GURPS 4th edition. Dungeon Fantasy 11: Power-Ups

45 Pages·2010·3.084 MB·English

by  Sean Punch

TM
TM
Written by SEAN PUNCH
Illustrated by SCOTT COOPER, DAVID DAY, and ED NORTHCOTT
An e23 Sourcebook for GURPS®
STEVE JACKSON GAMES
®
Stock#37-0316 Version1.0–August2010
C
ONTENTS
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Elementalists....................................25
PublicationHistory................................3 EvilClerics......................................27
AbouttheAuthor..................................3 HolyWarriors ...................................28
AboutGURPS ....................................3 Innkeepers......................................28
Knights.........................................29
1. POWER-UPS IN THE CAMPAIGN. . . . . . . . 4 MartialArtists ...................................29
WHAT’SINAPOWER-UP? ........................4 Necromancers...................................30
Name ...........................................4 Scholars........................................31
Cost.............................................4 Scouts..........................................32
Prerequisites .....................................4 Shamans........................................33
Traits............................................4 Swashbucklers...................................34
MaterialPower-Ups ................................6 Thieves.........................................35
ACQUIRINGPOWER-UPS..........................7 UnholyWarriors .................................36
Wizards.........................................36
StartingWithPower-Ups ...........................7
NewFaces,NewPower-Ups ........................37
BuyingPower-Ups.................................7
SpecialRequirements..............................8 RACIALPOWER-UPS ...........................38
DesigningNewPower-Ups...........................9 Air-Infused......................................38
Cat-Folk ........................................38
Celestials........................................38
Coleopterans ....................................39
Amazingpower-upsforeverycharacter. Corpse-Eaters....................................39
DarkOnes ......................................39
Dragon-Blooded .................................39
Dwarves ........................................40
2. THE POWER-UPS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Earth-Infused....................................40
Elder-Spawn.....................................40
HowAreTheySorted?.............................10
Elves...........................................41
GENERALPOWER-UPS..........................10
FaerieFolk......................................41
CombatPower-Ups...............................10
Fire-Infused.....................................41
CasterPower-Ups ................................13
Gargoyles.......................................42
DoPower-Ups“Stack”?............................16
Gnomes ........................................42
UtilityPower-Ups ................................16
Goblin-Kin......................................42
PROFESSIONALPOWER-UPS......................17 Halflings........................................42
Artificers........................................17
Infernals........................................42
Barbarians......................................18
LizardMen......................................42
Bards...........................................19
Minotaurs.......................................42
Clerics..........................................21
Ogres...........................................43
RidiculousReactions..............................21
Trolls...........................................43
AlternateForms ..................................23
Water-Infused....................................43
Demonologists...................................24
Wildmen........................................43
Druids..........................................24
DoUntoOthers ..................................25 INDEX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
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C 2
ONTENTS
I
NTRODUCTION
Given the chance, some players will spend points without GURPS Power-Ups 2: Perks, GURPS Psionic Powers, or
regardfortheircharacters’originsandstatedgoals.Ofcourse, GURPS Thaumatology: Magical Styles, albeit modified for
whenaplayeraskstousebonuspointstobuyawhollyinap- Dungeon Fantasy. Finally, many power-ups are built from
propriate ability, you can always say “no.” But there are other traitsdescribedelsewhere,primarilyinGURPSMartialArts,
options... GURPS Powers, and GURPS Thaumatology. We haven’t
–GURPSBasicSet reprinted such building blocks verbatim; we’ve just given the
rules needed to use the end product. You don’t need any of
GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 3: The Next Level introduced
thosesupplementstousethisone!
the concept of power-ups: “high-level” abilities on which
delvers can spend hard-earned points. Dungeon Fantasy 11:
A A
Power-Upscontinuesthistrend,offeringadventurersentirely BOUT THE UTHOR
newwaystobecomemoreawesome!TheGMmaysellthese,
Sean “Dr. Kromm” Punch set out to become a particle
too,forpoints–orhemightawardtheminlieuofpoints,per-
physicist in 1985, ended up the GURPS Line Editor in 1995,
hapsevenasconsequencesofwishesordivinefavor.Likethe
and has engineered rules for almost every GURPS product
treasures in Dungeon Fantasy 8: Treasure Tables, then,
since.Hedeveloped,edited,orwrotedozensofGURPSThird
power-upscanserveasbothrewardsandpurchasesofsorts.
Editionprojectsbetween1995and2002.In2004,heproduced
theGURPSBasicSet,FourthEditionwithDavidPulver.Since
P H
UBLICATION ISTORY then, he has created GURPS Powers (with Phil Masters),
GURPS Martial Arts (with Peter Dell’Orto), and the GURPS
Power-ups from GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 3: The Next
Action, GURPS Dungeon Fantasy, and GURPS Power-Ups
Level–aboutapageoftext–arefoldedintothisworkforcom-
series...andthelistkeepsgrowing.
pleteness’ sake. You might also recognize a few perks from
Seanhasbeenagamersince1979.Hisnon-gaminginter-
ests include cinema, cooking, and wine. He
lives in Montréal, Québec with his wife,
Bonnie. They have two cats, Banshee and
About GURPS
Zephyra,andanoisyparrot,Circe.
