GURPS Character Creation: Just the Basics! Part 7B

Okay! Welcome back, Gamelings!

We are nearing the home stretch here.

Speaking of stretching, you should do that. Muscle cramps are the worst!

Alright! Let's hit this thing head on! We're almost done!

Missile Weapon (DX/Varies)

Default: Special

This is a collection of skills (one per class of missile weapons). Missile Weapon skills are based on DX, and default to DX-4 if Easy, DX-5 if Average, or DX-6 if Hard.

Gunner:

Beams/lasers (Easy)

Cannon (Easy)

Machine Gun (Easy)

Guns:
Light Anti-Armor Weapon L.A.W. (Easy)

Pistol (Easy)

Rifle (Easy)

Shotgun (Easy)

Submachine Gun (Easy)

Flamethrowers:
Flamethrower (Easy)

Other:
Blowpipe (DX/Hard)

Bow (DX/Average)

Crossbow (DX/Easy)

Natural Sciences/TL (IQ/Hard)

Default: IQ-6

This skill is the knowledge of sciences such as biology, astronomy, Geology, Chemistry, etc. If you can think of a science that you believe fits this skill, talk to your GM and let them decide. 

Naturalist (IQ/Hard)

Default: IQ-6

This is basically your knowledge of the land and it's plant life and wildlife. You know which plants are poisonous, which are tasty, and which ones turn your tongue purple!

Navigation/TL (IQ/Average)

Default: IQ-5

You can navigate your way through any terrain using maps, instruments, etc. Various types of Navigation include: Sea, Air, Land, Space, and Hyperspace. A successful roll tells you where you are or lets you plot a course.

Observation (IQ/Average)

Default: IQ-5

This skill lets you observe interesting or dangerous situations without being seen.

Occultism (IQ/Average)

Default: IQ-5

This skill is the study of the mysterious and supernatural.

Photography/TL (IQ/Average)

Default: IQ-5

This is the ability to use a camera competently and to produce recognizable and attractive photos.

Physician/TL (IQ/Hard)

Default: IQ-7

The ability lets you treat the ill and injured and prescribe medication and care. Make a skill roll to hasten natural recovery from injury and whenever the GM requires a roll to test general medical competence or knowledge.

Pickpocket (DX/Hard)

Default: DX-6

This skill lets you steal things off of someone's person or plant something on them without them noticing.

Public Speaking (IQ/Average)

Default: IQ-5

This skill gives you a general natural talent with spoken word.

Research/TL (IQ/Average)

Default: IQ-5

This skill is the ability to be a successful bookworm and library regular. Roll against skill to find a useful piece of data in an appropriate place of research if the information is there to be found.

Riding (DX/Average)

Default: DX-5

This skill gives you the ability to ride a specific kind of mount. Make a skill roll when you first try to mount a riding animal, and again each time something happens to frighten or challenge the creature.

Scrounging (IQ/Easy)

Default: IQ-4

This is the ability to find, salvage, or improvise useful items that others can’t locate. Each attempt takes an hour.

Search (IQ/Average)

Default: IQ-5

This skill gives you the ability to search in, on, under, and around areas to find things that aren't in plain sight. The GM rolls once per item of interest. For deliberately concealed items, this is a Quick Contest of your Search skill vs. the Holdout or Smuggling skill used to hide the item. If you fail, the GM simply says, “You found nothing.”

Shadowing (IQ/Average)

Default: IQ-5

This skill gives you the ability to follow a person through a crowd without being seen. Roll a Quick Contest every 10 minutes: your Shadowing vs. the subject’s Vision roll. If you lose, you lost the subject; if you lose by more than 5, you were seen.

Shield (DX/Easy)

Default: DX-4

This is the ability to use a shield, both to block and to attack.

Social Sciences (IQ/Hard)

Default: IQ-6

Each Social Science (Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology, etc.) is it's own skill so add them separately.

Smuggling (IQ/Average)

Default: IQ-5

This is the ability to conceal items in baggage and vehicles.Roll against skill to hide an item from casual inspection. In an active search, the searchers must win a Quick Contest of Search vs. your Smuggling skill to find the item.

