TEXT: – and to encourage it. G U R P S is a game in which you take on
  the persona of another character – and pretend, for a little
  while, tob e that character.
  “ S y s t e m . ” Over 150 different books have been published
  for G U R P S , in eight different languages (so far). It is one of
  the recognized standards for roleplaying, worldwide.
  About GURPS Lite
  This is the boiled-down “essence” of G U R P S : all the
  fundamental rules, but not the options and embellishments
  that often confuse new players. Once you’re comfortable with
  these rules, you can pick up the GURPS Basic Set and jump
  right into the action.
  Materials Needed for Play
  To play, you will need these rules, three six-sided dice,
  pencils, and scratch paper.
  BASICS
  G U R P S uses six-sided dice. To figure combat damage,
  the “dice+adds” system is also used. If a weapon does “7d+1”
  damage, this means “roll seven dice and add 1 to the total.”
  Likewise, “3d-1” means “roll three dice and subtract 1 from
  the total.” If you see just “6d,” that means “roll six dice.” For
  big numbers, dice can be multiplied; e.g., “6d×2” means “roll
  six dice and multiply by 2.”
  GURPS Lite has only three basic “game mechanics”:
  s u c c e s s rolls, re a c t i o n rolls, and d a m a g e r o l l s .
  WHAT IS G U R P S?
  G U R P S stands for “Generic Universal RolePlaying Sys-
  tem,” the RPG from which these rules are condensed. Why is
  it called that? Well . . .
  “ G e n e r i c . ” G U R P S starts with simple rules, and builds
  up to as much o p t i o n a l detail as you like.
  “ U n i v e r s a l . ” The rules system is designed to be adapt-
  able to any genre or setting.
  “ R o l e P l a y i n g . ” This is not just a “hack-and-slash”
  game. The rules are written to make true roleplaying possible
  Like any hobby, gaming has a jargon. To help you under-
  stand the concepts and terms used in G U R P S and other ro l e p l a y -
  ing games, we’ll start with a few definitions:
  roleplaying game (RPG): A game, like this one, in which a
  Game Master guides several players through an a d v e n t u re i n
  which they play the parts of imaginary individuals, or c h a r -
  a c t e r s, in a fictional game world.
  Game Master ( G M ) : The referee, who creates the a d v e n t u re ,
  talks the players through it, and judges the results.
  c h a r a c t e r : Any being played by the GM or a player in a RPG.
  n o n p l a y e r c h a r a c t e r ( N P C ) : Any character played by the GM.
  The GM may control many characters, major and minor.
  p l a y e rc h a r a c t e r ( P C ) :Any character played by one of the play-
  ers. Ty p i c a l l y, each player controls one character.
  statistics (stats): Numbers rating a character’s abilities, used to
  determine what each one can and cannot do. See p. 210.
  p a rt y : Agroup of PCs taking part in an a d v e n t u re.
  game world:Abackground for play and setting for an a d v e n t u re
  – for example, the solar system in 2100.
  a d v e n t u re : The basic “unit” of play in a RPG, sometimes called
  a s c e n a r i o .ARPG is never over until the players want to end
  it, but a single adventure has a beginning and an end. It may
  last through several sessions of play, or be done in a single
  e v e n i n g .
  e n c o u n t e r : One “scene” of an adventure; a meeting between the
  PCs and one or more NPCs.
  c a m p a i g n : An ongoing series of adventures, usually with a con-
  tinuing cast of PCs, and the same GM.
  Glossary
  GURPS Rules
  Steve Jackson
  GURPS Lite Abridged Rules
  David Pulver and Sean Punch
  Editing
  Steve Jackson and Sean Punch
  Design
  Phil Reed
  
  The GM determines what happens when you roll a
  critical success. This is always something good; the bet-
  ter the roll, the better the “bonus” he gives you.
  Acritical failure is an especially bad result on a skill roll.
  You score a critical failure as follows:
  � Aroll of 18 is always a critical failure.
  � Aroll of 17 is an ordinary failure if your effective skill
  is 16 or better, and a critical failure if your effective skill is
  under 16.
  � Any roll of 10 greater than your effective skill is a crit-
  ical failure. That is, 16 on a skill of 6, 15 on a skill of 5, and
  so on.
  The GM determines what happens when you roll a criti-
  cal failure. It’s always something bad; the worse the roll, the
  worse the result.
