Tuesday, August 30, 2016

GURPS Horror: The Madness Dossier -Rules Options

I tried to strike a balance between my urge to use a ton of options and simplicity in my upcoming GURPS Horror: The Madness Dossier game.



Modifications to Templates:
  • Commando (Madness Dossier p 21): Add Style Familiarity (Assaulter) (GURPS Tactical Shooting p. 47) to the list of required advantages (raising the template’s cost to 329 points); add Style Familiarity for any appropriate combative martial art to the selection list of advantages and the techniques of all known styles to the selectable skill options. It feels weird just using Kliel as the only Style in the campaign which suggested this change to the Commando, because I am giving two extra points anyway, the extra point isn't a problem.
  • Taisher (Madness Dossier p 27): See Template Changes in “Expanded Psi for Sandmen” Pyramid #3/69 Psionics II p. 33. I'd prefer to use GURPS Psionics Powers rather than just Basic Set psionics.
Rules Options:
  • Abstract Wealth, Pyramid #3/44 Alternate GURPS II p.30. As all significant equipment in this campaign will be issued by the Project, I didn't see any value in bean-counting personal finances.
  • Linguistic Groups, Pyramid #3/54 Social Engineering p.27; Akkadian is (already) part of the Semitic Group, Volapük isn’t part of any group but is closely related to the English, German, and Romance Groups, Danbe is an isolate with no group but is distantly related to the Trans-New Guinea Group, Sumerian and Aulang aren’t part of any group or related to any other languages. As Madness Dossier is a very linguistics oriented setting, it made sense to use these rules for learning related languages.
  • Complimentary Skills, GURPS Action 2: Exploits p. 5 This is just one of those rules that I feel is useful in every game. 
  •   Teamwork, GURPS Action 2: Exploits p. 5 As above.
  •  The extended rules for Gunslinger, GURPS Gun Fu p. 15 including the Accessibility Limitations. Without these rules Gunslinger isn't really worth the points. 
  •   Restricted Dodge Against Firearms, GURPS Martial Arts p. 23 and GURPS Tactical Shooting p. 17, characters with Sandman Regimen, Trained by a Master, or Gunslinger and Enhanced Time Sense may freely dodge firearm attacks, including attacks where they are only able to see the projectile or are alerted by Danger Sense. This is a setting with technothriller aspects, so some nod to realism in firearm combat seemed appropriate. This also makes Chödpa just slightly more terrifying.
  • Tactics, GURPS Martial Arts p. 60, using the Abstract variant (as we won’t be using mapped combat in this campaign). These rules are fun in play, and make Tactics skill definitely worth it.
  •  Alternative Benefits, GURPS Power Ups 3: Talents p. 18, This rule is makes Talents more distinctive and gives benefits that are easier to use than the Reaction Bonuses. See here for the benefits of Talents not in Talents: Esmologist, Innate NLP, and the Loa Talents.
  •  Many of the combat rules and options (as appropriate) in GURPS Martial Arts and GURPS Martial Arts: Technical Grappling (using the Quick and Dirty CP rule on page 5). This is meant to be a catchall for rules I'm likely to use from these books. Technical Grappling maybe a bit fiddly, but it makes grappling combat so much more effective and realistic.
  • Combinations, GURPS Martial Arts p. 80. Kliel (Madness Dossier p. 45) uses Combinations, so it makes sense to use that rule in this game.
  • The rules for Stress and Derangement, GURPS Horror p. 141, with the variations from Oh We’re All Mad Here, GURPS Horror: The Madness Dossier p. 50. This is a horror game, and using the stress rules fits well with the themes. I decided not to use the Corruption rules, both because I am trying to avoid adding too much extra complexity and because I am trying to avoid emphasizing cosmic horror themes in this campaign.
  • Not Just Stunned, GURPS Horror p. 141. These rules just make Stun from failed Fright Checks way more fun. 
  •  Rules for firearms from GURPS Tactical Shooting as long as they support technothriller-style military detail or horror, especially the rules under Tactical Mind p. 33, characters with Gunslinger may ignore realistic rules when the benefits of that trait apply. I wanted some attention to military detail as befits the technothriller genre, I wanted Commandos to feel like professionals, and I wanted Golden Children with Gunslinger to really feel like they are "breaking the rules".

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