Pyramid. Cops and Lawyers

38 Pages·2016·8.221 MB·English

by  Steve Jackson

Stock #37-2693
C i t
ontents n his
i
From the editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 ssue
mass Combat in the City . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
by David L. Pulver
The rise of codified laws and a way to keep social order
above the Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 marks one of the earliest achievements of civilization, and
the existence of both continues to loom large to this day. In
by Christopher R. Rice
this Pyramid, we look at cops and lawyers, with an eye toward
suLtans, shurta, and the Courts . . . . . . .15 developments past and present.
by Jon Black When your modern-day action gets too big to handle,
you may find yourself dealing with Mass Combat in the City.
eidetiC memory: marine ProteCtor David L. Pulver – author of GURPS Mass Combat – provides
and doLPhin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Mass Combat stats for a complete police force as well as var-
by David L. Pulver ious groups they may face, from news teams to biker gangs
to terrorists.
mega-max! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Augment your superhero campaign with realism by decid-
by J. Edward Tremlett ing which powers are Above the Law. Prolific Pyramid con-
tributor Christopher R. Rice offers insight into tracking legal
JudiCium dei . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 infractions and using the GURPS Legality Class framework to
by Nathan M.M. Meluvor classify various powers.
Those amid GURPS Banestorm or GURPS Infinite Worlds
random thought tabLe:
parallels could benefit from knowing about the intersection of
when the bad guy threatens Sultans, Shurta, and the Courts. The judicial system of clas-
to wiggLe oFF the hook . . . . . . . . . .35 sical Islam can provide interesting challenges for medieval
by Steven Marsh, Pyramid Editor Middle Eastern heroes. Learn about the three types of courts,
including roleplaying tips for using each one in adventures.
short bursts: a word From In this month’s Eidetic Memory, David L. Pulver salutes
our sPonsor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 the United States Coast Guard with a look at the Marine
Protector and Dolphin. These two key vehicles – one a boat and
by Matt Riggsby
the other a helicopter – come to life with GURPS vehicle stats
about GURPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 and adventure ideas.
What do you with superpowered villains who could never
be held in a normal prison? You send them to a Mega-Max!
This private-industry super-prison has three locations around
the globe . . . and even more secrets! Learn about the history,
a C
rtiCle olors important leaders and prisoners, layouts, and more in this sys-
tem-neutral jail system.
Each article is color-coded to help you find your
Mortal judges and juries aren’t the only way to decide a
favorite sections.
case. Some societies offer Judicium Dei. Peruse this systemless
overview of various trials by ordeal and by combat, including
Pale Blue: In This Issue
what they would be like realistically or with fantastic elements
Brown: In Every Issue
added and how to use them in different time periods.
Green: Columnist
Wrap up your time here with a Random Thought Table
Dark Blue: GURPS Features that considers how to make convicting a bad guy you’ve
Purple: Systemless Features already caught a satisfying experience, then buckle in with
Matt Riggsby for another peek into the forthcoming Car Wars
Cover art interior art future history with this month’s installment of Short Bursts.
Alex Fernandez Brandon Moore With this month’s Pyramid, the forces of law and order have
never been so accessible!
Editor-in-Chief z STEVE JACKSON Executive Editor z MIRANDA HORNER Chief Executive Officer z PHILIP REED
GURPS Line Editor z SEAN PUNCH GURPS Project Manager z STEVEN MARSH Chief Creative Officer z SAMUEL MITSCHKE
Assistant GURPS Line Editor z Production Artist & Prepress Checker z Chief Operating Officer z SUSAN BUENO
JASON “PK” LEVINE NIKOLA VRTIS Marketing Director z RHEA FRIESEN
Car Wars Line Editor z SCOTT HARING Page Design z PHIL REED & JUSTIN DE WITT Director of Sales z ROSS JEPSON
Additional Material: Kenneth Hite
P m 2 J 2016
yramid agazine uly
F
rom the
e
ditor
g W F On the other side, the police and judicial system can be
aming ith the orCes
challenging adversaries, either as the outcome of a misun-
oF laW and order derstanding, a result of isolated or systemic corruption, or
because the heroes themselves are acting outside the law.
