangs (impaling).

A claw does thrust-1, like a punch. Blunt Claws give +1 per die, and damage is crushing. Sharp Claws give no bonus, but inflict cuttingdamage.

A kick does thrust. Blunt Claws or Hooves give +1 per die, and inflictcrushing damage; Sharp Claws give no bonus, but cause cutting dam-age. The Quadruped meta-trait includes Horizontal (p. 139), whichgives -1 per die to kicking damage to creatures without Claws. For largeherbivores, this cancels out the +1 per die for Hooves.

Most other attacks (horns, tusks, etc.) are Strikers (p. 88). Theseinflict thrust damage, at +1 per die. Damage type depends on the Striker.

Predators and combat-trained animals often have Brawling atDX+2 level or better. This adds +1 per die to basic thrust damage forany of these attacks!

only mammals or only birds, as it isneither!

A gryphon can be tamed if cap-tured young, but at -3 to AnimalHandling skill. An untamed gryphonin good health might sell for $5,000; atame one is priceless, and will notcooperate with anyone except itstrainer.


Move 6 (Ground).SM +1 (2 hexes); 600 lbs.

Traits: Acute Vision 3; CombatReflexes; DR 2; Enhanced Move 1(Air Speed 24); Flight (Winged; AirMove 12); Quadruped; Sharp Beak;Sharp Claws; Wild Animal.


StrixA strix (plural striges) is a blood-

sucking, birdlike creature about thesize of a crow, with a long beak andlarge eyes. Striges are nocturnal. Astrix attacks with its long, barbedbeak. If the attack penetrates armor,the strix sucks its victim’s blood.

Striges have excellent aim, and caneven attack through the eyeslits of ahelm. Only two striges can strike thusin a second, but a successful hit canalso blind the eye!


Move 2 (Ground).SM -1; 18 lbs.

Traits: Bloodlust (9); Flight (Winged;Air Move 12); Night Vision 5; NoFine Manipulators; Vampiric Bite;Wild Animal.



To play animals realistically,remember that:

• Most animals fear man and fleerather than attack. Exceptions includea mother defending her young; aninsect swarm defending its nest; anold or wounded “man-eater” predator;a creature so stupid it doesn’t realizemen are dangerous; a creature sopowerful men aren’t dangerous; or alarge herbivore (bison, rhino,Triceratops), which might charge any-thing out of sheer orneriness.

• In a balanced ecology, predatorsare comparatively rare, prey speciescommon.

Use the combat rules in Chapters11-13 for animals, just as you wouldfor humans, with special attention toMulti-Hex Figures (p. 392) andTrampling (p. 404). A few other notes:

Reach: A beast’s reach is “C” (“closecombat only”) unless its descriptionnotes otherwise. Most animals initiatecombat with a grapple or a slam, fol-lowed by an attempt to crush the foeor tear him to pieces in close combat.

Defense: Animals usually defend bydodging. Dodge is Basic Speed + 3,dropping all fractions. Most animalshave No Fine Manipulators (includedin Ichthyoid, Quadruped, andVermiform) and, therefore, cannotparry. Those with manipulators (e.g.,apes) can parry. Unarmed Parry is(DX/2) + 3 or (Brawling/2) + 3. No nat-ural animal can block. Many animalshave Combat Reflexes, which adds +1to defenses.

Armor: A creature’s hide, shell, fur,etc. may give DR, as indicated in itsTraits entry.

Swarm AttacksTreat a group of small creatures as

a unit when it attacks. This “swarm”fills one hex on a combat map. Aswarm attacks the victim(s) in its ownhex (if you are not using a combatmap, it attacks one person per sec-ond), and will not change victimswithout a good reason.

A swarm attack hits automatically –there is no attack or defense roll.Every turn until it is dispersed, it doesthe listed damage to its victim(s).

Special clothing (a wetsuit or bee-keeper’s suit, or high-tech airtightarmor) may protect against sometypes of swarm. Against tiny creatureslike insects, ordinary clothing givescomplete immunity for two seconds,while low-tech armor protects for fiveseconds; then the bugs get in and the

protection becomes worthless!Against larger creatures like rats,armor protects indefinitely with itsnormal DR.

Special tactics may work on sometypes of swarms. For instance, one candestroy bees with insecticide or bafflethem by leaping into a pond. This isup to the players’ cleverness and theGM’s common sense.

Attacking a Swarm: Any attackagainst a swarm hits automatically.The swarm gets no defense roll. (Aswarm of hard-to-hit creatures justrequires more damage to disperse.) Aswarm takes damage as if it wereDiffuse – see Injury to Unliving,Homogenous, and Diffuse Targets(p. 380). Shields can crush flying crea-tures; a shield does 2 HP per turn, andcan attack at the same time as aweapon. Stomping does 1 HP per turnto nonflying vermin, and can be donewhile attacking with a weapon.

ANIMALS IN COMBAT

Swarm Attack ExamplesBats. A “swarm” is about a dozen carnivorous bats. Flies at Move 8.

Does 1d cutting damage per turn. Armor protects with its normal DR.Dispersed after losing 8 HP.

Bees. A “swarm” is about 1,000 common bees. Flies at Move 6.Stings for 1 HP of injury per turn unless the victim is completely pro-tected. Dispersed after losing 12 HP. Will give up the attack if foe ischased 50 yards from hive. Note that bothering a hive may get severalsuch swarms after you!

Rats. A “swarm” is about a dozen rats. It has Move 4. Does 1d cut-ting damage per turn. Armor protects with its normal DR. Dispersedafter losing 6 HP.

Nearly every game world features gad-getry of some kind, ranging from primitiveto futuristic . . . and often including thingswhich are magical or just weird. Theserules describe how to create and use allkinds of devices, what happens when theyare damaged, and how to fix them.

VEHICLESA vehicle might be little more than a

means of getting somewhere. But it couldbe a source of extra firepower . . . or evenpart of a character concept! A fighterplane or mecha might be the high-techequivalent of a knight’s trusty steed, and aparty on the move might call a pirate shipor star cruiser “home” for adventure afteradventure.

VEHICLESTATISTICS

The tables in this section give statisticsfor common vehicle types, and note theskills required to operate them. Some vehi-cle systems, such as sensors or weapons,may require additional skills not listedhere.

ST/HP: The vehicle’s ST and HP. Theseare equal for a powered vehicle: the vehi-cle’s mass determines both how powerfulits engine must be (ST) and how hard it isto destroy (HP). For an unpowered vehicle,this score is marked with a †, and repre-sents HP only; ST is 0. Unpowered vehicleshave Injury Tolerance (Homogenous); oth-ers have the Machine meta-trait (p. 263),which includes Injury Tolerance(Unliving).

Hnd/SR: The first number is Handling;the second is Stability Rating. See ControlRolls (p. 466) for details.

462 TECHNOLOGY AND ARTIFACTS

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

TECHNOLOGYAND ARTIFACTS

HT: The vehicle’s HT, a measure ofreliability and ruggedness. Fragilevehicles have an additional code: “c”for Combustible, “f” for Flammable,or “x” for Explosive.

Move: The first number isAcceleration and the second is TopSpeed, in yards/second (double this toget mph). These statistics are equiva-lent to a character’s Move and his topspeed with Enhanced Move. Forground vehicles, a * indicates a road-bound vehicle, while a ‡ indicates onethat must follow rails. For spacecraft,divide Acceleration by 10 to find it inEarth gravities (G), and note that cmeans the speed of light (186,000miles/second).

LWt.: Loaded Weight, in tons (1 ton= 2,000 lbs.), with maximum payloadand a full load of fuel. Actual weight isoften lower.

Load: The weight, in tons, of occu-pants and cargo the vehicle can carry,including the operator. To find cargocapacity, subtract the weight of occu-pants (for simplicity, assume 0.1ton/person, including gear). To find“curb weight” (with fuel but no otherpayload), subtract Load from LWt.

SM: The vehicle’s Size Modifier.Occ.: The number of occupants the

vehicle can carry in reasonable com-fort, given as “crew+passengers”; e.g.,2+6 means two crew and six passen-gers. “A” indicates a vehicle built forlong-term accommodation, with roomto sleep, cook, etc. If the vehicleaffords the occupants special protec-tion, there is an additional code: “S”for Sealed (p. 82), “P” for PressureSupport (p. 77), or “V” for VacuumSupport (p. 96).

DR: The vehicle’s DR. Some vehi-cles have different DR on various facesor locations. The table lists the twomost important DR scores – forground vehicles, this is usually thefront DR and the average of side andrear DR.

Range: The travel distance, inmiles, before the vehicle runs out offuel. For unpowered or exotic vehi-cles, “–” means only provisions (foodand water) limit range. “F” means theFP of the rowers or draft animals, andstored provisions, limit range.Spacecraft either omit this statistic oruse the entry to give faster-than-lightdrive capabilities.

Cost: The vehicle’s cost, in $. “K” means thousands; “M” meansmillions.

Locations: The vehicle’s hit loca-tions, besides its body. If a vehicle hasmultiple instances of a location, aquantity precedes the abbreviation;e.g., “3M” for a three-masted ship, or“14D” for 14 draft animals. A vehicle’shit locations determine both how itmoves (see Basic Vehicle Movement,below) and what parts can be hit incombat (see Vehicle Hit LocationTable, p. 554).

Code LocationA armC caterpillar tracksD draft animalsE exposed riderG large glass windowsg small glass windowsH helicopter rotorsL legM mast and riggingO open cabinR runners or skidsr retractableS large superstructure

or gondolas small superstructureT main turrett independent turret

W wheelWi a pair of wingsX exposed weapon mount

Draft: For a watercraft, the mini-mum depth of water, in feet, it cansafely operate in.

Stall: For an aircraft, the minimumspeed, in yards/second, it must main-tain to take off and stay airborne. “0”means it can hover.

Notes: Any special capabilities orproblems the vehicle has. If the vehiclehas complex systems, footnotes or a

separate description will detailweapons and equipment.

BASIC VEHICLEMOVEMENT

When adventurers use a vehicle fortransportation, it is usually enough toknow how fast it can move (Top Speed,in yards/second) and how far it cantravel (Range, in miles). The rulesbelow are for those occasions whenthe details become important.

Long-DistanceMovement

When covering significant dis-tances, the following factors can bemore important than Top Speed andRange.

Cruising Speed: Travel conditions,safety considerations, and the need toconserve fuel or energy mean that inpractice, ground and air vehicles typi-cally use only 60-70% of Top Speedwhen traveling long distances. An ani-mal-drawn or rowed vehicle can onlyuse its Top Speed for a few minutes –for the beasts or rowers, this is asfatiguing as running! The highest sus-tainable speed is about 75% of this,which is as fatiguing as hiking. If thebeasts or rowers drop below 1/3 FP,halve Top Speed.

Endurance: Divide Range in milesby cruising speed in mph to determineendurance in hours for situationswhere “loiter” capability matters morethan range. The vehicle must carryprovisions in order to take advantageof endurance in excess of one day.Food and water are about 12 lbs. perperson per day, but won’t keep formore than a month before TL5 (atTL5+, canned goods and similarrations are available).

TECHNOLOGY AND ARTIFACTS 463

“Are you telling me that you built a timemachine . . . out of a DeLorean?”

“The way I see it, if you’re going to build atime machine into a car, why not do it withsome style?”

– Marty McFly and Doc Brown, Back to the Future

Ground Vehicle TableTL Vehicle ST/HP Hnd/SR HT Move LWt. Load SM Occ. DR Range Cost Locations Notes

TEAMSTER0 Dogsled 27† 0/2 12c 6/6 0.29 0.14 +1 1 2 F $400 14DER [1]1 Chariot 22† 0/2 11c 4/9* 0.29 0.2 +1 1+1 1 F $330 2DE2W [1]3 Wagon 35† -3/4 12c 4/8* 0.84 0.5 +2 1 2 F $680 2DE4W [1]4 Coach 53† -2/3 12c 4/9* 2.4 1.2 +3 1+9 2 F $11K 4DO4W [1]

DRIVING/TL (LOCOMOTIVE)5 Locomotive 152 -2/5 11 1/35‡ 28 0.2 +5 1+1 8 700 $45K 8W

DRIVING/TL (AUTOMOBILE)6 Roadster 42 -1/3 9f 2/22* 0.85 0.25 +2 1+1 4 200 $3.6K O4W6 Sedan 46 0/4 10f 3/30* 1.3 0.5 +3 1+3 5 360 $8K G4W6 Jeep 52 0/3 11f 2/32 1.6 0.4 +2 1+3 4 375 $10K O4W7 Pickup Truck 55 0/4 11f 3/50 2.2 0.85 +3 2 5 450 $20K G4W7 Sedan 53 0/4 11f 2/55* 1.8 0.6 +3 1+4 5 500 $15K G4W7 Van 68 -1/4 11f 2/45* 3.5 1 +4 1+7 4 650 $25K g4W7 Sports Car 57 +1/4 10f 5/75* 1.8 0.4 +3 1+3 4 500 $85K GW48 Luxury Car 57 0/4 11f 3/57* 2.1 0.6 +3 1+4 5 500 $30K G4W8 SUV 68 -1/4 11f 3/50 4 1.5 +3 1+4 5 400 $45K G4W

DRIVING/TL (HEAVY WHEELED)6 2 1/2-Ton Truck 88 -1/4 11f 1/24* 8.5 3 +4 1+2 5 375 $17K G6W7 Bus 100 -2/4 11f 1/30* 14.7 6.7 +6 1+66 4 400 $120K G4W8 Semi-Truck 104 -1/5 12f 2/55* 10.3 0.3 +4 1+2 5 1,200 $60K G6W [2]

DRIVING/TL (MOTORCYCLE)6 Hvy. Bike 33 +1/2 10f 5/32* 0.4 0.1 0 1 4 200 $1.5K E2W7 Scooter 29 +1/2 10f 3/27* 0.3 0.1 0 1 3 190 $1K E2W7 Hvy. Bike 33 +1/2 11f 8/55* 0.5 0.2 0 1+1 4 200 $8K E2W8 Sports Bike 30 +2/2 10f 9/78* 0.42 0.2 0 1+1 3 150 $11K E2W

DRIVING/TL (TRACKED)7 APC 111 -3/5 11f 1/20 12.5 1.6 +4 2+11S 50/35 300 $120K 2CX [3]

[1] Draft animals are dogs for the dogsled, and horses for thechariot, wagon, and coach.

[2] Hauls a 48’ semi-trailer. With the trailer, Hnd/SR is -3/4 andMove is 1/30*. Trailer is HP 100†, Load 24, SM +5, and DR 3.

[3] “APC” means “armored personnel carrier.” The higher DRapplies only to attacks from the front. Mounts a machine gun(7.62mm or .50) on an external mount on the roof.


Watercraft TableTL Vehicle ST/HP Hnd/SR HT Move LWt. Load SM Occ. DR Range Cost Loc. Draft Notes

BOATING/TL (UNPOWERED)0 Canoe 23† +1/1 12c 2/2 0.3 0.2 +1 2 2 F $200 O 3

BOATING/TL (MOTORBOAT)7 Inflatable

Boat 20 +2/2 11 2/12 0.6 0.5 +1 1+4 2 100 $2K O 27 Speedboat 50 +1/3 11f 3/20 2 1 +2 1+9 3 200 $18K O 3

SHIPHANDLING/TL (SHIP)2 Penteconter 85† -4/3 11c 1/5 12.5 7.5 +8 55 3 F $14K MO 6 [1, 2]3 Cog 147† -3/4 12c 0.1/4 85 60 +7 18 5 – $23K M 13 [1, 3]6 Tramp Steamer 750 -3/6 11f 0.01/6 14,000 9,000 +10 41+29A 30 7,200 $15M g2S 25

[1] A “penteconter” is a Greek war galley with a sail and asingle bank of oars, favored by raiders and pirates. A “cog” (or“roundship”) is a single-masted medieval sailing ship.

[2] Using oars, with 50 rowers. Under sail, Range is “–” andMove is 1/4 in a fair wind. Has a bronze ram, which adds +1 perdie of collision damage.

[3] Wind-powered. Weight includes ballast.

Aircraft TableTL Vehicle ST/HP Hnd/SR HT Move LWt. Load SM Occ. DR Range Cost Loc. Stall Notes

PILOTING/TL (LIGHT AIRPLANE)6 “Barnstormer”

Biplane 43 +2/3 10f 2/37 0.9 0.2 +3 1+1 3 85 $55K O2WWi 237 Light Monoplane 45 +2/3 10f 3/70 1.15 0.3 +4 1+1 3 500 $150K G2WWi 25

PILOTING/TL (LIGHTER-THAN-AIR)6 Blimp 120 -4/3 10 1/38 18 4 +10 10A 1 2,300 $3M S 0

PILOTING/TL (HEAVY AIRPLANE)6 Twin-Prop

Transport 100 -2/3 12f 2/114 12.8 3 +7 2+21 4 1,500 $340K g3WWi 347 Business Jet 84 0/3 11f 4/275 9.2 1.6 +6 2+6P 5 1,300 $10M G3WWi 55

PILOTING/TL (HELICOPTER)7 Light Helicopter 47 +2/2 10f 2/90 1.5 0.5 +4 1+3 3 225 $400K GH3Wr 07 Utility Helicopter 70 0/2 10f 2/65 4.7 1.4 +5 2+12 3 300 $2M gH2R 08 Utility Helicopter 87 +1/2 11f 3/110 10 3.5 +5 3+14 5/20 370 $8M gH3W 0 [1]

PILOTING/TL (VERTOL)9 Air Car 45 +2/3 11f 4/190 1.2 0.4 +3 1+3P 4 900 $500K G4W 0

PILOTING/TL (CONTRAGRAVITY)^ Grav Bike 30 +4/2 11 20/80 0.4 0.2 0 1+1 3 1,000 $25K E 0^ Grav Jeep 50 +3/3 12 10/100 2 1 +4 1+5 4 2,000 $400K O 0

[1] Rotors have DR 20; all other locations have DR 5.

Spacecraft TableTL Vehicle ST/HP Hnd/SR HT Move (G) LWt. Load SM Occ. DR Cost Locations Notes

PILOTING/TL (AEROSPACE)9 Orbital Clipper 170 -2/3 10fx 30/9,000 (3G) 515 10 +9 2+4SV 4 $350M – [1]

PILOTING/TL (HIGH-PERFORMANCE SPACECRAFT)^ Shuttlecraft 136 +2/4 12 20/c (2G) 100 25 +6 1+10SV 100 $35M 3Rr [2]^ Star Freighter 500 0/5 11 15/c (1.5G) 1,000 400 +9 2+18ASV 100 $100M 3Rr2t [2, 3]

[1] The orbital clipper is a Space Shuttle replacement that canboost to Earth orbit and make reentry. Uses ordinary Newtonianspace flight. Cost drops to M$70 at TL10+.

[2] Uses reactionless or gravitic thrusters to accelerate to lightspeed (c) – or whatever fraction of c the GM sets as a limit. Stardrives and force fields, if any, are up to the GM.

[3] Has hyperspectral sensors (Hyperspectral Vision, with360° Vision and Telescopic Vision 10) and radar (Radar, 500,000yards, Targeting). Its two independent turrets can, at extra cost($0.5M apiece), mount laser cannon: Damage 6d¥5(2) burn, Acc10, Range 100,000/300,000, RoF 4, Rcl 1.


Convoys: Multiple vehicles travel-ing in convoy or formation move at80% of the speed of the slowest vehi-cle, due to the need for station keep-ing. On a successful Leadership roll,use 100% of the speed of the slowestvehicle. For long journeys, roll daily.

Control RollsA vehicle operator must make a

“control roll” – against Boating,Driving, Piloting, etc., as appropriate –in any potentially hazardous situation.The GM may require a roll every fewhours in an ongoing situation such asa fierce storm, or every few seconds incombat!

Modifiers: The vehicle’s Handling(Hnd) statistic modifies all controlrolls. For sudden deceleration or tightturns, see Pushing the Envelope(p. 395). Visibility modifiers (-1 to -9for darkness, fog, etc.; -10 for totaldarkness) apply if there is risk of colli-sion; they aren’t important when try-ing to weather a storm at 30,000 feetor in the mid-Atlantic, but they’re cru-cial if you’re zigzagging throughmountains, landing or taking off in anaircraft, sailing just off a rocky coast,etc. See the relevant vehicle skill forother modifiers. The GM may assesssituational modifiers as he sees fit.

On a failure, the operator does notperform the maneuver properly, orfails to avoid the hazard. Failure by nomore than the vehicle’s StabilityRating (SR) is a minor problem; e.g., acar skids off the road, or a ship loses afew hours of travel. More severe fail-ure means a major problem; e.g., acrash. The GM may allow a secondcontrol roll, at a hefty penalty, to keepa major problem from becoming atotal disaster; the modifiers shoulddepend on the exact action(s) theoperator takes. On a critical failure,disaster is inevitable!

Large vehicles may require a roll against both the master’sShiphandling skill and the crew’s aver-age Crewman skill. Use the averagemargin of success or failure.

Ground TravelA ground vehicle moves on wheels,

runners, tracks, or legs, as indicatedby the notation in its Locations entry.The average speed it can sustain on ajourney depends on the terrain andthe weather. See Hiking (p. 351) for

definitions of terrain and weatherconditions.

Terrain: Figure cruising speed inmph from Top Speed in yards/secondas follows:

• Very Bad (deep snow, swamp):Top Speed ¥ 0.1 mph on wheels orrunners, Top Speed ¥ 0.15 mph ontracks, Top Speed ¥ 0.2 mph on legs.

• Bad (hills, woods): Top Speed ¥0.25 mph on wheels, Top Speed ¥ 0.5mph otherwise.

• Average (dirt road, plains): TopSpeed ¥ 0.5 mph on wheels, Top Speed¥ 1 mph otherwise.

• Good (paved road, salt flats): TopSpeed ¥ 1.25 mph.

For a road-bound vehicle (e.g., anormal car), use Top Speed only whentraveling on a road. Off road, use thelower of Top Speed and 4 ¥Acceleration in these formulas.

Example: A luxury car with Move3/57 gets an average travel speed of 57¥ 1.25 = 71 mph on a paved road(Good). On a dirt road (Average), itcould manage 57 ¥ 0.5 = 28 mph. Butoff road in Average terrain, it woulddrop to 3 ¥ 4 ¥ 0.5 = 6 mph!

For a vehicle that follows rails (e.g.,a locomotive), treat the rails as Goodterrain. However, the vehicle cannotmove at all off the rails!

These rates assume sustained trav-el at a safe cruising speed. A vehiclegoing flat out can move up to 60%faster (e.g., Top Speed ¥ 2 mph overGood terrain, like a road), but the GMmay require hourly control rolls toavoid a mishap, such as a collision.

Weather: This affects ground vehi-cles just as it does hikers. Treat sledsand snowmobiles as skates on ice andas skis on snow.

Water TravelA powered vessel moves at Top

Speed ¥ 2 mph. A sailing craft movesat Top Speed ¥ 2 mph in ideal windconditions; actual speed can drop to afraction of this – or even zero –depending on wind direction andstrength. A rowed vessel can only sus-tain a speed of Top Speed ¥ 1.5 mph(and even this will eventually fatiguethe crew).

Currents can increase or reducespeed directly – typically by a few

mph, depending on the current. Heavyseas (caused by high winds) usuallyreduce speed. An unpowered vesselfaced with a storm may requireShiphandling and Seamanship rollsby captain and crew to avoid beingblown off course or worse.

Draft: “Draft” is the distancebetween the vessel’s waterline and itskeel. In water shallower than this, itwill run aground. Re-floating itrequires waiting for a change in tide,or jettisoning ballast or payload. Inwaters of unknown depth, it is best toproceed slowly and cautiously! (Rollagainst Area Knowledge to recalldepth, or against Navigation (Sea) toread charts.)

Air TravelAn aircraft’s cruising speed is about

Top Speed ¥ 1.6 mph. Powered air-craft can reach Top Speed ¥ 2 mph atthe cost of burning 50% more fuel,reducing Range. Supersonic aircraft(Move 360+) can only use their fullTop Speed at high altitudes where theair is thin (15,000’ and above). At lowaltitudes, Top Speed rarely exceeds350-400 (700-800 mph).

The GM should require controlrolls for landings during bad weatheror visibility, and when traveling athigh speeds at very low altitudes orthrough mountains. Winds andstorms affect balloons and airshipsmuch as they do sailing vessels.

Ground Speed: A powered air vehi-cle can usually taxi at up to 2/3 its stallspeed.

Space TravelIt takes about (0.10 ¥ velocity in

yards/second)/(Acceleration in G) sec-onds to reach a given cruising velocity.A spacecraft moving at that velocitytakes roughly (0.5 ¥ distance inmiles)/velocity hours to travel a givendistance. For comparison, the moon isaround 0.25 million miles from Earth,and Mars is 34 million miles away atits closest approach.

Example: To accelerate to a veloc-ity of 90,000 yards/second in a space-craft with an acceleration of 1.5Gwould take (0.1 ¥ 90,000)/1.5 = 6,000seconds, or about 1.7 hours. At avelocity of 90,000 yards/second, youwould reach Mars in (0.5 ¥34,000,000)/90,000 = 189 hours.


It is common to give interplanetarydistances in “astronomical units”(AU). One AU is 93 million miles, theaverage distance from the Earth to theSun. Interstellar distances are oftengiven in light-years (5.865 trillionmiles) or parsecs (3.26 light-years).Earth’s nearest stellar neighbor, AlphaCentauri, is 4.3 light-years away.

For a spacecraft that uses aNewtonian reaction drive (e.g., anyreal-life rocket), Top Speed is really“delta-v”: the maximum change ofvelocity it can perform before runningout of reaction mass (rocket fuel, etc.).Each acceleration or deceleration“costs” a fraction of this delta-v.

To lift into low Earth orbit requiresMove 8,700. To achieve planetaryescape velocity and leave orbit requiresan extra Move 3,600. For other planets,multiply these velocities by the squareroot of (M/R), where M is planetarymass in Earth masses and R is plane-tary radius in Earth radii. In additionto having sufficient delta-v, the space-craft’s acceleration must exceed theplanet’s gravity (1G, for Earth).

Travel through interplanetary spacerequires using up the required delta-vto achieve the desired velocity, coastingas described above, then using delta-vto slow to the velocity needed to enterorbit at the destination.

Example: A spacecraft in Earthorbit has a delta-v of 200,000. It uses3,600 to break orbit and 90,000 toaccelerate to a cruising velocity (Move90,000). It drifts at that speed for 1.5hours to reach the moon, and then useanother 88,500 to decelerate to themoon’s orbital velocity. Its remainingdelta-v is 200,000 - 3,600 - 90,000 -88,500 = 17,900.

Some superscience space drivesdon’t have to worry about delta-v – thespacecraft can accelerate constantly!The only requirement for such aspacecraft to leave a planet is that itsacceleration exceeds the planet’s grav-ity. When it travels long distances, itrequires time in hours equal to thesquare root of (50.8 ¥ distance in mil-lions of miles/Acceleration in G) tocomplete the trip.

If a spacecraft is capable of faster-than-light travel, its performancedepends on what kind of superscienceexists. The GM should design a driveto suit his campaign. See the

Hyperjump enhancement on the Warpadvantage (p. 97) for one possibility.

BASIC VEHICLECOMBAT

“Vehicle combat” is any combatthat involves handheld weapons firedfrom within a vehicle (e.g., bank rob-bers shooting from a getaway car),weapons mounted on a vehicle (suchas a fighter jet, tank, mecha, or spycar), or attacks that use the vehicleitself as a weapon (ramming, punch-ing and kicking with the arms and legsof a mecha, etc.).

In the rules below, a vehicle’s “oper-ator” is the person at the controls. A“control skill” is the skill the operatoruses to direct his vehicle; e.g., Drivingor Piloting. An “occupant” is anyone in

or on the vehicle – operator, crew, orpassenger.

Tactical Combat with Vehicles:When using the rules in Chapter 12with vehicles, you can represent vehi-cles with models or multi-hex coun-ters drawn at three feet to the inch.

ManeuversTreat a vehicle as an extension of

its operator. It moves on the operator’sturn, at his place in the turn sequence(as determined by his Basic Speed). Tocontrol his vehicle, the operator musttake a Move or Move and Attackmaneuver on his turn – but it’s thevehicle that moves or attacks, whilethe operator remains at the controls. Ifthe operator takes any other maneu-ver, or is stunned or otherwise inca-pacitated, his vehicle plows aheadwith the same speed and course it hadon the previous turn.


Vehicle Weapon MountsAny weapon built into a vehicle is considered “mounted.” The type

of mount determines the weapon’s stability and arc of fire. For theeffects of these mounts on ranged attacks from moving vehicles, seeRanged Attack Modifiers (p. 548).

Arm Mount (TL8): If a vehicle has arms or strikers, these may con-tain weapons or have hands to carry them. They attack using the rulesfor handheld weapons.

Carriage (TL3): Some ships have weapons on wheeled carriages orsleds, either on deck or firing through ports. Treat these as fixedmounts, but skill is not limited to control skill, as the gun crew can useropes to aim the weapon.

External Open Mount (TL1): Also called a pintle mount, deck gun,etc. Such a weapon can elevate to fire upward or swivel to fire in otherdirections. However, it isn’t actually in the vehicle; the weapon and itscrew have no protection.

External Stabilized Open Mount (TL7): As above, but with gyro-sta-bilization to reduce penalties for firing on the move.

Fixed Mount (TL1): You aim the gun by aiming the vehicle; e.g., acannon in the nose of a jet fighter. The weapon can only shoot in onedirection. The mount specifies which: [F] to the front, [R] to the right,and so on. The operator rolls against the lower of his Gunner skill or hiscontrol skill to hit.

Hardpoint (TL6): Aircraft often mount weapon pods, bombs, or mis-siles on pylons under their body or wings. Treat these as fixed mounts,but apply a -1 to Accuracy. External weapon loads like this count asencumbrance.

Stabilized Turret (TL7): As below, but with gyro-stabilization to keepthe weapon aimed at the target regardless of the vehicle’s motion.

Turret (TL5): This is a turret (or head) with weapons built into it. Itcan swivel to change facing independently of the vehicle. Large turretsare usually powered.

The vehicle’s other occupants taketheir turns at their place in the turnsequence. They may use vehicle sys-tems, provided they are stationed nextto the appropriate controls and take asuitable maneuver: Concentrate to useinstruments or electronics, Attack orAll-Out Attack to fire vehicularweapons, etc.

Occupants leaning out windows,standing on a deck, etc. may findAttack or even All-Out Defense prefer-able to All-Out Attack, as they willhave a defense if someone attacksthem instead of the vehicle. This mat-ters most for vehicles with an exposedrider (E), glass windows (G or g), oropen cabin (O), and for crew manningexposed weapon mounts (X).

Bailing Out of a Moving Vehicle:Anyone who jumps or falls from amoving vehicle and hits the groundsuffers a collision with an immovableobject, at the vehicle’s speed. If thevehicle was flying, add falling damageas well. For details, see Collisions andFalls (p. 430). To jump between twomoving vehicles, make a DX orJumping roll. Apply the penalty forrelative speed given on the Size andSpeed/Range Table (p. 550).

Movement DuringCombat

As explained under VehicleStatistics (p. 462), a vehicle’s Movescore is split into two numbers:Acceleration and Top Speed.Acceleration functions just like BasicMove for a character; at this speed orless, the vehicle has no special restric-tions on movement. At higher speeds –anything up to Top Speed – use theHigh-Speed Movement rules (p. 394),but substitute control rolls (seeControl Rolls, p. 466) for DX rolls.

Acceleration: A vehicle can acceler-ate up to its Acceleration each turn. Adiving flyer may add 10 ¥ local gravityin Gs (1G on Earth) to this.

Deceleration: A powered, wheeledground vehicle can decelerate by 5yards/second per turn. An animal-drawn or tracked, walking, or slither-ing ground vehicle can decelerate by10 yards/second per turn. Most air andwater vehicles can decelerate by (5 +Handling) yards/second per turn(minimum 1 yard/second). These ratesassume safe deceleration. It is possible


to decelerate further with a successfulcontrol roll, as explained underPushing the Envelope (p. 395); failuremeans a loss of control.

Control RollsThe operator must make a control

roll whenever he attempts a riskymaneuver or encounters an obstacle,and whenever his vehicle suffersknockback or major damage. On afailure, he loses control of the vehicle.If you are using a rulebook that sup-plies a “crash table” for that type ofvehicle, roll on the table; otherwise,see the applicable paragraph below. Inaddition to these results, a failed con-trol roll always erases any accumulat-ed bonuses for Aim maneuvers, andgives a penalty equal to the margin offailure to any attack from the vehicleuntil the operator’s next turn.

Air Vehicle: Failure by the vehicle’sStability Rating (SR) or less means thevehicle loses 5 yards of altitude anddecelerates by 10 yards/second. If itwas flying dangerously low or slow, itcould hit the ground or stall; other-wise, it just blunders ahead. Failure bymore than SR, or critical failure,means an uncontrollable dive, tailspin,etc. If the vehicle was climbing, itstalls, then starts to fall; otherwise, itdives at Top Speed each turn. Either

way, on subsequent turns, the operatormust make a Piloting-5 roll to pull out!

Ground Vehicle: Failure by SR orless means the vehicle skids and failsto go in the intended direction if youwere trying to turn – or veers random-ly left or right otherwise. The GMdetermines if it hits something.Failure by more than SR, or criticalfailure, means it rolls or spins out andcrashes. It skids or rolls for a distanceequal to 1/3 its current velocity beforecoming to a stop, and suffers fallingdamage based on the velocity it hadwhen it lost control.

Space or Underwater Vehicle: Failureby SR or less means the vehicle chargesahead or veers randomly instead of per-forming the intended maneuver; if itwas trying to avoid an obstacle, it failsto do so. A submarine also loses 5 yardsof depth, which might lead to a crash.Failure by more than SR, or critical fail-ure, results in severe stress. Make a HTroll for the vehicle; on a failure, it suf-fers stress-related damage: a leak,engine failure, etc.

Water Vehicle: Failure by SR or lessmeans exactly what it does for aground vehicle. In addition, anyonestanding on an open deck must makea ST or ST-based Seamanship roll tohold on or be washed overboard.Failure by more than SR, or criticalfailure, means the vehicle capsizes!Those on deck are tossed overboardautomatically. An “unsinkable” vehiclelike a surfaced sub, rubber raft, orcanoe can be righted. Other vehiclessimply sink.

AttackMounted Weapons: Vehicle occu-

pants can attack with the vehicle’sbuilt-in weapons, provided they aremanning weapon stations. At TL6+,many armed vehicles have targetingsystems (optical sights, radar, com-puters, etc.) that add a bonus to thegunner’s effective skill, just like a tel-escopic sight. Most of these systemsonly work if the gunner takes an Aimmaneuver. A good TL6 optical sightmight add +2 to skill. A typical TL7-8system, with computerized laser- orradar-directed fire control, wouldgive +3.

Ramming: The vehicle operatorcan use the vehicle itself as a weapon;see Collisions and Falls (p. 430).

Melee Attacks: If the vehicle hasarms or legs, the operator can use it topunch, kick, grab, etc. as if it were anextension of his body.

Handheld Weapons: The viability ofhandheld weapons depends on thevehicle and the situation. Shooters inor on open vehicles, like jeeps andmotorcycles, can fire in almost anydirection. Occupants of enclosed vehi-cles must shoot through or lean out ofan open window, door, hatch, port, orfiring slit. Shots fired through a glasswindscreen “star” it, rendering itopaque; it takes a Ready maneuver toclear away the broken glass. Shootingthrough a window is unwise if thevehicle is sealed, pressurized, or hasvacuum support – it may result in aleak or explosive decompression!


Shooting through a window is unwise if the vehicle is sealed, pressurized, or has vacuum support.

Weapon Fire from a Moving VehicleWhen using a weapon from a moving platform – be it a Tommy gun

from a getaway car, or a javelin from atop one of Hannibal’s elephants– it’s usually harder to hit your target than when you’re standing still ormoving yourself. The penalty depends on how rough the ride is andwhether you’re using a weapon mount or a handheld weapon – seeRanged Attack Modifiers (p. 548).

It’s even harder to shoot straight if you don’t know when the vehiclewill weave or dodge! If the vehicle dodged and you aren’t the operator,you have an extra -2 to hit, or -4 if flying.

Aiming on the move is particularly difficult. The combined bonusesfrom aiming (Accuracy, extra turns of Aim, targeting systems, and brac-ing) cannot exceed the SR of a moving vehicle unless the sights ormount are stabilized. Also apply this limit when firing from a station-ary vehicle that is bobbing in the water or floating in turbulent air. Inspace, only apply this limit when maneuvering, not when moving in astraight line.

It is also important to consider apparent relative speed. If two carsare rushing toward each other on a collision course, the speed of one,relative to the other, may be over 120 mph . . . but the apparent relativespeed is zero. Only apply speed penalties for crossing targets. Ignore thespeed of targets moving more or less directly toward or away from you.

If the operator fires a handheldweapon, he must take a Move andAttack maneuver. This gives him -2 tohit or a penalty equal to his weapon’sBulk, whichever is worse – his atten-tion is divided between driving andshooting. Do not apply this penalty tomounted weapon attacks, rammingattempts, or vehicular melee attacks.

DefenseA vehicle’s operator may maneuver

evasively to avoid attacks on his vehi-cle. Treat this as a dodge; see Dodging(p. 374). A vehicle’s Dodge score is(operator’s control skill/2) + vehicle’sHandling, rounded down. For exam-ple, a biker with Driving (Motorcycle)-14 on a motorcycle with Handling +1has a Dodge of 14/2 + 1 = 8.

The GM may require Dodge rolls toavoid other hazards, such as baby car-riages and potholes, or to maneuverthrough tight spots. These could beinstead of control rolls, or to avoid dis-aster after failed control rolls!

Occupants who are free to move(not strapped in, etc.) may dodgeattacks specifically targeted on them,but they get no defense against strayshots or attacks that penetrate thevehicle and go on to strike them.

Combat Results and Hit Location

A vehicle suffers damage like anyother artifact. Certain hit locationshave special damage effects – see theVehicle Hit Location Table (p. 554) fordetails.

Hit locations for a given vehicleappear in the Locations column on therelevant vehicle table, or in the vehi-cle’s text description. Assume thatattacks are aimed at the vehicle’s body(equivalent to the torso on a livingbeing) unless the attacker specificallystated that he was targeting anotherlocation. Alternatively, roll randomlyfor hit location. In all cases, onlyexposed locations can be hit; e.g., if atank is behind a hill and only its turretis visible, the turret is the only validtarget.

An attacker can sometimes target avehicle’s occupants directly. This isonly possible if the vehicle has anexposed rider (E), glass windows (G org), or an open cabin (O), or if the occu-pants are on a ship’s deck, cargo bed,etc. A rider has no cover; someone inan open or glass-windowed vehiclehas partial cover (legs, groin, and halfthe torso). There is an extra -1 to shootinto or out of a window unless theoccupant is actually leaning out.

CollisionsFor the purpose of attack and

defense rolls, any attempt to use avehicle as a weapon is a slam (seeSlam, p. 368), with the operatorrolling against control skill to hit. Ifthe intent is to ram, calculate collisiondamage normally. If the intent is toforce another vehicle off the road,assess damage for a “side-on” colli-sion, but damage is knockback only.For details, see Collisions and Falls(p. 430).

Who’s at the Wheel?There are usually dire conse-

quences when a vehicle’s operator istaken out of action (killed, fell off,abandoned the controls, etc.). A one-or two-wheeled vehicle, or a mechawalking on two or three legs, rolls overas if it had lost control. Other types ofvehicle just charge ahead until they hitsomething – but roll 1d each turn. Ona 6, or any roll greater than the vehi-cle’s SR, the vehicle goes out of con-trol. Someone else can regain control,but may need a few seconds to reachthe controls, depending on where hewas. If the former operator is incapac-itated, skill rolls will be at -2 or worsewhile his body remains in the way!

LeakingA leak occurs when a floating vehi-

cle suffers penetrating damage to thebody below its waterline, a balloon orairship takes any penetrating damageto the body, or a submerged vehicletakes penetrating damage to any loca-tion but an external mount. Use theBleeding rule (p. 420), but replace theFirst Aid roll to stop bleeding with aCrewman roll to patch the hole.


There are usually dire consequences when avehicle’s operator is taken out of action.

Scaling DamageLarge vehicles such as tanks, warships, and starships can have huge

DR and HP scores, and their weapons can inflict massive amounts ofdamage. To avoid excessive die rolling, it is best to adjust the damagescale.

Decade Scale (D-Scale): Use this for battles involving tanks or ships– or even supers. Divide DR, HP, and damage dice by 10 before combatstarts. Round fractions of 0.5 or more up. (Exception: If the converteddamage is under 1d, treat fractions up to 0.25 as 1d-3, fractions up to0.5 as 1d-2, and larger fractions as 1d-1.) Convert damage multipliersto dice first; e.g., 6d¥25 becomes 150d, which scales to 15d. Do notdivide armor divisors.

Century Scale (C-Scale): Use this for combats involving huge vehi-cles, such as giant space battleships. Follow the rules above, but divideby 100 instead of by 10.

Example: A tank has DR 700 and 300 HP; its main gun does6d¥30(2) and its machine gun does 7d. In D-scale, it would have dDR70 and dHP 30; its main gun would do 6d¥3(2) and its machine gunwould do 1d-1.

After the battle, multiply remaining HP by 10 or 100, as appropriate,to convert back.

There is a wide variety of electron-ic gadgets in most TL6+ game worlds.Among the most important of these –for adventurers, at least – are commu-nicators, sensors, and computers.

COMMUNICATORSStandard communicators are

radios. They transmit signals by mod-ulating the intensity, frequency, orphase of long-wavelength electromag-netic radiation. This limits them to thespeed of light (186,000 miles per sec-ond); as a result, they are effectivelyinstantaneous for planetary commu-nications but have a noticeable delayover interplanetary distances. Notealso that ordinary radio frequenciescannot penetrate more than a fewyards of water.

Depending on the TL and equip-ment, communicators can send code,voice, text, video, or data. Many TL8+communicators incorporate satellitelinks or computer systems as well.See Communications and Infor-mation Gear (p. 288) for the range,cost, and weight of some samplecommunicators.

Communicators use the rulesunder the Telecommunication advan-tage (p. 91), except that ElectronicsOperation (Communications) skillrolls replace IQ rolls. To extend range,make an Electronics Operation(Communications) roll at -1 per 10%added to range, to a maximum exten-sion of 100%.

The Telecommunication rules alsogive several alternatives to radio,including laser and infrared commu-nications. More exotic options areavailable in some settings.

SENSORSSensors grant the operator one or

more sensory advantages (Infravision,Telescopic Vision, etc.) while used.Statistics for a number of sensorsappear in Chapter 8; see LawEnforcement, Thief, and Spy Gear;Optics and Sensors; and Weapon andCombat Accessories (all p. 289).

Sensors fall into four broad categories:

Hands-Free Sensors: Sensors wornas goggles, glasses, helmet visors, etc.They require a Ready maneuver toswitch on or off, and function con-stantly once activated. Visual sensorsreplace unaided vision while active,but typically restrict peripheral vision.To get around this, take a Readymaneuver to switch off or remove thesensor.

Manual Sensors: Binoculars, handtelescopes, metal detectors, radarguns, and similar handheld devicesare generally more powerful andlonger-ranged than hands-free units,but require one or two hands to oper-ate. To use the sensor, the operatormust take continuous Aim maneuvers,which prevents him from movingquickly or attacking.

Sights: Sensors attached to aweapon, camera, etc. – usually to helpaim it. To use the sights, the device towhich they are attached must be ready(occupying one or two hands). If thesensor is attached to a weapon, theuser benefits from it only while mak-ing an aimed attack. To observethrough the sights without firingrequires Aim maneuvers, just as for amanual sensor.

Vehicular or Mounted Sensors:Long-range sensors mounted in avehicle or on a tripod. Most displayinformation on a screen or similarreadout. The user must sit, kneel, orstand next to the sensor to operate it.Some such sensors are “manual” (e.g.,TL6-7 “analog” radar and sonar sets);the user must operate the controls byhand. Others are “hands-free” (e.g.,digital sensors that display data on ahead-up display); the user can takeother actions while using them.

Using SensorsIf a sensor provides the user with a

completely new sense (e.g., radar, for ahuman), he must roll againstElectronics Operation (Sensors). If itjust augments a sense he already pos-sesses, he need only make an ordinarySense roll – although an unusuallycomplex sensor might call for a rollagainst Electronics Operation oranother skill. For example, a humanwould make a Vision roll to use an

ordinary telescope, but a large astro-nomical telescope might require anAstronomy roll.

Passive Visual SensorsThese systems work like normal

vision, but extend the limits of humansight. They are available in all four cat-egories described above.

Telescopic Optics: Telescopes,binoculars, electro-optical scopes, etc.give Telescopic Vision (p. 92):

Magnification Level2-3¥ 14-7¥ 28-15¥ 316-31¥ 4

Further levels follow the sameprogression.

Image Intensifiers (TL7): Mostoften called “night vision” devices,these electronically amplify ambientlight to generate a monochrome (usu-ally green) picture. They do not workin total darkness, fog, etc. They grantNight Vision (p. 71); the level variesfrom 7 at early TL7 to 9 at TL8+.Better systems include electro-opticalmagnification, giving TelescopicVision 1-4 on portable systems, moreon vehicular systems.

Thermal Imaging Sensors (TL8):These detect the infrared spectra emit-ted by objects at different tempera-tures, and use this information tobuild up a false-color television imageof the environment. They do work intotal darkness, smoke, etc. The usersees as if he had Infravision (p. 60),often with Telescopic Vision 1-3. Mostare two to three times as heavy andfour to six times as costly as imageintensifiers.

Hyperspectral Imaging Sensors(TL9): These sensors process infrared,visible, and ultraviolet light to create asingle image. This makes themextremely effective at picking out cam-ouflaged objects. They giveHyperspectral Vision (p. 60) andTelescopic Vision. These devices arerare and expensive at TL8, but becomestandard vehicular sensors at TL9+,replacing thermal imaging sensors.


ELECTRONICS

Active Sensors“Active” sensors detect objects by

bouncing energy off them and analyz-ing the returned signal. Radar (TL6),imaging radar (TL7), and ladar (TL8)emit electromagnetic radiation, whilesonar (TL6) uses sound.

Active sensors never suffer dark-ness penalties. They can sense objectsout to their rated maximum range atno range penalty; each doubling ofrange beyond that gives -2 to skill. Themajor limitation of all such sensors isthat specialized but inexpensive detec-tors can detect the scanning pulse atup to twice their range. Each technol-ogy also has a number of specific capa-bilities and drawbacks; for details, seethe Scanning Sense advantage (p. 81).

Before TL9, only vehicular ormounted units are likely to provide anactual picture of the surroundings. AtTL6-8, a portable active sensor (e.g., apolice radar gun) usually only givesthe range and speed of objects itdetects.

COMPUTERSThe programmable digital com-

puter first appears at TL7 and rapid-ly becomes smaller, cheaper, andfaster at higher TLs. In some settings,computers might even attain suffi-cient computing power to achievesentience!

ComplexityEvery computer has a

“Complexity” rating. This is anabstract measure of processing power.Each Complexity level representsroughly a tenfold increase in overallcapability over the previous level. Acomputer’s Complexity determineswhat programs it can run. Each pieceof software has a Complexity rating,too, and can only run on a computerof that Complexity level or higher; e.g.,a Complexity 2 program requires aComplexity 2 computer or better.

Complexity also determines howmany programs a computer can runsimultaneously. It can run two pro-grams of its own Complexity, 20 pro-grams of one Complexity level less,200 programs of two Complexity lev-els less, and so on. For instance, aComplexity 2 computer could runtwo Complexity 2 programs or 20

Complexity 1 programs – or oneComplexity 2 program and 10Complexity 1 programs.

The best mid-TL8 (2004-era) desk-top systems are Complexity 4; moretypical systems are Complexity 2-3.

Data StorageEvery computer has a data-storage

capacity, rated in megabytes (MB),gigabytes (GB), or terabytes (TB). OneGB is about 1,000 MB; one TB isroughly 1,000 GB or 1 million MB.Some computers have removablemedia (e.g., disks) as well; their capa-bilities depend on the setting.

Data Storage TableData SizeLengthy novel 10 MBComplete national

road atlas 100 MBNavigation charts

of entire ocean or country 1,000 MB (1 GB)

Plans of 100 small or 10 complex vehicles 1 GB

Detailed global navigation charts 100 GB

Public or school library 100 GB

City or college library 1,000 GB (1 TB)

Big city or university library 10 TB

Large university or copyright library 100 TB

Human mind 100 TB

Other CapabilitiesA computer requires at least one

“terminal” if humans are to use it. Thecomputer may be integrated into thisterminal or located remotely. At TL7-8, a terminal is, at minimum, a key-board and monitor. At late TL8 andbeyond, voice recognition, virtual-reality glasses and gloves, neural inter-faces, etc. might replace such clumsyhardware.

It is possible to connect a single ter-minal to multiple computers, givingthe user access to them all. Withoutspecial hardware, however, the usercan only work with one computer at atime, and must take one second toswitch between computers.

If two computers are compatible(GM’s decision), it is possible to link

them via cable or communicator. Theperson trying to establish contactmust know the “address” of the othercomputer (telephone number, num-bered location on a network, etc.) andany relevant passwords. Once in con-tact, two computers with suitable soft-ware can share data, and the less-pow-erful computer can act as a terminalfor the more capable one.

Finally, any TL8+ computerequipped with a microphone or cam-era can act as a digital recorder, to thelimit of its data-storage capacity.

SoftwareThe programs available depend on

the setting. Some general notes:

• Complexity: Every program has aComplexity rating, as defined above.

• Capabilities: Some programs sim-ply provide entertainment (e.g., avideo game) or a practical function(e.g., e-mail).

Others give the user a bonus to per-form a specific task. For instance,financial software might give +1 toAccounting when preparing taxes.Treat such bonuses identically to thosefor good equipment (see EquipmentModifiers, p. 345).

Still others are mandatory for sometasks – notably technical tasks atTL8+. Without them, the user’s skillwill operate at a lower TL. For exam-ple, an engineer might require aComplexity 3 CAD/CAM program todesign a jet; without it, hisEngineer/TL8 (Aircraft) skill mightfunction as Engineer/TL7. These pro-grams are generally Complexity 2 atTL7, Complexity 4 at TL8, Complexity6 at TL9, and so on. A program ofhigher than minimum Complexityprovides a bonus or reduces the timerequired.

Programs intended for robots maygrant advantages, disadvantages,skills, or even pre-programmed per-sonalities! These can be hardwired ormodular (see Modular Abilities, p. 71).

• Cost: Most programs have a costin $. This is the price of a single, legalcopy, with documentation. Each com-puter requires its own copy. It is possi-ble to copy software for free, but thisis often illegal. But a computer canrun as many instances of a program asits Complexity allows; it does notrequire a separate copy per instance.


The GM may wish to let PCs inventnew technology in the course of thecampaign. The rules below cover real-istic innovation at the inventor’s techlevel – or one TL in advance of that, atmost. For rules governing larger-than-life inventors who can build more fan-tastic gadgets, see Gadgeteering(p. 475).

Before starting, the player mustdescribe to the GM what he wants toinvent and how he thinks it will work.This will help the GM determine theskills and equipment required, thecost and time involved, and the diffi-culty of the task. If the player’sdescription is especially clear orclever, the GM should give +1 or +2 toall invention-related skill rolls.

REQUIREDSKILLS

First, the GM decides on the“invention skill” needed for the task,based on the player’s description ofthe invention. The inventor mustknow this skill to have any chance ofsuccess. Armor, vehicles, weapons,etc. require the relevant Engineer spe-cialty. Other inventions might call fordifferent skills: Alchemy for magicpotions, Bioengineering for biotech-nology, Computer Programming forsoftware, Thaumatology for magicspells, and so on.

At the GM’s discretion, a particularinvention might also require skill inone or more related subjects. Forinstance, inventing a new telescopemight require Astronomy skill. If so,the inventor rolls against the lower ofthis skill or his invention skill in therules below.

COMPLEXITYNext, determine the “complexity”

of the invention. This is entirely up tothe GM, who can assign complexityarbitrarily, base it on the minimumskill level required to come up withthe invention, or relate it to the retailprice of the item (especially for gadg-ets listed in worldbooks or real-worldcatalogs). Use the following table forinspiration:

For computer programs, use thenumerical Complexity rating instead.If a cost or time calculation requiresone of the four ratings above, treatComplexity 1-3 as Simple, 4-5 asAverage, 6-7 as Complex, and 8+ asAmazing.

CONCEPTAfter determining complexity and

required skills, the GM makes a secret“Concept roll” against the inventor’sinvention skill to see whether hecomes up with a testable theory. Thisrequires no special equipment –except perhaps a tablecloth to draw onand several gallons of coffee!

Modifiers: -6 if the invention isSimple, -10 if Average, -14 if Complex,or -22 if Amazing (for a computer pro-gram, apply a penalty equal to twicethe Complexity rating instead). +5 ifyou have a working model you’re try-ing to copy, or +2 if the device alreadyexists but you don’t have a model; +1to +5 if the item is a variant on a exist-ing one; -5 if the basic technology istotally new to the campaign (regardlessof TL); -5 if the device is one TL abovethe inventor’s TL.

Each inventor may roll once perday. Complexity doesn’t affect the timerequired – the basic concept for anAmazing device is often a simpleinsight . . . it’s the implementation thatcan get tricky.

On a success, proceed to the nextstep. On a failure, the inventor makesno breakthrough but may try againthe next day at no additional penalty.On a critical failure, the inventorcomes up with a “flawed theory” thatlooks good but that will never work inpractice – go on to the next step, butnote that it is doomed to failure.

Of course, if the inventor hassomehow obtained actual blueprintsfor the device, he can skip this stagealtogether!

PROTOTYPEA success – or critical failure – on

the Concept roll gives the inventor atheory he can test in the laboratory.The next step is to construct a proto-type (working model). This requires asecond roll against invention skill. TheGM makes this “Prototype roll” insecret.

NEW INVENTIONS

Complexity Required Skill Level Retail PriceSimple 14 or less Up to $100Average 15-17 Up to $10,000Complex 18-20 Up to $1,000,000Amazing 21 or more Over $1,000,000

They laughed at me at the university, the fools!But I’ll show them! I’ll show them all!


Reinventing the WheelAdventurers may wish to “invent” devices of a lower TL than their

own. Reduce complexity by one step per TL by which the inventor’s TLexceeds that of the invention, to a minimum of Simple. If suitable his-torical reference materials are available, use the higher of the inventor’sResearch skill or his invention skill for the Concept roll.

Modifiers: All modifiers listed forConcept rolls; +1 per assistant withskill 20+ in one of the skills requiredfor the invention, to a maximum of +4;-1 to -10 (GM’s discretion) if the inven-tor must make do with anything lessthan the most advanced tools andfacilities for his TL.

On a success, the inventor proveshis theory and creates a prototype. Ona failure, he may try again, providedhe has the time and money (seebelow). On a critical failure, an explo-sion or accident occurs. This inflicts atleast 2d damage to the inventor andeach assistant – and destroys the facil-ities, which must be rebuilt at full costbefore making another attempt.

If the inventor was working with aflawed theory, he will never create aworking prototype (this is why the GMrolls in secret!), but a critical successon the Prototype roll lets him realizethat his theory was bad.

Time RequiredEach Prototype roll requires 1d-2

days if the invention is Simple, 2ddays if Average, 1d months ifComplex, or 3d months if Amazing.Physically huge items (e.g., spaceshipsand military vehicles) may take longer,at the GM’s discretion. Divide timerequired by the number of skilled peo-ple working on the project. Minimumtime is always one day.

CostThe facilities required to build a

prototype cost $50,000 if the inventionis Simple, $100,000 if Average,$250,000 if Complex, or $500,000 ifAmazing. Triple these costs if theinvention is one TL above the inven-tor’s TL. Divide costs by 10 if theinventor has appropriate facilities leftover from a related project of equal orhigher complexity. Each inventor whowishes to attempt a Prototype rollmust pay the facilities cost “up front”before making his first attempt.

In addition, each attempt to pro-duce a prototype has a cost equal tothe retail price of the item being built,as given in the appropriate game sup-plement or real-world source, or asset by the GM. Triple this cost if theinvention is one TL in advance of theinventor’s TL.

TESTINGAND BUGS

The majority of prototypes haveshortcomings, or “bugs.” Critical suc-cess on the Prototype roll means thereare no bugs; success by three or moregives 1d/2 minor bugs; and any othersuccess gives 1d/2 major bugs and 1dminor bugs. Minor bugs are annoying,but not critical. Major bugs are cata-strophic to the function of the device –and sometimes to the user as well!

To find bugs requires testing. Onceper week of testing, roll vs. operation

skill (e.g., Driving for a car, ElectronicsOperation for a radio) at -3. Each suc-cess finds one bug; a critical successfinds all bugs. A failure triggers amajor bug, if present, or finds nothing.A critical failure causes a problemsimilar to a major bug withoutencountering any real bugs; alterna-tively, the tester is convinced, erro-neously, that no bugs remain.

Bugs that remain after testing sur-face on any operation skill roll thatfails by 5 or more. A major bug alwayssurfaces on a critical failure.

PRODUCTIONBuilding a copy of the invention

costs 20% of the retail price if you onlyneed to buy parts, or full retail price ifyou must pay for parts and labor. Timerequired to produce each copy is halfthat required for a Prototype roll. Forinstance, each copy of a Complex itemtakes 1d/2 months.

A production line is more efficient.To set up a production line costs 20times the retail price of the item. Theproduction line makes one copy of theitem in 1/7 the time it took to build aprototype or in (retail price/100)hours, whichever is less. Each copycosts 20% retail price for parts, or 50%for parts and labor.


FundingAs explained under Tech Level and Starting Wealth (p. 27), the high-

er the tech level, the greater the starting wealth. However, the cash out-lay required for inventing and gadgeteering doesn’t scale with TL – it’sfixed. Thus, the lower the TL, the higher the relative cost of innovation.

This might model reality well, but it takes a lot of the fun out ofbeing a low-tech gadgeteer. The GM may use these optional (but realis-tic) rules to remedy this:

Patrons: Historically, many inventors had wealthy patrons to paytheir way. If you have a Patron with the +100% “Equipment” enhance-ment, you may attempt a single roll against your Patron’s frequency ofappearance when you start a new invention. On a success, the Patronfoots the bill. Most Patrons will demand access to the invention; if youdeny this, you are likely to lose your Patron!

Professional Inventors: You can pay the costs gradually by buildingthe tools, facilities, etc. yourself. You must pay at least 10% “up front.”Divide the remainder by your monthly income and add that manymonths to the time required. You earn no money during this time, butyou must still pay your monthly cost of living. Independent Income(p. 26) can be helpful here – it might represent royalties from your lastinvention.

Investors: If your invention promises to be profitable, others mightbe willing to cover your costs. Make a Finance roll with the same mod-ifiers as your Concept roll (this represents perceived risk). On a success,you receive funding. Note that your investors own shares of your inven-tion and any profits!

Fiction is full of inventors who candesign devices that are far ahead oftheir time. Below is advice on how torelax the requirements and restric-tions of the New Inventions rules forsuch “gadgeteers.” These benefitsapply only to inventors with theGadgeteer advantage (p. 56).

INVENTINGGADGETS

Before beginning, the player mustdescribe the proposed gadget to theGM in a logical manner, and offer anexplanation of how it is supposed towork. The item should not actuallyviolate physical laws (which elimi-nates FTL travel, antigravity, telepor-tation, etc.) unless the GM rules thatsuch “superscience” is possible in thegame world.

The GM is free to accept or rejectthe design, depending on its feasibility.If he accepts the item, he assigns it atech level (see Tech Levels, p. 511). Thestronger, smaller, or more effective thegadget is, relative to an item that per-forms a similar function at the cam-paign’s TL, the higher its TL should be.