SteveJacksonGamesiscommittedtofullsupportofGURPSplayers.
Our address is SJ Games, P.O. Box 18957, Austin, TX 78760. Please
includeaself-addressed,stampedenvelope(SASE)anytimeyouwriteus!
“Ye can have
Wecanalsobereachedbye-mail:[email protected]:
New supplements and adventures. GURPS continues to grow – see a shark as yer
what’snewatwww.sjgames.com/gurps.
e23. Our e-publishing division offers GURPS adventures, play aids,
holy paladin
andsupportinPDFform...digitalcopiesofourbooks,plusexclusive
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includesnewrulesandarticlesforGURPS,systemlesslocations,adven-
tures,andmuchmore.Lookforeachthemedissuefrome23! “Sure. They
Internet. Visit us on the World Wide Web at www.sjgames.com for
errata,updates,Q&A,andmuchmore.TodiscussGURPSwithourstaff
eat devilfish,
andyourfellowgamers,visitourforumsatforums.sjgames.com.The
GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 11: Power-Ups web page can be found at
www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/dungeonfantasy/dungeonfantasy11. mostly.”
Bibliographies. Many of our books have extensive bibliographies,
andwe’reputtingthemonline–withlinkstoletyoubuytheresources
– Rich
thatinterestyou!Gotoeachbook’swebpageandlookforthe“Bibli-
ography”link.
Errata.Everyonemakesmistakes,includingus–butwedoourbest Burlew,
tofixourerrors.Up-to-dateerratapagesforallGURPSreleases,includ-
ingthisbook,areavailableonourwebsite–seeabove. Order of
RulesandstatisticsinthisbookarespecificallyfortheGURPSBasic
Set,FourthEdition.PagereferencesthatbeginwithBrefertothatbook, the Stick
notthisone.
I 3
NTRODUCTION
C O
HAPTER NE
P -U
OWER PS IN
C
THE AMPAIGN
Beforegettingintothecoolabilities,awarningtotheGM cases, however, point costs haven’t been “normalized” using
onwhathe’sgettinginto.Power-upsarenothinglessthanways UnusualBackgrounds,simplybecauseit’satime-honoredtra-
to make adventurers more powerful. Some crank existing dition for personal power to be a temptation above treasure
capabilitiesupto11;othersaddentirelynewfeats.Thelatter, fordelvers!
especially,mayseemalittleunderpriced–aresultofGURPS Thisdoesn’tcompeltheGMtopermiteveryoptiontoevery
averagingpointcostsovereverygenreandsetting.Agiftthat hero without considering what’s appropriate, though. It also
isn’t generically useful might be exceptionally handy in doesn’tmeanthathecan’tmakepower-upsexpensiveinways
Dungeon Fantasy. Except in a few markedly game-breaking thathavenothingtodowithpoints...
W ’ P -U ?
HAT S IN A OWER P
Sowhatisapower-up?Thereareendlesspossibilities,han- pay the associated cost. A few have “Variable” cost; read the
dled in diverse ways. A few things need defining for every descriptionfordetails.ForthecasesdiscussedinCombination
power-up,though. Power-Ups(p.7),thelistedcostbuysthewholepackage.
N P
AME REREQUISITES
A power-up may be a single, If a power-up is associated with particular profes-
uncomplicated trait – attribute, sionsorraces,thenbelongingtoasuitablegroupisa
advantage, perk, etc. – that works prerequisite. Some such power-ups list additional
exactly as explained in the Basic requirements – only a paragon of the race or profes-
Set,singledoutasanespeciallyfit- sioncanhavethem.EveniftheGMdoesn’ttreatchar-
tinguseofpointsforheroesofpar- actertemplates as mandatory,oroffers customracial
ticularbackgrounds.Inthatcase,it templates, he should consider keeping the prerequi-
will simply share the trait’s name. sites or replacing them with something comparable.
Resistant to Poison is Resistant to General power-ups often have specific requirements
Poison,howeverit’sacquired. likethis,too.