The heroes in many campaigns have an interesting inter-
Heist films often revolve around protagonists trying to stay
section with the forces of “law and order” – the police officers
one step ahead of police, while anyone in an appropriate era
entrusted to act as a first line in keeping peace and the legal
might find themselves engaging in trial by combat (pp. 32-34).
system that needs to untangle situations (often a mess by the
time the PCs get done with it) and put the bad guy behind
W h , W n
bars permanently. rite ere rite oW
Although many gaming groups treat these concerns as tan-
Last month’s Pyramid was an experiment with a highly spe-
gential to what the heroes are interested in, there’s still plenty
cific topic. This month’s topic is more general, covering two
of good dramatic potential to be found by incorporating them
broad yet related topics while also reaching a bit across genres
into your campaign. Local police can be a powerful ally, with
and timeframes.
access to resources and information that can be beyond the
So, what did you think about this month’s wider net? Did
reach of many adventurers . . . in addition to access and legal
you find two related topics interesting? If so, do you have any
authority to use remarkable equipment within city boundar-
great ideas for a couple of topics we could run in the same
ies. Legal maneuverings can serve as the coda for many adven-
issue? (Can we even get enough articles about peanut but-
tures (see pp. 35-36), as well as a rich environment for stories
ter and jelly?!) Do you like the idea, but wish something had
or subplots.
been done a bit differently here? Please tell us your thoughts!
In addition, legal considerations can offer a powerful
Our super-surveillance genies read everything sent privately
framework for stories themselves, providing boundaries for
to [email protected], and there is a larger discus-
heroes to come up against or challenges to overcome (see
sion about each Pyramid issue every month on the public at
pp. 9-13 for one good examination).
forums.sjgames.com.
Pyramid, GURPS, Car Wars, Warehouse 23, the pyramid logo, and the names of all products published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are trademarks
or registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or used under license. Pyramid is copyright © 2016 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved.
Submission of your photos, letters, humor, captions, and marginalia constitutes permission to Steve Jackson Games Incorporated to use them in all media.
All such submissions become the property of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated and will not be returned.
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purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the authors’ rights is appreciated.
P m 3 J 2016
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m C
ass ombat
C
in the ity
d l. P
by avid ulver
In the event of serious civil unrest, major terrorist inci- Note that it is possible to have police forces who lack the
dents, a natural disaster followed by looting, or apocalyptic LEO element. This could apply to militarized elements (e.g.,
scenarios, local police could find themselves engaging in mass full-time SWAT who don’t do any policing) or to police who
combat situations. Against ordinary criminals, violent people, have lost touch with their community or simply use strong-
or protesters, the authorities typically have both numerical arm tactics.
and firepower advantage, with their main limitation being the LEO is mostly an accounting figure to ensure police
need to avoid escalating the situation and causing excessive are not unusually cheap, but it has a game effect in a Mass
civilian casualties. However, on occasion, even police SWAT Combat situation: During Reconnaissance Operations that
teams may find themselves outmatched, e.g., against invading take place within its force’s jurisdiction, the element gains
aliens or paratroops, giant-monster attacks, or robot or zom- the Recon class even if it doesn’t have it, or if it already
bie uprisings, with a thin blue line holding on until Army or has the Recon class, its TS counts double for the purpose of
National Guard arrive. determining Recon superiority.
This article provides generic GURPS Mass Combat statis-
tics for contemporary U.S. police, rioter, terrorist, and crimi- P -F s
oliCe orCe izes
nal elements for urban warfare situations. Although the focus
is on the United States, statistics for a few extreme groups Police departments come in all sizes: in the United States,
are also included, who might show up in a post-apocalyptic ranging from the more than 34,000 full-time officers serv-
or conspiracy scenario. Most of the statistics can broadly be ing New York City to the single officer who patrols Gaines
used for non-U.S. police forces, but organizational details will Township, Michigan. However, major incidents may see
vary – for instance, some nations have separate para-military police drawn from all across the region! In big cities, the
riot police, or restrict firearms to ordinary patrol officers; in typical number of police officers per 10,000 residents varies
others, cops carry submachine guns on patrol . . . from a low of 10 to a high of 61 (Washington, D.C.) aver-
aging about 20 per 10,000. Almost all U.S. law enforcement
n F agencies now have Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) or
eW eature
equivalent tactical units, but typically no more than 1-5%
The equipment quality and troop quality ratings for of a police force are SWAT units or vehicles. A U.S.-average
police reflect their utility as combat troops rather than police budget for the force is about $130,000 times the num-
as police. Most U.S. police are well-equipped and trained for ber of officers in the department.