Required SkillsThis is unchanged from New

Inventions. A gadgeteer must have agood understanding of the field inwhich he is working. The Gadgeteeradvantage represents a broad, intu-itive capacity for inventing – it doesnot grant specific scientific or techni-cal knowledge. Most gadgeteers focuson one or two skills to start out with.

ComplexityUse the usual complexity levels,

but do not confuse complexity withtech level. A ray gun that sells for$1,000 at TL10 is most likely anAverage item, however amazing itmight be in a TL8 setting.

ConceptGadgeteers have far milder penal-

ties on their Concept rolls. There is nopenalty at all for a Simple invention,and only -2 for an Average one, -4 fora Complex one, or -8 for an Amazingone. For software, use Complexity

(not twice Complexity). Ignore the -5for a technology that is totally new tothe campaign.

A gadgeteer is not limited to inven-tions only one TL advanced. He mayattempt to create a device of any TL, ata flat -5 per TL above his own.

PrototypeAll the benefits listed for Concept

rolls apply equally to Prototype rolls.Furthermore, the GM may choose towaive the penalty for questionableequipment. Many fictional gadgeteerswork out of a basement or a garage!

Time Required: This is unchanged.However, the times under NewInventions assume an eight-hour day,which might not be enough for a cine-matic gadgeteer! If the inventor pullslong shifts, he must make daily HTrolls as described under Long Tasks(p. 346). On a failure, he has no skillpenalty – he just loses FP. If he reach-es 0 FP, he collapses and must rest for1d days to recover. Add this to the timerequired.

Cost: Calculate the cost of the nec-essary facilities using the table above.Use Base Cost for an item at the cam-paign TL, and add the amount underTL Increment for each TL beyond that.A gadgeteer may divide these costs by10 if he has already paid for facilitiesfor a similar project of equal or highercomplexity and tech level.

Example: A gadgeteer working on aComplex item must pay a Base Cost of$250,000 for the necessary facilities. Ifhis invention is a device three TLsabove the campaign TL, he must addthree times the TL Increment for aComplex gadget, or $1,500,000, bring-ing the total to $1,750,000.

As with regular inventions, there isalso a cost for each attempt to build aprototype. For an invention at thecampaign TL, this is just the retail

price of the item. For a device fromabove that TL, start with the item’sretail price at its native TL, double thisfor each TL of difference, and accu-mulate the cost!

Example: A gadgeteer working onan invention with a $4,000 retail costwould pay $4,000 per attempt to cre-ate a prototype if the device were atthe campaign TL. If it were three TLsmore advanced, he would double thecost three times and add: $4,000 +$8,000 + $16,000 + $32,000 = $60,000!


Complexity Base Cost TL IncrementSimple $50,000 $100,000Average $100,000 $250,000Complex $250,000 $500,000Amazing $500,000 $1,000,000

GADGETEERING

Testing and BugsFor a gadgeteer, success by 3 or

more results in no bugs, while a lessersuccess gives 1d/2 minor bugs. Thereis no chance at all of a major bug. Ifthe device is above the gadgeteer’s TL,roll once on the Gadget Bugs Table(box) for each “minor” bug.

ProductionThe standard rules apply, but use

the tech level-adjusted retail price inall calculations. In the example above,retail price would be $60,000 (not$4,000) for production purposes.

QUICKGADGETEERING

Inventors with the QuickGadgeteer advantage require very littletime or money to do their work. Theycan throw together a useful gadget inminutes, using only the contents of a

random glove compartment. This tal-ent is completely unrealistic; mostGMs will want to restrict it to highlycinematic campaigns!

Quick gadgeteers use theInventing Gadgets rules (p. 475) likeregular gadgeteers, with the follow-ing modifications.

ConceptApply the favorable modifiers

given for regular gadgeteering, buteach Concept roll requires only 1dminutes!

PrototypeApply the modifiers given for regu-

lar gadgeteering to the Prototype roll.

Time Required: A Simple gadgettakes only 2d minutes to assemble, anAverage one calls for 1d-2 hours (a rollof 1 or 2 indicates a 30-minute assem-bly time), a Complex one requires 1dhours, and an Amazing one takes 4dhours.

Cost: The quick gadgeteer is amaster at cannibalizing parts andscrounging for equipment. If thereare many sources of parts, the GMshould allow a Scrounging roll tolocate usable components. If theavailable resources are more limited,the GM may require a roll against aspecialized skill; e.g., if the onlything available is a wrecked ’65Mustang, the GM might call for anEngineer (Automobiles) or Mechanic(Automobiles) roll to find the neces-sary hardware. These rolls are at no


Gadget Bugs TableWhen a gadgeteer invents a gadget of a higher TL

than his own, the GM should roll 3d on the followingtable for each bug (or simply pick something appro-priate).

3 – Roll 3d per use or hour of constant use. On a 6 orless, the gadget attracts the unwelcome attention ofaliens, time travelers, Men in Black, Things ManWas Not Meant To Know, etc. (GM’s choice.)

4 – The gadget is huge! If it would normally be hand-held, it is so large that it needs a vehicle to move itaround; if it would normally be vehicle-borne, itmust be mounted in a really big vehicle (like a bat-tleship) or a building; and so on.

5 – Each use or hour of constant use consumes $250worth of resources – exotic chemicals, radioactives,etc.

6 – The device has 1d+1 side effects; see the RandomSide Effects Table (p. 479).

7 – Anyone carrying the gadget is so inconvenienced byits awkward shape and balance that he has -2 to DX.Vehicles or vehicular gadgets give -2 to vehicle con-trol rolls.

8 – The gadget has 1d-2 (minimum one) side effects.9 – A powered device requires a big power supply – for

instance, a vehicle power plant. If it would normal-ly require this much power, it needs to be tied into acontinental power grid, and causes brownoutswhenever used. If the device is unpowered, treat thisresult as 10.

10 – The gadget is twice as large, twice as heavy, anduses twice as much power as it should. If it’s aweapon, halve its damage, range, and Accuracyinstead.

11 – The gadget gets too hot to handle after being used,and must cool down for 10 minutes before it can beused again. (If used before it cools off, it burns outin a shower of sparks and inflicts 1d burning dam-age on the user.)

12 – Each use or hour of constant use consumes $25worth of resources.

13 – The gadget is unreliable, and fails on any opera-tion skill roll of 14 or more.

14 – The gadget requires minor repairs after every use,and does not work until repaired.

15 – The device recoils like a heavy projectile weapon(even if it isn’t a gun). The user must make a DX rollfor every use or be knocked down.

16 – The gadget is very unreliable, and fails on anyoperation skill roll of 10 or more.

17 – The device is overly complicated. If it is a weapon,it takes five seconds to ready (this represents push-ing buttons, setting dials, etc.). Other gadgetsrequire two hours of painstaking preparation beforeeach use.

18 – On any critical failure using the device, it self-destructs . . . spectacularly. The user must make a DX roll at -2 or suffer 2d injury as a result. The gadget is gone – it cannot be repaired or canni-balized for parts.

This talent iscompletelyunrealistic.

modifier for a Simple gadget, -2 foran Average one, -6 for a Complexone, and -10 for an Amazing one. Ona success, the total cost for the proj-ect is only (1d-1) ¥ $100, with a rollof 1 indicating no cost.

If the gadgeteer must buy the need-ed items, calculate facilities and proto-type costs as for a regular gadgeteer,and then divide by 100.

A critical failure on the Prototyperoll ruins the parts – the gadgeteermust find new ones before construc-tion can resume.

GADGETEERINGDURINGADVENTURES

Gadgeteers can also analyze andmodify gadgets encountered duringadventures.

AnalysisTo figure out a mysterious piece of

equipment, the gadgeteer rolls as if hewere making a Concept roll to inventthe item from scratch, using the sameskills and modifiers. This takes 1d¥10minutes for a regular gadgeteer, or 1dminutes for a quick gadgeteer.

ModificationAfter successfully analyzing a gadg-

et, the gadgeteer may attempt to mod-ify it. He rolls as if he were making aPrototype roll, using the same skillsand modifiers. This takes 1d hours fora regular gadgeteer, or 1d¥10 minutesfor a quick gadgeteer. All modifica-tions in function are subject to GMapproval!


Gadgets for Non-Gadgeteers

Anyone can own and use gadgets. Only those who can alter theircapabilities or invent new ones must buy the Gadgeteer advantage. Butit would be unfair to let non-gadgeteers have gadgets for free –Gadgeteer costs points as much for the gadgets themselves as for theability to build them. The GM should adopt one of the following rulesto maintain game balance.

Gadgets Cost MoneyThe GM may permit the PCs to hire a gadgeteer to design and built

gadgets for them. Finding such a hireling should be an adventure initself! In addition to the hireling’s pay, the PCs must pay the standardfacilities cost for development and 150% of the prototype cost per item.Work out these costs as described for regular (not quick) gadgeteering.

This option has a “hidden” point cost: to cover these expenses, theheroes almost certainly need to take high Wealth (p. 25) or trade pointsfor money (see Trading Points for Money, p. 26).

Gadgets Require an Unusual BackgroundThe GM might require gadget users to have one of these Unusual

Backgrounds:

Unusual Background (Gadgeteer Friend): If an adventurer has a gad-geteer friend who equips him with useful inventions, he has an UnusualBackground. This is an unabashed game-balance measure – it is unbal-ancing to let a single gadgeteer outfit an entire party at no point cost,however realistic that might be. 15 points.

Unusual Background (Invention): The character possesses one spe-cific gadget without being a gadgeteer. This must be a unique invention;if it weren’t, it would just be Signature Gear (p. 85). The player mustexplain how his character came to have the item: he invented it througha lucky accident, his inventor grandfather left it to him, aliens plantedthe blueprints in his head telepathically, etc. The points in this trait buya single, bug-free item. The owner can copy it, but he must pay theusual production costs. 5 points if the gadget is Simple, 15 points ifAverage, 30 points if Complex, or 50 points if Amazing.

Adventurers sometimes encounteradvanced or alien devices. Theserarely come with instruction manuals,and often rely on scientific principlesunknown at the heroes’ tech level.Gadgeteers may use the GadgeteeringDuring Adventures rules (p. 477) todeduce the function of mysteriousartifacts. Everybody else must use therules below.

First, the experimenter chooses anoperation skill. This choice is often aguess – although the GM might pro-vide clues that make it an educatedguess. Those with the Intuition advan-tage can use it to narrow down theirchoice of skills.

Next, the GM decides whether thechosen skill is appropriate. An “appro-priate” skill is one used to operate adevice known to the experimenter thatserves a purpose similar to that of theartifact. It need not be the artifact’sactual operation skill. For instance,Guns is appropriate for a ray gun firedusing Beam Weapons skill, while FirstAid is wholly inappropriate.

Then the experimenter rollsagainst the chosen skill. If this is anappropriate skill, the GM rolls 3d,adds the investigator’s margin of suc-cess or subtracts his margin of failure,and consults the Enigmatic DeviceTable, below. If the skill is inappropri-ate, treat the roll as a failure by 10; inother words, roll 3d-10 on the table.

Exception: If the experimenter rollsa critical success on an inappropriateskill, he realizes that the chosen skill

doesn’t apply and may try anotherskill.

Each attempt takes one minute.Repeated attempts are possible, butthe roll on the table is at a cumulative-1 per attempt after the first. Someoneelse can start from scratch, though –other people often bring fresh insightsto a problem.

ENIGMATICDEVICE TABLE

Roll 3d, apply the modifiers below,and consult the table. For repeatedattempts by the same experimenter,reroll duplicate results.

Modifiers: A bonus equal to themargin of success, or a penalty equalto the margin of failure; +2 for DangerSense; +4 for Intuition; +2 if the devicehas labels in a language the experi-menter can read – or +4 for actualmanuals (at the GM’s option, aResearch roll at -5 might turn theseup); +1 to +5 for a simple device, or -1to -5 for a complex one; -1 for manip-ulating the device at a “safe” distanceusing psi or magic, -2 for probing itusing tools or robotic manipulators,or -4 for poking it with a stick, hittingit with a hammer, etc.; -1 per attemptafter the first.

0 or less – The experimenter takes 3d damage and the device is destroyed. (If the device is

indestructible, it vaporizes every-thing within 10 yards . . .)

1 – The device’s primary effect isapplied to the experimenter, if pos-sible; if not, he takes 3d damagefrom the device.

2 – The device’s primary effect isapplied to someone nearby, if pos-sible; if not, someone nearby takes3d damage.

3 – The experimenter takes 2d dam-age.

4 – Someone nearby takes 2d damage.5 – The experimenter takes 1d

damage.6 – Someone nearby takes 1d damage.7 – The experimenter suffers superfi-

cial damage (e.g., his eyebrows areburned off).

8 – Someone nearby suffers superfi-cial damage.

9 – The experimenter suffers anembarrassing mishap: he gets abody part stuck to (or in) thedevice, or suffers an unpleasantminor side effect.

10 – The experimenter forms an erro-neous theory concerning thedevice’s purpose, possibly beingmisled by a secondary function orside effect.

11 – Nothing happens. The experi-menter gains no useful insight intothe device’s nature or operation,but at least it didn’t do anythingnasty . . .

12 – The experimenter locates one ofthe device’s less-obvious controls(but doesn’t learn what it does).

13 – The experimenter discovers theon/off switch (or safety, for aweapon).

14 – The experimenter gets a clue con-cerning the purpose of the device.

15 – The experimenter gets a cleardemonstration of the device’s pri-mary function (possibly by blowinga large hole in something inani-mate – and expensive – nearby). Hecan now operate this function, at -4to skill.

16 – The experimenter discovers howto activate a single secondary func-tion reliably (that is, with no skillpenalty).


FUTURISTIC ANDALIEN ARTIFACTS

Anachronistic DevicesThe tech levels given for equipment assume a “realistic” campaign.

The GM is free to have any technology appear at an earlier TL – espe-cially in a cinematic campaign. For each TL by which the listed TL of adevice exceeds that of the campaign, double the cost and weight of thedevice.

Example: Steam engines are normally TL5, but dwarves in a TL3 fan-tasy setting might use steam-powered mining machinery. Such equip-ment would cost and weigh four times as much as usual.

17 – The experimenter deduces thelocation and general nature of allcontrols pertaining to the device’ssecondary functions, and can usethese functions at -4 to skill.

18 – The experimenter figures out howto activate the primary function ofthe device at no skill penalty.

19 – The experimenter discovers all ofthe device’s functions, and can usethem at no skill penalty.

20 or more – As 19, plus the experi-menter finds a totally serendipi-tous – and useful – application ofthe device that the creators neverthought of!


WEIRD TECHNOLOGY“Alien” does not begin to describe

some technology: gadgets that defynatural laws (including a few wehaven’t discovered); devices frombizarre dimensions; artifacts that mixmagic with science, or that contain (orare) demons . . . Such things are bestdescribed as “weird.”

Weird technology need not beadvanced – it might have been aroundsince the Bronze Age! In fact, weird-ness rarely has anything to do withtech level. Part of what makes a tech-nology weird is that it defies the stan-dard notions of scientific progress. It’sdifferent, and even geniuses are at aloss to explain it.

Weird ScienceAn inventor may choose to roll

against Weird Science skill (p. 228) toget a bonus to his Concept andPrototype rolls. This bonus is +5 if heis using the New Inventions rules(p. 473). It is only +1 if he is usingGadgeteering (p. 475), as those rulesalready give large bonuses for the bor-derline-weird concepts used by gad-geteers. The drawback is that theinvention will have weird side effects.Roll 1d-3 for the number of sideeffects (minimum one), and then rollthat many times on the Random SideEffects Table, below.

GadgetsAs mentioned above, even gad-

geteers who do not use Weird Scienceare venturing into the realm of theweird. A buggy gadget can occasional-ly have weird side effects – see theGadget Bugs Table (p. 476).

Experimental DevicesThe GM can roll on the Random

Side Effects Table whenever adventur-ers use an experimental device given to them by or stolen from amad scientist.

Magic ItemsThere is no reason to limit strange

side effects to technological devices!At the GM’s option, when a wizardfails his roll to create a magic item byonly 1, the enchantment works but themagic item acquires 1d-3 side effects(minimum one), determined by rollson the Random Side Effects Table.

RANDOM SIDEEFFECTS TABLE

Roll 3d, or choose somethingappropriate.

3 – Each use causes a small, cumula-tive change in the user’s body(mind). Roll against HT+4 (IQ+4)once per use. On a failure, the useracquires -1 point toward a physical(mental) disadvantage of the GM’schoice.

4 – Each use inflicts 1d injury on theuser (ignore DR).

5 – Each use causes 1 point of injuryto the operator (ignore DR).

6 – The gadget transforms someonewithin 10 yards into something else(alien, animal, plant, etc. – GM’schoice) for 10 seconds.

7 – The device makes an incrediblyannoying, high-pitched noise whenused. This gives everyone within 20yards a headache for 10 minutes(-2 to DX, IQ, and self-controlrolls), and the user gets a migraine(-4 to these rolls) for 20 minutes.Earplugs don’t help, althoughDeafness does.

8 – Use of the gadget disrupts elec-tronics: TVs and radios within onemile get nothing but static, otherelectronics within 100 yards fail ona roll of 7 or less on 3d. Within 10 yards, even simple electricaldevices are affected. This is aclassic side effect for UFOs! Magic items produce local mana

disruptions instead, giving -3 to allspell rolls within 10 yards for thenext 10 seconds.

9 – The device produces noxiousfumes in a four-yard radius.Anyone in the area must make aHT+3 roll every second. On a fail-ure, they are nauseated (seeIrritating Conditions, p. 428) forfive minutes.

10 – The gadget produces a loud humin operation (+3 to Hearing rolls tonotice it).

11 – Impressive but harmless specialeffects – beams of light, showers ofsparks, etc. – accompany the use ofthe device. The source of the effectsis obvious to any observer. Anyonein the area gets a Vision roll at +5to notice something is going on.

12 – The gadget emits dense clouds ofsteam or smoke over a four-yardradius while in operation. Treat asa Fog spell (p. 253).

13 – Each use of the gadget attracts aswarm of vermin of the GM’schoice. The swarm disperses 10minutes after the device is shut off.

14 – Using the gadget renders the operator unconscious for 1dminutes.

15 – Each use of the device attractsthe attention of demons or ghosts,or punches holes into randomdimensions through which strangecreatures appear.

16 – The device inflicts 1 point ofinjury (ignore DR) per use oneveryone within 10 yards, includ-ing the user.

17 – Each use of the gadget opens agate into a random dimension forone second. The user must make aDX roll to avoid falling into thehole before it closes.

18 – Roll for a different random sideeffect each time the device is used.(If this result comes up again, rollfor two side effects, and so on!)

Objects of magical power are a sta-ple of fantasy. The following rules areintended for game worlds that use themagic system in Chapter 5, and makea few basic assumptions:

• Anyone can use any magic itemthat doesn’t explicitly require Magery.

• Wizards manufacture magicitems using magic spells that producefairly predictable results. However,magic is not technology, and magicitems can have unpredictable sideeffects.

• Magic items retain their powerindefinitely – their magic does not“wear out.” But if the item breaks orwears out, it loses all of its magicalproperties and ordinary repairs can-not restore the magic.

The GM is free to change some orall of these assumption to suit hiscampaign!

ENCHANTMENTSPELLS

These spells allow mages to createmagic items. They appear here insteadof in Chapter 5 because enchantmentcreates magical artifacts, and usesmany special rules that do not apply to

ordinary spellcasting.

Enchant (VH)Enchantment

This spell is a prerequisite forall other Enchantment spells.To enchant an item, the castermust also know this spell. Thecaster rolls against the lower ofhis skill with this spell and the

specific spell he wishes to placeon the item. If he has assistants,

they must have skill 15+ with bothspells, but the roll is based on the

caster’s skill.

Duration: Magic items are perma-nent until destroyed.

Cost and Time: See Enchanting(p. 481).

Prerequisites: Magery 2, and at leastone spell from each of 10 other

colleges.

AccuracyEnchantment

Makes a weapon morelikely to hit by adding to the

user’s effective skill.

Cost: See table below. Divide cost by10 if the subject is a missile (e.g., anarrow or a bullet).

Bonus Cost+1 250+2 1,000+3 5,000

Prerequisites: Enchant, and at leastfive Air spells.

DeflectEnchantment

Adds a Defense Bonus to armor,clothing, a shield, or a weapon. Thisadds to all active defense rolls madeby the user.

Cost: See table below.

DB Cost+1 100+2 500+3 2,000+4 8,000+5 20,000

Prerequisites: Enchant.

FortifyEnchantment

Increases the DR of clothing or asuit of armor.


DR Bonus Cost+1 50+2 200+3 800+4 3,000+5 8,000

Prerequisites: Enchant.

PowerEnchantment

Makes a magic item partially orcompletely “self-powered.” Each pointof Power reduces the energy cost tocast or to maintain any spell on theitem by 1. Halve this bonus in a low-mana area (round down); double it ina high- or very high-mana area. Powerhas no effect on the energy cost of theuser’s spells!

If Power reduces the cost to main-tain a spell to 0, treat the item as“always on” after the cost to cast ispaid – but the wearer must stay awaketo maintain the spell. If Power reducesthe cost to cast to 0, the item is“always on” for all purposes, althoughthe owner may turn it off if he wishes.


Power Cost1 point 5002 points 1,0003 points 2,0004 points 4,000

Double the cost for each additionalpoint.

Prerequisites: Enchant and RecoverEnergy.


MAGIC ITEMS

PuissanceEnchantment

Adds to the basic damage aweapon does when it hits.

Cost: See table below. Divide cost by10 if the subject is a missile (e.g., anarrow or a bullet). Double cost if thesubject is a missile weapon (e.g., abow or a gun).

Damage Bonus Cost+1 250+2 1,000+3 5,000

Prerequisites: Enchant, and at leastfive Earth spells.

StaffEnchantment

Enchants a magic staff – see MagicStaffs (p. 240) for details. Thoughmany magic items must be in the formof a wand or staff, they do not have tohave this spell on them.

Cost: 30.Prerequisites: Enchant.

ENCHANTING“Enchanting” is the process of cre-

ating a magic item. It is a special kindof spell casting; see Casting Spells(p. 235). The caster must use ceremo-nial magic (see Ceremonial Magic,p. 238), and he and any assistantsmust know both the Enchant spell(see p. 480) and the specific spell beingput on the item at level 15+ – or atlevel 20+, in a low-mana area.Unskilled spectators cannot con-tribute energy.

Enchanting always requires timeand energy. A particular enchant-ment might also require a specificitem or material (e.g., a gem), or theexpenditure of cash for “generic”magic supplies.

A given magic item may carry anynumber of spells. Each one requires aseparate enchantment. The presenceof an enchantment has no effect onlater enchantments.

Power of a Magic ItemEach magic item has a “Power,” set

when it is created. An item’s Powerequals the caster’s skill with theEnchant spell or the spell contained inthe item, whichever is lower. Sinceenchanting is ceremonial magic, the

caster can spend extra energy to raisehis effective skill, and hence the Powerof the item.

Record Power for each magic itemcreated or found (to learn the Powerof a found item, the PCs must useAnalyze Magic). If an item has severalspells on it, each spell has its ownPower. Whenever it would be impor-tant to know the skill level of a spellcast by a magic item, use the item’sPower.

An item’s Power must be 15 ormore for the item to work. Apply atemporary -5 to Power in a low-manaarea; thus, an item with less thanPower 20 does not work at all in a low-mana zone. No magic item works in ano-mana region!

Success Rolls for Enchanting

The GM makes all rolls to enchantmagic items. As with other ceremonialmagic, a roll of 16 fails automaticallyand a roll of 17-18 is a critical failure.

On a success, the item is enchanted.On a critical success, increase thePower of the item by 2d – and if thesuccess roll was a natural 3, the itemmight have some further enhancement(GM’s discretion). The caster knowsthat his spell went well, but he mustuse Analyze Magic to know how well.

On a failure, the results depend onthe method used to enchant the item –see below. A critical failure alwaysdestroys the item and all materialsused.

Quick and DirtyEnchantment

Use this method to create a magicitem quickly. It requires one hour per100 points of energy required (round

up). Make the success roll at the endof that time. Succeed or fail, all theenergy is spent when the GM rolls thedice.

A lone caster is limited to the ener-gy provided by his FP and HP, but hemay have assistants, who can con-tribute their own FP and HP asdescribed for ceremonial magic. Thecaster is at -1 to skill for each assistant;therefore, the number of assistantsallowed is the number that wouldreduce the caster’s effective skill to 15.With more assistants, the enchant-ment won’t work.

If anyone but the caster and hisassistants is within 10 yards, the spellis at a further -1.

On a failure, the enchantment isperverted in some way. It mightacquire unpleasant side effects (seeRandom Side Effects Table, p. 479),become an entirely different spell, oranything else the GM likes. The casterwon’t know his spell went wrongunless he uses Analyze Magic or triesthe item!

Slow and SureEnchantment

Use this method when theenchanter wants to be sure it’s doneright. It takes one “mage-day” perpoint of energy required. A mage-dayrepresents a full eight-hour workdayfor one mage. For instance, an itemthat requires 100 energy points wouldtake one mage 100 days, two mages 50days, and so on. A mage may work ononly one enchantment at a time; hemay not “work two shifts,” either onthe same or different items.


InterruptionsIf a mage is interrupted while enchanting using the “slow and sure”

method, note the following:

• He will be fatigued. Assume he is missing 1d FP.• He must keep concentrating on his enchantment; therefore, any

other spell use is at -3. (If he stops concentrating, he loses the day’swork.)

A wizard who is bothered while not actively working on his enchant-ment is at no disadvantage!

All of the caster’s assistants must bepresent every day. If a day’s work isskipped or interrupted, it takes twodays to make it up. Loss of a mageends the project!

Make the success roll at the end of the last day. There is no FP or HPcost to the enchanters – they investedthe energy gradually as the spell progressed.

On a failure, the enchantment did-n’t work. The time was wasted, andany materials used in the spell are lost.(Exception: If the enchanters wereadding a spell to an already-enchanteditem, it is unharmed, though extramaterials are lost.)

Spells for EnchantmentThe Magic Items Table provides

information on several commonenchantments.

Spell: The name of the spell.Energy: The energy cost required to

enchant an item with the spell. Notethat this is not the same as the cost tocast that spell normally! See alsoEnchantment Spells (p. 480).

Item: The class of item required:

Code Class of ItemA armor or clothingJ jewelry; e.g., an amulet

or ringS staff – any rod-shaped

piece of organic material up to 6 feet long

Sh shieldW weapon

Notes: Special rules for creation oruse.

USING MAGICITEMS

Magic items follow the rules givenfor the spell(s) they contain. Manygive the user the power to cast thespell – perhaps only on himself, possi-bly on any subject. Some are “mageonly”; that is, they only work for userswho possess Magery. Unless specifiedotherwise:

• There is no ritual. The user justwills the item to work.

• Casting time is as described for thespell. High Power doesn’t affect this.

• Energy cost is the same as for anormal casting of the spell. High Power

does not affect this (but the Powerspell does – see p. 480).

• Determine success normally. Usethe item’s Power as the caster’s baseskill and apply all the usual modifiersfor the kind of spell being cast. Poweris at -5 in low-mana areas. A Resistedspell allows a normal resistance roll;use the item’s modified Power as thecaster’s skill in the Quick Contest.

• Only one person at a time can usethe item. If two people attempt to useit, only the first to touch it can use it.If one can’t use it – for instance,the item is “mage only” and helacks Magery – his touchdoesn’t count.

• All other effects areas usual for that spell.

“Always On”Items

Certain magicitems are “alwayson.” For the itemto work, the usermust wear orcarry it in the usualmanner (a ring on afinger, a sword in ahand, and so on). Theseitems don’t let the wearer cast the spell– they automatically cast the spell onthe wearer at no energy cost.

The powers of such items are notalways obvious to a new owner. In thecase of found items, the GM should

try not to drop inad-vertent clues to the item’s

true nature!For all “always on” items,

unless specified otherwise:

• Ritual, casting time, and ener-gy cost are all irrelevant. The item

does not let the wearer cast the spell –it puts the spell on him, at no cost, assoon as he wears or wields the item.

• The effects last as long as the itemis worn or carried.

• All other effects are as usual forthat spell.

BUYING MAGICITEMS

The cash price of magic items is upto the GM. In fantasy settings where“enchanter” is just another profession


Magic Items TableSpell Energy Item NotesAccuracy See p. 480. W [1]Blur 100 per -1 J, S [2]Deflect See p. 480. A, Sh, W [1]Deflect Energy 200 J, Sh, W [2]Deflect Missile 200 J, Sh, W [2]Explosive Fireball 1,200 S [3, 4, 5 ($500)]Fireball 800 S [3, 4, 5 ($400)]Fortify See p. 480. A [1]Haste 250 per +1 A, J [2]Icy Weapon 750 W [1, 5 ($2,000)]Lightning 800 S [3, 4, 5 ($1,200)]Puissance See p. 481. W [1]Staff See p. 481. S [1, 4]

[1] Always on. Works at all times without the addition of a Power spell.[2] Allows the user to cast the spell, but only on himself.[3] Allows the user to cast the spell exactly as if he knew it himself.[4] Mage only. If the item has any spells with this restriction, it extends to all

spells on the item.[5] Cost of magical materials required.

and magic items are for sale in shops,a suggested price is $25 per energypoint. For instance, a sword withAccuracy +2 would cost an extra$25,000.

In game worlds like this,enchanters might mass-produce low-energy cost items using the “quick anddirty” method. The GM is the finalarbiter of what is possible, but notethat a talented enchanter with skill 20and five partners could spend 50 FPwithout breaking a sweat, much lessspending HP. Realistically, this shoulddrastically reduce the price of minormagic items.

At the GM’s option, any magicitem that a “typical” collaboration ofwizards in the setting could enchant

with an hour’s work costs only $1 perenergy point. In the example above,the cutoff might be 50 energy points– one arrow with Accuracy +1 orPuissance +1 would be $25, a magicstaff would be $30, and a shirt withFortify +1 would be $50 . . . but thatsword with Accuracy +2 would stillcost $25,000.

In game worlds with fewenchanters, magic items will be rareand prized, and even the most minoritems will sell for $50 or more per

energy point. This is likely to be thecase in settings with secret magic –especially if the reason for the secret isan enchanters’ monopoly.

In game worlds where magic isbasically unknown, magic items willnot have a fixed, fair price. If the buyerknows the item is authentic, the sellercan often name his price!

In all cases, add the cost of magicalmaterials (if any) and the cost of theitem being enchanted to the cost forthe enchantment itself.


DAMAGE TO OBJECTSFor the purpose of these rules, any

nonliving, fabricated object – includ-ing a character with the Machinemeta-trait (p. 263) – is an “artifact.”Handle attacks on artifacts just likeattacks on living beings (see Damageand Injury, p. 377), with the followingexceptions:

Rolling to Hit: Roll to hit normally,applying the object’s Size Modifier. Ifan object’s SM is not given, find itfrom the Size and Speed/Range Table(p. 550). Inanimate objects are oftenmotionless and don’t hit back; thismakes them good targets for an All-Out Attack. No artifact gets a defenseroll unless it is under sentient control(e.g., a robot, a weapon in hand, or avehicle with a driver).

Damage Resistance (DR): An arti-fact has a DR that represents its innate“toughness.” Wooden or plastic tools,gadgets, furniture, etc. usually haveDR 2. Small metal, metal-wood, orcomposite objects, like guns and axes,

typically have DR 4. Solid-metal meleeweapons have DR 6. Some artifactsmay be armored; for instance, a quar-ter-inch of mild steel is DR 14.

Injury Tolerance: Most artifactshave some level of Injury Tolerance(p. 60). Complex machines areUnliving. Solid objects, like furnitureor weapons, are Homogenous. Thingslike nets and mattresses are Diffuse.See Injury to Unliving, Homogenous,and Diffuse Targets (p. 380) for theeffects on damage.

Health (HT): This rates the likeli-hood the object will break under stressor abuse. Most machines and similarartifacts in good repair are HT 10.Swords, tables, shields, and othersolid, Homogenous objects are HT 12.Cheap, temperamental, or poorlymaintained items get -1 to -3 to HT;well-made or rugged ones get +1 or+2. Characters with the Machinemeta-trait use their HT score.

Hit Points (HP): The amount ofdamage the object can take before it is

likely to break or cease to function.For weapons and equipment withouta listed HP score, consult the ObjectHit Points Table (p. 557) to find HPbased on weight and construction.

EFFECTS OFINJURY

Injury to artifacts works much likeinjury to living beings (see Injuries,p. 418), with the addition of a few spe-cial rules.

Less than 1/3 HP left – An artifactdamaged this badly may suffer halved (or otherwisereduced) effectiveness, at the GM’sdiscretion.

0 HP or less – Roll vs. the artifact’s HTeach second while it is under stress(but not if it isn’t being used): achair rolls each second someonesits on it, a car rolls each second itsengine is running, and so on. On afailure, the object suffers a severemalfunction and is disabled. Mostdisabled artifacts don’t function atall until repaired. Sentientmachines fall “unconscious.”Homogenous objects, such asswords, bend or break, but mightremain partially usable (see BrokenWeapons, p. 485). Ropes, cables,etc., are cleanly severed – notchopped to bits.

In game worlds where magic is basically unknown,magic items will not have a fixed, fair price.

Detailed HP CalculationThose who have a calculator or spreadsheet program handy may

wish to calculate HP instead of using the Object Hit Points Table. HP areequal to 4 ¥ (cube root of weight in lbs.) for complex, Unliving objects,and 8 ¥ (cube root of weight in lbs.) for solid, Homogenous ones (roundup). The GM may alter these values for unusually frail or tough objects.

-1¥HP – Artifacts don’t “die,” as theywere never truly alive, but must stillmake HT rolls to avoid “death” asdescribed under General Injury(p. 419). On a failure, the object isdestroyed. For instance, a swordmight shatter instead of merelybending or snapping. A destroyedcomputer loses all data stored in it –including memories, if it is sapient.

-5¥HP – The artifact is automaticallydestroyed, as described above.

Shock: Most artifacts don’t feel pain,but damage can temporarily disrupttheir functionality unless they haveappropriate backup systems (repre-sented by High Pain Threshold). Applythe usual shock penalty to any use ofthat object. For example, if a vehiclesuffers sufficient injury to impose a -3shock penalty, the driver has -3 to hisvehicle operation skill next turn.

Major Wounds: An artifact can suf-fer a major wound, referred to as“major damage.” When a machine withmany subsystems – like a vehicle – suf-fers a major wound, the GM may callfor a HT roll. On a failure, one or moresystems fail. For example, major dam-age to a tank might knock out its gun orcause a fuel leak. If using a rulebookthat supplies a “major damage table”for a specific type of machine, roll ran-domly and apply the result.

Knockdown and Stunning: A non-sentient artifact ignores these effects. Asentient machine (IQ 1+) can sufferthese results as a damage-induced mal-function. For instance, stun means themachine doesn’t function that turn, butcan function again after it recovers.

Crippling and Hit Location: Ahuman- or animal-shaped artifact usesthe normal rules; see Crippling Injury(p. 420). Other objects with distinctparts (e.g., a vehicle with a body, turret,and wheels) can suffer cripplinginjuries to specific hit locations; forvehicles, see the Vehicle Hit LocationTable (p. 554). In all cases, a crippledlocation is “disabled.”

Fragile Objects: Artifacts are oftenFragile (p. 136). Those made of paper,dry wood, etc. are Combustible; thosethat contain highly flammable material,such gasoline or hydrogen, areFlammable. Artifacts containing unpro-tected explosives, sizeable stocks ofammunition, or volatile compressed gasare Explosive. Objects such as glass-ware, pottery, and televisions are Brittle.

DAMAGE TOBUILDINGS ANDSTRUCTURES

The Structural Damage Table(p. 558) gives typical DR and HP forbuildings, doors, walls, and similarinanimate structures. Most suchstructures are Homogenous. Assumethat a structurally sound building ingood repair has HT 12. Shoddy con-struction might reduce this to HT 9-11, while a quake-resistant buildingmight have HT 13-14.

Any building “disabled” by going to0 HP or less and failing a HT roll hasone or more large breaches and loseselectrical power, if any. At -1¥HP orless, it must make HT rolls to avoidcollapse – just as a character wouldroll to avoid death. It collapses auto-matically at -5¥HP.

Anyone in a collapsing buildingtakes 3d crushing damage, plus 1d perstory overhead. A victim can attemptto dive for cover behind a structuralmember – see Dodge and Drop(p. 377). On a success, he receives DRequal to the building’s exterior wallDR against this damage, but is stilltrapped in the rubble. On a criticalsuccess, he is totally unharmed!

REPAIRSMost artifacts cannot heal natural-

ly (although there are exceptions; e.g.,exotic “living metal” machines). Ifthey become disabled, they cannotrecover until repaired. If they are crip-pled, the relevant parts require repairor replacement – they can’t recover ontheir own.

To fix a damaged, disabled, or malfunctioning device requires a suitable skill: Armoury, Electrician,Electronics Repair, Machinist,Mechanic, etc. See individual skilldescriptions for what each skill cov-ers. The GM is the final judge of thenecessary skill.

Minor Repairs: Each attempt torepair damaged equipment that stillhas positive HP requires half an hourand a successful skill roll. SeeEquipment Modifiers (p. 345) andTime Spent (p. 346) for common mod-ifiers. As well, if the device costs$1,000 or less, roll at +1. Roll at -1 if itcosts $10,001-$100,000, at -2 if it costs$100,001-$1,000,000, or at -3 if itcosts over $1,000,000. Successrestores 1 HP times the margin of suc-cess (minimum 1).

Major Repairs: An artifact reducedto zero or negative HP requires spare


Damage to ShieldsMost medieval shields were wood, or wood with a thin layer of metal.

After one good battle, a shield was worthless. Do not use this rule unlessyou are willing to tolerate some bookkeeping in the name of more realis-tic combat!

See Shields (p. 287) for the Defense Bonus (DB), DR, and HP ofshields. If your shield’s DB makes the difference between success and fail-ure on any active defense (not just a block), the blow struck the shieldsquarely, and may damage it.

Apply the attack’s damage to the shield. Subtract the shield’s DR. If nodamage penetrates the shield, there is no effect . . . but you experience fullknockback!

If damage penetrates the shield’s DR, mark it off against the shield’sHP. Use the standard Damage to Objects rules; ordinary shields areHomogenous, with HT 12. If the shield is disabled or destroyed, it nolonger provides its DB, but it still encumbers you until dropped. If it iscompletely destroyed (-10¥HP), it falls off.

A powerful blow may punch through your shield! The shield acts ascover, with “cover DR” equal to its DR + (HP/4). Damage in excess of coverDR penetrates the shield and possibly injures you; see Overpenetration(p. 408). When using hit locations, roll 1d: on 1-2, apply damage to yourshield arm; on 3-6, apply it to the location targeted by the attacker.

parts that cost 1d ¥ 10% of its originalprice. After obtaining these parts, usethe rules above, except that all rollsare at an extra -2.

Replacement: If a device isdestroyed (failed a HT roll to avoiddestruction, or went to -5¥HP or less),it is beyond repair. Replace it at 100%of its original cost.

Hiring Help: Those incapable ofdoing their own repairs can hire tech-nicians. A typical rate is $20/hour – orhigher, if unusual skills are required.Typical skill level is 9 + 1d.

BREAKDOWNSMost real-life equipment failure is

due to mistreatment or routine wear –not combat damage. The GM mayapply these rules to any complex arti-fact (anything Unliving).

MaintenanceArtifacts that have moving parts,

that are unusually complex, or thatare routinely under stress require reg-ular maintenance to work properly.This definitely includes all weaponsand vehicles, precision optics (cam-eras, night-vision gear, etc.), and anyother equipment more elaborate thana screwdriver or a knife.

Machinery like this requires peri-odic “maintenance checks” against asuitable technical skill, as explainedfor the Maintenance disadvantage(see p. 143). The frequency of suchmaintenance varies. Most commer-cial ground vehicles require one ortwo man-hours of maintenance aweek. Weapons, especially guns, needcleaning every day or so of use. Large,complex items, such as factories andfighter jets, require numerous man-hours of maintenance per day – if notconstant care.

Missed or failed maintenancechecks result in HT loss. This HT lossis cumulative, and affects all HT rollsdescribed under Effects of Injury(p. 483) and Slime, Sand, andEquipment Failure (below). To restorelost HT, use the Repairs rules, above.Treat each point of HT restored as aseparate major repair.

This rule does not apply to itemswithout moving parts, equipment instorage (not just sitting out in theopen!), or any artifact just sittingthere, unused, if it has a sealed case.

Slime, Sand, andEquipment Failure

Harsh conditions may result inmore frequent breakdowns, regardlessof maintenance. Whenever an artifactthat requires maintenance is careless-ly exposed to the elements (e.g.,dropped in a swamp, left out in asandstorm, or buried in volcanic ash),make a HT+4 roll for it. Use its currentHT – including any reductions formissed maintenance. If the item lacksa HT score, assume HT 10. In extremeenvironments (desert, swamp, jungle,etc.), make one extra roll per item per

day, in addition to any rolls for specif-ic mistreatment.

On a failure, the equipment breaksdown, jams, or otherwise fails; it can-not function at all without minorrepairs. On a critical failure, itrequires major repairs. The GM maywish to keep the results secret and letthe operator discover the malfunctionduring normal use!

Modifiers: +1 if the PCs take signif-icant time out each day to clean andmaintain their gear (GM’s judgment);-1 or -2 if the abuse or the environ-ment is unusually brutal.


Broken WeaponsIf a weapon is destroyed – that is, it failed a HT roll at -1¥HP or

below, or went to -5¥HP – it is completely useless. But if it is just dis-abled, it might still be usable.

An extremely light weapon (anything weighing 1 lb. or less, such asa dagger) or a missile weapon (sling, bow, firearm, etc.) is useless evenwhen merely disabled.

Other weapons sometimes remain partially usable when disabled.Roll 1d and consult the appropriate paragraph below. Where theweapon effectively becomes a different kind of weapon, figure skill anddamage according to the new weapon type!

Axe/Mace Weapons: On 1-3, the head breaks off, leaving you holdinga light club. On 4-6, the weapon is smashed beyond use.

Polearms: On 1-2, you’re left holding an 8-foot pole; treat as a longspear that does thrust+2 crushing damage. On 3-4, you’re left with aquarterstaff, and there’s a very clumsy (-4 to hit) axe with reach 1 lyingin front of you. On 5-6, you’re left with a light club and there’s a clum-sy (-2 to hit) “great axe” with reach 2 lying on the ground.

Rapiers and Smallswords: On 1-3, treat a broken smallsword as adagger and a broken rapier as a smallsword; damage is still impaling!On 4-6, the blade snaps off at the hilt; the weapon is useless.

Spears: On 1-3, the head breaks off where it joins the shaft, leavingyou with a quarterstaff. On 4-6, the spear breaks further down; youhave a baton, and there’s a spear with reach 1, doing normal damage,lying in front of you.

Swords (broadswords, greatswords, katanas, shortswords, etc.) andSabers: On 1-3, the blade breaks off at the halfway mark, losing its tip.It can still make a cutting attack at -2 to damage, but it is useless as animpaling weapon: a thrust does thrust crushing damage. If the swordwas reach 2, it is now reach 1. On 4-6, the blade snaps off at the hilt;the sword is useless.

Two-Handed Axe/Mace Weapons: On 1-3, the head breaks off whereit joins the shaft, leaving you with a quarterstaff. On 4-6, the weaponbreaks further down; you have a light club, and there’s a very clumsy(-4 to hit) axe with reach 1 lying in front of you.

Other Weapons: Use the closest weapon listed above. The GM hasthe final say, and may choose to roll if there is more than one way forthe weapon to break.

The Game Master (GM) is the referee of a roleplaying game. But that’s putting ittoo simply. He is like a mystery writer . . . a storyteller . . . an umpire . . . a cosmic book-keeper . . . the “house” at a gambling casino . . . and (to the characters) a minor deity.

The GM is the final authority. Rules are guidelines . . . the designers’ opinion abouthow things ought to go. But as long as the GM is fair and consistent, he can changeany number, any cost, any rule. His word is law!

Many things are left up to the GM to decide. A game world gets realism from itscompleteness. The GM adds all the details that make it come alive. With a good GM,even a bad set of rules can be a lot of fun. With a good set, the sky’s the limit. We semi-modestly believe that GURPS is a very good set of rules indeed – but without the GM,

the rules are nothing.Read on . . .

CHOOSING ACAMPAIGN TYPE

Before you make any other decisions, you should discuss the style of yourcampaign with your players. There are many alternatives:

• “By-the-book” vs. “tweaked” (with many GM rules interpretations).• “Realistic” vs. “cinematic” (see The Cinematic Campaign, p. 488).• “Humorous” vs. “serious.”• “Puzzles and mysteries” vs. “combat and adventure.”• “Death is common and permanent” vs. “death is rare or easily remedied”

(by magic or high technology).

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

GAME MASTERING

486 GAME MASTERING

Customizing the RulesThroughout Basic Set, we have included assistance for GMs who wish

to tailor the rules to their liking. For quick reference:

• New Advantages (p. 117), New Disadvantages (p. 165), CreatingTechniques (p. 229), Alternative Magic Systems (p. 242), Other Powers(p. 257), and Creating Templates (Chapter 15) provide guidelines for creatingand customizing character abilities.

•Character Development (Chapter 9) presents options for handling char-acter advancement.

• Tactical Combat (Chapter 12) and Special Combat Situations (Chapter13) add optional extra detail to Combat (Chapter 11) for action-orientedcampaigns.

•Sections titled “Optional Rule” offer tested, optional add-ons. Examplesinclude Limited Enhancements (p. 111), Wildcard Skills (p. 175), Malfunction(p. 407), Maintaining Skills (p. 294), Influencing Success Rolls (p. 347), andExtra Effort in Combat (p. 357). Even a novice GM can quickly customizethe rules by specifying which options are “turned on” in his campaign.

All of these are legitimateapproaches to roleplaying, but if theplayers and GM have different expec-tations, everyone will end up disap-pointed. The game should be a storythat develops in play – not a battlebetween the players and the GM*. Toachieve this, a little mutual under-standing is necessary. A few minutesof pre-game discussion can increaseeveryone’s enjoyment.

POWER LEVELA crucial step in choosing a cam-

paign type is determining the numberof character points the PCs start outwith. This has a direct impact on thecampaign style: powerful heroes stam-pede through realistic challenges withcinematic ease, while a lightheartedromp for supers might be a deadlynightmare for normal humans.

As the GM, the surest way tochoose a suitable power level is by“feel.” During the course of your firstfew campaigns, you’ll learn how yourplayers spend their points – and howtheir PCs cope with the adventuresyou cook up. You can use this experi-ence to choose a good power level foryour next campaign. But that won’thelp you this time, so you might wishto choose the most appropriate powerlevel off the list below.

Some example power levels, withsuggested starting points for theheroes:

Feeble (under 25 points): Small chil-dren, mindless thralls, zombies, etc.

Unsuitable for PCs in any but thedarkest or most humorous of cam-paigns.

Average (25-50 points): Ordinaryfolks, such as accountants and cabdrivers.

Competent (50-75 points): Athletes,cops, wealthy gentry . . . anyone whowould have a clear edge over “aver-age” people on an adventure.

Exceptional (75-100 points): Starathletes, seasoned cops, etc. With alittle experience, these individualscould become full-time adventurers.

Heroic (100-200 points): People atthe realistic pinnacle of physical, men-tal, or social achievement; e.g., NavySEALs, world-class scientists, and mil-lionaires. Most full-time adventurersstart their careers at around 150points.

Larger-than-Life (200-300 points):Leading roles in kung fu movies, fan-tasy novels, etc. Typical of the profes-sional adventurer who has alreadymade a name for himself.

Legendary (300-500 points):Protagonists of epic poems and folk-lore. This is the best power level for“gritty” supers and for mortals whorub shoulders with gods.

Superhuman (500-1,000 points):Those who have transcended humani-ty (e.g., supers who can take on tanksbarehanded) and powerful creaturesof fantasy (e.g., dragons who can bestentire armies).

Godlike (over 1,000 points): Truedemigods who can do as they pleasemost of the time.

HIGH-POWEREDCAMPAIGNS

Player characters built on a highpoint total can tax the GM’s ability toprovide meaningful challenges, weak-en the integrity of the game world, andpush the limits of game balance. As aresult, high-powered gaming meritsspecial discussion.

“High-powered” is a subjectiveterm – these guidelines assume PCswith well over 200 points. Even so,most of this advice stands at anypower level!

Character-DesignProblems

Some players spend lots of pointsin one area, resulting in PCs with abu-sive levels of ability. Others use theirample points to prepare for almostevery conceivable situation, therebypoaching on the territory of morefocused PCs. And still others try to doboth, investing many points in a sin-gle trait and then coming up with“creative” ways to use that ability inplace of almost everything else. A fewcountermeasures:

Offer a broad selection of abilities. Ina high-powered game, there should beall manner of expensive options avail-able to soak up points: great wealth,exotic advantages, magic, psionics,powerful racial templates . . . prefer-ably several of these. Let your playersknow what is available, and use theexpanded rules for special abilitieswhenever possible.

Divide starting points between “basepoints” and “experience points.”Consider giving the players only afraction of their starting points tobegin with. Ask them to createfocused, balanced characters for yourapproval. Once you approve a PC, givethe player the rest of his points tospend as if they were earned in play –which means he cannot acquire largenumbers of new advantages, or newskills that don’t fit his character story.

GAME MASTERING 487

* For those who want a battle between the players and the GM, we recommend our Munchkin RPG series:www.sjgames.com/munchkin/rpg/. Really.

“I want a story about great battles and wars andbravery and heroes and villains.”

“I see . . . And what does your sister want?”“. . . She says she wants to hear a true story.”“Very well, then. I will give you both what you

want. A story about great deeds. About armies oflight and soldiers of darkness. About the placeswhere they lived and fought and loved and died.About great empires and terrible mistakes. A truestory.”

– Luc Deradi and Emperor Londo Mollari,Babylon 5: In the Beginning

Require certain abilities. Heroes canbe worth a lot of points without givingthe players control over every lastpoint. A modest discretionary budgetin combination with a fixed set of abil-ities works well. For instance, everysuper might have a package of“mutant abilities” (effectively a racialtemplate) and get 200 points to spendhowever he wants; every commandomight start with a 100-point “basictraining” template and get 50 points tocustomize with.

Require certain categories of abili-ties. If required abilities seem toorigid, consider requiring PCs to have acertain number of points in a fewclasses of abilities. For instance, secretagents might have to spend at least10% of their points on each of “socialtraits,” “combat abilities,” and “techni-cal skills”; supers might have to spendat least 20% of their points on each ofan attack, a defense, and a movementpower.

Limit attribute levels. Attributesaffect so many things in the game thata PC with lots of points in attributescan sometimes cause problems. Tocombat this, set an upper limit onindividual attribute scores or on totalpoints allowed in attributes.

Emphasize the value of relative skilllevel. When a character concept callsfor many skills, there is a temptationto buy high attributes and put rela-tively few points into skills. This mightbe a cheap way to get good skill levels,but it leads to “attribute inflation.” Toencourage more balanced designs, tellyour players that you intend to makeheavy use of the Relative Skill Levelrules on p. 171.

GM LimitationsEven balanced high-powered PCs

can wreak havoc on your adventure orgame world if you aren’t ready forthem! Here are a few ways to preparefor a high-powered game:

Know the heroes’ abilities. There isa lot of information on the charactersheet of a powerful PC. If you are notfamiliar with all of it, the game cangrind to a halt when the player invokesa rarely used ability. Even worse, a for-gotten ability can lay waste to yourcareful plans!

Know the rules. The more abilitiesthe heroes have, the greater the

number of special rules that will see use during the game. Do yourreading before the game begins. Thiskeeps things moving and preventsplayers who like to abuse high-pow-ered abilities from ruining the gamefor everyone.

Fit the challenges to the heroes.Read through your campaign noteswith the PCs’ character sheets in hand.This simple procedure will often alertyou to foes, mysteries, and dangersthat will not challenge the heroes’ abil-ities, and gives you an opportunity topatch these holes before the playersdrive trucks through them.

Present a variety of challenges. Makesure the heroes cannot meet everychallenge with Guns-20 or Fast-Talk-25. Run the game in such a way thatsingle-focus characters have to rely ontheir friends for help. At the sametime, be sure that a few success rollsinvolve sufficiently large penalties thatjack-of-all-trades characters have todefer to the true experts in the group.

Know the stakes. Campaign powerlevel doesn’t just determine the heroes’abilities and the scale of the threatsthey face – it sets an upper limit onany imbalance between the two.Challenges that are merely amusinglyweak or annoyingly tough in a low-powered game might become boringor lethal when scaled up to a higher-powered one. Be ready to think onyour feet! If the heroes are chewing upthe opposition so easily that the play-ers are yawning, have tougher rein-forcements show up; if they are get-ting mauled, give them a lucky break.

Be flexible. Powerful PCs can domore, which makes it tricky to second-guess them. Again, you must think onyour feet. Don’t penalize your playerswhen they finesse your plot with theirabilities . . . but when they use theirpowers as blunt instruments to knockholes in the plot, be ready to come upwith creative countermeasures thatlook like you planned them all along.

System LimitationsGURPS is designed to work at any

power level, but it is impossible tooffer a special rule for every combina-tion of “problem abilities” possible ina high-powered game. When the rulesdo not handle a situation well, try oneof these fixes:

Use optional rules. In many cases,optional rules exist specifically to dealwith high-powered characters – forinstance, Maintaining Skills (p. 294).Such rules can often make the differ-ence between a playable andunplayable game.

Exercise judgment. If a rule implic-itly assumes a certain power level, andthe PCs are beyond this, feel free toextrapolate. For instance, TaskDifficulty (p. 345) lists penalties downto -10, but if your campaign includesheroes with skills of 25 or 30, there isnothing wrong with assigning a penal-ty of -15 or -20!

THE CINEMATICCAMPAIGN

For the most part, GURPS stressesrealism. Heroes can get disappointed,injured, sick, or even dead. So it goes.The GM is expected to stretch realismin an emergency (defined as “whenev-er realism would ruin the game”), butthe rest of the time, realism rules.

The “cinematic” campaign is onewhere realism doesn’t rule – because ifit did, it would constantly get in theway of the story. In a cinematic cam-paign, swashbuckling heroes candefeat dozens of foes because the storycalls for it. Spacecraft whoosh or roarin the silence of space because fastthings whoosh and powerful enginesroar. Rightness always overrules merecorrectness.

The cinematic style of play requiresboth players and GM to understand

488 GAME MASTERING

“Psychic, though? That sounds like somethingout of science fiction.”

“We live on a spaceship, dear.”– Wash and Zoe, Firefly

and agree with this principle, and tocooperate in telling the story. GURPSincludes some rules that can help –but everyone must realize that an epicstory is apt to transcend the rules.

Cinematic Power LevelIt is possible to run a cinematic

game at any power level. Cinematicgames are frequently high-poweredgames – and vice versa – but “cine-matic” is a style, not a point level.Crack commandos in a grimly realis-tic campaign might have huge pointtotals, while many of Robin Hood’sMerry Men would come in under 100points yet be quite at home in a cine-matic campaign.

Still, cinematic heroes should bemarkedly more capable than ordinarypeople . . . and perhaps even more tal-ented than most heroes. Players find iteasier to believe in cinematic stories iftheir characters are capable enough toaccomplish what the story calls forthem to achieve without too much“fudging” on the part of the GM.

How the players spend their pointsis somewhat more important. GURPSprovides many abilities suitable forcinematic gaming. Epic heroes oftenhave a Destiny. Most possess “luck” –although Daredevil and Serendipityare often more appropriate than plain Luck. The GM should permitGadgeteer, Gizmos, Gunslinger,Rapier Wit, Trained By A Master,Weapon Master, and Wild Talent. Heshould also allow any skills associatedwith these traits, and might even wantto use “wildcard skills” (see p. 175).

Cinematic CharactersAdvantages and skills do not, by

themselves, create cinematic heroes.The player must have a character con-cept that turns the statistics on thecharacter sheet into a person. In par-ticular, epic heroes need two things:

A motivation. Love and honor areclassic, but not all cinematic charac-ters are honorable, good, or even nice.Evil dreams and goals – such as blind,unreasoning vengeance – are perfectlyacceptable as long as they are appro-priate. However, obsession can lead toa simplistic character. The player mustmake a conscious effort to round outhis character’s personality.

A place in the world. Cinematicheroes have loved ones, mentors,lovers, ex-lovers, enemies, birthrights,family curses, and so on. They do notsimply appear, play their role, andvanish – they need to be part of thegame world, since their story is part ofwhat defines the game world.

Cinematic PlayCinematic campaigns have certain

conventions:

A cinematic world is ordered.Events have reasons – reasons thatrelate to the story. These might not beobvious, but few things happen arbi-trarily and nothing significant hap-pens at random. This doesn’t meanthat the plot has to be linear or pre-destined. Reversals of fortune arecommon setbacks, and even if thefinal goal is set in stone, the way to getthere is not.

The only details of importance arethose that directly advance the story.Unnecessary detail is the bane of cine-matic gaming. The GM must know thedifference between important detailsand irrelevant ones. For instance, ifthe heroes must cross the BurningWastes to reach the Dark Tower, theywill find enough water along the way;the story would be very short if theydidn’t, and it would not advance thestory much to play out their searches.

The GM must be prepared to over-rule any die roll. If the dice determineevery outcome, the players learn toput probability ahead of dash andstyle. Furthermore, the dice can be astyrannical as a heavy-handed GM;the players are likely to revolt if abrave adventurer dies suddenly from

a random disaster! On the otherhand, the GM must not overrule thedice so often that the players feel asthough nothing they attempt canchange the outcome of the story.

The GM must allow dramaticactions to succeed. If the hero tries toswing from the chandelier, the playermust have confidence that the GM willnot sneer at him and announce that hehas broken his back – and must nowplay a quadriplegic – because hishands slipped off the wax caked ontoit. The GM certainly shouldn’t bogdown play by requiring endless skillrolls modified by the dimness of thetavern!

The players must not take inappro-priate advantage of conventions. Yes,the heroes will make it across theBurning Wastes – but they must stillmake proper preparations. A playerwho remarks, “Don’t worry aboutwater. We’re heroes; we’re sure to findsome,” is playing in the wrong cam-paign. The players must provide dia-log and attitudes in keeping with thestyle of the campaign.

The GM must handle heroic deathssatisfyingly. An epic death cannot bepurposeless. If a PC dies, he dies glori-ously – bravely saving his comrades’lives, or taking an impressive numberof foes with him. Fate (in the person ofthe GM) will be generous. There is noneed for stinginess, as the PC won’t bearound to be a problem later on! Theplayers must not abuse this conven-tion. A dying hero might be almostinvincible . . . but only if he’s selling hislife to take action that directlyadvances the plot.

GAME MASTERING 489

Damn the Rules, Full Speed Ahead!Many gamers prefer a “rules-light” game, in which the action moves

along quickly rather than being bogged down in die roll after die roll.This is similar to cinematic gaming, but it is possible to have a quick,realistic game just by choosing which rules you use. For instance, com-bat slows down a lot when the GM uses hit locations or critical hit andmiss tables – so leave them out. Rather than fuss with the detail ofselecting a dozen skills to round out a character, use a wildcard skill –and maybe a Talent or two (p. 89) to boost that skill even more. If theGM and players want a free-wheeling, fast-paced game, it’s easy to do –just pare GURPS down to its essential elements and be willing to makea lot of judgment calls on the fly.