On the other hand, a power-up However,“prerequisite”heredoesn’talwaysmeanan
mightbeamodified,revamped,or advantageoraskill,asitdoesintheBasicSet.Apower-
all-new advantage, or one of the upmayactuallyrequireadisadvantage;forinstance,all
special cases under Combination cleric power-ups effectively have such a requirement,
Power-Ups (p. 7), or a trait that since being a cleric entails selecting a -10-point mental
needsadditionalguidelinesinaDungeonFantasycampaign. disadvantage to go with Holy Might (Adventurers, p. 22). A
Ifso,itwillhaveanewnametoremindyouofitsspecialtreat- coupleofpower-upsimposeevenmorecomplexconditions–
ment.Whenrecordingthepower-uponacharactersheet,sim- alwaysreadthewrite-up!
plywritedownthisname.Youcanlistitlikeanadvantageor
recordallpower-upsintheirownsection. T
RAITS
C Theheartofapower-upisthecharactertraitsitgrants.The
OST
mostbasic“power-ups”thatanydelvercanbuyaresimplynew
Power-upscostpoints–asinglepointforaperk,morefor skills and spells – or higher levels of existing ones – from his
greatercapabilities.Somepower-upscomeinlevels,eachcost- character template. The most interesting examples venture
ingmorethantheonebeforeit;besuretonotetheleveland beyondthis,though.
P -U C 4
OWER PS IN THE AMPAIGN
Attributes and Secondary Extralevelsofsuchscoresthatbearadvantage-stylemodi-
fiers(e.g.,AccessibilityorCostsFatigue),givingbonusesunder
Characteristics
particular circumstances or for a limited time, can also be
Any adventurer can improve his attributes and secondary power-ups. These might be available even to delvers who are
characteristicstotheirracialmaxima.Theabilitytoexceedsuch otherwisesubjecttonormalraciallimits.
alimitmakesforasimplebutwonderfulpower-up!Thishasno For the benefit of players powering-up PCs and GMs
intrinsic cost beyond that of the scores. As noted under designing new power-ups, the Racial Maxima Table (below)
ProfessionalPower-Ups(p.17),beingamemberoftherightpro- summarizesraciallimitsinthelanguageofpp.B14-18.
fessionamountstoanUnusualBackgroundthatjustifiesthis.
Racial Maxima Table
Race ST DX IQ HT HP Will Per FP BasicSpeed BasicMove
Air-Infused 20 21 20 20 ST+30% 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Cat-Folk 19 21 20 20 ST+30% 20 21 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Celestial 21 21 21 21 ST+30% 22 21 (HT+30%)+1 [(DX+HT)/4]+2.50 (BasicSpeed)+3
Coleopteran 21 20 19 21 ST+30% 19 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Corpse-Eater 22 20 20 22 ST+30% 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+1.50 (BasicSpeed)+3
DarkOne 20 20 20 20 ST+30% 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Dragon-Blooded 21 20 20 21 ST+30% 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Dwarf 20 20 20 21 ST+30% 20 20 (HT+30%)+3 [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+2
Earth-Infused 20 20 20 20 (ST+30%)+1 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Elder-Spawn 20 20 20 20 ST+30% 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Faun 20 21 20 21 ST+30% 20 22 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Fire-Infused 20 20 20 20 ST+30% 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+3.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Gargoyle 20 20 19 21 (ST+30%)+2 19 19 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+1.75 (BasicSpeed)+3
Gnome 20 20 20 20 ST+30% 20 20 (HT+30%)+3 [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+2
Goblin 20 20 19 21 (ST+30%)+1 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Half-Elf 20 21 20 20 ST+30% 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Half-Ogre 24 20 19 21 ST+30% 19 19 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Half-Orc 20 20 20 21 (ST+30%)+1 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Halfling 17 21 20 21 (ST+30%)+2 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+2
HighElf 19 20 21 20 ST+30% 21 21 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Hobgoblin 22 20 18 21 (ST+30%)+3 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Human 20 20 20 20 ST+30% 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Infernal 22 21 20 21 ST+30% 20 20 (HT+30%)+1 [(DX+HT)/4]+2.50 (BasicSpeed)+3
Leprechaun 16 22 20 20 (ST+30%)-2 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
LizardMan 22 20 19 21 ST+30% 19 19 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+4
Minotaur 23 20 18 23 ST+30% 18 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
MountainElf 19 21 20 20 ST+30% 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Nymph 20 20 20 21 ST+30% 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Ogre 30 19 17 23 ST+30% 17 17 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Orc 21 20 19 21 (ST+30%)+2 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Pixie 15 23 20 20 (ST+30%)-4 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
SeaElf 19 21 20 20 ST+30% 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
ShadowElf 19 21 20 20 ST+30% 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Troll 19 21 20 21 (ST+30%)+1 20 22 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Water-Infused 20 21 20 20 ST+30% 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
Wildman 22 20 19 21 ST+30% 19 22 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
WingedElf 18 21 20 20 ST+30% 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+3
WoodElf 19 21 20 20 ST+30% 20 20 HT+30% [(DX+HT)/4]+2.00 (BasicSpeed)+4
We hobbits are plain, quiet creatures. Adventures make
one late for dinner.
– J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
P -U C 5
OWER PS IN THE AMPAIGN
Advantages advantages that aren’t Talents but which function similarly;
e.g.,HighManualDexterity.