  AUTOMATIC SUCCESS
  Some things are totally trivial. No roll is required when
  common sense says that both failure and critical success are
  impossible. However, if there is any chance of failure, a roll
  is required. Finding your corner store requires no roll. Hitting
  a target at point-blank range, even for an experienced soldier,
  does – a gun can misfire due to bad ammunition or bad luck.
  REPEATED ATTEMPTS ON
  SUCCESS ROLLS
  Sometimes, you have only one chance to do something;
  other times, you can try over and over until you succeed.
  O c c a s i o n a l l y, you will not know whether you succeeded or
  failed until it’s too late to try again. Finally, there will be times
  when you are injured by failure but can afford to fail a few
  times. The GM can use common sense to distinguish among
  these, according to the situation in which the characters find
  themselves, but as a rule:
  � If the first failure kills them (or destroys the object of the
  attempt), that’s that.
  � If a failure causes damage of some kind, assess the dam-
  age and let them try again after a “reasonable” time passes.
  � If a failure causes no damage, let them try again after a
  reasonable time, at a -1 penalty for each attempt after the first.
  CONTESTS OF SKILL
  AContest of Skill is a quick way to resolve a competition
  between two characters without playing it out in detail. Both
  characters make their success rolls in the appropriate skill.
  Any appropriate modifiers are used.
  There are two types of Contest:
  A Quick Contest is usually over in a second; e.g., two
  people grabbing for the same weapon. Each character makes
  his skill roll. If one succeeds and the other fails, the winner is
  obvious. If both succeed (or fail), the winner is the one who
  succeeded by the most, or failed by the least. A tie means
  nobody won.
  SUCCESS ROLLS
  A “success roll” is a die roll made when you need to
  “test” one of your skills or abilities. Sometimes you roll;
  sometimes the GM rolls for you. For instance, you might test,
  or roll against, your Strength (ST) to stop a heavy door from
  c l o s i n g .
  Roll 3 dice and add them together for a success roll. If
  your roll is less than or equal to the skill or ability you are
  testing, you succeeded. Otherwise, you failed. For example, if
  you roll against Strength, and your ST is 12, a roll of 12 or
  less succeeds. Thus, the higher the stat you are rolling against,
  the easier it is to succeed.
  WHEN THE GM ROLLS
  N o r m a l l y, the player rolls dice for his own character.
  There are two exceptions:
  1 . Asituation in which the c h a r a c t e r s h o u l d n ’t be able to
  tell whether he has succeeded – especially when trying to get
  information. The GM rolls in secret. If the roll succeeds, the
  GM gives the player true information. If the roll fails, the GM
  lies or gives no information.
  2 .Asituation in which the p l a y e r s h o u l d n ’t know what’s
  going on. This includes most Sense rolls (see pp. 230-231).
  The GM rolls in secret, and then tells the player what his char-
  acter has learned (if anything).
  MODIFIERS AND EFFECTIVE
  SKILL
  The GM may assign m o d i f i e r s (b o n u s e s or p e n a l t i e s ) t o
  a roll. For instance, if you tried to stop a v e ry heavy door from
  closing, you might roll against Strength at a penalty of -2 (or
  S T-2, for short) because it’s so heavy. In that case, with ST1 2 ,
  you’d need to roll a 10 or less to succeed. Likewise, for an
  especially easy task, you would get a bonus to your attempt.
  You might roll “Diagnosis+3” to identify a common illness.
  If your skill were 12, a 15 or less would succeed.
  Your effective skill for a given task is your basic skill
  (your actual level in that skill) plus or minus any appropriate
  modifiers. In the example above, your basic skill is 12 but
  your effective skill is 15. You may not attempt to roll if your
  e f f e c t i v e skill is less than 3, unless attempting a defense roll
  (see p. 233).
  CRITICAL SUCCESS AND FAILURE
  A critical success is an especially good result on a skill
  roll; a critical hit is a critical success scored on an attack (see
  p. 232). You score a critical success as follows:
  � Aroll of 3 or 4 is always a critical success.
  � Aroll of 5 is a critical success if your effective skill is
  1 5 + .
  � Aroll of 6 is a critical success if your effective skill is
  1 6 + .
  
  4 to 6: Bad. The NPC cares nothing for the characters
  and will act against them, if that serves his own interests.
  7 to 9: Poor. The NPC is unimpressed. He may threaten,
  demand a huge bribe for his aid, or something similar.
  10 to 12: Neutral. The NPC has no feelings for the char-
  acters, and ignores them if they do the same. Transactions will
  go smoothly and routinely, as long as protocol is observed.