There are a few things the GMshould do before play actually starts,to make things easier for himself andthe players:

Introduce the characters. If you arein the middle of a continuing cam-paign, you can skip this step! But ifyou are just starting out, each playershould have the opportunity todescribe “himself” or “herself.” If there

is an artist in the group, he may helpby drawing the characters as they aredescribed.

Check for skills, etc. improved sincethe last play session. In a continuingcampaign, the PCs earn characterpoints that they can spend to improvetheir abilities. Sometimes the PCs canstudy, work at jobs, etc. between playsessions. Therefore, some characters

may have better skills or abilities thanthey did last game session. This is thetime for the players to work out suchmatters with the GM. (If everyone inthe group has net access, it might bebetter to work on this via e-mailbetween games, to avoid slowingthings down.)

Fill out the GM Control Sheet.While the players are getting to knoweach other (or each other’s charac-ters), the GM should check over thecharacter sheets, make sure every-thing balances, and copy necessaryinformation onto a GM Control Sheet.This reference lists attributes, second-ary characteristics, special advantagesand skills, etc. for each PC. When theGM rolls in secret to determine whosees something, who understandssomething that everyone sees, whoresists a spell, or who that bad-tem-pered dwarf takes a dislike to, thissheet is valuable.

Brief the players. Tell them what’sgoing on, give them some idea whatthe adventure will be about, and (in acontinuing campaign) refresh theirmemory about the last game session.There are many ways to do this. Youcan always just tell them. But it’s muchmore fun to start play and then “setthe scene.” Let the characters immedi-ately find a map or old book . . . meetsomeone who tells them an interestingrumor . . . befriend someone in needof help . . . witness a wrong that needsrighting . . . or whatever.

Let the game begin!

MAPSThe GM may wish to prepare maps

in advance, to help him plan and tokeep track of events. He may also givemaps to the players as clues. And theplayers themselves might want to maptheir progress – whether it be throughjungles, dungeons, or downtown NewYork City – to make sure they can findtheir way back . . .

Maps in GURPS use hexagons, or“hexes,” to regulate movement andcombat. Each hex is adjacent to sixother hexes. See Hexes (p. 384).

490 GAME MASTERING

STARTING A GAME SESSION

Advance PreparationThere are several things for the GM to do well in advance, before the

players arrive on the scene:

Prepare the adventure. If you are playing a prepared adventure, allyou need to do is read through it, and possibly make up some charac-ter sheets. But if you are designing your own adventure, you may spendweeks of work – a labor of love – before it is ready for the players. Inany event, be sure you’re fully familiar with the adventure before theplayers show up!

Brief the players about the adventure. If your players are alreadyfamiliar with the system, you should tell them in advance (before theyarrive to start the game) what sort of characters are “legal” and howmuch money, equipment, etc. they are allowed – and perhaps give ahint about useful skills. If everyone has his character made up inadvance, you’ll be able to get right to the action when the players arrive.

Set up the play area. You need pencils, paper, and dice; maps andminiatures if you are using them (and a table to play them on); and asupply of snacks (for yourself, if not for the whole group)!

Who’s Got the Sheets?Much of the advice in this chapter assumes that you, as GM, have

access to the character sheets during the planning process, or at leastare maintaining a detailed GM Control Sheet. Some GMs ask the play-ers to leave their character sheets with them, both because it helps themplan and because then the players can’t lose them. However, there aresituations (for instance, a campaign in which GM duties rotate throughthe group) where that’s impractical – and some players really don’t liketo give up that much control. You should at least have a control sheetwith each PC’s primary abilities, updated as major changes happen. It’snot as good as having the actual character sheets, but it’s much betterthan trying to plan and run the game blind. Of course, a photocopy ordigital copy is even better!

To Screen or Not to Screen?Many GMs prefer to use folders, books, or other opaque items to

screen their notes and die rolls from the players. Others find that it dis-tances them from the game, and like being right out with everyone else.This is largely a matter of taste; we point out only that there are situa-tions in which a GM should roll secretly, and you should have someeasy way to do that.

Travel MapsDraw these maps to any conven-

ient scale. Examples include maps ofcontinents, highways, and cities.These are purely for information; theyare not “playing boards.” In a modernadventure, the players have access totravel maps. In a far-past or far-futurecampaign, the travel map might be theGM’s secret. (Finding a map can be agreat adventure objective.)

Area MapsThe standard scale for these maps

is 1” = 18’ (6 hexes). Each hex is stillone yard across – it is just drawn to a

smaller scale. Use this scale to map anentire building, dungeon, arena, etc.,and use a different sheet for each flooror level, indicating shafts and stair-ways. Mark each room (or other pointof interest) with a letter or number foruse with a map key.

For each room, the map key shouldgive:

• Its size (although this might beclear from the area map).

• A general description.• A description of the people or

creatures in the room, if any. This maybe as simple as “Two ordinary wolves,”or as complex as “This room is empty

except between midnight and 9 a.m.,when two guards are there. There is a50% chance that each one is asleep.They are ordinary guards from theCharacter List, but one of them alsohas a gold ring worth $200. They willsurrender if outnumbered more than2 to 1, but will not cooperate, even ifthreatened with death.”

• If necessary, any special notesabout the room, and descriptions ofanything that might be found if theroom were examined carefully.

• If necessary, a room map (seebelow) to show the precise location offurniture, characters, etc.

GAME MASTERING 491

Player-Made MapsWhenever the PCs enter an area for which they have

no map – be it a dungeon, a laboratory complex, or anetwork of jungle trails – the players will want to mapit themselves. (That is, they will if they are smart!)

However, mapping is not trivial. Unless the partycarries a tape measure and spends a lot of time using it,you should not tell them, “You go 12 yards down thestairs and turn north. The tunnel is seven feet wide andnine feet high. It goes north for 120 yards and thenturns northeast. In another 20 yards, it opens out intoa room 10 yards by 6 yards.” That sort of informationwould require several minutes per measurement and askill roll against Mathematics (Surveying) – not just astroll through the tunnel!

Instead, give them information like this:

“You walk down the stairs – they go down a little far-ther than an ordinary flight of stairs. At the bottom,there’s a tunnel going right. It’s wide enough for two towalk side by side, and so high you can barely touch theceiling with your swords. It goes on for a ways in a fair-ly straight line . . .”

“How far?” asks a player.“Is somebody pacing it off? Okay. Around 128 paces.

It then turns to the right a bit . . .”“How much?”“Did you bring surveying tools? Anybody got

Absolute Direction? No? All right. Standing at the inter-section, with the old tunnel behind you at six o’clock,the new tunnel looks like it turns away at between oneo’clock and two o’clock. Got that? Now, it goes along foranother 19 or 20 paces, and then opens out into a bigroom. The door is in the middle of the long wall. Theroom is roughly rectangular. From where you stand, itmight be 10 yards long, 6 or 7 yards wide.”

Very different, yes? But also much more realistic.The players receive only the information the PCs

actually get with their senses. In the example above,the GM fudged all the distances a little bit, assumingthat whoever was pacing would have a standard pacea bit less than a yard.

If you do this, the players might come up withingenious ways to measure time and distance. Letthem!

Note that if mapping is difficult in ordinary circum-stances, it becomes next to impossible if the party is ina hurry! Suppose the group is being chased through thearea described above. The GM would say:

“Okay. You’re running? Stop mapping. Here’s whereyou go. Down the stairs! Turn right! Run for severalseconds! The tunnel bends to the right! Run a little far-ther! You’re in a room!”

And so on. When the party stops running, they cansit down and try to remember where they went.(Eidetic Memory is a big help here!)

Mapping Overland JourneysIf the PCs are traveling through unexplored territo-

ry, the players may wish to keep a large-scale map. TheGM may make it automatic if they are following rivers,canyons, and the like. If they are trekking through fea-tureless wastes, or trying to map a specific tiny inlet ofa great river, making a map good enough for others tofollow requires a Cartography roll. This defaults to IQ-5, Geography-2, Mathematics (Surveying)-2, orNavigation-4. Absolute Direction is good for +3 to theroll.

This can be an adventure in itself: the party is sentto explore and map the trackless waste, virgin planet,mysterious dungeon, steaming jungle, dead city, orwhatever.

The GM should keep this sort ofmap secret from the players –although they can try to make theirown map. He may wish to place amarker on the area map to showwhere the party is at any givenmoment.

Room MapsDraw these maps to any conven-

ient scale. A useful scale is 1” = 6’ (2hexes) – half the size of a combat map.Use these maps when you need tosketch a room in some detail but donot want to draw up a combat map.

Combat MapsCombat does not require combat

maps – although they can be handy tohelp the players visualize the action.Tactical Combat (Chapter 12) doesrequire combat maps.

Combat maps are drawn to a scaleof 1” = 3’; each hex is three feet, or 1yard, across. When the charactersenter an area where combat mightoccur, lay out a map and have themplace their figures on it to show exact-ly where they are. If combat occurs,play out the fight on the combat map.

Treat any partial hex as equal to afull hex. This allows a realistic repre-sentation of either a hex-walled roomor an irregular cavern.

492 GAME MASTERING

RUNNING THE GAMEThe GM’s task during the game is

simple. All he has to do is listen to theplayers describe what they’re doing,then use the rules of the game to tellthem what happens, so they candescribe what they want to do next . . .and so on. Well, perhaps it’s not quitethat simple!

The sections below will help you,as GM, determine “what happensnext” in a variety of situations. But themost important things are not “rules”at all, but guidelines for good GMing.

Use common sense. When any rulegives a silly result, follow commonsense instead. No matter how muchwe playtest, no rules are perfect –including these. Don’t let the playersturn into “rules lawyers.” Your deci-sion is final.

Be fair. Give all the players an evenchance, and try to keep all of them

involved in the action. And when youchange a rule or make a special excep-tion, apply it equally to everybody.

Keep the action moving. A roleplay-ing game is like a story. As the GM,you’re the author. Your main charac-ters have free will, and often the storygoes where they want it to go! Butwhen things lag, it’s your job to liventhem up. Improvise an encounter . . .introduce a clue . . . do something toget things back on track, or to help theplayers get some ideas.

Don’t lean on formulas. This defi-nitely includes the various formulas inthe rules! Use them when you needthem – but don’t let them becomecrutches. And don’t let adherence to aformula spoil the game. For instance,if the hero really needs to lift that rockto keep the action going, let him lift it.

Thou shalt not kill. Not much, any-way. In some RPGs, life is cheap. A

GM doesn’t think he’s doing a good jobunless he slaughters half the partywithin the first hour of play. But mostplayers don’t find this fun. GURPSallows complete, detailed charactercreation. It’s a shame to turn suchcarefully crafted characters into can-non fodder. Remember: good adven-ture stories don’t kill off their heroeswithout a reason. This is discussed ingreater detail below; see Keeping TheCharacters Alive (p. 496). Of course, ifyou and your players really like hack-and-slash games, go right ahead . . .

SETTLING RULESQUESTIONS

In any question of rules, the GM’sword is law. The GM decides whichoptional rules to use, and settles anyspecific questions that come up. A

Room Map:2 hexes/inch

Combat Map:1 hex/inch

Area Map:6 hexes/inch

good GM discusses important ques-tions with the players before deciding– and a good player accepts the GM’sdecisions.

The GM should know the rulesthoroughly. When the rules do notcover a situation – or when a decisionabout the “real world” is needed – theGM can use several techniques:

Success rolls. A “success roll” is aroll that tests one of a character’sattributes, skills, etc. – see Chapter 10.Use a success roll when a questionarises about someone’s ability to dosome particular thing.

Random rolls. A random roll isoften best for a question like “Are thekeys in the car?” or “Does one of thesoldiers have a horse the same color asmine?” The GM decides what thechances are, then rolls the dice. Somethings have a 50-50 chance; others arehighly unlikely. The GM decides whatthe odds should be, and leaves the restto fate.

Arbitrary fiat. You don’t have to usethe dice at all. If there is only one“right” answer to fit the plot of theadventure – then that’s the answer.“Luckily for you, the grenade bounceddown the stairwell. Nobody was hurt.But now the guards are alerted!”

DEALING WITHTHE PLAYERS

Players are individuals, with opin-ions and biases, and there will betimes when the GM needs to keep thepeace. Here is some advice for doingjust that.

ArgumentsAs the GM, you should always lis-

ten to reasonable suggestions from theplayers – and if you make a mistake,you should be willing to reverse yourdecision. But you are the final author-ity, and the court of last resort. If youmake a decision that you think is fair,and someone insists on arguing . . .invite him to leave the game, tem-porarily or permanently. Games arefun. Arguments aren’t. (The otherplayers may step in and shut thisdown before you get a chance. Letthem!)

“I changed my mind!”Certain players try to “take

back” actions when they suffer bad

consequences. Don’t let them do itunless they could realistically havechanged their minds in time to avoidtrouble.

If George says, “I’m dropping thenitroglycerine,” and you roll the diceand tell him, “It just blew up. Take 3ddamage,” George can’t take it back.But if George says, “I’m setting fire tothe building,” and then changes hismind – let him. “All right. You lit thematch and found some newspaper,but then you changed your mind.Stomp out the newspaper.” Buildingsdon’t burn that quickly, so George hadtime to reconsider. (If George hadused a flamethrower, of course, itwould be different!)

In general, if a player announcesthat he is performing an irrevocableact . . . he really did it, and that’s that.

Follow the LeaderIf the players select a leader,

the leader should speak for the party,telling the GM what they are doing –except in emergencies. Then, it’s everyman for himself. The leader can give orders, but he cannot enforcethem unless his character can enforcethem in the game world. If the leaderappeals to you for help, tell him, “You’re the leader. You keep discipline.”

Table TalkIf your players are too noisy, tell

them, “If you say it, your charactersays it.” This means that the characterscannot be stealthy unless the playersare quiet, and the characters cannotmake a speedy decision unless theplayers decide quickly. Enforcing thisrule can save the GM’s sanity, especial-ly if he has a large group.

PLAYINGTHE NPCS

A “nonplayer character” (NPC) isanyone played by the GM. The GMgets to play dozens of charactersthroughout an adventure – fromchance-met travelers to powerfulpatrons and villains.

As the GM, you may create yourNPCs in any way you like. You shoulddesign important NPCs just like playercharacters, but you can give “cannonfodder” and “bit players” logical abili-ties by using templates (see Character

Templates, p. 445) or by assigningappropriate traits on the spur of themoment without regard to point value.

Once you create an NPC – major orminor – play the role! Your NPCs willtry to earn money, look important andadmirable, protect their skins, andachieve their goals – just like anybodyelse! The more skilled you become atroleplaying, the better a GM you willbe and the more fun you (and yourplayers) will have.

Some of your NPCs will automati-cally be friendly to the PCs; others willbe “natural enemies.” These reactionswill be preset when you work out thescenario. But many NPCs have no“automatic” response to the PCs.Instead, you will use the Reaction Table(p. 560) to see how they respond.

Playing the AdversaryWhen the GM plays an NPC who is

an enemy of the PCs, he should try tolimit his knowledge to those things thatthe NPC would really be aware of. TheGM knows all about the party’sstrengths and weaknesses – but theirenemies don’t. One good way to solvethis problem is to have another personplay the adversary characters.

The GM should tell the Adversary asmuch as possible about the charactershe is to play. But the Adversary shouldknow no more than is “realistic” aboutthe overall situation. In particular, heshould know very little about the PCsand their abilities – especially at thebeginning of an adventure! For totalrealism, you might even want twoAdversary players – one for knowledge-able enemies who are familiar with theparty, and one for stupid cannon fodder.

The Adversary is like an “assistantGM.” His job is to roleplay the foes aswell as possible. He should not playthem as mindless killing machines(unless they really are). If the “appro-priate” thing for those particular ene-mies to do is to attack, they shouldattack. But they might also throw rocksfrom ambush, shout insults, or evenrun away immediately!

In any disagreement between theAdversary and the GM, the GM’s wordis law. But a good GM gives theAdversary as much leeway as possible,and takes any disagreement into anoth-er room to avoid distracting the players.

Playing the Adversary is a goodway to build up experience if youwould like to be a GM someday.

GAME MASTERING 493

REACTION ROLLSWhen the PCs meet an NPC whose

reaction to them is not predetermined(see below), the GM makes a “reactionroll” on 3d. The higher the roll, thebetter the reaction. The GM then playsthe NPC according to the guidelineson the Reaction Table.

The GM should keep this roll secretfrom the players. They don’t know, forinstance, whether that friendly-look-ing old farmer is giving them straightadvice or sending them into a trap.

A reaction roll is not a success roll.There are three important differences:

1. There is no “target number” toroll against.

2. A high roll is good, not bad.

3. Reaction modifiers apply directlyto the die roll. A reaction bonus is anyfactor that will make NPCs friendlier,while a reaction penalty is somethingthat will bias NPCs against the PCs.

Some common reaction modifiers:

Personal appearance and behavior.This is especially true for the PC whodoes the talking! Above-average

494 GAME MASTERING

Gaming OnlineIf you don’t have a gaming group in your area, or

you still want to game with college buddies who arescattered all over the country (or the world!), you maywant to try roleplaying online. There are a number ofways to go about it:

Play by e-mail (PBEM). In this style of play, the GMdescribes the scene for everyone. Each player thensends his next “move” to the GM, who compiles every-one’s moves, figures out what the NPCs are doing dur-ing that time, resolves all the actions, and sends out thenext installment.

Advantages: no one is forced into hasty action; justabout everyone with any sort of net access has e-mail,and it works just as well on a 10-year-old computer asit does on the newest model; the GM can attach files tothe messages if he wants to show the players somethingtheir characters would see; games aren’t held up wait-ing on the perpetually late player to arrive; and no onecan steal your munchies.

Disadvantages: it is a lot more work for the GM,especially if he is a poor typist; a single encounter cantake weeks to complete if the players are slow aboutreplying; and it’s just about impossible to run anydetailed combats – in fact, many PBEMs actively avoidcombat.

Play by real-time chat (IRC, M*, instant message,etc.). A compromise between e-mail and face-to-facegaming is using an online chat room or instant mes-saging service. This has many of the good and bad fea-tures of both approaches – games have to be scheduled,but the players don’t have to be in the same physicallocation; it’s possible to have real-time interactionamong the players, but if someone is a slow typist, hebogs the game down (or gets left behind); no one stealssomeone else’s munchies, but no one buys the GMpizza, either. Some chat sites do have dice rollers, how-ever, which makes gaming easier.

Massively multiplayer online RPGs. These are com-puter games that allow the players and GMs to interactonline. Some let you use any game system you like; oth-ers come with built-in rules.

We have made some efforts along this line, but sofar nothing has come of them. It definitely seems thatMMPORGs are the future of online gaming for many

people. These are getting better all the time, and ratherthan discuss the state of the art as of this printing(which will be outdated in six months and laughablycrude in two years), we’ll just mention them and sug-gest that you ask around for help getting started.

Other Online ResourcesEven if you aren’t gaming online, there are lots – no,

lots – make that LOTS – of great places to find supportfor your tabletop GURPS game. Here are a few:

Pyramid. Our online magazine is not a “houseorgan” – it covers games from across the industry – butit does have a lot of GURPS content, with more addedjust about every week. The archives of the print issuesof Pyramid (and its GURPS-only predecessor,Roleplayer) have many articles which have never beenadapted in later GURPS publications. With an onlinechat zone (including gaming areas), message boards,and new content every week, Pyramid is a steal.

e23. Our new e-publishing venture has both out-of-print and brand new adventures and source material. Itis also growing all the time, so check back frequently tosee what new items we’ve added!

Our website. The SJ Games web page is loaded withextra content (and, eek, errata fixes) for almost everyGURPS book ever published. It also includes down-loadable software to help you run games in person or online. Our webforums cover everything we do,including, of course, GURPS, and are a great place toask questions.

URLsAnd here are the URLs:

SJ Games main page: www.sjgames.comGURPS main page: www.sjgames.com/gurps/Forums: forums.sjgames.comPyramid: www.sjgames.com/pyramid/e23: e23.sjgames.comGURPS errata: www.sjgames.com/errata/gurps/GURPS Online: www.sjgames.com/gurps/online –

As of this writing there is nothing at that page but anannouncement of a canceled project, but if somethingnew happens, that’s where it’ll be.

appearance gives a bonus, as do suchtraits as Charisma, Fashion Sense,Pitiable, and Voice. In most situations,so does a high apparent Status. Below-average appearance and many disad-vantages give a penalty.

Skills. A successful roll against askill appropriate to the situation cangive +2 to reactions. Examples includeAdministration when dealing withbureaucrats, Carousing when party-ing, and Politics when interacting withpoliticians. In a few cases, skill 20+gives an automatic +2 to reactions.Diplomacy and Fast-Talk work thisway if you are allowed to talk – as doesMerchant skill, during commercialtransactions. The GM may give simi-lar bonuses for other skills.

Racial or national biases. Elvesdon’t like dwarves, Frenchmen don’tcare for Germans, and so on. Theseare usually penalties, and take theform of a Social Stigma disadvantagefor the PC or an Intolerance disadvan-tage on the part of the NPC.

Appropriate behavior by the play-ers! Here’s a chance to reward goodroleplaying. A good approach shouldbe worth +1 or more! A wholly inap-propriate approach that antagonizesthe NPCs should give the party -1 or-2 on the reaction roll. Don’t tell theplayers, “You blew it!” – just roleplaythe offended character, and let themfigure it out.

Random reaction rolls are greatwhen they add a note of unpre-dictability to the game – this is morefun for the GM, too! However, neversubstitute random die rolls for reasonand logic.

PredeterminedReactions

Certain NPCs might have reactionmodifiers (mostly bad) worked out inadvance. For instance, a street gangmight have a -5 reaction to anybody.

Predetermined reaction penaltiessometimes come with a “best-case”reaction. Treat any reaction betterthan the best-case reaction as the best-case scenario; do not roll again. Forinstance, a mountain man might be aloner, with a -2 reaction to any out-sider – and no matter what, his reac-tion will never be better than“Neutral.” In this case, the GM wouldlower any reaction better than Neutralto Neutral.

Predetermined bonuses and worst-case reactions (e.g., “never any worsethan Neutral”) are possible for unusu-ally friendly NPCs.

Second Reaction RollsIf the players get a reaction roll

they don’t like, they may change theirapproach and try again (unless thefirst roll started a fight!). Changes inapproach include offering a bribe,offering a better deal, having someoneelse ask, presenting new information,and using a particular skill (seebelow). If the NPC, as played by theGM, feels that the PCs are becoming anuisance, apply a cumulative -2 toeach reaction roll after the first! ThePCs can avoid this penalty by waitinga reasonable time between requests.“Reasonable” is entirely up to the GM!

Influence SkillsThe PCs can substitute a roll

against Diplomacy, Fast-Talk,Intimidation, Savoir-Faire, SexAppeal, or Streetwise for a regularreaction roll in certain situations – seeInfluence Rolls (p. 359). The GM stillapplies any modifiers that wouldapply to the reaction roll, but treatsthem as modifiers to the skill roll.

KNOWLEDGEOne challenge of roleplaying is to

limit a character’s knowledge to thethings he “should” know.

PC KnowledgePart of the GM’s job is to keep play-

ers from making use of informationthat their characters could not know.

Anachronistic technology. Playerscan’t use high-tech knowledge thattheir characters could not have. If amedieval character wants to inventgunpowder, or build a compoundbow, or use moldy bread for peni-cillin, you don’t have to let him. Ofcourse, time travelers can take knowl-edge into the past.

Similarly, modern charactersshould not be allowed free use ofancient techniques. Gunpowder is anexample here, too . . . how many 21st-century people know exactly what tocombine to make gunpowder – orhow to mix, grind, sieve, and use itwithout blowing themselves up?Modern characters can always try to“remember” ancient techniques, bymaking appropriate (and difficult)rolls against History skill or the par-ticular specialty involved.

Knowledge of history. If your gameis set in the “real” past of Earth, theplayers – if they paid attention inschool! – have advance knowledge ofhow things “really” came out. Don’t letthem use it – unless, of course, theyare time travelers from the future. Andremember that, in a game, history canbe changed – so some of the things theplayers know might not be true.

Literacy. This is important – andlots of fun. If a PC is illiterate, don’t lethim read anything! It is amazing howmany players claim -3 points for awritten comprehension level of Nonein their native language . . . butassume they can still read maps, streetsigns, and shop windows!

GAME MASTERING 495

“I open the door, duck under the poisoned blade trap, step on every third brick, and make sure

not to trip the hidden laser sensors.”If you’re using a pre-packaged adventure, it is possible that some of

the players have already seen it, or even played through it. (If you’rereally unlucky, one of them GMed it!) As soon as you get a hint that theplayers are acting from knowledge that they, themselves, should nothave, it’s time to throw them a curve ball, such as an unplannedencounter, a room that “shouldn’t” be there, or a trap they weren’texpecting – and, perhaps, to re-evaluate whether you want to be gam-ing with people who are willing to cheat at the expense of everyoneelse’s fun. Or at least yours.

NPC KnowledgeLikewise, the GM and the

Adversary should not use knowledgethat their characters could not logical-ly possess. This is the main reason forhaving an Adversary in the first place. . . so the GM can’t use his total knowl-edge of the PCs against them. Thewarnings under PC Knowledge applyequally to NPCs, but there are someadditional things to watch out for:

Objectives of the party. The GMknows the players’ true objectives; theAdversary may know. But when heplays “ignorant” characters, he mustroleplay his ignorance. This mightmean that an NPC acts hostile whenhe “should” be friendly, or vice versa.It also means that when the partysneaks into the castle, the guards can’tall rush to protect the treasure room.They don’t know for sure where thePCs are going!

Abilities of the party. All NPCs –especially adversary characters –should react according to the apparentstrength of the party. A simple exam-ple: if the PCs are exploring a dungeonpopulated by roving bands of orcs,each new band should find out thehard way that the party’s wizard usesthe Explosive Fireball spell – untilsome orc escapes to spread the word.

Special weaknesses of the party. If(for instance) two members of theparty are deathly afraid of snakes, theadversary characters shouldn’t knowthis unless there is a way they couldhave found out. In fact, the GMshouldn’t tell the Adversary things likethis in the first place. Let him find outfor himself! But even after he findsout, he can’t use this sort of fact unlesshe is playing a foe who should know.

KEEPING THECHARACTERSALIVE

There is a basic contradiction inRPGs. On one hand, the players arelooking for adventure, and adven-tures are dangerous. On the otherhand, nobody wants to get killed! TheGM must walk a fine line between a“giveaway” adventure – wherenobody is in real danger – and awholesale massacre.

The GURPS rules are designed fortwo main things: good roleplaying andrealism, in that order. “Realism”means that, in any serious combat,someone is likely to get killed or badlyhurt. And, since in real life nobodywants to get killed, “good roleplaying”means that most people try not tofight until they have to! That goes foryour NPCs as well as the PCs.

Good roleplaying (and having agood adventure) is the most importantthing, though. When good roleplayingconflicts with realism, roleplayingshould win out. As the GM, youshould try not to let such a conflictoccur. But if it does happen, tip thescales toward fun.

In particular, try not to kill toomany of the PCs! In a hack-and-slashgame, where the PCs are no more thansets of numbers, a death is no loss. Ina true roleplaying game, with fullyrealized heroes who took a long timeto develop, losing a character can hurt.That is not to say that PCs can’t die.They can. But in the best games, theydon’t die too often.

Keep in mind that RPGs are meantto be fun. They simulate the “reality”of heroic fantasy, not the reality ofday-to-day life. An RPG is a story thatthe GM and the players write together.And in the best stories, the heroes(most of them, anyway) survive andtriumph. This is more important than“logic.” Logically, Luke Skywalkerwould have been shot down . . . Frodoand Sam would have starved inMordor . . . Tarzan would have beenlion-bait before he was six years old. Aclassic story defies logic, and still youbelieve it – because you want to. Agood game is like that, too.

There are several techniques youcan use to keep from killing off your“main characters.” Some of these aretotally contradictory. As GM, you’rethe boss. Use whichever methods youlike.

Intelligent scenario design. Don’t fillyour adventures with traps and foes

designed to slaughter the PCs. Designa scenario to make the players thinkand roleplay, and to give them a fairchance – or perhaps a better-than-fairchance, since they are the heroes.

Realistic NPC behavior. Most realis-tic NPCs won’t risk their own livesunnecessarily. Not every encounterturns hostile; not every hostileencounter turns violent; not every vio-lent encounter involves weapons. Ofcourse, some game worlds are moreviolent than others, but “life is cheap”usually makes for a very poor game.

Even in a violent game world,enemy NPCs will often have a reasonto take the PCs prisoner rather thankill them outright: interrogation, ran-som, imprisonment, slavery, sacrifice,or what-have-you. Capture and escapeare staples of adventure fiction, whichis what the game is all about!

And if the PCs are winning a fight,your NPCs should try to save theirskins. In real life, most guards, beasts,or bandits flee – regardless of duty,hunger, or greed – if a fight goesagainst them. Play them that way.

Realistic NPC abilities. In mostgame worlds, the PCs start off withmore points than the average person.This means that most NPCs are nomatch for them, physically or intellec-tually. There are exceptions . . . inter-esting, dangerous exceptions. But the“man on the street” should have poor-er attributes and fewer abilities thanthe PCs. For the most part, the PCsshould be facing inferior foes. This notonly keeps the game in balance – itpreserves the “reality” of adventurefiction.

This is not to say that an “average”person cannot be dangerous. A 25-point thug can be a nasty fighter, if hetakes a couple of disadvantages thatdon’t affect combat and specializes inST, DX, and combat training. He ismore than a match for a 100-pointintellectual in a fight. But a 100-pointfighter can chop him to bits.

Safety-net rules. Make use of rulesthat serve to keep the PCs alive. Letthem expend FP for bonuses todefense rolls (see Extra Effort inCombat, p. 357), or even spend bonuscharacter points to buy successes (seeInfluencing Success Rolls, p. 347). Inaction-oriented campaigns, considermaking Luck a required advantage togive the PCs “rules protection” frombad die rolls.

496 GAME MASTERING

If they really ask for trouble, let them have it.

Deus ex machina. This is miraculousoutside intervention that saves the day.The cavalry comes over the hill . . . thestarship beams you up . . . the Governorissues a pardon. When the players didtheir best and things just went totallywrong, arrange a miraculous escape,against all odds. If it was good enoughfor Edgar Rice Burroughs, it’s goodenough for you. Needless to say, thebeneficiaries of a deus ex machinashould not gain bonus character pointsfrom the situation, since they did notescape on their own.

Cheat! When all else fails, roll thedice where the players can’t see – andthen lie about your roll. “It worked! Youfinally got the door open. You rushthrough and slam it behind you. Theorcs cannot follow.” When an “honest”roll would result in a bloody massacre,it is forgivable for the GM to cheat inthe players’ favor.

One last note: There will come atime when the players insist on gettingthemselves killed – through gross care-lessness, total stupidity, or even (we canhope) good roleplaying, right down tothe bitter end. You can’t rescue themevery time . . . that’s no fun, either! Ifthey really ask for trouble, let them haveit. So it goes.

GAME TIME“Game time” is the time that pass-

es in the game world, as determined bythe GM. It rarely passes at the samerate as time in the real world.

Time During AdventuresCombat is played in “slow” time. A

turn in combat equals one second, butit might take a minute or more in thereal world to resolve that turn, especial-ly if the players are inexperienced or thebattle is a large one. Since combat isusually a life-or-death situation, youneed to give your players time to think.

Conversations, planning sessions,attempts to escape from traps, and sim-ilar situations are played in “real” time.If the players spend 10 minutes dis-cussing how to best approach an NPCmerchant . . . their characters spent 10minutes talking outside the shop.

Routine travel, long tasks, etc., arehandled in “fast” time. For instance,when the party is walking along a trail,the GM can simply skip the time

between encounters: “You walk foranother two hours, and then, comingtoward you, you see two youngwomen with long poles . . .” Tell theplayers when they meet someone,when they enter a town, when nightfalls, and so on. Just compress the restof the time. Under some circum-stances – a long sea or space voyage,for instance – the GM could compressmonths of uneventful time into“Nothing happens until July, unlessyou make it happen yourself.” This isa good time for the characters to

dream up some interesting deviltry, orto fill out Time Use Sheets for studyand self-improvement (see Time UseSheets, p. 499).

Time Between SessionsIf you can’t finish an adventure in

one session, just “pause” the gameuntil the next session. For instance, ifthe party confronts a rampagingTyrannosaurus just before the sessionends, the Tyrannosaurus gets no closerin the real-world week before you canplay again.

GAME MASTERING 497

When in Doubt, Roll and Shout

Often, in spite of your most careful preparation, something surpris-ing happens. It could be anything. No matter how much you planahead, your players will come up with something you didn’t expect.

That’s all right. If they didn’t come up with anything surprising, yourduties as GM would be much less fun. But you still have to cope withthe problem.

Let’s say, for instance, that the heroes have just discovered theShrine of the Mother Goddess. Suddenly, they realize that they havebeen followed! A dozen huge, ape-like creatures stalk through the doorand approach menacingly. There are no other exits.

There are several things the players might do, and you’re prepared.If they want to fight, you know the combat stats for the ape-things. Ifthey try to make friends, you’ve already decided that they’ll be draggedaway to the ape-cave and fattened up for dinner. If they try to flee, oruse magic to make a barricade, you know there is a secret door behindthe altar – if they can find it in time. If they try to call on the MotherGoddess, you’ve decided it won’t work – they don’t know the spells orrituals.

However, one of the younger characters panics when he sees the ape-things. Running to the giant statue of the Mother Goddess, he claspsher around the knees and bawls for help. He doesn’t pray . . . he justpleads, like a terrified child. And you weren’t ready for something likethat!

Of course, you can just say, “Nothing happens. It doesn’t work,”whenever your players try something original. But that’s no fun.

Or you can always say, “I wasn’t ready for that. Do something else.”But that’s no fun either.

The good GM uses his imagination to match the players’ creativity.In a really dramatic situation, like the one described above, just go withthe flow! There’s a very good chance that the Mother Goddess takes pityon that poor, sincere fool. Maybe she swats the ape-things out the door.Maybe she just picks up that one character and holds him safe, leavingthe others to fight the apes. Who knows? You’re the GM. In an unusu-al situation, anything is right if it’s fair to the players and makes thestory better.

Whatever you do, it’s a good idea not to let the players know whenyou are improvising. Let them think you had it all planned in advance.If you want to admit afterward that you were just “winging it,” that’s upto you. But don’t interrupt the flow of the game. Roll the dice, shout“You did it!” (or “You blew it!”), and keep going.

Time BetweenAdventures

If you are running a continuingcampaign, you should keep track oftime between adventures, so charac-ters can study, travel, and age. Thiscan always be the same amount oftime, or the GM and players can sim-ply agree on a “logical” time to passbetween the end of one adventureand the beginning of the next. It isoften a good idea to let a month ortwo go by, to allow time for healing,earning money at “ordinary” jobs,

and study of new skills – see Time UseSheets (p. 499).

There is also merit to shakingthings up occasionally – ask the play-ers what their PCs are doing, and theninterrupt their activities with the nextadventure! Once in a while, this can bereally effective, especially if the adven-ture is meant to be a “double red alert”emergency. If the party is widely scat-tered, this might be a chance to trysome new techniques, such as one-on-one adventures or play by e-mail. Letthem deal with the crisis alone for a

bit before bringing them back togeth-er. You don’t want to do this too often,however, especially if some of the PCswere in the middle of training for anew skill or long tasks (enchanting,inventing, etc.). Even fictional heroesneed some downtime . . .

Alternatively, you can let X days ofreal time equal one day of game time,all the time. For instance, if X is 7, oneday equals one week; therefore, if ithas been seven days since your lastadventure, seven weeks have passed inthe game world.

498 GAME MASTERING

At the end of each play session, theGM should do the following:

Discuss the adventure with the play-ers. What went right and what wentwrong – and why? If the session waspart of a continuing campaign, theGM should be careful not to give awayany secrets!

Award character points for goodplay (see below).

File away the play material. NPCrecords, GM Control Sheet, etc. will allbe useful later – be sure to keep trackof them! You can often “recycle” NPCsin later adventures.

Plan the next session with the play-ers. This is especially important in acontinuing campaign. Decide wherethe game will take up next week, howmuch game time will have passed, andanything else that the players need toknow before the next session starts.

AWARDING BONUSCHARACTERPOINTS

At the end of each play session, theGM should award bonus characterpoints for good play. “Good play” isanything that advances the heroes’mission or shows good roleplaying –preferably both. But roleplayingtrumps mission success! If a playerdid something totally outside his char-acter’s personality (for instance, if atotal coward performed a brave act),this should not be worth any points,even if it saved the day for the rest ofthe group!

The GM is free to award any num-ber of points . . . but in general, heshould give each player between zeroand five points, averaging two or threepoints, per session. The low end is forbad roleplaying or mission failure,while the high end is for good role-playing or mission success.Remember that a character gets nopoints for a session in which hisDependent is killed, seriously wound-ed, or kidnapped and not recovered!

The GM might also wish to give anaward – perhaps equal to that for asuccessful play session – upon theconclusion of a lengthy adventure,story arc, or major plot thread. This isin addition to any points for the ses-sion during which the plot wasresolved!

The GM should award bonuspoints separately (and probably

secretly) to each player. The playershould record his points on his char-acter sheet if he intends to play thatcharacter again; the GM might alsowant to keep his own record. The play-er can use these points to develop andimprove his character – see Chapter 9.

These are only guidelines. The GMcan award as many or as few points ashe wishes. Some games call for fastercharacter advancement than others!

Avoiding CharacterInflation

As GM, you should try to balancethe number of points you give out.Characters should improve fastenough to keep things interesting, butnot so fast that they outrun their foesand unbalance your campaign. Also, if the original characters are now

ENDING A PLAY SESSION

extremely powerful, new players – andtheir characters – are liable to feel use-less unless you specifically bring theminto the action.

Some of this depends on the back-ground; superheroic types are expectedto improve quickly (and their enemiesimprove, too), while ordinary cops orsoldiers gain skills or promotions at aslower pace. In the final analysis, it’sup to the GM to determine what isright for his own campaign and hisown players.

Controlling CharacterDevelopment

Given the chance, some playerswill spend points without regard fortheir characters’ origins and statedgoals. Of course, when a player asks touse bonus points to buy a wholly inap-propriate ability, you can always say“no.” But there are other options:

Discuss all improvements. Don’t justlet players buy whatever they want –ask them to explain why, especially if

they wish to increase attributes!Attempts to make inappropriateimprovements most often occur whenthe player discovers an unintendedweakness in his character design andbelieves the new ability will compen-sate for it. If the desired ability doesn’tfit the character concept, try to discov-er the perceived weakness and suggestmore appropriate alternatives thataddress it directly.

Keep awards small enough thatplayers must think about their purchas-es. If players must save points formany sessions to afford larger pur-chases (e.g., attribute levels andadvantages), there is, in effect, a “wait-ing period.” Many players will recon-sider their “need” for character-dis-torting abilities during this time, andinstead use their points to raise skillsthat will be useful during the currentadventure. This leads to well-roundedveterans whose skills reflect theiractual activities.

Don’t make it too easy to learn newskills. If you let the PCs learn new

skills whenever they have enoughpoints, their skill lists will eventuallygrow indistinguishable from oneanother. If every PC can tackle everytask, the players might conclude thattheir characters no longer have anyneed for companions. This can breakup the party – and possibly the gaminggroup. It is realistic to learn someskills quickly under pressure, but youshould feel free to rule that others(especially magic spells and secretmartial-arts skills) are hard to learnexcept as part of a dedicated career.

Give awards other than points. Giveout the occasional award in the formof specific abilities instead of discre-tionary points. Social advantages –Patrons, Rank, Reputation, Status,Wealth, etc. – make the best awards,as they often make sense as “rewards”in the game world. Another realisticpossibility is direct improvement of awell-exercised ability. Few players willcomplain if you give them a skill levelworth four points in a well-used skillinstead of two discretionary points!

GAME MASTERING 499

Time Use SheetsA “Time Use Sheet” is a record prepared by the play-

er that describes how his character spends the timebetween play sessions. (There’s a sample on p. 569.)

The GM sets the amount of time covered by eachsheet. An even number of weeks works best. At the endof each play session, the GM tells the players how muchgame time will pass before the next session. When theyshow up for the next session, they can bring the recordsof how they spent the intervening time.

When an adventure “stops in the middle” – whenone play session ends at night in the inn, and the nextone starts the next morning – obviously no Time UseSheet is necessary. Use one when there is a hiatus in anadventure (for instance, when the PCs must wait twoweeks to catch their ship). And use one between adven-tures, to give the characters a chance to rest, earnmoney, and improve their skills.

GMs: If this seems like too much bookkeeping, don’tdo it! Feel free to think of a substitute – or forget all thisentirely – if it does not add to your players’ enjoyment.

There are three major reasons to keep track of timeoutside of play:

Long TasksCharacters may have important missions between

play sessions. These might be tedious to game out, but

vital – which is why you do them “between times” andcover them with a few die rolls. For instance, in a treas-ure-hunting adventure, the group’s scholar might needto spend a few weeks in the library making Researchrolls to find useful maps. Meanwhile, the thief is visit-ing taverns and making Streetwise rolls to pick up use-ful rumors. The GM checks their sheets, notes howmuch time they spent at it, and rolls (one or moretimes) to see what they found.

StudyCharacters may wish to improve existing skills or

gain new ones through study. (If some characters arestudents, this is unavoidable!) The GM keeps a runningtotal of the time spent studying each skill. When it’senough to buy a skill increase, the skill goes up imme-diately. See Improvement Through Study (p. 292).

JobsTime spent at work counts as study of the skill

involved (but at only 1/4 rate – that is, an eight-hourworkday counts as two hours of study). It also paysenough to live on, and maybe a little extra. (In mostsocieties, those who do not show up full-time for workwill soon be fired, and hurting for money!) A job can be a great springboard to adventure in the hands of acreative GM. See Jobs (p. 516).

Sooner or later, every GM wants towrite his own adventures – or at leastmodify store-bought ones to fit hisown group. More power to you!Homegrown adventures can rangefrom simple “dungeons” to entireworlds, intricately worked out over aperiod of years.

WHERE DOYOU GETYOUR IDEAS?

You can get ideas from novels,movies, comics, RPG supplements,other GMs, and of course the playersthemselves. Whatever your source,you’ll want to come up with enoughnew twists to keep your players (andyourself) interested.

Some GMs give their players a lotof voice in the type of adventures theywill have. If the players want to huntfor treasure, the GM comes up with atreasure-hunting scenario. Other GMssee themselves as Blind Fate, and theplayers never know what will happennext. It’s all a matter of taste.

ADVENTUREDESIGN

When you design an adventure,you are writing the outline for a story.The full story will begin when the PCsappear on the scene. To set the stage,you must prepare the plot, maps,character descriptions, etc. and anumber of “encounters” involvingthese things.

Level of DifficultyThe first thing to decide is simply

how “hard” your adventure is going tobe. Are you planning an adventure forfour beginning-level characters – or fora half-dozen experienced adventurers?

The rewards should be commensu-rate with the risks. In a fantasy cam-paign, don’t let the PCs butcher twohalflings and a senile goblin, and thenrush back to town with a chest full ofgold! (Or, if you do, have the king’s tax-man there to welcome them!) The realrewards in this game come in the formof bonus character points (p. 498).These result from good roleplaying,and have nothing to do with theamount of wealth you drag home.

Still, material things have theiruses. Ask any fighter who can’t affordto buy armor! Don’t make wealth (or

500 GAME MASTERING

WRITING YOUROWN ADVENTURES

power, or fame) too easy to come by, oryou will unbalance your campaign.

ContinuityYou should also decide whether the

adventure needs to fit into (or kick off)a campaign, or if it is just a “one-shot.”

In a campaign, each adventure hasto follow naturally from the last one,and leave room for future adventures.It also has to take the PCs intoaccount. If they are famous – or noto-rious – certain NPCs should recognizethem. The adventurers should recog-nize some of the NPCs, too, and possi-bly some of the locations in the adven-ture. Most importantly, the adventureshould not render the PCs unplayableno matter what the players do . . .because the whole point of a cam-paign is to keep playing the samecharacters!

In a one-shot adventure, however,you have no continuity to worryabout. Future play balance is not anissue, and neither is character sur-vival. You can experiment with certaindeath, transcendence to godhood, andother extreme outcomes without therisk of destroying a campaign.

BackgroundThis is the setting of your story. In

what game world does it take place?When and where? What are the eventsleading up to your tale? Who are theimportant NPCs, and what are theirmotives? In short, what is happeningbehind the scenes, and what is the “bigpicture?” If this adventure is part of acampaign, a lot of the background isset. If it is a “one-shot,” the back-ground can be sketchy. But if you’restarting a campaign, give the back-ground a lot of thought.

PlotThe “plot” is your plan for the

things that are supposed to happenduring the adventure. In a simpleadventure, the GM guides the PCsfrom one “encounter,” or scene, to thenext. Each encounter starts when theheroes arrive; then it is played out, andthe next one can begin.

In a more sophisticated adventure,certain things happen at certain times,regardless of the PCs’ actions. If theheroes must solve a murder, forinstance, some clues might vanish ifthey are not found in time – and others

might not exist yet if the investigatorscome on the scene “too soon.” Themurders might even continue as theplayers investigate (that’s one sure wayto eliminate a suspect). Likewise,important NPCs may come and go,with little regard for the adventurers’wishes. And there is no limit to whatcan happen “offstage.” Elections, wars,and alien invasions . . . many eventscan present new challenges.

This sort of plot is harder to write,and demands more from the GM dur-ing play. But it gives the players asense of urgency that is missing in aplain, linear adventure.

IntroductionThe purpose of the introduction is

to get the players’ characters intoyour plot so that the game can begin.If the players are not familiar withyour game world, you should tellthem a little bit about it. If they know

the game world (or are part of a con-tinuing campaign), you can just setthe scene with a few words and startthe action. You should not give themthe whole background. In a well-designed adventure, one of the play-ers’ objectives is to find out what’sreally going on. Don’t give away allyour secrets right at the beginning!

The most hackneyed introductionof all (but still one of the best) is the Old Man in the Tavern: “You areall strangers in town, looking foradventure. You are sitting in the localtavern when an old man comes up toyou . . .” The old man can ask for help, order the PCs out of town,sell them a map, offer to guide themto fame and fortune . . . it doesn’tmatter. Whatever he does, he is amouthpiece through which the GMcan give the players a little back-ground and start them off in the rightdirection.

GAME MASTERING 501

DungeonsThe term “dungeon” refers to a simple fantasy adventure. Typically,

the PCs wander from room to room, killing monsters and grabbingtreasure. There is often no rhyme or reason to the contents of the rooms– in children’s fantasy games, every encounter may be rolled randomly!

However, a dungeon setting is good for a beginning adventure; itteaches basic game mechanics quickly. And an underground labyrinthdoes not have to be “kid stuff” – it can be part of a very realistic back-ground.

A “dungeon” can also be a building, battleship, space station, etc. Ifthe adventurers are dropped into a limited area, with little or no goalexcept to grab what they can and get out alive, it’s a “dungeon.”

A dungeon is easy to map, since its area is limited. When treasure-hunters go too far, they just run into a blank wall and have to turnaround. The typical dungeon is a collection of rooms, connected by cor-ridors, shafts, or tunnels.

Dungeon Inhabitants and PlotThe GM should populate his dungeon (or building, or whatever)

with appropriate men, beasts, and monsters. If you are just creating a“hack-and-slash” dungeon, you don’t need to worry about what they aredoing there, what they eat, why they attack the party, or anything else –just stock the rooms and go.

Likewise, the “plot” for a hack-and-slash adventure will be very sim-ple. “Joe the Barbarian, with his friends Ed the Barbarian and Margethe Barbarian, went down into a cave. They saw lots of monsters andkilled them and took their treasure. A dragon ate Ed. Joe and Marge ranaway. The End.”

If you want to create a situation that actually makes sense, you haveadvanced to the level of adventure design. Congratulations. Read on . . .

Some other good “mouthpiece”characters for an introductoryencounter:

• An officer briefing a group of sol-diers, spies, supers, etc. to perform amission.

• An injured stranger who staggersup and gasps a few cryptic last words.

• A strange story in the news (the“mouthpiece” in this case is the personthe PCs contact to ask about it – areporter, a scientist, etc.). The GMmight instead let the party witness themysterious event.

• A storyteller, herald, or towndrunk, passing on an interestingrumor.

• A wealthy person who offers tohire the party for a dangerous mis-sion.

• A retired adventurer telling aboutthe treasure he couldn’t quite get.

• A spirit or deity visiting the faith-ful (or fairly faithful) with commands– perhaps in a dream.

• A villain’s henchman, delivering athreat, ransom demand, or boast.

• A friend of one of the characters– or, for that matter, a total strangerrescued from immediate danger – whoneeds help.

• A lawyer reading a will, whichsends the party on a quest for aninheritance.

The “mouthpiece” NPC can end theintroductory encounter by providingthe maps, passwords, or whatever elsethe party needs to start the adventure.

MapsAs described under Maps (p. 490),

you will need a number of maps – oneper area you consider “important” tothe adventure. Prepare combat mapsin advance for any location where afight is likely.

The experienced GM can save a lotof time by “recycling” maps. Onehouse is a lot like another. One tavernis a lot like another. And so on. Ofcourse, if you always use the sameone, your players will kid you about it. . . “Aha, here we are, back in theGeneric Tavern!”

Commercially produced combatmaps (from SJ Games, or any numberof other companies) can also savetime. Often an interesting map sug-gests an appropriate encounter, help-ing you to design your adventure!

NPCsNonplayer characters – whether

played by the GM or the Adversary –are vital to an adventure. The GM caneven plan an entire adventure arounda few interesting NPCs and what hap-pens when the PCs become involvedwith them!

Design the most important NPCsbefore you work out the encountersand other details of the adventure.Their abilities, personalities, motiva-tions, and backgrounds set the tonefor the whole adventure, and give youideas for encounters and lesser NPCs.Build important NPCs just like PCs,complete with full-scale charactersheets and brief character stories, soyou can roleplay them well.

Create less-important NPCs –spear-carriers, cannon fodder, shop-keepers, and the like – after you planthe first encounters. You do not needcomplete character sheets for thesecharacters; all you need are notes ontheir important statistics. Some trivialcharacters require no planning at all!If you suddenly need to know (forinstance) a skill for one of them, justroll 3d and use the result.

Finally, work out a few “generic”NPCs to use, as needed, in improvisedor random encounters. For instance,in an adventure set in a fantasy city,you could prepare a few city guards, acouple of storekeepers, a couple ofthieves, and maybe a strolling min-strel or wandering drunk. If you needthem, you have them . . . and if youdon’t need them now, you’ll have themfor next time. Guards, like taverns, canbe recycled over and over again!

EncountersAn “encounter” is a meeting with

NPCs, animals, a trap, or anything elsethe GM wishes. There are three kindsof encounters: planned, improvised,and random. Ideally, as you run thegame, your players should never knowwhich kind is which!

Planned EncountersThe GM works these out in

advance: when the adventurers cometo this place, they meet these people(or animals, or whatever). All theimportant encounters in your adven-ture should be planned.

Be aware that few encounters goexactly as planned! You should always

be ready to adapt to the characters’actions. Suppose a planned encounterinvolves the bouncer at the “BlueBoar” – but the PCs don’t go nearthere. You can drop a hint to sendthem there, of course . . . but it mightbe easier to change your plans and letthe innkeeper at their rooming houseserve the same purpose. The moreflexible you are, the more you canavoid the appearance of manipulatingthe players. And appearance is moreimportant than reality!

Improvised EncountersThe GM makes these up in order to

keep the adventure moving alongplanned lines. The simplest “impro-vised encounter” is the little old man(looking a lot like the one you met atthe tavern) who appears in your pathand says, “Turn around! You’re goingthe wrong way!” Such encounters canprovide extra clues, hints toward the“right path,” etc.

Improvised encounters are oftennecessary when the players do some-thing really unusual. For example,suppose you have the PCs encounter atraveling duke who is beset by bandits.The heroes drive off the bandits andsave the duke, who offers to pay themgenerously to track down a familytreasure. The players accept, but con-clude that the bandits were after thetreasure, too, and decide to hunt themdown to find out what they know.Since you only intended the bandits asa means to introduce the duke, youcould say, “You can’t find the bandits.You must have scared them off.” Oryou could let the party find the banditsand defeat them in a meaninglessbattle. But it would be more fun toimprovise an interesting encounter.

If the heroes skillfully track, over-whelm, and interrogate the bandits,you could reward them with a clue.Perhaps one of the bandits snatchedthe duke’s heirloom cloak clasp, whichbroke open when he tried to pry thejewel from it – revealing a fragment ofan old map!

Random EncountersThe GM might wish to generate

some encounters at random. Onetechnique is to use a “randomencounter table”: a list of encounterskeyed to a roll of the dice. See SampleEncounter Table (p. 503) for a simpleexample. Some “adventures” consist

502 GAME MASTERING

mainly of such tables, allowing play toproceed for hours with no planning atall! This is great for a quick game, butnot in the same league with a “real”adventure.

Another method is to invent a char-acter on the spot, rolling dice for anyimportant statistics.

If you don’t let random encountersbecome a crutch, they can providevariety and free you from planningevery single encounter. Don’t let theplayers know that you are rolling atotally random encounter, however. Ifthey realize an encounter is not “partof the plot,” they will act differently.

FinaleThis is the climax of the adventure.

Most adventures have only one finale(unless the party gets killed along theway). As the GM, you should guide theparty, as subtly as you can, toward the“big ending” and resolution of theadventure.

The players’ earlier actions affectthe details of the finale, but its basic

nature remains the same. If the play-ers make “wrong” decisions along theway, it takes them longer to finish, andthey should have a harder time deal-ing with the situation – but theyshould make it to the finale eventually.The exception might be a case wherethey have blundered so badly that thefinale would certainly kill them all, inwhich case the merciful GM will dropa hint that they are in over their heads,

and let them give up and run forhome.

A more sophisticated adventurecould have several possible finales,depending on decisions made by theplayers during the adventure. Thissort of “branching-path” adventure isharder to design, but sometimes easi-er for the GM to run, as it calls for lessimprovisation.

GAME MASTERING 503

TrapsFantasy adventures traditionally feature a variety of

traps. The novice designer can overdo this, with acrossbow behind every door and a pit in every corridor.If this doesn’t kill the whole party, it slows the game toa crawl as they check everything in sight for traps – andthen check again, to make sure. But a few strategicallylocated traps can make an adventure more interesting.

All of the above remains true in other genres! Acriminal stronghold or millionaire’s mansion mighthold some unpleasant surprises in store for the unwaryintruder. Primitive natives encountered by explorersmight have some upsettingly sophisticated defenses.

Some common types of traps include poison nee-dles, hidden crossbows (or guns, or lasers), hiddengiant crossbows (or cannon, or homing missiles), pits(with spikes, snakes, or both), falling weights, rollingboulders, sliding walls (or descending roofs), slipperyslides, poison gas, acid sprays, land mines, and manymore. Think of the last hundred adventure stories youread!

Not all traps are deadly. The intent might be to crip-ple, capture, annoy, embarrass, or just frighten the vic-tims. A burglar alarm is nothing more than a trap thatonly produces sound!

Traps, like rooms, should appear on the map key –or a trap in a room can be part of the room’s descrip-tion. For each trap, specify the following:

• How hard the trap is to notice, and what skills candetect it; e.g., “To spot the concealed pit, roll againstArchitecture-5, Vision-5, or Traps.”

• How hard the trap is to disable or set off harm-lessly; e.g., “To disable the trap door, roll againstCarpentry or Traps+4.”

• What sets off the trap; e.g., “The trap door swingsopen if anyone who weighs more than 50 lbs. walks onit.”

• What happens if the trap is set off; e.g., “Unlessthe victim can make an Acrobatics or DX-6 roll to catch himself, he falls into the pit and takes 3dcrushing damage.”

Some GMs delight in the invention of fiendish trapsto test their players’ wits. Such “puzzle traps” requiremore than a simple skill roll to disable or escape – theplayers have to think their way out! A very simple exam-ple might be a sliding-wall trap that will crush thestrongest adventurer to death . . . unless he opens themanhole in the floor. It’s too small for him to fit into –but the lid is of such solid metal that, if held in place, itblocks the closing walls!

Much more complex traps are possible. Have fun.“Puzzle” traps can add flavor to an adventure whensimple deathtraps become boring.

Sample Encounter TableA table of trivial roadside encounters for low-tech settings. Roll 1d

per hour of travel.

1 – A group of farmers (roll 2d for number).2 – One holy hermit.3 – One not-so-holy beggar.4 – One merchant with horse, wagon, and 1d/2 guards.5 – A single horseman.6 – Nothing.

FEATURESOF A GOODADVENTURE

A good adventure (by the standardswe use for our own publications)includes:

• Many opportunities for the PCsto use noncombat skills – includingsome difficult rolls, and some involv-ing unusual skills (forcing the PCs toroll against defaults).

• Contests between PCs and NPCs– and possibly between PCs as well.

• Situations where the players haveto think about the right thing to do . . .puzzles, moral choices, or both.

• Situations where proper use ofsocial skills, like Fast-Talk orDiplomacy, will avoid combat.

• Situations where no possible useof social skills will avoid combat!

• Interesting descriptions of peo-ple, places, and things, to give the play-ers the feeling that they are really therewith their characters.

• A clear introduction, a plotlinethat builds tension or mystery, and aclear conclusion.

• Opportunity for roleplaying andcharacter development. This shouldbe present in even the most lightheart-ed hack-and-slash adventure! Fightersare interesting people, too – at least,they should be.

• A reward for characters whocomplete the adventure successfully,and a consequence for characters whofail!

ORGANIZING ACONTINUINGCAMPAIGN

Even more complex (and moreinteresting) than a full-scale adventureis a series of adventures involving thesame characters. This is called a cam-paign. If a single adventure is theequivalent of a novel, a campaign is anepic trilogy – the kind that is still goingafter seven books!

A campaign consists of one adven-ture after another – or possibly severaloverlapping adventures at once. Eachadventure may take many sessions toresolve. The GM decides what goes on

in the game world in between gamesessions – and especially betweenadventures. Important NPCs go abouttheir own affairs. Wars, weather, poli-tics, and trade can go on in the “back-ground” of the campaign, giving riseto new adventures. Your players canbe a good source of suggestions . . .and they will be tremendously pleasedif their adventures affect the “wholeworld” in some way, whether they turnaside a catastrophic war or simplyfind a cure for the Queen’s wart.

A large campaign can have dozensof players (not all playing at once!),several cooperating GMs, planetsworth of mapped territory, and hundreds of significant NPCs, fromkings and popes down to thieves andbeggars.

DON’T PANIC. You don’t have todo all this at once. Most campaignsjust “grow,” a bit at a time. One adven-ture leads to the next, and before youknow it, you’ve been playing for a yearand you’ve got a campaign going.Much of the flavor of a good campaigncomes from the players themselves.The PCs’ Dependents, Allies, Patrons,and Enemies become continuingNPCs . . . old foes reappear when theyare least wanted . . . maps becomemore detailed each time you play.Players come and go, but the cam-paign goes on. And nobody learns torun a campaign by reading the rule-book. Experience is the best teacher.

To help, we’ve included a Cam-paign Planning Form on p. 567. Fillingthis out will put you well on your wayto adventure!

504 GAME MASTERING

Shared Campaigns and Travel Between Campaigns

Two or more GMs may agree to let PCs travel between their cam-paigns. In general, this simply means that one GM will replace anotherat a preordained time or place. The old GM may remove himself entire-ly, or introduce a character of his own and remain as a player.

The more similar the GMs’ campaigns, the more closely they canbe connected. If they operate in the same game world, and if the GMsinterpret the rules in the same way and have the same “play style,”then the border between their jurisdictions might be as trivial as ariver-line or even a city boundary. This is sometimes known as a“shared” campaign.