Mostadvantagepower-upsareexceptionstotherulesgov-
• Mundane advantages normally off-limits in Dungeon
erning traits available after character creation – from fairly
Fantasy.Especiallysocialadvantages!Inaworldwhere“soci-
mundanebutnormallyinborncapabilitiesthatappearonone’s
ety” means “where we drink, shop, and sell loot,” a social
charactertemplatetogiftsthataren’totherwiseoptionsforany
advantage that gives a delver a concrete edge at adventuring
DungeonFantasyrace.Examplesinclude:
makesanexcellentpower-up.
• Higher-than-usual advantage levels. The most common • Cinematicadvantages.SuchtraitsaimtohelpPCsemu-
exampleshereareTalents.TheBasicSetlimitsTalentstofour late the heroics of specific fictional archetypes, so they’re
levels.Allowingfiveormorelevelsenablesadelvertobecome amongthemostfittingofpower-upsfortemplatesthatmatch
proficient at several skills important to his profession while thoseroles.
spending fewer points than his associates in other careers • Exotic or supernatural advantages. Often, these are new
towhichsuchexpertiseislesscrucial.Thisappliesequallyto abilitiesforexistingpowers:Bard-Song,ChiMastery,Druidic
Arts,HolyMight,etc.Awizard’saptitude
formagiciseffectivelyapower,theabili-
ties of which are advantages that have
Material Power-Ups
theManaSensitivelimitation(-10%).In
the larger-than-life reality of Dungeon
Anobviousomissionhereisitemsaspower-ups.Thismightseemaserious
Fantasy, certain unrealistic advantages
oversight.Afterall,Dungeon Fantasy isinspiredbyold-schoolfantasyRPGs
mightrepresententirelymundanetrain-
andcomputergames,whichoftenfeatureentireclasses(professions)designed
ing, given appropriate modifiers and a
aroundequipment,with“levelingup”bringingever-improvinggear.
suitable interpretation. And a few such
TheproblemisthatGURPSrarelytreatsequipmentaspartofthecharac-
giftssimplyfitanarchetypesowellthat
ter.Withtwoexceptions,everythingis“easycome,easygo.”Thisgoesdouble
theygetapasseventhoughahardnosed
fordelvers,whomightfindaKatanao’Killingononeadventure,onlytolose
interpretation of advantage categories
itforeverdownaspider-holethenext(ordiscoverthatitdissolvesinsunlight).
wouldforbidthem!
Exceptionsaresuperherogadgets–whichdon’tapplyhere–andSignature
• Revamped advantages. Replacing
Gear(Adventurers,p.23).TheGMmayallowSignatureGearasapower-up.
oneortwofeaturesofanexistingadvan-
Ifanitemcouldbeboughtforcoin,thentheGMcanletheroesacquireitin
tagewithothersofcomparablescopecan
townbypayingpointsinstead:1pointper$500orfractionthereof.However,
result in something that feels very new
theGMisundernoobligationtobeharderonownersoffounditemsinorder
andfitsaparticularprofession’sniche.
toplacateplayerswhopaidpointsforSignatureGear!Inthiscase,thepoints
• All-newadvantages.Thesearemost
boughtthepromiseofsomethingspecificmoresothansecurity.
oftennewTalents–butadvantagespulled
Thebestartifactsandmagicitems–likethosein40ArtifactsandTreasure
from elsewhere in GURPS (e.g., Leech,
Tables–aremoretroublesome.SomehavesuchhighpricesthattheSignature
from GURPS Powers) also make nice
Gearcostswouldbenuts.Otherslackpricetagsaltogether!IftheGMwantsto
discoveriesforadvancedadventurers.
makesuchgoodsavailableforpoints(e.g.,aclericcanbuysacredartifactsfor
pointsathistemple;seeClerics,pp.33-36),hecanforbidnewSignatureGear
Enhancements
inplayandadaptGadgetsRequireanUnusualBackground(p.B477)instead.
Withthischange,theitem’sbestpropertydeterminesthebasepointcostof DungeonFantasydoesn’tencourage
UnusualBackground(Artifact)–equivalenttoUnusualBackground(Invention) complicated power-building, but there
–asfollows: are times when an advantage requires
modifierstobettersuitaprofessionora
• Propertynobetterthanthatofmundanegear(ordinaryarmor,weapon,lantern,
power, or dungeon-delving in general;
etc.):5points.
see Combination Power-Ups (p. 7).
• Propertynobetterthanthatofexceptionalnonmagicalgear(fine-qualityitem,
Another option is the power-up that
highholysymbol,meteoricironororichalcumweapon,etc.):15points.
adds an enhancement to a trait the
• PropertynobetterthanthatofenchanteditemfromDungeonFantasy1:30
delveralreadyhas,givinghimacapabil-
points.
itythat’sasinterestingandasusefulasa
• PropertywellbeyondanythinginDungeonFantasy1,orcosmic:50points.
wholenewadvantage.
