Shadowjack's GURPS House Rules

Like any GM who likes to tinker, I've adopted a bunch of house rules, and here they are. If you're planning on using one of my character write-ups, or playing in a GURPS game that I GM, you'll want to take a look at these.

What Numbers Do I Pick?

In general, remember that an attribute of 10 is perfectly acceptable for a real person, and just because a character in a story did a stunt once doesn't mean they can do it reliably ever time! However, on the other hand, also keep in mind that some people really do have high numbers.

Attributes

Because of the bell-curve, attributes of 8-12 are fairly unremarkable. An "average" person can fall anywhere in that range.

Because of the way ST works, the high end of the scale is longer than for other attributes.

• 5 or below is crippled, requiring constant help.
• 6 is handicapped, barely functional on your own.
• 7 stands out as pretty bad, but isn't actually handicapped.
• 8 is worse than typical without being that remarkable. A natural lack of ability.
• 9 could be a 10 who's just a little smaller, slower, or lazier.
• 10 is dead average, ordinary. If you don't know or care, put 10.
• 11 could be a 10 who's just a little stronger, faster, or motivated.
• 12 is better than typical without being that remarkable. Natural ability.
• 13 (or 13-15 for ST) stands out in a crowd; maybe the top 3%. People who know you think of this quality first.
• 14 (or 16-17 for ST) is memorable. People who know you will tell stories about you.
• 15 (or 18-19 for ST) is renowned. Ordinary people have heard of you; recruiters come to you.
• 16 (or 20+ for ST) is admitted by the best to be among the best.
• 17-18 is the realm of myth and legend, almost never seen in real life.
• 19 or above is definitely superhuman.

Many advantages or disadvantages are effectively rolled into attributes, e.g. someone with HT 11 and Very Fit is just as fit as someone with HT 13.

[Source: "Brett" on the GURPS forums.]

Reaction Modifiers

These guidelines apply to Talents, Reputations, and any other reaction modifiers.

• ±1 is noticeable, but doesn't dominate their impression of you.
• ±2 is memorable. Stories about you get around.
• ±3 gets you into the record books. People seek you out or avoid you based on reputation alone.
• ±4 is admitted by the best to be among the best, or admitted by all to be among the worst.
• ±5 or more is into the realm of myth and legend.

[Source: "Brett" on the GURPS forums.]

Frequency Rolls

These guidelines apply to self-control rolls, NPC appearance rolls, the recognition rolls for a Reputation, and so on.

• Constantly is, of course, constant.
• Appears 15- / Self-Control 6- defines the character. You're this way nearly all the time; people notice the rare times you're not.
• Appears 12- / Recognized 10- / Self-Control 9- is an ever-present issue. In a TV show, it comes up every episode or two.
• Appears 9- / Recognized 7- / Self-Control 12- affects you now and then, but it can be overcome, neglected, or forgotten for extended periods of time.
• Appears 6- / Self-Control 15- is essentially a character quirk that, once in a while, takes center stage.

[Source: self]

Skills

The descriptions below are for measured ability; to measure length of experience and training, figure the numbers as if the attribute were 10.

• 8 or below - A raw beginner, or a skill long-forgotten.
• 9-10 - Amateurish. Acceptable for a hobby, or something you've picked up a little of on the side.
• 11-12 - Routine competence. Acceptable for a primary job skill, or important secondary skills used often.
• 13-14 - Qualified expertise. Acceptable for skills used under stress, e.g. combat skills.
• 15-16 - True expertise. A noted specialist, or skilled under fire. A professional fighter wants their combat skills at least to this level.
• 17-18 - Elite. Better than normal, even in extreme circumstances.
• 19-20 - Outstanding. World-renowned; you may name your own price for your services.
• 21-22 - Legendary. The best of a generation.
• 23 or more - Superhuman. You do the impossible easily. The realm of myth and legend.

[Source: "Brett" on the GURPS forums.]

What Skills to Choose?

Most people have at least 1 point in each of the following:

• Area Knowledge to not get lost outside the house.
• Current Affairs, or they seem woefully out-of-touch.
• Housekeeping, or they need someone to look after themselves.
• At TL8+, Computer Operation to not be perpetually flustered by technology.
• At least one of Carousing, Connoisseur, Games, Hobby Skill, Musical Instrument, Singing, Sports, etc., or they seem utterly boring.

Alas, not everyone who drives has Driving.

Most adventurers should also make sure to have reasonable skill levels in the following categories:

• Carousing, Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, or Interviewing to interrogate NPCs.
• Climbing, Hiking, and Stealth, because a party is only as good at these things as their worst member.
• Driving, Riding, or other setting-appropriate travel skills (Boating at sea, ES: Spacesuit and Free Fall in space, etc.)
• First Aid, to bandage the wounded.
• Gesture, just in case.
• Observation, Scrounging, or Search, to find clues.
• Savoir-Faire or Streetwise, to get along with folks in your corner of society.
• Axe/Mace, Broadsword, Knife, Shortsword, or Staff, to use common improvised weapons.
• Beam Weapons, Box, Crossbow, Guns, or Sling, to use common ranged weapons.
• Boxing, Brawling, or Karate, for fisticuffs.
• Judo, Sumo, or Wrestling, for grabbing people.
• Forced Entry, to kick in doors.
• Holdout, to get your weapons past the guards.
• Throwing, so you don't fumble a toss at a critical moment.

[Source: Kromm]

Advantages, Modified

Affliction

Cost is instead [10 points, +3 per level]. (This is for better scaling.)

[Source: Kromm]

Allies

For ordinary Allies, both you and your Allies automatically have a reciprocal Sense of Duty toward each other; this is included in the cost. Unwilling Allies do not have this, in either direction. Minions may have Sense of Duty, Fanaticism, Reprogrammable Duty, or something else keeping them under your control, but you do not automatically have a Sense of Duty toward them.

[Source: self]

Limitation: Friend of a Friend

This Ally does not follow you directly, but instead is aligned with one of your other Allies. A FOAF's Frequency of Appearance cannot be higher than that of their Ally. For determining appearances, make a single roll and compare to both numbers at once; if the FOAF has a lower Frequency of Appearance, it is possible for the controlling Ally to be available but not the FOAF. The FOAF will only follow orders relayed through or approved by the controlling Ally, which gives the controlling Ally veto power over your wishes. An Ally who follows someone else can never be your Minion, but they could be the Minion of the controlling Ally. (-20%, or -5% if controlling Ally is your Minion.)

[Source: RPK]

Arm DX

Cost is instead [9 points per level] for one arm, or [12 points per level] for two arms. (This is for better scaling.)

[Source: RPK]

Arm ST

Cost is instead [3 points per level] for one arm, [4 points per level] for two arms, or [6 points per level] for three arms. (This is for better scaling.)

[Source: RPK]

Binding

Enhancement: Retractable

When launching your Binding attack, you may choose to hold onto a line of it. If so, on any later turn, you may use a Ready action to pull a bound subject toward you. Your effective ST is your own ST or your Binding ST, whichever is greater. Note that if your subject's hands or free, or if someone else grabs the line, they can pull you! Releasing the line is a free action on your turn. (+100%, or +80% if you cannot release the line.)

[Source: RPK]

Charisma

Enhancement: Enthrallment

This modifier is required to let you learn and use chi-based emotional control skills. (+100%, plus +5 points more.)

[Source: RPK]

Claim to Hospitality

Variant: Kinship

A normal Claim to Hospitality is a social club; you may be friends, but your obligation to each other is not especially deep. Blood or kinship relations, on the other hand, may be very strong; both you and they automatically have a reciprocal Sense of Duty to each other. (+0%)

[Source: self]

Cultural Familiarity

You may define cultures as broadly or specifically as you please; the default penalty depends on how far from known cultures the current one is, ranging from -0 to -3.

[Source: GURPS forum discussion]

Damage Resistance

Enhancement: Absorption

There are multiple types of Absorption, with the following costs:

• Enhanced Trait(s) (+5% per trait per level)
• Enhance Any Trait (+50% per level)
• Healing, FP (+40%)
• Healing, HP (+40%)
• Healing, HP & FP (+60%)

The battery's capacity equals (DR x Absorption level).