One good system for GM cooperation involves (for instance) cities.A single “chief GM” is in charge of overall maintenance and develop-ment of the game world. A number of the campaign’s players also haveGM responsibilities of their own. Each such player designs and controlsone city. The player controlling that city referees all adventures withinits confines. Needless to say, that player’s characters should take littlepart in the action there, even as NPCs. Even the best GM might becomesomewhat emotionally involved with the PCs he has developed over aperiod of months! The chief GM runs adventures outside the players’cities. Thus, several players can have the fun of GMing an occasionaladventure, while doing no more support work and world-building thanthey care to.

The same system works in a space campaign, except that each play-er controls a whole solar system. In a setting with parallel worlds – likethe Infinite Worlds campaign in Chapter 20 – each player might controlan entire universe!

For this kind of campaign to work, the GMs must consult regularly.Minor “cultural” differences between cities or planets are acceptable –in fact, they’re fun. But the GMs should agree among themselves aboutthe overall nature and goals of the campaign, if PCs are allowed tomove freely back and forth. If two or more GMs wish to “share” play-ers and characters while maintaining significant differences betweentheir worlds, they need a different procedure.

A “game world” is a complete background settingfor a game. It might be an original creation, or it mightbe based on history, current affairs, or a work of fiction(novel, movie, comic, TV series, etc.).

It takes many hours of research to “design” an accuratehistorical game world. Worlds based on fiction requireresearch, too – to ensure that every detail conforms to thesource, and to extrapolate logically where the original storygave no information. Creating an original world, and makingit believable and interesting, is the biggest challenge of all.

Some things to consider when designing a game world:

• Geography. Map the world, indicating such features asoceans, major rivers, and mountain ranges. For an alien world,you also have to determine gravity, atmosphere, water coverage,climate, etc.

• Inhabitants. Create racial templates for the major sapientraces (see Racial Templates, p. 450), and generate game statistics forcommon or interesting animals and monsters (see Chapter 16).

• Civilizations. Describe the major cultures, specifying customs,languages, laws, religions, etc. Mark major political boundaries onthe world map. Make notes on economic considerations that willmatter to the PCs: jobs, systems of currency, prices, etc.

• Technology. Decide what is possible in the realms of communi-cations, medicine, transportation, weapons, and so forth. Don’t forgetto create price lists for PCs who want to go shopping for equipment!

• Character abilities. List any advantages, disadvantages, or skills thatare unusually common, that work differently, or that do not exist at all. If a traitworks differently, or is unique to the setting, describe it. Create character templatesfor common professions (see Character Templates, p. 445).

This chapter touches on some of these points, and provides advice to the GM whowishes to design his own world.

CULTURESAND LANGUAGES

You do not need to specify every culture and language in the game world, but you shouldlist all the important ones. Adventurers operating outside their native culture and languagehave skill penalties – see Culture (p. 23) and Language (p. 23) for details.

CULTURESCultures are extremely broad in GURPS, and usually encompass multiple

nationalities (or planets, in futuristic settings). Populations and locations thatshare cultures change with time. For instance, “American” and “Italian” aredistinct nationalities, but both are part of the “Western” culture – at least in themodern world. In 200 A.D., the “Anasazi” and “Roman” cultures would be quitedistinct.

GAME WORLDS 505

CHAPTER NINETEEN

GAME WORLDS

LANGUAGESLanguages can be considerably

narrower; a few might even be exclu-sive to particular cities or social

groups. They are rarely isolated, how-ever. If two languages are close, thosewho know one at a given comprehen-sion level can understand the other at

one or two levels below that, and canimprove their comprehension fromthat level. Worldbuilders should notesuch connections ahead of time.

506 GAME WORLDS

LAWS AND CUSTOMSEach game world has its own laws

and customs. Furthermore, laws andcustoms vary from place to place(and time to time) within each world.In some worlds, it is possible toresearch these things in advance (theLaw skill helps here). In other worlds,you must learn them the hard way(Law helps here, too, if you specifi-cally investigate; Streetwise can findout “informally”).

As a rule, the use of force or thethreat of force is illegal or improperwherever you go. The stronger thelocal government (see Control Rating,below), the more true this is; govern-ment usually considers the use offorce to be its own right and monop-oly. Self-defense is sometimes anexception – but not always!

Note that public display of noncus-tomary weapons is a “threat of force,”and leads to bad reactions even if it’stechnically legal. If you walk down amedieval village street in heavy armor,axes and polearms at the ready, the vil-lagers will be very suspicious of yourmotives.

In general:

• Violating a law usually leads tosome sort of trial (see Trials, p. 507)and possible punishment (seeCriminal Punishment, p. 508).

• Violating someone’s rights mightlead to a “civil” trial and a fine – or justan informal beating.

• Violating a custom gives you areaction penalty – possibly a big one –whenever you try to deal with a local.The offended locals might not even tellyou what you are doing wrong!

CONTROL RATING“Control Rating” (CR) is a general

measure of the control exercised by agovernment. The lower the CR, theless restrictive the government and thefreer the people. Government type(see Society and Government Types,p. 509) does not absolutely determineCR – it is possible to have a very freemonarchy, or a democracy where thevoters have saddled themselves withthousands of strict rules.

Assign CR according to the follow-ing guidelines:

CR0 – Anarchy. There are no laws,taxes, or controls.

CR1 – Very free. Nothing is illegal saveuse of force or intimidation againstother citizens. Taxes are light orvoluntary. Only access to LC0 itemsis controlled (see Legality, p. 507).

CR2 – Free. Some laws exist; mostbenefit the individual. Taxes arelight. Access to items of LC0 andLC1 is controlled.

CR3 – Moderate. There are many laws,but most benefit the individual.Taxes are moderate and fair. Accessto items of LC0 through LC2 iscontrolled.

CR4 – Controlled. Many laws exist;most are for the convenience ofthe state. Broadcast communica-tions are regulated; private broad-casts (like CB) and printing maybe restricted. Taxation is oftenheavy and sometimes unfair.Access to items of LC0 throughLC3 is controlled.

CR5 – Repressive. There are manylaws and regulations, strictlyenforced. Taxation is heavy andoften unfair. There is strict regula-tion of information technology:computers, photocopiers, printingpresses, transmitters, etc. All goodsare effectively controlled; you can’tbuy anything without the appropri-ate ration coupons or paperwork.

CR6 – Total control. Laws are numer-ous and complex. The individualexists to serve the state. Manyoffenses carry the death penalty,and trials – if there are any at all –are a mockery. Taxation is crush-ing, taking most of an ordinary cit-izen’s income. Censorship is com-mon, and private ownership of anyinformation technology is forbid-den. All goods are controlled, andthe government might even with-hold basic necessities.

If a question of legality arises, or ifyou need to determine how severelythe government checks and harassesnewcomers, roll 1d. If the result islower than the CR, then the act is ille-gal, or the authorities harass, delay,or even arrest the PCs (see LawEnforcement and Jail, p. 507). If it ishigher, either the act is legal or theauthorities overlook it. If it equals theCR, the situation could go either way:play out an encounter or make areaction roll.

Travel EtiquetteThe wise traveler avoids attracting too much attention. Travelers

always stand out if they display technology more advanced than thatwith which the local citizens are familiar (see Tech Levels, p. 511). Theyalso attract unwelcome attention if they violate local laws or customs.In general, any boisterous behavior or breach of peace should have“interesting” consequences.

Travelers should also remember that politeness to local dignitaries isalways wise, and strangers met by chance might be more than theyappear . . .

The GM should skip this die roll inany situation where there is only onelogical outcome. For instance, regard-less of CR, it is almost always unac-ceptable for airline and starship pas-sengers to carry weapons.

Split Control RatingA society does not have to have a

single, uniform CR. If the GM wishes– and doesn’t mind the extra work – hecan specify several CRs for a society:one for basic human rights, anotherfor taxation, a third for weapons, andso on. In worlds with magic, psionicpowers, or super abilities, societiesmay have separate CRs for thesethings as well.

LEGALITYEach item of equipment has a

“Legality Class,” as defined underLegality Class (p. 267). Some modern-day examples include:

LC0 – Banned. Weapons of massdestruction; strategic missiles;orbital weapons platforms; inter-continental bombers.

LC1 – Military. Heavy weapons; air-defense radar; sensor jammers;armed vehicles; land mines.

LC2 – Restricted. Light assaultweapons; silencers; surveillancetechnology (wiretaps, etc.);armored cars; burglar’s tools (e.g.,lockpicks); explosives; dangerousdrugs.

LC3 – Licensed. Handguns; huntingguns; radio transmitters; mostunarmed vehicles; ordinary drugsand medical equipment.

LC4 – Open. Nonlethal weapons (e.g.,stunners); home computers; radioand television receivers; cameras;most tools; first-aid kits.

Spell LegalityIn a society where magic is com-

mon, each spell might have a LegalityClass as well. Damage-dealing spellswould be on par with light conceal-able weapons (LC3), while most otherspells would be LC4. There are manypossible variations: societies thatplace a high value on privacy wouldput Knowledge spells in a lower LC;otherwise-tolerant societies mighttake exception to Necromantic spells;and all “witchcraft” might be LC1 (or0!) in a puritanical society.

Control Rating andLegality Class

Legality Class interacts withControl Rating as follows:

LC = CR + 1 or more: Any citizenmay carry the item.

LC = CR: Anyone but a convictedcriminal or the equivalent may carrythe item. Registration may berequired, but there is no permit fee.

LC = CR - 1: A license is required toown or carry the item. To get a license,one must show a legitimate need orwork for the government. Generally, alicense costs 1d ¥ 10% of the price ofthe item itself.

LC = CR - 2: Prohibited except topolice SWAT teams, military units,and intelligence services.

LC = CR - 3 or worse: Only permit-ted to the military or secret police.

LAWENFORCEMENTAND JAIL

If you break the law, it will be theduty of some local official to do some-thing about it. This can range from apolite request that you clean up youract, through arrest and jail pending atrial, to judgment and execution onthe spot.

ArrestIn some places, police are also

judge, jury, and executioner, empow-ered to make an instant decision andact on it. This has to do with local val-ues, not CR! The only lawman in aCR1 frontier town and a secret police-man in a CR6 dystopia are equallylikely to execute lawbreakers – but forvery different crimes.

In societies that respect humanrights – and in some legalistic soci-eties that stand on procedure – theGM will secretly roll against the Law(Police) skill of the arresting officer.

On a critical failure, the officer bun-gled the arrest so badly that theauthorities release the prisoner with-out a trial. On a failure, the officermade a procedural error that theprisoner might be able to exploit. Heor his lawyer gets a Law (Criminal)or Law (Police) roll to spot it; on asuccess, he identifies the error andthe charges are dropped. This rollcannot be against default Law skill!

Jail“Jail” is where the accused is held

pending trial. In theory, this is not thesame thing as “prison,” which iswhere convicted criminals serve sen-tences. In reality, the two are often oneand the same.

Jails range from “honor systems”to dungeons with chains. Many gameworlds have widely varying types ofjail, depending on the crime, theaccuser, the Status of the prisoner, andany timely bribes.

Jail time between arrest and trial ishighly variable. It depends on locallaws, whether a judge is available, and– if there is a judge – how busy hiscourt is. In general, the higher the CR,the longer the possible wait.

BailThe authorities might be willing to

release a jailed prisoner on “bail”: asum of money that serves as a pledgethat he will return for the trial. Theamount required depends on theseverity of the charges, the prisoner’sReputation and legal record, and thejudge’s reaction to the prisoner. If theprisoner flees (“jumps bail”), he willface additional charges.

TRIALSA trial might be totally fair

and honest . . . or entirely for show,with a predetermined outcome. Itmight be rigorously formal, or noisyand informal.

GAME WORLDS 507

If you break the law, it will be the duty of somelocal official to do something about it.

Trial by OrdealThis is a trial in which Fate is sup-

posed to decide guilt or innocence.

Example: Anyone accused of witch-craft is thrown into a pond. Anyonewho floats is a witch, and is taken outand burned. Those who sink musthave been innocent.

For a trial by ordeal, the GMshould determine the success rollsneeded to survive. (The above exam-ple would be hard to survive!) Moreexamples: walk a beam across acanyon (roll DX-4 every 10 feet; thosewith Perfect Balance don’t need toroll); hold a hot piece of iron (roll ST-3 and Will-3, at +3 for High PainThreshold); find your way out of amaze (roll IQ; Absolute Directiongives +3).

Trial by CombatTrial by combat is like trial by

ordeal, in that Fate is supposed tojudge guilt or innocence. As a rule,though, trial by combat provides thepunishment as well: the guilty partydies. A trial by combat might be fair(evenly matched champions), loaded(uneven champions), or totally unfair(throw the prisoner into a pit with amonster).

Trial by JudgeIn some societies, a noble, elder,

magistrate, etc. unilaterally decidesguilt or innocence. The GM deter-mines the judge’s reaction toward theaccused by making a reaction roll, andbases the judge’s decision entirely theresult.

In some trials, an Influence rollagainst the appropriate Law specialty,by the accused or his lawyer, canreplace this reaction roll; see InfluenceRolls (p. 359). In other trials, theaccused might not be allowed to havea lawyer, or even speak!

If two parties ask a judge to settle adispute, make a reaction roll for both.The judge will find in favor of theparty that gets the best reaction.

Modifiers: +1 to +3 for evidence ortestimony that favors the accused, or-1 to -3 for evidence or testimonyagainst him, if the judge is inclined tolisten; reaction modifiers for theReputation, Social Regard, SocialStigma, and Status of the accused;other reaction modifiers that the GMfeels apply with this judge.

Adversarial TrialsIn still other societies, trials are a

Quick Contest of Law (Criminal) skillbetween the prosecution and defense,in the presence of a judge and possiblya jury. If the accused chooses todefend himself, he is at -1 to -3 due tohis emotional involvement. (The say-ing “The lawyer who defends himselfhas a fool for a client” is often true!)

Record the results of the QuickContest, and then make a reaction rollfor the judge or jury (as appropriate).

Modifiers: A bonus equal to thedefense’s margin of victory, or a penal-ty equal to the prosecution’s margin ofvictory, depending on the victor; +2 ormore if the player roleplayed a com-pelling defense; +1 to +3 if the evi-dence supports the defendant, or -1 to-3 if it supports the prosecution; +1 ormore for a plausible alibi; -1 or morefor bad publicity; -2 if the defendantjumped bail (see Bail, p. 507); -3 if aneyewitness placed the defendant at thecrime scene; any bonus or penalty forthe defendant’s Reputation.

The reaction is the verdict: a reac-tion worse than Neutral means“guilty”; a reaction better than Neutralmeans “not guilty.” Neutral reactions

go to the side that won the QuickContest. If that was a tie, the result isan acquittal.

In the case of a conviction, pun-ishment is left to the GM, playing thepart of the judge. See CriminalPunishment (below) for ideas. If a PCbehaves in a way that truly deservespunishment, the GM should not feelobliged to get him out of it, even ifthe penalty is serious.

CRIMINALPUNISHMENT

The severity of the punishment fora crime will depend on the crime, thevictim, the accused, and the judge’sreaction. Punishments are generallymore severe in high-CR societies.Punishments might include:

• Fines or restitution.• Public humiliation; e.g., the

stocks (treat as a bad Reputation withthose who witnessed the punishment).

• Prison sentences, sometimes athard labor.

• Beating, stoning, flogging, etc.• Branding (treat as a Social

Stigma).• Maiming – temporary or

permanent.• Deprivation of rights; e.g., loss of

citizenship, loss of the right to carryweapons, or reduction in formalStatus.

• Exile, temporary or permanent.• Slavery, either to the government

or to the victim of the crime.• Imposition of a specific task or

quest, possibly by a magical geas.• Imposition of a psionic or magi-

cal bond or geas to make repeatoffenses impossible.

• Combat in the arena (the worsethe punishment, the worse the foe).

• Torture.• Execution (not too useful in game

terms, except as a threat to force theparty to take immediate action torescue the prisoner).

508 GAME WORLDS

Somebody’s going to emergency,Somebody’s going to jail.

– Don Henley, “New York Minute”

BriberyIf the judge presiding

over your trial is corrupt,bribery might buy you areaction bonus – or even anautomatic victory. But if thejudge is honest, attemptedbribery will cast doubt onyour innocence, giving areaction penalty and possi-bly bringing furthercharges.

Mankind has lived under dozens ofdifferent societies. Futuristic, fantasy,and alien settings might offer dozensmore – some of them very different. Afew possibilities appear below, inorder of increasing Control Rating(see Control Rating, p. 506). The GMshould choose a society type for eachmajor society in the game world.

AnarchyThere are no laws. The social con-

science (or strength and weaponry!) ofthe population maintains order.“Anarchy” could mean a lawless mob. . . or a society of clear-eyed, strong-backed pioneers. CR0, but if yourwell-armed neighbors unanimouslydisapprove of what you’re doing, it iseffectively illegal!

Athenian DemocracyEvery citizen (the definition of

“citizen” can vary) votes on everyaction the society takes. Below TL9,this is only practical for groupsunder 10,000. At TL9+, informationnetworks allow large populations to discuss and vote electronically.CR2 to 4.

RepresentativeDemocracy

Elected representatives form a con-gress or parliament. If the citizens arevigilant and informed, this is a benev-olent government. If the citizens arebadly educated, government policiesare bad but popular (bread and cir-cuses!). If the citizens are apathetic,factions or special-interest groupsmay dominate government. In allcases, conspiracies may operate tocontrol the society. CR2 to 4.

Clan/TribalThe society is one large, interlock-

ing family made up of allied clans ortribes and ruled by the clan elders.Customs and tradition are very impor-tant. Younger clan members mightfeel forced to conform, or becomerebellious to protest their lack of influ-ence; seniors may channel this energyby encouraging sports, recreationalcombat, or adventuring. CR3 to 5.

CasteAs for Clan/Tribal, but each clan

has a set role or profession. Those whodon’t follow their clan profession

become clanless (a Social Stigma),unless there is a system for adoptioninto a new clan. Clans usually form asocial hierarchy; e.g., administratorsoutrank warriors, who outrank streetsweepers, and so on. Individuals areexpected to associate only with thoseof equivalent status. There may alsobe rivalries among clans of the sametype (different warrior families, forinstance). CR3 to 6.

DictatorshipAll government is vested in a single

ruler – king, dictator, etc. (If the ruleris a king, this is a monarchy.)Succession might be by inheritance,election, single combat, or any num-ber of other means. This sort of gov-ernment can act faster, for good or forevil, than most representative govern-ments. Dictatorships (and other totali-tarian states), if they endure longenough, sometimes develop a “bal-ance wheel” in the form of custom.Though the ruler’s will is law, there areunwritten laws that even he may notviolate with impunity. CR3 to 6.

TechnocracyEngineers and scientists rule in the

name of efficiency. Everything is care-fully planned; of course, plans can gowrong. The better the technocrats areat running things, the less oppressivethey are; if they’re incompetent, theyare also dictatorial. CR3 to 6.

TheocracyThis is rule by a religious group or

leader. Freedom of religion is unlikely,and there is no distinction betweenreligious and civil law. The leadersmay or may not believe in their ownreligion; “miracles” might be faked orgenuine. Theocracies range frombenign utopias to totalitarian religiousdictatorships. CR3 to 6.

Corporate StateCorporate officers rule the society.

Most citizens are employees of thecorporation. Society runs smoothly –it has to, or it can’t be profitable! CR4to 6.

GAME WORLDS 509

SOCIETY ANDGOVERNMENT TYPES

The Big PictureThe GM should also decide how the major societies in the game

world interact with one another. Possible political situations include:

World Government: One government rules the entire world (whichmight be a continent in a low-tech setting, an entire galaxy in a veryhigh-tech one). Regional differences, if any, are strictly cultural or lin-guistic.

Coalition: A few powerful allies dominate the world. They squabbleon occasion, but they usually present a united front. The individualsocieties are still quite distinct, and might have radically different gov-ernment types.

Factionalized: A small number of rival “blocs” or superpowers dom-inate the world. Each bloc has enough economic and military might torule the world, but the other blocs would sooner unite in oppositionthan let that happen. As a result, alliances shift regularly. Ties withinblocs are more permanent.

Diffuse: There are dozens, if not hundreds, of clans, nations, andgroups. No one can make any claim to world domination.

FeudalSimilar to monarchy (see

Dictatorship, above), but subsidiarylords retain local power; therefore, theruler must be careful to maintain thelords’ support, or be overthrown.Since each lord rules his own territory,laws and personal freedoms will varyfrom dominion to dominion. CR4 to 6(at least for the commoners).

VARIATIONSOne or more of these special situa-

tions may apply to most of the societytypes listed above:

Bureaucracy: A self-perpetuating“civil service” runs the society fromday to day. Because these bureaucratsare not elected, they are largely insu-lated from public pressure.Government seems to run verysmoothly – if there are difficulties, youaren’t told about them. But there arehigh taxes, many laws, and lots of redtape. The government is unresponsiveto citizens. There may not be a freepress. CR4+.

Colony: A dependent region ruledby the mother society, usually througha governor. The colonists may have anelected council (through which theyinfluence the governor), an electedrepresentative to the mother govern-ment (with nonvoting power), or both– but they have no direct say in theirown government. Colonies have lessgovernment than the mother society;reduce CR by 1 or more. Rebels andoutcasts may be welcome if they haveuseful skills.

Cybercracy: A statewide computersystem controls administration – andperhaps actual legislation! This isimpossible before TL8, and highlyunlikely before TL9. Governmentmight be efficient, inhuman, or both.The system is only as good as its pro-grammers and technicians. Trust theComputer . . . CR3+.

Matriarchy. Positions of authorityare open only to females. Any CR ispossible.

Meritocracy: No one may enter thegovernment without passing a seriesof tests. A good meritocracy is likely tohave competent leaders . . . but thiscan lead to a rigid caste system. CR3+.

Military Government: The militaryruns the state. A society led by a singlecommander-in-chief is likely to be adictatorship; one where the com-mander must answer to a council (orjunta) of officers is likely to be feudal.Military governments can be strongand honest, but most are totalitarian.CR4+.

Oligarchy: Regardless of the nomi-nal form of government, leadership isin the hands of a small, self-perpetuat-ing clique. CR3+.

Patriarchy: Positions of authorityare open only to males. Any CR ispossible.

Sanctuary: A sanctuary refuses toextradite the “criminals,” “refugees,”or “terrorists” hunted by other soci-eties. This might be informal, or theremight be a tribunal to decide eachpetitioner’s fate. Lawmen or bountyhunters from elsewhere are outlawshere. CR is rarely over 4.

Socialist: The government directlymanages the economy. Citizens getfree or subsidized education, medicalcare, housing, etc., and the govern-ment tries to give everyone a job. Theresulting expenses can stifle an econo-my at low TLs. Most wealthy, high-tech states have elements of “mildsocialism,” such as heavily subsidizedhealth care and “safety-net” welfarebenefits for the poor. Like any govern-ment expenditure, these benefitsmight raise local taxes. CR3+.

Subjugated: This society is underoutside control – whether military (anoccupying army), economic (a “pup-pet government,” subservient to for-eign masters), or something else (e.g.,magical mind control). CR4+.

Utopia: A utopia is a perfect societyin which all citizens are satisfied. CRalways seems low . . . but is it? Realutopias are rare. Seeming utopiasoften have some dark secret – forinstance, a hidden technocracy rulingby mind control. A sinister utopia is areal GMing challenge. A genuineutopia is an excellent “good guy” soci-ety for the heroes to save from con-quest or other threats (but realutopias, unless threatened by destruc-tion, are boring).

510 GAME WORLDS

LIBERTY, n.: One ofImagination’s most precious possessions.

– Ambrose Bierce,The Devil’sDictionary

RestrictionsPowerful or advanced societies might attach “restricted” status to

uninhabited regions – or even to weaker or more primitive societies.Examples include:

Embargoed: A stronger society might prohibit all trade with a weak-er one. They usually enforce this through military means, and searchvisitors carefully to prevent smuggling.

Hazardous: The region harbors something dangerous: cannibals,vicious wildlife, magical storms, etc. Buoys, signs, flags, etc. warn trav-elers of the risk. The authorities don’t move to prevent entry into theregion . . . but they don’t rescue travelers who get into trouble, either!

Prohibited: The region is completely off limits without special per-mission. This might be because the region is hazardous or quarantined– or because it contains some kind of secret (often military). Theauthorities might forcibly remove trespassers, prevent them from leav-ing, or simply destroy them on sight.

Protected: The authorities limit contact in order to protect nativeculture, wildlife, etc. Visitors might have to undergo medical quaran-tine before entering the region, or be prohibited from carrying certainequipment. They might even have to disguise themselves as natives!

Reserved: The region is off limits for colonization or development.

“Tech level” (TL) is a general ratingof a society’s highest achievement intechnology (or a certain type of tech-nology). Tech levels run from zero onup. Each TL describes a set of tech-nologies that become available after acertain point in time. The standardTLs, and associated eras on Earth, are:

TL0 – Stone Age (Prehistory andlater). Counting; oral tradition.

TL1 – Bronze Age (3500 B.C.+).Arithmetic; writing.

TL2 – Iron Age (1200 B.C.+).Geometry; scrolls.

TL3 – Medieval (600 A.D.+). Algebra;books.

TL4 – Age of Sail (1450+). Calculus;movable type.

TL5 – Industrial Revolution (1730+).Mechanical calculators; telegraph.

TL6 – Mechanized Age (1880+).Electrical calculators; telephoneand radio.

TL7 – Nuclear Age (1940+).Mainframe computers; television.

TL8 – Digital Age (1980+). Personalcomputers; global networks.

TL9 – Microtech Age (2025+?).Artificial intelligence; real-timevirtuality.

TL10 – Robotic Age (2070+?).Nanotechnology or other advancesstart to blur distinctions betweentechnologies . . .

TL11 – Age of Exotic Matter.TL12 – Whatever the GM likes!

Note that TLs have start dates butnot end dates. The innovations of agiven TL fade as those of higher TLsdisplace them, but they rarely vanishcompletely. A blacksmith in 1850sEngland uses TL3 techniques to shoethe horses that pull the carriage thegentleman rides to catch his TL5 trainto London – and those techniquesmight still exist in TL8, albeit as aquaint hobby. The GM should decidewhich “dated” technologies remain inuse in his game world, and whichitems from earlier TLs are still com-monly available for purchase.

Differences in tech level becomevery important when adventurerstravel between societies. Technology islikely to seem like magic to anyonemore than three or four TLs less

advanced. If a WWII soldier (TL6) getsdropped back into the days of KingArthur (TL3) . . . things get interesting.Of course, time travel isn’t necessary –even today, you can drop back three orfour TLs if you visit the right part ofthe world.

A party always attracts attention ifit displays technology from a higherTL than that of the locals. This atten-tion might take the form of worship,awe, curiosity, envy, fear, or hatred –the greater the disparity in TL, thestronger the reaction.

The GM should set a “baseline TL,”which describes most societies in thegame world, most of the time.However, exceptions may exist.

Backward SocietiesA society might have a lower TL

across the board. This could bebecause it is impoverished, isolated(either geographically or economical-ly), resistant to change (such as 17th-century China), or regressed (possiblyin the wake of war or natural disaster).PCs from such societies will have theLow TL disadvantage (see p. 22).

Advanced SocietiesLikewise, the TL of a particular

society might be higher than that ofthe rest of the game world. If the GMchooses to introduce such advancedsocieties, he should ensure that PCswho wish to use their advanced tech-nology pay the points and cash toacquire it honestly. PCs from suchsocieties must have the High TLadvantage (see p. 23).

Split Tech LevelRealistic societies rarely have the

same TL in every field of endeavor;they tend to be advanced in somefields, backward in others. GMs whodesire extra detail can rate each soci-ety for its TL in a few key areas. It ismost efficient to list only those TLsthat differ from the baseline; e.g.,“TL8 (Communications TL7, MedicalTL9).”

PCs have a personal TL equal totheir society’s baseline TL, but the TLof their technological skills matchesthat of their society in the relevantarea.

GAME WORLDS 511

TECH LEVELS

Variations Within a Tech Level

The equipment listed for a TL does not appear all at once as soonas a society enters that TL. Instead, items appear gradually after thatdate.

Shortly after a TL begins, devices from the previous TL will be com-mon – along with experts in skills associated with those items. A play-er could easily justify a PC with a personal TL one step below that ofhis society, or with one or two skills that are several TLs out of date.

As the TL wears on, devices from the next TL start to appear. If PCswish to obtain such equipment, they must either invent it or buy a pro-totype – see New Inventions (p. 473). Access to prototypes is not suffi-cient to justify a PC with a personal TL above that of his society!

At the GM’s option, adventurers may have a skill penalty of -1 ormore when dealing with technology of their own TL that is more or lessadvanced than what they are used to. Treat this as an unfamiliaritypenalty; see Familiarity (p. 169).

Finally, the GM should be aware that not every item of a given TLmust appear in every society that attains that TL. The GM always hasthe final say as to which items are currently available – both to the PCsand in the game world in general.

512 GAME WORLDS

Tech Level by FieldIt is often important to know what a given TL

implies for a particular area of knowledge – forinstance, when using the Building Up Local Technologyand Split Tech Level rules. The tables below outline theeffects of TL on four sample fields. Many other suchfields exist: architecture, communications, materials,etc.

TransportationTL0 – Skis; dogsleds; dugout canoes.TL1 – Bare horseback; the wheel (and chariots); ship-

building; sails.TL2 – Saddle; roads; triremes.TL3 – Stirrups; oceangoing sailing ships (longships,

roundships, etc.).TL4 – Stagecoach; three-masted sailing ships; precise

navigation.TL5 – Steam locomotives; steamboats; early sub-

mersibles; balloons and early airships.TL6 – Automobiles; continental railways; ocean liners;

submarines; aircraft.TL7 – Nuclear submarines; jet aircraft; helicopters;

manned space flight.TL8 – Satellite navigation; SSTO (“single stage to

orbit”) spacecraft.TL9 – Robot cars; space elevators; manned interplane-

tary space flight.TL10 – Fast interplanetary space flight.TL11 – Manned interstellar space flight.TL12 – Fast interstellar space flight.

Superscience! Reactionless thrust; contragravity;faster-than light (FTL) travel; matter transmission;parachronic technology; time machines.

Weapons and ArmorTL0 – Wooden and stone weapons; primitive shields;

hides for armor.TL1 – Bronze weapons and armor.TL2 – Iron weapons; iron armor (including mail); siege

engines.TL3 – Steel weapons; early firearms; plate armor;

castles.TL4 – Muskets and pikes; horse artillery; naval broad-

sides.TL5 – Early repeating small arms; rifled cannon; iron-

clads.TL6 – Smokeless powder; automatic weapons; tanks;

combat aircraft.TL7 – Ballistic body armor; guided munitions; combat

jets; nuclear weapons.TL8 – Smartguns; blinding lasers; unmanned combat

vehicles.TL9 – Electrolasers; heavy laser weapons; battlesuits;

combat robots; designer viruses.

TL10 – Compact laser and heavy particle-beamweapons; Gauss guns; nanotech armor; nano-viruses; antimatter bombs.

TL11 – Compact particle-beam weapons; disassem-blers (“gray goo”); defensive nanites.

TL12 – Gamma-ray lasers; “living metal” armor; black-hole bombs.

Superscience! Monomolecular blades; force-fieldtechnology; gravitic weapons; nuclear dampers; disin-tegrators.

PowerTL0 – Human muscle power; dogs.TL1 – Donkeys; oxen; ponies.TL2 – Horses; water wheels.TL3 – Heavy horses and horse-collars; windmills.TL4 – Improved windmills; belt drives; clockwork.TL5 – Steam engines; direct current; batteries.TL6 – Steam turbines; internal combustion; alternat-

ing current; hydroelectricity.TL7 – Gas turbines; fission; solar power.TL8 – Fuel cells; advanced batteries.TL9 – Micro fuel cells; deuterium-hydrogen fusion;

high-temperature superconductors.TL10 – Helium-3 fusion; antimatter.TL11 – Portable fusion power.TL12 – Portable antimatter power.

Superscience! Broadcast power; cold fusion; zero-point energy; total conversion; cosmic power.

Biotechnology/MedicineTL0 – First aid; herbal remedies; primitive agriculture.TL1 – Surgery; animal husbandry; fermentation.TL2 – Bleeding the sick; chemical remedies.TL3 – Crude prosthetics; anatomical science.TL4 – Optical microscope makes cells visible.TL5 – Germ theory of disease; safe anesthetics; vac-

cines.TL6 – Antibiotics; blood typing and safe transfusions;

heredity; biochemistry.TL7 – Discovery of DNA; organ transplants; pace-

maker.TL8 – Genetically modified organisms; gene therapy;

cloning.TL9 – Human genetic engineering; tissue engineering;

artificial wombs; cybernetic implants.TL10 – Brain transplants; uploading; bioroids; uplifted

animals.TL11 – Living machines; cellular rejuvenation.TL12 – Full metamorphosis; regeneration.

Superscience! Fast-growth clone tanks; psi drugs;regeneration ray.

Borrowed TechnologyA society can be familiar with tech-

nology that it does not itself possess.This is frequently the case for low-techsocieties with high-tech neighbors,and for colonies. A village with IronAge technology (TL2) might be quitefamiliar with the TL3 steel weaponscarried by travelers, and richer vil-lagers might have a few, but localsmiths could not duplicate or repairthem. Express this as “TL2/3.” PCsfrom such societies have a personalTL equal to the lower TL, but maylearn the skills needed to use (but notrepair or design) equipment of thehigher TL.

BUILDING UPLOCALTECHNOLOGY

There may be times when you needto improve the local TL. A group ofcastaways might have high-techknowledge, but little or no equipmentto work with. In that case, they need to“build the tools to build the tools” touse their technological knowledge. Inextreme cases, your castaways mighthave to go all the way back to primi-tive mining to get the ore to refine tometal to build the tools to build thetools . . . ! Or a single traveler mightwant to impart his high-tech knowl-edge to the people he is visiting. (Weassume that he has the cooperation ofhis hosts, or he doesn’t have a chance.)

Any such situation is largely at theGM’s discretion. But it can be done.Some of the best adventure stories ofall time have revolved around one ofthese premises: Swiss FamilyRobinson, Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen,

the Riverworld series, A ConnecticutYankee in King Arthur’s Court, etc.

General guideline: a “science” isone of the categories of knowledgelisted under Tech Level by Field (p.512). It takes two years of work tomove each science from one TL to thenext, assuming that:

(a) you have an ample supply oflabor;

(b) you have an ample supply ofraw materials;

(c) you are fully familiar with thelower TL (all relevant skills at 12+);and

(d) you know where you’re going,and are fully familiar with the higherTL (all relevant skills at 12+).

This rule is specifically for high-TLcharacters re-inventing or introducingtechnology to a low-tech society or sit-uation. It does not cover inventions –for that, see New Inventions (p. 473).

DIFFERENTTECHNOLOGIES

Some technologies (and some soci-eties) do not fit nicely onto the stan-dard tech-level charts. GMs who runinto this problem might wish to useone of the optional rules below.

Technology PathsCertain categories of inventions

might appear in an order other thanthat suggested by the default TLs. Inparticular, there is no guarantee thatTL9+ technologies will appear in theorder GURPS predicts. Apply the SplitTech Level rule (p. 511) as liberally asyou wish to simulate your favoritegenre! For instance, in a “cyberpunk”society, computing, bionics, and

biotechnology might be two to fourTLs more advanced. In contrast, a“retro-tech” setting that mimics 1940ssci-fi might have computers frozen atTL6 but many other technologies atanywhere from TL9 to TL12. Anycombination is possible!

Divergent Tech LevelsIn other cases, a society has a sin-

gle, consistent TL – but it got therealong an unusual path. The GM candesignate this “divergent TL” with thenotation “TL(x+y),” where x is the TLat which the technology diverged, y isthe number of TLs since the diver-gence, and the sum x+y is the effectiveTL for most purposes.

Example: TL(5+1) is effectively TL6– but a different TL6 that split off atTL5. TL(5+1) devices produce similarresults to TL6 ones, but look little likethose devices and rely on differentoperating principles. A TL(5+1)“steampunk” world based onVictorian visions of the future mighthave steam cars, steam dirigibles, andhigh-speed telegraph lines instead ofthe automobiles, airplanes, and tele-phones of TL6.

Divergent TLs are not unique.There could be any number of ver-sions of (for instance) TL(5+1), eachdifferent in its own way. The GMshould specify what caused the splitin each case, be it different thinking,different prevailing physics, or some-thing else.

Characters used to a “normal” or“differently diverging” TL suffer anadditional -2 penalty for unfamiliarity,over and above any penalties for TLdifferences, when dealing with diver-gent technology.

Superscience“Superscience” technologies vio-

late physical laws – relativity, conser-vation of energy, etc. – as we currentlyunderstand them. Examples of super-science technologies appear underTech Level by Field (p. 512), and sever-al articles of superscience equipmentappear in Chapter 8.

By definition, it is impossible to seta firm TL for superscience – we mightdiscover faster-than-light traveltomorrow, a thousand years fromnow, or never. Equipment TLs arealways debatable, but superscience

GAME WORLDS 513

Improving Skills in Alternate Tech LevelsAn adventurer who wishes to learn a technological skill can save

points if he already knows that skill at another tech level. Treat the skillat the new TL as a different skill that defaults to the known skill at thepenalty listed under Tech-Level Modifiers (p. 168); e.g., Engineer/TL5defaults to Engineer/TL7 at -3. Handle improving skills from “cross-TL” defaults identically to improving any skill from default; seeImproving Skills from Default (p. 173). (If your skill is not high enoughto let you start from a favorable default, ignore these rules and learnthe skill normally.)

TLs are arbitrary. To reflect this, therules give the TL of supersciencedevelopments as “^” instead of a num-ber. The GM is free to assign suchinnovations to any TL. To note asuperscience invention that appears ata specific TL in a particular gameworld, put a “^” after its TL; e.g.,“TL3^” for a TL3 superscience item.

Remember: superscience doesn’thave to change a society’s overall TL,create a new technology path, orcause a divergent TL. It just addstotally new developments to all theusual technologies for a given TL inthat society.

TECH LEVELAND GENRE

When designing a game world witha specific genre in mind, the GMshould be sure to choose a TL that willmeet his players’ expectations for thegenre. Some examples:

• Sword & Sandal: Gladiators,chariots, and amazons. TL1-2.

• Medieval Fantasy: Knights, wiz-ards, and castles. TL3.

• Warring Provinces Japan:Samurai and ninja. TL3-4.

• Swashbucklers: Pirates and mus-keteers. TL4.

• Wild West: Cowboys and Indians.TL5.

• Steampunk: Fiction of JulesVerne and H.G. Wells. TL5, divergingto TL(5+1).

• Pulp: Archaeologists and detec-tives between the World Wars. TL6.

• WWII: Axis and Allies. TL6.• Cold War: Capitalism vs. commu-

nism. TL7.• Modern Day: You’re living in it!

TL8.• Cyberpunk: Netrunners and

cyborgs. TL9.• Space Opera: Interstellar adven-

ture. TL10+, plus superscience.

514 GAME WORLDS

Each game world has its own eco-nomic situation. But money, in someform or another, is important inalmost every setting.

Money is anything you canexchange for what you want. It variesfrom one game world to the next. In ahigh-tech world, everything might bedone by credit card. In a low-techworld, gold and silver may be king.

For the sake of convenience,GURPS prefixes all prices with a dol-lar sign – $ – in all settings. The GM iswelcome to translate this to credits,copper farthings, Martian foomphra,or whatever he feels is appropriate tothe game world; see Tech Level andStarting Wealth (p. 27).

In a low-tech world, jewelry is alsomoney. It might not have a set valueimprinted on it, but it is small andportable, and easily traded for coins orbartered directly for needed goods. Infact, many societies exist largely bybarter – which can be a test of theplayers’ ingenuity.

Bankrolls andPossessions

List the money a character has onhis person on his character sheet, justlike his other possessions. If a lot oftransactions are taking place, it mightbe wise to record money on a separatesheet of paper to avoid erasing a hole inthe character sheet!

List the money a character does notcarry with him separately, along with itslocation. The GM may arrange floods,

bank robberies, tax increases, and otherentertainments to deprive the PCs oftheir savings – or at least make themwork to get their money back. The sameis true of all other possessions theheroes do not carry with them.

BUYINGAND SELLING

Players can buy and sell amongthemselves at whatever prices they can agree on. For outside trans-actions, the GM (or Adversary) shouldroleplay a merchant dealing in the needed goods or services. Most

transactions do not require a reactionroll. Only make a reaction roll if thesituation is in some way unusual. Forinstance, if the adventurers are new intown and have been swaggeringaround in armor and acting strangely,roll to see if the merchants will haveanything to do with them!

In general, the GM should setprices reasonably, following the lawsof supply and demand. Camels arevaluable near the desert, worthless inthe jungle. After a great battle, usedarmor might be on sale at scrap-metalprices. And so on.

The Merchant skill (p. 209) willhelp the PCs get good deals.

ECONOMICS

Moving Money Between WorldsIf the PCs move between game worlds (see Travel Between Game

Worlds, p. 520), they will naturally want to take some cash along. Butwhat is “legal tender” in one world might be worthless in another.There are two principles for the GM to remember here:

1. Money in a new world isn’t “legal tender”; it’s a commodity. If youbring medieval gold coins to the 21st century, they will sell as curios –or as gold, for perhaps $400 a troy ounce. If you take American papermoney to the 10th century, it will be worthless. So, rather than money,take along a few plastic hard-hats and maybe an MP3 player. (“Whatam I bid for this miraculous orchestra in a box?”)

2. A cross-world trading operation can get very rich very quickly. Ifa GM allows cross-world travel, it is up to him to preserve balance bylimiting the quantity or type of goods that traders can move betweenworlds. A suggested limit: only what the travelers can carry on theirpersons – and trips should not be frequent.

Equipment and Supplies

The GM should give the players alist of standard equipment and sup-plies, and their “normal” costs. Theitems and prices on the list will varyfrom game world to game world.

The players will want to buy thingsthat aren’t on the list. The GM shouldallow any reasonable purchase – as hedefines “reasonable” – setting pricesby comparison with things on the list.Real-world catalogs can be usefulhere!

For more information, see Chapter8, Equipment.

LOOT, ANDDISPOSING OF IT

Many adventures are overt questsfor treasure. Many aren’t.Nevertheless, it is customary to let theheroes find something of value if theysuccessfully complete an adventure. Ifnothing else, this lets them buy theirsupplies for the next adventure . . .

The classic fantasy adventuresends successful adventurers homewith chests of gold and jewels. Veryconvenient! If you are writing a morerealistic adventure, invent more inter-esting forms of treasure.

Let’s say the party was hired toguard a caravan. They drove off thebandits that attacked the caravan,

tracked them to their lair, wiped themout, and took their loot. Now, assum-ing the heroes have enough pack ani-mals, it will be a simple matter to takethe goods into town. Locate a merchant (using Area Knowledge – or Streetwise, if necessary). Make thebest sales approach possible. The GM makes a reaction roll for the

merchant. If he’s interested in thegoods, he makes an offer, which theplayers can accept or reject. Simple.

But it doesn’t have to be that sim-ple. Identifying treasure, and turningit into cash, can be a major part of thechallenge! Some possibilities:

• The treasure is not portable. Howwill they get it home?

• The treasure is not recognizableas such without a skill roll – or lookslike treasure to the unskilled observer,but is really junk!

• The treasure is valuable only tocertain collectors or specialists.Getting it to a buyer might be anadventure in itself.

• The treasure is illegal or immoral,making it risky to trade.

• The treasure is perishable or dan-gerous, and requires special handling.

• Somebody else is hunting thetreasure.

• The treasure is not goods, butinformation – a clue to the real loot, ora major plot hook toward the overallcampaign goal.

In spite of your best planning, theplayers will occasionally find “loot”you had not anticipated. For instance,the slavers had the PCs trapped in ironcages . . . and when they escape, they

GAME WORLDS 515

Making Your Own Goods

Adventurers with appropriate skills may want to save money bymaking their own equipment. Use the following guidelines in this situ-ation.

Starting equipment always costs “list price,” even if the PC couldhave made it himself. Assume that buying materials and taking timeout to make the item had the same impact on the PC’s starting wealthas if he had bought the item.

Building equipment in play is legal . . . if the GM is willing to goalong with it. Some things to consider:

1. What raw materials are needed, and how much will they cost?“Parts cost” is usually around 20% finished item cost.

2. How long will it take? PCs who build equipment between adven-tures can’t earn income or learn skills during that time. PCs who buildequipment during adventures are out of the action.

3. What skills are required, and what happens on a failure or criticalfailure? As a rule, failure just ruins the raw materials. Critical failureproduces equipment that fails catastrophically when used!

It would take several books to list all possible items, raw materials,building times, and skills – so this must be left up to the GM.

Gold and SilverA traditional assumption of fantasy games (and many fantasy nov-

els) is that gold and silver are heavy, and inconvenient to carry aroundfor purchases. If you are the GM, this is true only if you want it to betrue.

Historically, gold and silver were very valuable – and many goodswere cheap. For an authentic medieval English (14th-century) econo-my, treat the $ as a “farthing”: a copper coin about an inch across. Asilver penny is worth $4 and is less than half an inch across; 250 suchcoins ($1,000) weigh one pound. If silver and gold trade at 20 to 1 (areasonable ratio for much of history), a pound of gold is worth$20,000! A man could carry a king’s ransom in his backpack.

On the other hand, a GM who wants wealth to be less portablemight assume that the $ is a one-ounce silver coin, like a silver dollar.A one-ounce gold piece would then be worth $20. At that rate, 12 coins(troy weight) would weigh a pound; a pound of gold would be worthonly $240. In such a world, precious gems are the only way to carry alarge amount of wealth in a small package, and caravans loaded withgold might actually exist!

take the cages with them to sell forscrap. This is when you improvise. Ifyou have no clear idea what the goodsare worth, just make the story inter-esting. If you want the party to havemoney, then there’s a demand forscrap iron in the next village. If not,nobody is interested. Simple.

Controlling InflationThe GM should be careful not to let

the PCs get too rich too soon. Ratherthan drive up prices, make expensivethings (ships, noble titles, etc.) avail-able, and give the heroes opportuni-ties to invest in interesting long-term,high-risk ventures (e.g., bankrollingan inventor). Alternatively, arrange anoccasional catastrophe to keep thePCs broke – or simply an adventurewhere no amount of money canreplace brains.

In a high-tech world, there is nolimit to the advantages you can buywith money. In a low-tech environ-ment, once you have one good suit ofarmor, one fine weapon, and a coupleof fine horses, there’s not much elseyou can buy to enhance personalprowess. But you can hire an army . . .

Finally, be realistic about the valueof loot. Armor, combat vehicles, andsimilar military materials are likely tobe damaged after a fight – the PCs willbe lucky to get 1/3 “retail value” if theydrag this kind of hardware into town.(A very realistic GM will assess thePCs maintenance costs for repairingtheir own vehicles, weapons, armor,etc., too.)

WEALTHAND STATUS

Wealth (p. 25) and Status (p. 28)are separate but related traits. It is upto the GM to determine the details ofthe relationship.

In many game worlds, those withhigh social standing must buy upWealth by one level past Average perStatus level above 0, but can have highWealth without high Status. In others,wealthy characters must buy an addi-tional level of Status per level ofWealth past Average, but can purchasehigh Status without Wealth. The GMmight even enforce both requirementsand rigidly associate Status levels withWealth levels – but this excludes many

good character concepts. In all gameworlds, it is common for those withnegative Status to have Wealth onelevel below Average per Status levelbelow 0.

To keep things fun, the GM shouldforbid high Status to poor charactersor high Wealth to low-Status ones onlyif the setting absolutely demands it!

Cost of Living and Status

Each PC must pay the monthly“cost of living” for his Status or acceptthe consequences, as explained underCost of Living (p. 265). Assume the PCsare Status 0 – or “middle class” –unless they buy their Status up ordown.

To calculate how much money acharacter has for discretionary useeach month, subtract his cost of livingand that of noncontributing depend-ents from his monthly pay (see Jobs,below). In a campaign that does notuse jobs, either subtract cost of livingfrom the PCs’ adventuring income orignore this rule entirely!

JOBSThe GM determines what jobs are

available in the game world, either onhis own or by encouraging the playersto come up with ideas for jobs suitedto their characters’ talents. In a histor-ical campaign, the GM can reduce hisworkload by inviting the players toresearch and submit reliable informa-tion about the jobs they want!

Regardless of whether the GM orthe players come up with the job’sdescription, the GM assigns its prereq-uisites, job roll, monthly pay, andwealth level. The next few sectionsexplain these things.

DescriptionThis includes the job’s title, and

tells exactly what kind of work the jobentails. The GM should give hours,risks, guild or union affiliations, etc.,and point to the occupational tem-plate (see Character Templates, p. 258)for the job, if any.

PrerequisitesA job’s prerequisites are the skills –

if any – needed to do the job. Mostjobs specify a minimum required levelin each prerequisite skill. This might

be absolute (“Administration at 12+”)or relative (“Administration at IQ+2 orbetter”); the former is likely if theemployer requires testing, the latter ifthe employer awards jobs on the basisof experience. In either case, candi-dates must have at least one point inthe skill – default skill will not suffice!Some jobs also require specific advan-tages, or forbid certain disadvantages.

Job RollAt the end of every month in which

a character works, he must rollagainst one of the prerequisite skillsfor his job. This is called a job roll.

For jobs with multiple prerequisiteskills, the GM should specify whetherthe worker uses his best prerequisite,his worst prerequisite, or one specificskill at all times. This roll might be ata bonus for an easy job, at a penaltyfor a difficult one.

For jobs without prerequisites, theGM should specify either a flat successroll (e.g., “All characters roll vs. 12.”)or an attribute roll (e.g., “Roll ST.”).

Most jobs offer a fixed wage orsalary. On anything but a critical suc-cess or critical failure, the worker col-lects the monthly pay for the job (seebelow). On a critical success, he gets a10% permanent raise.

Other occupations are more vari-able; for instance, freelance jobs andwork on commission. For these jobs,the worker earns the monthly pay if hemakes his job roll exactly. For greatersuccess, increase that month’s incomeby 10% times the margin of success; acritical success triples the month’sincome! On a failure, decrease thatmonth’s income by 10% times themargin of failure.

For any kind of job, a critical fail-ure is always bad. At best, the workerwill earn no pay for the month. Hemight also face demotion (at least a10% reduction in monthly pay), lostsavings (due to damages, fines, etc.),loss of job, on-the-job injury (due to anaccident – or possibly a fight, if the jobis a violent one), or arrest (especiallyat a criminal “job”). The GM should becreative!

Monthly PayEach month on the job, a worker

earns his monthly pay – modified forhis job roll, as described above. Timespent adventuring is usually not “on

516 GAME WORLDS

the job,” although the GM might wishto make exceptions for vacations,work done while traveling, etc.

The GM may set any pay he likes.The first table at right suggests a fairmonthly pay for someone of Averagewealth working at a “typical” job forhis tech level.

Actual pay at each TL varies withina range bracketed by the typicalmonthly pay of the previous TL andthat of the next TL; e.g., from $2,100to $3,600 at TL8. Unless the economyis under some sort of stress or outsidecontrol, jobs near the high end of thisrange will be difficult (significantpenalty to the job roll), dangerous(severe consequences on a criticallyfailed job roll), or highly trained (manyor high-level skill prerequisites).

Wealth LevelThe monthly pay numbers above

are for workers of Average wealth.Assume that those of lower Wealthnormally have jobs that pay less thanthis, while those of higher Wealth usu-ally have jobs that pay more. Multiplythe average pay and pay range for jobssuitable to a given wealth level by thestarting wealth multiplier for thatwealth level (see Wealth, p. 25).

Example: “Comfortable” wealthdoubles starting wealth; therefore,Comfortable jobs pay twice as much.At TL8, this means that monthlyincome for those of Comfortablewealth is typically $5,200, but canrange from $4,200 to $7,200.

The more a job pays, the higher theStatus it can support. The secondtable at right sums this up.

If a PC lands a job associated witha higher wealth level than his own(which isn’t easy – see Finding a Job, p.518), the GM should let him earn theusual pay for that job. Most employerscannot get away with paying poorerworkers less! However, if the PC’s sav-ings reach the starting wealth of thenext-highest wealth level, he must paythe points to buy up his Wealth (seeAdding and Improving Social Traits,p. 291). This continues until his per-sonal wealth level equals that of hisjob.

Likewise, a wealthy PC may workat a job below his wealth level. He getsthe usual pay for that job; he does notreceive extra pay simply because he iswealthy! Such people often have

Independent Income (p. 26) as well asa job in order to meet the cost of livingfor their (usually high) Status.

HIRELINGSA “hireling” is any NPC in the adven-

turers’ employ. The GM controlshirelings; the players can give anyorders they like, but the GM decideshow they are followed!

A hireling provides an excellent wayto add muscle or special talents to aparty without introducing more PCs. Aparty may have any number ofhirelings, but the GM should keep thenumber of important “personality”hirelings down to two or three at a time.The GM can manage any number ofgeneric swordsmen – but keeping upwith an important hireling, whose per-sonality and character sheet are asdetailed as any PC’s, is challenging.

Creating HirelingsThe GM sets the hireling’s abilities.

If there is an occupational template(see Character Templates, p. 258) forthe hireling’s profession, the GM cansave time by copying statistics fromthat template. (If the template is forheroic PCs as opposed to averagemembers of a profession, apply a -1 or-2 to all attributes and skills.)

The GM keeps the hireling’s recordsheet; the players may not see it.Unimportant hirelings need only acard or a note; important hirelingsrequire a full character sheet.

Finding a HirelingThe PCs can’t pull a hireling out of

thin air. When they need to employsomeone, they must search for a suit-able person – just as in real life. Theymight not always get what they want.

The recruiter may attempt an IQroll once per week to find a hireling ofthe desired type. The GM may permithim to substitute an appropriate skillfor IQ: Administration (for formal,corporate-style hiring), CurrentAffairs (if seeking prominent “worldexperts”), Propaganda (for aggressiverecruiting), Streetwise (if seekingcriminals), etc. The party may attemptonly one roll per hireling per week.Modify this roll as follows:

City Size: The bigger the town orcity, the better the odds:

Population ModifierLess than 100 -3100-999 -21,000-4,999 -15,000-9,999 010,000-49,999 +150,000-99,999 +2100,000 or more +3

GAME WORLDS 517

Campaign Typical Campaign TypicalTech Level Monthly Pay Tech Level Monthly Pay

0 $625 7 $2,1001 $650 8 $2,6002 $675 9 $3,6003 $700 10 $5,6004 $800 11 $8,1005 $1,100 12 $10,6006 $1,600

Job’s Monthly Pay TypicalWealth Level Multiplier Status LevelPoor 1/5 -2Struggling 1/2 -1Average 1 0Comfortable 2 1Wealthy 5 2Very Wealthy 20 3Filthy Rich 100 4Multimillionaire 1 1,000 5Multimillionaire 2 10,000 6Multimillionaire 3 100,000 7Multimillionaire 4 1,000,000 8

Advertising: +1 if the advertisingbudget is 50% the monthly pay of thejob, +2 if 500%, +3 if 5,000%, and soon. This money covers the expense ofbusiness lunches, handbills, newspa-per ads, “recruiting parties,” etc.

Money Offered: +1 if the pay is 20%higher than normal for the job, +2 if50% higher, and +3 if 100% higher ormore.

Risk: -2 to find a hireling for a jobthat involves obvious risk of combat,unless seeking a guard, mercenary, orother “combatant” hireling. The GMdecides which potential hirelings are“combatant.”

Legality: -5 to find a hireling for anillegal job – and any critical failure onthe roll results in legal complications.The GM may waive this -5 when theemployer uses Streetwise skill for thesearch, but the critical failure result isthe same!

On a success, the PCs find a candi-date. The GM describes the potentialhireling to the players, and can eventake his part for an “interview.” Theplayers must then decide whether theyactually want to hire that person. Ifthey decide not to, they must starttheir search over again.

A failure might mean that ahireling simply is not available – espe-cially in a small town. It is up to theGM whether to allow repeatedattempts.

Of course, the GM is free to “load”the roll, if he feels the PCs absolutelyshould have (or should not have) ahireling of a specific type! For instance,if an adventure calls for a particularhireling, the GM can ensure that thehireling will appear. He may do thisovertly (the NPC approaches the partyin a bar and asks for a job) or covertly(the players say that they are lookingfor hirelings; the GM pretends to roll,but gives them a preplanned NPC).

Loyalty of HirelingsA hireling might not always act in

his employer’s best interests. The GMshould use the hireling’s “loyalty rat-ing” as a guide. Unless this is presetfor a reason, generate it by making areaction roll (see Reaction Rolls,p. 494) for “loyalty” when the PCs firstencounter the hireling. The GM caneven use this during the initial meet-ing or interview, to see whether thehireling lies about himself. Note that avery loyal potential hireling mightexaggerate his abilities out of desire tojoin the party!

SLAVESIn a game world where slavery is

legal, the PCs may buy slaves as eitherworkers or an investment – or theymight be enslaved themselves!Anywhere slavery is legal, slaves makeup a large part of the job market, andthere is a 50% chance that any hirelingfound is actually a slave.

The price of a slave is generallyequal to the amount the slave couldearn in five years, if free and workingat the typical pay rate for the best jobhe qualifies for. The GM may adjustthis price for any number of reasons:extra skills, good or bad attitudetoward slavery, physical appearance,health, etc. Slave traders rarely give areal bargain!

Loyalty of SlavesDetermine a slave’s loyalty per

Loyalty of Hirelings (above). However,slaves are less predictable thanhirelings. After determining the slave’sinitial loyalty, roll 2d on the followingtable to determine a loyalty modifier:

2-7 – No modifier.8 – He was enslaved for some crime,

and resents it: -1 to loyalty.9 – As above, but -2 to loyalty.10 – His previous master was very

cruel. If he is treated with kindnessduring the first week, apply +2 toloyalty; otherwise, no change.

11 – He has a fanatic hatred of slavery.If treated well, he may like his mas-ters as people, but will still escapeas soon as possible. If treated badly(or even “average” for a slave), hisloyalty drops to 6.

12 – He has the Slave Mentality disad-vantage (p. 154), and considers

518 GAME WORLDS

Finding a JobA PC seeking a job that requires an employer (that is, one at which

he is not self-employed) may roll against IQ once per week to see if hefinds work. The Laziness disadvantage gives -5 here! Apply the follow-ing modifiers:

City Size: The more peoplein the town or city, the betterhis chances (see table).

Overqualification: If hisskill exceeds the minimumlevel required by the job, he ismore likely to find work: +1 ifhis skill is one level higher, +2if two or more levels higher. The GM may give further bonuses if thejob hunter has additional abilities that would logically help him do thejob (or impress a potential employer).

Advertising: He can advertise that he is looking for work: +1 if hisbudget is 5% the monthly pay of the job sought, +2 if 50%, +3 if 500%,and so on. This money might be for bribes, “business clothing” forinterviews, handbills, placement fees, etc., depending on the job andthe setting.

Scarcity: Higher-paying jobs are harder to find. Subtract twice thetypical Status level of the job sought from the roll; e.g., a “Filthy Rich”job typically accompanies Status 4, so it would give -8. NegativeStatus gives a bonus! For instance, roll at +2 to find a “Struggling” job(Status -1).

Multiple Jobs: A seeker who is qualified for more than one job canlook for more than one job at a time, at a cumulative -1 to all rolls perjob after the first.

Population ModifierLess than 100 -3100-999 -21,000-4,999 -15,000-9,999 010,000-49,999 +150,000-99,999 +2100,000 or more +3

himself truly the property of hisowner. His loyalty is automatically20. You need never check loyalty;he will not demur, even if givenorders that condemn him to death.

Make loyalty checks for slaves asfor any other hirelings. Modify loyaltyby +1 or +2 if they are in a situationwhere they have nowhere to run!