law enforcement, but their doctrine, gear, and training aren’t After the 1997 North Hollywood shootout (when police
optimized for military engagements. The relatively low qual- were outgunned by bank robbers) and again in the post-9/11
ity ratings assigned to them reflect this distinction! era, many departments upgraded their equipment. “War on
However, this results in police costing a lot less than they terror” preparedness federal subsidies from Homeland Secu-
should. Since police are expensively trained and equipped rity transferred over $40 billion to allow local agencies to buy
as police, they have a new feature called Law Enforcement gear from private contractors specializing in para-military
Officer (LEO). equipment. Extra gear was provided by the Defense Logistics
U.S. Police and Gangs in GURPS MAss Combat Agency’s (DLA) 1033 Program, which transferred $1 billion or
Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) so worth of Pentagon matériel. As a result, many SWAT units
have armored vehicles, robots, sophisticated body armor, and
Varies
other military-style items. The amount of paramilitary gear
This feature can be added to any element with the Recon on display during the riots in Ferguson in 2015 was seen as
or C3I classes. It represents training and equipment opti- symptom of excessive militarization of the police, and have
mized for law-enforcement operations rather than combat led to new guidelines aimed at reducing or eliminating the
operations. most over-the-top equipment, such as tracked APCs. Even so,
there’s plenty of gear still around!
Modifier Cost to Raise Cost to Maintain
For more details on police forces, see GURPS Cops and
LEO +100% +100%
GURPS SWAT.
P m 4 J 2016
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o F Quality: Basic equipment; Average troops.
n the orCe
Features: LEO.
These are some of typical elements that police forces Cost: $120K to raise; $24K to maintain.
might send out to deal with crisis situations. The cost to
raise for vehicles and helicopters can be assumed to take into Motorcycle Police (TL8)
account subsidies and transferred surplus equipment.
Motor Recon
Police Car (TL8) This is a highway patrol officer on a police motorcycle
armed with a handgun.
Motor Recon
TS: 30. WT: 1.
Most North American law enforcement are deployed in
Classes: Cv, F, Rec. Mobility: Motor.
motor vehicle patrols. This represents a single police car,
Quality: Poor equipment; Average troops.
well-outfitted with communication gear and other patrol
Features: LEO.
equipment. The car is driven by one or two officers armed
Cost: $43.75K to raise; $4.375K to maintain.
with police-issue handguns, batons, and ballistic vests, plus
shotguns, semi-automatic carbines, and/or assault rifles in the
Mounted Police (TL8)
trunk. In tactical situations, the officers may dismount and
use the car as partial cover. Mounted Rifles
TS: 40. WT: 1. This is a half dozen or so police officers on horseback.
Classes: Cv, F, Rec. Mobility: Motor. A dwindling number of big city and some rural depart-
Quality: Basic equipment; Average troops. ments maintain equestrian units for ceremonial and crowd-
Features: LEO. control purposes and occasional patrol of parks or wilder-
Cost: $50K to raise; $5K to maintain. ness areas. In the United States, they’re usually known as
a mounted patrol or mounted enforcement unit. They are
classed as “Poor” equipment as they’re only armed with pistols
(rather than rifles).
Yes, police! There’s a savage fox in
TS: 60. WT: 2.
the National History Museum! Officer
Classes: Cv, F, Rec. Mobility: Mtd.
Hopps is down! Please hurry! Quality: Poor equipment; Average troops.
Features: LEO.
– Bellwether, in Zootopia
Cost: $75K to raise; $15K to maintain.
Police Van (TL8)
Riot Police (TL8)
Light Truck
Heavy Infantry
This is an unarmored police van, SUV, or paddy wagon,
This represents a squad of officers issued with riot helmets along with one or two officers. It has police communication
with plastic face shields, riot shields, and batons, plus spe- equipment and a few long guns for the crew. It is often used
cialized crowd-dispersal weapons such as pepper spray, tear to transport a SWAT team element or police command post.
gas, stun grenades, rubber bullets, and Long Range Acoustic
TS: 40. WT: 2.