[Source: RPK]

Limitations: Ablative, Semi-Ablative

There is a range of available ablation rates, with cost depending on the ratio of damage to points lost:

• 1:1 ratio (-80%) This is the old "Ablative."
• 1:2 ratio (-60%)
• 1:3 ratio (-40%)
• 1:5 ratio (-30%)
• 1:10 ratio (-20%) This is the old "Semi-Ablative."
• 1:20 ratio (-10%)

[Source: "Maz" on the GURPS forum]

Doesn't Breathe

For calculating cost with modifiers, treat the different types as separate advantages, rather than limitations. Thus, the base costs are:

• Doesn't Breathe [20]
• Gills [10]
• Gills Only [0]
• Oxygen Absorption [15]
• Oxygen Combustion [10]
• Oxygen Storage [10, 12, 14, 16, 18]
• Filter Lungs [5]

• Cast-Iron Lungs [5]

[Source: self]

Duplication

If you can create more than five dupes, use the modifiers for Ally Groups to determine how many levels to buy. Odd levels of Duplication give no additional value.

[Source: RPK]

Enhanced Move

Enhancement: Second Nature

You have the ability to adjust your speed instantly and make minute course corrections without effort. Calculate your maximum speed and use it as your normal Move in the appropriate environment for all purposes. You do not need to make control rolls, take time to accelerate, etc. You cannot sprint any faster than this. (+150%)

(For typical characters, this is only cost effective for Ground Move 30+ or Air/Space Move 120+.)

[Source: RPK]

Extended Lifespan

Cost is only [1 point per level]. (Lifespan traits are largely for flavor.)

[Source: RPK]

Illumination

The ability to produce useful light. Brightness depends on the cost:

• [1] -8, equivalent to small flashlight, Continual Light 1, kerosene lamp.
• [2] -4, equivalent to gas mantle, light bulb, large TL7 flashlight, Continual Light 2
• [3] +0, equivalent to medium flashlight with narrow beam, Continual Light 3
• [4] +4, equivalent to bright headlights
• [5] +8, equivalent to a small spotlight on high-focus

For more powerful lights, stat as an attack.

[Source: "Light and Darkness" from Anthony's GURPS page]

Impermanent

This may be applied not only to Magery, but any appropriate power.

Impermanent magic does not produce true permanent physical changes; it merely appears to, by laying a glamour upon the subject. This glamour does not have to be maintained, but the subject continues to register as magical as long as the effect persists, the effect can be dispelled, and any benefits it grants are mana-dependent.

For example, an impermanent flame spell does not actually make things burn. Although one can see flames, hear the crackle, feel the heat, and afterward will think one can see the scorchmarks and smell the ashes, a single dispelling will completely reverse the effects as if they never were. (Don't think too hard about this. If you put an impermanent hole in a wall, step through, then dispell it, you don't find yourself back on the other side of the wall. Magic, even impermanent magic, is all about tricking reality into behaving.)

For impermanent attacks, determine the hits of damage as usual, then roll vs. HT when the "damage" equals the target's HP to see if they lose consciousness from pain. However, further damage will not result in death, only in more chances for loss of consciousness. A victim reduced to -5 x HP will become comatose, but this, too, is a glamour, and can easily be dispelled.

Keep in mind that it damage being "only an illusion" doesn't matter much when it leaves the victim at their attacker's mercy anyway.

Impermanent healing can restore the seeming injury inflicted by glamorous attacks, but only seems to take away real physical injuries; the subject feels better and can function normally, but may die of cumulative wounds before real healing through natural processes takes place. Impermanent resurrection does not actually restore the subject's soul to their remains, but animates the remains with an illusion of life. Glamorous damage can be healed "normally", and the glamour fades in the process.

Spells that take away or restore Fatigue have full effects, because Fatigue is a temporary condition, affected by mental and emotional states.

If there's no obvious duration on a glamour, it fades in a year and a day.

This is ordinarily a -10% limitation. If some nonmagical means of dispelling the effects is available, such as simple prayer or the touch of iron, it becomes a -20% limitation.

Faerie creatures are affected by glamours as if they were entirely real. This is a 0-point feature.

[Source: GURPS Fantasy, with house rulings]

Independent Income

This trait has been replaced with Time Worked.

Innate Attack

Enhancement: Ammo Select

Only for piercing attacks. When attacking, you can choose to fire a special ammunition round instead of a normal round. Types include:

• AP Ammo: Only for pi, pi+, or pi++ attacks. The special armor-piercing round reduces the damage type by one step in exchange for raising the armor divisor by one step. (Example: A 3d pi attack becomes 3d(2) pi-.) (+40%)
• HP Ammo: Only for pi-, pi, or pi+ attacks. The special hollow-point round reduces the armor divisor by one step in exchange for increasing the damage type by one step. (Example: A 3d pi attack becomes 3d (0.5) pi+.) (+40%)
• Dual-Mode: Only for pi or pi+ attacks. You may fire AP or HP ammo at will, as above. (+80%)

[Source: RPK]

Enhancement: Dual-Mode

Only for cutting attacks with minimum 1d-2 or 2 points damage. You may choose to have your attack do impaling damage instead of cutting; this halves basic damage. (Example: A 3d cut attack becomes 1d+2 imp.) If combined with Melee Attack, ST-Based, your impaling damage is always based off thrust. (+15%)

[Source: RPK]

Languages

Always buy spoken and written forms of a language separately.

Spoken Languages

For spoken languages, the levels are:

• None [0]
• Broken [1]
• Conversational [2]
• Fluent [3] (or "Native", for one language)

"Accented" is a meaningless term, as everyone has some sort of accent. Many skills can be used to fake an accent, including Acting, Mimicry, Performance, and Public Speaking. If you want to consistently sound like a native, take the Accent Perk.

If you want to have more than one Native language, tkae the Bilingual Perk.

Written Languages

For written languages, the levels are:

• Illiterate [0]
• Semi-Literate [1]
• Literate [2]
• Educated [3]

For a character who isn't much of a reader, consider dropping their native written language down one level to merely Literate.

[Source: self]

Longevity

Cost is [1 point]. (Lifespan traits are largely for flavor.)

[Source: RPK]

Night Vision

For references, here are typical light levels:

• -10 - candle, match, Light spell
• -8 - small flashlight, Continual Light 1, kerosene lamp
• -6 - torch, medium flashlight
• -4 - gas mantle, light bulb, large TL7 flashlight, Continual Light 2
• -2 - large TL8 flashlight, small flashlight w/narrow beam
• +0 - medium flashlight w/narrow beam, Continual Light 3
• +2 - headlights, large TL7 flashlight w/narrow beam
• +8 - large TL8 flashlight w/pinpoint beam
• +72 - the sun

[Source: "Light and Darkness" from Anthony's GURPS page]

Patron

A Patron is specifically an unofficial form of influence, handled off the record, under the counter, or through the old boy's network. Many organizations act as Patron to their members in addition to their official support; in such case, use your Rank when acting within the organization, and roll for the Patron's influence when dealing with outsiders.

For certain characters, an ordinary person or small club might serve as a Patron. This is common in juvenile adventures: while in the grand scheme of things your parents or school club are trivial, they can have tremendous impact on your day-to-day life. A minor patron of this type is worth [5 points].

[Source: self]

= Variant: Command

If you own and command an organization yourself (e.g. private corporation or army), take both the highest level of Rank in the organization and the organization as your personal Patron, to represent your abilit to use them for whatever you wish. (+0%)

This may be used to represent owning your own ship; the ship is the property of the company of which you are the head.

[Source: self]

Rank

Note that Clerical Investment and Legal Enforcement Powers permit you to extend the powers of your Rank to people outside of your organization, within strictly defined limits.

[Source: self]

Reawakened

You are specifically exempt from requiring proper instruction to learn new skills provided you can justify having learned them in a past life. You still have to retrain the skills.