Legal ComplicationsWhen slave-holding PCs enter an

area where slavery is illegal, theymust either dispose of their slaves orpass them off as free servants.Possible anti-slavery attitudesinclude: legal to own slaves, but not tobuy or sell them locally; legal for non-citizens to own slaves while passingthrough, but illegal for permanent

residents to own them; or illegal toown slaves at all.

A creative GM may impose otherlaws and customs regarding slavery.For instance, it might be legal toenslave members of some socialgroups or races, but not others. Theremight be ways for a slave to earn hisfreedom – some societies might evenpermit slaves to own property andbuy their freedom.

GAME WORLDS 519

Loyalty ChecksA “loyalty check” is a roll made by the GM, usually in

secret, to see how a hireling behaves in a given situation.Check loyalty whenever a hireling is in mortal danger, orwhen violating his trust seems to be the wise, profitable,or easy thing to do.

To make a loyalty check, the GM rolls 3d against thehireling’s loyalty rating (see Loyalty of Hirelings). On a rollequal to or less than his loyalty, the hireling “passed” thecheck and behaved loyally. A hireling with loyalty 20+passes all checks automatically.

If the GM rolls over the hireling’s loyalty, the hireling“failed” the check and served his own interests. This doesnot always mean total betrayal – it depends on the situa-tion. It just means he let his employers down. He mayrepent and beg forgiveness; this is up to the whim (anddramatic ability) of the GM. If the PCs forgive a hirelingwith a loyalty of 16+, with or without punishment, hisbase loyalty goes up by 1.

The GM is free to modify a loyalty check for specialcircumstances. A huge bribe from a foe, for instance,would give most hirelings a penalty to their loyalty check.

It is up to the GM to decidewhen a check is necessary. Thisdepends on the hireling. For a vet-eran, “mortal danger” does notmean “any combat.” He would notfear an orc – or even a whole packof orcs. But he might have to checkloyalty if asked to battle a dragon!

Changes in LoyaltySeveral factors can change loyalty, temporarily or

permanently:Higher Pay: +1 to loyalty per 10% by which the hire-

ling’s pay exceeds the norm for his job, whether it’s a“salary” or a share in loot. This bonus persists for amonth after the extra pay ceases. (This factor also affectsslaves, if they are allowed their own possessions.)

Great Danger: Whenever a noncombatant hireling isexposed to a combat situation, check loyalty. Failuregives -1 to loyalty for a week. Repetitions might have apermanent effect.

Rescue: If the PCs risk their lives (or the mission) torescue the hireling, make a reaction roll at +3 or more,depending on the nature of the rescue. A “Good” or bet-ter reaction means the hireling is grateful. His loyaltybecomes the result of the roll or his original loyalty –whichever is higher. If one of the PCs was seriouslyinjured or killed in the rescue, the GM should consideradding a permanent loyalty bonus on top of this!

Employers’ Competence: Loyalty of a “continuing”hireling might change by one point at the end of anadventure, based on the party’s performance. Abotched mission reduces loyalty; great success increasesit. This modifier is permanent.

Length of Service: After each year, make a loyaltycheck. A success gives a permanent +1 to loyalty. Thus,the best hirelings become better . . . but poor ones areunlikely to improve much.

OTHER PLANES OF EXISTENCEA campaign can extend across sev-

eral game worlds instead of being tiedto just one. This makes it possible toexplore themes that do not work wellin a single-world campaign. Forinstance, the PCs might visit severalradically different settings in thecourse of a single adventure, and theworld – at least one world – could

actually end without the campaigncoming to an abrupt halt.

Multi-world campaigns greatlyincrease the players’ options. They getto experience several settings and gen-res while playing the same characters.And if they grow tired of the currentworld, the GM can simply move the

action to a new one. This can give aflagging campaign a new lease on life.

However, a multi-world campaignincreases the GM’s workload. Insteadof having to design one world in detail,he has to create many. He must alsoaddress the question of travel betweenworlds, which can be as much work asdesigning a world!

The GM needs to be prepared todeal with another potential problem.Many players see little point in work-ing hard to achieve goals in one worldif they believe the fruits of their laborswill be lost when the campaign movesto the next. This can lead to a game-disrupting sense of detachment. Toprevent this, the GM must strengthencampaign continuity by creating sto-rylines that span worlds . . . whichadds even more work.

Any GM should know the limits ofhis time and ability, and consult withhis players ahead of time. This is eventruer for GMs who wish to run cross-world campaigns.

TYPES OFREALITIES

Many different types of gameworlds can exist in a cross-world cam-paign. These are often called “planes

of existence” (or “planes”), “dimen-sions,” “realities,” “realms,” or “uni-verses” to distinguish them from dis-tant lands or planets in the same phys-ical universe, which are sometimescalled “game worlds” as well.

Physical RealitiesThese are planes of existence that

travelers can actually visit – either inbody or in spirit – much as they wouldvisit another country or planet. The

520 GAME WORLDS

Travel Between Game WorldsOne of the chief purposes of the GURPS design is to

let players explore multiple game worlds without learn-ing a whole new set of rules each time. A player canparticipate in several different campaigns, each in adifferent place or time, and play a different character ineach campaign. Each character stays in his own world.But the characters can also move from one game worldto another. This can happen in three ways:

1. A player can develop a character in one gameworld and then bring that character into another gameworld. An example might be a medieval wizard, hurledhundreds of years into the future by a magic spell, par-ticipating in a WWII adventure.

2. An entire campaign can move from one gameworld to another. For example, suppose the party is thecrew of an interstellar trading ship. They crash-land ona primitive planet. Until they can make their way to thespaceport, on the other side of the world, they are effec-tively living in the 12th century!

3. The campaign can include multiple game worldsby design, along with the means to travel betweenthem. See Other Planes of Existence.

Differences in WorldsAs a rule, the more different two worlds are, the

harder it should be for PCs to move between themdeliberately. Significant differences would include:

• Magical world vs. technological world.• Very low-tech world vs. very high-tech world.• Largely human or all-human world vs. world with

many races.• War-wracked, plague-ridden world vs. peaceful,

decadent world.• Fantasy world vs. strictly historical, “real” world.

Certainly, any or all of these differences could existon a single planet! But they would not be found nextdoor to each other.

Likewise, the GM should make travel betweenincompatible worlds difficult. This achieves an effectthat is very rare in gaming; it improves both realism

and playability. Players will appreciate the fact that“rule changes” come only with warning.

Possible obstacles to interworld travel include allthe standard geographical barriers: high mountainranges, wide oceans, extensive deserts or badlands,swampy jungles, etc. Magical barriers are also a possi-bility, as are intervening hostile lands. GMs may alsohave their different worlds located literally on differentworlds. The problems of interplanetary travel at lowTLs are not to be taken lightly, but powerful magic cando almost anything. Of course, such powerful magic isnot likely to be within the PCs’ control . . .

Alternate Earths“Alternate Earths” are worlds that are like Earth . . .

but different in some way. The differences might betiny (Kennedy’s picture is on the dime), huge (Kennedyis now King of the Western Hemisphere), or unbeliev-able (the Earth is ruled by intelligent lizards who havethe same cultures, languages, and politics as us).

A “reasonable” alternate history is sometimes calleda parallel world. Inventing parallel worlds is a greatintellectual game. One way to approach it is to pick ahistorical event and ask, “What if this were different?”What if Lincoln had survived Booth’s attack? What ifChamberlain had stood up to Hitler? What if Eric theRed had died in a brawl at age 16?

As the GM, you can invent any sort of alternateEarth. You can assume as many basic points of differ-ence as you like. But it is interesting to see what logicalconsequences you can develop from one change. Pickany historical event – great or small – and ask yourself,“What if this had gone differently?”

For an entire campaign setting built around alter-nate Earths, with many examples, see Chapter 20.

Virtual RealitiesA virtual reality (or “virtuality”) is basically a syn-

thetic plane of existence generated by high technology.Much of the advice given here for cross-world cam-paigns is equally valid in high-tech campaigns that fea-ture an immersive “cyberspace” where the PCs can haveadventures and interact with the real world indirectly.

defining feature of such realms is thatvisitors possess a physical body duringtheir stay. This might be their normalbody . . . or it might be a “spirit body”that is corporeal only within that realm.

The most common physical realityis the alternate world (also known as an“alternate history” or “alternate time-line”). This is almost the same as thePCs’ home world, but in this world,history diverged at some pivotal event,creating a different reality. (SeeAlternate Earths, p. 520.)

Almost as common is the mirrorworld. Mirror worlds look just like thePCs’ home world, but the resemblanceis cosmetic. No reasonable sequence ofhistorical shifts could explain the dif-ferences! A good example is the worldof faerie: it looks a lot like our world,but it is actually a magical realm ruledby powerful spirits. Another commonexample is the “evil parallel.” Manythings about the world are similar, butpersonalities and even governmentsare “opposite”: republics become dic-tatorships, saints become fiends, andso on.

Some physical realities might beeven more alien. At best, they might beas different as alien planets within ouruniverse. At worst, the laws of physicsmight be different, or suspended.Humans might be unable to survivethere!

Interpenetrating PlanesTwo or more planes of existence

might interpenetrate, with each loca-tion in one world corresponding to asimilar location in all the others. Suchrealms are generally distinct from oneanother, and invisible to each other’sinhabitants – although some giftedpeople, such as mediums and seers,might be able to perceive more thanone reality at a time. Perhaps evenordinary people can occasionally seethe inhabitants of the other realms,but regard them as ghosts.

This is a common way to look at“dream,” “phantom,” and “spirit”realms in fiction. Often, travelers tosuch planes do not go anywhere; theyjust shift their perceptions.

PhasesA phase is not a destination in

itself, but an invisible sub-dimensionof one specific reality. Unlike an inter-penetrating plane, it is not distinct

from its partner reality; it merely rep-resents a physical or supernatural“wavelength” different from the stan-dard one. The main use of such realmsin fiction is to let travelers rapidlybridge the gap between two locationswithin the same physical reality.

An example of a phase is the ethe-real state that those withInsubstantiality (p. 62) assume inorder to walk through physical obsta-cles. Another example, common in sci-ence fiction, is hyperspace: the “space”into which stardrives shift starshipsfor faster-than-light travel.

VoidsA void surrounds physical realities

in much the same way that outer spacesurrounds stars and planets. A void dif-fers from an interpenetrating plane inthat it touches realities without over-lapping them. It differs from a phase inthat it is not a sub-dimension of justone reality, but a “super-dimension”that engulfs and connects all realities.

Like the ocean and outer space, thevoid in fiction is a dramatic device thatserves one purpose above all others: itmediates travel – in this case, interpla-nar travel. For instance, popular inter-pretations of the “astral” plane suggestthat it is a void that travelers must passthrough when using magic or psionicsto journey between realities.

PLANARCOSMOLOGY

The GM must determine whatplanes of existence are present – innumber and in type – and how theyinteract. The possibilities are endless!Here are some popular arrangements.

Worlds Within WorldsIn this model, realities are nested

one within the next – like the layers ofan onion. Alternate worlds or inter-penetrating planes might exist on amore-or-less equal footing at some lev-els of this hierarchy, but the trulyimportant events in the campaignalways involve movement up or downthe hierarchy, not across any one level.

This structure lets the GM hidesecrets within secrets, and offers aclassic explanation for many super-natural powers and beings: “Theycome from a higher plane.” As a

result, it is well suited to multiple-real-ity campaigns with a strong supernat-ural flavor.

Example: A fantasy campaign takesplace in a fairly ordinary physical real-ity – a world with mountains, oceans,stars in the sky, etc. “Inside” this world,there is a phase called the EtherealPlane; this explains magical effectssuch as teleportation and walkingthrough walls. Surrounding the physi-cal world is an inner void: the SpiritWorld, realm of ghosts. The SpiritWorld does not overlap the physicalworld; instead, it is a layer that deadsouls (and powerful wizards!) musttraverse on their way to an outer voidknown as the Astral Plane. The AstralPlane, in turn, allows travel to the alien“physical” realities of demons, gods,and other higher powers.

Parallel WorldsThis cosmology features multiple

physical realities standing shoulder toshoulder. Most are true alternate real-ities, but a few might be mirrorworlds. Some might even be “pressedso close together” that they interpene-trate. The defining feature is that thereare no planes of existence within,between, or surrounding these worlds.All realities are on an equal footing,and travel involves a direct shift asopposed to a journey through somekind of intervening dimension.

This structure eliminates mysticaljourneys, speeds the act of travel, andprovides a rational explanation forweird events (“ghosts” are just inhabi-tants of unusually close realities,“demons” are merely ugly interplanarvoyagers, etc.). These features make itdesirable for science-fiction cam-paigns centered on cross-world traveland trade.

This framework is conceptuallysimple, but the GM can make it asconvoluted as he wishes. Travelersmight only be able to visit “adjacent”worlds . . . and a satisfactory definitionof “adjacent” could defy scientists’best efforts. It might take multiplehops to travel to some worlds, andwhile worlds might form a ring orother simple pattern, the GM couldinstead decree that they exhibit abrain-busting geometry that humansand their best computers simply can-not map. Use your imagination!

GAME WORLDS 521

Mixing It UpThe GM is free to add any number

of twists. For instance:

• Start with a hierarchy of realities,as explained under Worlds WithinWorlds, but place parallel worlds onsome tiers of the hierarchy.

• Start with worlds that abut onworlds, as described for ParallelWorlds, but make certain “worlds”fully realized hierarchies of dimen-sions instead of simple physical realities.

• Add any number of distinct phas-es to some or all of the worlds in thesetting (e.g., each physical realitymight have its own hyperspace and anethereal plane).

INTERPLANARTRAVEL

Many stories that feature multipleworlds assume that travel betweenthose worlds is a one-way trip:unlucky (or lucky!) travelers somehowfall through the gap between worlds.But regular travel between worlds is aninteresting possibility, as it lets explor-ers study, exploit, and perhaps evenconquer entire worlds. In this case, themost important question to answer is,“How do the adventurers get there?”

Instantaneous vs. Time-Consuming Travel

Travel between worlds could be a“Poof! You’re there!” phenomenon:the heroes just have to cast a spell,push a button, walk under a hill, etc.Or it might be a slow process, compa-rable to sea or space travel. Bothapproaches have pros and cons.

Instantaneous travel – like theJumper advantage (p. 64) and PlaneShift spell (p. 248) – allows furious,universe-spanning action, with theheroes and their foes battling from onereality to the next. However, someplayers will try to avoid enemies (andDebt, Duties, etc.) this way, sappingdrama instead of adding to it. Thiskind of travel also encourages briskinterplanar trade, which is great fun. . . until it destroys the campaign’seconomy. In general, if interplanartravel is to be quick, the GM shouldmake the means of travel hard to comeby, introduce reasonable risks (e.g.,nasty surprises on failed Plane Shift

rolls), limit what travelers can carry,and make it clear that some alternateworlds are dangerous.

If interplanar travel takes time, theGM must determine how much timepasses, and at what rate relative totime in the PCs’ home world. The pri-mary advantage of time-consumingtravel is that the trip itself is an adven-ture. The downside is that the cam-paign can get bogged down in travel.Many players grow bored if their char-acters must make long trips to achievetheir goals. If the GM chooses thisoption, he should be prepared to buildan adventure around each trip, or letthe PCs spend their time on gainfullong-term projects such as study,invention, and magical enchantment.

Physical Travel vs. Projection

Interplanar travelers sometimesvisit other planes of existence in per-son, but this is not the only option.Visitors might instead journey to otherrealities in mind or in spirit.

Physical travel (teleportingbetween worlds, moving there in somekind of vehicle, etc.) lets the GM useclassic “hooks” like money and physi-cal danger to steer the campaign. It isalso involves less bookkeeping: thePCs have the same abilities and equip-ment as in their home world.However, physical travel lets the PCsvanish bodily, perhaps along withtheir possessions, making it possibleto escape the consequences of theiractions. It also opens the door to com-modities trading, which can haveunwelcome economic effects. The GMshould take care to create adversarieswho can follow the PCs wherever theygo, and should consider imposing

strict limits on the physical goods thatcan accompany travelers (e.g., “Youarrive naked.”).

Projection involves traveling toother planes as a mind or spirit whilethe body remains behind. This solvesmany of the problems GMs have withcross-world campaigns. What belongsin each world stays in that world. Theonly thing that moves between worldsis information – and the GM can easi-ly control that. There are two disad-vantages. First, the GM must keeprecords for both the PCs’ physicalselves and their projections. (The GMcould just say that the projection is thesame as the original, but he would bediscarding an interesting dramatictool.) Second, players might feel thatother realms aren’t “real,” and behaveaccordingly. The solution here is to letthem . . . and then have the conse-quences of their actions show up intheir “real” world!

Modes of TravelFinally, the GM must decide on the

actual mechanism used for interpla-nar travel. Options include:

Artifacts: Interplanar travel relieson magical, psionic, superscience, orweird science gadgetry. There are end-less possibilities, from hyperdrivesand parachronic conveyors to magicmirrors and stone circles. Be sure tospecify whether the artifact goes withthe traveler to the other side, or mere-ly sends him there – and whether it’sgood for the return trip!

Right Time, Right Place: Anyonecan reach other planes, but only undercertain conditions: while dreaming,on certain days of the year (“When thestars are right!”), at specific places(such as the “hollow hills” of faeriemyth, or a wormhole in deep space),and so on – and possibly more thanone of the above.

Special Powers: Travelers needadvantages (e.g., Jumper), magicspells (e.g., Plane Shift), or similarpowers to move between worlds. Tokeep PCs with such abilities fromgoing off and leaving the rest behind,the GM should either require all PCsto have such abilities or make surethat the person in charge of trans-portation has the power to convey hiscompanions (and that the player isresponsible enough to do so).

522 GAME WORLDS

The most important questionto answer is, “Howdo the adventurersget there?”

It’s 2027. A future Earth, known as Homeline, is exploring hundreds ofalternate Earths. It’s also fighting an undeclared war with another world-jumping civilization . . . but that may be the least of its worries!

Welcome to Infinite Worlds.

INFINITE WORLDS 523

CHAPTER TWENTY

INFINITEWORLDS

Infinite Worlds is an example of agame setting. But it’s more than that. It’salso a framework that lets players createalmost any kind of character, and thatmakes it easy for GMs to run cross-genre adventures.

The Infinite Worlds multiverse iscompletely optional. GMs who don’twant to permit extradimensional

excursions are free to prohibit them.Not everyone is comfortable withblaster-toting wizards fighting Nazisupersoldiers . . .

Although that doesn’t have to be theway it works. Many worlds have yet tobe discovered; many others are isolated.The PCs may start out completelyunaware of the existence of other

dimensions, but at some point in thecampaign (possibly after months oreven years of play), they discover thattheir world is just one of many. Theyfind a way to travel to an alternateworld, or perhaps they discover anextradimensional plot and end uprecruited by the Infinity Patrol . . .

And everything changes.

In the year 1995, Dr. Paul VanZandt, a physics professor, built thefirst working parachronic projectorand used it to visit the timeline thatbecame known as Earth-Beta, or sim-ply Beta. He concealed his observa-tions and continued his experiments.Six months later, following a mysteri-ous fire that destroyed his Dartmouthlaboratory, he resigned from teachingto set up a “consulting” firm.

In fact, Van Zandt had simply freedhimself to continue his experimentswithout the supervision of academia –or of the Department of Defense,which had supplied grant money for

his original project. Over the next fewyears, he refined his theories, contact-ed 23 more universes, and personallyvisited six alternate Earths. He alsosecretly gathered a number of trustedaides, the nucleus of the group thatwould become Infinity Unlimited. Andhe founded White Star Trading, aninterworld trading corporation, tofinance further experiments.

In February 1998, Van Zandt madeheadlines by publishing his results –and by formally incorporating InfinityUnlimited, with subsidiaries includingWhite Star Trading, ParachronicLaboratories, and Infinity Develop-ment. Furthermore, Van Zandt offeredto license his designs to any govern-ment or corporation interested incrosstime travel.

524 INFINITE WORLDS

Infinite Worlds Glossaryalternate: Any timeline except the original Earth. Also

“alternate world.”anchor: An echo that does not experience a quantum

shift when “history is changed.”banestorm: A natural phenomenon that moves matter

between worlds.Centrum: A rival civilization with the ability to travel

between worlds. A “Centran” is a native or agent ofCentrum.

conveyor: A self-propelled device for traveling betweenalternate worlds.

Coventry: An alternate world maintained by theInfinity Patrol as a prison for those – bothHomeliners and outtimers – who Know Too Much.

echo: An alternate world which is – or appears to be– identical to ours, but at an earlier point in its history.

Eraser: A memory-affecting drug used by I-Cops andothers to keep the secret of parachronic travel.

hell parallel: An alternate world which has suffered anatural or manmade disaster that rendered itunliveable. More loosely, any really bad world.

homeboy: Anybody from one’s world of origin.Homeline: The original Earth.I-Cop: An agent of the Infinity Patrol’s Intervention

Service.Infinity Patrol: The paramilitary arm of Infinity

Unlimited.Infinity Unlimited: A private organization that con-

trols parachronic technology as a monopoly andgoverns access to alternate timelines.

Interworld: The Centran equivalent to the InfinityPatrol.

nexus portal: A “natural” path between alternateworlds.

outtime: Any world except the original Homeline.outtimer: Anyone from an alternate world.parachronics: The study of alternate worlds. More

specifically, the study of why alternate worlds exist,and how travel between them is possible.

parachronozoid: A creature with a natural world-jumping ability, especially one that leaves a tunnelor portal behind (those that don’t are rather hard tospot!).

parallel: An alternate world that differs from ours onlyin that its history has been different (some are verydifferent). A “close parallel” is different as the resultof one identifiable historical change.

projector: A device that can send a conveyor acrossquanta.

quantum: An “energy level” in 8-dimensional spacethat contains many alternate timelines. Quantumlevels are often abbreviated; e.g., Q7 for Quantum 7.

reality quake: A parachronic upheaval that buriessome or all of an alternate’s history beneath a newone.

The Secret: The fact that technological cross-worldtravel is possible. Outtimers are not supposed tolearn this, unless recruited by Infinity or Interworld.

timeline: Another term for an alternate world.weird parallel: An alternate world that has many sim-

ilarities to our own, but also has differences whichmake these similarities seem unbelievable (such asa world where intelligent reptiles speak English).

zero point: The term for a location that has been“zeroed” – properly calibrated – for a safe conveyorjump between two specific dimensions.

Infinite worlds, infinite wealth.

THE CAMPAIGN

Naturally, governments were out-raged. The U.S. Congress immediatelymoved to nationalize and classify allparachronic technology. The Japan-ese, European, Chinese, and Russiangovernments all called for its interna-tionalization and suppression.

The next day, Van Zandt addresseda closed session of the U.N. SecurityCouncil. No one knows what he said,but the world powers accepted hisproposal . . . within certain limits.

Infinity Unlimited was organizedas a corporation whose formal part-ners were the permanent members ofthe U.N. Security Council. Van Zandtretained the position of first CEO, butSecurity Council-appointed bureau-crats also sat on its board. InfinityUnlimited’s charter was rewritten tokeep control of the basic technologyfirmly in its hands.

Van Zandt won a key victory –almost unnoticed at the time – whenhe resolved a budget dispute by sug-gesting that Infinity Unlimited wouldbe largely self-funding: after an initialinfusion of funds, it would be “forced”to rely on profits from licensingparachronic technology. Many politi-cians were pleased that Infinity wouldnot drain resources from the UnitedNations’ limited funds, and believedthis would serve as a cap on the orga-nization’s power. Few in the UnitedNations or the world appreciated,then, the true potential of theparachronic secret:

Infinite worlds, infinite wealth.

Infinity also received its own secu-rity organization, which Van Zandtinsisted on calling the “InfinityPatrol.” Initially small, and limited toprotecting Infinity’s exploration teamsand installations, its role and powerwould expand dramatically over time.

It took time for the economic andpolitical ramifications to sink in, butthe revelation that the Earth existedwithin a potentially infinite series ofalternate worlds shook the founda-tions of human belief. Science, reli-gion, even the nature of identity wascalled into question. But some peopleadapted quickly (others still haven’t),and many saw opportunities.

Soon, groups of intrepid explorerswere probing the dimensions, led bythe vanguard of Infinity Unlimited’sPenetration Service: elite “time

scouts” that the corporation recruitedfor its perilous first-contact missions.Trade opened with dozens of worlds.Natural resources flowed in from theuntouched ore deposits of uninhabit-ed alternate Earths. On the world thatcame to be known as “Homeline,” theenvironment began to recover as theworst industrial wastes – and the mostpolluting industries – were sent todead worlds already blighted beyondanything mankind could do. Politicalintrigues continued . . . but the econo-my of Homeline was no longer one ofdesperate scarcity.

Van Zandt retired immediately. “Iplan to devote the rest of my life totravel and study,” he said, “and I’mnever going to touch a soldering ironagain.”

For a little while, it looked like thestart of a utopia, at least for Homeline.And then the worm peeked out of themultidimensional apple: Centrum, adifferent reality-spanning culture,with its own ideas of what a utopiashould look like.

Suddenly, infinite worlds meantinfinite trouble . . .

INFINITE WORLDS 525

The Interworld TreatyThe Interworld Treaty was ratified by most (but not all) U.N. mem-

ber states. It represented a compromise between the interests of largeand small states – and between business interests (championed by anuneasy alliance between Van Zandt and the United States) and U.N.and government bureaucrats. The treaty created a framework that wasintended to prevent a “neo-colonial” land rush, limit the ability of gov-ernments to deploy military forces crosstime, and permit (but regulate)the commercial exploitation of certain worlds, while preventing cross-cultural disasters.

The most significant effect of the treaty was to centralize mostpower in Infinity Unlimited, while ensuring that checks and balancesexisted that would give the U.N. Security Council – and to a lesserextent, the U.N. Secretary General – a degree of oversight.

It works . . . at least, some of the time.

Dark InfinityHow Van Zandt persuaded the world’s great powers to accede

(mostly) to his terms is one of the “big secrets” of the Infinite Worldssetting. Some possibilities:

Conspiracy: Infinity Unlimited is the instrument of a vast, ruthlessconspiracy that has dominated the corridors of power for centuries.The rise of Infinity was the culmination of centuries of preparation.But who won? Do the Illuminati control it?

The Menace from Beyond Time: The world’s leaders caved in becauseof what Van Zandt showed them. They’ve suppressed this to preventpanic, but perhaps the truth is leaking out. Whatever the truth may be,it’s obviously vitally important that humans spread across manyworlds. If the GM wants to have a “new power” invade the hyper-cos-mos, there’s plenty of scope.

Deus Ex Paramachina: What if Van Zandt is much more than heseems? Could he be a visitor from another, more advanced timeline? Aretired, wandering god? A rogue technomancer, exiled from the FourRealms? It seems odd that Infinity and Centrum developed parachron-ics so close together. Maybe it was planned. If so, who was responsible?Was conflict the goal, or did something go wrong? Maybe Centrum wassupposed to be Infinity’s ally . . .

Infinity knows of several hundredalternate worlds, spread through an 8-dimensional space in a pattern thatseems almost predictable. Theseworlds are divided between a numberof different “energy levels,” or quanta.It is easy to reach a world on the samequantum, hard to travel outside yourown quantum.

Homeline is on Quantum 5 (Q5).Infinity can reach Q4 and Q6 fairlyeasily, and Q3 and Q7 with difficulty.Q2 and below, and Q8 and above, arecompletely inaccessible.

Centrum is located on Q8. Theycan reach Q7 and Q9 fairly easily, andQ6 and Q10 with difficulty. They can-not reach Q5 and below, or Q11 andabove, at all.

The known worlds are distributedas follows:

Quantum 2 and below: Unknown!Quantum 3: 39 known Earths.Quantum 4: 89 known Earths.Quantum 5: 68 known Earths,

including Homeline and Earth-Beta.Quantum 6: 379 known Earths.Quantum 7: 126 known Earths.Quantum 8: 45 known Earths,

including Centrum.Quantum 9: 43 known Earths.Quantum 10: 52 known Earths.Quantum 11 and above: Unknown!

Parachronic scientists agree thatthere must be an infinity of alternateworlds, although most are out ofreach. They disagree strongly on howbig an infinity. Neither Homeline’s norCentrum’s technology can reach any-where near an infinite number ofworlds. But they are out there . . .somewhere.

There are almost certainly undis-covered timelines in all the quantathat Infinity and Centrum can reach.After the first 10 years of exploration,new discoveries settled down to asteady rate of about 10 per year.

A common misconception aboutthe “infinite worlds” is that all possi-bilities must exist on some alternateworld, somewhere. Of course, thismight be true; until Infinity can reachall possible alternates, it will be hardto disprove. But even if an infinity ofworlds exist, there could be many

possibilities that don’t exist. As onephysicist explained it: “You can havean infinite number of apples withouthaving any oranges.”

CLASSES OFALTERNATEWORLDS

Infinity Unlimited’s PenetrationService classifies alternate worlds asfollows.

EmptyThere is no intelligent life on the

world. It is free for exploitation.Typical uses include colonization(usually on the very best worlds),industry (mostly on bad worlds),hunting preserves (including prehis-toric ones!), and research (the wholetimeline is set aside as a zoo, sciencestation, etc.). “Disaster worlds” aresometimes exploitable, if only aswaste dumps; others are reserved forscientific use.

EchoesThe Earths in these timelines, all in

Quantum 6, seem to be following the“known” course of history exactly, butaren’t as far along in that history asHomeline. These worlds are open forcautious, unobtrusive research andtourism – but if “history is changed,”they shift to other quanta and becomeparallels. Centrum has been trying todo just that, as part of a programintended to move them closer to theirown home dimension.

ParallelsThe Earths in these universes

diverged from the “known” course ofhistory at some point. Infinity andCentrum penetrate most such worldsas time and manpower allow. Trade,development, conquest, etc., are possi-ble without risk of a quantum shift.

Homeline’s general objective withthese worlds is “benevolent guidance”away from war, especially war withweapons of mass destruction – and,somewhat less benevolently, to ensurethat they do not discover parachronictravel. Many people disagree with this,

but the only coherent alternative any-body has ever come up with is “handsoff.” And the idea of, for instance,keeping hands off a parallel-worldHitler, as he is giving the orders forDachau, is a bit much.

AnchorsAn anchor is similar to an echo,

but highly stable. No one is quite surewhy – some theories suggest thatquantum anchors were the “original”alternate worlds from which otherssplit off. The first anchors were dis-covered when major interventions incertain Quantum 6 worlds failed tocause shifts. The half-dozen that existin Q6 are fierce battlegrounds . . .because here, with no risk of a shiftoccurring, the dimension war can befought without any subtlety at all.

CLOSEPARALLELS

A “close parallel” is a world verymuch like Homeline at some past peri-od, but with small differences.Examples include:

Earth-Beta: The first parallel to bediscovered. Like Homeline in 2004 inmost ways, save for the lack of thecrosstime secret.

Cherokee: In this world, now in itsyear 1930, the Cherokee Nation wasstronger and more successful in sur-viving Anglo incursions. When oil wasdiscovered in Oklahoma, theCherokee kept the land and the wealth– Big Oil is now an Indian-dominatedbusiness.

Holly: A music-lover’s dream world.Buddy Holly’s plane didn’t crash; inthat world, it’s now 1989, and Hollyand Ritchie Valens are both still rock-ing. (The Big Bopper went into poli-tics, and is now in Congress.) Severalother stars lived less self-destructivelives, and are still around, althoughElvis is still dead. And the Monkeesbecame a super-group, with StephenStills as a member.

Which One Is Ours?Homeline obviously isn’t “our”

present-day world – the defining

526 INFINITE WORLDS

AN INFINITY OF WORLDS

change was the discovery ofparachronic technology in the 1990s.But Infinity has discovered a couple ofearly 21st-century Earths, just a cou-ple of decades behind Homeline,which “split off” by not inventingparachronics. There are certainly afew more out there. Since theseworlds have technology only a fewyears away from that of Homeline, thepolicy is covert observation. If the GMwishes, any of these close parallelscould be “our world, our time” – or atleast one that is very close to it.

Where Am I?It is quite possible for a crosstime

traveler to encounter an alternativeversion of himself (sometimes older oryounger) living in one or more closeparallels. This offers considerableopportunity for infiltration and sub-version, but there’s also the risk thatsentiment or narcissism can lead to atraveler losing his objectivity and vio-lating the rules to help out or other-wise influence his “other self.”

FARTHERPARALLELS

These worlds are considerably moredivergent than the close parallels. A fewexamples (Quantum 5, except whereindicated):

Attila: The Mongol invasion ofEurope crushed Western and Islamiccivilization. Eurasia and northernAfrica are forest and grassland, ruled bywarring nomadic tribes. Some urbancivilizations exist in Japan and SouthAmerica.

Campbell: Science-fiction editorJohn W. Campbell died in a traffic acci-dent early in his career. As a result,many science-fiction writers neverdeveloped their talents, and SF didn’tadvance much past space opera.Apparently, this reduced the number ofstudents who became interested in sci-ence and engineering, because scientif-ic development has stagnated heresince the end of WWII.

Cornwallis: It is 1984. Revolutionfailed in America and never came toFrance. The world is TL6, dominated byconservative, aristocratic monarchies. . . but a new revolution is brewing.

Gernsback: A TL(6+2) “techno-utopia.” Nikola Tesla married Anne

Morgan, daughter of industrialist J.P.Morgan. Backed by Morgan’s money,Tesla’s genius changed the world withinventions such as broadcast power.The transistor and modern electronicsare unknown . . . but atomic power, rayguns, dirigibles, and air cars are com-mon. There was no World War II – theLeague of Nations reigns, guided by theWorld Science Council. Gernsback is acovert battleground between Centrumand Infinity, each side covetingGernsback’s wealth (much of its tech-nology, unfortunately, fails to work inother realities). Quantum 7.

Johnson’s Rome: The RomanEmpire is still intact, and cheerfullydecadent, in the year 1206 A.D. . . .andJohnson Crosstime Incorporated isdeveloping it as a vacation spot. Thecorporation is using systematic briberyand infiltration to take over the Empire.It is already turning a huge profit. Partof the program involves outlawing pub-lic tortures and the most brutal formsof gladiatorial combat, but most of thedecadent attractions of Rome willremain intact. (There are many otherrecreational timelines; this is just one ofthe most successful.)

Midgard: A TL4 world. The Vikingsconquered Byzantium and used itswealth (and the secret of Greek fire) tooverthrow Christendom. It is now 1412:the dawn of a Nordic age of discovery,colonization, and piracy in theAmericas. Quantum 7.

Ming-3: In our world, China turnedits back on exploration in the 15th cen-tury. In Ming-3, it did not. It is now1859, and the Middle Kingdom (cur-rently TL5) rules a global empire.Quantum 7.

The Thousand-Year Reich: The com-mon science-fiction nightmare of aNazi victory in World War II exists onfive known alternates in Q4 and Q5.The U.N., aided by Infinity, recruits andinfiltrates agents into two of the “earli-er” ones (local dates 1952 and 1961),with the hope of overthrowing the Axisgovernments. Two more are furtheralong: one in 1970, and one in 1988.These are under careful observation.The 1988 world is actually lessadvanced than the 1970 one, havingsuffered a Third World War in whichthe Nazis destroyed Japan with nuclearweapons and lost many major cities inEurope and North America. The fifthand most worrisome Nazi world isReich-5; see p. 543 for details.

WEIRDPARALLELS

A “weird parallel” is an alternatethat resembles Homeline in manyways, but with such strange differ-ences that it is hard to believe the sim-ilarities. According to parachronicphysicists, these similarities are thereason why otherwise-improbableworlds are sometimes found on acces-sible quantum levels.

United States of Lizardia: The firstweird parallel discovered by Infinity.“United States of Lizardia” (USL forshort) is Homeline’s name. Its inhabi-tants call it Earth, and in some ways,it’s similar to 21st-century Earth . . .except that mammals never becamedominant. The natives are bipedal,dinosaur-descended lizard men. Theirmost powerful nation is analogous tothe United States, and occupies NorthAmerica. Infinity’s Penetration Serviceis covertly studying it.

Orichalcum: The legendary Empireof Atlantis exists alongside Heroic-AgeGreece and Egypt. An island nation inthe Atlantic, its inhabitants are blessedby the gods and skilled in many crafts– including the working of the wonder-metal orichalcum. This is a TL1-2alternate Earth in Quantum 6.

Dead WorldsA “dead world” is an alternate

Earth where life never developed. Insome cases, Earth is at a different dis-tance from the sun, or has no moon.Dead worlds do not have breathableatmospheres. Over a dozen of theseworlds are known. They can beexploited for mineral wealth. Theyare also a convenient dumpingground for wastes too loathsome tokeep on the same world with anyhuman being.

MYTH PARALLELSSome parallel worlds correspond –

far too closely for coincidence – tomyths or fiction of Homeline. On sucha world, Robin Hood might be a real,living person, waging guerrilla war onthe Sheriff of Nottingham . . . or mer-maids might be real and common. Themost logical explanation is that somewriters are psychics or world-jumpers.

INFINITE WORLDS 527

Most “myth” parallels are closed toeveryone but researchers . . . except forthe Robin Hood world, called“Nottingham.” Infinity researchersdecided fairly quickly that Robin Hoodhad just been a lot more “real” thananyone thought. That world is now apopular Time Tours destination.

HELL PARALLELS“Hell parallels” is a general term

for the distressingly large number ofalternate worlds that have sufferedsome great disaster or holocaust.Some are closed due to continuinghazards; others are open to exploita-tion or research.

Nuclear WarMore than 20 post-apocalyptic

Earths are known, including a dead,radioactive planet; a dying world inthe grip of nuclear winter; and a worldwhere humanity has been knockedback into the Stone Age. On a fewworlds, nuclear radiation seems towork differently, accelerating the evo-lution of those who survived the war;all but two of these are off limits. Andon one world, Ragnarok, Infinityscouts arrived 10 years after the warand discovered about 20,000 survivorshuddled in fallout shelters and isolat-ed bases. In a massive humanitarianeffort, these survivors were ferried toan uninhabited timeline and helped toget back on their feet.

DiseaseOn at least four known alternates,

disease has wiped out or nearly wipedout mankind. Three of these worldswere depopulated by deliberate bio-logical warfare. They are strictly offlimits, their coordinates a secret (andwith good reason: in two cases, thefirst scout died despite all precau-tions). The fourth world, calledAriane, was hit by mutant influenza inits year 1915, with over 99.9% mortal-ity. The virus is fully controllable withTL8 medicine, and Ariane is being col-onized, looted, and developed, despiteoccasional skirmishes with tribes ofTL2 survivors.

Cosmic CatastropheA very large meteorite struck

Lucifer-1, in Quantum 7, about 100 years ago. Few traces of human

civilization survived. Continuing vol-canism has rendered its air nearlyunbreathable in most areas.

Lucifer-3 is worse: the surface ofEarth – and quite possibly every worldwithin several hundred light years –was sterilized by radiation from anearby supernova or gamma-rayburster. Homeliners are systematicallylooting the ruins of its TL7 human civ-ilization for surviving art treasuresand refined raw materials.

On Taft-3, massive solar flarescaused sterility and a more gradualcollapse of civilization.

Ecological DisasterSeveral worlds appear to have been

devastated by over-industrializationand careless exploitation at the handsof their human or other inhabitants –some recently, others long ago. OnLenin-2, this led to global warming,flooding, heavy weather, and a mas-sive famine; the few million survivorsare now living at TL3.

Other Roads to HellOther worlds have suffered a wide

variety of more unusual disasters:

Drexler: “Gray goo” nanomachinesdevoured civilization (and the firstscout).

Leviathan: Humanity is fighting alosing battle against an undersea civi-lization.

Steel: Mankind developed sapientmachines in the 2010s. These rose upand exterminated most of humanity.Now it is 2026: a war-ravaged, post-apocalyptic Earth is divided into sev-eral Zones, ruled by rival artificialintelligences . . . the Zone Minds. Onlya few pockets of human resistanceremain. Worse, the arms race betweenrival Zones is spurring rapid techno-logical development (they’re nowTL9). Centrum and Infinity both fearthat at least one AI is researching

parachronic technology, and are (sep-arately) debating whether to secretlyassist the human resistance forces.

WORLDSTHAT BREAKTHE RULES

There are a few worlds wherephysical laws don’t work in the waywe think of as “normal.” The bestknown of these are the universeswhere crosstime travel itself worksdifferently. For instance, Homelineand Centrum are the only knowntimelines from which a projector canoperate, while Coventry (p. 540) can-not be reached by any means except aprojector.

There are others with differencesthat have nothing to do withparachronics; for instance, the uni-verses where superscience allowsphysical “impossibilities,” such asgravity control or faster-than-lighttravel. In some cases, it’s biology thatfollows different rules, allowing tinyhumans or colossal beasts to exist.

And a few worlds are even stranger.There are timelines where no technol-ogy higher than “simple mechanics”works. This is because it is impossibleto produce an artificial electrical dis-charge there . . . even though naturaldischarges work just fine. This givesscientists fits: how do the physicallaws “know” the difference? The best-known example, Rustic, was discov-ered by a world-jumper. If a conveyorhad gone there instead, it wouldn’thave been able to return.

There are even worlds where psy-chic powers exist (Infinity is wary ofany world with mind readers, for obvi-ous reasons). Likewise, there are a fewwhere magic works . . . and not alwaysthe same way. Such worlds are closedexcept to elite researchers and agents,and their existence is secret. But thereare the inevitable rumors; forinstance, many people believe thatsome Patrol agents have learnedmagic in order to function more effec-tively when visiting magical universes.

Of late, scouts are discoveringmore and more “rule-breaking”worlds – perhaps because most of the “close” worlds have already beenfound. Or maybe something is

528 INFINITE WORLDS

Few traces ofhuman civilizationsurvived.

happening to reality. GMs are encour-aged to dream up such worlds asneeded! Two examples:

Merlin: A close parallel until 1945,when the first A-bomb test created ahuge, permanent banestorm in NewMexico. This resulted in a zone of highmana in the American Southwest, anda region of normal mana encompass-ing much of North and CentralAmerica. Magical fallout triggered theappearance of “supernatural” crea-tures. The United States has become atechnomagic superpower that fright-ens even Infinity. Merlin is a TL7-8alternate Earth in Quantum 3.

Yrth: A quantum sargasso (seeMarooned!, p. 546) accidentally dis-covered by an Infinity world-jumper afew years ago. He had many adven-tures before finding a magical artifactthat allowed him to escape! Yrth is aTL3 “medieval fantasy” world wherepowerful magic works in a reliablefashion. Elves, dwarves, goblins, drag-ons, and several other mythical racesexist there. Humans are dominant,

but local legends suggest that they arenot the original natives. Infinitybelieves that a banestorm must havetransported members of severalhuman cultures to Yrth – either fromHomeline during the Middle Ages orfrom a medieval echo.

POCKETMULTIVERSES

“You know, back home, I’m a god.”

A “pocket multiverse” is a set ofclosely coupled dimensions that sharea set of inhabitants and metaphysicallaws. Working magic is likely, but notcertain.

The typical pocket multiverse con-sists of one baseline physical reality(which might contain an alternateEarth) and one or more attached alter-nate dimensions or interpenetratingplanes populated by magical beings orspirits. There is often a “void” that sur-rounds all these dimensions.

Many pocket multiverses housepowerful, even omnipotent godlikebeings. Most such entities are tied totheir realm and cannot leave – at least,not without leaving behind most oftheir power. However, magic or tech-nology from outside the multiversemight allow these gods or their ser-vants to leave. And rarely, a pocketmultiverse “absorbs” another reality,bringing it inside the gods’ domain!

A simple example of a pocket mul-tiverse is a regular physical universecontaining a parallel Earth; an inter-penetrating, superimposed spiritworld; and two alternate dimensions, aheaven and a hell. In this system, peo-ple who die really do go on to theirpunishment or reward; ghosts andspirits prowl the space between; angelsand demons are quite real; and theremay be a Creator.

Infinity researchers find operatingin pocket multiverses complex, diffi-cult, and dangerous. Parachronic tech-nology does not always function in allparts of these systems!

INFINITE WORLDS 529

INTERDIMENSIONAL TRAVELThe keys to crossworld travel are

the parachronic projector, which canmove matter between timelines, andthe parachronic conveyor, which facili-tates such transport. There are alsonontechnological means of travelbetween worlds.

PARACHRONICCONVEYORS

A “parachronic conveyor” is a vehi-cle for interdimensional travel. Thereare different styles, but all involve anenclosed hull containing a parachron-ic field generator, a power system, anda control system.

Hull TypeCapsule: The standard conveyor is

basically an enclosed box. It may bedisguised for covert operations – forinstance, as a hut, covered wagon,shed, phone booth, or trailer.

Mobile: Some conveyors are func-tioning, mobile vehicles. These usuallymass from 1 to 20 tons, although larg-er and smaller designs exist.

“Mobot”: An unmanned, robot-con-trolled vehicle. These are still experi-mental; Homeline cannot yet build areally robust artificial intelligence.

Parachronic FieldGenerator

A conveyor’s generator may havesubquantum, quantum, or two-quan-tum range. No one has yet developed aconveyor with greater range.

The generator also has a masscapacity: the maximum mass it cantransport. The mass of the conveyor(including the generator) and its pay-load cannot safely exceed this limit.

The capabilities of the generatorlargely determine the cost of the con-veyor, which is usually very high. Thisisn’t all for the circuitry – much of thecost is licensing fees!

Subquantum Conveyors: These canjump between destinations at the samequantum level. Base cost is $10 mil-lion. Each ton of capacity adds $10million and 10 lbs. LC2.

Quantum Conveyors: These canjump between destinations at thesame quantum level. With the help of

a projector, they can jump to or fromadjacent quantum levels as well. Basecost is $20 million. Each ton of capac-ity adds $150 million and 10 lbs. LC1.

Two-Quantum Conveyors: Thesework like quantum conveyors, but canjump up to two quantum levels withthe aid of a projector. Two-quantumjumps are always tricky! Base cost is$30 million. Each ton of capacity adds$300 million and 30 lbs. LC0.

Power SystemA jump requires 200 kJ of energy

per ton of capacity – delivered in a sin-gle pulse. A typical pulsed power sys-tem for the field generator costs $50and weighs 5 lbs. per kJ.

Control SystemA conveyor may have one of two

types of control system:

Fixed: The conveyor can only jumpbetween two specific realities, whosecoordinates are hardwired. The opera-tor cannot change these settings. Thistype of conveyor is typical of thoseavailable to most corporations, privateusers, etc. who have proper licenses.LC2.

Programmable: The conveyor canjump to any reality within its range. Toaccomplish this, the operator mustenter the coordinates into its guidancesystem manually. These units aremuch more tightly controlled. LC0.

Conveyor OperationAn unassisted parachronic convey-

or can only jump to timelines in thesame quantum. For a long-range con-veyor to jump to a different quantum,it requires the assistance of aparachronic projector (see below). Fora safe jump, the total mass of the con-veyor and its payload cannot exceedthe field generator’s capacity. A typicalconveyor, after subtracting its ownmass, can transport anywhere from500 to 2,000 lbs. of occupants andcargo.

A conveyor jump requires a lot ofenergy in a single pulse – more than aTL8 vehicular power plant can deliver.The necessary pulsed power systemaccounts for about half the mass of aconveyor. It can deliver enough energyfor a single jump, after which it mustbe recharged. Most conveyors have anonboard fuel cell that can replenishthe energy bank in about 30 minutes.This means the conveyor can’t returnimmediately after making a jump!

A conveyor needs to be pro-grammed with the precise parachron-ic coordinates of both its location andits destination. If a conveyor gets lost,

it’s in trouble: the crew may knowwhere to go, but not how to get therefrom their current position. Findingthe coordinates of a new universe is ahuge research project, taking years ofeffort. Infinity and Centrum both havethe parachronic coordinates of severalhundred universes on file. InHomeline, most are publicly available,but some (for closed worlds, or thoseknown to be controlled by Centrum)are secret.

Parachronic coordinates are usedin conjunction with the actual space-time location of the conveyor to plot a“parachronic course.” A different“jump program” is required for eachlocation in real space (e.g., TimesSquare, New York) and each set ofparachronic coordinates (e.g.,Homeline to Earth-Beta). InfinityUnlimited charges about $500 for apre-plotted jump program, from acommercial I-Port to the equivalentlocation in the target universe. To cre-ate a custom jump program (e.g., todepart from your garage in Queensinstead of from Times Square) takes 5to 10 days of supercomputer time . . .at a cost of $1 million to $20 million.For this reason, most legitimate trav-elers use the I-Ports.

Just prior to departure, the convey-or’s operator must perform final jumpcalibrations to correct for local condi-tions and the conveyor’s current mass.Solar neutrino and cosmic ray density,

local electrical and magnetic fields,and similar factors can all influencethe jump; a good operator will com-pensate, taking 10 minutes. The oper-ator can take more or less time; seeTime Spent (p. 346) for the effects onthe skill roll for the jump.

Finally, the operator hits the“jump” button! This activates the con-veyor’s generator. (If the jump requiresa projector, he hits the “ready” buttoninstead. The conveyor jumps as soonas the projector’s field is focused on it.)The conveyor vanishes, to reappear atthe same point in space in a differentuniverse.

PARACHRONICPROJECTORS

A “parachronic projector” is adevice that enables a quantum or two-quantum conveyor to cross quanta. Itconsists of an enclosed “stage” sur-rounded by equipment. It can be set todispatch or retrieve a conveyor.

A projector’s size depends on howmuch mass it can move. Van Zandt’sfirst projector filled a large laboratory.The largest modern projectors canmove up to 300 tons at once, andoccupy most of a city block. An “aver-age” projector requires enough hard-ware to fill a small auditorium, andcan move two tons.

A projector requires a great deal ofenergy to operate. This can get expen-sive, but for a large projector, the costper unit of mass remains low enoughto be negligible – even when movingrelatively low-value items, such asgrain and ore.

Projectors are very costly. Infinityquotes a base price of $100 million for the simplest installation with atwo-ton capacity; prices only go upfrom there. Thus, only governments,eccentric billionaires, and large cor-porations can afford their own projec-tors. But since the cost to transportpeople and goods is relatively low,projectors routinely handle a dozentransits per day.

Projector OperationIn order for a projector to dispatch

a conveyor, the conveyor must bepositioned on the projector’s stageand “ready”: programmed, powered-up, etc.

530 INFINITE WORLDS

Parachronic CoordinatesLevels of several different types of parachronic energy determine a

world’s “parachronic coordinates.” The most important of these is the“T-Gamma force,” which has levels that only come in whole numbers.

Suppose the T-Gamma force equation were composed of twonumbers – there are really hundreds, but suppose it were only two. Theformula for Homeline might be 5 + 0 = 5, so it is in Quantum 5. Theformula for Earth-Beta, a close parallel, might be 4 + 1 = 5, so it’s alsoin Q5. The next world might be 3 + 2 = 5, which is still in Q5. Thesesimilar formulas give the same result – 5 – so the associated worlds aresimilar to Homeline, as well as nearby.

But a world might also have a formula of 25/5 = 5, or -5 ¥ -1 = 5,which gives 5 in a very different way. Such worlds are still in Q5, butvery different.

By the same analogy, a parallel that is in Q7 but still very similar toHomeline might have the formula 7 + 0 = 7.

To retrieve a conveyor, the projectormust be focused on a specific universewithin two quanta. If a “ready” con-veyor in the target universe occupies apoint congruent with the stage, theprojector snatches it back. Since “realtime” interdimensional communica-tion is impossible, retrieval operationsrely on setting pickup times and alter-nates. For example, a cautious pene-tration expedition might arrange tohave a projector turned on once every24 hours. If they don’t want pickup,they won’t power up their conveyor.

It is relatively straightforward touse a projector to dispatch or retrievea quantum or two-quantum conveyorover a one-quantum distance (e.g.,from Q5 to Q4 or Q6, or vice versa),provided the conveyor has an operat-ing, calibrated field generator.

To dispatch or retrieve a two-quan-tum conveyor over a two-quantumdistance (e.g., from Q5 to Q3 or Q7, orvice versa) is trickier. A conveyor withan operating, calibrated field genera-tor isn’t enough – transit is only possi-ble under special conditions, andthese can only be predicted about fourhours in advance. (Every hour, roll 3d.On a result of 7 or less, an hour-longwindow will open in four hours.) Onlythe computers and instruments on theprojector can make this prediction;those in the conveyor have no optionbut to prepare for pickup and wait . . .and wait . . . and wait.

OPERATIONSAND ACCIDENTS

When a conveyor jumps, rollagainst the operator’s ElectronicsOperation (Parachronic) skill to seehow the trip went. On a projector-assisted trip, both the projector opera-tor and the conveyor operator mustroll.

Modifiers: -3 or worse for damagedequipment. Electrical disturbancesgive a penalty, from -2 for severe elec-trical storms or solar flares to -6 forthe electromagnetic pulse of a nuclearblast! (“Hardening” the electronicswon’t remove this modifier – this is anenvironmental effect, not equipmentdamage.)

On a success, the conveyor instant-ly disappears from its starting

universe and reappears at the samepoint in the destination universe. On afailure, by either the conveyor opera-tor or the projector operator, some-thing went wrong! Usually, the transithappens anyway . . . but not asplanned. Roll 1d – or 2d, for a two-quantum jump – and add it to theoperator’s margin of failure. If theconveyor and projector operators bothfailed, add their margins of failure! Ifthe conveyor is overloaded, increasethe total by one or more. Then look upthe result on the table below.

2 – Timing error. Trip takes 1d minutesfrom the viewpoint of those “out-side.” There is no way to tell a sim-ple timing error from a totally lostshipment . . . so any delay triggersa security alert, just in case! This iswhy parachronic operators haveulcers.*

3 – Timing error. Trip takes 1d minutesfrom the viewpoint of both those intransit and those “outside.”*

4 – Timing error. Trip takes 4d min-utes from the viewpoint of those“outside.”*

5 – Timing error. Trip takes 4d minutesfrom the viewpoint of both those intransit and those “outside.”*

6 – Positional error. Conveyor appears1d feet too low, or off to one side.Minor damage to conveyor or pro-jector, but not to passengers orcargo (unless it is very fragile).†‡

7 – Resonance error. Shipmentappears and then vanishes, reap-pearing where it was coming from.A repeated attempt is allowed, butat -1 to skill.†

8-9 – Field-strength error. Electricaldischarges do 1d-2 burning dam-age to all personnel, and temporar-ily disable all unshielded electronicequipment. The conveyor’s fieldgenerator is disabled until itreceives major repairs.†

10 – Positional error. Conveyorappears too high. The fall inflicts1d crushing damage on each pas-senger and to breakable cargo. Theconveyor’s generator is damaged:-3 on trips until it gets minorrepairs.†‡

11– Severe positional error. As 10, butfalling damage is 2d and the con-veyor’s generator is disabled until itreceives major repairs.†‡

12 – Focus error. The conveyor goessomewhere unintended. It willappear in the same place, geo-graphically, but it could be on anyof an infinite number of timelines.Roll 1d: 1-3 means it’s on the rightquantum level but in a differenttimeline; 4-5 means it’s on an adja-cent quantum level; and 6 meansit’s two quantum levels off. It willtake days, weeks, or even monthsfor the computers at Infinity (orCentrum) to deduce its location.Until then, there is no way to retrieveit. If a projector was involved, thereis also a 2-in-6 chance that some-thing will arrive on the stage from arandom crosstime location. Itmight be air, rubble, an artifact, ora living being . . . and it might bedangerous. In anything but anemergency, the projector will betaken offline for 1d days whileresearchers gather data (the hope isto build a controllable “snatcher”projector someday!).†‡

13 – Matrix error. The conveyor arrivesin small pieces – it is totallydestroyed. Grain, ore, etc., is unaf-fected; other cargo is killed ordestroyed. The GM may wish to“fudge” this result for PCs (treatingit as 12 or 14, as desired).†

14 or more – Utter confusion! Rolltwice more and apply both results.If either of these new rolls results in14 or more, see FascinatingParachronic Disasters (below)instead.†

* Travel time between worlds is the-oretically zero. Sometimes, for noknown reason, a trip seems to takelonger. And sometimes, a trip seemsinstantaneous to the passengers buttakes time from the point of view of thepeople on either end!

† When one of these results comesup, roll 1d: on a 1 or a 6, nothing hap-pens; on 2-5, the corresponding time-delay result from the table (2 through5) occurs as well.

‡ If this error would mean that theconveyor materializes inside a solidobject, anything it displaces simplyvanishes. No one has yet explainedwhere it goes. This means that it is veryfoolish to stand on a projector stage orwithin the area corresponding to thefocus of a projector! You could vanish.Worse, part of you could vanish.

INFINITE WORLDS 531

FascinatingParachronic Disasters

Roll 2d and consult the table belowwhenever result 14 comes up twice insuccession on the previous table.Several of these results assume livingcargo; reroll these if sending inani-mate cargo.

Some of these results appear to vio-late parachronic science. Many ofthem have not happened to Infinity . . .yet. A hazard associated with any suchevent is the mob of researchers thatinstantly appear – to take possessionof all equipment involved, and todebrief all witnesses to within an inchof their lives.

2 – Trip takes centuries, or even mil-lennia, from the viewpoint of theshipment. Much less time passesfor the “outside” world. Survival ofliving beings is unlikely – theymight arrive and then crumble todust! Rather than killing off PCs,the GM is free to substitute othertemporal oddities, such as aging inreverse. Finding a cure could be aninteresting adventure.

3 – Trip takes a very long time fromthe passengers’ mental perspective,but no time from their physical per-spective. Each passenger gains 3dpoints in assorted mental quirks

and disadvantages, assigned by theGM in accordance with the passen-ger’s personality. (This has hap-pened twice.)

4 – Signal error. Living things arrivesafely . . . except that everyone’smind ends up in the wrong body.This may be permanent, or it mightwear off in 1d days. See MindTransfer (p. 296) for the effects ofmind swapping.

5 – Tau-factor error. Shipmentappears as a “mirror image” ofitself. Ores are unaffected.Foodstuffs are inedible. Living pas-sengers acquire the Restricted Dietand Unusual Biochemistry disad-vantages, and require a special diet

to survive. If they are far fromHomeline, all Survival rolls are at-5, reduced to -2 once someonerealizes (from GM clues) what hashappened. (This has happenedtwice, and is suspected in twoother cases where the crew of a lostconveyor starved in “friendly” sur-roundings.)

6 – Frog error. The shipment arrives ina rain of tiny frogs, or some otherbizarre “Fortean” phenomena.(This has happened six times, andfour Infinity researchers have gonemad trying to explain it.)

7 – Bio-field error. All nonliving mate-rial in the shipment – including theconveyor – disintegrates or is lostelsewhere. This can leave travelersembarrassed or stranded, depend-ing on whether they were arrivingat a projector stage or leaving one.

8 – Living beings experience brieftelepathy. Each passenger acquires20 points worth of Telepathy abili-ties (see Chapter 6); the GM assignsthese randomly. These last 1d days– roll separately for each person.(This has happened twice . . . thatInfinity knows of.)

9 – The shipment appears twice, 1dminutes apart. (This has happenedonce; fortunately, it was anuncrewed conveyor. The secondconveyor displaced the first onewhen it was partially unloaded.Was the duplicate some sort of“mirror” effect, or was it fromanother timeline? It is unknownwhat would have happened hadthere been passengers. Would theyhave been duplicated?)

10 – The shipment or conveyor isswitched with a very similar ship-ment or conveyor belonging toCentrum (or to Homeline, if themission was Centrum’s).

11 – The shipment or conveyor isswitched with a very similar ship-ment or conveyor belonging tosome other, as yet unsuspected,race of crossworld travelers.

12 – The shipment or conveyor isswitched with a shipment or con-veyor belonging to some completelyalien dimension-traveling culture.Mass is unchanged, but nothingelse need be the same!

