Shadowjack's GURPS House Rules

These are my current guidelines and house rules for GURPS 4e character creation and play. — Shadowjack (last updated March 2012)

Defining the Numbers

In general, I try hard to remind myself to aim for low, or for the center of the bell-curve. An attribute of 10 is perfectly acceptable for a regular person, and just because a character did a stunt once in a story, doesn't mean they can do it reliably all the time!

Attributes

Because of the bell-curve, attributes of 8-12 are unremarkable, "average" people. Only above or below this range is a character truly noticeable for that attribute. An attribute of 6 or below is handicapped (by human standards, of course), while an attribute of 18 or above is superhuman. (The traditional exemption is Strength, which can go much higher than 18 among top weightlifters.) Remember that advantages and disadvantages are often rolled into attributes, e.g. someone with HT 11 and Very Fit is just as fit as someone with HT 13.

• 5 or below is crippled, requiring constant help.
• 6 is handicapped, barely functional on your own.
• 7 stands out as "pretty bad", but is otherwise still low average.
• 8 is a natural lack of ability.
• 9 is a 10 who is just a little smaller, slower, or lazier.
• 10 is dead average. If you don't care or don't know, put 10.
• 11 is a 10 who is just a little stronger or faster, or tries harder.
• 12 is natural ability.
• 13 stands out as "pretty good", but is otherwise still high average.
• 14 is noteworthy. People will remember you for this alone.
• 15 is renowned. You'll be sought out or avoided because of your ability.
• 16 is admitted by the best to be among the best.
• 17 to 18 is the realm of myth and legend, almost never seen in real life.
• 19 or above is superhuman.

Skills

This is for the actual skill number and ability; to measure experience, figure the numbers as if the attribute were 10. Note that combat skills should be a little higher than other skills, because they must perform reliably under stress.

• 8 or below – Raw beginner, or a skill long-forgotten.
• 9 or 10 – Amateurish. Acceptable for a hobby, or something picked up on the side.
• 11 or 12 – Routine competence. Acceptable for a primary job skill, or important secondary skills used often.
• 13 or 14 – Qualified expertise. Acceptable for stress skills.
• 15 or 16 – True expertise. A noted specialist, or skilled under fire.
• 17 or 18 – Elite. Better than normal, even in extreme circumstances.
• 19 or 20 – Outstanding. World-renowned. Name your own price.
• 21 or 22 – Legendary. The best of your generation.
• 23 or more – Superhuman; the realm of myth and legend. You do the impossible easily.

Per Kromm, most people have at least 1 point in Area Knowledge, Current Affairs, Housekeeping, and in high-tech worlds Computer Operation, as well as at least one of Carousing, Connoisseur, Games, Hobby Skill, Musical Instrument, Singing, or Sports.

Reaction Modifiers

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

• ±1 is noticeable, but isn't worth mentioning to others.
• ±2 is memorable. Stories about you (or your kind) get around.
• ±3 gets you into the record books. People will seek you out or avoid you based on this alone.
• ±4 is admitted by the best to be among the best, or admitted by all to be the worst.
• ±5 or more is beyond real life, and into the realm of myth.

Frequency Rolls

These guidelines apply to self-control rolls, NPC appearance rolls, the recognition rolls for a Reputation, and so on. Note that I like to flip-flop the descriptors for self-control rolls.

• Constantly is constant, of course.
• Almost Always (Appears 15-, Self-Control 6-) defines the character. You're basicaly that way all the time; it's noteworthy if you're not.
• Quite Often or Sometimes (Appears 12-, Recognized 10-, Self-Control 9-) is an ever-present issue. It comes up every episode or two.
• Fairly Often or Occasionally (Appears 9-, Recognized 7-, Self-Control 12-) affects you now and then, but at times it can be overcome, neglected, or forgotten.
• Rarely (Appears 6-, Self-Control 15-) is essentially a character quirk or perk that once in a while takes center stage.

Social Background

Relationships

Acquaintances

Most NPCs you know are just acquaintances, even your own family members. They show up when they show up, with no player control or plot immunity. To determine their behavior, make a Reaction roll, use an Influence skill, or rely upon GM fiat. You have no particular bond to them unless you took a Sense of Duty toward them.