Variant: Long Life

You have lived for a very long time. Instead of remembering skills from a past life, you are remembering skills that you once knew but have not used in ages. (+0%)

Source: self]

Regrowth

Cost is [10 points]. (This is more balanced.)

[Source: RPK]

Resistant

Knockback

This is a Common effect. Instead of resisting at +3 or +8, you divide effective knockback by 3 or 8, rounding down.

[Source: RPK]

Signature Gear

Cost is relative to average campaign starting wealth:

• up to x1 [1]
• up to x2 [2]
• up to x5 [3]
• up to x20 [4]
• up to x100 [5]
• per tenfold increase thereafter [+1 more]

[Source: RPK]

Static

Resistible is no longer a limitation. Instead:

• Static (Resistible) [15 points] is the first level
• Static (Complete) [30 points] is the second level, and is otherwise as written.

[Source: RPK]

Striking ST

Enhancement: Supercharge

You can use your strength to tremendous effect. Each level of Striking ST gives +5 to your effective ST for the purpose of calculating basic damage and throwing distance. Other uses, such as Neck Snap, use your normal Striking ST level. If you have Super-Effort on your Lifting ST, you may pay an extra 1 FP when using it to apply the same rules to your Striking ST for determining throwing distances. (+100%)

[Source: RPK]

Talents

To avoid confusion with similarly-named skills or other Talents (or, in a few cases, just because I didn't like the name), use the following name changes:

{-

Instead of...	...use this:
Empath	Intuitive Admiral	Intuitive Statesman	Memetics	Occultist	Poet	Psientist	Street Smarts
Understanding Soul	Born Admiral	Statesman	Natural Memeticist	Student of the Arcane	Soul of a Poet	Yogi	City Smarts

Also, do not use Mariner. Instead, use Born Sailor, or Seafarer with the added skills.

[Source: self]

Terrain Adaptation

Variant: Backwards

Requires 360° Vision. You suffer no DX or Move penalties for moving in any direction. Use this to represent radial sea creatures and the like.

[Source: Kromm]

Unaging

Cost is [5 points]. (Lifespan traits are largely for flavor.)

[Source: RPK]

Unfazeable

Limitation: Limited

You are exempted from only a limited range of checks:

• Violence Only: Fright Checks for death or violence. (-66%)
• Weirdness Only: Fright Checks for monsters and strange events. (-66%)
• Wonderment Only: Awe or Confusion Checks for divine beauty, magic, etc. (-66%)

[Source: self]

Unkillable

Limitation: Mortal

Only for Unkillable 2 or 3. You have no special protection against being killed, making normal HT rolls to stay alive as your Hit Points drop below 0. But if you do die, you come back to life. (-20%)

[Source: RPK]

Vehicle

This Perk is unavailable. Use Signature Gear or the Lifestyle granted by the Base Perk instead.

[Source: self]

Very Rapid Healing

This doubles all healing rates, including drugs, spells, etc.

[Source: GURPS forum discussion]

Warp

Limitation: Hyperjump

Faster hyperjumps are possible. For speeds up to 1 light-year per minute, this is a -20% limitation. Any faster (up to and including "instantaneous") is -15%.

[Source: RPK]

Limitation: Must Traverse Distance

You travel to the destination through normal space under your own power; you just do it nigh-instantly. You cannot warp to anywhere you could not get to normally, given time. Incompatible with Hyperjump. (-30%)

[Source: RPK]

Zeroed

This is not a mere lack of public identity; a normal person born "off the grid" would still receive an identity once they came to official attention. If you are Zeroed, some force actively conspires to keep you from being conclusively identified, and if you are placed on file, the files will become lost, incomplete, etc.

Variant: Ninja

You have a normal civilian identity, but when you do ninja stunts, magic, superheroic deeds, etc., they mysteriously never connect to you. You never wind up on camera transforming, no one traces your fingerprints, etc. This is the advantage for those who want the allure of a secret identity without the bother of actively maintaining it, appropriate for sentai heroes. You can still be recognized by those who personally see you in action. (+0%)

You can have both forms of Zeroed.

[Source: GURPS Action, self]

Advantages, New

Indefatigable

[30 points]

You do not lose Fatigue Points through normal exertion. You can sprint indefinitely and fight all day. You can still lose fatigue from starvation, thirsty, sleeplessness, exposure, etc., and any use of extra effort has its normal costs. You recover lost fatigue normally.

[Source: RPK]

Limitation: Slow Recharge

You recover fatigue more slowly than usual. (-20% for 1 point per hour, -60% for 1 point per day)

Limitation: Special Recharge

You do not recover fatigue points from rest, but only with special abilities such as Absorption, Leech, Steal Energy, etc. (-70%)

Variant: Machine

Instead of losing fatigue from starvation, extra effort, etc., you lost HT, like a machine. (-0%)

Master Blaster

[20 points]

This is the equivalent of Gunslinger or Heroic Archer for Innate Attacks, Missile spells, and the like.

When you Attack or All-Out Attack with such an ability, you may add its Accuracy bonus to skill without taking an Aim maneuver. If you do Aim, you get +1 after one second, or +2 after two or more seconds, in addition to Acc.

When you Move and Attack, or attack in close combat, you don't get your ability's Acc bonus, but may ignore the Bulk or -2 penalty. This makes the Close Combat technique redundant for you. You may also ignore the extra -1 or -2 to skill for a Flying Attack or Acrobatic Attack.

When you use Fast-Draw for charms, staffs, or the like, total all applicable penalties for Fast-Draw from Odd Positions or Move and Attack, halve the sum, and round in your favor.

You have half the usual penalty to make a Ranged Rapid Strike using these attacks.

You may learn cinematic skills, techniques, and combat Perks that apply to your shooting. Possible skills include Blind Fighting, Breaking Blow, Power Blow, Pressure Points, Pressure Secrets, Push, and Zen Archery. Possible techniques include Fighting While Seated, Pressure-Point Strike, Roll with Blow, Timed Defense, and Whirlwind Attack. Possible Perks include Area Defense, Bank Shot, Bend the Bullet, Drunken Fighting, No Friendly Fire, Tracer Eyes, and Trick Shooter.

[Source: self]

Parents

[2 points]

Your parents or other childhood guardians are alive, well, and have good relations with you.

For characters who are living with or off of their parents, e.g. minors or shut-ins, this is equivalent to Patron (Ordinary Individuals, Appear 9-, Minimal Intervention) [3] plus Trivial Obligation: dumb shit my parents make me do [-1].

For adults, this is equivalent to Claim to Hospitality 2 (Kinship) [2].

If your character is a minor, and your parent is another player character, treat the relationship as a 0-point feature for you, and a 1-point Quirk for them.

[Source: self]

Place of Power

[1 point per level, maximum 5 levels]

For Ritual Path Magic, or similar magic rules:

You control a consecrated ritual space that has a history or location that grants it significant mystical charge, aiding any ritual magic conducted within its boundaries. This grants a bonus equal to the level of this advantage to all energy-gathering rolls conducted within the space, though not to any other rolls related to magic. You only need to perform minor maintenance to keep the space ready for use at any time.

You are entirely familiar with the location for the purposes of sympathetic magic, scrying, teleportation, and so on.

Other people can make use of the ritual space, but they have to get past you, first. It is assumed that you have placed wards upon your Place of Power at your highest possible skill level against any category of threat that you are aware of.

[Source: self]

Rush of Pain

Incompatible with any level of Pain Threshold, or Immunity to Pain. You feel pain, but it gives you an intense rush of adrenaline. You are immune to Stun from injury, and the Shock rules are reversed for you and then some! If you are hit and injured, you receive a bonus on your next turn, rather than a penalty, which may be divided in any way between your combat-oriented Success Rolls and damage rolls. It may not be applied to Defense Rolls. The bonuses may not be saved between turns; they must be used on your next turn or they are lost. You gain no special bonus to resist torture.