Damaged ConveyorsFailed jumps, accidents, sabotage,

and attacks can all damage a convey-or. Depending on its hull, a conveyormight be as flimsy as tinfoil or asrobust as a tank – but should any dam-age penetrate its DR, assume thatthere is a 1-in-6 chance of significantdamage to its delicate parachronichardware.

The dramatic effect of damage ismore important than the specifics. Asa rule of thumb, it usually reduces theconveyor’s capabilities: the conveyorstill functions, but at -3 or worse to allElectronics Operation (Parachronic)rolls.

532 INFINITE WORLDS

Parachronic DetectorsA “parachronic detector” is a device that can detect an incoming

jump. To do so, it must be on the same reality as the jump, and thejump must occur within its range (see below). Roll against the opera-tor’s Electronic Operations (Sensors) skill. Success gives a bearing. Twoor more stations within range can triangulate and determine thejumper’s location to within a few percent of the actual range.

The sensor also records the jump’s reality disturbance. An hour’sanalysis and a successful Physics (Parachronic) roll will reveal thesource of the jump – conveyor, projector, or “anomalous” (e.g., a spell)– and its quantum of origin. A day’s work and a roll at -5 identifies thereality of origin, if the researcher is familiar with it.

The portable unit most often carried by Infinity Patrol agents costs$560,000 and weighs 56 lbs.; it the size of a large backpack, and has a1,000-yard range. Larger models are $1 million and 200 lbs. per mile ofrange.

When Infinity or Centrum takes over a timeline, standard operatingprocedure is to deploy a network of long-range detectors. However,their expense means that few worlds have total coverage. It is general-ly only cost-effective to deploy them in major centers.

Severe damage (GM’s decision)may cripple the conveyor completely.Until repairs are made, it cannot makea subquantum jump itself, nor can aprojector retrieve it. In effect, it is“stranded.”

Lost ConveyorsA conveyor can become entirely

lost – that is, fail to arrive where it wasexpected – for a variety of reasons.These boil down to “operator error”and “bad luck.”

If someone on Homeline wasretrieving the conveyor with a projec-tor, or expecting it to return under itsown power, its loss will be noticedimmediately.

If the conveyor was outbound fromHomeline, the time before its loss isnoticed depends on the shipment.Loss of a regular supply run to a majorbase will be reported as soon as possi-ble, by sending a message capsule tothe other end. However, it might takedays or weeks to notice the loss of anexploration mission!

The sooner a conveyor’s loss isnoticed, the better the chances ofrecovery. The Infinity Unlimited com-puters can get to work on the problem,taking into account every known variable, down to the exact mass and capacitance of the conveyor.

Sometimes, they can predict where itmight have appeared. If they’re lucky,this is a charted, habitable timeline.But sometimes it isn’t.

Occasionally, the computers pre-dict an uncharted location. In fact, thisis how several new timelines were dis-covered. Even so, being randomlydumped onto a brand-new timeline,while it makes a great adventure, is atrip most travelers would rather avoid.

Lost/Moved TimelinesThis is not “operator error” – but

when it happens, it causes operatorheadaches! See Timeline Shifts(p. 544).

ParadoxesParadoxes don’t happen, because

parachronic travel is not true timetravel. However, in an “echo” – a time-line that duplicates Homeline’s history– any intervention that changes theflow of events can cause a quantumshift: an expensive nuisance at best, adisaster at worst. See Timeline Shifts(p. 544).

That said, a continuing nightmareof more imaginative types is this:What if one of the historical parallelsis somehow Homeline’s past, and visi-tors change it without noticing? Butthat hasn’t happened . . . yet.

NATURALPARACHRONICPHENOMENA

There are several unusual “natural”phenomena that can reach acrossdimensions.

BanestormsA “banestorm” is a localized event

that transports everyone within a cer-tain area to another dimension. Thephenomenon is most often circular,and may range in size from a fewyards to a few miles across. On a plan-et with an atmosphere, it tends tomanifest as a thick fog bank, mysteri-ous thundercloud, heavy electricalstorm, etc. that builds up slowly (e.g.,a fog rolls in and blocks all light) andvanishes suddenly.

When a banestorm vanishes, sodoes everyone within its radius. These“passengers” reappear . . . elsewhere.And unlike a parachronic conveyor, abanestorm does not always transportits passengers to a spatial location thatcorresponds to their point of origin intheir home dimension. Some geo-graphical locations seem to be “pre-ferred” pickup or delivery points.These places often earn a reputation –the Bermuda Triangle, for example.

INFINITE WORLDS 533

There are few consistent patternsbeyond this. Some worlds seem to bemore prone to banestorm manifesta-tions than others – and on a givenworld, certain locations seem to beunusually susceptible. Multiplebanestorms can strike simultaneously.Researchers know of at least two spe-cial types of banestorm:

Twin banestorms exchange matterfrom two dimensions. A large land-based event can even exchange terrainbetween worlds.

Permanent banestorms transforman area of a single physical reality intoone in which two dimensions co-min-gle. This often has an effect on thearea’s mana level, increasing it forhundreds or even thousands of milesaround.

No one knows what causes anytype of banestorm. Theories include:

Banestorms are magical. Some evi-dence suggests that banestorms aremagical in nature. Divination canoften predict them. Powerful ritualmagic can sometimes even summonthem. Magic seems to be less success-ful at controlling them, however . . .

Banestorms are technological.Parachronic technology can certainlydetect banestorms; a parachronicdetector (p. 532) “goes crazy” 1d min-utes before one appears. There is con-siderable debate as to whetherparachronic technology can causethem. Parachronic Laboratories(p. 538) believes it might be possible tocreate an artificial banestorm using a“parachronic bomb” – but if they’vegot one, they don’t admit it. Some the-ories suggest that any use ofparachronic technology may intensifyor even cause banestorms. And someevidence suggests that the technologyneed not be parachronic: on oneworld, Merlin, the first nuclear deto-nation to take place triggered a per-manent banestorm.

Banestorms are alive. A fewresearchers believe that banestormsare living things!

Reality QuakesUnlike a timeline shift (see p. 544),

a “reality quake” is a parachronic con-vulsion that overturns the past of agiven world, rewriting reality andchanging its established history. This

would normally go unnoticed, exceptthat fragments of the previous past(“reality shards”) often still remain,persisting as bizarre memories, inex-plicable amnesia, or anomalous arti-facts – especially in the “fracturezone,” the name given to the “epicen-ter” where the two histories began todiverge. Some reality shards are evenhuman – legendary figures, mysteri-ous strangers, or individuals “dupli-cated” across worlds. Extremely pow-erful reality quakes sometimes over-turn both the past and future of aworld, hurling reality shards intonearby parallels.

Nexus PortalsA “nexus portal” is a hole leading

from one dimension to another. It isusually circular and less than 10 yardsacross, and allows light to passthrough from both ends (that is, youcan see its destination). Like a convey-or, a portal crosses realities withoutcrossing space.

Most portals are two-way: you canenter or leave at will. Some, however,are one-way: you can enter but youcan’t leave. If you stick a limb or objectpartway through, you can’t retrieve it –it’s stuck until you or the object go allthe way through.

A portal might be further qualifiedas:

Open: The portal is always presentand can be traversed freely.

Periodic: The portal only appearssometimes: every full moon, once percentury, etc. If it’s two-way, the wayout usually has the same cycle.

Locked: The portal only appears in the presence of a specific “key” –usually a magical or technological

artifact. A parachronic detector orworld-jumper can detect its presence.

Summonable: The portal onlyappears when summoned. Thisrequires a specific action, whichmight be mundane (touch a specificobject) or complex (use a specificsacred dagger to perform a blood sac-rifice). Most such portals only remainopen for a brief period after beingsummoned.

Variable: The portal is a junctionbetween more than two realities. Thedestination might be random or selec-table (via a key or action). If two peo-ple want to go to the same place, they

should hold tight as they passthrough!

Hidden: A hidden portal is invisible– you can step through it without real-izing it was there. Such portals areoften one-way! A parachronic detectorcan sense a hidden portal only at 1/100its normal range – and only when theportal is actually used to traverse adimension. A world-jumper can sensea hidden portal in his line of sight onan IQ roll.

ShiftrealmsSome geographical features (and a

few man-made structures) are“unstuck” in reality. They shiftbetween worlds, either randomly oron a regular cycle. These “shiftrealms”may appear and vanish entirely, oroverlay or switch places with localreality. They can range in size fromindividual rooms to entire worlds.Researchers believe this may accountfor tales of mysterious vanishingislands (such as Avalon and HuyBreasil) and haunted forests.

534 INFINITE WORLDS

Dimensional HighwaysA “dimensional highway” is a path that runs across dimensions.

Researching its history often reveals that it follows ancient straighttracks, ley lines, etc. At points along the road, nexus portals exist. Theseare usually periodic or locked, and as wide as the road itself. The roadmight end at a portal in one dimension and resume at a portal in thenext – or it might continue in the original world as well, and after astretch, lead to another portal to a third reality, and so on. Who builtthe roads? Nobody knows . . .

Infinity Unlimited, usually called“Infinity,” is the multinational corpo-rate entity through which Homelineexploits the fruits of – and tries to con-trol – parachronic technology. It is ahuge, wealthy organization. It is notalways efficient, but it is effective.

Infinity operates under the joint aus-pices of the United Nations InterworldCouncil (consisting of the ambassadorsof the permanent members of the U.N.Security Council) and its own board ofdirectors. The board is half elected byInfinity’s own shareholders, halfappointed by the Council.

Infinity owns, and has the right topolice, all parachronic equipment.When others build such equipment,they do so by permission. Any use ofprojectors is under Infinity’s directsupervision, and licensing fees are

required. Infinity has the power to con-fiscate or destroy any unauthorizedconveyor or projector – but in practicethis right is limited when the device isin the hands of major powers operatingon Homeline.

Infinity considers itself the custodi-an of all other timelines – although itspractical hegemony extends onlythrough Q4, Q5, and Q6. Its sub-sidiaries have a monopoly on theresearch and penetration of new time-lines. As the “legal guardian” of thealternate worlds, Infinity leases devel-opment rights to other Homeline enti-ties: governments, corporations, oreven individuals. In effect, Infinityregards itself as the owner of any worldbelow TL6, and limits or forbids con-tact with worlds of higher TL.

Infinity also requires that outtimeinterlopers “better the lot” of the peoplewhose worlds they infiltrate and use.This is often interpreted very loosely . . .

Infinity’s ability to enforce thesepolicies is strong but hardly absolute.Many interests explore and exploittimelines clandestinely, simply becauseit is so profitable to find and monopolizea new world!

Infinity has a number of subsidiaryorganizations. Each performs a differ-ent task. They try to cooperate closely,but communications breakdowns andlow-level infighting are not unknown.Additionally, no matter how carefullyInfinity screens its employees, there isalways the chance that Centrum infil-trators, government and corporatespies, and ordinary thieves are amongthem – leading to adventures with nooutside enemy.

INFINITE WORLDS 535

Infinity’s World ClassesInfinity applies one of the following formal classifi-

cations to each timeline.

OpenThe world is open to visitation and colonization.

ProtectorateThe world is a populated parallel under the protec-

tion and control of Infinity Unlimited or the UnitedNations. Depending on the world’s status, limited tradeand contact may be possible.

ResearchThe world is set aside for study. Most such worlds

are parallels. Types include:

Anomalies: Worlds that show some interesting butnot obviously dangerous variations in physical laws.

Cultural Preserves: Worlds left as “controls” to judgethe effect of intervention on other, similar timelines.

Nature Preserves: Worlds with interesting wildlife,such as dinosaurs . . . or dragons.

Primitives: Parallel worlds inhabited by Bronze Ageor earlier man. (There is continuing pressure to allowmore exploitation of these worlds.)

ClosedThe world is “off limits” to absolutely everyone save

a few chosen researchers or Penetration Service agents. . . mostly because they pose a potential danger to

Homeline. Infinity tries to keep the very existence ofthese worlds secret. Reasons for this include:

Hell Parallels: Timelines depopulated by uncontrol-lable disease, nanotech gone awry, or forces not yetunderstood. See p. 528.

High-Tech and Aggressive: The world would presentan obvious danger if the locals learned about crosstimetravel. The Nazi-dominated “Reich” parallels are thebest example.

Mysterious Forces: Worlds that harbor magic, wide-spread psionics, or any ability under the general head-ing “super powers.”

Nonhuman Intelligence: Timelines in which aliensare the dominant species.

Ultra-Tech: When a world has technology moreadvanced than Homeline’s (or Centrum’s), it is consid-ered hazardous even if its culture seems benign. Theresearchers’ objective here, of course, is to learn thenative science without being caught! No Earths withinterstellar travel have been discovered so far.

War Zone: The world is the site of a major strugglebetween Infinity and Centrum, or between differentnative factions.

There are a few “special” closed worlds that don’t fitinto any of the categories above; e.g., a mysterious par-allel where the inhabitants suddenly began to shrink.They are usually closed for good, one-of-a-kind reasons!

INFINITY UNLIMITED

INFINITYDEVELOPMENT

This joint U.N.-Infinity organiza-tion is responsible for parceling out“trading territories” among the time-lines. When a new world is opened forcommercial exploitation, interestedparties must submit bids to ID. Cash isjust one consideration; bidders mustalso show how they will protect thelocal environment and population,keep security, and so forth. Outtimeinstallations are always subject toinspection by ID bureaucrats, I-Cops,or both.

Many Homeline organizationsobject strongly to the implication thatInfinity “owns” the other timelines . . .but that’s the way it works.

INFINITY PATROLThe Infinity Patrol is the “opera-

tions” branch of Infinity. In theory, it is

536 INFINITE WORLDS

Crosstime RecruitmentHomeline and Centran crosstime organizations often employ locals,

but they do so through front organizations – the outtimers have no cluethat they’re working for extradimensional bosses. In fact, it’s a seriouscrime for anyone to divulge The Secret to an outtimer. However, theInfinity Patrol has limited authority to recruit talented outtimers. ItsCentran equivalent, Interworld, enjoys similar powers.

Crosstime recruitment is supposed to occur only when an outtimer’stalents are deemed to be a significant asset to the organization. A fieldagent who recruits a local will have to justify his actions to a board ofinquiry. In practice, tolerance depends on the situation. World-jumpers(p. 544) are an exception. They’re so valuable that every effort will bemade to recruit them, no matter where they’re from.

On the other hand, there have been cases where recruitment was ini-tiated for personal reasons. For instance, an undercover Time Scoutmight fall in love with a talented outtimer and use his influence to recruither into the service. In a case like this, Infinity might go along in order tokeep a good agent . . . but it is more likely to court-martial the offenderand send both lovers off to Coventry (p. 540).

The Patrol expects all recruits to go through training and indoctrina-tion, and watches them carefully to ensure that they remain reliable. Anouttime recruit whose true loyalties remained with his homeworld wouldbe a great liability.

ISWATInterworld Special Weapons and

Tactics, or ISWAT, is the elite black-ops sec-tion of the Infinity Patrol. It specializes inoperations on closed worlds, weird paral-lels, and pocket multiverses, and routinelyperforms high-priority but deniable mis-sions that can determine the fate of entireworlds.

ISWAT has an undisclosed number ofoperatives, who work in small teams. Someare highly trained I-Cops or special opera-tions troops . . . but the majority are out-timers recruited for their unique talents.Rumor has it that these include famoushistorical or mythical figures plucked fromalternate worlds; wizards, psis, and supers;nonhumans (including undead); slummingangels and reformed demons; and evenretired pagan demigods. Many of theserumors are true.

ISWAT ops have three things in com-mon: a dedication to the nebulouslydefined ideals of “peace and freedom,” alove for action, and a very tight personalloyalty to their team members. The eighticonic characters on pp. 307-323 make upan ISWAT team. Such a team is an ideal PCgroup for very free-wheeling adventure.

Does Centrum have its own ISWAT?That’s a very good question.

a private security force operatingunder a U.N. mandate – much like thevarious contractors (some armed) thatthe United Nations has hired in thepast to clean up after wars. In prac-tice, the Patrol is a supranationalparamilitary agency under Infinity’scontrol.

The Patrol’s jurisdiction onHomeline is strictly limited to protect-ing Infinity premises – although theyhave close liaisons with both nationalpolice agencies and Interpol. BeyondHomeline, only its reach limits itsinfluence, but it has limited powers onworlds that have large national pres-ences. The Patrol is spread very thinlyamong the many timelines it polices.

The Patrol is a large organization,with 10,000 field agents and 50,000other employees. It is multinational incharacter. The paramilitary “I-Cops”primarily recruit former police andmilitary personnel, while thePenetration Service attracts adventur-ers and scientists of all sorts (geolo-gists, anthropologists, biologists, etc.).The one constant is that everyonemust pass rigorous psychological andloyalty examinations intended to weedout fanatic nationalists, criminals,radicals, and anyone else likely tobetray the organization. Most of thetime, this works – although somePatrol members undoubtedly havedivided loyalties or hidden agendas.

A Patrol field agent might be anexplorer, investigator, or soldier, butregardless of his job, he serves in oneof the Patrol’s two main branches:

Intervention Service: Popularlyknown as the “I-Cops,” Intervention isthe security and espionage arm of thePatrol. Its primary responsibilities areenforcing Infinity regulations andcountering Centrum penetrations.Intervention is organized into 10 divi-sions, including Justice, Security,Internal Affairs, and SpecialOperations.

Penetration Service: The “TimeScouts” are responsible for surveyingand opening new timelines. They alsohandle search-and-rescue operationsfor lost conveyors. One of their least-known but most dangerous jobs iscrosstime intelligence gathering.Penetration’s eight divisions includeContact, Echo Surveillance, Intelli-gence, and Search and Rescue.

Infinity Patrol MissionsThe Patrol has many duties,

including:

• Enforcement: Inevitably, someHomeline governments, corporations,and individuals use timelines in unac-ceptable ways: exploiting the natives,wasting resources, importing merce-naries and equipment for militaryadventures, and so on. This happensconstantly, despite the I-Cops’ bestefforts. But the Patrol keeps trying tostop it. This is the job of the Justicedivision of Intervention, butPenetration Service agents oftennotice the problem first, when a “new”timeline turns out to have uninvitedguests.

If an unauthorized penetration isdiscovered, the I-Cops go into actionimmediately. The policy is to shutdown the penetration instantly if TheSecret seems likely to be breached . . .but otherwise, to infiltrate the pene-tration in order to roll up the entiregang – not just the foot soldiers. Anexperienced Time Tours guide orretired scout might be approached forsuch a mission.

• Homeline Security: The Securitydivision of Intervention is focused onmonitoring and stopping crosstimeinfiltration of Homeline. It worksclosely with the Intelligence divisionof Penetration – and with the intelli-gence agencies of major world powers– to detect and neutralize threats. Amajor part of this job is keeping tabson conveyors and projectors.

• Outtime Security: A pillar ofInfinity’s policy is that no timeline out-side Homeline (and obviouslyCentrum) is to learn that crosstimetravel even exists – let alone use it –except under close control. ThePenetration Service works to discoverwhich timelines are edging towardthis technology (or any other means ofdimensional travel), while theIntervention Service takes action toensure that individuals and govern-ments do not breach regulations, andpunishes those that do. When neces-sary, Intervention uses extreme meas-ures to keep The Secret (see p. 540).

• Defense vs. Centrum: Thisincludes counterespionage againstCentrum spies, espionage to learnmore about the enemy, and the most “romantic” job in the Patrol:

defending echoes against sabotage.Penetration and Intervention worktogether at these tasks. Penetrationengages in surveillance, espionage,and counterespionage, whileIntervention handles active policework and special-ops missions tocounter Centrum operations oncedetected.

• Rescue: There are many reasonswhy crosstime travelers might fail tomake it back on time, ranging fromthe trivial (conveyor blew a fuse) tothe disastrous (eaten by dinosaurs,taken hostage by renegades, or burnedas witches). It’s also possible that theyinterfered with history and caused atimeline shift (see p. 544). So whentravelers fail to check in, the Patrolsends out a rescue mission.

Who goes on the mission dependson who was lost – and where. On a“safe” timeline, the response might betwo junior Penetration troubleshoot-ers with a tool kit . . . but they’ll bearmed, just in case. For dangeroustimelines, it might be an armed con-veyor full of I-Cops.

In all cases, the Patrol’s top priorityis to safeguard The Secret; therefore,retrieving or destroying a lost convey-or can be more important than gettingmissing travelers out alive! For thisreason, the Patrol often isn’t calledimmediately if the missing partybelongs to a group other than Infinity.Many crosstime corporations (such asTime Tours) have their own reactionforces. Other governments have theirown security forces, too – some morecompetent than others. And inextreme cases, ISWAT (p. 536) mightintercept the call and quietly take overthe mission.

A rescue mission is a good, andpotentially violent, adventure. And if ittakes place in an echo, there is also thedanger of causing an inadvertentquantum shift . . .

Penetration MissionsNew timelines are discovered

mathematically, although a lot of trialand error is also involved. Initial entryinto a new timeline is always madeusing a robot with an extensive chem-ical and biological sensor package.Many timelines get no further visits. . . they’re not suitable for human life.But when a timeline looks safe, ahuman has to go in.

INFINITE WORLDS 537

The first scout’s job is to get in, lookaround, and determine whether thetimeline is inhabited – and, if so, bywhom or by what. If it proves to beuninhabited, Penetration classifies itfor colonization or other use and turnsit over to Infinity Development.

But if the timeline is inhabited, itremains the property of Penetration,and the survey proceeds very carefully.The first scout isn’t expected to bringback anything more than an estimateof the tech level and a recorded sam-ple of the language. Later teams try tolearn a bit more on each visit. If thetimeline is similar to a known parallelor historical period, experiencedagents can be brought in quickly.Otherwise, exploration happens onecareful step at a time. The higher thetimeline’s technology, the more carefulthe explorers must be.

Only very well penetrated timelinesare opened up to organizations likeTime Tours. Usually, these are on Q4and Q5, where Centrum’s agents can-not reach. But certain Q6 echoes arealso (carefully supervised) tour sites.

Naming New Worlds: A newlylocated timeline receives a codenumber based on its parachroniccoordinates. Researchers inevitably

end up coining informal names during the penetration process.Eventually, one name sticks andbecomes official.

Penetration Adventures: An adven-ture or even a campaign could be builtaround the first penetrations of a newtimeline – especially if it has high tech-nology and is not a close parallel. Oneof the first steps is to grab a dailynewspaper. Imagine the gradual pene-tration of, for instance, a world inwhich the Nazis won World War II . . .and it is now 1960.

MIRACLEWORKERS

Miracle Workers is the nonprofit,“do-gooder” side of Infinity. It worksclosely with various U.N. aid agencies.Despite being heavily financed bylicensing profits from other parts ofInfinity, as well as by outside dona-tions, there is never enough time ormoney to help everywhere. And – tothe great frustration of the staff –Miracle Workers is strictly forbiddento help out in the historical echoes, forfear of shifting the timeline.

Miracle Workers is not for profit,but is not in the business of handing

out free lunches, either. When it reset-tles disaster victims, for instance, itusually requires those resettled to paytheir way – most often by working forother Infinity operations. Still, thesecontracts are always more than fair tothose being helped.

Miracle Workers supplies vaccines,antidotes, food crops, etc., in situa-tions where these things would makea difference. The biggest challengehere is covering its tracks, except inthose rare, usually depopulated time-lines where Infinity simply moves inand takes over.

PARACHRONICLABORATORIES

This is Infinity’s pure-researchorganization, dedicated to improvingboth parachronic technology andHomeline’s understanding of the sci-ence behind crosstime travel. Infinitymight ask agents of any of its organi-zations to test prototype equipmentfrom “Paralabs.” When a traveler sur-vives a new and devastating conveyoraccident, researchers from Paralabsare in the middle of the investigation. . . probably demanding that the vic-tims do it all again, more slowly.

538 INFINITE WORLDS

OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONSMany organizations, both govern-

ment and private, have access to con-veyors. All of these units are theoreti-cally under Infinity’s control, open toI-Cop inspection at any time. But con-veyors are often falsely reported “lost”and put to clandestine uses – or simplystolen by untrustworthy agents oremployees. This is a constantheadache for the Patrol.

More than 30 non-Infinity organi-zations have their own projectors.Fortunately, these are easier to police,and every projector has its own full-time Patrol monitoring team.

THE UNITEDNATIONS

The United Nations theoreticallyoversees Infinity in its many forms,but its “control” is loose on Homeline,and looser yet in the alternate worlds,

Infinity definitely keeps secrets fromthe U.N. However, the U.N. has nearlyunfettered access to Infinity facilitiesfor operations such as humanitarianrelief missions to other worlds.

Since U.N. members tend toprotest interventions against theircrosstime analogs, most crosstimeU.N. interventions are either in verydifferent parallels or intended to helpthe “local” U.N. survive and grow. Atany given time, the U.N. may beactively intervening in two to four dif-ferent timelines.

GOVERNMENTSSeveral nations (notably China,

France, Germany, Japan, Russia, theUnited Kingdom, and the UnitedStates) have significant “official”parachronic capabilities, with theirown fleets of projectors and conveyors.In addition to engaging in mining,

waste disposal, and research, these gov-ernments maintain “colony” worlds onpermanent lease from Infinity.

For Infinity, the biggest problemwith governments is their incessant“deniable” secret operations, as theytry to circumvent the limitationsInfinity places on them. Conveyorscan and are built secretly, and themajor powers undoubtedly have clan-destine parachronic capabilitiesintended for covert exploration,weapon testing, outtime exploitation,or even war. The I-Cops often run intohighly trained agents who they knoware from Homeline. Sometimes theycan even prove it.

Projectors can also be built secret-ly, but no one seems to have done soon Homeline yet – again, giving rise tospeculation that Infinity has detectionmethods it isn’t revealing. So far, noprojector built off of Homeline hasworked.

RESEARCHFOUNDATIONS

The infinite worlds are fertileground for scientific research.Scientists can study totally unspoiledbiomes . . . or worlds that have beenutterly destroyed by dozens of differ-ent disasters. Infinity permits almostany kind of nondestructive research. Itwould probably allow a little scientificdestructiveness, too, if an artfully writ-ten proposal were to make the gainsseem great enough.

Most research, by far, has been his-torical and social. The historical paral-lels offer answers to countless intrigu-ing “what if” questions, and the echoesoffer – or at least seem to offer – a win-dow into Homeline’s own past! Manyexpeditions are mounted to suchworlds, to observe and to learn. Theseare bound by strict rules: they mustkeep The Secret of parallel worlds hid-den, and they cannot change the his-tory of the echoes, lest they be “lost” toa timeline shift (see Timeline Shifts,p. 544).

CROSSTIMEBOUNTYHUNTERS

“Richard Z. Horn. Under arrest fora billion-dollar computer fraud, hejumped bail, hijacked a TimeTruckers, Inc. conveyor, and disap-peared on Cornwallis. The I-Copsfound the abandoned conveyor, butafter spending a week searching, theygave up looking for Horn – said he wasno threat. But there’s a $1,000,000bounty on Horn, and a reward fromTime Truckers as well. I was deter-mined to collect both . . .”

There are a lot of places for a fugi-tive to hide among the hundreds ofknown parallel worlds. The I-Cops goafter anyone who is a threat to securi-ty or the stability of an echo, but theylack the manpower to chase downanyone who doesn’t pose a clear andpresent threat to Infinity’s hegemony.The crosstime divisions of agencieslike the FBI handle some of thesecases. Freelance bounty hunters pickup many of the others.

Getting a crosstime bounty-hunt-ing license from Infinity requires acareful background check and appro-priate experience (being ex-Patrolhelps; a good employment historywith a reputable crosstime companylike Time Tours is also a plus). Somebounty hunters work alone; otherswork for private agencies, the largestand most successful of which isInfinite Justice, based in Indiana.

CORPORATIONSCrosstime exploitation can be high-

ly profitable. Numerous businessesoperate from Homeline.

White Star TradingFounded by Paul Van Zandt, White

Star is the original interworld tradingcompany – and probably the largest.Van Zandt financed most of his origi-nal development by trading back andforth with a single world.

Today, White Star has offices inhundreds of dimensions, always dis-guised as ordinary businesses. Someare small, handling a few hundredpounds of rare commodities a day; forexample, a crate of new-release CDsfrom Holly, or a breeding pair of pas-senger pigeons. Others ship hundredsof tons of grain or ore daily, loadingthe cargo onto barges that go out ofsight of land and then jump betweenworlds.

White Star was formerly part ofInfinity, but antitrust considerations(and competitors’ objections) led to itsbecoming legally and financially dis-tinct. It still has a “cozy” relationshipwith Infinity, which makes many of itssmaller competitors unhappy.

Other TradersMany corporations of all sizes

are getting rich through cross-worldtrading. Goods that are cheap on Homeline are often valuable

elsewhere, and vice versa. As always,though, The Secret must be kept.

When a new timeline is opened up,the traders’ agents are the first in,looking for new goods and new mar-kets. Some are unscrupulous, dealingeven in slaves and drugs; others arethe best allies the Patrol has.

White Star dominates the inter-world trading scene, but there is somuch business that there’s no need tohog it all. One of the largest corpora-tions involved is Time Truckers, Inc.,whose trained conveyor operators hireout to various businesses.

Time Tours, Ltd.“If it’s Tuesday, this must be 1066.”

Time Tours is by far the best knownof the “independent” companies usingparachronic technology. Its business issending groups of tourists on excitingexpeditions into parallel timelines.The goal is not always pure sightsee-ing: one popular trip is the DinosaurSafari, the ultimate challenge forhunters looking for really big game.The Patrol runs an official “customscheck” when each tour returns, butunless the outtime world is known tocontain some specific danger, this ismostly a formality.

Working for Time Tours can bechallenging. Employees must organ-ize, equip, and lead expeditions tomany different timelines. The jobincludes keeping the tourists out oftrouble . . . tourists who all too oftencan’t manage the clothing or the lan-guage, and who will walk right intothe Charge of the Light Brigade to geta good snapshot for the folks backhome. As a result, Time Tours reservesthe right to do whatever is needed – upto and including aborting the trip withno refund – to prevent “cultural con-tamination,” or to correct it once ithas occurred.

INFINITE WORLDS 539

Goods that are cheap on Homeline are oftenvaluable elsewhere, and vice versa.

Time Tours has competitors, butthey’re not different – just smaller andoften shoddier. And some other com-panies offer vacations rather thantours. They emphasize luxury overexcitement. Johnson’s Rome (p. 527)is the best known of these.

Mining CompaniesMany huge operations exist solely

to wrest mineral wealth from unin-habited timelines. Most mining leasesgranted by Infinity are for otherwise-worthless worlds, many of which areuninhabitable without artificial aid.

But there’s a great deal of wealth to behad . . . and greedy miners have secret-ly raped several habitable timelines.

Waste-DisposalCompanies

Radioactive waste, toxins, biohaz-ards, and other noxious brews too foulto stay on an inhabited planet . . . don’thave to. Infinity only permits wastedumping on genuine hell worlds –worlds that really can’t get any worse –and requires disposal companies totake every precaution to ensure that

wastes get to the projector site in com-plete safety.

THE VERY RICHA very few, very wealthy individuals

own conveyors for hobby purposes.Most of these people are glorifiedtourists or collectors, but there is theoccasional sybarite who enjoys playingpower games in “backward” settings.Their conveyor crews are all Infinityemployees – which theoretically pre-vents the most flagrant abuses.

540 INFINITE WORLDS

Keeping the SecretInfinity and Centrum may be enemies, but there is

one thing they agree on: the secret of parachronic tech-nology must remain their monopoly. An “outtimer” wholearns this secret – The Secret – must be hired, discred-ited, or made to vanish.

It’s reasonable to expect highly trained Infinity per-sonnel to keep the secret of parachronic travel; indeed,operatives likely to contact outtimers have preparedcover stories that fit local belief systems. If possible,anything that might reveal The Secret will be explainedaway as a mundane event – but if not, it’s better thelocals think they saw witches, fairies, or UFOs than getany inkling that humans with advanced technology aretraveling across dimensions.

On the other hand, when a herd of tourists goescharging off into a parallel, there’s a strong likelihoodthat somebody will let something slip . . .

EraserWhen outtimers see visitors appear or disappear, or

witness some use of Homeline technology, the pre-ferred solution is to make them forget. “Eraser” is asedative and amnestic drug used by both Infinity andCentrum. A recipient must make a HT-3 roll to avoidits effects. On a failure, he falls unconscious. On awak-ening, his short-term memories – everything in the last5d+45 minutes – are gone. Eraser comes in pill, injec-tion, and gas form. It appears to have no untowardside effects, even in massive overdoses. The InfinityPatrol issues it to I-Cops and to civilian security per-sonnel or guides engaged in authorized crosstimeoperations. It is not for sale at any price; authorizedusers must account for every dose acquired and used.Still, it turns up on the black market at an averageprice of $500 per dose. LC2.

Extreme MeasuresWhen someone has seen too much and Eraser won’t

solve the problem, and he isn’t a good subject forrecruitment, troubleshooters are called in to deal with

the security leak. Measures can range from dirty tricksintended to discredit the subject or change his percep-tions, to commando raids aimed at eliminating all thewitnesses and destroying all hard evidence. But whereCentrum might kill, Infinity prefers to make the witnessvanish. He is kidnapped . . . and taken to Coventry.

CoventryCoventry is a Quantum 3 alternate in which human-

ity didn’t develop. It has one important and useful pecu-liarity: unassisted conveyors can’t enter or leave it – andneither can world-jumpers. And nobody knows why.This means the only access to Coventry is by projector-assisted conveyor from Homeline.

The I-Cops use Coventry to isolate people who KnowToo Much: outtimers who stumbled onto a Homelineoperation; Homeliners who broke regulations; scien-tists abducted from other timelines because the Patrolfeared they were too close to developing parachronictechnology; and even disgruntled ex-employees ofInfinity! The population also includes some voluntarysettlers, rescued from crosstime disasters.

All sorts of adventures are possible on Coventry . . .including a rescue attempt from within Infinity, byemployees who are morally opposed to the wholeconcept. The world itself is a pastoral TL4, with TL8medicine.

Ethical ProblemsIt would not be unfair to conclude that Infinity and

Centrum regard outtimers – as a group, if not as indi-viduals – as something less than “real” people withhuman rights. Infinity’s PR department does its best todownplay this perception, but every time the I-Copscart some outtimer off to Coventry, they send the mes-sage that Homeline is somehow “superior.” And everytime a filmmaker creates a historical epic by recordingthe bloody deaths of thousands of people in an outtimewar, he reinforces the idea that the residents of othertimelines are puppets for Homeline’s entertainment.

CROSSTIMECOLONIES

Infinity has opened several beauti-ful but empty worlds for colonization.Some companies have leased suchworlds and sublet them to pioneers.

Several governments have spon-sored colony worlds, too. Most suchcolonies are simply outlets for excesspopulation, but some – five sponsoredby the United States, three by theUnited Kingdom, and one each byFrance and Japan – are deliberate

attempts to establish alternative soci-eties. One, Uhuru, even declared itsindependence from the United Statesand made it stick.

There are also “secret” bases andcolonies, sponsored by governments,corporations, and other organizationswith clandestine conveyors. Some arehidden away on known timelines; oth-ers are on worlds as yet unknown toInfinity. A few have special purposes(mining, trading, research, etc.), butmany are just groups of people tryingto get away from it all.

Colonies vary from TL4 to fullymodern.

The Manor WorldsA few very wealthy lovers of nature

– or privacy – live on the “manor”worlds, each of which is divided upinto a few thousand private estates. Ifyou’re wealthy enough to buy or leasea private conveyor, you can have yourown private Hawaii, or Ozarks, or St.Tropez, or Jamaica . . . with an instantcommute, by conveyor, to Homeline!

INFINITE WORLDS 541

ADVERSARIESInfinity is Homeline’s chief

guardian against outtime threats. Asfar as most Homeliners know, the onlysuch menace is the rival world-jump-ing culture of Centrum. Actually, thereare many other dangers out there . . .but Infinity keeps them secret to avoidcausing panic on Homeline.

CENTRUMCentrum is the only known human

timeline other than Homeline to inde-pendently develop parachronic tech-nology. It is also Homeline’s fiercestenemy. Centran agents intrigue againstthe Infinity Patrol across the dimen-sions, and will settle for nothing lessthan total domination of the infiniteworlds.

Centrum is a world governmentdescended from a united Anglo-FrenchEmpire. One of the last historical fig-ures to exist in both worlds wasEleanor of Aquitaine, who either creat-ed or stabilized the Empire and ruled itfor over 20 years. The Empire grewand expanded, dominating Europebefore 1700, Africa and Asia before1850. The New World was colonized inan orderly fashion; the Indian tribeswere enslaved or destroyed.

In 1902, the Empire collapsed in aworldwide civil war; the aristocracyhad become decadent, and with noth-ing left to conquer, they turned on eachother. Members of the technical andmilitary class likely engineered thewar. Educated, trusted, and trained toserve, they had grown contemptuousof their titled masters – and when theyrestored world government 50 yearslater, it was stamped in their image: a

tightly-organized meritocracy called“the Centrum.”

Centrum’s rulers value science,order, and power for its own sake.Children are constantly tested and retested, and all training and pro-motion is based on talent andachievement.

Philosophically, the key differencebetween Centrum and Infinity is intheir treatment of inhabited worlds.Centrum wishes to bring all worldsunder its central control, creating asingle transworld state whose bound-aries span the dimensions. TheCentran approach to conquest is toinfiltrate a world, overthrow its gov-ernment as inexpensively as possible,and take over – and then advance itstechnology and send its leading citi-zens to Centrum for education andindoctrination. After a probationaryperiod, outtimers can eventually hopeto become citizens of Centrum itself,although no world is currently judged“ready.”

Centrum is a mid-TL8 society. LikeHomeline, it developed parachronics afew decades ago.

LanguageThe native Centran language is a

heavily accented dialect of English.Centrum wiped out all other lan-guages on its own world two genera-tions ago. Until recently, they did noteven have any trained linguists . . .because they didn’t need them!

All this puts Centrum at a greathandicap in penetrating worlds orareas where the language is unlikeEnglish. They are currently experi-menting with methods of teaching

language quickly – but right now, anyfluent speaker of, for instance,Japanese is certainly not a nativeCentran.

InterworldThis is the Centran equivalent to

the Infinity Patrol. As an arm of aworld government, Interworld is larg-er and more ruthless than the Patrol.It might even have a better grasp ofparachronic science.

Almost without exception,Interworld agents are fanatically loyalto Centrum. They are also quite likelyto have bionic implants – Centrumitself is fabulously wealthy, and canequip individual agents well. They killmercilessly if necessary, but theyrespect talent, and often try to recruittalented outtimers. They have normalhuman feelings of loyalty towardfriends, desire to protect children, andso on. They are not monsters ormachines.

Crosstime ConflictCentrum is on Quantum 8, while

Homeline is on Q5. Since it’s possibleto jump one quantum easily and two with difficulty, Centrum’s territo-ries “overlap” Homeline’s at Q6(which Homeline can reach moreeasily) and Q7 (where Centrum hasthe advantage).

One might think that would pro-vide a natural border. Unfortunately, itdoesn’t work that way. For one thing,Centrum is aggressive. For another, Q6appears to have more usable worldsthan all the other quanta put together(nobody knows why).

Centrum seems to have hadcrosstime travel for longer thanHomeline, but initially used it mainlyto enter empty worlds for resources.Their mastery of parachronic mathe-matics is definitely better thanHomeline’s. They can apparentlydetect whether a timeline is unstable,and plan an intervention to push it inthe direction they want; see TimelineShifts (p. 544). Homeline’s scientistshave not yet figured out how to do that– or at least, Infinity isn’t admitting it.

Homeline became aware ofCentrum’s existence nine years ago,when an intruder was captured in oneof Infinity’s most secret labs. He told avery strange story under truth serum!Infinity released that first agent withan offer of friendship. Centrum imme-diately accepted, with apologies fortheir earlier penetration of Infinity’sterritory. But it quickly became obvi-ous that their “friendship” was entire-ly treacherous; they didn’t haveenough experience in true coopera-tion to fake it believably. Eight yearsago, they “stole” four timelines from

Q6! A year later, the “infinity war” wasa reality.

Apparently, Centrum does not have“historical echoes” of the sortHomeline does . . . or, if such echoesexist, they are in a quantum unreach-able from Homeline. This deprivesInfinity of a possible source of insightinto Centran psychology.

Interestingly, Centrum seems to beat the exact same “time,” measured bythe stars, that Homeline is. Is this con-nected with the fact that it is the onlyknown timeline, other than Homeline,that can support a parachronic projec-tor? Nobody knows.

CROSSTIMEBANDITS

In the past five years, Infinity hasshut down a dozen criminal crosstimeoperations. There are almost certainlymany more.

The Men Who Would Be King:There is a steady stream of megalo-maniacs who try to use advanced tech-nology or historical knowledge to

seize a position of power in anothertimeline. To discover them, the Patroluses the same surveillance methods ituses to catch Centran agents. Indeed,it can be difficult to determine quicklywhether infiltrators are Homelineadventurers or Centran operatives!

Time Raiders: Criminals who arejust in it for the money – whetherthey’re after crown jewels, the MonaLisa, or a nuclear warhead – are hard-er to catch. The most subtle raidersstrike an echo and grab the loot justbefore it was lost “in history,” in aneffort to avoid triggering timelineshifts that would bring the Patroldown on them. “Theft to order” forwealthy private collectors is where thesteady money is . . . but everythingfrom intellectual property theft toarms smuggling can be lucrative.

Illegal Immigration and CrosstimeSlavery: This is a growing problem.Need cheap labor? Find a suitabledimension, hire a conveyor-load ofwould-be illegal immigrants, and takethem crosstime instead of cross-bor-der. If they go to the authorities, they’llbe sent to Coventry, so they’ll acceptcheap wages in exchange for thepromise of earning enough to buyfalse citizenship papers . . . Criminalorganizations import everyone fromprostitutes to soldiers to nuclearphysicists. And sometimes blackmailisn’t needed: “rescue” a platoon ofNazi soldiers from an echo’sStalingrad and they may be eager toserve as your loyal mercenaries.There’s also a scary black market infamous movie stars, singers, andbeauties. Only last month, agents ofthe Italian Gruppo di InterventoSpeciale rescued a kidnapped Helen ofTroy from a members-only brothel.

Replacements: Duplicates (“dupes”)of many Homeline residents exist onclose parallels like Earth-Beta. Therehave been cases where Homelinershave paid to have dead children, oldlovers, or archenemies snatched fromthese worlds. In a few cases, theHomeline original was killed andreplaced by a dupe. A typical scam: IfMr. Johnson is a millionaire business-man in Homeline but a homeless bumwho lost everything in a market crashin Earth-Beta, the Mafia might grabBeta’s Johnson and offer him a deal toreplace Homeline’s Johnson . . . astheir comfortable puppet.

542 INFINITE WORLDS

REALITYLIBERATIONFORCE

The RLF is a Homeline-basedguerrilla organization that opposesthe U.N. Interworld Council’s “unde-mocratic and unjust hegemony andexploitation of other timelines.” TheRLF calls for an end to crosstimetravel except for peaceful scientificpurposes.

The RLF has wide popular sup-port. Several mainstream groups,notably People Against CrosstimeExploitation (PACE), serve as RLFfront organizations. The RLF also hasmany sympathizers in political andmilitary circles – although most resentthe Council, which they feel hasusurped their authority, more thanthey oppose crosstime travel.

THE CABAL:MASTERSOF INFINITY

A disturbing number of the magi-cians, psychics, parachronozoids (seep. 544), and supernatural entities thatInfinity operatives encounter claim tohave knowledge of a vast paranormalbrotherhood known as “the Cabal.” Tohear them tell it, the Cabal has lurkedin the shadows for millennia, manipu-lating events across the infinite worldsthrough secret societies and occultconspiracies. Which Earth (or Earths!)

the Cabal calls home is one of the mostperplexing – and potentially unpleas-ant – conundrums Infinity faces.

A particularly unsettling aspect ofthese rumors is their consistent claimthat the Cabal has access to “higherdimensions of being,” somehow“above” the infinite worlds, known asthe Astral Realm, the Iconic Realm,and the Realm of Pure Spirit. Cabalmembers are said to cross these realmsand the infinite worlds in search ofarcane knowledge.

Perhaps most frightening of all, theCabal is reputedly fractured. Renegadearchmages and demon lords suppos-edly fight secret wars, with the infiniteworlds as their pawns and battlefields.The losers become exiles, often bent onconquering parallel Earths beyond theCabal’s reach, where they can amasspower and plot vengeance . . .

REICH-5Reich-5, on Quantum 3, was the

fifth “Nazi victory” parallel discoveredby Infinity. It is presently in its year2010, ruled by a brutally efficientworld government dominated byGermany, Japan, and a NazifiedUnited States. It is TL8 in mostrespects, but advanced in space tech-nology and a twisted form of genetics– and possibly in psionic technology.

Naturally, Infinity strictly prohibit-ed travel to this world, and hid its exis-tence in order to prevent it fromacquiring The Secret. But after adecade of containment, the unthink-able happened: Nazi parapsychologists

in the SS-controlled province ofBurgundy discovered a psionic world-jumper (or captured such a visitorfrom another timeline – Infinity isn’tsure which) and gained expertise inharnessing and exploiting the power.

By the time Infinity learned of this,the Nazis had approximately two-dozen world-jumpers, of highly vari-able power and reliability (several hadto use dangerous cocktails of drugs tounlock their powers), and were creat-ing more through selective breeding,cloning, and bio-psionic technology.Worse, working in concert and usingexperimental psibernetic linkages, itseemed that some of these world-jumpers were able to transport loadsof four or five times their own weight– sufficient to move squads of troopsand even small armored vehicles.

Reich-5 soon began its firstcrosstime invasion: an infiltration ofNostradamus, a post-apocalypticworld where prophecy shaped reality.That the locals foresaw the invaders’coming did them little good; in fact, itreinforced the conquerors’ sense ofdestiny. And matters only got worse.

Nostradamus proved to be at thejunction of a “dimensional road”which the Nazi world-jumpers wereable to detect and exploit. This road,which the Nazis call the“chronobahn,” seems to span at leasthalf a dozen dimensions as it waversin and out of existence . . . And theNazis have begun to explore it. Theycan still only shift small loads at somerisk, but they may be learning more.

Reich-5 lags far behind Centrumand Homeline in parachronic theory– a weakness that is compounded by the fact that all of its researchersare highly eccentric “Aryan mystics”who seem intent on keeping secretsfrom the “materialists” in Berlin.Hence, Infinity has not yet activatedcontingency plans – for instance, to transport nuclear warheads toknown Reich-5 military bases andgovernment centers – and is insteadfocusing its efforts on destabilizingthe regime. In any case, the “transdi-mensional SS” are already scatteredacross bases in an unknown numberof dimensions.

As Infinity is slowly realizing,Reich-5 has the potential to dominateall of Quantum 3 – and perhaps movebeyond, especially if it finds allies.

INFINITE WORLDS 543

The rabbit-hole went straight onlike a tunnel for some way, and thendipped suddenly down, so suddenlythat Alice had not a moment to thinkabout stopping herself before shefound herself falling down a very deepwell.

– Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,Lewis Carroll

“Parachronozoids” are creatureswith natural world-jumping abilities.There is a wide variety of them, nativeto different dimensions. Some resem-ble ordinary or talking animals, suchas white rabbits, beautiful stags, orblack horses. Others are mystical. Anda few are terrible, semi-material hor-rors that man was not meant to know.

All parachronozoids possess theJumper (World) advantage (p. 64).Most have the Tunnel enhancement,allowing them to create interdimen-sional paths that can be followed. Ofcourse, these paths close behind themafter a time, with no guarantee thatthey will ever open again. This canhave dire consequences for theunwary. For example, a hunter sees abeautiful white stag and gives chase,and as he follows, the world gradually

fades away . . . and then the stag van-ishes, leaving him stranded in anotherworld!

Many parachronozoids also havethe Warp advantage (p. 97), givingthem the ability to jump across spaceas well as the dimensions.

Some parachronozoids seemdrawn to those with latent or activepsionic abilities (most often ESP or

Teleportation). Others seek mana-richareas, and there are rumors of ways tomagically summon or lure them.Certainly, wizards have trapped andtamed such entities, using them asmounts or harnessing them to createworld-jumping chariots.

And some are predators and vam-pires, stalking prey from dimension todimension . . .

544 INFINITE WORLDS

TIMELINE SHIFTSOf the 379 timelines Infinity knows

of in Quantum 6, 281 are “historicalechoes”: worlds apparently identicalto Homeline at earlier points in its his-tory. No “future” echoes are known –although there are parallel worlds withhigher technology or more advancedlocal dates. No echoes are known onany quantum except Q6.

Why is Homeline “reflected” somany times in another quantum?Nobody knows. The echoes are irregu-larly spaced through history. There arefew echoes before 3000 B.C. and nonebefore 12,000 B.C. Some periods haveseveral echoes; a few have none.

In all of the echoes, time is flowingmore slowly than on Homeline – butthe difference is so slight (a maximumof one year of difference for every250,000 years that pass) as to be

almost unnoticeable. Nevertheless,this slight deviation would explain thedifferences, if the original “event” thatcreated the echoes occurred some 3.5billion years ago – perhaps during theearliest appearance of life on Earth.

The echoes represent an incredibleopportunity for research into history. . . but they also represent a signifi-cant hazard. Anyone visiting an echois carefully cautioned against doinganything that might make a signifi-cant change in the timeline. This hasnothing to do with ethics. It’s a ques-tion of safety. The balance that holdsthe echoes in Q6 is a fragile one. Ifsomething happens to change thefuture course of history in an echo, itmay simply vanish! The first few timesthis happened, it was thought that theworld had been destroyed. But as

Infinity was on the verge of shuttingdown all travel to the echoes, one ofthe lost worlds was rediscovered . . . inQ5!

Centrum seems to be able to insti-gate such shifts on purpose. Of the 24echoes that have vanished from Q6since Infinity discovered them, fourare known to have moved “closer” toHomeline, going to Q5. Eleven areknown to have moved to Q7, nearer toCentrum . . . and Centrum deliberatelyengineered at least six of these shifts.One bounced all the way to Q4, on the“other side” of Homeline. And eight ofthe missing timelines haven’t beenfound at all.

Infinity regulations require thatany visit to an echo be managed withextreme care – no casual or “tourist”trips are allowed. The I-Cops are

PARACHRONOZOIDS

World-JumpersA “world-jumper” is anyone who possesses the Jumper (World)

advantage (p. 64). This ability seems to be “psionic” . . . but nobodyknows for sure.

Infinity has several people with this ability on its payroll, and isalways on the lookout for more. Only a few are native to Homeline. Atleast one of them claims to have visited alternate worlds before VanZandt did . . . and kept it quiet, because he thought he was insane.Infinity’s world-jumpers are top couriers, special agents, and trou-bleshooters. Most observers believe Centrum has world-jumpers aswell.

In Infinite Worlds, Jumper (World) functions normally for jumpswithin the same quantum. Jumps between quanta are at -5 per quan-tum level of difference. Those who have this trait always know by “feel”what quantum they are on.

always alert for signs of Centrum’sintervention. But they can’t simplyflood the echoes with agents – doingthat would greatly increase the risk ofinstigating the very changes they wantto avoid! Instead, they rely on strategi-cally placed agents and regularpatrols.

CENTRANINTERVENTION

Centrum has intervened severaltimes, in increasingly sophisticatedways, to try to move echoes “closer” toQ8. It is clear that Centrum has somemethod of predicting what sorts ofchanges will produce the desiredeffect.

However, Centrum’s predictionsare not infallible. In at least four time-lines, massive Centran interventionsseemed to have had no effect at all;these timelines appear to be “held inplace” by something other than theirsimilarity to Homeline (see Anchors,p. 526).

If Centrum does manage to pull offan intervention, the GM should decidehow long it takes to come into effect. Ashift may take hours or days to occur– it is never instant – and the Centranagents must stay in place throughout,in order to protect their work! Eventhen, it might be possible to reversethe shift by counteracting the effectsof the intervention. As a result, onceCentrum manages to shift a Q6 time-line to Q7 or Q8, Interworld agents

attempt to eradicate all Homeline per-sonnel. Such an attack is more likelyto be covert than overt.

Examples of Centrum’sIntervention

Successful interventions byCentrum include:

The atomic destruction of Londonin the year 1902. The first and last timeCentrum attempted any such grossattack. It became a political issueamong Centran leadership; the parties

responsible were removed frompower. Such extreme intervention isnot generally effective in any event –the results are too unpredictable.

The execution of Princess Elizabethin 1554, before she ascended the throne.Apparently, her sister Mary was influ-enced against her.

The sinking of HMS Beagle with allhands in early 1833. Charles Darwinwas among those lost. This timelinedid not “vanish” until late 1837,though.

The sabotage of Yuri Gagarin’s spacecapsule in 1960. This triggered around of witch-hunts and accusationswithin the Russian space programthat eventually spilled over into theStrategic Rocket Forces and danger-ously weakened Khrushchev’s hold onpower. This instability in the Kremlinmay have contributed to the CubaIncident of 1962, in the aftermath ofwhich the U.S. and U.K. were able toenforce U.N. control over Soviet mis-sile and space programs. This world-line migrated to Q8 shortly thereafter.

Long-Term InterventionInfinity is concerned about the pos-

sibility of very long-term interventions.For instance, if a pivotal figure likeAlexander the Great or Karl Marxwere murdered as a child, no histori-cal differences would show up for

INFINITE WORLDS 545

MysteriesHomeline’s understanding of the infinite worlds is hardly perfect.

Situations that “break the rules” can be springboards for adventure!Two examples:

Boojum: A perfectly ordinary timeline – not an echo and not on Q6– vanishes. Four months later, it reappears. Six months later, it vanish-es again. So . . . something can quantum-shift an ordinary timeline. Ormaybe this timeline isn’t ordinary! Either way, the Homeliners onBoojum are in a panic, as are the administrators and researchers atInfinity.

Centrum Beta: A newly penetrated Q7 timeline seems to be exactlylike Homeline researchers think the world of Centrum was in the year1895. Could it be an echo? Even an ordinary parallel would be inter-esting. Either way, why is it the only one they’ve ever found? Andremember, Q7 is more accessible to Centrum than it is to Homeline;there are almost certainly Centran agents here!

years . . . but when they appeared,they would be huge. Possibly,Centrum can’t compute the effects ofsuch interventions – or perhaps, ifechoes exist in part because of humanculture, only a large and sudden shiftin popular attitudes can effect achange. It could be that if a key indi-vidual is removed prematurely, some-one else will appear to take his role inhistory. Thus, removing Hitler wellbefore his rise to prominence mightonly result in a similar dictatorappearing, with little change inevents. Parachronic intervention isstill an art rather than a science.

Intervention AdventuresTrying to stop a Centran interven-

tion on an echo makes an excellentadventure for a PC team of I-Cops.The GM can make the followingassumptions:

• The enemy agents are outnum-bered and secretive. It is difficult andexpensive to send anyone fromCentrum to Quantum 6.

• The enemy plan requires split-second timing . . . because, if it didn’t,they would have pulled it off already.Whatever the Centran method of com-puting an intervention, if the answerwere always as simple as “NukeLondon in 1902,” they’d succeed a lotmore often. However, the enemy doeshave backup plans.

• The Patrol gives the agents somegeneral information about theenemy penetration. The means bywhich their superiors acquired thisdata is none of their business! They

are simply told, for instance, “It’s1453 on echo Sigma-6A. There’s evi-dence of Centrum penetration inGermany. If they’re working close tohome, their target might beGutenberg’s printing press . . . otherteams are checking out other possi-bilities.” That’s one reason whycounter-intervention teams aresmall: Homeline has to check outeverything.

Intervention in ReverseThe GM can turn the whole thing

around: Infinity has unraveled thesecret of timeline intervention, discov-ered a string of Centran echoes inQuantum 7, and sent out strike teamsto shift them toward Q5. Just work itall in reverse. The Homeline team hasa specific assignment – something thecomputers predict will shift the time-line in a useful fashion if carried outsuccessfully. The Centran oppositionconsists of lots of small teams . . . andif the Homeliners put one out of theway in too obvious a fashion, it tips offInterworld, who will reinforce thearea very heavily.

EFFECTS OFTAMPERINGWITH ECHOES

It takes a significant change tocause a whole timeline to “move” to adifferent quantum level. A “signifi-cant” change is up to the GM, becausenobody knows what kind of change isreally significant. The mere presence

of a group of strangers doesn’t seem tomake much difference. But there’salways the chance of hitting a keymoment in history: the visitor toreflected 1938 Washington gets thelast seat on a train, so a senator is lateto a meeting with the President, so akey military appropriation fails . . . sowhen World War II comes along, theUnited States loses.

In general, if a change seems like itcan lead to a distinct “what if” varia-tion in history, it’s significant.However, a shift need not be perma-nent. One timeline was shifted to Q7by Centrum aid to Benedict Arnold in1780, turning the Revolutionary Warin England’s favor. An intrepid team ofI-Cops in the cut-off world sabotagedthe British fleet off Boston, turningthe war around again . . . and the time-line returned to Q6! It appears thathistory is sufficiently “elastic” toabsorb a deviation – if it can be exact-ly counterbalanced before too muchtime has passed.

For game purposes, assume thatvery minor changes do not create ashift – or, at least, not immediately. Ifouttimers do something that the GMthinks may “change history,” he canallow a shift to happen in minutes ordays. A shift is usually only one quan-tum, but can possibly be more.Choose the direction of a shift ran-domly, unless it was caused by agentsin accordance with a specific plandesigned around a correct under-standing of how parachronics interactwith history.

LOCATINGA SHIFTEDTIMELINE

Only Infinity and Centrum possessthe sophisticated instruments andsupercomputers needed to locate alost timeline quickly. Such a searchrequires a full week of work and a suc-cessful Physics (Parachronic) roll.This roll is at +3 if the timeline is inthe researchers’ “home” quantum, at+1 if it’s in an adjacent quantum, andat no modifier if it’s two quanta away.If it’s three or more quanta away, itcan’t be found!

With lesser equipment, the searchtakes weeks to years (GM’s option) –possibly at a large penalty.

546 INFINITE WORLDS

Marooned!If a timeline shift takes the world you are on out of projector range

(Q3-Q7 for Homeline; Q6-Q10 for Centrum), you’re stuck! You havetwo options: try to undo the shift, or find alternate means of trans-portation (enemy conveyor, friendly world-jumper, etc.).

There are other ways to become stranded, including:

Quantum Sargasso: A “quantum sargasso” is a dimension that aworld-jumper or conveyor can enter but not leave. A projector can focuson it, but it can’t make pickup. The only way out is to find a nexus por-tal (p. 534) or use magic (e.g., Plane Shift, p. 248).

No Mana: There are worlds where magic simply doesn’t work. Amagical world-jumper, Plane Shift spell, etc. lets you enter these dimen-sions, but won’t let you leave!

TABLES 547

APPENDIX

TABLES

COMBAT MODIFIERSThese three lists summarize the

success rolls and modifiers used toattack and defend.

MELEE ATTACKMODIFIERS

When attacking in melee combat,figure your effective skill by:

1. Taking your base skill with theweapon or unarmed attack you areusing. (In some situations, anotherskill – e.g., Free Fall, Riding, orEnvironment Suit – will limit thisskill.)

2. Applying the relevant condition-al modifiers below. Modifiers arecumulative, but combined visibilitypenalties cannot exceed -10 (-6, ifused to blindness). If any modifiermarked with an asterisk (*) applies,adjusted skill after all modifiers can-not exceed 9.

A roll of this number, or less, is a hit.