Devices. Some countries use specialized units of riot police,
Classes: Cv, T1. Mobility: Motor.
but in the United States, these are ordinary dismounted offi-
Quality: Basic equipment; Average troops.
cers issued riot-control gear. At present, U.S. riot police rarely
Features: LEO.
use water cannons.
Cost: $50K to raise; $5K to maintain.
TS: 10. WT: 1.
Classes: –. Mobility: Foot. SWAT Team (TL8)
Quality: Very Fine equipment; Average troops.
Features: LEO. Riflemen
Cost: $160K to raise; $28K to maintain. This represents five to 10 police officers with special weap-
ons and tactics training, including assaulters, snipers, team
Dismounted Police Officers (TL8) leader, and negotiator. The assaulters are equipped with
assault carbines or submachine guns, breeching gear, and
Riflemen
stun grenades, and are protected by helmets and tactical body
This represents a half dozen or so officers or sheriff’s dep- armor. The sniper team (also used for reconnaissance) have
uties, operating on foot. They are in ballistic vests, with shot- sniper rifles with telescopic or thermal imaging scopes.
guns or assault carbines removed from their cars or station.
TS: 160. WT: 1.
This can also represent a part-time SWAT team from a small
Classes: F, Rec. Mobility: Foot.
police department.
Quality: Basic equipment; Average troops.
TS: 160. WT: 1. Features: Night.
Classes: F, Rec. Mobility: Foot. Cost: $252K to raise; $37.2K to maintain.
P m 5 J 2016
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Elite SWAT Team (TL8) Police Command Post (TL8)
Riflemen Command Post
This represents a highly trained and superbly equipped A command post packed with communication gear for use
tactical team who are practiced in a variety of special oper- by the incident commander on scene (usually a police captain)
ations procedures and often use helicopters, night vision and any support staff.
gear, and other specialized equipment. This includes full-
TS: (300). WT: 1.
time teams from big-city departments (such as LAPD SWAT
Classes: C3I. Mobility: 0.
or Washington ERT), as well as state or federal government
Quality: Good equipment; Average troops.
teams such as the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team. Equipment is
Features: LEO.
similar to the standard SWAT team (if somewhat better qual-
Cost: $225K to raise; $60K to maintain.
ity), but training is superior.
TS: 320. WT: 1. Armored Rescue Vehicle (TL8)
Classes: F, Rec. Mobility: Foot.
APC
Quality: Good equipment; Good troops.
Features: Airborne; Night. SWAT often rolls into action in SUVs or police vans, but
Cost: $174K to raise; $25.2K to maintain. many better-equipped teams deploy in military-style APCs.
A typical design is the Lenco BearCat, an eight-ton, four-
Explosive Ordnance wheeled APC with two-person crew, 10 passengers, a 1/2”
thick bulletproof steel hull, gun ports, and sirens, lights, bat-
Disposal (EOD) Team (TL8)
tering rams, various sensors and communication gear. The
Combat Engineers older Cadillac Gage V-150 is also popular as are surplus mili-
tary Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles. (See Pyramid
Equipped with heavy armor, explosive-sniffing dogs, and
#3/53: Action, pp. 16-19, for more details on the Cadillac Gage,
a bomb-disposal robot, the unit can also be pressed into ser-
including GURPS vehicle stats.)
vice for other combat-engineering options, such as taking out
barricaded suspects. They are classed as Inferior troops with TS: 300. WT: 4.
Basic gear as the primary focus is noncombat; combat oper- Classes: Arm, Cv, F, T1. Mobility: Mech.
ations (e.g., using a robot to breech a barrier and deliver a Quality: Good equipment; Average troops.
bomb against a target) are usually of an improvised nature. Features: Night.
Cost: $340K to raise; $17K to maintain.
TS: 80. WT: 1.
Classes: Eng, F. Mobility: Foot.
Police Helicopter (TL8)
Quality: Basic equipment; Inferior troops.
Features: LEO. Utility Aircraft
Cost: $90K to raise; $18K to maintain.
This is a typical police helicopter, usually with a four-per-
son crew, e.g., an AStar B-2 or Bell Jet 206, or a Coast Guard
MH-65 Dolphin (see pp. 23-24). The crews or helicopter itself
Policemen are soldiers have night vision gear and searchlights. The helicopter lacks
built-in weapons but can deploy a couple of riflemen or snip-
who act alone; soldiers are ers capable of firing out the open door.
policemen who act in unison. TS: (100). WT: 8.