Friends

There are various friendly relationships.

Allies

Normal Allies automatically have a Sense of Duty toward you, and vice versa; this is included in the cost.

Unwilling Allies do not, either way.

Minions have Sense of Duty, maybe even Fanaticism, and you don't have to have a Sense of Duty toward them!

Claim to Hospitality

In addition to formal organizations, also use this for good friends and close family members. If they'd let you crash at their place for a week, or vice versa, it's a Claim to Hospitality. You're guaranteed a Good reaction from someone with a Claim to Hospitality.

You may apply the modifier "Kinship", in which case you and they have a reciprocal Sense of Duty. Use this for true family.

Dependents

If another PC is your child or ward, handle that relationship as a Quirk (if it's solely a legal responsibility), or a 2-point Sense of Duty (if you genuinely care for them). If another PC is your lover, that's also a 2-point Sense of Duty, and possibly a Quirk as well.

Enemies

Enemies are always after you specifically. Enemies acquired as part of your job or social standing (e.g. enemy soldiers if you're a soldier, police if you're a criminal, assassins if you're a head of state, paparazzi if you're a celebrity) aren't worth noting, because they come with the territory; if you change careers, they'll go away. Only count them as Enemies if they're after you personally (even after retirement), or if you're especially notorious (e.g. Most Wanted, top priority).

Influence

Identity

If it's appropriate to the setting, everyone has an official identity, which includes a citizenship. To this, they may add as many fake identities or names of convenience as they can support; extra Citizenships are Perks.

You can have Alternate Identities (with or without an associated Secret) or be Zeroed, but not both.

Rank and Status

Rank is usually maintained by a corresponding Duty to the organization, while Status is maintained by your Wealth, position, and good social behavior. Either can be used to generate reaction modifiers.

Rank can also be used to request assistance from your organization, and includes an appropriate level of security clearance, equipment allotment, etc. (Security Clearance above this is an extra.) If you're employed by an organization, you automatically have Rank 0, simply as part of the job.

Status may provide a Lifestyle; see below.

Clerical Investment and Legal Enforcement Powers are forms of "Authority", allowing you to officially extend the powers of your Rank to people outside of the organization.

Patronage

A Patron is an unofficial form of influence, handled off the record or under the counter. Many organizations act as a Patron to their members in addition to their formal support; use the Rank when acting within the organization, and the Patron when dealing with the outside world.

If you own an organization yourself (e.g. your private army), take the highest level of Rank and the organization as an almost-always-available Patron.

Wealth

I rarely bother to track money directly, so I don't bother with the existing job and cost of living rules. Instead, begin with the lifestyles given on the Cost of Living and Status tables, and decide whether your character is Employed, or receives an Allowance.

If you are Employed, you are assumed to be supporting your lifestyle by a job or from profitable adventuring. "A job" is broadly defined: a student on a scholarship has the job of keeping their grades up; a hunter-gatherer has the job of hunting and gathering; a slave laborer has the job of being property.

If you receive an Allowance, your lifestyle comes from investments, charity and social welfare, your spouse or family, or your position in high office. Instead of fixed work times or project goals, you must meet certain social obligations to maintain your situation.

• Lifestyle -2 = Employed (Dead Broke) and/or Allowance (Status -2 or worse)
• Lifestyle -1 = Employed (Poor or Struggling) or Allowance (Status -1)
• Lifestyle 0 = Employed (Average) or Allowance (Status 0)
• Lifestyle 1 = Employed (Comfortable) or Allowance (Status 1)
•  Lifestyle 2 = Employed (Wealthy) or Allowance (Status 2)
• Lifestyle 3 = Employed (Very Wealthy) or Allowance (Status 3)
•  Lifestyle 4 = Employed (Filthy Rich) or Allowance (Status 4)
•  Lifestyle 5 = Employed (Multimillionaire 1) or Allowance (Status 5)
•  Lifestyle 6 = Employed (Multimillionaire 2) or Allowance (Status 6)
•  Lifestyle 7 = Employed (Multimillionaire 3) or Allowance (Status 7)
•  Lifestyle 8 = Employed (Multimillionaire 4) or Allowance (Status 8 or more)

You can usually support one other person without greatly impacting your Lifestyle, but to support an entire family drops your Lifestyle by 1 level if you're the only wage-earner. If everyone helps out, though, leave the Lifestyle as it is.