Stealth (DX/Average)

Defaults: DX-5

This skill lets you go practically anywhere without being seen or heard. A successful roll lets you conceal yourself practically anywhere, or move so quietly that nobody will hear you, or follow someone without being noticed.

Survival (IQ/Average)

Default: IQ-5

This is the ability to live off the land, find safe food and water, avoid hazards, build shelter, etc. To live safely in a wilderness situation, you must make a successful Survival roll once per day. Failure inflicts 2d-4 injury on you and anyone in your care.

Swimming (HT/Easy)

Default: HT-4

This is your ability to stay afloat in emergency situations or skill in traversing the watery terrain. Roll against the higher of Swimming or HT to avoid fatigue or injury due to aquatic misfortunes.

Tactics (IQ/Hard)

Default: IQ-6

This is the ability to outguess and outmaneuver the enemy in small-unit or personal combat. On a success, you start the fight in an advantageous position as determined by the GM.

Throwing (DX/Average)

Default: DX-3

This is the ability to throw any small, relatively smooth object that fits in the palm of your hand.

Thrown Weapon (DX/Easy)

Default: DX-4

Axe/Mace

Knife

Shuriken

Spear

Tracking (IQ/Average)

Default: IQ-5

This is the skill that allows you to follow an animal or man by the tracks they leave or the plants that they disturb. Make a Tracking roll to pick up the trail, then roll every 15 minutes to avoid losing it, at a modifier ranging from 0 for soft terrain to -6 for city streets.

Traps/TL (IQ/Average)

Default: IQ-5

This skill enables you to build and safely nullify traps!

Vehicle Skills (DX/Varies)

Default: Varies

Vehicle skills default to DX at -4 (easy), -5 (average), or -6 (hard); motor vehicles also default to IQ, at similar penalties.

Available types:

Bicycling (DX/Easy)

Boating (DX/Average)

Driving (DX/Average)

Piloting (DX/Average)

Submarine (DX/Average)

Writing (IQ/Average)

Default: IQ-5

This skill means that you can write in a clear or entertaining manner. A successful roll

means the work is readable and accurate.

Guess what, buddies! 

We made it! We did it!

It drove us all a bit batty for a while...

But it's done now!

Now all you have to do is buy your armor, weapons, and whatever else you want to carry with you on your journey! 

I will create a masterpost and link to all of the tutorials part 1-7B!
Just search for "Masterpost" in the search bar over our Instagram feed.

Thank you all for coming on this journey with me!

GURPS Character Creation: Just the Basics! Part 7A

Howdy doody, gamelings, and thank you for taking a break from your Pokemon Go to read this!

This is our 7th (and LAST) installation Part A of GURPS Character Creation: Just the Basics!
This would be, by far, the longest post to date...So I am splitting it into two posts.



Let's dive right in, shall we?
(Remember: If any skill seems to fit your character or catch your interest, write it down (WITH ALL OF THE INFO) so that you can add it to your character sheet later!

Alright, here we go.

I will write them out in this format: "Name/TL (base/difficulty)" Then I will add the default info (when available) and I will write a short blurb telling you about it.

Acrobatics (DX/Hard)

Default: DX-6
This is the ability to perform gymnastics, stunts, parkour, etc.

Acting (IQ/Average)

Default: IQ-5

This is the ability to fake moods, emotions, and voices, and to lie convincingly over a period of time.

Animal Handling (IQ/Average)

Default: IQ-5

This is the ability to train or work with animals. You must roll against the skill for every command you give the animal.

Area Knowledge (IQ/Easy)

Default: IQ-4

This is just how well you know the people, places, and things in a particular area. It is usually only applied to your "home base".

Armoury/TL (IQ/Average)
Default: IQ-5
This is your ability to craft, modify, and/or repair a certain class of weapons or armor. Your first successful roll lets you identify the problem (if it isn't glaringly obvious) and a second one lets you repair it.

Brawling (DX/Easy)
Default: None
This is your unarmed combat. Roll against Brawling for a punch and roll against Brawling-2 for a kick.