Classes: Air, T1. Mobility: SA.
– Herbert Spencer Quality: Basic equipment; Average troops.
Features: LEO; Night.
Cost: $1.65M to raise; 66K to maintain.
Armored Deployment Vehicle (TL8) oPPosing Civilian ForCes
Combat Engineering Vehicle (CEV) The usual mass combat opponents for police are detailed
A few well-equipped police departments have one or two below. Numbers may range from a single element to a few
highly specialized armored deployment vehicles. These are hundred elements! Except in a total breakdown of order, it’s
mobile siege engines equipped with assault ramps, hydrau- unlikely that more than one or two categories will be encoun-
lic breeching ramps, and grapple claws. they are armored to tered in a single situation.
withstand armor piercing rifle fire. An example is the six-ton
tracked Rook Critical Incident Vehicle. Rioting Mob (TL8)
TS: 300. WT: 4. Stone Age Warriors
Classes: Arm, Eng. Mobility: Mech. This is an ad-hoc group of civilian rioters, looters, or pro-
Quality: Good equipment; Average troops. testers-turned-violent. They aren’t organized or disciplined,
Features: None. and will likely break and run if faced with serious opposition
Cost: $225K to raise; $11.25K to maintain. or properly applied riot-control measures.
P m 6 J 2016
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The majority of the mob have no more than fists, bricks, motorcycle outlaw action has been rare since the 1960s, but
rocks, bottles, or improvised clubs acquired at the scene. they might come out given the right provocations.
Mixed in with the mob, perhaps equal to half its number, are
TS: 10. WT: 1.
various innocents or peaceful protesters caught up in the situ-
Classes: Cv, F, Rec. Mobility: Motor.
ation. As such, this make identifying real rioters harder, con-
Quality: Poor equipment; Inferior troops.
fusing decision makers and thus affecting law enforcement’s
Features: Impetuous.
C3I capabilities.
Cost: $6.25K to raise; $0.625K to maintain.
TS: 0.25. WT: 1.
Classes: Rec. Mobility: Foot.
Quality: Poor equipment; Inferior troops.
Features: Impetuous; Neutralize C3I. Chicago has over 13,000 police
Cost: $12.5K to raise; $2.5K to maintain.
officers; that is roughly 60 per square mile,
Organized Protesters (TL8) and there are two precincts in a four-block
radius of the diner. My guess is just a
Light Infantry
This is a well-organized group of “direct action” protesters matter of time before a cop would walk in.
or anarchists who have taken time to equip themselves and
– Dr. Spencer Reid,
develop tactics. They often have face masks with improvised
in Criminal Minds #12.1
gas masks, and heavy clothing. They may have some clubs or
bricks, but their usual weapons are thrown incendiaries such
as fireworks or Molotov cocktails. They have leaders, decent
communications thanks to cell phones, and some logistic
support (e.g., designated aid stations, support personnel with
Friendly News Team (TL8)
water bottles and food, etc.).
Command Post
TS: 0.5. WT: 1.
This represents sympathetic reporters or bloggers who
Classes: Rec. Mobility: Foot.
have escaped the press pool and gotten close to the action,
Quality: Poor equipment; Inferior troops.
determined to ensure media oversight. Although theoretically
Features: None.
not working for one side or the other (hence the Disloyal fea-
Cost: $20K to raise; $8K to maintain.
ture), their C3I and Neutralize Recon capabilities represents
the ability of forces opposing the police to gain intelligence on
Street Gang (TL8)
police movements by monitoring civilian news broadcasts and
Riflemen the constraining effect that media coverage may have on the
This element is a crew of urban criminals, such as mem- authorities’ use of force.
bers of an organized street gang. They’re usually more inter- TS: (50). WT: 1.
ested in fighting rival gangs than the police, but represent a
Classes: C3I. Mobility: 0.
sizable armed force that could be involved in major unrest.
Quality: Poor equipment; Inferior troops.
Notorious gangs with thousands of members in major cities
Features: Disloyal; Neutralize Recon.
still active in 2016 include MS-13 (or Mara Salvatrucha), the
Cost: $50K to raise; $10K to maintain.