[Source: S. John Ross]

Modifiers, New and Modified

Accessibility

Personal Health

The ability is not available while you are at or below at certain HP or FP level:

level	cost
50% HP	0 HP	-1 x HP	-2 x HP	75% FP	50% FP	25% FP
(-30%)	(-20%)	(-10%)	(-5%)	(-30%)	(-20%)	(-10%)

If the ability only receives halved power instead of becoming useless, halve the modifier cost.

[Source: GURPS forum discussion]

Armor Divisor

Add to the list:

• 100 (+300%)

[Source: RPK]

Bombardment

Bombardment with Cone or Emanation is compatible with Rapid Fire and recoil modifiers. In such case, each of the individual Bombardment attacks is treated as a rapid fire attack, receiving the RoF bonus to hit and the possibility of multiple hits based on the Margin of Success and Recoil. If you don't mind the added complexity, you may give an Area Effect attack two Rapid Fire modifiers, the first to disperse the area effects, and the second for the bombardment within those area effects.

In addition to Area Effect and Cone, Bombardment may be combined with the experimental Fragmentation modifiers below.

[Source: self]

Variant: Skill-Based

Instead of a fixed number, you control the Bombardment yourself, using the skill Innate Attack (Bombardment). (-0%)

[Source: self]

Costs Fatigue

For most abilities that produce instantaneous effects, cost is -10% per level, max. -40%. You pay the FP cost every time you trigger the ability.

For most abilities that produce continuing effects, cost per FP depends on how often you have to pay:

x FP per minute	x FP per 10 seconds	x FP per second
-10% per level, max. -40%	-20% per level, max. -80%	-40% per level, max. -80%

For Innate Attack and similar abilities, cost is -10% per level if the FP payment makes the ability available for 1 minute, or -20% per level if the FP payment is per ranged shot or per second of melee.

Costs Hit Points is worth x1.5 as much.

If you have any abilities that allow you to recover at least 1 FP (or HP) per second, this limitation is worth only 1/5 as much. If you can recover even faster than that, it's worth only 1/10 as much.

[Sources: RPK, GURPS forum discussion]

Either/Or

For Either/Or limitations, multiply their percentage values together.

[Source: RPK]

Fragmentation

This is an unplaytested replacement for the Fragmentation modifier:

Fragmentation, Burst

Requires Bombardment and Follow-Up to another attack. When the first attack hits, the Fragmentation attack rolls to hit each target within (5 yards per die of damage) using the Bombardment skill, modified by penalties for range and target size/posture. (+50%)

Example: The default fragmentation in Basic Set is a cutting attack with Bombardment 14, -5%; Extra Recoil 2, -20%; Follow-Up, cost varies; Fragmentation, Burst, +50%; Rapid Fire 5, +70%. Total modifier: +95%, not counting the Follow-Up cost.

[Source: self]

Fragmentation, Cone

Requires Bombardment and Rapid Fire. Lay the line of attack as for a Cone. The fragmentation attacks everyone within a 60° arc along that line, out to its normal range, using the Bombardment skill, modified by penalties for range and target size/posture, and the RoF bonus. Calculate hits for the closer targets first, to see that any fragments they stop cannot move on to hit farther targets. (+50%)

Example: Claymore mine. Small piercing attack, with: Bombardment 8, -20%; Fragmentation, Cone, +50%; Increased 1/2D, x5, +10%; Increased MAX, x2, +5%; Rapid Fire 700, +350%. Total modifier: +390%.

[Source: self]

Disadvantages, Modified

When referring to "levels" of self-control, (15-) is the first level, (12-) is the second level, (9-) is the third, and (6-) is the fourth.

Chronic Depression

Check self-control to do anything but the bare minimum. You suffer a penalty to all actions equal to the Margin of Failure on this roll. On a MoF of 6 or more, you can do nothing useful at all. On a critical failure, you perform some act of self-harm or pointless destruction. A depressive person may suffer a -1 per level reaction penalty from and to others.

[Source: self]

Chronic Pain

This has been replaced with Chronic Affliction.

Codes of Honor

When inventing codes of honor, use these as guidelines:

• Trivial [-1 point]: An informal, limited, and entirely personal code of behavior. Examples: Be gentlemanly toward females; spurn chauvinistic males; etc.

• Minor [-5 points]: A code among a peer group, enforced informally. Examples: A professional code of conduct; a gang's code of honor. Alternatively, a personal code that can get you into serious trouble. Example: Stays bought.

• Major [-10 points]: A formal and ritualized code among a peer group, or an informal code observed to the point of death. This covers any code of honor that could lead to a formal duel, any code of honor that would make you run into fire to save a wounded comrade, and any code of hospitality that would make you accept an enemy as a guest.

• Severe [-15 points]: A formal code observed at all times, even if it means suicide. This covers the strictest knightly or fanatical codes.

[Source: self]

Debt

When using the Abstract Wealth rules, having a Debt means you must make a purchase each month, to pay off your debt-holder. If you fail to pay, you have an additional month in which to attempt to pay off both the last month's arrears and this month's normal payment. Otherwise, the Debt is replaced with new disadvantages equal to twice what the Debt was worth, usually reduced Wealth, a Duty, or an Enemy. The cost of this disadvantage depends on the cost of the Debt:

Cheap	Normal	Expensive 1	Expensive 2	Expensive 3
'[-1 point]	'[-5 points]	'[-10 points]	'[-15 points]	'[-20 points]

See also Time Worked.

[Source: self]

Dependents

Only use this to represent family and lovers if you want continual "rescue baby" plots. Otherwise, see Duty, or use Sense of Duty.

Duty

If you have a family that requires time and attention, but not constant adventurous rescues, you may represent this as a Nonhazardous Duty.

If your child is another player character, treat this as a 1-point Quirk to represent the legal responsibility.

[Source: self]

Enemies

Enemies are after you specifically. Enemies acquired as part of your job (e.g. enemy soldiers) or social standing (e.g. pararazzi, lone nut assassins) usually just come with the territory, and go away if you change careers. Only take such forces as Enemies if you are especially notorious (e.g. Most Wanted) or otherwise top priority, or if one of them has it in for you personally.

[Source: self]

Epilepsy

This disadvantage is still available, but if you want another way to represent it, consider Chronic Affliction.

Guilt Complex

This has a self-control number. Check self-control when your friends are hurt to see if the Chronic Depression is triggered; if it is, also use the self-control number for the Depression.

[Source: self]

Jealousy

This has a self-control number. Check self-control to go along with a plan proposed by a rival. The reaction penalty is -1 per level.

[Source: self]

Laziness

This has a self-control number. Check self-control to get off your butt and work. This disadvantage does not directly affect your income; instead, take a -1 per level penalty to your job rolls.

[Source: self]

Lunacy

This has a self-control number, which applies to the new moon's Laziness. For the full moon's Will and self-control penalties, apply -1 per level.

[Source: self]

Manic-Depressive

This has a self-control number, which applies to the Chronic Depression, Overconfidence, and Workaholic effects.

[Source: self]

Megalomania

This has a self-control number. Check self-control to resist the urge to monologue, or otherwise set aside your grand scheme (temporarily, of course).

[Source: self]

Pacifism

Most types of Pacifism are simply voluntary moral codes, equivalent to Vows; violating your Pacifism only causes a mental breakdown if you also have a Guilt Complex or Reluctant Killer.

[Source: self]

Paranoia

This has a self-control number. Check self-control to trust someone (and escape suffering the reaction penalty). The reaction penalty from others is -1 per level.

[Source: self]

Self-Destruct

This costs [-5 points]. (Lifespan traits are largely for flavor.)

[Source: RPK]

Short Lifespan

This costs [-5 points per level]. (Lifespan traits are largely for flavor.)

[Source: RPK]

Stubbornness

This has a self-control number. Check self-control to go along with what others want. The reaction penalty from others is -0 at first level, -1 per additional level.

[Source: self]

Terminal Illness

This trait has been eliminated entirely. If you want to make certain that you will die during the campaign, take a Destiny. Otherwise, take whatever physical disadvantage could kill you (e.g. Chronic Heart Condition, Dependency, Elderly 3 and Self-Destruct, etc.), and let the dice fall where they way.