Camouflage (IQ/Easy)
Default: IQ-4
You can hid yourself and your stuff really well! You know how to use whatever is available near you to make yourself blend in to any surrounding.

Carousing (HT/Easy)
Default: HT-4
This is your ability to get your party on! Succeed a Carousing roll, under the right circumstances, and you could get a +2 bonus on a request for aid, information, or a general reaction. A failed roll means you made a fool of yourself; you get a -2 penalty on any reaction roll made by those you caroused with.

Climbing (DX/Average)
Default: DX-5
This is your ability to climb just about anything, you monkey you!

Computer Operation/TL (IQ/Easy)
Default: IQ-4
This is your ability to use a computer to do basically anything (much like you are doing right this very moment! DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUN)!!! Of course this is dependent on Tech Level. Jack the ripper couldn't use a computer (thank goodness).


Computer Programming/TL (IQ/Hard)
Default: None
This is the ability to write and debug computer software. You MUST roll to write, debug, or figure out a program.

Crewman/TL (IQ/Easy)
Default: IQ-4
This is the ability to serve as a member of the crew of a large vehicle of some sort. This skill includes familiarity with “shipboard life,” knowledge of safety measures, and training in damage control.


Criminology/TL (IQ/Average)
Default: IQ-5
This is you getting you CSI or NCIS on! You study crimes and criminals! Make a skill roll! If you succeed, the roll allows you to find and interpret clues, guess how criminals might behave, etc.

Diagnosis/TL (IQ/Hard)
Default: IQ-6
This is the ability to tell what is wrong with a sick or injured person, or what killed a dead person through hints or ruling out impossibilities.

Disguise/TL (IQ/Average)
Default: IQ-5
This is you getting your cosplay on! This skill is using clothing, makeup, prosthetics, etc. to make yourself look, feel, and sound like another person. A good disguise requires a Disguise roll
and 30 minutes to an hour of preparation.


Electronics Operation/TL (IQ/Average)
Default: IQ-5
This skill lets you use electronic equipment. Make a skill roll in an emergency situation or for “abnormal” use of equipment.


Electronics Repair/TL (IQ/Average)
Default: IQ-5
This lets you figure out and fix what is wrong with specific electronic equipment.

Engineer/TL (IQ/Hard)
Default: None
This skill lets you design and build technological devices. If you make a successful roll, you design a new system, diagnose a glitch, identify the purpose of a strange device, or improvise a gadget to solve a problem. If you fail the roll then you...well... don't do any of that.

Environment Suit/TL (DX/Average)
Default: DX-5
This is training in the use of a specific class of protective suit.
Battlesuit/TL: All kinds of powered battle armor and exoskeletons.
Diving Suit/TL: All types of hard diving suits.
NBC Suit/TL: All forms of hazardous materials gear.
Vacc Suit/TL: Any kind of spacesuit.

Escape (DX/Hard)
Default: DX-6
This is your ability to Houdini your way out of pretty much any situation. Your first attempt takes 1 minute. Each attempt after the first takes 10 minutes!

Explosives/TL (IQ/Average)
Default: IQ-5
You can work with explosives! This includes the ability to set up, disarm, and dispose of bombs and other explosives.


First Aid/TL (IQ/Easy)
Default: IQ-4
This is your ability to give medical attention in the field. Make a skill roll to halt bleeding, suck out poison, give artificial respiration to a drowning victim, etc.

Forgery/TL (IQ/Hard)
Default: IQ-6
This is the ability to create fake official documents such as ID Cards, Passports, Birth Certificate, Building permits, etc. When you use a forged document, make your Forgery roll each time it is inspected – unless you roll a critical success on your first attempt. Failure means someone spots the forgery.

Gambling (IQ/Average)
Default: IQ-5
This is your ability to play, and succeed, at games of chance! A successful Gambling roll can (among other things) tell you if a game is rigged, identify a fellow gambler in a group of strangers, or “estimate the odds” in any tricky situation.

Hiking (HT/Average)
Default: HT-5
This is how long and far you can travel by foot! Make a Hiking roll before each day’s march; on a success, increase the distance traveled by 20%.

