Module: Survivor (For Anyone)

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THE SINGLE MOST COMMON QUESTION I AM ASKED AS A GM by GURPS players who have character points to spend is: how do I make combats more survivable for my character? I don’t run particularly lethal combats, I think this is just something that players worry about a lot.

A module is part of a template that can be included in a template by reference, it’s similar to a lens, which specifies a variant of a template. See GURPS Template Toolkit 1. They’re also similar to what are sometimes called “packages.” This is a module for the Land of the True Game campaign to answer this question I get from the players.

This module is for anyone. It is particularly appropriate for non-combatants you want to keep alive.

TBH I am writing this up as a module just to save me from copying and pasting on all of the forthcoming templates.

Survivor

+21 points

Attributes and Advantages: Choose one package:

  1. Luck (Defensive, -20%) [12], +4 HP [8], and Special Exercises (HP can exceed FP by 100%) [1]
  2. Enhanced Dodge 1 [15] and an additional 5 points from among: Enhanced Parry 1 (single weapon) [5], Enhanced Block (cloak or shield) 1 [5], Hard to Kill 1 [2], +1 FP [3].
  3. +1 HP [2], Hard to Kill 2 [4], Hard to Subdue 2 [4], High Pain Threshold [10].
  4. Increase Basic Speed +1.0 [20] (note this will increase both Dodge +1 and Basic Move +1).
  5. Combat Reflexes [15], Hard to Kill 1 [2], +1 FP [3].

Perks: If any package other than #1 was chosen above, select one perk from: Iron Arms [1], Iron Hands (DR 1) [1], Iron Legs [1], Iron Neck [1], Robust Hearing [1], Robust Vision [1], or Sure-Footed (Slippery or Uneven) [1].

Stacking:

Multiple instances of this module can be stacked, but the same package can’t be taken more than once. If stacking, note that on the final character sheet:

  • Hard to Kill and Hard to Subdue cannot exceed level 2 (per p. B58-59).
  • Enhanced Dodge, Parry, or Block may not exceed +3 (although Enhanced Dodge can stack with Combat Reflexes) as noted on p. B51.
  • HP and FP cannot exceed +30% of their underlying basic attribute (ST and HT) unless you purchase the appropriate Special Exercises [1]. See p. 21 of GURPS Power-Ups 2: Perks, “Special Exercises.”

Notes:

  • The setting source material seems to suggest that some people are randomly immune to particular psionic (gamesman) powers. If you have the points to spend, consider adding something even more drastic than the above like: Injury Tolerance: Damage Reduction 2 (Damage Directly Produced by True Game ESP Only -40%) [30]. As a “common” category of limitation, this would save you from a Sorcerer’s psionic fire, but not from a necromancer’s raised skeleton punching you. A healer’s “death touch” would be resisted, as would a demon’s mental attack, but an armiger could still drop rocks on you or stab you, and a sentinel could still set your clothes on fire.
  • Players who are most often in danger from their own decisions should instead purchase Common Sense [10].
  • Players can also directly increase HT and ST at [10] per +1 and this usually makes their characters more survivable.
  • This is probably too obvious to say, but if your character template already contains these items (e.g., Combat Reflexes), you can’t buy them again in most cases.
  • In my opinion package #1 is often overlooked and is a great deal for the points.