Attacker’s ManeuverAll-Out Attack (Determined): +4Move and Attack: -4*

Attacker’s PostureCrawling or lying down: -4 (if crawl-

ing, can only make reach “C”attacks)

Crouching, kneeling, or sitting: -2

Attacker’s SituationAffliction (coughing, retching, etc.):

see Afflictions (p. 428)Bad footing: -2 or more (GM’s option)Grappled: -4Holding a large shield: -2

Major distraction (e.g., all clothes onfire): -3 or more (GM’s option)

Minor distraction (e.g., part of clotheson fire): -2

Mounted, and mount attacked on itslast turn: -2

Mounted, and mount’s velocity rela-tive to target is 7+: -1

Shock: -HP of injury received last turn(maximum -4)

ST below that required for weapon: -1per point of deficit

Wearing a shield in close combat: -DBof shield

Other Actions by AttackerDeceptive Attack: -2 per -1 penalty to

foe’s defenseDual-Weapon Attack: -4/-8 with

primary/off hand (-4/-4 w.Ambidexterity)

Evaluate: +1 per turn (maximum +3)Off-hand attack: -4 (no penalty w.

Ambidexterity)Rapid Strike: -6 on both attacks (-3 w.

Trained By A Master or WeaponMaster)

Striking into close combat: -2Wild Swing: -5*

Target (choose one)Hit location: 0 for torso, -2 for arm or

leg, -3 for groin, -4 for hand or foot,-5 for face, -7 for skull; impalingand piercing attacks can targetvitals at -3 or eyes at -9

Hit location, through chink in armor:-8 for torso, -10 anywhere else (e.g.,eyeslits)

Weapon, to damage: -5 to hit a reach“C” weapon (e.g., knife) or pistol; -4to hit a reach 1 weapon (e.g.,broadsword); -3 to hit a reach 2+weapon (e.g., spear) or rifle

Weapon, to disarm: as above, plus anextra -2 if not using a fencingweapon

VisibilityCannot see anything: -10 (-6, if used to

blindness)*Cannot see foe: -6, or -4 if you know

his location to within 1 yard*Partial darkness, fog, smoke, etc.: -1 to

-9 (GM’s option)

Violence, naked force, has settled more issues inhistory than has any other factor, and the contraryopinion is wishful thinking at its worst.

– Robert A. Heinlein

RANGED ATTACKMODIFIERS

When making a ranged attack, fig-ure your effective skill by:

1. Taking your base skill with yourranged weapon.

2. Applying the target’s SizeModifier (SM).

3. Modifying for the target’s rangeand speed; see Size and Speed/RangeTable (p. 550).

4. Applying the relevant condition-al modifiers below. Modifiers arecumulative, but combined visibilitypenalties cannot exceed -10. If anymodifier marked with an asterisk (*)applies, adjusted skill after all modi-fiers cannot exceed 9.

A roll of this number, or less, is ahit. If using rapid fire, you score oneextra hit for every full multiple ofRecoil by which you make your attackroll.

Attacker’s ManeuverAll-Out Attack (Determined): +1Move and Attack: -2 or -Bulk of

weapon, whichever is worse

Attacker’s SituationAffliction (coughing, retching, etc.):

see Afflictions (p. 428)Bad footing: -2 or more (GM’s option)Close combat: a penalty equal to the

weapon’s Bulk statistic (seeWeapons for Close Combat, p. 391)

Damaged weapon: -HP of injuryreceived last turn (maximum -4)

Major distraction (e.g., all clothes onfire): -3 or more (GM’s option)

Minor distraction (e.g., part of clotheson fire): -2

Shock: -HP of injury received last turn(maximum -4)

ST below that required for weapon: -1per point of deficit

Attacking from MovingVehicle or Mount

If weapon is not in a stabilizedmount, the combined bonus forAccuracy, Aim, bracing, and targetingsystems cannot exceed the vehicle’sSR.

Air vehicle: -1 if handheld weapon, 0otherwise

Exposed rider hanging on side of vehi-cle/mount and shooting over/underit: -6

Ground vehicle, good road: -1 if hand-held weapon, 0 otherwise

Ground vehicle, bad road: 0 if stabi-lized turret or stabilized openmount; -1 if fixed mount, hard-point, or carriage; -2 if externalopen mount; -3 if handheld weapon

Ground vehicle, off-road: -1 if stabi-lized turret or stabilized openmount; -2 if fixed mount, hard-point, or carriage; -3 if externalopen mount; -4 if handheld weapon

Space vehicle: 0Turning in exposed saddle/seat of vehi-

cle/mount to fire at foe behind: -4Vehicle/mount dodged last turn and

you’re not operator/rider: -2, or -4 ifflying

Vehicle/mount failed control roll:penalty equal to margin of failure

Water vehicle, calm water: 0 if stabi-lized turret or stabilized openmount; -1 if fixed mount, hard-point, or carriage; -2 if externalopen mount; -3 if handheld weapon

Water vehicle, rough water: -1 if stabi-lized turret or stabilized openmount; -2 if fixed mount, hard-point, or carriage; -3 if externalopen mount; -4 if handheld weapon

Opportunity FireChecking target before firing: -2Hexes watched: 0 if 1 hex; -1 if 2 hexes;

-2 if 3-4 hexes or a line; -3 if 5-6hexes; -4 if 7-10 hexes; -5 if 11+hexes watched

Other Actions by AttackerAim for one turn: +Accuracy of

weaponBraced weapon: +1 if stationary and

took a turn to AimDual-Weapon Attack: -4/-8 with pri-

mary/off hand (-4/-4 w.Ambidexterity)

Extra Aim: +1 for 2 seconds, +2 for 3+seconds

Off-hand attack: -4 (no penalty w.Ambidexterity)

Pop-up attack: -2, and no Aim possibleRapid fire: 0 if 2-4 shots; +1 if 5-8

shots; +2 if 9-12 shots; +3 if 13-16shots; +4 if 17-24 shots; +5 if 25-49shots; +6 if 50-99 shots; +7 if 100-199 shots; etc.

TargetTo attack hit locations or weapons,

use the penalties under Melee AttackModifiers (p. 547). If the target hascover, you can either choose to take nopenalty and roll hit location randomly

(shots that hit a covered locationalways strike full cover, and hit partialcover on 4-6 on 1d) or target anexposed hit location (add an extra -2 ifonly partly exposed).

Shooting through light cover: -2Target behind someone else: -4 per

intervening figureTarget crouching, kneeling, sitting, or

lying down: an extra -2 to hit torso,groin, or legs

Target only partly exposed: -2

Targeting SystemsLaser sight: +1Scope: +1 per second of Aim, to a

maximum of the scope’s bonusVehicular targeting system: +1 to +3 if

shooter took a turn to AimUnfamiliar weapon or targeting sys-

tem: -2

VisibilityBlind, target completely invisible, or

in total darkness: -10*Cannot see foe: -6, or -4 if you know

his location to within 1 yard*Partial darkness, fog, smoke, etc.: -1 to

-9 (GM’s option)Target has light concealment (e.g.,

bushes): -2

ACTIVE DEFENSEMODIFIERS

When performing a dodge, block, orparry, figure your active defense roll by:

1. Taking your calculated Dodge,Block, or Parry score. (The CombatReflexes and Enhanced Defensesadvantages increase these valuesabove their base.)

2. Applying the relevant condition-al modifiers below. All modifiers arecumulative.

A roll of this number, or less,means you avoid the attack.

Defender’s EquipmentParrying with dagger or knife: -1 to

ParryParrying with kusari or whip: -2 to

ParryParrying with quarterstaff: +2 to ParryShield or cloak: +DB of shield (see

Shield Table, p. 287), except vs.firearms

Unarmed parry vs. weapon: -3 toParry (+0 vs. thrust, or w. Judo orKarate)

548 TABLES

Defender’s ManeuverAll-Out Attack: no defense possible!All-Out Defense (Increased Defense):

+2 to one of Dodge, Block, or ParryMove and Attack: dodge or block only;

you cannot parry

Defender’s PostureCrawling or lying down: -3Kneeling or sitting: -2

Defender’s SituationAbove attacker: +1 if 3’ difference, +2

if 4’, or +3 if 5’Affliction (cough-

ing, retching,etc.): seeAfflictions(p. 428)

Bad footing:-1 ormore(GM’s option)

Below attacker: -1 if 3’difference, -2 if 4’,or -3 if 5’

Can’t see attacker: -4,and a block or parry requiresa Hearing-2 roll

Close combat: only reach “C” weaponscan parry

Distraction (e.g., clothes on fire): -1 ormore (GM’s option)

Encumbered: penalty equal toencumbrance level to Dodge, orto Judo, Karate, or any fencingParry

Mounted: penalty equal to differ-ence between 12 and Ridingskill (no penalty for Riding at12+)

Stunned: -4

Nature of AttackAttack from behind: no defense possi-

ble (defense at -2 w. PeripheralVision)

Attack from side or “runaround”attack: -2 (no penalty w. PeripheralVision)

Attacker used laser sight: +1 to Dodgeif dot is visible

Deceptive Attack: -1 per -2 the attack-er took to his attack

Dual-Weapon Attack: -1 if both attacksstrike the same target

Flail: -4 to Parry/-2 to Block (-2/-1 vs.nunchaku); fencing weapons can’tparry at all

Successful feint: penalty equal toattacker’s margin of victory

Thrown weapon: -1 to Parry, or -2 toParry if small (1 lb. or less)

Other Actions by DefenderAcrobatic Dodge: +2 to Dodge if

Acrobatics roll succeeds, -2 if itfails

Dodge and Drop: +3 to Dodge vs.ranged attack

Feverish Defense: +2 (costs 1 FP)

Multiple parries: -4 to Parry per parryafter the first, cumulative (halvedfor fencing weapons, and forTrained By A Master or WeaponMaster)

Off-hand parry: -2 to Parry (no penal-ty w. Ambidexterity)

Retreat: +3 to Dodge, or to Boxing,Judo, Karate, or any fencing Parry;+1 otherwise

TABLES 549

SIZE ANDSPEED/RANGE

TABLEThe main use for this table is ranged combat, but the GM can

also use it for Sense rolls and other success rolls that size, speed,or range might believably affect.

This table uses the same progression for size as it does for thesum of speed and range, but the modifiers for size have the oppo-site sign from those for speed/range: large size give a bonus, whilelarge speed and range give a penalty. Thus, if a target is twice asbig but also twice as far away and twice as fast, the net modifierto hit stays the same.

Size of TargetThe larger the target, the easier it is to hit. The modifier to hit

an object due to its size is its “Size Modifier” (SM). Humans haveSM 0. Objects larger than man-sized give a bonus to hit, whilesmaller objects give a penalty.

The statistics for most nonhuman races, vehicles, etc. includeSM. You can find the SM of other things using the table. Simplylook up the being or object’s longest dimension (e.g., height, fora humanoid) in the “Linear Measurement” column, and thenread across to the “Size” column to find SM. If size falls betweentwo values, base SM on the next-highest size.

Box-, sphere-, or blob-shaped objects or characters add +2 toSM; elongated boxes, like most ground vehicles, add +1. If anobject is much smaller in two of three dimensions (e.g., a steelcable 100 yards long but only 2” thick), use the smallest dimen-sion instead of the largest.

Examples: A giant whose longest dimension is 4 yards has SM+2. A car with the same dimensions would have SM +3. A build-ing 4 yards across would have SM +4.

Target’s Speed and RangeIn most combat between fighters on foot, and when attacking

inanimate objects, you can ignore speed. Simply look up rangein yards in the “Linear Measurement” column, and then readacross to the “Speed/Range” column to find the speed/rangemodifier. If the range falls between two values, use the higher;e.g., treat 8 yards as 10 yards.

Note that there is no modifier at ranges of 2 yards or less –shooting a close target is no easier (and no harder) than attack-ing it in melee combat!

But for fast targets – including anything that requires theHigh-Speed Movement rules (p. 394) – the GM may rule thatspeed is important enough to consider. In that case, add speed inyards/second (2 mph = 1 yard/second) to range before looking itup in the “Linear Measurement” column.

Examples: A man 8 yards away is -4 to hit. A motorcycle rider40 yards away, traveling at 30 yards/second (60 mph), has aspeed/range of 40 + 30 = 70 yards, which gives -9 to hit. A missilepassing within 5 yards while moving 1,000 yards/second has aspeed/range of 5 + 1,000 = 1,005 yards, for -17 to hit.

550 TABLES

Size and Speed/Range TableSpeed/Range Size Linear Measurement

0 -15 1/5”0 -14 1/3”0 -13 1/2”0 -12 2/3”0 -11 1”0 -10 1.5”0 -9 2”0 -8 3”0 -7 5”0 -6 8”0 -5 1 ft0 -4 1.5 ft0 -3 2 ft0 -2 1 yd0 -1 1.5 yd0 0 2 yd-1 +1 3 yd-2 +2 5 yd-3 +3 7 yd-4 +4 10 yd-5 +5 15 yd-6 +6 20 yd-7 +7 30 yd-8 +8 50 yd-9 +9 70 yd-10 +10 100 yd-11 +11 150 yd-12 +12 200 yd-13 +13 300 yd-14 +14 500 yd-15 +15 700 yd-16 +16 1,000 yd-17 +17 1,500 yd-18 +18 2,000 yd (1 mile)-19 +19 3,000 yd-20 +20 5,000 yd (2.5 miles)-21 +21 7,000 yd-22 +22 10,000 yd (5 miles)-23 +23 15,000 yd-24 +24 20,000 yd (10 miles)-25 +25 30,000 yd-26 +26 50,000 yd (25 miles)-27 +27 70,000 yd-28 +28 100,000 yd (50 miles)-29 +29 150,000 yd-30 +30 200,000 yd (100 miles)etc. etc. etc.

Continue this progression indefinitely, with each10¥ increase in linear measurement giving +6 to SMor -6 to speed/range modifier.

Example: Erin the archer shoots at a dragon. It is40 yards away and flying at Move 15 (30 mph): 40 +15 = 55 yards. Erin rounds up to 70 yards, for aspeed/range modifier of -9. The dragon is 6 yardslong, which rounds up to 7 yards, for SM +3. Erin’sfinal modifier to hit is -6.

By using the sum of range andspeed, the table ensures that whenone of range or speed is large relativeto the other, only that factor has asignificant impact on the outcome.Small variations in speed are negligi-ble when firing at targets at extremeranges, and vice versa. If a rocket ismoving at 1,000 yards/second, itdoesn’t really matter whether it’s 50or 100 yards away. If an elephant is

1,000 yards away, it hardly matterswhether it is walking at 1 yard/sec-ond or 2 yards/second.

Firing Upward and Downward:For every yard of elevation your tar-get has over you, add one yard toeffective range. For every two yardsof elevation you have over your tar-get, subtract one yard from effectiverange; if this would reduce effective

range to less than half the realground distance, use half the grounddistance instead.

Sense Rolls: If making a Senseroll, or an Electronics Operation rollfor sensors, do not add speed torange. Instead, subtract speed fromrange (but don’t reduce it below 0). Itis actually easier to notice a movingtarget!

TABLES 551

MANEUVERSIn combat, you may perform one

maneuver on your turn. The followingtable summarizes these maneuversand their effects.

Maneuver TableManeuver Description Active Defense Movement PageAim Aim a ranged weapon to get its Accuracy bonus. Any* Step 364All-Out Attack Attack at a bonus or multiple times. None Half Move 365All-Out Defense Increased or double defense. Any† Varies 366Attack Attack unarmed or with a weapon. Any Step 365Change Posture Stand up, sit down, etc. Any None 364Concentrate Focus on a mental task. Any* Step 366Do Nothing Take no action but recover from stun. Any‡ None 364Evaluate Study a foe prior to a melee attack. Any Step 364Feint Fake a melee attack. Any Step 365Move and Attack Move and attack at a penalty. No Parry Full Move 365Move Do nothing but move. Any Full Move 364Ready Prepare a weapon or other item. Any Step 366Wait Hold yourself in readiness to act. Any Varies 366

* Taking an active defense may spoil your aim or concentration.† Gives +2 to Dodge, Block, or Parry, or allows two defenses against each attack.‡ Defenses are at -4 if taking Do Nothing due to stun.

POSTURESAttack: The modifier when making

a melee attack from this posture.There is no effect on ranged attacks.

Defense: The modifier to all activedefense rolls.

Target: The modifier to hit yourtorso, groin, or legs with a rangedattack. No penalty to strike other hitlocations, if they are visible from thatposture.

Movement: The effect on move-ment. For tactical combat, movementpoint costs appear in parentheses, andnote that a human occupies two hexeswhile crawling or lying down.

Posture TablePosture Attack Defense Target MovementStanding Normal Normal Normal Normal; may sprintCrouching -2 Normal -2 2/3 (+1/2 per hex)Kneeling -2 -2 -2 1/3 (+2 per hex)Crawling -4* -3 -2† 1/3 (+2 per hex)Sitting -2 -2 -2 NoneLying Down -4 -3 -2† 1 yard/second

* Only reach “C” melee attacks are allowed.† If attacker is at the same or lower elevation and farther away than his own

height, he attacks your torso as if it were half exposed (-2 to hit), and cannotattack your groin, legs, or feet at all. If you also have your head down, he cannotattack your neck, eyes, or face.

Taking an active defense may spoil your aim or concentration.

Use these tables in conjunctionwith the Hit Location rules (p. 398).

Missing Parts: If a random roll indi-cates that a missing body part wouldbe hit (e.g., the neck, on a target withInjury Tolerance (No Neck)), treat it asa torso hit.

HUMAN ANDHUMANOID HITLOCATION TABLE

Use this table for humans,humanoids (e.g., giants and goblins),and semi-upright creatures (e.g., apesand bears). If rolling randomly, roll 3d.If deliberately targeting a specific hitlocation, apply the listed penalty. Forexample, a random hit to the skullwould occur on a roll of 3-4, while adeliberate attack targeting the skullwould be at -7 to hit.

Winged Humanoids: A deliberateattack on a wing is at -2 to hit. Ifrolling randomly, a 9 indicates a winghit (roll randomly to see which wing)and a 10 indicates a torso hit. Forwounding purposes, treat wings aslimbs.

Fish-Tailed Humanoids (Mermen): Adeliberate attack on the tail is at -3 tohit. If rolling randomly, treat randomleg hits as torso hits and random foothits as tail hits. For effects, seeQuadruped, Hexapod, Centaur, andAvian Hit Location (p. 553).

[1] An attack that misses by 1 hitsthe torso instead.

[2] Only impaling, piercing, andtight-beam burning attacks can targetthe eye – and only from the front orsides. Injury over HP/10 blinds theeye. Otherwise, treat as skull, butwithout the extra DR!

[3] The skull gets an extra DR 2.Wounding modifier is ¥4. Knockdownrolls are at -10. Critical hits use theCritical Head Blow Table (p. 556).Exception: These special effects do notapply to toxic damage.

[4] Jaw, cheeks, nose, ears, etc. Ifthe target has an open-faced helmet,ignore its DR. Knockdown rolls are at-5. Critical hits use the Critical HeadBlow Table. Corrosion damage gets a¥1.5 wounding modifier, and if itinflicts a major wound, it also blindsone eye (both eyes on damage over fullHP). Random attacks from behind hitthe skull instead.

[5] Limb. Reduce the woundingmultiplier of large piercing, huge pierc-ing, and impaling damage to ¥1. Anymajor wound (loss of over 1/2 HPfrom one blow) cripples the limb.Damage beyond that threshold is lost.

[6] If holding a shield, double thepenalty to hit: -4 for shield arm, -8 forshield hand.

[7] Human males and the males ofsimilar species suffer double shockfrom crushing damage, and get -5 toknockdown rolls. Otherwise, treat as atorso hit.

[8] Extremity. Treat as a limb,except that damage over 1/3 HP in one

blow inflicts a crippling majorwound. Excess damage is stilllost.

[9] If rolling randomly, roll1d: 1-3 is right, 4-6 is left.

[10] Neck and throat.Increase the wounding multi-plier of crushing and corro-sion attacks to ¥1.5, and thatof cutting damage to ¥2. Atthe GM’s option, anyonekilled by a cutting blow to theneck is decapitated!

[11] Heart, lungs, kidneys,etc. Increase the woundingmodifier for an impaling orany piercing attack to ¥3.

Increase the wounding modifier for atight-beam burning attack to ¥2. Otherattacks cannot target the vitals.

Injury Tolerance and Hit Location

Diffuse: Ignore special knockdown,shock, and wounding modifiers.(Eyes, limbs, and extremities can stillbe crippled.) Impaling and piercingattacks can never do more than 1 HPof injury. Other attacks can never domore than 2 HP of injury.

Homogenous: Ignore specialknockdown, shock, and woundingmodifiers. (Eyes, limbs, and extremi-ties can still be crippled.) Woundingmodifier is ¥1/2 for impaling or hugepiercing, ¥1/3 for large piercing, ¥1/5 for piercing, and ¥1/10 for smallpiercing.

No Brain: Hits to the skull or faceget no special knockdown or wound-ing modifier. Hits to the eye can crip-ple the eye; otherwise, treat them asface hits, not skull hits.

No Vitals: Treat hits to the vitals orgroin as torso hits.

Unliving: Hit location has its usualeffect, except that impaling or pierc-ing damage to any location but theeye, skull, or vitals gets a reducedwounding modifier: ¥1 for impalingor huge piercing, ¥1/2 for large pierc-ing, ¥1/3 for piercing, and ¥1/5 forsmall piercing.

NON-HUMANOIDHIT LOCATIONTABLES

Use the next two tables for the fol-lowing categories of non-humanoid:

Arachnoid: A spider or similareight-legged creature.

Avian: A creature with two wings,two legs, and no arms; e.g., a bird.

Cancroid: A crab, lobster, scorpi-on, or similar creature with forelimbpincers.

Centaur: Any humanoid-quadru-ped hybrid.

Hexapod: A six-legged creature;e.g., an insect. A winged hexapod alsohas wings, like a fly.

552 TABLES

HIT LOCATION TABLES

Human and Humanoid Hit Location TableRoll Location (Penalty) Notes– Eye (-9) [1, 2]3-4 Skull (-7) [1, 3]5 Face (-5) [1, 4]6-7 Right Leg (-2) [5]8 Right Arm (-2) [5, 6]9-10 Torso (0)11 Groin (-3) [1, 7]12 Left Arm (-2) [5, 6]13-14 Left Leg (-2) [5]15 Hand (-4) [6, 8, 9]16 Foot (-4) [8, 9]17-18 Neck (-5) [1, 10]– Vitals (-3) [1, 11]

Ichthyoid: A fish, cetacean, or simi-lar creature.

Octopod: An octopus or similar crea-ture with “arms” that double as legs.

Quadruped: A creature with fourlegs and no arms. A winged quadrupedalso has a pair of wings, like a dragon.

Vermiform: Any slithering creature(snake, worm, etc.) or variant (wingedserpent, snake-man with arms but notlegs, etc.).

TABLES 553

Quadruped, Hexapod, Centaur, and Avian Hit Location TableRoll Quadruped Winged Hexapod Winged Centaur Avian(3d) Quadruped Hexapod– Eye (-9) Eye (-9) Eye (-9) Eye (-9) Eye (-9) Eye (-9)3-4 Skull (-7) Skull (-7) Skull (-7) Skull (-7) Skull (-7) Skull (-7)5 Face (-5) Face (-5) Neck (-5) Neck (-5) Neck (-5) Face (-5)6 Neck (-5) Neck (-5) Face (-5) Face (-5) Face (-5) Neck (-5)7-8 Foreleg (-2)* Foreleg (-2)* Foreleg (-2)* Foreleg (-2)* Foreleg (-2)* Wing (-2)*9-10 Torso (0) Torso (0) Torso (0) Torso (0) Torso (0)† Torso (0)11 Torso (0) Torso (0) Mid Leg (-2)* Mid Leg (-2)* Torso (0)† Torso (0)12 Groin (-3) Wing (-2)* Groin (-3) Wing (-2)* Groin (-3) Groin (-3)13-14 Hind Leg (-2)* Hind Leg (-2)* Hind Leg (-2)* Hind Leg (-2)* Hind Leg (-2)* Leg (-2)*15-16 Foot (-4)* Foot (-4)* Foot (-4)* Mid Leg (-2)* Arm (-2)* Foot (-4)*17-18 Tail (-3) Tail (-3) Mid Leg (-2)* Foot (-4)* Extremity (-4) Tail (-3)– Vitals (-3) Vitals (-3) Vitals (-3) Vitals (-3) Vitals (-3) Vitals (-3)

* If using random hit location, roll 1d: 1-3 is right, 4-6 is left. If it is somehow holding a shield, double the penalty to hit:-4 for a limb, -8 for an extremity.

† For centaurs, 9-10 means the animal body is hit, while 11 means the humanoid upper body is hit. Deliberate attacks oneither are at no penalty.

Arm, Eye, Face, Foot, Groin, Leg, Neck, Skull, Torso,Vitals: Use the rules for humans and humanoids. “Arm”means a human upper-body arm for a centaur. “Foot”includes paw, hoof, etc. “Torso” includes fore- and hindquar-ters, thorax, abdomen, etc.

Extremity: For centaurs, roll 1d: 1-2 is a human upper-body hand, 3-4 is a forefoot, and 5-6 is a hind foot; odd num-bers are left, even numbers are right.

Foreleg: The right or left front leg.Hind Leg: The right or left back leg.

Mid Leg: The right or left middle leg of a six-legged creature.

Tail: If a tail counts as an Extra Arm or a Striker, or is afish tail, treat it as a limb (arm, leg) for crippling purposes;otherwise, treat it as an extremity (hand, foot). A crippledtail affects balance. For a ground creature, this gives -1 DX.For a swimmer or flyer, this gives -2 DX and halves Move. Ifthe creature has no tail, or a very short one (like a rabbit),treat as “torso.”

Wing: Treat a wing as a limb (arm, leg) for crippling pur-poses. A flyer with a crippled wing cannot fly.

Vermiform, Octopod, Cancroid, Ichthyoid, and Arachnoid Hit Location TableRoll (3d) Vermiform† Octopod‡ Cancroid§ Ichthyoid Arachnoid– Eye (-9) Eye (-8) Eye (-9) Eye (-8) Eye (-9)3-4 Skull (-7) Brain (-7) Skull (-7) Skull (-7) Brain (-7)5 Face (-5) Face (-5) Face (-5) Face (-5) Neck (-5)6 Neck (-5) Neck (-5) Neck (-5) Fin (-4) Face (-5)7-8 Neck (-5) Arm 1-2 (-2)* Arm (-2)* Torso (0) Leg 1-2 (-2)*9-11 Torso (0) Torso (0) Torso (0) Torso (0) Torso (0)12 Torso (0) Torso (0) Torso (0) Torso (0) Groin (-3)13-14 Torso (0) Arm 3-4 (-2)* Leg (-2)* Fin (-4) Leg 3-4 (-2)*15-16 Torso (0) Arm 5-6 (-2)* Leg (-2)* Fin (-4) Leg 5-6 (-2)*17-18 Torso (0) Arm 7-8 (-2)* Foot (-4)* Tail (-3) Leg 7-8 (-2)*– Vitals (-3) Vitals (-3) Vitals (-3) Vitals (-3) Vitals (-3)

* If using random hit location, roll 1d: 1-3 is right, 4-6 is left. If it is somehow holding a shield, double the penalty to hit:-4 for a limb, -8 for an extremity.

† For winged serpents, treat 15-18 as Wing (-2). For snake-men, treat 7-8 as Right Arm (-2), 13-14 as Left Arm (-2), and17-18 as Hand (-4).

‡ For squid, treat 17-18 as Torso (0). All arms other than arms 1-2 are extremities for injury purposes, and targeted at -3.§ For scorpions, treat 12 as Tail (-3).

Arm: For an octopod, arms 1-4 arethose it is currently using for manipu-lation, while arms 5-8 are those it isusing for locomotion. For a cancroid,an arm is a forelimb pincer. Handlewounding, etc. as for humans andhumanoids.

Brain: As skull, but only DR 1.

Eye, Face, Foot, Groin, Neck, Skull,Torso, Vitals: Use the rules for humansand humanoids.

Fin: An ichthyoid often has two orthree fins or ray-like wings; roll ran-domly. Treat a fin as an extremity(hand, foot) for crippling purposes. Acrippled fin affects balance: -3 DX.

Leg: For a cancroid, this is any ofits true legs; roll randomly. For an

arachnoid, legs 1-2 are the front pair,legs 3-4 are the mid-front pair, legs 5-6are the mid-back pair, and legs 7-8 arethe back pair. Handle wounding, etc.as for humans and humanoids.

Tail: See note under Quadruped,Hexapod, Centaur, and Avian HitLocation Table. For ichthyoids, most ofthe “tail” is considered the torso; thisis just the tip.

554 TABLES

VEHICLE HITLOCATION TABLE

Every vehicle has a “body” hit loca-tion. To find a vehicle’s other hit loca-tions (if any), look up the vehicle onthe relevant vehicle table and check the“Locations” column. See VehicleStatistics (p. 462) for details.

To choose a random hit location,roll 3d on the table below. If deliberate-ly targeting a location, apply the penal-ty in parentheses plus the vehicle’s SM.For example, a random hit to a smallglass window or exposed weaponmount would occur on a roll of 3-4,while a deliberate attack on eitherlocation would be at -7 to hit – or -3 ona vehicle with SM +4.

If a random location doesn’t exist, isretracted, or isn’t a logical target giventhe angle of attack (e.g., a window fora car attacked from below, or a vehiclewith no windows), treat it as body hit.If multiple locations or possibilitiesexist (e.g., a roll of 3-4 for a vehicle

with small glass windows and anexposed weapon mount), the attackerpicks which was hit.

Body: The vehicle’s hull. If a pow-ered vehicle sustains a major wound,roll against HT. On a failure, the power

or propulsion system is damaged, halv-ing Move.

Caterpillar Track [C]: A track is hit.Most tracked vehicles have two tracks.Damage over HP/2 cripples one track,reducing ground Move to 0. Excessdamage is lost.

Vehicle Hit Location TableRoll Location (Penalty)3-4 Small Glass Window [g] or Exposed Weapon Mount [X] (-7)5 Small Superstructure* [s] or Independent Turret [t] (-5)6-7 Caterpillar Track [C], Draft Animal** [D], Helicopter Rotor [H],

Mast [M], or Wing [Wi] (-2)8 Arm [A], Large Superstructure* [S], or Main Turret* [T] (-2)9 Body* or Exposed Rider [E] (0)10 Body* (0)11 Large Glass Window [G] or Open Cabin [O] (-3)12 Arm [A], Large Superstructure* [S], or Main Turret* [T] (-2)13-14 Caterpillar Track [C], Draft Animal** [D], Helicopter Rotor [H],

Mast [M], or Wing [Wi] (-2)15-16 Runner or Skid [R] or Wheel [W] (-4)17-18 Vital Area (-3)

* Usually manned; see Occupants and Vehicle Damage, below.** The modifier to target a draft animal deliberately is the animal’s SM.

Draft Animal [D]: A harnessed ani-mal is hit instead of the vehicle. Thevehicle takes no damage, and its DRdoesn’t protect the animal.

Exposed Rider [E] or Open Cabin[O]: A person in an exposed position(e.g., riding a bike, sitting in a jeep, orsticking his head out a hatch) is struckinstead of the vehicle. The vehicle takesno damage, and its DR doesn’t protectthe occupant. If no one occupies thisposition, treat as a body hit.

Exposed Weapon Mount [X]: Asmall external mount for a weapon,sensor, etc. is hit. Damage over HP/5cripples it; excess damage is lost.

Helicopter Rotor [H] or Wing [Wi]: Amain or tail rotor, or major wing or tailsection. Damage over HP/2 (wing) orHP/3 (rotor) cripples it, causing an air-borne vehicle to lose control andcrash! Excess damage is lost.

Large Glass Window [G] or SmallGlass Window [g]: A window or canopyis struck. Check for an occupant hit(see Occupant Hit Table, below). If a hitoccurs, the attack strikes an occupantinstead of the vehicle. A closed windowgives half the vehicle’s DR (round up).

Large Superstructure [S]: A large,raised structure – e.g., conning tower,bridge, or castle – that often housesofficers’ cabins or important controlrooms. On an airship or a balloon, thisis the gondola. If it sustains a majorwound, roll against HT. On a failure,an important item of equipment isknocked out (GM’s option).

Main Turret [T]: A turret largeenough to be a vital part of the vehicle,such as a tank’s turret. If it sustains amajor wound, roll against HT. On afailure, a major item in the turret (e.g.,a tank’s main gun) is knocked out, orthe turret jams and can’t rotate (GM’soption).

Mast [M]: A mast and associatedsails and rigging. Damage over HP/(2 ¥

number of masts on vehicle) cripplesone mast, reducing a sailing vessel’sMove by 1/(number of masts), roundedup; e.g., if three masts, loss of oneresults in 2/3 Move. Excess damage islost.

Runner or Skids [R]: A skid, sledrunner, or ski is hit. Damage over HP/3cripples one skid, reducing groundMove to 0 and toppling a parked vehi-cle. Excess damage is lost.

Small Superstructure [s] orIndependent Turret [t]: A turret orstructure whose loss the vehicle couldsurvive; e.g., the turrets on most navalvessels and infantry fighting vehicles.Damage over HP/3 cripples it, knock-ing out any weapons or equipment itcontains. Excess damage is lost.

Vital Area: A powered vehicle (any-thing with a ST attribute) has vitalareas: engines, fuel tanks, etc. Thewounding modifier for a tight-beamburning attack is ¥2; that for an impal-ing or any piercing attack is ¥3!Unpowered vehicles (e.g., sailing shipsand wagons) don’t usually have vitalareas – treat as a body hit.

Wheel [W]: A wheel is hit. Damageover HP/(2 ¥ number of wheels onvehicle) cripples the wheel; effects arethe same as for a character with anequal number of legs losing one leg.Excess damage is lost. If the wheel of avehicle with tires sustains any damage,roll vs. HT. Failure means a flat tirethat cripples the wheel until changed.

Notes on Vehicle Damage

In addition to hit location effects,note that:

• Most powered vehicles areUnliving; most unpowered vehiclesare Homogenous. See Injury toUnliving, Homogenous, and DiffuseTargets (p. 380).

• Many vehicles are Fragile: “c”after HT means Combustible, “f”means Flammable, and “x” meansExplosive.

• Large-area injury will affectexposed occupants and the vehicle’sbody; see Large-Area Injury (p. 400).

Occupants and Vehicle Damage

When damage penetrates a vehicle’sDR, the occupants may suffer damageas well as the vehicle – the result of ric-ocheting projectiles, flying debris, etc.Whenever five or more points of dam-age penetrate an occupied location(usually the body, main turret, or asuperstructure), roll 3d on theOccupant Hit Table, below. If an occu-pant is hit, he takes 1d cutting damageper five full points of penetrating dam-age the vehicle sustained. Roll ran-domly for hit location. The occupant’sown DR protects him.

If occupant damage exceeds 4d, theGM may opt to divide it among multi-ple occupants in 4d (or smaller) incre-ments; e.g., 7d damage might inflict 4don one occupant and 3d on another.

Note that occupant damage is sepa-rate from damage to the vehicle.

OCCUPANTHIT TABLE

Use this table when an attack pen-etrates an object containing occupants(e.g., a vehicle body). Cross-index thenumber of occupants with the vehicleor structure’s Size Modifier, and thenroll 3d against the resulting number;the more tightly packed the object, thehigher the number. On a roll of thisnumber or less, an occupant is hit. Ifmultiple occupants could be hit, theGM determines who was hit random-ly or by fiat.

TABLES 555

Number of Size Modifier (SM)Occupants +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +10 +111 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 3 3 32 12 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 3 33-5 14 12 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 36-10 16 14 12 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 311-20 17 16 14 12 10 9 8 7 6 5 421-50 17 17 16 14 12 10 9 8 7 6 551-100 17 17 17 16 14 12 10 9 8 7 6101-200 17 17 17 17 16 14 12 10 9 8 7201-500 17 17 17 17 17 16 14 12 10 9 8etc.

A roll of 3 or 4 is always a criticalsuccess.

A roll of 5 is a critical success ifyour effective skill is 15+.

A roll of 6 is a critical success ifyour effective skill is 16+.

A roll of 18 is always a critical failure.

A roll of 17 is a critical failure ifyour effective skill is 15 or less; other-wise, it is an ordinary failure.

Any roll of 10 greater than youreffective skill is a critical failure: 16 ona skill of 6, 15 on a skill of 5, and so on.

CRITICALHIT TABLE

All doublings or triplings of dam-age refer to basic damage (not injury).In all cases, the target gets no activedefense against the attack.

3 – The blow does triple damage.4 – The target’s DR protects at half

value (round down) after applyingany armor divisors.

5 – The blow does double damage.6 – The blow does maximum normal

damage.7 – If any damage penetrates DR, treat

it as if it were a major wound,regardless of the actual injuryinflicted.

8 – If any damage penetrates DR, itinflicts double normal shock (to amaximum penalty of -8). If theinjury is to a limb or extremity, thatbody part is crippled as well. Thisis only a “funny-bone” injury: crip-pling wears off in (16 - HT) sec-onds, minimum two seconds,unless the injury was enough tocripple the body part anyway.

9, 10, 11 – Normal damage only.12 – Normal damage, and the victim

drops anything he is holding,regardless of whether any damagepenetrates DR.

13, 14 – If any damage penetrates DR,treat it as if it were a major wound,regardless of the actual injuryinflicted.

15 – The blow does maximum normaldamage.

16 – The blow does double damage.17 – The target’s DR protects at half

value (round down) after applyingany armor divisors.

18 – The blow does triple damage.

CRITICAL HEADBLOW TABLE

Use this table only for critical hitsto the head (face, skull, or eye). In allcases, the target gets no active defenseagainst the attack.

3 – The blow does maximum normaldamage and ignores the target’sDR.

4, 5 – The target’s DR protects at halfvalue (round up) after applying anyarmor divisors. If any damage pen-etrates, treat it as if it were a majorwound, regardless of the actualinjury inflicted.

6, 7 – If the attack targeted the face orskull, treat it as an eye hit instead,even if the attack could not nor-mally target the eye! If an eye hit isimpossible (e.g., from behind),treat as 4.

8 – Normal head-blow damage, andthe victim is knocked off balance:he must Do Nothing next turn (butmay defend normally).

9, 10, 11 – Normal head-blow damageonly.

12, 13 – Normal head-blow damage,and if any damage penetrates DR, acrushing attack deafens the victim(for recovery, see Duration ofCrippling Injuries, p. 422), whileany other attack causes severe scar-ring (the victim loses one appear-ance level, or two levels if a burningor corrosion attack).

14 – Normal head-blow damage, andthe victim drops his weapon (if hehas two weapons, roll randomly tosee which one he drops).

15 – The blow does maximum normaldamage.

16 – The blow does double damage.

17 – The target’s DR protects at halfvalue (round up) after applying anyarmor divisors.

18 – The blow does triple damage.

CRITICALMISS TABLE3, 4 – Your weapon breaks and is use-

less. Exception: Certain weaponsare resistant to breakage. Theseinclude solid crushing weapons(maces, flails, mauls, metal bars,etc.); magic weapons; firearms(other than wheel-locks, guidedmissiles, and beam weapons); andfine and very fine weapons of allkinds. If you have a weapon likethat, roll again. Only if you get a“broken weapon” result a secondtime does the weapon really break.If you get any other result, youdrop the weapon instead. SeeBroken Weapons (p. 485).

5 – You manage to hit yourself in thearm or leg (50% chance each way).Exception: If making an impalingor piercing melee attack, or anykind of ranged attack, roll again. Ifyou get a “hit yourself” result a sec-ond time, use that result – half orfull damage, as the case may be. Ifyou get something other than “hityourself,” use that result.

6 – As 5, but half damage only.7 – You lose your balance. You can do

nothing else (not even a free action)until your next turn, and all youractive defenses are at -2 until then.

8 – The weapon turns in your hand.You must take an extra Readymaneuver before you can use itagain.

9, 10, 11 – You drop the weapon.Exception: A cheap weapon breaks;see 3.

12 – As 8.13 – As 7.14 – If making a swinging melee

attack, your weapon flies 1d yardsfrom your hand – 50% chancestraight forward or straight back.Anyone on the target spot must

556 TABLES

CRITICAL SUCCESSAND FAILURE

make a DX roll or take half dam-age from the falling weapon! Ifmaking a thrusting melee attack orany kind of ranged attack, or par-rying, you simply drop theweapon, as in 9.

15 – You strain your shoulder! Yourweapon arm is “crippled.” You donot have to drop your weapon, butyou cannot use it, either to attackor defend, for 30 minutes.

16 – You fall down! If making a rangedattack, see 7 instead.

17, 18 – Your weapon breaks; see 3.

UNARMEDCRITICALMISS TABLE

Use this table only for critical miss-es on unarmed attacks (bites, claws,grapples, head butts, kicks, punches,slams, etc.) or parries, including thoseby animals.

3 – You knock yourself out! Details areup to the GM – perhaps you tripand fall on your head, or walk face-first into an opponent’s fist orshield. Roll vs. HT every 30 min-utes to recover.

4 – If attacking or parrying with alimb, you strain it: take 1 HP ofinjury and the limb is “crippled.”You cannot use it, either to attackor defend, for 30 minutes. If biting,butting, etc., you pull a muscle andsuffer moderate pain (see IrritatingConditions, p. 428) for the next

(20 - HT) minutes, minimum oneminute.

5 – You hit a solid object (wall, floor,etc.) instead of striking your foe orparrying his attack. You take crush-ing damage equal to your thrustingdamage to the body part you wereusing; DR protects normally.Exception: If attacking a foe armedwith a ready impaling weapon, youfall on his weapon! You suffer theweapon’s damage, but based onyour ST rather than his.

6 – As 5, but half damage only.Exception: If attacking with naturalweapons, such as claws or teeth,they break: -1 damage on futureattacks until you heal (for recovery,see Duration of Crippling Injuries,p. 422).

7 – You stumble. On an attack, youadvance one yard past your oppo-nent and end your turn facingaway from him; he is now behindyou! On a parry, you fall down; see 8.

8 – You fall down!9, 10, 11 – You lose your balance. You

can do nothing else (not even a freeaction) until your next turn, and allyour active defenses are at -2 untilthen.

12 – You trip. Make a DX roll to avoidfalling down. Roll at DX-4 if kick-ing, or at twice the usual DX penal-ty for a technique that requires aDX roll to avoid mishap even on anormal failure (e.g., DX-8 for aJump Kick).

13 – You drop your guard. All youractive defenses are at -2 for thenext turn, and any Evaluate bonusor Feint penalty against you untilyour next turn counts double! Thisis obvious to nearby opponents.

14 – You stumble; see 7.15 – You tear a muscle. Take 1d-3 of

injury to the limb you used (to onelimb, if you used two), or to yourneck if biting, butting, etc. You areoff balance and at -1 to all attacksand defenses for the next turn. Youare at -3 to any action involvingthat limb (or to any action, if youinjure your neck!) until this dam-age heals. Reduce this penalty to -1if you have High Pain Threshold.

16 – You hit a solid object; see 5.17 – You strain a limb or pull a mus-

cle, as in 4. Exception: An IQ 3-5animal fails so miserably that itloses its nerve. It will turn and fleeon its next turn, if possible. Ifbacked into a corner, it will assumea surrender position (throat bared,belly exposed, etc.).

18 – You knock yourself out; see 3.

Fighters that cannot fall down (e.g.,snakes, and anyone already on theground): Treat any “fall down” resultas 1d-3 of general injury instead.Details are up to the GM – perhapsyour opponent steps on you!

Fliers and swimmers: Treat any “falldown” result as being forced into anawkward flying or swimming positionwith the same effective results (-4 toattack, -3 to defend).

TABLES 557

Use the table below to determine the HP of nonliv-ing artifacts.

Weight: The artifact’s weight. If this falls betweentwo values, use the lower of the two.

Unliving/Machine: The HP of an Unliving object ofthis weight. This includes anything with complex ormoving parts; e.g., electronics, firearms, powered vehi-cles, robots, and most other machines.

Homogenous/Diffuse: The HP of a Homogenous orDiffuse object of this weight. This includes anythingthat lacks a complex internal structure; e.g., fabric(cloaks, drapes, etc.), furniture, and muscle-poweredmelee weapons.

If you have a choice between extramakeup or extra weapons, always takethe weapons.

– Laurell K. Hamilton

HP AND DR OFOBJECTS AND COVER

Optionally, calculate HP as 4 ¥ (cube rootof empty weight in lbs.) for Unliving objectsand 8 ¥ (cube root of empty weight in lbs.) forHomogenous or Diffuse ones. Round up inboth cases. The GM may alter HP for unusu-ally frail or tough objects.

HP AND DR OF STRUCTURES

The table below gives DR and HP for somecommon objects. All of these structures areHomogenous (see Injury to Unliving,Homogenous, and Diffuse Targets, p. 380). Forthe effects of damage, see Damage to Buildingsand Structures (p. 484). Assume a structure ingood repair has HT 12, should this becomeimportant (e.g., when rolling to see if a ropesnaps under stress).

DR: The structure’s Damage Resistance.HP: The structure’s Hit Points. Optionally,

this can be calculated for buildings: HP = 100¥ (cube root of building’s empty weight intons), and typical weights per 1,000 squarefeet (sf) of area are 50 tons for wood frame ormud brick, 100 tons for steel frame or brick,and 150 tons for stone.

Notes: “No Crushing” indicates a structureso resilient that crushing damage cannotdestroy it. Structures marked “Combustible”or “Brittle” are Fragile (p. 136).

558 TABLES

Object Hit Points TableWeight Unliving/ Homogenous/

Machine Diffuse1/64 lb. 1 HP 2 HP1/8 lb. 2 HP 4 HP1/2 lb. 3 HP 6 HP1 lb. 4 HP 8 HP2 lbs. 5 HP 10 HP3 lbs. 6 HP 12 HP5 lbs. 7 HP 14 HP8 lbs. 8 HP 16 HP11 lbs. 9 HP 18 HP16 lbs. 10 HP 20 HP27 lbs. 12 HP 24 HP43 lbs. 14 HP 28 HP64 lbs. 16 HP 32 HP91 lbs. 18 HP 36 HP125 lbs. 20 HP 40 HP216 lbs. 24 HP 48 HP343 lbs. 28 HP 56 HP512 lbs. 32 HP 64 HP729 lbs. 36 HP 72 HP1,000 lbs. 40 HP 80 HP

Structural Damage TableObject DR HP Notes

Ropes and CablesRope, light (3/8” diameter) 1 2 Combustible;

No CrushingRope, heavy (3/4” diameter) 2 3 Combustible;

No CrushingSteel cable (1/4” diameter) 14 22 No CrushingSteel cable (1/2” diameter) 28 28 No CrushingSteel cable (1” diameter) 56 36 No Crushing

Bars, Poles, Logs, and TreesBronze/iron bar (1/2” diameter) 6 12Bronze/iron bar (1” diameter) 12 23Bronze/iron bar (2” diameter) 24 46Steel bar (1/2” diameter) 11 22Steel bar (1” diameter) 22 44Steel bar (2” diameter) 44 88Wood (1” thick) 1* 14 CombustibleWood (2” thick) 2* 18 CombustibleWood (4” thick) 4* 23 CombustibleWood (8” thick) 8* 30 CombustibleWood (16” thick) 16* 37 Combustible

Doors and Walls (per 1-hex or 10-square-foot area)Brick Wall (3” thick) 8* 54Brick Wall (6” thick) 16* 67Brick Wall (9” thick) 24* 77Brick Wall (18” thick) 48* 97Concrete, reinforced (8” thick) 96* 80Concrete, reinforced (2’ thick) 288* 115Concrete, reinforced (5’ thick) 720* 156Glass, plate (1/5” thick) 1 3 BrittleIron/bronze (1/4” thick) 12 36Iron (1/2” thick) 25 46Iron (1” thick) 50 58Steel, mild (1/8” thick) 7 30Steel, mild (1/4” thick) 14 38Steel, mild (1/2” thick) 28 47Steel, mild (1” thick) 56 60Steel, mild (2” thick) 112 75Stone wall (1’ thick) 156* 94Stone wall (3’ thick) 468* 135Stone wall (8’ thick) 1,250* 188Wallboard (1/2” thick) 1* 18 CombustibleWood (1” thick) 1* 23 CombustibleWood (2” thick) 2* 29 CombustibleWood (3” thick) 3* 33 CombustibleWood (6” thick) 6* 42 CombustibleWood (12” thick) 12* 54 Combustible

BuildingsFarmhouse (1,000 sf) 2* 370 CombustibleMansion or manor (10,000 sf) 6* 1,000 CombustibleModern House (2,000 sf) 6* 580 CombustiblePillbox (10’-thick concrete) 1,440* 460Skyscraper (50-story, 500,000 sf) 10 3,700 CombustibleStone Keep (5’-thick walls) 780* 1,200

* Repeated impaling, piercing, and largepiercing attacks against the same small spot(an area with SM 0 or less) lower DR at thatspecific point as if it were semi-ablative;repeated burning, corrosion, crushing, cutting,or huge piercing attacks at that same spotreduce DR at that point as if it were ablative.DR never falls below 1 for wood or 3 for brick,concrete, or stone. For rules governing semi-ablative and ablative DR, see the DamageResistance advantage (p. 46).

COVER DRThe following table gives the DR per inch

of thickness that common materials afford ascover. This isn’t always identical to an object’sown DR! For details, see Cover (p. 407).

TABLES 559

Cover DR TableMaterial DR/Inch NotesAluminum 20-30Brick 5-8*Concrete 6-9*Concrete, reinforced 10-12*Glass, window 5-8 BrittleGlass, bullet resistant 10-20 BrittleIron 40-60Sandbags 3Steel, mild 50-60Steel, hard 60-70Stone 8-13*Wood 0.5-1* Combustible

* Repeated damage to a small area lowers DR, as explained under theStructural Damage Table.

NPC REACTIONSWhen the PCs meet an NPC whose

reaction to them is not predeter-mined, the GM can opt to make a“reaction roll” on 3d. The higher theroll, the better the reaction. The GM

then follows the guidelines on theReaction Table, below. For more infor-mation, see Reaction Rolls (p. 494).

Many factors can influence a reac-tion roll. A reaction bonus is any factor

that makes NPCs friendlier, while areaction penalty is something that bias-es NPCs against the PCs. Some com-mon modifiers:

• Personal appearance and behav-ior: Especially true for the PC whodoes the talking! Above-averageappearance, Charisma, FashionSense, Pitiable, and Voice all give abonus; so does high apparent Status,

in most situations. Below-averageappearance and numerous disadvan-tages give a penalty.

• Skills: A successful roll against anappropriate skill (Administration todeal with bureaucrats, Carousing

when partying, etc.) can give +2 toreactions. A few skills (e.g., Diplomacyand Fast-Talk) give an automatic +2 toreactions at skill 20+.

• Racial or national biases: Theseare usually penalties, and take the

560 TABLES

Roll 3d and apply the modifiersdescribed above.

0 or less: DisastrousGeneral reaction: The NPC hates

the PCs and acts in their worstinterest.

In a potential combat situation,the NPCs attack viciously, askingno quarter and giving none.

Commercial transactions aredoomed: The merchant has noth-ing to do with the PCs. Make a“potential combat” roll at -2.

Requests for aid are deniedtotally. Make a “potential combat”roll at -4. If combat is called for butnot possible, the NPC worksagainst the PCs in any way possi-ble.

Requests for information aremet with anger. Make a “potentialcombat” roll at -2.

Loyalty: The NPC hates the PCsor is in the pay of their enemies,and takes the first good chance tobetray them.

1 to 3: Very BadGeneral reaction: The NPC dis-

likes the PCs and acts against themif it’s convenient to do so.

In a potential combat situation,the NPCs attack, and flee only ifthey see they have no chance. (Afight in progress continues.)

Commercial transactions arenext to impossible. The merchantasks three times the fair price, oroffers 1/3 the fair price.

Requests for aid are denied.Make a “potential combat” roll; noreaction better than “Neutral” ispossible.

Requests for information aremet with malicious lies.

Loyalty: The NPC dislikes thePCs, and will leave their service

(probably taking everything he cancarry) or sell them out as soon aspossible.

4 to 6: BadGeneral reaction: The NPC cares

nothing for the PCs and actsagainst them if he can profit bydoing so.

In a potential combat situation,the NPCs attack unless outnum-bered. If they are outnumberedthey flee, possibly to attempt anambush later. (A fight in progresscontinues.)

Commercial transactions gobadly. The merchant asks twice thefair price, or offers half the fairprice.

Requests for aid are denied. TheNPCs go about their business,ignoring the PCs.

Requests for information aredenied. NPCs lie maliciously ordemand payment for information.If paid, the NPC gives true, butincomplete, information.

Loyalty: The NPC has no respectfor the PCs. He leaves or betraysthem given even moderate tempta-tion, and is a sluggish worker.

7 to 9: PoorGeneral reaction: The NPC is

unimpressed. He may become hos-tile if there is much profit in it, orlittle danger.

In a potential combat situation,the NPCs shout threats or insults.They demand that the PCs leavethe area. If the PCs stick around,the NPCs attack unless outnum-bered, in which case they flee. (Afight in progress continues.)

Commercial transactions areunprofitable. The merchant asks120% of the fair price, or offers75% of the fair price.

Requests for aid are denied, butbribes, pleas, or threats mightwork. The PCs may roll again, at-2.

Requests for information areunproductive. The NPCs claim notto know, or give incomplete data. Abribe may improve their memory;roll again if a bribe is offered.

Loyalty: The NPC is unim-pressed with the PCs or dislikes thejob; he thinks he’s overworked andunderpaid. He’ll probably betraythem if offered enough, and wouldcertainly take a “better” job if hethought he had one.

10 to 12: NeutralGeneral reaction: The NPC

ignores the PCs as much as possi-ble. He is totally uninterested.

In a potential combat situation,the NPCs are inclined to go theirown way and let the PCs go theirs.(If a fight is in progress, the NPCstry to back off.)

Commercial transactions goroutinely. The merchant buys andsells at fair prices.

Requests for aid are granted – ifthey are simple. Complex requestsare denied, but the PCs can tryagain at -2.

Requests for information aresuccessful. The NPC gives theinformation requested if it is sim-ple. If the question is complex, theanswer is sketchy.

Loyalty: The NPC views the PCsas “just another boss,” and this isjust another job. He works hardenough to keep them happy, but noharder. He does not leave unless heis sure the new job is better, anddoes not betray them unless thetemptation is very strong.

Continued on next page . . .

REACTION TABLE

form of a Social Stigma disadvantagefor the PC or an Intolerance disadvan-tage on the part of the NPC.

• Appropriate behavior by the play-ers: A good approach should be worth+1 or more! A wholly inappropriateapproach should give the party -1 or -2.

Remember that reaction rolls aremeant to flesh out a situation, NOT tocontrol it! In general, the GM shouldreserve them for incidental encoun-ters, unplanned situations, etc. Heshould decide in advance how heintends to play the NPCs in vitalencounters . . . but he can still pretendto roll, so that the players won’t knowfor sure what is going on!

General ReactionsMake this roll to see, in general,

how any NPC feels about the PCs.When nothing else seems appropriate,make a general reaction roll and wingit! The GM can use any modifiers hethinks appropriate, especially thosefor personal appearance.

Potential Combat Situations (and Morale Checks)

Roll in any encounter where com-bat is possible but not certain. For afoe in a pitched battle, no roll is nec-essary. For a group of armed strangerson a wilderness trail, a reaction roll is

appropriate unless the GM has prede-termined their actions.

When NPCs are losing a fight, theGM can make a combat reaction rollduring the fight as a “morale check.” A“Good” or higher reaction indicatesflight or surrender, as appropriate –not sudden friendship.

Special Modifiers for Combat Reactions

+1 to +5 if the PCs seem notablystronger than the NPCs.

-1 to -5 if the PCs seem notablyweaker than the NPCs.

-2 if the PCs have no language incommon with the NPCs.

-2 if the PCs are intruders on theNPCs’ home turf.

TABLES 561

13 to 15: GoodGeneral reaction: The NPC likes

the PCs and is helpful within rea-sonable, everyday limits.

In a potential combat situation,the NPCs find the PCs likeable, orelse too formidable to attack. ThePCs may request aid or informa-tion; roll again at +1. (If a fight is inprogress, the NPCs flee.)

Commercial transactions gopleasantly. The merchant buys andsells at fair prices, and volunteersuseful information or small bits ofhelp if possible.

Requests for aid are granted ifthe request is reasonable. TheNPCs’ attitude is helpful. Even ifthe request is silly and must bedenied, they offer helpful advice.

Requests for information aresuccessful. The question isanswered accurately.

Loyalty: The NPC likes the PCsor the job. He is loyal, works hard,and accepts any reasonable hazardthat the PCs accept.

16 to 18: Very GoodGeneral reaction: The NPC

thinks highly of the PCs and isquite helpful and friendly.

In a potential combat situation,the NPCs are friendly. The PCs mayask for aid or information (rollagain at +3). Even sworn foes findan excuse to let the PCs go . . . fornow. (If a fight is in progress, theNPCs flee if they can, or surrenderotherwise.)

Commercial transactions govery well. The merchant acceptsthe PCs’ offer unless they tried tobuy below 80% of the fair price orsell above 150% of the fair price. Inthat case, he offers those rates. Healso offers help and advice.

Requests for aid are grantedunless they are totally unreason-able. Any useful information NPCshave is volunteered freely.

Requests for information aresuccessful. The NPC answers indetail and volunteers any relatedinformation he has.

Loyalty: The NPC works veryhard, and risks his life if need be.Under most circumstances, heputs the PCs’ interests ahead of hisown.

19 or better: ExcellentGeneral reaction: The NPC is

extremely impressed by the PCs,and acts in their best interests at all

times, within the limits of his ownability.

In a potential combat situation,the NPCs are extremely friendly.They may even join the party tem-porarily. The PCs may ask for aidor information; roll again at +5. (Ifa fight is in progress, the NPCs sur-render.)

Commercial transactions goextremely well. The merchantaccepts the PCs’ offer unless theytried to buy below 50% of fair priceor sell above 200% of fair price. Inthat case, he offers those rates. Healso offers help and advice.

Requests for aid are granted.NPCs help in every way withintheir power, offering extra aid.

Requests for information areextremely successful. The questionis answered completely. If the NPCdoesn’t know everything the PCsneed, he exerts himself to find out.He may even offer to help: roll arequest for aid at +2, with no reac-tion worse than “Poor” possible.

Loyalty: The NPC worships thePCs or their cause, works incredi-bly hard, puts the PCs’ interestsahead of his own at all times, andwould even die for them.

REACTION TABLE (CONT’D)

CommercialTransactions

Roll when the PCs try to buy or sellgoods, find a job, or hire someone. Ifno bargaining is involved, no roll isnecessary – unless there is a chancethat the merchant won’t deal with thePCs at all.

As used below, “fair price” meansthe normal price, at that particulartime and place, for the goods or serv-ices in question. The PCs can try to geta better price, at a -1 penalty for every10% difference. Likewise, offeringmore than the fair price, or asking less than the fair price, will give a +1bonus for every 10% difference.

If the players varytheir offer, determinethe NPC’s counterofferbased on the proposedprice instead of thefair price, if that is lessfavorable to the PCs.Example: If they ask120% of the fair priceand get a “Bad” reac-tion, the NPC willoffer half of that, or50%.

Bargaining neverreduces the pricebelow 50% of “fair”unless the NPC hasan ulterior motive!

Special Modifiers for Transactions

-1 per 10% by which proposedprice favors the PC, relative to the fairprice.

+1 per 10% by which proposedprice favors the NPC.

+1 if the PC has Merchant skill atany level.

+2 if the PC has Merchant skill atlevel 20+.

Requests for AidRoll when the PCs ask for any sort

of help. (If appropriate, make a roll fora “potential combat situation” first!)Examples include an interview with abureaucrat; an attempt to get a news-paper editor or police captain to listento your story about the mad scientist’splot; or just a cry for help to thebystanders watching you get mugged!