Holdout (IQ/Average)
Default: IQ-5
This is your ability to hide items on you or someone with you (most of the time with their permission). An item’s size and shape govern its concealability, from +4 (BB-sized jewel or a postage stamp) to -6 (crossbow or a heavy sniper rifle).

Humanities (IQ/Hard)
Default: IQ-6
All Arts or Humanities (History, Literature, Philosophy, Theology, etc.) are their own separate skill so go ahead and add whichever ones you'd like.

Influence Skills (Varies)
Default: Varies

Diplomacy (IQ/Hard):
Default: IQ-6
Negotiation and compromise.

Fast-Talk (IQ/Average): 
Default IQ-5
Lying and deceit.

Intimidation (IQ/Average):
Default: IQ-5
Threats and violence.

Savoir-Faire (IQ/Easy):
Default IQ-4
Manners and etiquette. Mainly useful in “high society” situations.

Sex Appeal (HT/Average):
Default: HT-3
Vamping and seduction, usually of the opposite sex.

Streetwise (IQ/Average):
Default: IQ-5
Contacts and subtle intimidation. Only useful in “street” and criminal situations.


Interrogation (IQ/Average)
Default: IQ-5
This is your ability to question a prisoner! Roll Interrogation vs. the prisoner’s Will for each question. Each question requires 5 minutes. If you succeed, you get a truthful answer. If you tie or lose, the prisoner either says nothing or lies to you. If you fail the roll by more than five points, they tell you a good, believable lie!

Jumping (DX/Easy)
Default: None
This skill represents trained jumping ability.


Karate (DX/Hard)
Default: None
This skill represents any advanced training at unarmed striking, not just the martial art of karate.
Roll against Karate to hit with a punch (at no -4 for the “off” hand), or Karate-2 to hit with a kick.

Law (IQ/Hard)
Default: IQ-6
This skill is your knowledge of laws and codes of the places you are travelling to or through. A successful roll lets you remember, deduce, or figure out the answer to a question about the law.

Leadership (IQ/Average)
Default: IQ-5
This is your ability to lead a group of people. Make a Leadership roll to lead NPCs into a dangerous or stressful situation.

Lockpicking/TL (IQ/Average)
Default: IQ-5
This is your ability to open locks without a combination or key. Each try requires one minute. If you succeed the roll, each point over your success takes 5 seconds off of the required time.

Mathematics/TL (IQ/Hard)
Default: IQ-6
This skill makes you good with numbers and measurements!

Mechanic/TL (IQ/Average)
Default: IQ-5
You are able to diagnose and/or repair any mechanical object. A successful skill
roll will let you find or repair one problem.

Melee Weapon (DX/Varies)
Default: Special

This is a group of skills (one for each weapon type). Melee Weapon skills are based on DX, and default to DX-4 if Easy, DX-5 if Average, or DX-6 if Hard.

Fencing Weapons
Rapier (Average)
Smallsword (Average)

Flails
Flail including morningstars and nunchaku (Hard)

Impact Weapons
Axe/Mace (Average)

Pole Weapons
Polearm (Average)
Spear (Average)
Staff (Average)

Swords
Broadsword (Average)
Knife (Easy)
Shortsword (Average)
Two-Handed Sword (Average)

Merchant (IQ/Average)
Default: IQ-5
This is your skill in buying, selling, and trading goods.



Okay. Intermission time. Go grab a bite to eat, a drink, a nap, etc. and meet me back here in a few for Part 7B: The Final Creation.

The Chronicles of Darkness - Character Creation Continued, Skills/Derived Traits

Welcome back folks to the second installment of our character creation seminar, or… post.

Needs more darkness

In our first entry, we went over the background of the World of Darkness and got our Attributes sorted out. This time around, we’re going to get into Skills and Derived Traits.

Skills are exactly what it says on the box. Each one determines how well your character does in a certain field. There are also Skill Specializations, which further augment those abilities.

Similar to how we decided how to allocate our attributes, we choose a Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary category of skills, between Physical, Mental, and Social. Only, this time, we get eleven skill points in Primary, seven points in Secondary, and four in Tertiary.

Gotta have priorities

The skills are pretty simple themselves!