Latin Kings, the Crips, the Bloods, the Trinitarios, and 18th
Street. Although classed as riflemen, their Poor equipment
Civilian Truck (TL8)
reflects a typical armament of semi-automatic pistols, with
only a few long guns or light automatic weapons. Body armor Light Truck
is rare. Tactics are usually hit and run attacks, but they often An old civilian pickup truck or SUV, plus one to two crew
deploy from cars or trucks. with handguns or long guns.
TS: 40. WT: 1. TS: 20. WT: 2.
Classes: F, Rec. Mobility: Foot. Classes: Cv, T1. Mobility: Motor.
Quality: Poor equipment; Inferior troops. Quality: Basic equipment; Inferior troops.
Features: Impetuous. Features: None.
Cost: $15K to raise; $3K to maintain. Cost: $12.5K to raise; $1.25K to maintain.
Outlaw Bikers (TL8) Battle Truck (TL8)
Motor Recon Heavy Truck
Members of an outlaw motorcycle club who are involved in A heavy-duty truck fitted with improvised armor. Notable
criminal activity (drugs, gun running, etc.). This represents a examples are the “narco tank” up-armored trucks used by
single or a couple of motorcycles and riders or a single auto- Mexican cartels for drug transport and gang fights, with heavy
mobile. Characteristic weapons are brass knuckles, lead pipes, cabin armor, gun ports, and even gadgets to dump nails and
chains, and steel-toed boots, plus a handgun. Mass police vs. oil.
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TS: 40. WT: 4. individual suicide bombers. Their ability to neutralize C3I
Classes: T3. Mobility: Motor. represents paralysis of decision makers through threats to
Quality: Good equipment; Inferior troops. civilians and dominating media rather than a direct attack on
Features: None. leadership assets. Their primary goal is inflicting a series of
Cost: $45K to raise; $2.25K to maintain. bombing attacks, but they are willing to commit suicide (usu-
ally with explosives) rather than be taken alive.
Gunmen (TL8)
TS: 200. WT: 1.
Riflemen Classes: Eng, F. Mobility: Foot.
Quality: Poor equipment; Good troops.
This element represents several well-equipped, motivated,
Features: Fanatic; Neutralize C3I.
and decently trained shooters with paramilitary gear and
Cost: $80K to raise; $15K to maintain.
semi-automatic assault weapons, often with a degree of orga-
nization, discipline or military-style training. They could be
well-drilled crooks equipped for a bank robbery or armored Terrorist Shooters (TL8)
car heist, members of an anti-government militia, or a drug-
Riflemen
cartel hit team. Other non-criminal possibilities include “war-
This is a small team of terrorists who prefer direct action –
rior society” groups, rural posses, border security vigilantes,
or a single, cinematically capable, deranged sniper or spree
or ad-hoc urban neighborhood protection groups (e.g., the
shooter. The shooters are well-equipped with assault weap-
groups organized by Korean ex-Marines to defend shops in
ons, pistols, or shotguns, plentiful ammo, and possibly a few
the LA Riots). It could even represent just one or two well-
grenades, improvised explosive devices, or suicide belts. They
armed shooters: the North Hollywood bank robbers between
are intent on causing mass casualties in a particular area
them had one semi-automatic high-power rifle, three full-auto
(school, place of work, parade, etc.) and then being killed by
assault rifles, 3,300 rounds of ammo, and heavy body armor
police or committing suicide to avoid capture. They’ll often
vests augmented by trauma plates and home-made armor to
barricade themselves in a building, sometimes with hostages,
protect their limbs!
so the siege rules may be appropriate.
TS: 160. WT: 1.
TS: 240. WT: 1.
Classes: F, Rec. Mobility: Foot.
Classes: F, Rec. Mobility: Foot.
Quality: Basic equipment; Average troops.
Quality: Basic equipment; Good troops.
Features: None.
Features: Fanatic.
Cost: $60K to raise; $12K to maintain.
Cost: $75K to raise; $15K to maintain.
Terrorist Bombers (TL8)
a a
bout the uthor
Combat Engineers
This represents several members of a terrorist cell with David L. Pulver is a Canadian freelance author who has
the capability to construct vehicle, car, or truck bombs; place written numerous roleplaying game supplements. For more
improvised explosive devices (IED); and recruit and equip details, see this month’s Eidetic Memory, pp. 22-24.