  13 to 15: Good. The NPC likes the characters and will
  be helpful within normal, everyday limits. Reasonable
  requests will be granted.
  16 to 18: Ve ry Good. The NPC thinks highly of the
  characters and will be quite helpful and friendly, freely off e r-
  ing aid and favorable terms in most things.
  19 or better: Excellent. The NPC is extremely
  impressed by the characters, and will act in their best interests
  at all times, within the limits of his own ability – perhaps even
  risking his life, wealth, or reputation.
  DAMAGE ROLLS
  A “damage roll” is a roll made to determine how much
  injury a successful attack or a mishap inflicts. Many things
  can affect the final damage inflicted: armor protects the wear-
  e r, certain weapons do extra damage if they penetrate armor,
  and some “critical hits” bypass the damage roll altogether. A l l
  of these things are explained under C o m b a t (see pp. 231-236).
  CHARACTERS
  Creating a character is the first part of the game. The idea
  of roleplaying is to take the part of another person – a “char-
  acter” you create. The way to create a character is to d e s i g n
  him, just as though he were a character in a story you were
  writing. Start by deciding what type of person you want to be.
  You can take inspiration from a fictional hero or heroine – or
  create your new “self” from the ground up. The GM may
  require your character to fit a particular campaign concept
  (e.g., “you’re all cops in 2100-era New Yo r k ” ) .
  Character Story : This is the pre-game history of a char-
  a c t e r, written by the person who plays that character. This is a
  great aid to roleplaying. It is optional, but recommended. Yo u
  might even want to write the story first, and t h e n work out
  your character’s stats. If you write a character story, show it
  to the GM, but not necessarily to the other players. After all,
  your character probably has some secrets!
  CHARACTER POINTS
  When you create a character, the GM gives you a certain
  number of character points to “spend” on your character’s
  abilities. See Character Points (p. 110) for recommended
  point totals. These rules assume competent or heroic char-
  acters; most ordinary people have only 25-75 points.
  A Regular Contest may take some time; e.g., a
  legal battle. Each character tries his skill roll. If one suc-
  ceeds and the other fails, the winner is obvious. If both suc-
  ceed or both fail, the characters’ relative positions are
  unchanged, time passes, and they may try again. The time
  each attempt takes will depend on the activity, and is deter-
  mined by the GM. In a combat situation, each attempt takes
  one second. In a library-research scenario, with the fate of the
  world hanging on who finds a certain obscure reference first,
  each attempt could represent days.
  If both characters have very high skill, the Contest could
  go on indefinitely; therefore, shorten it as follows: if both
  skills are over 14, reduce the higher one to 14, and subtract
  the same amount from the lower one.
  E v e n t u a l l y, one character will make his roll and the other
  one will miss. The one who made his roll wins the Contest.
  REACTION ROLLS
  A“reaction roll” is a roll made by the GM to determine
  how his NPCs react to the PCs. This roll is always optional,
  and the GM may predetermine reactions instead; however, it
  can be fun to let the dice decide. If the GM decides a rolled
  reaction is inappropriate, he should feel free to modify it.
  To check reactions, the GM rolls 3 dice and consults the
  Reaction Ta b l e (below). The higher his roll, the better the
  NPCs will react, and the better they will treat the PCs.
  Reaction rolls are typically made in potential combat sit-
  uations, during commercial transactions, in response to
  requests for aid or information, and to determine the attitude
  and loyalty of NPC hirelings.
  REACTION MODIFIERS
  A reaction bonus is a factor that makes the NPCs more
  friendly; a reaction penalty is something that makes them less
  f r i e n d l y. Types of reaction modifiers include:
  P e r s o n a l modifiers. For appearance, social standing, etc.
  S i t u a t i o n a l modifiers. Offering someone a bad business
  deal, or trying to convince a foe not to attack when you’re
  badly outnumbered, might give you a penalty. Offering a
  good deal, or dealing with an old and trusted employee, could
  give a bonus. This is up to the GM.
  Ap p ropriate behavior by the PCs should always aff e c t
  reaction rolls. Agood approach should be worth a +1 modifi-
  er or more; an inappropriate approach might give a -1 or -2.
  REACTION TABLE
  Roll 3 dice and apply any reaction modifiers.
  0 orless: Disastro u s . The NPC h a t e s the characters and
  will act in their worst interest. Nothing is out of the question:
  assault, betrayal, public ridicule, and ignoring a life-or- d e a t h
  plea are all possible.