[Source: RPK]

Trickster

Variant: Fighter

Rather than wanting to trick others, you crave the excitement of an interesting battle. The effects are otherwise much the same. You need not kill your foes, unless you also have Bloodlust. (+0%)

[Source: self]

Unhealing

Modifier: Fatigue Also

In addition to the normal effects, you cannot recover Fatigue Points naturally! (+100%)

[Source: RPK]

Modifier: Fatigue Only

You can heal your Hit Points as usual, but you cannot recover your Fatigue Points naturally! (+0%)

[Source: RPK]

Workaholic

This has a self-control number. Check self-control to stop working and rest. The reaction penalty is -1 per level.

[Source: self]

Disadvantages, New

Cathexsis

You have a strong emotional bond to a specified† object, person, or place. You believe that you cannot survive without them, due to love, luck, or whatever. You will resist any attempt to separate you from the object of your obsession. The cost depends on the level of emotional investment:

• Quirk [-1 point]: An object you always play with, the girlfriend you always write to. Only inconvenient if you have to go deep cover; you suffer -1 reactions if forced to give it up. Alternatively, you hate to leave your home neighborhood and daily round, and give -1 reactions when taken away from it.

• Minor [-5 points]: A weapon you always carry, the girlfriend you insist on bringing even to the secret meeting. Can lead to difficulties if your friends don't head you off; -2 to reactions when forced. Alternatively, you rarely break your normal routine, and have -2 reactions when compelled to travel.

• Major [-10 points]: The subject is conspicuous, inconvenient, and almost more important to you than anything else. Alternatively, you never leave home. You have a -5 reaction to any attempt to part you from your cathexsis, even momentarily, as they drag you out kicking and screaming.

• Severe [-15 points]: The subject eas up all your money and time, and you structure your entire life around it. If you have to go from L.A. to the Amazon, you will' find a way to bring your special T-Bird. You suffer Chronic Depression or go Berserk if separated from your love.

[Source: Alan Atkinson, self]

Chronic Affliction

You have an injury, disorder, or illness that causes you severe problems on a regular or even constant basis. This disadvantage is a catch-all that can represent many kinds of problems.

Roll against the frequency of appearance once per day. If you roll below this number, you suffer the listed Irritating or Incapacitating effect. The timing of this attack is up to the GM, but it usually occurs during waking hours; you might wake up with it, or it might be set off by stress during the day. If the GM rules that the attack occurs while you are trying to sleep, you may suffer penalties for sleep deprivation.

The attack endures for a fixed interval, after which you may attempt a HT roll to recover. If you succeed, you have dealt with your issue for the day. If you fail, the attack continues for another interval, after which you may try to roll again. The units of time used for the interval (seconds, minutes, hours) depends on the particular affliction.

Find the point cost of your Chronic Affliction by choosing the specific effect, then multiplying the given cost for the interval and frequency.

Affliction

Effect	Cost	Time	Notes
Choking	Coughing/Sneezing	Daze	Drowsiness	Drunkenness	Ecstacy	Euphoria	Hallucinations	Heart Attack	Itching	Nausea	Pain, Moderate	Pain, Severe	Pain, Terrible	Pain, Agonizing	Paralysis	Retching	Seizures	Tipsiness	Unconsciousness
[-25 points]	[-5 points]	[-12 points]	[-25 points]	[-5 points]	[-25 points]	[-8 points]	[-12 points]	[-75 points]	[-2 points]	[-8 points]	[-5 points]	[-10 points]	[-15 points]	[-25 points]	[-40 points]	[-12 points]	[-25 points]	[-3 points]	[-50 points]
seconds	hours	minutes	special	hours	minutes	hours	minutes	special	hours	hours	hours	hours	hours	minutes	hours	minutes	minutes	hours	hours
Severe asthma.		Petit mal seizure. You can be woken normally.	Narcolepsy. You can be woken normally.	Not literally drunk, but a similar neural effect.				You suffer an attack! Always use x1 interval cost.			The old Mild Chronic Pain.	The old Severe Chronic Pain.	The old Agonizing Chronic Pain.				Grand mal seizures.	Not literally drunk, but a similar neural effect

Interval

1 second/minute/hour	2 seconds/minutes/hours	4 seconds/minutes/hours	8 seconds/minutes/hours
{x0.5}	{x1}	{x1.5}	{x2}

Frequency

6 or less	9 or less	12 or less	15 or less
{x0.5}	{x1}	{x2}	{x3}

[Source: self]

Ditz

[-5 or -15 points]

You have an uncanny affinity for gross physical blunders. You do not necessarily have a low IQ (you may have up to IQ 13 and still select this trait), but you are more awkward than your IQ would suggest. This disadvantage comes in two levels:

• Ditz [-5 points]: Make an IQ roll to get through the day without making a social gaffe, leaving the motor running and the lights on, or mixing up important files. This is rarely life-threatening, but it is inconvenient and often expensive.

• Total Ditz [-15 points]: As above, but in addition, any failure on an IQ roll or IQ-based skill roll is considered a critical failure for you!

This trait might seem silly, but it need not be. It differs from Absent-Mindedness in that you remembered all right, you just got confused, or remembered wrong, or went ahead and did something boneheaded anyway for no good reason.

[Source: self]

Elderly

[-1 point per level, max. 3 levels]

For each level of this disadvantage, you have already passed one of the aging thresholds.

[Source: self]

Moron

[-10 points]

Incompatible with Common Sense. When you, the player, have a clever plan for party action, or a solution to a mystery faced in the adventure, you must make an IQ roll in order for your character to have the same idea! (If your idea could be justified by one of your skills, you may make a skill roll instead.) If the roll fails, then your character has a stupid idea, instead, and eagerly offers a suggestion that is either obvious, or obviously wrong.

[Source: S. John Ross]

Procrastinator

[-5 points*]

It's not that you're lazy, really! You just have a little trouble getting started. Check self-control to start a project on your own; you have -1 to this roll for each day of extra time you have available, or +1 for each day that you're behind schedule. Once you begin, or if someone else forces you to start, you work normally.

[Source: Arthur Shipkowski]

Reluctant Killer

[-10 points*]

You are psychologically unprepared to kill people. The first time you attack a particular person in a fight, check self-control.

If you fail this roll, you absolutely cannot fight that particular person. You must retreat, surrender, negotiate, fire into the air uselessly, use an absolutely harmless attack (e.g. a sleep spell), switch targets, or even curl up into a ball and scream—anything but try to hurt them.

If you pass this roll, you may fight, but you still hold back your blows unconsciously. You may not Aim, and you suffer a -2 per level penalty to each attack. Halve the penalty if you cannot see your foe's face and are not in close combat.

No roll is required, nor is there a penalty to attack, an inanimate target (including vehicles or buildings whose occupants are hidden from you), nor an inhuman target (e.g. animals, monsters), nor a target you cannot actually see (e.g. indirect fire). Note that this may be subjective by character; some characters, for example, may see animals as more deserving of life than humans. Use Pacifism, Sense of Duty, and similar traits as guidelines.

If you kill a recognizeable person, intentionally or accidentally, make another self-control roll as soon as you realize this. If you fail, the result is as for a Phobia: take your Margin of Failure, add 3d, and look up the result on the Fright Check Table. If you hurt someone visibly (bleeding, screaming, etc.), do the same, but with a +4 bonus to self-control. However, if your victim doesn't appear to be hurt at all, you don't have to roll.

In realistic games, most characters come with some degree of this disadvantage! Those with combat training or "killer instinct" may buy it off. My campaign default for such games is:

Hardened Killer	Desperate Killer	Reluctant Killer	Very Reluctant Killer	Extremely Reluctant Killer
[10 points]	[5 points]	[0 points]	[-5 points]	[-10 points]
Does not have this trait.	Self-control 15-	Self-control 12-	Self-control 9-	Self-control 6-

[Source: self]

Quirks

Scavenged from multiple sources, with my own additions.

Mental or Emotional

Addiction

You are addicted to a specified drug or behavior, which you must use daily or suffer withdrawal. The drug is cheap, legal, and not especially addictive or incapacitating.