Physical – Athletics, Brawl, Drive, Firearms, Larceny, Stealth, Survival, Weaponry

Mental – Academics, Computer, Crafts, Investigation, Medicine, Occult, Politics, Science

Social – Animal Ken, Empathy, Expression, Intimidation, Persuasion, Socialize, Streetwise, Subterfuge

Many of these are self-explanatory, for example, Firearms determines your skill with guns and the like, while Academics shows how educated you are. Some are a little more nuanced, like Crafts, which covers all crafting from carpentry to soldering electronics, to even basket weaving.

One main difference from before is that Skills start at 0, where Attributes started at 1.

Everyone's got a passion

 If you decide that you want a skill at 5 dots (to show that your character is world-renowned for his/her ability to do the thing) the fifth dot costs an additional skill point (only at creation) for a total of 6 points. This will make the character super specialized, but weak in other areas.

Once your skills dots are allocated, you then choose three skill specializations to give to one or more skills you have dots in. For example, an MMA fighter that put three or four dots in Brawl may want Muay Thai and Grappling as two different Brawl Specializations, and put his third one into Intense for Intimidate. The Specializations are meant to be specific, not broad, so a Firearms Specialization in Guns isn’t appropriate, but one in Pistols is. What’s appropriate for your character or not is up to a discussion between you and your Storyteller. Each specialization gives you an effective additional dot in that skill for the purpose of that specific thing.

Will Smith knows all

Your skills come into play when trying to do things covered by that skill, combined with an appropriate attribute. For example, the aforementioned MMA fighter tries to grab an opponent. He would a number of d10s equal to his Strength plus his Brawl, adding his Grapple Specialization. Let’s say he has a Strength of 3 and a Brawl of 4, which would total 8 dice. Then you would subtract the Defense of the opponent (explained later in this post,) which we’ll say is a 3, bringing his dice down to 5. Rolling those 5 dice, he gets 5 6 9 4 2. Any die that comes up with an 8 or higher is considered a success, so for this purpose, he gets the grab. Some rolls may have a required number of successes to actually succeed. For instance, trying to hack into a fairly secure computer may require 3 successes to complete instead of 1.


This is what a veteran sheet looks like

*For supernatural characters only!*
You add the supernatural template (explained in later posts) before determining derived traits!


Don't tell your mortal friends

Now, on to our derived traits. They are called derived traits because they are determined by other dots on your sheet.

The first is your Health boxes, which is determined by your Stamina dots plus your character’s Size (almost always 5 for an adult human). Our MMA fighter is pretty tough, so his Stamina is 4, giving him 9 total Health boxes.

Next, we have Willpower, which you get from your Resolve plus your Composure. Willpower is used to augment your dice pools, and is refreshed by your Virtue and your Vice (details in a later post.)

Now, we have Speed, which is your characters Size (again, usually 5) plus their Strength and Dexterity. This determines how far they can run in a single turn of combat (3 seconds)

Then, your Defense. This is what you use to dodge attacks coming at you. You use the *lower* of your Wits or Dexterity.

Finally, your Initiative modifier. At the start of combat, each character rolls a d10 and adds their initiative modifier to that roll. The Initiative modifier is your Wits plus your Composure. Whoever has the highest Initiative score after the roll goes first in a fight.

As the dots on your sheet change, so do these. For instance, if you get another dot of Dexterity, you change your Speed, Defense, and Initiative to match!

The Rock may or may not return

Next time, we’ll talk about Merits and start talking about the different types of Supernaturals!

The Wizards go Marching

Welcome to the Spiral

Creating a character in Wizard1o1

Today I will be talking with you about the wonders of character creation in Wizard101.

(all links will be provided at the end of the article)

Once we Create an account with KingsIsle (the development company), and install the game we shall open the game itself.

(this is the game launch screen)

It will need to patch every time you open the launcher, otherwise you will be waiting for years to actually start playing.

When it has finished click “play”, and let the Magic begin!

That is the character selection screen. This is where your Wizards will be waiting to choose between them whenever you log in to play.

Click the “New” button on the lower part of the screen.

Now the fun begins!  You will be given a personality test, this test will determine what magical school you will best fit into.