Ifthethinghasseveraldistinctproperties,startwiththebestandadd1/5
thevalueoftheothers.Forinstance,acosmicitem(50points)withthree15- Perks
point properties would cost 50 + (3 ¥ 15/5) = 59 points. Final cost shouldn’t
Many “important” abilities of fic-
exceedthattobuyequivalentbenefitsasinnateabilities.
tional heroes – or of entire classes of
Allofthisassumesportableequipment:armor,weapons,tools,etc.Vehicles
delversinotherfantasyRPGs–amount
(flying ships, teleporting wardrobes, etc.) capable of transporting the entire
toperks.Oneparticularlyversatileperk
partyshouldcostatleastdoublethepoints,ifallowed.Buildingsandproperty
oftenappearsaspartofapower-up:
–fromgazebostocastles–arebeyondthescopeoftheserules.Tohandlethem,
addStatustothecampaignandmakesocietymorecomplexthan“town.” UniqueTechnique:Letsadelverbuya
Insummary,whileDungeonFantasyaimstobeprescriptivetospeedplay technique(p.7)thatoffersawholenew
andavoidarguments,thisissuedemandsGMjudgment! way to use a skill or removes a major
skill penalty, but that would otherwise
beoff-limits.
P -U C 6
OWER PS IN THE AMPAIGN
Spells
Some spells are effectively advantage-like gifts that
almost any caster might have. If they have casting times,
energy costs, durations, etc., though, then it’s simplest to
definethemasspells.Likeanynewspell,thesemakeexcel-
lentcasterpower-ups.
Techniques
Techniques (pp. B229-233) are rather fine-grained and
fussyforDungeonFantasy–that’swhyAdventurersomits
them.Afewtricksofthetradeareundeniablytechniquesin
GURPS terms, though, and therefore suitable power-ups.
Asacompromisebetweencomplexityandappropriateness,
they can be treated as all-or-nothing capabilities, always
bought at their maximum level or at most in a couple of
largechunks(e.g.,halfwaytomaximumandmaximum).
Combination Power-Ups
Power-upsoftenconsistofseveraltraitsthathavetobe
purchased together. Important examples, in increasing
orderofcomplexity,are:
• Anadvantagemodifiedwithmanyenhancementsand
limitations. the mixed-profession lenses on pp. 19-37 of The Next Level.
• Several advantages – possibly modified – that always Such power-ups are essentially learnable meta-traits
occurtogether. (pp.B262-263).
• Atechniquethatwouldotherwisebeoff-limits,alongside
aUniqueTechniqueperk(p6)thatopensthedoortoit.This Be aware that any power-up with the Unique Technique
combinationisadvantage-like,inthatthecapabilitythetech- perkorafull-blownUnusualBackgroundadvantagebuiltinis
nique offers is only possible for delvers with the power-up. anexceptiontooneoftheconventionsobservedbytherestof
Everybodyelselackstheperkthatletsthemattemptthetech- DungeonFantasy.Thisdoesn’tgiveallheroeslicensetobreak
nique,evenatdefault! thatrule.
• Lenses(p.B449)tocharacterorracialtemplates,which Finally, note that combination power-ups always occur in
bundle together attributes, secondary characteristics, advan- thecombinationslisted.TheGMmayallowdelverstobuyindi-
tages,perks,and/ortechniques–andoccasionallyevendisad- vidualbitsandpieceswithearnedpoints,butotherwise,thisis
vantages or quirks – in all-or-nothing packages that resemble forbidden.Again,aspecificallowanceisn’tcarteblanche!
A P -U
CQUIRING OWER PS
The only absolute preconditions for adding a power-up are B P -U
UYING OWER PS
thattheGMpermitsitandtheheromeetstherequirementsthe
GM has set for it: prerequisites, points, cash, souls, etc. These An adventurer can always spend earned points on attrib-
considerationshavesubstantialdepth,though–especiallyifthe utesuptohisraciallimit(seetheRacialMaximaTable,p.5),
playersarebeingadmirablymunchkinaboutthewholething. traits on his character template, and his profession’s special
powers. If the GM agrees, then a hero with the points and
S W P -U prerequisites can also buy general power-ups, the profes-
TARTING ITH OWER PS
sionalpower-upsnotedforhislineofwork,andhisspecies’
The division between starting templates and power-ups is racial power-ups. The GM might still decree certain choices
arbitrary.ReadersoftheDungeonFantasyseriesinthemirror off-limits,ofcourse.
universe where GURPS authors sport sinister-but-dashing Whereapower-upissimplyanextremequantityofsome-
goateesreportthatcertainpower-upsarebasicsandviceversa. thingthedelveralreadyhas,theGMshouldconsiderlimiting
Thus,it’sfairesttoletdelverswhohavethepointsandprereq- improvementtoonestepaftereachadventure(mission,dun-
uisitetraitsbuytheirprofession’spower-upsatcharactercre- geon,raid,etc.).Forinstance,ahumanbarbarianwhowants
ation.Notthatthisispracticableforallpower-ups! toraisehisSTfrom20(thehumanlimit)to25(thepower-up
Evenso,theGMisfreetodecreethatcertainpower-upsfall limit)mightneedtocompletefiveadventurestodoso.TheGM
intoanothercategorybelow.Anypower-updescribedwithan couldalsotieinstartingpower-upshere,lettingPCsstartwith
adjectivelike“secret”or“advanced”isagoodcandidate.Such onlythelowestlevelofapower-upandrequiringthemtoearn
optionsaren’tavailableatthecampaign’sstart. futurelevelsinplay.