Angry

It's not so much that you have a bad temper, it's just that you show it more strongly than most people when you do lose it.

Apathetic

"Whatever." When you have nothing better to do, you'll go along with others just to go along, or in hopes of finding something interesting.

Awkward

You cannot use a specified Influence skill in a specified social situation. Examples: No Sex Appeal when in a public place; no Intimidation against women; no Diplomacy around the topic of your religion.

Bad Handwriting

It takes 2-3 times as long for anyone else to make out your handwriting, and you receive a -1 reaction penalty from anyone who reads your writing.

Bad with (Animal)

You get -4 on all reaction rolls made by one specified type of animal.

Bad with Names

You have to make an IQ roll to remember the name of anyone who you haven't known well for a long time. And sometimes even then.

Bad with (Social Group)

You are Oblivious (-1 to social skills) when it comes to one specific social group.

Belief

You are a devout believer in a specified religion, political philosophy, atheism, etc.

Blackouts

After suffering a specific altered mental state (e.g. drunk, Berserk, Combat Shakes, Chronic Seizures), you often suffer memory loss. You must make a Will+1 roll to remember general events from that time, and any memories which would normally take an IQ roll to recall are uncoverable.

Busy

You hate to sit around. If nothing's going on, that means it's time to stand up and do something!

Careless

You neglect to take routine precautions, only bothering when the situation seems particularly important.

Cold

You don't display a lot of care or sensitivity for others' personal feelings, although you understand them well enough.

Completist

You hate to leave a job half-done.

Confident

You know your abilities, and don't hesitate to use them or mention them when you know you can handle a situation. (Unlike Overconfident, you actually have a realistic understanding of your capabilities.)

Confrontational

You love to argue.

Conscientious

You make an effort to obey most laws and rules, and will only break the law as a last resort.

Cruel

You don't go out of your way to hurt people, when you do cause harm, you just can't resist putting that extra kick in.

Dense

You're always the last to catch any witty remark or joke, especially one upon you. You'll laugh once you get it, though.

Dominant

You like to be in charge, and will attempt to take the alpha position if no one else has it.

Dreams

You always have vivid and memorable dreams, sometimes really bizarre or perverse ones. This may provoke odd reactions from those who hear about it.

Dual Identity

You have a "secret identity" which isn't really a secret. anyone who wants to learn it can do so, but you prefer to keep the two identities firmly separated. When on duty, you stick to your costume and codename, while when off duty, you insist on being treated "just like everybody else."

Flirty

You tend to get playful with folks of your preferred gender. The game is more important than the score, though; you're no more or less likely to actually go to bed with someone than anyone else. This may get you a -1 reaction from those who consider such behavior to be improper.

Forthright

You prefer to speak the absolute truth, or remain silent rather than lie. This gives you -1 to rolls to tell falsehood.

Heavy Sleeper

You can fall asleep in all but the worst conditions, and will sleep through most disturbances, blissfully unaware. You still suffer any ill effects from poor quality sleep.

Homebody

You greatly prfer the company of your own possessions and family to outsiders; given a choice, you'll retire to familiar surroundings rather than go out and about.

= Hot Button

There's this one particular thing that sets you off as if you had Bad Temper; use Will as your self-control number. Examples: Accusations of cowardice; criticism of your weight; computer problems.

Ignorant

You lack even default knowledge of a particular common skill that most people of your social group would expect you to know. This is worth a -1 reaction when noticed.

Immodest

You have little sense of personal modesty; you often walk around your home naked, talk crudely, etc. You have just enough common sense to remember to fake proper behavior when it's important.

Impatient

You have trouble enduring discomfort and nuisances. You prefer to stand up and deal with the problem, or if that's not possible, leave.

Irritating

You have a specific trivial personal habit that only a few people are likely to notice, but it will drive those few people nuts.

Late

You always arrive late. Always.

Modest

Aww, you're not that great. You avoid praise.

Neat Freak

You have a tendency to organize the objects around you, including other people's stuff if you forget.

Not a Morning Person

You're exceedingly irritable and slow to respond before you've finished your morning routine.

Ouch!

When you suffer a minor injury (no more than 1 point of damage, e.g. papercuts, stubbed toes, bonks on the head), you must make a Will roll or cry out. This is perfectly compatible with High Pain Threshold, for those who shrug off major injuries but wince at the small ones.

Panicky

In a sudden crisis, you tend to shout and flail about a lot until you figure out what's going on and what to do.

Picky Eater

You have very specific tastes and preferences about your food. This may get a -1 reaction from those who cook for you.

Poor Memory

In one ear and out the other. You have -1 to IQ rolls to remember specific information.

Private

You may not have any particular Secrets that anyone else would care about, but you still keep your private business to yourself as closely as if it were a secret.

Quiet

You don't like to chatter or horse around much, especially around strangers. Your first instinct is never words.

Ritual

You have a particular ritual or set of practices that you perform with scrupulous regularity. Examples: A daily walk; a nightly prayer; a particular method of maintaining your kit.

= Serious

You do not seek our frivolity or humor, though you're reasonably open to whatever comes along, provided it is appropriate and everyone has finished their chores.

Slacker

If no one's on your case, you're inclined to slack off your work. You never volunteer.

Slow Reader

You take about half-again as long to read anything as anyone else would.

Submissive

You are most comfortable when someone else is in charge, and usually defer to higher authority.

Suspicious

You assume that most people are up to no good, or at least concealing their true motives. Unlike true Paranoia, you don't think they're all out to get you personally; you figure this is just how the system works, so make sure to cover your ass.

Talkative

You just can't seem to shut up.

Teetotaler / Straight-Edge

You avoid alcoholic beverages and/or whatever other common social drugs are used in your society.

Trademark

You have a specified symbol that you leave at the scene of the action as a way of "signing your work". It takes almost no time to leave, cannot be used in itself to trace your identity, and can be overlooked when you're in a hurry.

Trusting

You tend to think the best of people. Without evidence to the contrary, you're inclined to believe what others tell you.

Vain

You pay exceptional attention to your appearance; even a small blemish makes you uncomfortable.

Mental or Emotional

Addiction

You are addicted to a specified drug or behavior, which you must use daily or suffer withdrawal. The drug is cheap, legal, and not especially addictive or incapacitating.

Allergy

You have an allergic reaction to a specific substance; this is annoying, but rarely dangerous. If exposed, make a HT roll; on a failure, you suffer coughing, sneezing, or itching for minutes equal to the Margin of Failure.

Drug Reaction

A specific common drug doesn't work on you normally; you must use an expensive variant, or you suffer strange side effects.

High Rejection Threshold

You are of an uncommon blood type, or are otherwise unable to accept tissue transplants or cybernetic parts from most subjects unless you pass an additional HT roll to check for rejection.

Long-Term Effects

Each month that you consistently violate a specified Restricted Diet or similar life support disadvantage, you accumulate -1 characer point toward lowering your HT. You can remove these points slowly by staying clean, again at one month per point, but once a level of HT is lost, it's gone for good.

Odd Body Shape

You have difficulty finding clothes that fit well, which increases the cost of your wardrobe.

Supplement

You require particular periodic dietary supplements or special treatments to remain healthy, but this is a long-term requirement, easily obtained.

Social or Appearance =

Dishonest Face

You seem untrustworthy, unreliable, or simply somehow wrong. This has nothing to do with your reputation among those who know you, or how virtuous you really are! People who don't know you will tend to pick you if they're looking for a potential criminal or troublemaker, or not pick you if they're looking for someone to confide in. You always get spot-checked by customs agents and the like.

Disliked by (Group)

Some small group, or a particular type of animal, dislikes you, and reacts at -1.

Exposed

Requires Secret. A few particular people who aren't your friends know your secret. They aren't your enemies, either, yet, but they could expose you if they wished or were convinced.

Hidden Scar

Your body has a noticeable and grotesque flaw, such as a huge scar or severe skin disease, that is normally covered up with your everyday clothing. You lose any benefits of Appearance when your flaw is exposed.