To maintain a second Lifestyle, for example to support an alternate identity, drop your main Lifestyle by one level, then take a second Lifestyle one level below that. (Example: A Wealthy crimefighter could live a Comfortable Lifestyle, with an Average safehouse.)

Assume you spend roughly 50 hours a week maintaining your Lifestyle; this time is unavailable for adventuring unless you wish to risk serious consequences. For Employment, this time includes not just actual paid work, but also commuting, maintenance, shopping, dealing with bureaucracy, and so on. For an Allowance, this includes whatever chores and socializing are expected of you, as well as (at low Status) the simple struggle to survive. This time is an average spread over the year; farmers often have more spare time in winter than during planting and harvest, a middle-class worker might work 9-to-5 with some overtime and get a couple of weeks vacation, and so on.

Debt increases the amount of time you have to work by 5% per level; at Debt 20, you are basically spending every waking hour at work.

Independent Income decreases the amount of time you have to work by 5% per level; with Independent Income 20, you don't have to do anything at all!

Character Traits

Advantages

Affliction (10 points + 3/level)

New pricing, per Kromm. We'll try it out.

Chambara Fighting Style (15 points)

This advantage grants the basic combat bonuses of Trained By A Master or Weapon Master, i.e. halved Rapid Strike or multiple-parry penalties, but does not grant access to chi abilities.

Chi Attunement (15 points)

This advantage grants access to chi abilities (as Trained By A Master), but does not grant any particular combat bonuses.

Claim to Hospitality

Kinship (-0% modifier): A normal Claim to Hospitality is just a social group – you may be friends, but your obligation to each other is not an especially deep one. Kin relations, on the other hand, may be very strong; both you and they are assumed to have a Sense of Duty to each other, such that you will support the other for a long time without any questions.

Cultural Familiarities

Instead of using broad definitions, go ahead and be specific. Distance penalties apply with broader areas, similarly to Area Knowledge, so you get -1 with your neighbors across the border, -2 with an unfamiliar but distantly related culture, and -3 with something very different.

Hardened Killer (10 points)

As all characters receive the 10-point version of Reluctant Killer automatically, buying off the penalty entirely is therefore equivalent to a 10-point advantage. See below.

Languages

Use the following comprehension levels:

Speech: None [0]; Broken [1]; Accented [2]; and Fluent [3]. Record your mother tongue as Native, instead of Fluent, to show that it's the language you usually think in. Having additional Native tongues (e.g. bilingual) requires an appropriate Perk.

Literacy: Illiterate [0]; Semi-Literate [1]; Literate [2]; and Educated [3]. An easy way to represent an uneducated character is to drop their primary language down to Literate, saving a point; they can read and write, but they aren't comfortable doing so.

Write them up like so: English (Native/Literate) [-1]; High Elven (Accented/Educated) [5]; American Sign Language (Broken) [1].

Rapid Healing

Very Rapid Healing doubles all healing rates, including those from Regeneration, magical healing, etc.

Regrowth (10 points)

New pricing. All crippling injuries may be healed.

Disadvantages

As noted above, I prefer to flip-flop the descriptions of self-control numbers, e.g. instead of "resists quite rarely" it becomes "succumbs almost always".

Ditz (-5 or -15 points)

You have an uncanny affinity for gross mental and social 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: 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. The GM should be creative in inventing minor torments. You should especially avoid laboratories, records rooms, and live interviews. -5 points.

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

This trait might seem silly, but it need not be. It differs from Absent-Mindedness, in that you remember all right – you just get confused, or remembered wrong, or went ahead and did something boneheaded anyway.

This is the mental version of Klutz.

Elderly (-3 per level, maximum three levels)

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

Guilt Complex*

This disadvantage has a self-control number, to resolve the Chronic Depression.