(There are several questions, please answer honestly J)

 OR you can skip the test all together and choose whatever school you would like.

You will now go through some basics, Gender, Face, Hair Colour, Name.

When you get to Naming your character you will be presented with a “name wheel”

Due to the family friendly nature of this game you will not be able to name you character whatever the fuck you want to.  In other words it’s to prevent Shitsticks from naming their characters “ShitStick”.  As a mother and gamer, I personally LOVE this feature. You really do have a vast choise of things you can name your character….. and for those playing as a boy, you can even name your character “Luke SkyWalker” (yes I HAVE seen this)

(So original, much thoughts)

Now that we have our character created, we enter the game world, and to the office of Headmaster Merle Ambrose.

WELCOME YOUNG WIZARDS TO THE SPIRAL!

MAY YOUR ADVENTURES BRING YOU MANY NEW FRIENDS, AND LASTING FRIENDSHIPS!

See you in the Spiral, good luck!

Enter the Spiral here:

Wizard101

For those that already play, but need a little bit of help:

Wizard101 Wiki

The Chronicles of Darkness – Background/Intro to Character Creation

Welcome one and all! This post will be the first of a multi-part series (I don’t know exactly how many yet,) where we’ll explore the themes, moods, and eventually character creation for one of my favorite worlds, the Chronicles of Darkness (formerly known as the New World of Darkness.)

To begin, the World of Darkness is just like our world, in the present day. It has our cities, our races, our technology, even our people. There are two primary differences, however. The first is that it is inherently darker. Crime rates are higher, police response times are lower, murder and disappearances are commonplace. The second? The supernatural is real. Vampires, Werewolves, the Fae, almost every story you’ve heard.

And you’re just a normal guy (or girl) living in this dark world.

And this guy is your neighbor

Now, you may be wondering how people sleep through the night, knowing that the monsters of the night could be right next door. The thing is… they don’t know. Most of them at least. Each creature has a reason to keep humanity in the dark.

Now! On to character creation!

For this, we’ll be using the base New World of Darkness, not the Second Edition (known as the God Machine Chronicle.)

This game is unlike a lot of tabletop RPGs out there, like Dungeons and Dragons, and Pathfinder. It is a game of storytelling, not dungeon crawling (most of the time.) While none is inherently better than the other, each has its own merit.

The Storytelling System uses 10-sided dice, and uses a stat system that goes from 0-5 in each stat (there are always exceptions.) A zero means you are completely unskilled in that particular stat, while a 5 means you are world-renowned for that particular stat, with the rest being the in-betweens.

This weakling here only has a Strength of 10

Step 1! Concept: This part is very basic, as it’s just a short phrase describing who your character is. This could be anything from ‘girl next door’ to ‘small town mechanic.’ This is also where you come up with some semblance of a background for your character. You could also look to your storyteller to help run a prologue for your character, to help flesh him/her out.

Step 2! Attributes: These are divided into three categories; Physical, Mental, and Social. These are then divided up into three more categories; Power, Finesse, and Resistance. Each of these starts at 1.

The Physical Attributes are, in order of Power, Finesse, and Resistance, are Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina.

The Mental Attributes are Intelligence, Wits, and Resolve.

The Social Attributes are Presence, Manipulation, and Composure.

For your character, you want to determine which of the three categories, between Physical, Mental, and Social, you want to make the Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary.

For the Primary category, you will have 5 extra points to divide between the three. For instance, if you choose Physical, you could put 2 into Strength, 2 into Dexterity, and 1 into Stamina, a fair stat spread for an athlete.

The Secondary category would get 4 points, while the Tertiary category would get 3.

Our next article will go into Skills and derived traits!

GURPS Character Creation: Just the basics! Part 3

Hello again, gamelings!

Welcome to the third installment of “Let’s Create A Character!”

In today’s episode we will be discussing:
Social Background and Wealth and Influence

Let’s jump right into it, shall we?

Social Background consists of 2 elements:

Tech level and Language.


Tech Level:

Tech level is the number of the level of technological advancement. Prehistory/caveman days would have a low tech level while future/space age would have a high tech level.