P m 8 J 2016
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a l
bove the aW
C r. r
by hristoPher iCe
A common theme in many modern comics and graphic sentence that might be prescribed? This article seeks to
novels is “If you have superhuman abilities, does that make offer solutions for the GM running contemporary superhe-
you above the law?” In some ways, having inhuman abilities ro-themed games, which can also be used for campaigns with
does make it difficult for the legal system to deal with such magic, cybernetics, or any other paranormal or superhuman
powered individuals. After all, if someone can lift a bus over capabilities. Also included are new rules for law enforcement
his head or is immune to gunfire, how can he ever be arrested? on a campaign-wide scale.
Moreover, how can anyone ever force them to accept any
t l l
he aW oF the and
The Basic Set (pp. B506-B508) talks briefly about the law, performing their duties. The GM could allow those with a cer-
criminality, and legal punishment, but doesn’t give many spe- tain level of Status or Social Regard to be treated as if they
cifics. GURPS uses two different scores to determine how the were functioning in a campaign with a lower austerity level.
law is enforced. The Control Rating (pp. B506-507) measures In such cases, every 10 points of Status or Social Regard make
the general regulation exercised by a government, while the the austerity level one level more favorable for that character
Legality Class (p. B507) determines how illegal a given piece in his society.
of gear is.
g l
amemastering the aW
W g P . . .
ith reat oWer
GURPS Horror, p. 106, introduces the concept of “aus-
terity” for describing how “real” a setting will be. The GM Just as people with medical training are expected
may use this as a guideline for how the campaign world to help those in need or those with military or police
reacts to player characters performing illegal actions. For training are expected to help in dangerous circum-
example, if Doug the Digger brains Merlin the Malefactor stances, so might the super-powered be called to help
and kills him, then: others. If registration is required (p. 11), then those
who are registered may be called upon to use their abil-
• In a very austere game, the law is clear that deaths must
ities for good. If such “community service” is required,
be investigated, and police have options like fiber matching,
it’s a Duty (pp. B133-B134), possibly with Involuntary
fingerprint databases, DNA typing, and any non-mundane
in authoritarian settings.
investigatory powers that are legal in their district. If caught,
In the comics, this often goes a step further.
Doug will enter the justice system, likely being indicted and
Those with powers are deputized or work for govern-
tried. If convicted, execution or prison awaits.
ment-sanctioned organizations (e.g., the Avengers).
• In a moderately austere game, he is merely “on the lam.”
Game-mechanically, this can take the form of Legal
He’ll be unable to cross the path of the law again, but he
Enforcement Powers and Legal Immunity of any level,
can go “underground” in the same city without the police
possibly with “Informal, -50%” (GURPS Supers, p. 33).
finding him.
This may co-exist with even Involuntary Duties!
• In a lenient (low to no austerity) game, he’s home free,
provided there are no eyewitnesses. Police routinely side with
vigilantes, covering up clues when the victim is a known crim-
inal or supervillain.
t h i o
he eat s n
This approach uses the GM’s judgment to adjudicate how
the law might react to a given player character’s actions. Those looking for a more mechanical approach may use
Remember that austerity interacts with the setting! For the following abstract system to determine what penalties
example, a samurai in the Sengoku period could murder their actions have attracted. Whenever a player character (or
peasants with little or no legal repercussions. Registered important NPC) performs an illegal act, he gains Misconduct
superheroes might have similar Legal Immunity (p. B65) for Points (MP). Alternatively, points are accrued or lost on a per-
property damage (or even deaths!) that happens while they’re group basis.
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0 MP – Lawful Actions. The action is legal in most societies, blood, the GM might decide that’s worth 10 MP, plus another
but some tightly controlled groups might restrict or license 12 MP for the other two deaths.
it. Examples: Travel within the society’s bounds; access to A character gains -1 to reaction rolls from ordinary law-abid-
“everyday” information or libraries; growing produce for ing citizens, civil authorities, and most NPCs for every 5 MP
personal use. Note: Violating restrictions on a legal-but- (or fraction thereof) that person has. Roll on the Reaction Table
lightly controlled action inflicts a mere 1 MP; e.g., leaving a (p. B560) every game session. On a Poor reaction, the char-
legally registered car parked in the fire lane; having chick- acter is detained and questioned for his alleged actions. On a
ens in an urban residential area; routinely violating the Very Bad or worse reaction, he’s arrested and charged with a
condominium association’s rules; returning library books crime. (Alternatively, see GURPS Social Engineering, p. 74.)