Violating Pacifism also triggers this disadvantage.

Laziness*

This disadvantage has a self-control number. Make a self-control roll to get up off your butt and do your work.

If you are self-employed, and using the original income rules, your income reduction becomes:

• Almost always (-20 points): -80% income
• Quite often (-15 points): -60% income
• Fairly often (-10 points): -40% income
• Rarely (-5 points): -20% income

Lunacy*

This disadvantage has a self-control number. Apply this to the new moon Laziness as above, and alter the full moon penalty as follows:

• Almost always (-20 points): -4
• Quite often (-15 points): -3
• Fairly often (-10 points): -2
• Rarely (-5 points): -1

Pacifism

Reluctant Killer is now a separate disadvantage; see below. The other types of Pacifism are voluntary moral codes, equivalent to Vows.

• Do Not Kill (-10)
• Harm No Innocents (-10)
• Self-Defense Only (-10)
• Total Nonviolence (-30)

Violating your Pacifism does not normally provoke a nervous breakdown any more than breaking any other Vow would. However, if you have Reluctant Killer (see below), a situation that would break your Pacifism also counts as violence for Reluctant Killer.

Reluctant Killer (-10*)

All characters receive this disadvantage at "fairly often" (self-control 12-) automatically. Those with combat training or a killer instinct should buy it off; see Hardened Killer, above.

In order to use deadly force against a person, you must make a self-control roll at the moment of attacking. You only need to roll once per opponent per fight.

If you fail this roll, you absolutely cannot harm that particular person. You must retreat, surrender, negotiate, use a non-lethal attack (e.g. a sleep spell, OC spray), or even curl up into a ball and scream – anything but hurt them.

If you succeed, you may fight that particular person, but you still hold back your blows, unconsciously, throughout the fight. You may not Aim, and you suffer a penalty to each attack depending on your self-control number:

• Almost always (6-) = -8 • Quite often (9-) = -6 • Fairly often (12-) = -4 • Rarely (15-) = -2

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 a vehicle or building whose occupants are hidden from you, or an opponent you do not believe is a person, or a target you cannot actually see.

If you do kill a recognizable person, intentionally or accidentally, you must make another self-control roll. If you fail, the result is as if you are exposed to a Phobia: roll 3d, add the amount by which you failed your self-control roll, and look up the result on the Fright Check Table (p. 360).

If you hurt someone visibly – bleeding, screaming, etc. – roll at +4. If they don't appear to be hurt, on the other hand, you don't have to roll at all.

Sense of Duty

You automatically have a Sense of Duty toward:

• Normal Allies, but not Unwilling Allies or Minions.
• Anyone with whom you have a Claim to Hospitality (Kinship).
• Dependents whose Importance to you is of a Friend or Loved One.

The rules as written imply you also have one toward Patrons, but I disagree. Your Patron, however, might have a Sense of Duty toward you.

You don't get any extra points for this; it's included in those traits.

Short Lifespan (-5 points/level)

New pricing, per Reverend Pee Kitty. I left the other aging traits alone, but this one seemed a needless point sink.

Shyness

One variant of this is Social Ineptitude, for characters who are not necessarily shy, but are equally socially incompetent.

Stubbornness*

This disadvantage has a self-control number. Make a self-control roll to go along with someone else's decision instead of sticking to your own.

Terminal Illness

This disadvantage is stupidly unbalanced; it will not be used. Having a specifically-delimited lifespan is a Quirk; if it's coming up soon, it's a Destiny; if you've already crossed the threshold, use Elderly plus Self-Destruct.

Trickster

One variant of this is Fighter, for those who crave the excitement of interesting battles; the effects are otherwise the same. You need not kill your foes, unless you also have Bloodlust.

Quirks

Note that many of these are trivial forms of stronger Disadvantages.

Acceleration Weakness

You are susceptible to the bad effects of extreme acceleration, having -3 to HT rolls to avoid them.

Addiction†

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

Alcohol Intolerance

Alcohol "goes right to your head." You become intoxicated much more quickly than normal, having -2 on any HT roll related to drinking.