Lover

You are in a steady romantic relationship! This is a combination of a Sense of Duty toward that particular individual, plus Claim to Hospitality 1.

If your love is another PC, or the other party doesn't reciprocate your feelings, you can't have the Claim to Hospitality, so take Sense of Duty instead of this Quirk.

Low Voice

You have trouble making yourself heard over noise; others have -3 to their Hearing rolls to hear your voice.

Obligation

You have a particular minor, nonhazardous social duty that you try your best to pursue, but can abandon in emergencies. Examples: Chairperson of a club; volunteer work for a charity; a lonely but irritating relative whom you feel sorry for.

Stalker

This is a low-value Enemy (Watcher): someone relatively unimportant who stalks you or spies upon you. This can be annoying or disturbing, but is rarely more than a minor inconvenience.

Stereotypical

You strongly resemble a particular stereotype of a profession, ethnic group, etc. Even those who should know better tend to pigeon-hole you, and thin-skinned members of your group might accuse you of making them look bad. You receive a doubled reaction penalty from those who dislike this group.

Unphotogenic

Your Appearance is treated as one level lower on camera or in photos.

Ward

One of the other PCs is your legal dependent or ward. You are responsible for their general upkeep.

Esoteric

Destiny

You have a very particular minor Destiny: You will suffer a single critical failure when you most need success, after which this Quirk is removed.

Sexual Quirks, Perks, and Features

For games that swing that way. These are mostly scavenged from the core books and GURPS forum discussions.

Cross-Species Impregnation

Males and hermaphrodites. [Perk] You can impregnate other species. In a realistic game, you must specify a single other species; in a cinematic game, anything goes.

Cross-Species Surrogacy

Females and hermaphrodites. [Perk] You can carry other species' embryos to term. In a realistic game, you must specify a single other species; in a cinematic game, anything goes.

Easy Childbirth

Females and hermaphrodites. [Perk] You get +3 to all HT rolls related to pregnancy, labor, and recovery.

Eunuch

Any. [Quirk] You have been forcibly rendered sexless. You may still have desire, but you can't perform, and your mutilated condition may disturb others who become aware of it.

Fertility Control

Any. [Perk] You can control your own fertility level, i.e. Sterility (Switchable). In a realistic game, adjusting hormone levels take a couple of days; in a cinematic game, you may choose in the heat of the moment.

Frigid

Females. [Quirk] You find sex to be uncomfortable, or even painful. You are immune to seduction. In the bedroom, you may receive reaction penalties or sympathy.

Hermaphrodite

[Feature] You are fully-functional as both male and female. Unless you specify otherwise, assume you're bisexual.

Impotent

Males and hermaphrodites. [Quirk] The spirit may be willing, but the flesh is weak. In the bedroom, you may receive reaction penalties or sympathy.

Menses, Heavy

Females and hermaphrodites. [Quirk] You have especially painful and messy menstrual periods, during which you suffer a -1 penalty to most activities due to discomfort, cramps, anemies, mood-swings, etc.

Menses, Light

Females and hermaphrodites. [Perk] You suffer no pain or discomfort during your menstrual or heat cycles.

Multiorgasmic / Short Refractory Period

Any. [Perk] +1 reaction in bed.

Parthenogesis

Females and hermaphrodites. [Perk] You can voluntarily clone yourself.

Reabsorption

Females and hermaphrodites. [Perk] You can voluntarily terminate pregnancy.

Sexual Orientation

In and of itself, sexual orientation is a feature, but having an orientation that is unaccepted by your society can be a Quirk, a Secret, or a Social Stigma, depending on the severity of the reaction.

Sexually Responsive

Any. [-1 point per level] Your lover receives +1 per level to their effective Erotic Arts skill with you, and you suffer -1 per level to your self-control rolls once your switch has been flipped.

Sterility

Any. [Feature] You can have sex, but can't reproduce.

Wealth & Lifestyles

Use the Abstract Wealth rules from Pyramid 3/44: Alternate GURPS II.

Ignore the Cost of Living rules. Instead, your character automatically receives a Lifestyle (as on the Status tables), which is supported either by your Wealth or your Status.

If you are supporting yourself, whether working for pay, maintaining investments, or hunting/farming/fishing, then your Lifestyle is based on your Wealth. The Lifestyle accoutrements are your private property and hirelings; you can sell off and shift households whenever you wish.

If you receive support based on your social position, whether high office, the dole, or marriage, then your Lifestyle is based on your Status. The Lifestyle accoutrements belong to those who provide your position, so you can't sell them; on the other hand, you don't have the responsibility of having to maintain them.

Rank in an organization might also provide a Lifestyle while you're "on duty", but this will be at the needs of the service, and will be greatly reduced in the field, or in budget-conscious or ascetic organizations. A good rule-of-thumb would be to base it on the "free" Status provided by your Rank.

Wealth	Status	Lifestyle	Notes
5 (Homeless) [-40 points]	6 (Destitute) [-30 points]	7 (Working Poor) [-20 points]	8 (Working Class) [-15 points]	9 (Tradespeople) [-10 points]	10 (Middle Class) [0 points]	11 (Upper Middle Class) [10 points]	12 (Wealthy) [20 points]	13 (Very Wealthy) [30 points]	14 (Millionaire) [50 points]	15 [Multimillionaire) [75 points]	16 (Billionaire) [100 points]	17 (Multibillionaire) [125 points]	18 (Megacorporation) [150 points]	19 (Small Nation) [175 points]	20 (Medium Nation) [200 points]	21 (Large Nation) [225 points]	22 (Wealthy Nation) [250 points]	23 (Multiplanetary) [275 points]	24 (Galactic Empire) [300 points]
	-2 (Serf, street person) [-10 points]		-1 (Bondsman, poor citizen) [-5 points]		0 (Freeman, ordinary citizen) [0 points]	1 (Squire, merchant, priest, doctor, councilor) [5 points]	2 (Landless knight, mayor, business leader) [10 points]	3 (Landed knight, guild master, big city mayor) [15 points]	4 (Lesser noble, congresscritter, Who's Who) [20 points]	5 (Great noble, multinational corporate boss) [25 points]	6 (Royal family, governor) [30 points]	7 (King, pope, president) [35 points]	8 (Emperor, god-king, overlord) [40 points]
-2	-2	-1	-1	0	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	10	10	10	10
	("Dead Broke")					("Comfortable")			("Filthy Rich")

If you are the sole supporter of a sizeable household, reduce Lifestyle level by one. Note that in most traditional households, the wife and older children are most definitely working to support the household, even though their work may not be directly paid in money.

If you're always travelling, reduce Lifestyle level by one, to reflect the cost of temporary accommodations and eating out, or maintainance and supply for vehicles and packbeasts. If you live a nomadic existence, then a basic civilian boat, caravan, etc. can be included, but a large ship or the like should be taken as Signature Gear or Patron (Command), with your Lifestyle representing your personal quarters within the ship.

The Base Perk allows you to maintain an entire additional Lifestyle at 3 levels below your own, for the use of an alternate or secret identity, as a home base for a frequent traveller, or to support an ally.

[Source: self]

Time Worked

[±1 point per level, max. 20 levels] This replaces Independent Income and normal Debt.

Normally, you must spend about 50 hours per week to maintain your Lifestyle. This includes working at job sites, domestic chores, commuting, routine maintenance, shopping, standing in line, religious observances, keeping up social connections, grovelling, hunting, or whatever else is part of your regular occupation. This time is unavailable for adventuring without consequences. For some occupations, this time may be averaged over the year, e.g. periods of intense activity (planting, harvest) alternated with periods of slack time (winter).

It costs ±1 point to adjust this time by ±5% either direction. The minimum is 0 hours for 20 points, representing a completely independent income with no obligations; the money just comes in, and you spend it. The maximum is 100 hours for -20 points, at which point practically every waking hour must be devoted to your masters.

[Source: self]

Skills, Modified

For most of these, the source is myself, sometimes based on trawling the GURPSnet archives.

Anthropology

For any species other than human, this skill should be called Sophantology.