  1 to 3: Ve ry Bad. The NPC dislikes the characters and
  will act against them if it’s convenient to do so: attacking,
  o ffering grossly unfair terms in a transaction, and so on.
  
  The following sections describe things you can
  spend your character points on. Helpful traits (e.g., great
  strength, wealth, above-average appearance, and skills) c o s t
  points in proportion to their value. Traits that limit your
  options (e.g., honesty, weakness, poverty, and fear of heights)
  g i v e you extra points that can be used to buy additional help-
  ful traits.
  ATTRIBUTES
  Four numbers called “attributes” are used to define your
  basic abilities:
  S t rength (ST), a measure of “brawn”
  or physical muscle.
  Dexterity (DX), a measure of agility
  and coordination.
  Intelligence (IQ), measuring brain-
  p o w e r, alertness, and adaptability.
  Health (HT), a measure of energ y
  and vitality. HT also stands for “hits” or
  “hit points” – the amount of physical dam-
  age a character can take. When you have
  taken “hits” equal to your Health score,
  you soon fall unconscious. Further injury
  can kill.
  For each attribute, a score of 10 rep-
  resents human average; anything from 8 to
  12 is in the range considered “normal” for
  humans. An attribute of 1 is the lowest
  score permitted. There is n o upper limit,
  but for humans, above 16 is very unusual;
  above 20 is superhuman!
  The four attributes are considered
  equally valuable. The point cost for begin-
  ning attributes is given in the table to the
  left. A score of 10 in any attribute is f re e .
  Scores below 10 have a negative cost –
  they “give you back” some points!
  IMAGE AND LOOKS
  This section addresses your character’s i n t r i n s i c “ s o c i a l ”
  traits: appearance, manner, and bearing. Traits with positive
  point values (e.g., above-average Appearance, Voice) are con-
  sidered a d v a n t a g e s (p. 215). Those with negative values (e.g.,
  below-average appearance, Odious Personal Habits) are treat-
  ed as d i s a d v a n t a g e s (p. 217), and obey all the usual rules for
  disadvantages. Still others (e.g., height and weight, handed-
  ness) are f e a t u re s that merely add “color. ”
  Appearance
  Variable
  You are free to set the physical appearance of your char-
  acter in any way you like. However, outstanding good (or
  bad) looks are an advantage (or disadvantage). Good looks
  cost points; bad looks give you bonus points to spend
  elsewhere. Reaction-roll modifiers due to A p p e a r a n c e
  apply only to people who can see you.
  Hideous A p p e a r a n c e : Any sort of disgusting looks you
  specify: hunchback, severe skin disease, wall-eye . . . prefer-
  ably several at once. -4 on reaction rolls. -20 points.
  Ugly Appearance: As above, but not so bad – maybe
  only stringy hair and snaggle teeth. -2 on reaction rolls. -10
  p o i n t s .
  Unattractive A p p e a r a n c e : You just look vaguely unap-
  pealing. -1 on reaction rolls. -5 points.
  Average A p p e a r a n c e : No bonuses or penalties; you
  blend easily into a crowd. No point cost or bonus.
  Attractive A p p e a r a n c e : You may not enter beauty con-
  tests, but you’re good-looking. +1 on reaction rolls. 5 points.
  Handsome (or Beautiful) A p p e a r a n c e : You c o u l d e n t e r
  beauty contests! +2 on reaction rolls made by the same sex;
  +4 on reaction rolls made by the opposite sex. 15 points.
  Ve ry Handsome (or Beautiful) A p p e a r a n c e : Yo u w i n
  beauty contests. +2 on reaction rolls made by the same sex;
  +6 (!) on reaction rolls by opposite sex. 25 points.
  Charisma
  5 points/level
  This is the natural ability to impress and lead others. It
  a ffects all reaction rolls made by sapient beings. 5 points per
  +1 reaction bonus.
  Handedness
  No point cost
  Decide whether you are right- or left-handed. These rules
  assume you are right-handed unless you decide otherwise or
  buy A m b i d e x t e r i t y. If you try to do anything significant – fire
  a pistol, forge a letter, etc. – with your “off” hand, you will be
  at a -4 penalty. This does not apply to things you n o r m a l l y d o
  with your off hand.
  Ambidexterity
  10 points
  You can use both hands with equal skill, ignoring the -4
  penalty for “off hand” use.