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Optionally,theGMmayfurthercharge“trainingfees,”nor- secret exercises might let a barbarian – and maybe anyone –
mally paid in cold, hard cash to the relevant brotherhood, raiseSTabove20...ifhecanreadit.
guild,monastery,temple,etc.Suggestedtuition: To prevent boring Dungeon Fantasy games where the
heroes spend more time in the library than in the dungeon,
• Power-up is improved attribute or secondary characteris-
don’t use Improvement Through Study (p. B292-294). Such
tic:Free!
“workbooks”functioninoneoftwoways:
• Power-upishigherlevelofknownadvantage,power,skill,or
spell:$20/point.* Mundane Workbook: Anybody who reads the writing and
• Power-up is completely new advantage, power, skill, or follows its instructions can spend earned points to buy the
spell:$40/point.* power-up.Onlyonepersoncanusesuchabookatatime(two,
• Power-upisspecialexceptionoutsidebuyer’susualprofession if one of them doesn’t sleep), and he must peruse it for 15
orrace:$80/point. weeksontheroadorintownbeforedoingso.Itsinformation
is complex enough to take years to transcribe (the Obtrusive
*Thefirstpointinaskilloraspell,andthefirstlevelofan
Hand of Game Balance at work). If sold, it fetches $100 per
advantage,is“new.”Everythingafterthatisa“higherlevel.”
point the power-up costs; e.g., a workbook on the Secret
TeleportationSpell[100]isa$10,000treasure.Buyingit
shouldcostatleast10timesasmuch–it’scheapertopay
for training. Weight varies, but is rarely under 12 lbs.
Alternatively, use Sages to determine the weight of a
manualworththesamenumberofpoints.
Magical Workbook: As above, except that after 15
weeks,thereader(justone!)gainsthepower-upoutright,
increasing his point value. The book then immediately
crumbles, goes blank, or becomes a merely mundane
workbook.Theactualforceatworkneednotbemagic;it
might instead be divine (like clerical spells) or perhaps
even some deity’s cosmic teachings. Price is at least 10
timesthatofacomparablemundaneworkbook–thatis,
$1,000/pointtosellor$10,000/pointtobuy(ifnotmore)!
Weight ranges from that of a mundane work down to
thatofamagicalscroll(0.05lb.).
Quests
Anadventuremightleadtheheroestoateacherwho
canimpartthenecessarypower-up:Theyfighttheirway
to the dungeon’s bottom level, cut down the final mon-
ster,bashopenthebricked-inarch...andstepoutinto
some sort of Shangri-La, where the martial artist can
learn from a Secret Master. Or maybe there’s conve-
niently a teacher there for each of the PCs. The fairest
way to handle this is for the GM to award the usual
pointsfortheadventureandtelltheplayersthattheycan
spend those however they like, but have one-time-only
crackataspecialpower-up,iftheywantit.
Alternatively,suchaquestmayopendoorsbackhome:
S R Upon bringing back the head of the Osmium Dragon, the
PECIAL EQUIREMENTS
knight is admitted for training in some hitherto unavailable
Power-upscanhaverequirementsbesidespointsandcash. combat power-up and the wizard finally gains access to the
Meetingthesemaybestowtheabilityoutright,increasingthe secrets of Energy Reserves. Again, a pay-as-you-go system is
adventurer’spointtotal,orsimplygrantthedelvertheoption probablybetterthanhandingoutfreepoints.
topurchasethepower-upwithpointsandlootaccumulatedon Not all doors opened are on the mortal plane, though.
theadventurethatmadeitavailable.Thisisespeciallysuitable Clerics (all sorts), druids, and holy/unholy warriors might
for secret power-ups, explaining why, for instance, every wiz- acquire power-ups from among the Druidic, Holy, or Unholy
ard who saves up 100 points and $4,000 doesn’t instantly go abilitiesgrantedbytheirdeityonlyafterprovingthemselves.If
learntheSecretTeleportationSpell(p.37)–it’sasecret,duh! usingClerics,suchanadventurerwhoperformsagreatserv-
iceforahigherpoweralliedwithhisownmay,inlieuofpoints,
Ancient Writings receiveagiftnormallyreservedforservantsofthatothergod–
oratleasttheoptiontobuyanabilitylikethis,perhapseven
Aclassicsourceofpower-upsiscodices,tablets,etc.found
one of his choosing, as a power-up. Such an option remains
inforgottenplaces.Thiscomesasnosurpriseforspells(these
validuntilexercisedortheherocommitsanaffrontagainstthe
aretraditionallyfoundingrimoires),butasuitablyimpressive
entity granting the boon. A spell off a different list from the
workmayholdthesecretsofthingsthataren’tnormally“stud-
usualoneisequallyapropos.