Special Modifiers for Request for Aid

+1 if the request is very simple.-1 to -3 (or more) if the request is

very complex or unreasonable.-1 if the request would inconven-

ience the NPC or cost him money.-2 or more if the request would

endanger the NPC’s job or social status.

-1 or more if the request wouldphysically endanger the NPC. Thisdepends on the degree of the risk andthe bravery of the NPC!

Requestsfor Information

Roll when the PCs ask NPCs fordirections or advice, “Have you seenthis man?,” etc. Note: If the NPC is aprofessional information dealer, rollfor a commercial transaction instead.If the PCs are interrogating the NPC,they must use the Interrogation skill.

Remember that no NPC can tellmore than he knows. Sometimes anNPC will tell the truth as he knows it. . . but be terribly mistaken! And cer-tain NPCs may pretend to know morethan they do, in order to earn moneyor impress the PCs.

If there is a question as to whethera given NPC (or PC, for that matter)knows some specific fact, roll againsthis IQ or an appropriate skill.

Special Modifiers forInformation Requests

-1 for a complex question; -2 for avery complex question.

-3 if the NPC thinks it’s none of thePCs’ business!

-3 or more if an answer wouldendanger the NPC.

+1 to +4 if the PCs offer a bribe. Tobe effective, a bribe must be appropri-

ate in size; use the Money Talks rulefor Contacts (p. 44), reading thebonus as a reaction modifier. Itmust also be discreet. Not everyonewill take a cash payoff. You don’toffer a newspaper reporter a $50bill – he would be insulted – butbuy him a good dinner and he’llappreciate it.

+2 to +4 if the NPC is a librar-ian, historian, scribe, teacher, etc.

Most such people are naturallydisposed to help any seeker ofknowledge.

LoyaltyWhen the PCs hire someone, the

GM should determine his loyalty.This determines only the NPC’sattitude – not his competence. Ifthe NPC is important, the GM

should predetermine both his skillsand his general attitude. Otherwise,a random roll is fine.

When the PCs take service with anemployer, the GM should also deter-mine (randomly or otherwise) howthe employer feels about them.

Loyalty reactions are known to theGM, but not to the players (unless theysuccessfully use Empathy). The GMshould record each NPC’s loyaltysecretly, and let it guide him in deter-mining all that NPC’s later behavior.Note that loyalty can change; seeChanges in Loyalty (p. 519).

Special Modifiers for Loyalty+1 per 10% the PCs offer above the

going pay rate.-1 per 10% the PCs offer below the

going pay rate.+2 or more if the PCs are serving a

cause that the NPC believes in, or aleader to whom the NPC is very loyal.

+ or - as appropriate for the PCs’reputation in the area (if any).

562 TABLES

Experienced gamers will recognizesome of these terms – but GURPS usesseveral of them differently, and also coinsa few of its own. See also Glossary ofMagical Terms (p. 234), Glossary of PsiTerminology (p. 254), and Glossary ofArms and Armor (p. 268).

active defense: An active attempt toavoid an attack: a block, dodge, orparry. See p. 374.

advantage: A useful trait that gives youan “edge” over another person withcomparable attributes and skills. SeeChapter 2.

adventure: The basic “unit” of play in aroleplaying game, representing a sin-gle mission or plot. It might requireseveral sessions of play, or just oneplay session. See p. 500.

Adversary: An “assistant GM” who plays“enemy” non-player characters. TheAdversary knows only as much aboutthe game world and the player char-acters as the GM tells him. See p. 493.

affliction: A debilitating or incapacitat-ing condition (choking, paralysis,unconsciousness, etc.), most oftencaused by a non-damaging attack.See p. 428.

armor divisor: A rating of an attack’sarmor-defeating power, given inparentheses after its damage dice.Divide Damage Resistance by thisnumber before you subtract it frombasic damage to find penetratingdamage. See p. 378.

Associated NPC: A non-player characterlinked to a player character by anadvantage (Ally or Patron) or disad-vantage (Dependent or Enemy). Seep. 31.

attack roll: A success roll against a com-bat skill to see if you can hit your tar-get. See p. 369.

attributes: The most basic traits thatdescribe a character: Strength (ST),Dexterity (DX), Intelligence (IQ), andHealth (HT). For all four, the humannorm is a score of 10, and higher isbetter! See p. 14.

base skill: Your actual learned level in askill – the number recorded on yourcharacter sheet – before any modi-fiers. See p. 171.

basic damage: The result of a damageroll, before accounting for the target’sDamage Resistance. See p. 378.

Basic Lift (BL): The weight you can pickup in one hand in one second in com-bat. All carrying, lifting, and throwingcapacities are multiples of Basic Lift.See p. 15.

Basic Move: A secondary characteristic,computed from Basic Speed, whichrates ground speed (in yards per sec-ond) without encumbrance. Seep. 17.

Basic Speed: A secondary characteris-tic, computed from HT and DX,which measures reflexes. See p. 17.

BL: See Basic Lift.block: The active defense of interposing

your shield or cloak to stop an attack.See p. 375.

bonus points: Character points awardedby the GM as a reward for good role-playing or for advancing the mission.You can use these to add or improvebeneficial traits, or to buy off disad-vantages. See p. 498.

build: Your height and weight, alongwith associated traits such as SizeModifier. See p. 18.

buy off: To spend bonus points to get ridof a disadvantage. See p. 121.

campaign: A continuing series of adven-tures. A campaign will usually have acontinuing cast of player characters,and the same GM (or team of GMs).It may move from one game world toanother, with a logical reason. Seep. 504.

character: Any being – person, animal,robot, etc. – played by the GM, theAdversary, or a player. See Chapter 1.

character points: The unit of “currency”spent to buy traits for a character. Themore points you have, the more capa-ble you are. Point costs often appearin brackets; e.g., “Combat Reflexes[15]” means Combat Reflexes costs15 points. See p. 10.

character sheet: A written description(possibly including a picture) of acharacter, including a complete list ofhis traits and their point costs. Seep. 13.

character story: The fictional life histo-ry of a character, invented by the per-son playing that character. See p. 11.

character template: A list of traits theGM feels a character should have tofill a specific role in the campaign.This is a “quick reference,” not a strictrequirement. See p. 258.

cinematic: A style of play where theneeds of the story always outweighthose of realism, even when thiswould produce improbable results.See p. 488.

close combat: Combat between fightersless than one yard apart. See p. 391.

comprehension level: A measure ofyour command of a language. Yourspoken ability (fluency) and writtenability (literacy) may differ. See p. 24.

Contest: A competition between twocharacters in which each tries tomake his success roll, to see who getsthe better of the other. See p. 348.

Control Rating (CR): A general measureof governmental control in a society:the higher the CR, the more restric-tive the society. See p. 506.

controlling attribute: The attributemost closely associated with a skill,used to calculate your base skill level.See p. 167.

CR: See Control Rating.critical failure: A skill roll missed so

badly that something disastrous hap-pens to the character who tried theroll. See p. 348.

critical hit: A blow so well struck thatthe foe does not get to make a defenseroll. It may also do special and unusu-al damage. See p. 381.

critical miss: An attack that fails sobadly that the attacker is hurt, dropshis weapon, etc. See p. 382.

critical success: A skill roll that suc-ceeds so well that the character hasan extra or unusual degree of success.See p. 347.

d: Short for “dice,” which are alwaysordinary six-sided dice. “3d” means“roll three dice and add them up.” Seep. 9.

Damage Resistance (DR): The protec-tion against damage afforded by skin,armor, force fields, etc. When anattack hits a target, subtract the tar-get’s DR from the damage roll. Seep. 46.

damage roll: A die roll made to see howmuch damage you do when you hitwith your weapon. Damage is meas-ured in “dice plus adds.” For a “3d+2”weapon, roll 3 dice and add 2 to thetotal. Higher is better (for the attack-er!). See p. 378.

GLOSSARY 563

GLOSSARY

damage type: The kind of injury aweapon causes, which determines itswounding modifier. See p. 269.

default: Your level with a skill on whichyou have spent no points. This is usu-ally equal to one of your four attrib-utes or another skill, minus a signifi-cant penalty. See p. 173.

Defense Bonus: A bonus to all defenserolls. The most common DefenseBonus is that for carrying a shield.See p. 374.

defense roll: A die roll made after yourfoe’s attack roll succeeds, to see if youcan use an active defense to avoidbeing hit. See p. 374.

Dexterity (DX): A measure of a charac-ter’s agility and coordination. Seep. 15.

disadvantage: A problem that rendersyou less capable than your othertraits would suggest. See Chapter 3.

disadvantage limit: The maximumnumber of extra character points youcan claim from all traits with negativepoint costs. The GM sets this value, ifhe wishes. See p. 11.

dodge: The active defense of ducking orevading an attack. See p. 374.

DR: See Damage Resistance.DX: See Dexterity.earned points: Same as bonus points.effective skill: Your base skill plus or

minus any modifiers for the task athand. See p. 171.

encounter: One “scene” of an adventure,usually a meeting between the PCsand one or more NPCs. See p. 502.

encumbrance: The weight of all objectsyou are carrying. The greater yourencumbrance, the slower your move-ment will be. See p. 17.

enhancement: An extra capabilityadded to a trait. This increases thepoint cost of the trait by a percentage.See p. 102.

extra effort: Pushing your physical abil-ities beyond their usual limits byspending FP. See p. 356.

Fatigue Points (FP): A secondary char-acteristic, computed from HT, whichmeasures resistance to exhaustion.Strenuous activity and the use ofsome special abilities “cost” FP tem-porarily. See p. 16.

feature: A trait (usually racial) that canaffect game play but that costs 0points. See p. 260.

FP: See Fatigue Points.Fright Check: A Will roll made to see

how you react in a frightening situa-tion. See p. 360.

Game Master (GM): The referee, whochooses the adventure, talks the players through it, judges the results,and gives out bonus points. SeeChapter 18.

game time: Time that passes in the gameworld. See p. 497.

game world: A background for play; asetting. “World” might mean “planet,”but it could also refer to a region andhistorical period . . . or an entire uni-verse. See Chapter 19.

GM: See Game Master.Health (HT): A measure of a character’s

energy and vitality. See p. 15.hex: A hexagonal space on a game map.

Different maps have different scales.A hex on a combat map is one yardacross. See p. 384.

Hit Points (HP): A secondary character-istic, computed from ST, which ratesa character’s ability to absorb punish-ment. Physical threats such as acci-dents, attacks, and hazards can tem-porarily deplete HP. See p. 16.

HP: See Hit Points.HT: See Health.Influence roll: A Contest of skill against

Will made to see if a character isaffected by an Influence skill.Reaction modifiers always apply toInfluence rolls. See p. 359.

Influence skill: A skill used to influenceothers: Diplomacy, Fast-Talk,Intimidation, Savoir-Faire, SexAppeal, or Streetwise. See p. 494.

injury: Temporary Hit Point loss due toan attack, found by subtracting thetarget’s Damage Resistance from theattack’s basic damage and modifyingthe resulting penetrating damage fordamage type. See p. 419.

Intelligence (IQ): A broad measure of acharacter’s brainpower. See p. 15.

IQ: See Intelligence.job roll: A monthly success roll made to

determine your performance at a job.See p. 516.

LC: See Legality Class.Legality Class (LC): A statistic that rates

society’s willingness to allow easyaccess to a piece of equipment. Thelower an item’s LC, the more likely itis controlled or illegal. See p. 267.

life history: Same as character story.limitation: A restriction on the use of a

trait. This reduces the point cost ofthe trait by a percentage. See p. 110.

major wound: A single injury equal tohalf the target’s HP or more. Seep. 420.

maneuver: An action you may chooseon your turn in combat, such asAttack, Change Posture, or Feint. Seep. 363.

margin of failure: The amount bywhich you overshoot your effectiveskill on a failed success roll. Seep. 347.

margin of success: The amount bywhich you beat your effective skill ona successful success roll. See p. 347.

margin of victory: A numerical compar-ison of the winner’s margin of successor failure to the loser’s in a Contest.See p. 348.

melee combat: Combat with meleeweapons (axes, swords, etc.) or barehands. See p. 369.

melee weapon: A (usually) muscle-pow-ered weapon held in the hand andused to strike the foe directly; e.g., anaxe. The opposite of ranged weapon.See p. 271.

mental trait: A trait associated withyour mind, and that will come withyou should you move to a new body.See p. 32.

meta-trait: A single trait that is actuallyshorthand for a collection of traitsthat represent one simple concept.Example: Machine. See p. 262.

modifier: 1. A number added to or sub-tracted from the target number of asuccess roll – or the actual die roll, fora reaction roll – in order to allow fora specific situation. See p. 344. 2. Anenhancement or a limitation. Seep. 101.

Move: Movement speed in yards per sec-ond. Find ground Move by modifyingBasic Move for your encumbrancelevel. See p. 17.

nonplayer character (NPC): Any char-acter played by the GM or theAdversary. See p. 493.

NPC: See nonplayer character.parry: The active defense of using a hand

or a weapon to ward off an attack.See p. 376.

party: A group of PCs taking part in thesame adventure. See p. 8.

PC: See player character.penetrating damage: The amount by

which an attack’s damage roll exceedsthe target’s Damage Resistance. Findthis by subtracting the target’s DRfrom basic damage. If DR is greaterthan the damage roll, penetratingdamage is 0. See p. 379.

Perception (Per): A secondary charac-teristic, computed from IQ, whichrates general alertness. See p. 16.

perk: A 1-point advantage. See p. 100.physical trait: A trait associated with

your body, and that you will leavebehind if you switch bodies. Seep. 32.

player: A gamer who plays the role of acharacter participating in adventuresrefereed by the Game Master (GM).See p. 7.

player character (PC): A character cre-ated and played by one of the players.See p. 7.

points: See character points.posture: Your bodily profile in combat:

standing, crouching, kneeling, sitting,prone, or lying down. See p. 364.

564 GLOSSARY

power level: The average point total ofthe PCs in a campaign. See p. 487.

prerequisite: A trait you must have inorder to buy some other trait. If theprerequisite is a skill, you must haveat least one point in it. See p. 169.

quirk: A -1-point trait taken to flesh outa character. It is not necessarily a dis-advantage. See p. 162.

racial template: A package of traits thatall characters of a given race mustpurchase. See p. 260.

ranged weapon: A thrown or missileweapon; a weapon used at a distance.See p. 372.

reaction modifier: A penalty or bonusto reaction rolls. A bonus means youare especially likeable; a penaltymeans you are disreputable, obnox-ious, unattractive, etc. See p. 494.

reaction roll: A die roll made by the GMto determine an NPC’s reaction to arequest or proposal made by the PCs.Higher is better. See p. 494.

real time: The time that passes in thereal world, as opposed to game time.See p. 497.

relative skill level: The differencebetween the base skill level and con-trolling attribute for a skill. For exam-ple, if you had DX 12 and a DX-basedskill at 14, your relative skill levelwould be +2. See p. 171.

repeated attempt: The second or laterattempt at a success roll, after a failedinitial attempt. Often subject to spe-cial penalties. See p. 348.

resistance roll: A Contest of skill againstWill or HT, made to see if a characteris affected by a supernatural abilitysuch as magical mind control. Seep. 241.

roleplaying game: A game in whichplayers take on the personalities ofimaginary individuals, or characters,in a fictional or historical setting, andtry to act as those characters would.See p. 7.

sapient: Capable of possessingLanguages and learning technologi-cal skills. This requires IQ 6+. Seep. 15.

scenario: Same as adventure.score: The numerical value of an attrib-

ute, secondary characteristic, or skill.secondary characteristics: Several sta-

tistics determined from basic attrib-utes: Damage (Dmg), Basic Lift (BL),Hit Points (HP), Will, Perception(Per), Fatigue Points (FP), BasicSpeed, and Basic Move. See p. 15.

self-control roll: A roll to resist one ofyour mental disadvantages. Rollagainst the self-control number of thedisadvantage. Lower is better. Seep. 120.

self-imposed mental disadvantage: Amental disadvantage that comes froma belief or an honor code as opposedto a mental defect. See p. 121.

Sense roll: A success roll againstPerception, made to see whether younotice something with one of yoursenses. See p. 358.

setting: Same as game world.Size Modifier (SM): A numerical index

of size, used as a modifier to rolls tosee you or to hit you in combat,among other things. See p. 19.

skill: A number defining your trainedability in one specific area of knowl-edge or narrow class of tasks. SeeChapter 4.

SM: See Size Modifier.social trait: A trait associated with your

identity. Identity might be primarilyphysical or mental, depending on thesetting. See p. 32.

sourcebook: A game supplement thatcontains information that is not asso-ciated with any particular setting; forinstance, a catalog of statistics foranimals, vehicles, or weapons, or acollection of additional rules formagic, psionics, or martial arts.

specialty: A narrow focus within a skill.Some skills require you to pick a spe-cialty; others leave this optional. Seep. 169.

ST: See Strength.starting points: The number of charac-

ter points the GM gives the players tobuild their characters with at the startof the campaign. See p. 10.

starting wealth: The amount of discre-tionary cash a PC has available at thestart of the campaign. See p. 26.

statistics: The numerical values thatdescribe a character, piece of equip-ment, etc., taken collectively. Oftencalled “stats.”

step: A small amount of movement (1yard, for most humans) allowed aspart of a combat maneuver. It cancome before or after the action por-tion of the maneuver. See p. 368.

Strength (ST): A measure of a charac-ter’s physical muscle and bulk. Seep. 14.

stun: The result of an enemy blow, sur-prise, or a failed Fright Check. Astunned character defends at -4, andcannot initiate any action until herecovers. See p. 420.

success roll: A die roll (on 3 six-sideddice) made whenever a characterattempts to do something, to deter-mine whether he succeeds. Lower isbetter. See Chapter 10.

super: A comic-book style hero or villainwith superhuman powers.

supplement: Anything designed to addto the basic GURPS rules. The most

common types are sourcebooks andworldbooks. See p. 566.

tactical combat: Combat played outwith figures on a map. See Chapter12.

tech level: See technology level.technique: A trait that represents train-

ing at one specific task covered by askill. See p. 229.

technological skill: Any skill that has atech level (marked “/TL”) and thattakes a penalty when used with theequipment or ideas of a different techlevel. See p. 168.

Technology Level (TL): A number indi-cating a society’s technologicalsophistication: the higher the TL, themore advanced the society. Used todescribe characters, equipment, andskills native to that technological era.See p. 22.

template: A partially completed charac-ter sheet that contains all the traitsneeded to play a role (character tem-plate) or a member of a given race(racial template). See Chapter 7.

TL: See Technology Level.trait: A character “building block” that

affects game play and costs characterpoints to add, modify, or remove.Includes attributes, secondary char-acteristics, advantages, disadvan-tages, quirks, skills, and techniques.See p. 13.

turn: One second of combat action by aspecific character. It starts when hepicks a maneuver and ends when hepicks his next maneuver. It overlapsthe turns of other combatants, but itis not entirely simultaneous withthem. See p. 362.

wealth level: A description of a charac-ter’s financial situation. Positivewealth levels are an advantage, andincrease starting wealth; negativewealth levels are a disadvantage, andreduce starting wealth. See p. 25.

Will: A secondary characteristic, com-puted from IQ, which measuresresistance to fear, stress, social pres-sure, and supernatural powers. Seep. 16.

Will roll: A success roll against Will,made to determine whether a charac-ter has the “willpower” to do (or notdo) something. See p. 360.

worldbook: A game supplement thatgives a detailed background for a par-ticular game world, along with rulesfor the special situations, abilities,hazards, rewards, etc., found there.

wounding modifier: A conversion fac-tor between penetrating damage andactual injury. This depends on dam-age type, and also on the nature of thetarget. See p. 379.

GLOSSARY 565

566 LUDOGRAPHY

LUDOGRAPHYWith so many supplements already in

print for the first three editions of GURPS,there’s lots of support material available tojump-start your game. The following booksare still in print and easy to use withGURPS Fourth Edition. The descriptivematerial, of course, is usable as is. Rulesadaptation will be minor . . . e.g., recalculat-ing point totals and changing the names ofsome abilities.

SOURCEBOOKS“Sourcebook” supplements are not asso-

ciated with particular game worlds. Theyprovide support material that the GM canmix and match in almost any campaign.

Atomic Horror. B-movie “reality” of the1950s: commie spies, giant ants, and bug-eyed aliens.

Best Of Pyramid 1 and Best OfPyramid 2. Digests of selected GURPS arti-cles from SJ Games’ Pyramid magazine.

Cliffhangers. Two-fisted heroism in thespirit of 1920s and ’30s pulp fiction.

Cops. Police adventure of all kinds, fromno-nonsense procedurals to the excesses ofaction movies.

Covert Ops. Secret wars – whether theyinvolve commandos, criminals, spies, or ter-rorists.

Horror. Terrifying tales, supernaturalsuspense, and gory splatter.

Illuminati. How to run a conspiracycampaign: high weirdness, Men in Black,and Secret Masters.

Magic Items 1, Magic Items 2, andMagic Items 3. Treasuries of magical arti-facts.

Space. Adventures in space, from “hard”science fiction to “ray gun and cutlass”space opera.

Special Ops. Hard-core military actioninvolving elite troops.

Steampunk. Historical science fiction inthe spirit of Verne and Wells, with steam-powered difference engines and giant air-ships. The Screampunk supplement givesadvice on adding in horror elements. Steam-Tech is a catalog of steampunk gear; thegame stats will require some conversion, butthe ideas behind the items are usable as is.

Transhuman Space. Optimistic futurehistory where biotechnology, cybernetics,and nanotechnology redefine “human” andmake it possible to colonize the solar sys-tem. Ten supplements flesh out the setting;all but Personnel Files and Spacecraft ofthe Solar System should be usable inGURPS Fourth Edition with very littletrouble.

Warehouse 23. Warehouse of weirditems, from UFOs to the Spear of Destiny.

WORLDBOOKSA “worldbook” presents one particular

game world in detail. It gives extensiveadvice on how to run a campaign there, rec-ommends suitable characters, and includesrules for setting-specific abilities, artifacts,creatures, and so on.

Players of Infinite Worlds, GURPSFourth Edition’s official setting, will findthese books extremely valuable. The histori-cal worldbooks can be used as guides to“echo” timelines, and the others providemore-fantastic parallel worlds.

Age of Napoleon. The world, especiallyEurope, during the life and times ofNapoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821).

Alternate Earths and Alternate Earths2. Samplers of “what if” worlds, split offfrom Earth’s actual timeline. Highly recom-mended for Infinite Worlds games.

Arabian Nights. The Islamic MiddleEast of the seventh through 13th centuries.

Cabal. Horror-conspiracy setting inwhich the Earth – in fact, the entire universe– is controlled by a secret alliance of power-ful wizards and demigods.

Celtic Myth. Britain and Ireland, fromprehistory up to the fifth century, with spe-cial emphasis on folklore and myth.

Egypt. Ancient Egypt, from prehistory tothe end of the Ptolemaic Period (30 B.C.).

Goblins. Twisted, humorous version ofGeorgian England populated by deformed(and mostly insane) goblins.

Greece. The Heroic Age (1600 B.C.-1150B.C.) and Classical Age (800 B.C.-323 B.C.)of ancient Greece.

Imperial Rome. Rome during theRepublic (509 B.C.-28 B.C.) and Empire (27B.C.-476 A.D.).

In Nomine. Adaptation of SJ Games’ InNomine RPG. The PCs are angels anddemons involved in the struggle betweenHeaven and Hell.

IOU. Anything goes at IlluminatiUniversity, as long as it’s weird. The onlyentrance requirement is your sense ofhumor!

Mars. The planet Mars, in reality and asit appears in speculative fiction.

Middle Ages 1. England, 410-1485: theend of Roman rule to the death of RichardIII.

Old West. The 19th-century AmericanWest. Cowboys, Indians, frontiersmen, andthe Gold Rush.

Vikings. Scandinavia during the “VikingAge” of the eighth through 11th centuries.

WWII. A detailed and self-containedWorld War II game setting. Has several sup-plements which cover the nations, technolo-gy, and militaries of WWII; of special notefor Infinite Worlds games is Weird War II.

Y2K. An anthology of late 20th-centuryfatalism by noted GURPS authors.

LICENSESThese worldbooks are based on popular

books, films, or other games. They can beused for standalone GURPS campaigns, forInfinite Worlds crossovers, or as sourcematerial for fans of the original property.

Alpha Centauri. Adaptation of SidMeier’s Alpha Centauri, a computer gamefrom Electronic Arts Inc. “Transhuman” sci-ence fiction set on an alien world.

Blue Planet. Futuristic adventure on analien water world. Adapted from theFantasy Flight Games RPG.

Castle Falkenstein. A world of steam-punk and sorcery. Adapted from the R.Talsorian Games RPG. Supported by a sup-plement on the Near East, The OttomanEmpire. Easily usable with Infinite Worlds.

Discworld Roleplaying Game. Basedon the humorous fantasy of Terry Pratchett.Supported by Discworld Also.

Hellboy Sourcebook and RoleplayingGame. Based on Mike Mignola’s Hellboycomics. Defend the Earth from paranormalthreats and evil Nazis! Prime material for anInfinite Worlds game.

Traveller. The GURPS version of theclassic Game Designers’ Workshop RPG.Space adventure at its finest! There aredozens of supplements; see our website fora list. GURPS Traveller: The InterstellarWars will include GURPS Fourth Editionrules for the Traveller setting.

Lensman. Space opera on a galacticscale, set in the starkly astounding world ofE.E. “Doc” Smith’s Lensman novels.

Myth. High-powered fantasy in a worldof never-ending conflict. Adapted from theMyth and Myth II computer games, fromBungie Software Products Corporation.

New Sun. Dark fantasy . . . in a futuris-tic world. Based on the award-winning nov-els of Gene Wolfe.

Planet of Adventure. Based on theworks of Jack Vance. Classic science-fictionadventure on the planet Tschai.

Uplift. Far-future space adventure in theuniverse of David Brin’s Uplift series.

CAMPAIGN PLANNING FORM 567

CAMPAIGN PLANNING FORM GM: Date:

Campaign name: Starting year: Rate game time passes:

Genre: Realistic or cinematic? Are there multiple planes of existence?

General theme of campaign:

Campaign Background

Campaign’s base city, nation, empire, or planet: (Suggestion: provide a map.)

Society/government type: Control Rating: Exceptions to general CR:

Tech level: Exceptions to general TL:

Brief description of important neighboring powers, political/economic situation, etc.:

Suggested or required reading for players:

Information for PCs

Starting point value allowed for PCs: Disadvantage limit:

Especially useful/useless character types:

(Suggestion: provide character templates.)

Especially appropriate/inappropriate professions:

(Suggestion: provide job descriptions.)

PC races allowed: (Suggestion: provide racial templates.)

Starting wealth: Starting Wealth levels allowed:

Starting Status levels allowed: Starting TLs allowed:

Languages available:

Cultural Familiarities available:

Required advantages, disadvantages, and skills:

Especially appropriate or inappropriate advantages, disadvantages, and skills:

Appropriate Patrons (and base value):

Appropriate Enemies (and base value):

Special Abilities Allowed for PCs

• Exotic/supernatural traits:

• Cinematic skills:

• Are PC mages allowed? General mana level: Do areas of higher/lower mana exist?

Are any of the spells from Chapter 5 off limits?

• Are PC psis allowed? Are any of the powers from Chapter 6 off limits?

• Are PC gadgeteers allowed? Are there special limits on gadgeteering?

• Unusual Background cost(s) for these abilities:

• Legal or social restrictions on these abilities:

Other Notes

Book 1 optional rules or variants (advantages, disadvantages, skills, etc.):

Book 2 optional rules or variants (success rolls, combat, injury, etc.):

This form, those on the following pages, the Character Sheet, and other GURPS forms and support material may also be downloaded at www.sjgames.com/gurps/resources/.

568 GM CONTROL SHEET

GM CONTROLSHEET

Character Name and Player Reaction ST DX IQ HT Will Per Basic Speed Move DR HP Current HP+ or -

SPECIAL ABILITIES REQUIRED ROLLSCharacter Abilities Character Roll To Avoid

Nam

e: R

eaction +/-:Point Total:

Appearance:

Advantages, D

isadvantages, Quirks:

STH

P:D

XB

asic Dam

ageIQ

Thrust:H

TSw

ing:FP:

Skills:W

illPer

Basic Speed:

Move:

Encum

brance:D

odge:Parry:

Block:

Shield DB

Size Modifier

Weapon Statistics:

DR

HeadTorsoArmsHandsLegsFeet

Nam

e: R

eaction +/-:Point Total:

Appearance:

Advantages, D

isadvantages, Quirks:

STH

P:D

XB

asic Dam

ageIQ

Thrust:H

TSw

ing:FP:

Skills:W

illPer

Basic Speed:

Move:

Encum

brance:D

odge:Parry:

Block:

Shield DB

Size Modifier

Weapon Statistics:

DR

HeadTorsoArmsHandsLegsFeet

Dai Blackthorn

Short; Honest face

00

00

00

0, usually250

Absolute D

irection, Danger Sense,

Flexibility, Perfect Balance, Warp;

Overconfidence (12), Sense of D

uty; D

islikes deep water (quirk)

Acrobatics-15, Body Sense-16, Fast-D

raw(Knife)-15, Guns (Pistol)-15, Knife-17,Shortsword-15, Thrown W

eapon (Knife)-17

Fine Large Knife: 1d-3 cut/1d-2 imp

(thrown: 1d-2 imp, A

cc 0, Range 6/12, Bulk -2) H

oldout Pistol: 2d pi, Acc 1,

Range 125/1,500, RoF 3, Shots 5+1(3), Bulk -1, Rcl 3

8151212

10

1d-31d-2

1012

157.00

7N

one (0)10

10N

/AN

/A0

Time U

se SheetC

haracter Played by

Period of time covered

Time use:

Sleep: 56 hrs/week (+/-7 per level of E

xtra/Less Sleep) . . . . . . . . . . .

Meals, personal care, etc

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Job: tim

e spent depends on job (if unsure, assume 40 hrs)

. . . . . . .Travel (depends on adventure and situation) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .R

eligious observances, etc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .E

ntertainment

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Study of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .skill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Study of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .skill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Study of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .skill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Study of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .skill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Study of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .skill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Study of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .skill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Long Task:Long Task:Long Task:

TOTA

L: per week

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Autom

atic Cultural Fam

iliarity and Language study:If you are in a foreignland and interacting w

ith the locals in day-to-day life, you can claim an

automatic 4 hours per day tow

ard both the local Language and Cultural

Familiarity w

ith the local culture (see p. 23).H

ours of automatic C

ultural Familiarity study (4/day):

Hours of autom

atic Language study (4/day):

Autom

atic study on the job:If your job involves a skill (and most do)

you can count 1⁄4 of the time spent on the job as “study.” This tim

e may

be split between m

ultiple, job-related skills. H

ours of automatic job study (

1⁄4time spent at w

ork):

Study bonuses for magical intervention, m

echanical education, etc.:Skill:

Study equivalent (hours):Skill:



Study equivalent (hours):

Other notes:

* Every 2 hours of self-teaching, 1 hour of education, or 0.5 hour of

intensive training counts as 1 hour toward learning the skill.

Purchaser may copy this form

for personal use only.

20

******

168 hoursN

PC

Reco

rd C

ardTo m

ake it easy to keep track of N

PC

s, all necessary d

ata can b

e kept on

a 3” ¥ 5” card. A

box-

ful of foes is easy to u

se; you can

even u

se a pap

er clip to fasten

the ap

prop

riate Ca

rdb

oa

rdH

eroes

figure to each

card.

NPC RECORD CARD AND TIME USE SHEET 569

570 INDEX

This index covers both books of theBasic Set. The pages are sequentiallynumbered; Book 2 starts on p. 337.

With rare exceptions, traits (advan-tages, disadvantages, skills, spells, andso on) are not listed in this index.Instead, they have their own alpha-betical listings. See the Trait Lists onpp. 297-306.

Acceleration, see Gravity.Accents, 24.Acid, 428.Acrobatic dodge, 375.Active Defense Modifiers Table, 548.Active defenses, 326, 363, 374;

modifiers table, 548.Advantages, 32; always on, 34;

cinematic, 33; exotic, 32, 34; intemplates, 447; magic, 34; mental,32; mundane, 32; new, 117-118;learnable, 294; list, 297; physical, 34;potential, 33; Schrödinger’s, 33;secret, 33; social, 32; switchable, 34.

Adventures, e23, 494; finale, 503; pre-packaged, 495; writing your own, 500-504.

Adversary, 493.Afflictions, 35, 416, 428.Age, 20.Aging, 53, 66, 95, 153, 154, 444.Aim maneuver, 58, 324, 364.Aimed fire, 372.Air spells, 242.Aircraft, 466; table, 465.Alcohol, 122, 439-440.Alien artifacts, 478.Allies, 36; ally groups, 37.All-Out Attack maneuver, 54, 324, 365,

385; after being grappled, 371.All-Out Defense maneuver, 324, 366,

385.Ally groups, 37.Alternate worlds, 64, 160; travel, 189,

190; Centrum, 541-542, 545-546;classes, 526; close parallels, 526;Coventry, 540; echoes, 546; hellparallels, 528; myth parallels, 527;Reich-5, 543; weird parallels, 527,world classes, 535. See alsoCrossworld Travel, Infinite Worlds Campaign.

Alternative attacks, 61.Always on; advantages, 34,

magic items, 482.Ammunition, 278.Anarchy, 509.Animals, 40, 87, 90, 137, 175, 187,

210, 211, 217, 223, 225, 226, 228,395, 455-460; in combat, 461;individualizing, 457; draft, 459; pets, 458-459; riding, 459; trained,458-459; see also Mounted Combat.

Apes, 455.Appearance, 21.Arc of vision, 389.Area class, 176.Area maps, 491.

Area spells, 239.Area-effect attacks, 413; scatter, 414.Arm lock, 370, 403.Armor divisors, 378.Armor, 110, 282-286; changing posture

in armor, 395; combining andlayering, 286; flexible armor andblunt trauma, 379; wearing,donning, and removing, 286.

Arrows, flaming, 410.Artifacts, anachronistic, 478; futuristic

and alien, 478, magic, 240, 480-483.Artificial intelligences, 528.Atmospheres, hazardous, 429;

vacuum, 437.

Atmospheric pressure, 429.Attack maneuver, 325, 365.Attack roll, 369.Attacks, 326, 369; alternative, 61;

after being grappled, 371; DeceptiveAttack, 369; dual-weapon, 417; fromabove, 402; in tactical combat, 388;innate, 51; linked effects, 381;modified, 114; runaround, 391;surprise, 393; swarm, 461; without damage, 381.

Attributes, see Basic Attributes.Automatic weapons, 408.Banestorms, 533.Baron Janos Telkozep, character sheet,

312-313; illustration, 290.Basic attributes, 14; in templates, 447;

improving, 290.Basic Lift, 15; table, 17.Basic Move, 17.Basic Speed, 17.Basilisks, 460.Bats, 461.Battle maps, 239.Battlesuits, 192.Bears, 456.Bees, 461.Bends, the, 435.Biotech tech levels, 512.Bipods, 412.BL, see Basic Lift.Bleeding, 68, 420.Block, 51, 324, 327;

in tactical combat, 390.Blocking spells, 241.Blunt trauma, 379.Boars, 458.Body Control spells, 244.Body modification, 294.Bolas, 410.Bounty hunters, 539.Break Free, 370.Breakdowns, 485.Breaking a weapon, 401.Breathing, 49, 55, 63, 68, 108;

holding your breath, 351;smothering a foe, 401.

Build, 18.Bulletproof nudity, 417.

INDEX

INDEX 571

C-31, character sheet, 307-309;illustrations, 264, 549.

Cabal, the, 543.Camels, 459.Campaigns, 486-489; cinematic, 488;

continuing, 504; planning form,567; power level, 10, 486; sharedcampaigns, 504; travel betweencampaigns, 504; see also Game Worlds.

Camping and survival gear, 288.Cannon fodder, 417.Caster (of spells), 236.Catching things, 355.Cats, 456.Centrum, 541-542, 545-546.Century scale damage, 470.Ceremonial magic, 237.Change Posture maneuver,

325, 364.Character classes, no such thing, 259.Character points, 10, 119, 258, 290;

awarding bonus points, 498.Characters, 7; concept, 11; creation, 9,

10, 258; development, 290, 499;origins, 33; sheet, 13, 335-336;stories, 12; types, 12.

Chi, 33, 93, 192, 214.Children, 20.Chimpanzees, 456.Choke hold, 371, 404; see also

Suffocation.Cinematic advantages, 33; campaigns,

488; characters, 489; combat, 417;explosions, 417; knockback, 417.

Clerical magic, 77, 242; spells, 77.Climbing, 89, 349.Cloaks, 404.Close combat, 391.Clothing, 265.Cold, 430.Collisions, 430; whiplash, 432.Coma, 429; see also Unconsciousness.Combat Lite, 324.Combat maps, 384, 492.Combat, 9, 362-417; at different levels,

402; cinematic, 417; maneuvers,324; table of combat modifiers, 547;techniques, 230; turn sequence, 324,362; vehicular, 467-470.

Communication and Empathy spells, 245.

Communications and informationgear, 288, 471.

Competence, 24.Comprehension rolls, 359.Computers, 48, 51, 55, 69, 71, 76, 100,

124, 184, 472; artificial intelligence,

528; complexity, 472; software, 472;virtual reality worlds, 520.

Concentrate maneuver, 325, 366.Cone attacks, 413.Conspiracies, see Illuminati.Contacts, 31.Contagion, 443; see also Disease.Contests, 348; quick, 348; regular, 349;

resistance rolls,348.

Control Rating, 506; see also Legality Class.

Conventions of play, 9.Copper, see Wealth.Cosmic powers, 33.Cost of living, 265, 516.Coventry, 540.Cover, 377, 407; Cover DR Table, 559.Crippling, 59, 420-423.Critical failure, spells, 236.Critical Head Blow Table, 556.Critical Hit Table, 556.Critical hits, 381; table, 556.Critical Miss Table, 556;

Unarmed Critical Miss Table, 557.Critical misses, 381; table, 556-557.Critical success, 347; on defense, 381.Crossbows, 410.Crosstime bandits, 542.Crossworld campaigns, 519-522;

see also Infinite Worlds Campaign.Crossworld travel, 514, 519-522;

Infinite Worlds campaignbackground, 523-546; instant wealth, 514.

Crouching, 368.Cultures, 23, 505-508.Customizing rules, 486.Dai Blackthorn, 12, 18, 22, 116, 162,

164, 227; character sheet, 310-311;illustrations, 32, 418.

Damage Resistance, 378; HP and DR of Structures Table, 558;Cover DR Table, 559.

Damage, 15, 327, 377; by animals,461; Damage Table, 16; damagerolls, 9, 378; scaling, 470; to objects,483-485.

Darkness, 47, 60, 71, 394; spells, 249;torches, 394.

David Pulver, 6.Dead worlds, 527.Dealing with players, 493.Death, 296, 423; dying actions, 423;

instant death, 423.Decade scale damage, 470.Deceptive attack, 369.Deer, 457.Defaults, 344; double, 173, 232;

skills, 173; techniques, 229.Defending, 326, 374;

in tactical combat, 390.Defenses, 46; enhanced, 51;

limited, 46.Dehydration, 426.Demolition, 415.Depressants, 441.Design skills, 190.Dexterity, 15.Dice, 8, 9.Digging, 350, 357.Dimensional highways, 534.Dirty tricks, 405.Disadvantages, 11, 119; buying off,

121, 291; disadvantage limit, 11;good, 119; exotic, 120; in templates,447; list, 299; mental, 120;mundane, 120; new, 162; physical,120; secret, 120; social, 120; self-imposed, 121; supernatural, 120.

Disease, 442-444; worldwide, 528.Dive for cover, 377, 407.Divine origins; 33; see also Gods.Dmg, see Damage.Do Nothing maneuver, 325, 364.Dodge, 17, 51, 324, 327, 374;

and drop, 377.Dogs, 457, 458.Donkeys, 459.Double defaults, allowed for

techniques, 229; not allowed for skills, 173.

DR, see Damage Resistance.Dragging things, 353.Dragon template, 261.Dropping prone, 374.Drugs, 122, 130, 440; Eraser, 540;

overdose, 441; ultra-tech, 425;withdrawal, 440.

Dual-weapon attacks, 417.Dungeons, 501.Dwarf template, 261.DX, see Dexterity.Dying actions, 423.e23 scenario warehouse, 494.Earth spells, 245.

572 INDEX

Echo timelines, 546.Economics, 514.Elbow strike, 404.Elderly characters, 20;

see also Age, Aging.Electricity, 432-433.Electronics, 471.Elemental meta-traits, 262.Elephants, 460; pink, 440.Enchantment, 480-483; spells, 245.Encounters, 502;

sample encounter table, 503.Encumbrance, 17.Enhanced defenses, 51.Enhancements, 101-102; limited, 111.Equestrian gear, 289.Equipment, 264-289;

modifying success rolls, 345.Eraser drug, 540.Evading, 368.Evaluate maneuver, 325, 364.Exotic advantages, 32, 34.Exotic disadvantages, 120.Explosions, 414-415; cinematic, 417.Extra effort, 356.Facing (in combat), 385, 386.Falcons, 457.Falling, 430-431; damage

from falling objects, 431.Fallout, 435; see also Radiation.Familiars, 38.Fatigue, 16; 328, 426; fatigue

points, 16; recovering, 427.Feint maneuver, 325, 365.Felinoid template, 261.Fencing weapons, 404.Fire, 61; burning things, 433, 434;

damage, 433; flaming arrows, 410;incendiary weapons, 277, 411, 433;spells, 246; tight-beam burningattacks, 399.

Firearms, 278-281; accessories, 289,411; aim, 364; automatic, 408;bracing, 364; firing upward anddownward, 407; malfunction, 382,407; quality, 280; rapid fire, 408; shotguns, 409;suppression fire, 409; ultra-tech,280.

Firing upward and downward, 407.First aid, 424.Flails, 405.Flame, see Fire.Flaming arrows, 410.Flashlights, 394.Flesh wounds, 417.Flight, 56, 354; flying combat, 398.Fnord, you’re not cleared for that.

Follow-up damage, 381.Food, 95, 139, 159, 160, 265;

foraging, 427; starvation, 426.FP, see Fatigue Points.Fragmentation damage, 414.Free actions, 363.Friends and foes, 31.Fright Checks, 55, 93, 95, 121, 360;

Fright Check Table, 360-361.Gadgeteering, see Gadgets.Gadgets, 56-58, 473-477, 479;

limitations, 116.Game balance, 11.Game Mastering, 486-504.Game preparation, 490.Game worlds, 505-522;

economics, 514.Garrotes, 405.Gate spells, 247.Gerbils, 113.G-Increment, 350.Glossary, 563-565; arms and armor,

268; basic terms, 7; magic, 234;Infinite Worlds, 524; psionics, 254.

GM Control Sheet, 490, 568.Gods, 33, 40, 59, 76, 113, 132, 143.Gold, see Wealth.Gorillas, 456.Government types, 509-510;

see also Laws.Grabbing and grappling, 370; and hit

location, 400.Gravity, 60, 350, 434; different gravity,

350; home gravity, 17.Grenades, 277, 410.Ground vehicles, 466; table, 464.Gryphons, 460.Guided weapons, 412.Hallucinations, 429, 440.Hallucinogens, 440.Handedness, 14.Harpoons, 411.Healing, 59, 79, 80, 155, 160,

162; magic, 248;medical gear, 289;medical tech levels,512; psychic, 256.

Health, 15.Hearing, 49, 72, 89,

94, 138. 358.Heart attacks, 429.Heat, 434; see also Fire.Hell parallels, 528.Heroic Knight template, 448.Hexes, 384.High-speed movement, 394.Hiking, 351, 357, 426.Hirelings, 517, 518.

Hit Location Tables, 552-555.Hit location, 369, 398; and Injury

Tolerance, 400; random, 400.Hit points, 16, 418-419;

HP and DR of Structures Table, 558;see also Injuries.

Home gravity, 17; see also Gravity.Homing weapons, 412-413.Horses, 459-460; equestrian gear, 289;

see also Mounted Combat, RidingAnimals, Weapons (Cavalry).

HP and DR of Structures Table, 558.HP, see Hit Points.HT (Health), 15.I-Cops, 536-538.Identities, 31, 39.Illuminati, 60, 130, 193, 200, 525;

the Cabal, 543.Immunity, 443.Importance in society, see Rank,

Status.Incompetence, 24.Index, 329-334, 570-575.Infection, 444.Infinite ammunition, 417.Infinite Worlds campaign

background, 523-546.Infinity Development, 536.Infinity Patrol, 536-538.Infinity Unlimited, 524, 535-538.Influence rolls, 359.Influence skills, 494.Information spells, 241.Initiative, 393.Injuries, 327, 377, 380, 418-425;

accumulated wounds, 420; andactive defense, 374; bleeding,420; crippling, 420-423;flesh wounds, 417;

large-area injury, 400; lastwounds, 420; major wounds,

420; mortal wounds, 423;shock, 419; to objects,

483-485; to shields, 484; see also Crippling, Healing.

Instant death, 423.Intelligence, 15; and dirty tricks, 405.Intoxication, see Alcohol.Introduction, 5, 342.Investigator template, 259.Iotha, character sheet, 314-315,

illustrations, 343.IQ (Intelligence), 15.ISWAT, 162, 536.Jobs, 292, 499, 516-518; finding, 518.Jumping, 89, 203, 352, 357.Knee strike, 404.Knockback, 378.Knowledge spells, 249.

INDEX 573

Knowledge, NPC, 496; player vs. character, 495.

Languages, 23, 205, 506.Lariats, 411.Lasers, 280, 399; seeker heads, 412;

sights, 412.Last wounds, 420.Law enforcement, 507;

police gear, 289.Laws, 65, 204, 506-508, 518;

punishment, 508; trials, 507.LC, see Legality Class.Legality Class, 267, 270, 507;

legality of spells, 507.Lethal strike, 404.Lifting, 14, 15, 65, 205, 353, 357.Light and Darkness spells, 249.Limitations, 101, 110; gadgets, 116.Limited defenses, 46.Linked effects, 381.Lions, 456.Literacy, 24.Long actions, 383.Long tasks, 346, 499.Louis d’Antares, character sheet,

322-323; illustrations, 368, 422, 505.Loyalty, 518-519.Luck, 83, 89, 160.Ludography, 566.Lycanthropy, see Werewolves.Machine guns, 281.Machines, 16; Machine meta-trait, 263.Mage template, 260.Magery, 66.Magic Resistance, 67.Magic, 66, 143, 144, 150, 218, 224,

225, 234-253; advantages, 34;ceremonial, 237; clerical, 242;colleges, 239; enchanted objects, 240,480-483; racial, 453; ritual, 237,242; staffs, 240.

Major wounds, 420.Malf, see Malfunction.Malfunction, 278, 382, 407.Mana, 235.Maneuvers, 324, 363, 385; table, 551.Maps, 384, 490-491; mapping by

players, 491; mapping for adventuredesign, 502.

Medical care, 424; surgery, 424.Medical gear, 289.Medicine tech levels, 512.Melee Attack Modifiers Table, 547.Melee etiquette, 417.Melee spells, 240.Mental advantages, 32; disadvantages,

120; powers, see Psionics.Mental stun, 420.

Mentality meta-traits, 263.Meta-Spells, 250.Meta-traits, 262.Metric conversions, 9.Military, 218, 221, 222, 260.Mind Control spells, 250.Mind reading, see Telepathy.Mind transfer, 296.Miniature figures, 383.Miracle Workers Inc., 538.Missile spells, 240.Missile weapon attacks, 373.Modifiers (to traits), 101; list, 300.Molotov cocktails, 411.Money, see Wealth.Monsters, 460-461.Morphology meta-traits, 263.

Mortal conditions, 429; wounds, 423.Mounted combat, 395-398.Move (character stat), 52.Move and Attack maneuver, 325, 365,

385.Move maneuver, 325, 364, 385.Movement and combat, 367;

and facing, 386; high-speedmovement, 394; movement intactical combat, 386.

Movement points, 386, 387.Movement spells, 251.Mules, 459.Multi-hex figures, 392.Mundane advantages, 32;

disadvantages, 120.Mutations, 33.Neck Snap attack, 370, 404.Necromantic spells, 251.Nets, 411.New disadvantages, 162.New inventions, 473, 475;

see also Gadgets.Nexus portals, 534.Nonhumans, 32.Non-player characters, see NPCs.NPC Reactions Table, 559-562.

NPC Record Card, 569.NPCs, 31, 493; NPC Reactions Table,

559-562; NPC Record Card, 569.Oil flasks, 411.Omens, 72.Online gaming, 494.Optics and sensors, 289.Origins of characters, 33.Overpenetration, 379, 408.Overrun, by multi-hex figures, 392.Oxen, 460.Parachronic Laboratories Inc., 538.Parachronics, bogus scientific

explanation, 530; conveyor, 529;detector, 532; disasters, 532; minoraccidents, 531; paradoxes, 533;projector; 524, 530; see also Infinite Worlds Campaign.

Parachronozoids, 544.Parallel worlds, see Alternate Worlds.Paralysis, 429.Parry, 51, 93, 324, 327, 376; unarmed,

376; in tactical combat, 390.Patient status, 421.Patrons, 72-73.Penetrating damage, 379.Penetration modifiers, 378, 416;

overpenetration, 379, 408.Per, see Perception.Perception, 16.Perks, 100.Pets, 458-459; see also Animals.Physical advantages, 32;

disadvantages, 120.Physical feats, 349; extra effort, 356.Picking things up, 383.Picks, 405.Pinning (in combat), 370.Planet types, 180.Plants, 75, 87, 90, 142, 197, 199, 211.Pocket multiverses, 529.Poison, 62, 437-439; treatment, 439.Police gear, 289.Pop-up attacks, 390.

574 INDEX

Postures, 367; changing posture in armor, 395; table, 551.

Potential advantages, 33.Power level for campaigns, 10, 486.Power tech levels, 512.Preparing for play, 490.Prerequisites, skills, 169; spells, 235;

techniques, 229.Pressure, atmospheric, 429, 435;

the bends, 435; water, 435.Privilege, 30.Professor William Headley,

character sheet, 318-319;illustrations, 234, 486.

Protection and Warning spells, 252.Psi powers, see Psionics.Psionics, 71, 78, 150, 254-257;

Antipsi, 255; ESP, 255; learning,294; new powers, 257; psideeffects, 255; Psychic Healing, 256;Psychokinesis, 256; Telepathy, 257;Teleportation, 257.

Psychological warfare, 359.Pulling things, 353.Punishment, legal, 508.Pyramid Magazine, 494.Quick contests, 348.Quick learning under pressure, 292.Quick Start rules, 8.Quirks, 162; racial, 452.Radiation, 80, 105, 192, 435.Ranged attacks, 327, 372; half damage

range, 378; hitting the wrong target, 389; modifiers table, 548;opportunity fire, 390; overshooting,390; pop-up attacks, 390; shooting blind, 389.

Ranged Combat Modifiers Table, 548.Rank, 29.Rapid fire, 373, 408.Rapid Strike, 54, 93, 370.Rate of Fire, 270, 373.Rats, 461.Rattlesnakes, 458.Rcl, see Recoil.Reaction rolls, 8, 494-495,

NPC Reactions Table, 559-562.Reading, 134; see also Literacy.Ready maneuver, 325, 366, 382, 385.Ready weapons, 369; readying, 382.Realism, 11.Reality Liberation Force, 543.Reality quakes, 534.Recoil, 271.Recovery, 328; see also Healing.Recovery, 423-424;

from unconsciousness, 423.Regular spells, 239.

Reich-5, 543.Religion, 30, 226; see also Gods.Reloading missile weapons, 373.Repair skills, 190;

repairing things, 484.Reputation, 27.Resisted spells, 241.Resuscitation, 425.Retreat (in active defense), 377.Retreating, 391.Ritual magic, 237, 242.Roads, 351.RoF (Rate of Fire), 270, 373.Roleplaying, 7.Rolling to hit, 369.Room maps, 492.Rounding, 9.Rule of 14, 360.Rule of 16, 349.Rule of 20, 173, 344.Rules, customizing, 486;

questions, 492.Runaround attacks, 391.Runes, 224.Running, 354, 357; fatigue, 426.Sacrificial dodge, 375.Sapience, 15, 23.Scopes, 412.Sean Punch, 6.Seasickness, 436.Secondary characteristics, 15;

improving, 290; in templates, 447.Secret disadvantages, 120.Secret identities, 31.Self-control, 120.Senses, 35, 78; sense rolls, 358.Sensors, 471.Sentience, 15.Sharks, 457.Shields, 287, 374; damage, 484;

in close combat, 392; offensive use, 406.

Shiftrealms, 534.Shock, electrical, 432-433;

from injury, 419.Shooting blind, 389.Shotguns, 409.Shove, 372.Sign language, 25.Silencers, 412.Silver, see Wealth.Size and Speed/Range Table, 550.Size Modifier, 19, 372; and reach, 402.Skills, 167, 174-233; buying, 170;

defaults, 170; design, 190; difficulty level, 168; familiarity, 169;improving, 170, 292; in templates,447; influence, 495; levels, 171;

list, 301; maintaining, 294;physiology modifiers, 181;prerequisites, 169; racially learned,453; repair, 190; scope, 176;specialties, 169; studying, 292, 499;teachers, 293; technological, 168;wildcard, 175.

Slam, 371; by multi-hex figures, 392.Slaves, 518.Sleep, 50, 65, 136, 140, 142, 154, 155;

drowsy, 428; missed sleep, 426.SM, see Size Modifier.Smartguns, 278.Smell, 49, 243.Snakes, 458; cobra venom, 439;

pythons, 458; rattlesnakes, 458.Social advantages, 32;

adding and improving, 291.Social background, 22.Social disadvantages, 120.Social restraints, 30.Society types, 509-510.Soldier of Fortune template, 260.Sora, character sheet, 320-321;

illustrations, 10, 258, 356, 362, 375, 402.

Sounds, see Hearing.Space sickness, 434.Spacecraft, 466; table, 465.Spacing (in combat), 368.Special spells, 241.Speed/Range Table, 550.Spells, 66; Air, 242; area, 239; backfire,

235; blocking, 241; Body Control,244; caster, 236; casting, 235-238;clerical, 77; Communicationand Empathy, 245; Earth, 245;Enchantment, 246, 480-482; Fire, 246; Gate, 247; Healing, 248;information, 241; Knowledge, 249;legality, 507; Light and Darkness,249; Meta-Spells, 250; melee, 240;Mind Control, 250; missile, 240;Movement, 251; list, 304;Necromantic, 251; prerequisites,235; Protection and Warning, 252;regular, 239; resisted, 241; special,242; subject, 236; Water, 253; see also Magic.

Spirits, 41, 55, 68, 76, 113, 193, 200, 212; spirit advantages, 34; Spirit meta-trait, 263.

Spy gear, 289.ST, see Strength.Staffs, 240.Starvation, 426.Status, 28, 265, 516.Step (in maneuvers), 368, 386.Steve Jackson, 6.

INDEX 575

Stimulants, 440.Strangle, 370, 401, 404.Strength, 14.Striges, 461.Striking at weapons, 400.Structural Damage Table, 558.Study, 292.Stunning, 35; mental stun, 420.Subduing a foe, 401.Subject (of spells), 236.Success rolls, 342; buying success,

347; critical failure, 348; criticalsuccess, 347; difficulty, 345;equipment modifiers, 345;influencing rolls, 347; player guidance, 347; repeated attempts, 348.

Success rolls, 8.Suffocation, 428, 436.Sunburn, 434.Supernatural advantages, 32, 33, 34;

disadvantages, 120.Supers, 34.Superscience, 513.Suppression fire, 409.Surprise attacks, 393.Swarm attacks, 461.Swimming, 354, 357; fatigue, 426.Swinging damage, 15.Switchable advantages, 34.Table talk, 493.Taboo traits, 261.Takedown, 370.Taste and smell,

49, 358.

Tech level, see Technology Levels.Techniques, 229; combat, 230;

improving, 292; list, 304.Technological skills, 168.Technology Levels, 22, 99, 511-512;

and equipment, 27; and genre, 514;and starting wealth, 27; divergent,513; superscience, 513; table of TLsby field, 512.

Teeth, 91.Telepathy, 69-71, 91, 210, 245.Temperature, 9.Templates, 258, 445-454; cultural, 446;

dramatic, 446; occupational, 446;racial, 260, 450-454.

Terrain, 351.Thief and spy gear, 289.Throwing things, 355, 357.Thrown weapon attacks, 373.Thrusting damage, 15.Tigers, 456.Time Tours, Ltd., 539.Time travel, 64, 93, 158, 189, 190.Time Use Sheets, 499, 569.Time, between adventures, 498;

between sessions, 497; during adventures, 497.

Timeline shifts, 544-546.TL, see Technology Level.To-hit roll, 326, 369.

Tools, 289.Torches, 394.

Tragic flaws, 119.Trait lists, 297.Traits, meta-traits, 262; taboo traits,

26; see also Character Creation.Trampling, 404.Transformations, 294.Transportation tech levels, 512.Traps, 502.Travel maps, 491.Trials, 507; punishment, 508.Tripods, 412.Tunnels, 94.Turning radius, 394.TV action violence, 417.Unarmed combat, 370; hurting

yourself, 379; parrying, 376.Unarmed Critical Miss Table, 557.Unconsciousness, 419, 423, 429;

recovery from, 329.Undead, 50; see also Vampires,

Zombies.United Nations, 535, 538.Utopia, 510.Vacuum, 437.Vampires, 137, 212; see also

Baron Janos Telkozep.Vehicle Hit Location Table, 554.

Vehicle Occupant Hit Location Table, 555.

Vehicles, 188, 214, 223, 462-470;aircraft, 465; breakdowns, 485;combat, 467-470; control rolls, 466;damage, 555; ground vehicles, 464;hit location, 400, 554; movement,463; spacecraft, 465; vehiculardodge, 375; watercraft, 464.

Virtual realities, 520.Visibility, 394; see also Darkness.Vision, 92, 123, 124, 144, 151, 358.Voice, 132.Wait maneuver, 325, 366, 385.Warhorses, see Horses.Warrior template, 449.Water spells, 253.Watercraft, 466; table, 464.Wealth, 25, 26, 264, 517; and Status,

26, 516; cost of living, 265, 516;economics, 514; gold and silver, 515; improving characterwealth level, 291; moving moneybetween worlds, 514.

Weapon and armor tech levels, 512.Weapons, 267-281; accessories, 289,

411; accuracy, 269; ammunition,278; breaking, 401, 485; bulk, 270;carrying, 287; cavalry, 397; cost,270; fencing, 404; firearms, 278-281;grenades, 277; heavy, 281;incendiaries, 277; infinite cinematicammunition, 417; Legality Class,271; malfunction, 278, 407; melee,271-275; missiles, 281; parry, 269;range, 269; ranged, 275-277, 278-281; rate of fire, 270; reach, 269;reach and Size Modifier, 388, 402;recoil, 271; shots, 270; smartguns,278; strength, 270; striking atweapons, 400; thrown, 356; weight, 270.

Weather, 243, 351.Weirdness, 161; weird parallel worlds,

527; weird science, 228, 479.Werewolves, 83, 84, 137.Whiplash, 432.Whips, 406.White Star Trading, 524, 539.Wild swings, 388.Wildcard skills, 175.Will, 16; Will rolls, 360.Wolves, 458.World-jumpers, 544.Wounding modifier, 379.Wounds, see Injuries.Wrench Limb attack, 370, 404.Xing La, character sheet, 316-317;

illustrations, 167, 188, 418, 445.Zombies, 74, 94, 252, 380.

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This book is intended for Game Masters andadvanced players. It covers physical feats, combat, vehicles and technology, animals andmonsters, world design, and Game Mastering.“Tool kit” chapters let you create new creatures(and even PC races), artifacts, character abilities, and entire game worlds.

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