Allergy†

You have some sort of allergic reaction to a substance. This is annoying, but rarely dangerous. If exposed to the cause of your allergy, make a HT roll. On a failure, you become miserable and suffer coughing, sneezing, or itching for a number of minutes equal to the margin of failure.

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.

Anti-Photogenic

You look terrible on camera. Anyone looking at your picture reacts as if your Appearance were one level lower.

Apathetic

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

Attentive

You tend to stick to one task until it's done. You get a +1 bonus when working on lengthy tasks, but -3 to notice any important interruption!

Awkward†

You cannot use one of your Influence skills in a particular social situation, due to your own nervousness or misunderstanding. Examples: Sex Appeal when in a public place, Intimidation against women, Diplomacy when the issue of your religion comes up.

Bad with (Animal)†

You frighten and disturb one particular type of animal.

Bad with (Social Group)†

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

Bowlegged

You are bowlegged. You have -1 to Jumping skill, and may get a -1 reaction from those who think it looks funning.

Broad-Minded

You get along well with other races and species, and strange looks rarely bother you.

Busy

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

Cannot Float

You always sink in water.

Careless

You neglect to take precautions for most things, only bothering when the situation seems particularly important.

Chauvinistic

You are always aware of differences in sex, skin color, etc., even if you do not actually react poorly to others. Thin-skinned individuals might occasionally react to you at -1 as a result.

Code of Honor†

You take pride in a set of principles that you follow at all times. Examples: Insisting on exhibiting "gentlemanly" behavior toward all females; spurning "chauvinistic" behavior from all males.

Cold

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

Confident

You know your abilities, and don't hesitate to use them or mention them when you know you are handle the situation. (Unlike Overconfident, you actually know how capable you are.)

Congenial

You like company and you work well with others. You always choose group action over individual action.

Conscientious

You make an effort to obey most laws and rules, and feel uncomfortable when circumstances drive you to break the rules.

Delusion†

You believe something that simply is not true. This may cause others to consider you insane – and they may be right! However, this delusion does not affect your everyday behavior, and is unlikely to be noticed by casual acquaintances. Examples: "The Earth is flat." "The Pentagon controls the Boy Scouts and health food stores." "Socks cause disease of the feet.")

Dense

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

Dependent (PC)

One of the other PCs is your dependent, and you consider yourself responsible for their general upkeep. You may not necessarily like them.

Destiny†

This is a very minor Destiny. This Quirk will cause you a single critical failure when you most need success, and then is removed.

Dishonest Face

You simply look dishonest, unreliable, or generally wrong. This has nothing to do with you 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 almost always get spot-checked by customs agents and the like.

Disliked†

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

Dislikes†

You dislike a particular thing, and avoid it whenever possible. NPCs react at -1 to people they dislike.

Distinctive Feature†

You have a physical feature that makes you stand out in a crowd. This gives -1 to your Disguise and Shadowing skills, and +1 to others' attempts to identify or follow you. Examples: Albino; brilliant blue hair; a big scar; lots of tattoos; a funny voice; an odd smell.

Distractible

You are easily distractible, and don't do well on long-term projects. You are at -1 when rolling to accomplish long tasks.

Dreams

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

Dual Identity

Your true identity isn't actually a secret; anyone who wants to learn it can do so. But you keep the two identities firmly separated: You have a code name, you wear a costume and possibly even a mask in your heroic identity, and when you're in your civilian identity you want to be treated "just like everybody else".

Dull

You tend to stick with tried and true methods.

Exposed†

There's a particular person or small group who knows your secrets. They aren't your enemies, but neither are they friends, and they could expose you if they so wished.

Forgetful

You often forget some of your powers or equipment, and thus fail to use them when they would be a good solution to a problem. This is only a Quirk because it leaves the choice of when to forget a power at the player's discretion, rather than slowing play down with extra dice rolls.

Forthright

You prefer to speak truth, or remain silent rather than lie; you have -1 to rolls to tell falsehood.