ied,”likemostpowersandadvantages.Forinstance,aguideto
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Finally,questsareoneofthefewreallygood
ways to justify power-ups from outside one’s
Designing New Power-Ups
profession. If the GM feels that an adventure
undertaken for the Great Temple or Master
TheGMisencouragedtocreatenewpower-ups–doubtlesswiththe
Thief was sufficiently risky and impressive,
support of power-hungry munchkins! For thoughts on selecting the
everyPCmaylearnasecretusuallyreservedfor
mechanicalguts,seeTraits(pp.4-7).Forexamples,seeChapter2;each
clerics or thieves. This should come out of
item there notes exactly what traits go into it, often with footnotes
earned points, and those in alien professions
explainingrulesinterpretations,expresslytoassistGMswhoareinvent-
maybechargedafeewherethoseinthecorrect
ingpower-ups.
professionaren’t.Still,it’sagreatopportunity!
Brave GMs with large GURPS libraries will find further inspiration
Inallcases,theGMshoulddohissubtlebest
outsidethiswork.GoodresourcesincludeGURPSMartialArts(notably
to ensure that the heroes earn enough points
StylePerks,pp.49-52,andCreatingNewTechniques,pp.89-95),theappro-
duringthequesttobuythepower-upatitsend.
priatelytitledGURPSPower-Upsseries,GURPSPowers(inparticular
It’salsoadvisabletodropahintthattheplayers
Alternative Abilities, p. 11; Attributes as Abilities, p. 13; Special Effects,
maywanttosaveuppoints.Foratrueonce-in-
pp.113-114;andSpecialCases,pp.115-119),andGURPSThaumatology
a-lifetime chance, the GM might even gener-
(especiallyChapters2and7).
ously make up the outstanding point cost
There’s more to a good power-up than stats, though. Bear these
through other means (“The otherworldly ener-
“threeXs”inmind:
gies exact a toll. You gain Power Reincarnate
butloseaHTpoint.”). • eXciting.Thebestpower-upsareabilitiesaboutwhichyarnscan
be spun and toward which heroes will want to work. “Becoming an
Special Training expert at Broadsword” is a fine general objective, but a bit lacking in
color.“LearningtheBotteSegrete”–nowthat’sanaccomplishment!
Some quests may be difficult enough that
• eXclusive.Agoodpower-upshouldoffersomethingthatisn’toth-
the heroes receive power-ups beforehand, as
erwise on the table. Anybody can improve ST, but only the privileged
mission preparation. The GM decides how to
few can raise ST past their racial maximum or add Striking ST. Any
handle the cash and/or point costs. If the
adventurer might learn the Stealth skill, but Backstabber (p. 35)
delverstaketheinitiativeandseekspecialtrain-
exploitsitinaspecialwaythatonlythievescanlearn.Andsoon.
ing,thenthat’ssimplyBuyingPower-Ups(pp.7-
• eXemplary.Agoodpower-upcomplementsaspecificroleorisa
8)withaspecificgoalinmind.
remarkable trait of a particular race. Even “all adventurers” – as
IftheGMhasthenextadventureprepared,
opposedtostaidtownsfolkandfarmers–canwork.Whatmattersis
andhasplannedajobofferfromapatroncapa-
that the power-up offers a clear growth path that helps the player
ble of offering training, then he could tell the
spend earned points to realize a goal, whether that’s becoming an
playersattheendofthecurrentdungeoncrawl
archmage, growing into a paragon orc, or retiring as a storied and
thattheupcomingonemaygobetterwithspe-
successfuldelver.
cialtraining.Atthatpoint,theBrotherhoodof
Bards or Wizards’ Guild steps in and offers to
teach a previously off-limits power-up. Each
playercandecideforhimselfwhethertoexpendearningsfrom Wishes
thelastadventuretoobtaincapabilitiesusefulonthenextone.
Potent enchantments (notably the Great Wish spell in
And if the future mission won’t work at all unless the PCs
GURPSMagic),divinefavor,ancientElixirsofTransmogrifica-
havetherightcapabilities,theGMcandeclaresomethinglike,
tion, and so on can simply bestow power-ups: “Poof! You’re
“Youspendamonthatscoutbootcamp.Non-scoutsgetBow
morepowerful!”Thisdiffersfromthemagicalworkbooksunder
at DX+2 and Fast-Draw (Arrow) at DX+1. Scouts learn the
Ancient Writings (p. 8) or divine rewards discussed in Quests
Bow Fencer power-up.” The points might be a gift or sub-
(pp.8-9)onlyinspecialeffects.However,iftheadventurersare
tractedofftheawardfortheadventure.Inthelattercase,the
inapositiontomakewishes,thentheGMneedstodecidewhich
promise of substantial material rewards is wise – it gives the
power-upsexistandarecommonknowledge.Evenmunchkins
heroes an incentive to go on the quest instead of running off
can’trequestboonsforbiddenbytheLawsofCreation(asrepre-
withtheirnewtraining.
sentedbytheGM)orthattheycan’tdescribeproperly.