late or losing them. Those who can stay out
1-3 MP – Restricted Actions. The action is of trouble lose 1 MP per
What incentive do Probes
licensed, requires registration, or has week. This rate is doubled
conditions attached to it in most societ- have to cooperate, to turn if they also “lay low” or
ies. Examples: Self-defense (proportional leave town. If they do all
themselves in?
response); manufacture or selling of LC3 three, then the rate is tri-
items; growing produce to sell to others. – Myke Cole, pled instead! Losing MP
4-6 MP – Illegal, Misdemeanor. The action Control Point can be adjusted depending
is illegal, but in a limited or minor on the austerity of the cam-
way. Examples: Attacking someone non- paign (p. 9). Those default
fatally; theft of inexpensive items; accidentally killing some- values assume a moderately austere campaign (p. 9). In very
one; gambling; vandalism; arson; fraud. austere campaigns, MP are lost at a rate of one per month; in
6-10 MP – Illegal, Felony. The action is highly illegal. Exam- lenient campaigns, the rate is one per day! In high austerity
ples: Murder (premeditated or otherwise), theft or embez- campaigns, the GM might require a roll against Law, Street-
zlement; rape/sexual assault; robbery; producing, using, wise, or another appropriate skill to lose MP in the first place.
and/or selling of LC2 items (especially recreational drugs). Alternatively, players can shed MP instantly by trading
11+ or more MP – Illegal, Capital Crime. The action is hei- them in for permanent disadvantages, at a rate of 2 MP per -1
nous. Examples: Genocide; serial or mass murder; treason. in disadvantages. This trade-off allows for long-term problems
with the law in exchange for removing the short-term issues.
The GM can adjust the values depending on the circum-
The GM can explain this however he likes: lost paperwork,
stances. For example, if someone killed three people in cold
“bigger fish to fry,” and so on.
s P
uPerhuman oWers
l
and the aW
The section on Spell Legality (p. B507) in the Basic Set in other ways. For example, Affliction with Ecstasy is a
gives a few guidelines for how magic might interact with the replacement for just about any recreational drug on the planet
. . .
law. But what about supernatural or superhuman abilities? and causes no side effects
The GM is free to decide how such powers might be treated ad
hoc, but here are some suggestions for how different types of Attacks and Psychokinesis
power could interact with the current legal system.
Being able to shoot bursts of energy from your eyes, move
The GM can use the abbreviated guidelines from Super-
things with the mind, or raise the ambient temperature are
human Power Legality (p. 11) to jump-start a campaign, but he
common power tropes. If the ability is no more damaging
should also consider the following.
than a powerful handgun (up to about 4d), it’s PLC3; anything
up to 8d is PLC2. More powerful attacks are likely to be heav-
Afflictions and Bindings
ily restricted (PLC1 or lower). Supers with abilities that can
An unmodified Affliction (pp. B35-B36) is the equivalent of kill multiple targets over a wide area are likely to be pushed
a stun gun or TASER in most cases (PLC4). Similarly, a Bind- toward the military or be constantly monitored for the rest of
ing (p. B40) that only restrains the target and cannot dam- their lives (PLC2 or PLC1).
age him are the equivalent of handcuffs or manacles (PLC4). Abilities that allow control over the environment are sim-
Afflictions that incapacitate a subject, but are otherwise non- ilarly dealt with. For example, those who can quickly heat or
lethal (e.g., a paralyzing attack or one that causes terrible cool an area may make a small fortune as personal space heat-
pain) are PLC3, while those that can be lethal (e.g., an attack ers or ambulatory air conditioning (PLC4). At the extreme end,
that causes a coma or heart attack or Binding with the Suffo- they may be required to be as knowledgeable (and licensed) as
cating enhancement) are PLC2. mundane HVAC technicians (PLC3).
Afflictions that enhance a subject (e.g., those with Advan- Those who can manipulate the weather or seas have the
tage or Negated Disadvantage) or cause pleasurable incapaci- capacity to inflict massive property damage and/or loss of life
tation (e.g., those with the Drunk modifier) may be restricted and are likely to be closely monitored (PLC2 or PLC1).
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