  Height and Weight
  No point cost
  Players are free to select height and weight for their char-
  acters, within reason. Someone of ST 10 is usually about
  5’10” and 150 lbs. Add 1” of height and 5 lbs. of weight per
  point of ST above 10 (add 10 lbs. of weight per point of ST
  above 14); subtract the same per point of STbelow 10. T h e s e
  values assume a man. For a woman, subtract 2” from average
  height and 10 lbs. from average weight. As much as 6” vari-
  ation in height and 40 lbs. variation in weight is believable,
  but those of above-average Appearance should have a weight
  within 20% of “average” for their height.
  Overweight
  -5 points
  You are unusually heavy. Determine weight normally for
  S T, and then increase it by 30%. This extra weight counts as
  encumbrance (p. 228) that you cannot get rid of. (E x c e p t i o n :
  when swimming, ignore this extra weight and add +2 to
  Swimming skill.) Being overweight carries a reaction penal-
  ty of -1 among health-conscious societies and in areas
  where food is in short supply.
  ATTRIBUTES
  L e v e l
  Point Cost
  1
  - 8 0
  2
  - 7 0
  3
  - 6 0
  4
  - 5 0
  5
  - 4 0
  6
  - 3 0
  7
  - 2 0
  8
  - 1 5
  9
  - 1 0
  1 0
  0
  11
  1 0
  1 2
  2 0
  1 3
  3 0
  1 4
  4 5
  1 5
  6 0
  1 6
  8 0
  1 7
  1 0 0
  1 8
  1 2 5
  + 1
  + 2 5
  
  SKILLS
  Point Cost
  Level
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  P o i n t
  C o s t
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  S U M M A R Y
  Point Total
  A t t r i b u t e s
  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  A d v a n t a g e s
  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  D i s a d v a n t a g e s
  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  Q u i r k s
  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  S k i l l s
  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  T O T A L
  ADVANTAGES, DISADVANTAGES, and QUIRKS
  S e q u e n c e
  Point Total
  Date Created
  Unspent Points
  Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  Player _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  Appearance _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  BODY PROTECTION
  H e a d
  B o d y
  A r m s
  L e g s
  H a n d s
  F e e t
  A L L
  PD
  DR
  OTHER PD
  Shield: ____________
  __________________
  __________________
  __________________
  OTHER DR
  __________________
  __________________
  __________________
  __________________
  M O V E
  BASIC
  SPEED
  ( H T + D X ) / 4
  MOVE
  Round Off
  SWIM
  ENCUMBRANCE
  MOVE
  None (0) = 2×ST 
  __________
  Light (1) = 4×ST 
  __________
  Med (2) = 6×ST 
  __________
  Hvy (3) = 12×ST 
  __________
  X-hvy (4) = 20×ST 
  __________
  ACTIVE DEFENSES
  DODGE
  = Move
  PARRY
  Weapon/2
  BLOCK
  Shield/2
  ST
  DX
  IQ
  HT
  FATIGUE
  D A M A G E
  T h r u s t : _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  Swing: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  Kick:  
  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
  ______: _ _ _ _ _ _
  HITSTAKEN
  P o i n t
  C o s t
  G U R P S
  ®
  CHARACTER SHEET
  
  Skinny
  -5 points
  You are notably underweight. Figure weight and
  height normally, and then cut your weight by 1/3. You may
  not take Handsome or Very Handsome appearance, and your
  H T may not exceed 14. Clothes and body armor tailored for
  average-sized people will not fit you, and you will be at -2 to
  Disguise skill, or to Shadowing skill to follow someone in a
  crowd (unless they’re a l l S k i n n y ! ) .
  Odious Personal Habits
  -5/-10/-15 points
  You behave, some or all of the time, in a fashion repug-
  nant to others. The worse your behavior, the more bonus
  points you receive. Specify the behavior when the character is
  first created, and work out the bonus with the GM. Body odor
  might be worth -5 points, spitting on the floor would be worth
  -10 points; -15-point habits are left to the imagination of those
  depraved enough to want them. For each -5 points your habit
  is worth, subtract 1 from all reaction rolls made by someone
  in a position to notice.
  Voice
  10 points
  You have an attractive voice. You get +2 to Bard (or Pub-
  lic Speaking) skill, and on these Influence Skills (p. 222):
  D i p l o m a c y, Savoir-Faire, and Sex Appeal. You also get +2 on
  any reaction roll made by someone who can hear your voice.
  SOCIAL STANDING
  This section contains rules for defining your character’s
  place in society. As for Image and Looks, above, traits with
  positive point values are advantages, while those with nega-
  tive values are disadvantages.