He was trying to find some help in the ancient military journals of General
Tacticus, and had actually found a section headed What to Do If One Army
Occupies a Well-fortified and Superior Ground and the Other Does Not, but since
the first sentence read “Endeavour to be the one inside” he’d rather lost heart.
– Terry Pratchett, Carpe Jugulum
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C T
HAPTER WO
T P -U
HE OWER PS
Andnowthegoodstuff!
Be aware that detailed traits and footnotes appear
heretohelptheGMwithdesign–playersshouldsim- How Are They Sorted?
ply pay point costs, write down names, and focus on
These power-ups don’t follow the GURPS custom of listing
describedeffects.Theinnerworkingsofmanypower-
advantagesinoneplace,perksinanother,techniquesinathird,
ups rely on complex rules from the GURPS books
andsoforth.Regardlessoftheirconstituenttraits,theyappear
listedunderDesigningNewPower-Ups(p.9).Whilethe
inalphabeticalorderwithineachcategory.Thisistoencourage
GM is welcome to tinker with these concepts, their
gamerstochoosepower-upsbasedonroles–notrollsorrules!
invocationdoesn’tentitlerules-savvyplayerstodoso.
Similarly, power-ups are exceptions practically by
definition. They regularly interpret existing traits cre-
atively or make judgment calls that might go another way are peculiar to individual power-ups, and aren’t for Dungeon
underdifferentcircumstances.Thesecallsandinterpretations Fantasyingeneral.
G P -U
ENERAL OWER PS
These capabilities are, in principle, available to anyone. When you launch a Cleaving Strike, you cannot step.
Theyaren’ttiedtoparticularprofessionsorraces.Inpractice, Instead, you stand in place and make attacks on up to three
bothpointsandprerequisiteslimitaccessibility–andtheGM foesinfrontofyou,fromlefttorightorfromrighttoleft(your
mightrulethatapower-upisasecrettobediscoveredinplay choice), changing facing as you engage each one. All attacks
orearnedthroughaspecificquest. mustbestrikeswithaswungweapon.
Choose a hit location on the first foe and then make your
C P -U attack roll. Your opponent defends normally. If you succeed
OMBAT OWER PS
andhefailstodefend,rollyourusualweapondamageagainst
Thesepower-upsareusefulmainlyinbattle.Becausealldun- him, at the better of a flat +2 or +1 per die, as with All-Out
geon-crawlersneedtofight,there’snorestrictionbyprofession. Attack(Strong).Owingtothismove’ssheerpower,theenemy
Knights have fewer specialist power-ups than most other suffers-1toallDXandHTrollstoavoidfallingdowndueto
delvers,though,sothey’llbespendingmorepointshere,while knockbackorknockdown!
prerequisitesmayeffectivelyplacecertainoptionsoutofreachof Whathappensnextdependsonwhetheryoumissed,your
somePCs(e.g.,Acrobaticsmovesaren’tlikelyforheroesother rivaldodgedorretreated,youknockedyourenemydownor
thanbards,martialartists,swashbucklers,andthieves). back,youhitalimboranextremityanddidenoughdamage
todismemberit,oryoumanagedtokillyourvictim.Ifanyof
Cleaving Strike thoseconditionsapplies,youmayproceedtothenexttarget
in order and repeat the process. Otherwise, your
5points/skill
turnends.
Prerequisites: Any Melee You can swing through at most two addi-
Weapon skill capable of swinging tionalfoesafterthefirst.Youalwaysendyour
attacks,plusoneofST18+,Trained turnfacingthefinalopponentattacked.
byaMaster,orWeaponMaster. Purchase this power-up for one specific
MeleeWeaponskill.CleavingStrike(Axe/Mace)
CleavingStrikeisaspecialAll-
isdifferentfromCleavingStrike(Staff).
OutAttackthatletsyouattemptto
swing through up to three adja- Perks:UniqueTechnique(CleavingStrike)[1].
centfoesinfrontofyou!It’sallyou Techniques:CleavingStrike(H)Skill+0[4].*
can do that turn, no matter how
* Technically, fighters without Trained by a
fastorskilledyouare.Sinceit’san
MasterorWeaponMastershouldsufferanextra
All-Out Attack, it also leaves you
-6formakingatripleRapidStrike,butST18+
without active defenses.
sufficestowaivethis–itcostsmorethanthose
Otherwise,therulesbelowreplace
twoadvantagesputtogether!
theusualonesforAll-OutAttack.
T P -U 10
HE OWER PS