Usually the campaign is assigned a tech level but if you want to be crazy with it all (and your GM lets you), you can spend points to be higher or lower tech level than the assigned campaign tech.

Now let’s say that you want to have a lower tech level than that of the campaign…

Well… okay then…

It’s your choice.

This means that you start off the campaign with NO KNOWLEDGE of how to use ANYTHING at the campaigns tech level.

You’re campaign takes place in late Victorian England (tech level 6)? Your tech level is 2?

Good luck figuring out indoor plumbing! Hell… Good luck even figuring out books or doors!

You can, however, learn certain DX-based skills (such as opening those darn doors or how to hold and fire a weapon, even) in play if there is someone of the correct tech level around to teach you.  However, since you don’t think the same way as other (higher-tech) players, they can’t teach you any IQ based tech skills.

In order to obtain this super special lack of technological knowledge, you get -5 points for each tech level you plan to loose.

Good for you…

HOWEVER!!!!

If you plan to have a higher tech level than your fellow campaigners (and the ability to look down your nose at these primitive beasts), you must spend 5 points per tech level!  This comes in handy big time if you are in a lower tech level campaign and just so happen to be a doctor!

“QUICK! HAND ME THAT SYRINGE OF EPINEPHRINE!!!”
“Yarp.”

Moving right along to Language!

Now, GURPS just assumes that your character is fluent in your native language! (How sweet is that?)

Your fellow campaigners and gm, however, will need to know what that is so go ahead and mark it on your character sheet in a similar layout to this “English (Native) [0]”.

Go on.

Trust me… You want to.

It will save you time and a headache later…

Done with that?

Good.

Now…
Language:

Language is a combination of two parts:

Comprehension levels and Literacy.

Comprehension level is basically how well you can function in the foreign language.

How many points you are going to spend on learning a new language depends largely on your comprehension level, of which there are 4.

None: Just nod and smile because this language doesn’t even rustle your hair as it zooms over your head. It costs zero points to have this non-level.

Broken: You can say “where is the bathroom?” but you probably won’t understand the answer until the person you are speaking to slows it down like they are speaking to a toddler. This means that you are at a -3 when it comes to skills that require or depend upon language. This costs 1 point for spoken and 1 point for written.

Accented: You can speak the language but people snicker at you behind your back for how silly you sound. This gives you a -1 to skills that require or depend on language. This level costs 2 points for spoken and 2 points for written.

Native: You speak this language so well that no one would know that you aren’t from there… you know… except that they’ve never seen you around before…  This one has no negatives toward your language skills and it costs 3 points for spoken and 3 points for written.

Next up we have...



 Literacy:

This basically determines if you can read!

Illiteracy: This is a written comprehension level of “none”… It basically looks like scribbles and gibberish to you. You get the previously mentioned -3 disadvantage to your language rolls. Dang… that sucks.

Semi-literacy: This is a written comprehension level of “Broken”… you read SUPER slowly! You must roll against your IQ to understand the most basic things written in this language. You get the previously mentioned -2 disadvantage to your language rolls.

Literacy: This is a written comprehension level of “accented” or “native”. You can read at full speed and even understand it! YAY YOU! You still get the -1 disadvantage to language rolls if you are “accented” though.

Alright!

On to Wealth and Influence!

What does it take to be wealthy and influential?

Well…

Wealth

Reputation

Importance

THESE ARE THE INGREDIENTS CHOSEN TO CREATE THE PREFECT LITTLE GIRL!

I mean…

Yea…


Wealth:

Wealth is dependent on the character.

A factory worker in modern days will be living much more comfortably than a medieval lord even though the amount of money he has is less.
It’s all variable.

Most people will start off with an “Average” wealth level. This doesn’t cost any character points and it gives you the average wealth level for your campaign.

Now here’s the fun part:

Deciding what wealth level you want to have.

Dead Broke: You own nothing but the scraps of linen that you call clothing attached to your body. That’s it. You have no money. You have no property. You have no source of income at all! You are unable to work, unwilling to work, or can’t friggin find work! -25 points! Congrats! Go spend them on a shower, a shave, and some food…. You bum.