Archaeology

This is a /TL skill, and is specifically the technical skill of safely recovering and preserving artifacts. For knowledge of ancient cultures, use Anthropology, History, an appropriate Expert Skill, etc. (You still get the defaults, however.)

Cartography

This is a /TL skill.

Combat Art, Combat Sport

These are now Perks. When you learn a combat skill, declare which of Martial, Art, or Sport that you have learned. For the other two situations, you suffer a -3 penalty unless you have taken the appropriate Perk.

[Source: Kromm]

Computer Operations

In settings where familiar spirits are programmed like computers (shikigami), or artificial intelligences have a lot of free will, this skill is practically a Savoir-Faire specialty.

Environment Suit

I prefer the following names:

{-

Instead of...	...use this:
NBC Suit	Vacc Suit
Hazard Suit	Spacesuit

Erotic Art

This skill is based off IQ and defaults to HT-5. There are some DX-based techniques, however.

Expert Skills

Espionage

Comparable to Military Science; the understanding of intelligence operations, the capabilities of agents and organizations, and the current state of the Great Game.

Occultism

This is now an IQ/H Expert Skill.

Terraforming

The practice of reshaping an entire planet to make it more habitable for human and other Terran life. Other sophants may have their own variants of this skill.

Farming

In a multiworld campaign, this requires specialization by world of origin, e.g. "Terran" for Earth and worlds settled and terraformed by Terrans. Individual worlds are familiarities.

Variants include Aquaculture and Beekeeping.

Gardening

In a multiworld campaign, this requires specialization by world of origin, e.g. "Terran" for Earth and worlds settled and terraformed by Terrans. Individual worlds are familiarities.

Geology

This requires specialization by planetary class; for any planet other than Earth, call this skill Planetology.

Variants include Hydrology, the study of a world's oceans, rivers, and other bodies of liquid.

Innate Attack

A new specialty is Bombardment: directing Skill-based bombardment attacks. You must be able to perceive the target area; any target you can't see, you miss automatically.

Interrogation

This is a cinematic skill. In real life, interrogating a prisoner involves the use of several skills. Torture may induce a victim to talk, but does not ensure that what they say is of any value, and often lowers the quality of information gained.

Linguistics

For any species other than human, call this skill Xenolinguistics.

Literature

Specialization is required. There are two general classes of specialty:

• A limited geographical region (no larger than a small nation) over multiple eras, or the output of a single community. Examples: American South, Irish, Japanese, Algonquin Round Table, fanfiction.net.

• A single era and one of either a broad geographical region, a culture, or an idea. Examples: 20th-Century American, Ottoman Muslim, 18th-Century Novels.

There are variants for other media: Art History, Cinema Studies, Folklore, Music History, and so on.

Mechanic

New specialties include:

• Sapper: The ability to use and modify military barricades, pontoon bridges, etc.

• Small Appliances: Toasters, microwaves, TVs, etc. This overlaps somewhat with Electronics Repair.

Metallurgy

Variants include Ceramics or Composite Materials.

Meteorology

In a multiworld campaign, this requires specialization by planetary class.

Naturalist

In a multiworld campaign, this requires specialization by planet, e.g. Earth, Mars, Alpha Centauri IV.

Occultism

This is now an IQ/H Expert Skill.

Performance

One variant is Circus Performance, for acts intended to shock more than inform. You must specialize by the particular act, e.g. Contortionist, Fire Eating, Sword Swalling, etc.

Physician

Variants include other medical disciplines, e.g. Dentist, Optometrist, Psychiatrist, etc.

Professional Skills

Animal Husbandry

This is a /TL skill. Breeding animals and maintaining stock.

Childcare

Supervising, feeding, comforting, and instructing young children. You may optionally specialize in "own family only".

Household Management

Supervising a household staff or large family, making sure that food is laid in for winter and parties, laundry is done, and all the myriad other tasks. The primary skill of a butler, hotel steward, or family matriarch.

Logistics

This is a /TL skill. Keeping a group organized and supplied in the field, at sea, or in base. Vital for military or exploration operations.

Tradecraft

The practical knowledge of a spy: dead-drops, contact and evasions, use of cipher pads and coded signals, identifying assets to approach for recruitment, etc.

Psychology

Psychology (Applied) is now a separate skill, called Social Sense. It works the same as before.

Psychology (Experimental) is a /TL skill. This is specifically the scientific study of the mind, and serves as the mental counterpart to Physiology. A successful roll lets you avoid cross-species penalties for use of any social skill, although cultural unfamiliarity may still apply. The equivalent skill for dealing with artificial intelligences is Computer Programming (AI).

Sensitivity

To avoid confusion, call this skill Hyperawareness.

Survival

In a multiworld campaign, this also requires specialization by planetary class.

Thaumatology

When using Ritual Path Magic:

Use Thaumatology for recovering your personal mana reserve, instead of Path of Magic.

When you reach your limit on Conditional Rituals, you may make a Thaumatology roll to choose which spell is cancelled, rather than it defaulting to the oldest one.

You may make a Thaumatology roll to transfer ownership of a Charm to another person, placing it under their charm limit rather than yours.

[Sources: self, GURPS forum discussions]

Weather Sense

In a multiworld campaign, this requires specialization by planet, e.g. Earth, Mars, Alpha Centauri IV.

Skills, New

Hyperawareness

This is Sensitivity renamed to avoid confusion.

Interviewing

(IQ/A) Defaults: IQ-5, Detect Lies-4, Interrogation-3, Intelligence Analysis-6, Intimidation-5, Psychology-4, Social Sense-4. Cascades: -4 Detect Lies, -3 Interrogation. Modifiers: Empathy +3, Low Empathy -3, Sensitivity +1.

The practiced ability to question someone, both in formal interviews or in casual social situations. Using this, you may get someone to admit more useful information than they would normally volunteer, and then piece together what they have said into a coherent narrative. You must have already convinced them to talk to you, possibly using some other skill.

Each question requires a skill roll and 5 minutes; if you are attempting to hide your interest, each roll takes 30 minutes and suffers a -3 penalty. A lengthy interview (one to two hours) gives a +2 bonus. You get a +3 bonus if the subject genuinely wants to share the information, -3 if the victim is terrified of you, and -6 if you use torture. (Increase the last two to -4 and -7 if you are Callous). Torture tends to make the victim either clam up entirely, or spill whatever they think you want to hear, whether or not they believe it to be true, and you have no way of telling.

In a truly voluntary interview, the skill roll is unopposed. A success gathers useful information; on a failure, the subject says nothing of interest to you.

If the subject is trying to conceal information, each roll is a Quick Contest of your Interviewing vs. their Perception. If you win, you gather the information you were after; if you tie or lose, you learn nothing of interest; if you lose by 5 or more points, the subject realizes they're said too much, and break off the interview.

If the subject is actively lying to you, each roll is a Quick Contest of your Interviewing vs. their Acting skill. If they win, you learn what they wanted you to believe.

[Source: self]

Social Sense

This is Psychology (Applied) renamed.

Sophantology

This is Anthropology when it applies to non-human species.

Xenolinguistics

This is Linguistics when it applies to non-human species.

General Rules Modifications

Rapid Fire

Follow the normal Rapid Fire rules until you get to the RoF Bonus To Hit. Instead of that chart, look up the number of shots fired on the Speed/Range Table in the "Linear Measurement" column, and use the corresponding "Size" bonus. Example: Firing an M-16 with RoF 12 at full auto falls between the 10 yd and 15 yd lines, so use the +4 bonus for 10 yds.

Calculate the MoS normally, then divide by the weapon's Recoil value, then subtract 1. (A successful Dodge defense subtracts an additional 1 plus the MoS on the defense roll.) Look up that bonus on the Speed/Range Table in the "Size" column. The corresponding "Linear Measurement" is the number of shots that hit the target, minimum 1, up to the total number of shots fired. Example: That M-16 hits by 4. It has Rcl 2, so divide by 2 and subtract 1, getting +1, which means 3 bullets hit.

[Source: Mark Langsdorf aka "No School Grognard"]