Habit / Expression†

A saying you always use, a behavior you always exhibit, or an instinctive behavior that you always perform. This is a Quirk because others can use it to identify you. Examples: Saying 'Jehoshaphat!" or "Bless my collar-button!" constantly; carrying a silver piece that you flip into the air; never sitting with your back to the door; always speaking in third person. This might be worth a -1 reaction if whatever it is really gets on someone's nerves, but usually it's just distinctive.

Heavy Sleeper

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

High Rejection Threshold

You are of an uncommon blood type, or are otherwise unable to accept tissue transplants, cybernetics parts, etc. from most subjects without making a HT roll to see for rejection.

Homebody

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

Horrible Hangovers

You suffer an additional -3 to any penalties for excessive drinking the previous evening, and add three hours to hangover duration.

Humble

You tend to put the concerns of others, or of the group, before your own.

Ignorant†

You lack even default knowledge of some common skill that should be available for your particular background. This is worth a -1 reaction from those in a position to notice and care, as they wonder what's wrong with you that yoo lack such common knowledge.

Imaginative

You are a font of ideas, and are more than willing to share them with others! They may or may not be good ideas, of course…

Impatient

You have trouble sitting through discomfort and nuisance, but rather want to stand up and deal with them, or else escape.

Incompetence†

You are inept at one specific skill. You cannot learn that skill, and your default is at an extra -4. You cannot be incompetent in a single specialty of a skill; if you are incompetent with, for example, Guns, then you are incomptent with all guns.

Likes†

You like something, and will seek it out whenever possible. This is not a compulsion – just a preference. NPCs react at +1 to people they like.

Low Voice

You have trouble making yourself heard over noise; others get -3 to their Hearing roll to hear you.

Minor Handicap†

You may take most mundane physical disadvantages at Quirk level, e.g. Quirk-level Lame for a "bum knee." Difficulties rarely come up, but are genuinely inconvenient when they do. If you have this kind of handicap, the GM may give you -1 to attribute, skill, or reaction rolls, as appropriate, in situations where it would logically interfere. Examples: Bad Grip 1 (One Hand Only); Chronic Pain (Rare, Mild); Neurological Disorder; Weak Back.

Nervous Stomach

You have -3 to HT rolls to avoid illness brought on by rich or spicy food, strong drink, etc.

Neutered / Sexless

You are missing sex organs that someone of your species, sex, etc. would normally possess – or perhaps you are a genuinely sexless being that only looks like someone of a particular type. This might qualify you for reaction penalties, but there are minor benefits; you are immune to seduction, and will never accidentally become a parent. This is more than simple sterility (which is a feature).

Nosy

You are always poking your nose into corners and everyone else's business. This is likely to result in a small reaction penalty once in a while.

Not a Morning Person

You're exceedingly irritable and slow to respond before your first cup of coffee in the morning.

Obligation†

You have some minor, nonhazardous obligation (e.g. a Nonhazardous Duty) that you try your best to pursue, but that can be abandoned if necessary. Note that a job does not qualify, because you receive income from it; an Obligation is unrewarded.

Obsession†

you have an almost-rational and not especially unusual Obsession, that you justify your actions in pursuit of. Example: Saving enough money to buy a farm or ship of your own.

Personality Change†

You suffer from a full-blown mental disadvantage, but only in circumstances that are normally under your control. Examples: Bully when you drink too much; Pyromania when you cast Create Fire.

Poor Memory

You have -1 to IQ rolls to remember specific information; it just goes in one ear and out the other.

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 secret. You care, even if no one else does.

Proud

Individual success, wealth, or social standing concerns your greatly. NPCs with this quirk react at -1 to orders, insults, or social slights.

Quiet

You don't like to talk or horse around much, especially around strangers; your first instinct is never to use words.

Responsive

You are able to imagine the feelings and motivations of others – and all else being equal, you are inclined to help them.

Serious

You don't seek out 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 – and you never volunteer.

Slow Reader

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

Staid

You are likely to ignore matters that don't immediately affect you.

Stalker†

This is a low-value Enemy (Watcher): someone relatively unimportant you stalks you or spies on 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, social group, etc. Even those who should know better tend to pigeon-hole you, and you'll receive a double reaction penalty from those who dislike that group.