Poor: You have 1/5 of the average campaign wealth. You can find some work but no one is willing to pay you more than pennies! -15 points.

Struggling: You have ½ the average campaign wealth. You can get any job out there… you just won’t make very much money at all… -10 points.

Average: Your bank account is completely average in every way. You are the everyman! 0 points

Comfortable: You have a job but you are living a bit better than the rest of the world. Congrats! Your starting wealth is double that of the Average campaign wealth! 10 points

Wealthy: You are sitting pretty at 5x the average starting campaign wealth! Woooo! Go you! 20 points

Very Wealthy: You get 20x the average campaign starting wealth!!! How are you doing this?!? 30 points

Filthy Rich: At this point money is probably all your character has going for itself since you are spending a whopping 50 points on this! The upside, however is that you have 100x the average starting campaign wealth. Congratulations on becoming the 0.001%.

Reputation:

What do you want to be known for?

The details of your reputation are 100% up to you! That means you get to use that big, beautiful brain of yours!

Look at you go!

You are a character creating machine!

Be SUPER SPECIFIC when it comes to your reputation and know that for every +1 to reaction rolls (up to +4) it costs 5 points and for every -1 to reaction rolls (up to -4) it is -5 points!

Easy, right?

Now we come to the last bit of this installment…

Importance (status):

This is you place in society!
It has its own little distinction from your personal fame and fortune
.

Status levels range from -2 (beggar) to 8 (god-like ruler).

The average status for most characters is 0 (free man).

For every level above 0 that you raise it will cost you 5 points but going even one level above 0 puts you in a ruling class in YOUR CULTURE ONLY! This means that those from YOUR CULTURE will defer to you giving you a bonus on reaction rolls.

If you want to go a level or two below average in status it will be -5 points per level! Save those points for your advantages and disadvantages!

We will discuss those next time on:
SUPER FUN CHARACTER CREATION TIME!!!!!

Do you have any questions? Any at all? Wonder why narwhals have sword-like protrusions on their faces? Go ahead and ask us whatever you want in our comment section! 

Abusing Final Fantasy VI's Magic Command

Have you ever wondered if you could create an endless chain of magic?
How about finding yourself running low on MP?
Well I’m going to explain how you can create an endless chain of any spell that you want.

First we’re going to have our entire party learn the spell “Quick”, the Esper, Raiden teaches this spell.

4 Celestraid (Econimizer {SNES})

4 Soul of Thamasa (Gem Box {SNES})

The Soul of Thamasa changes the Magic command to DualCast (X-Magic {SNES})

The Celestraid lowers all spells to a cost of 1 MP per cast

Now that you have done that Equip one of each relic to the entire party, enter a fight and cast IN THIS ORDER:

“Spell to Chain” + Quick

That member will immediately get another turn. Use X-Magic again

“Spell to Chain” + “Spell to Chain”

Quick will not work two casts in a row, so just repeat this cycle and you will be able to feasibly be able to chain 12+ Ultima Spells before the enemy can take a single turn. Have fun breaking the game with these chains.

**NOTE** In the original SNES release of Final Fantasy VI (FFIII)The spell ‘Quick’ could be cast indefinitely so long as the caster had the MP to sustain the chain. This was deemed a glitch and was “fixed” in all future releases of the title.

Now, you must be wondering where do I get these amazing Relics. Well, my friends you are in luck! I happen to have all that wonderful info right here!

Celestraid

Necklace with three star-shaped bangles on its chain.

Reduces the MP cost of all magic to 1.

Special Attribute

None

Drop

Brachiosaur

Brachosaur {SNES}

Steal

Galypdes (Aquila SNES) Glutturn (VI Advance)

Colosseum Bet

Soul of Thamasa

Characters

All

Cost

n/a

Soul of Thamasa

Ancient Thamasan orb enshrining a wondrous power.

Changes Magic command to DualCast [X-Magic {SNES}]

Special Attribute

None

Location

Fanatics’ Tower

Steal

Glutturn (VI Advance)

Character

All

Cost

n/a

Happy hunting and smearing the blood of your enemies all over the walls.