Submissive

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

Supplement†

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

Suspicious

You distrust most people's motivations. While not full-blown Paranoia, you assume most people are up to no good, but you also assume that it's in a benign or careless way. (In other words, they're not out to get you, personally, it's just the way the system works, so make sure to cover your ass.)

Trademark†

You have a special symbol – something that you leave at the scene of action, as a way of "signing your work." It takes almost no time to leave, cannot be used to trace your identity, and can be overlooked when inconvenient.

Trusting

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

Uncongenial

You prefer to be alone. You always choose individual action over group action.

Unusual Biochemistry†

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

Vow†

You have sworn an oath to do (or not to do) something. It is not particularly troublesome, but you take it seriously. Examples: Never drink alcohol; treat all ladies with courtesy; pay 10% of your income to your church.

Skills

In character write-ups, I use a cross† on the cost to indicate that the numbers include bonuses for talents or other traits. If cost is [0], the skill is at default.

Kromm recommends that adventurers make sure to have at least 1 point each in:

• Carousing, Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, or Interviewing.
• Climbing, Hiking, and Stealth.
• Driving or Riding. (Or, in appropriate settings, Bicycling, Boating, etc.)
• First Aid.
• Gesture.
• Observation, Scrounging, or Search.
• Savoir-Faire or Streetwise.

Action heroes should also have at least 1 point each in:

• Axe/Mace, Broadsword, Knife, Shortsword, or Staff.
• Beam Weapons, Bow, Crossbow, Guns, or Sling.
• Boxing, Brawling, or Karate.
• Forced Entry.
• Holdout.
• Judo, Sumo, or Wrestling.
• Throwing.

Anthropology†

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

Archaeology/TL

This is a TL-dependent skill, and is primarily the technical skill or recovering and preserving artifacts. It covers only enough knowledge of ancient cultures to guide recovery – for more detail, you'll want an appropriate History specialty or Expert Skill.

Biology/TL†

Specialize by world of origin, e.g. "Terran" for Earth and worlds settled and terraformed by Terrans. Individual worlds are familiarities.

Or, specialize in "Comparative Xenobiology", which gives one vague knowledge of all manner of life and life-like systems.

Cartography/TL

This is a TL-dependent skill.

Environment Suit/TL

Name changes, purely personal preference:

• Instead of NBC Suit, use Hazard Suit.
• Instead of Vacc Suit, use Spacesuit.

Erotic Art

Base this skill off of IQ, not DX, as the most important thing is awareness and understanding of your partner and yourself. However, there are still DX-based and HT-based rolls and techniques. Erotic Art does count as an Influence skill under the proper circumstances. Both Physiology and Psychology are useful skills.

Expert Skills

Espionage

Comparable to Military Science: an understanding of intelligence operations and the capabilities of agents and organizations.

Farming/TL†

Specialize by world of origin, e.g. "Terran" for Earth and worlds settled and terraformed by Terrans. Individual worlds are familiarities.

One variant is Aquaculture, the skill of operating fish farms, oyster beds, and the like.

Fortune-Telling

This is only the skill for a cold-reading act. If actual divination is possible, use the skill Soothsaying, instead.

Gardening/TL†

This is a TL-dependent skill. Specialize by world of origin, e.g. "Terran" for Earth and worlds settled and terraformed by Terrans. Individual worlds are familiarities.

Geography/TL†

For Physical Geography, specialize by specific planet, eg. "Terra", "Luna", "Mars".

Geology/TL†

Look to the Planetary Classification Mailing List, and specialize by planetary class or type, or even group or subtype; the depth of knowledge decreases with the size of the category.

One variant is Hydrology, the study of a world's oceans, rivers, and other bodies of water. You must specialize by planet type and liquid (usually Water, Ammonia, or Methane).

Interrogation

This skill is cinematic. For realistic campaigns, use various social skills, and the new skill of Interviewing, below.

The +3 bonus for threats and the +6 bonus for torture are very cinematic; in more down-to-earth campaigns, these techniques instead give -3 and -6 penalties (-4 or -7 if the torturer is Callous), because the subject becomes distrusting, afraid to talk, or worst of all tells you what they think you want to hear, rather than the truth. Instead, award: +3 if the prisoner believes they can trust you; +3 if the prisoner believes you already know much of what they know. Increase these bonuses by +1 if you have the Sensitive or Empathy advantages.

Interviewing (IQ/A)

Defaults: IQ-5, Interrogation-3, Psychology-4, Socializing-4. Modifiers: -3 for Low Empathy; -3 if attempting to "pump" someone for information secretly, without their noticing your interest; +2 for a lengthy interview (one to two hours); +3 if the subject genuinely wants to share information.

This is the ability to question someone, as in a formal interview, a prisoner interrogation, or even a polite social situation, getting them to state more than they would think to volunteer. You must have already convinced them to talk to you. Each question requires a skill roll and 5 minutes—or 30 minutes, if attempting to hide your interest.

In a truly voluntary interview, the skill roll is unopposed. Each successful skill roll 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 Interviewing vs. their Perception. If you win, you gather the information you were after—which the interviewee may or may not have wanted you to uncover. If you tie or lose, the subject says nothing of interest. If you lose by more than five points, he realizes he's said too much, and stops talking, ending the interview.

If the subject is actively lying, make this a Quick Contest of Interviewing vs. their Acting, instead. If they win, you learn what they wanted you to learn.

Linguistics†

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

You may also specialize in "Comparative Communications Theory", in which case you have vague knowledge of all forms of communication.

Literature†

This skill requires specialization. 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: Literature (American South), Literature (Irish), Literature (Japanese), Literature (Algonquin Round Table), Literature (Usenet).

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

There are variants of this skill for other media, such as Art History, Cinema, Folklore, Music History, and so on.

Mecha Skills

In cinematic mecha campaigns, you may treat Driving (Mecha) like Environment Suit: you can use any usual DX-based skill (e.g. Acrobatics, Karate) through your mecha, using the lower of the two skill levels.

Some campaigns may even have mecha variations of all combat skills, e.g. Mecha Broadsword, Mecha Guns (Shotgun), Mecha Wrestling Sport, and so on. Such skills default between the normal versions at -3.

Meteorology/TL†

Look to the Planetary Classification Mailing List, and specialize by planetary class or type, or even group or subtype, and specialize by liquid type (usually Water, Ammonia, or Methane); the depth of knowledge decreases with the size of the category.

For Weather Sense, specialize by specific planet, eg. "Terra", "Luna", "Mars".

Naturalist†

Specialize by specific planet, eg. "Terra", "Luna", "Mars".

Performance

One variant is Circus Performance†, which covers types of performance intended more to shock than to amuse or inform. You must specialize by the particular act: Contortionist, Fire Eating, Sword Swallowing, Pin Head, etc.

Physician/TL

Other medical disciplines are treated as variants of this skill: Dentist, Optometrist, Psychiatrist, etc.

Professional Skills

Tradecraft

The practical knowledge of a spy: dead-drops, contact and evasions, use of cipher pads and coded signals, recruiting assets, etc.

Psychology/TL†

Psychology (Experimental) is now simply Psychology, and is a TL-dependent skill. You must specialize by species; defaults between species (if any) are up to the GM. Psychology serves as the mental counterpart to Physiology: a successful roll allows you to avoid the penalties for using certain skills on members of other species. These skills include most of those covered by cultural familiarity penalties, plus Body Language, Brainwashing, Erotic Art, Psychiatry, and Sociology.

Psychology (Applied) is now called Socializing, and works the same as it did before.

Socializing†

This is the new name of Psychology (Applied).

This skill is the informal study of people, their personalities, and their behavior, as well as the understanding of the dynamics of small groups. A successful skill roll, after a little time observing and talking to a person, will give you some insight into that person's mood, temperament, status within a group, and so on, enabling you to predict their general behavior.

Soothsaying

This is the skill of divination that actually works; to perform a cold reading act, use Fortune-Telling.

Sophantology†

This is the skill of Anthropology, for any species other than human.

Survival†

Specialize by specific planet, eg. "Terra", "Luna", "Mars".

Weather Sense

Specialize by specific planet, eg. "Terra", "Luna", "Mars".