  Clerical Investment
  5 points/level of rank
  This is the social/political advantage of being invested as
  a cleric of your religion. Its level represents your influence
  within that church. You have a number of powers and privi-
  leges that a layman lacks, including a +1 reaction bonus p e r
  level of rank from followers of your religion and those who
  respect your faith. Most ordinary clerics have one level.
  Duty
  Variable
  You belong to an intelligence agency, a military or police
  force, an emergency-rescue team, or similar organization that
  can order you to undertake unpleasant or hazardous activities
  whether you like it or not. The GM rolls once at the beginning
  of each adventure to see if the character (or a group of char-
  acters, if they all have the same Duty) will be “called to duty”
  in that adventure. The point cost of a Duty depends on the fre-
  quency with which it is demanded (all rolls are on three dice):
  Almost all the time (roll of 15 or less): -15 points.
  Quite often (roll of 12 or less): -10 points.
  Fairly often (roll of 9 or less): -5 points.
  Occasionally (roll of 6 or less): -2 points.
  An ordinary job is not a Duty. If a Duty does not
  require you to risk your life, at least occasionally, reduce
  its value by 5 points, which negates Duties less frequent than
  “quite often.”
  On the other hand, an E x t remely Hazardous Duty, w h e r e
  you are “on duty” all the time and risk death or serious injury,
  is worth -20 points. This is typical of front-line fighters in war
  z o n e s .
  An I n v o l u n t a ry Duty, enforced by threats to you or your
  loved ones, or by mind control, is worth an extra -5 points; it
  can also be Extremely Hazardous.
  Legal Enforcement Powers
  5/10/15 points
  You are an officer of the law, with all the accompanying
  powers and restrictions. The rights and privileges of your
  branch of law enforcement determine the cost. A cop with
  local jurisdiction, the ability to arrest suspected criminals, the
  power to perform searches with an appropriate warrant, and
  p o s s i b l y the right to carry a concealed weapon, has 5-point
  Legal Enforcement Powers. A law enforcer with national or
  international jurisdiction, o r not obligated to respect the civil
  rights of others, o r free to engage in covert investigations, o r
  able to kill with relative impunity, has 10-point Legal
  Enforcement Powers. Someone with three or more of the
  above abilities has 15-point Legal Enforcement Powers.
  Military Rank
  5 points/level of Rank
  You have rank in a military organization. Each level of
  Rank gives authority over those of lower Rank. Ty p i c a l l y,
  enlisted personnel are Rank 0, NCOs (like sergeants) are
  Rank 1-2, and officers are Rank 3+. Generals or the equiva-
  lent are Rank 7 or 8 (the maximum level of Rank).
  Military Rank gives a Status bonus, which need n o t b e
  paid for separately; see S t a t u s (p. 213) for more information.
  Military Rank almost always involves a significant Duty
  (see above).
  Reputation
  Variable
  Some people are so well known that their reputation
  actually becomes an advantage or a disadvantage. The details
  of your reputation are up to you; you can be known for
  achievement, bravery, or whatever you want. If you have a
  reputation, your name or your face will be enough to trigger
  a “reputation roll” to see if the people you meet have heard of
  you. Roll once for each person or small group you meet. For
  a large group, the GM may roll more than once if he likes.
  There are three components to your reputation: Type of
  Reputation, People A f f e c t e d , and F requency of Recognition.
  Type of Reputation a ffects the reaction modifier that you
  get from people who recognize you. For every +1 bonus to a
  reaction roll (up to +4), the cost is 5 points. For every -1
  penalty (down to -4), the cost is -5 points.
  People A ff e c t e d modifies the value of your reputation.
  The larger the “affected class” (people who might have heard
  of you), the more your reputation is worth, as follows:
  E v e ryone you will meet in your campaign: use listed
  v a l u e .
  
  Status as a Reaction Modifier: When a reaction
  roll is made, the d i f f e re n c e in Status between the charac-
  ters involved can affect the reaction. Higher Status usually
  gives you a bonus. If you have Status 3, for instance, those of
  Status 1 would react to you at +2. Negative Status usually
  gives a penalty. If your Status is negative, those of higher Sta-
  tus will react badly to you. Take the difference between your
  Status and the NPC’s as a reaction penalty, but no worse than
  -4. Lower Status may give a penalty. If you are dealing with
  an NPC who is basically friendly, your Status won’t matter
  (as long as it’s positive). But if the NPC is neutral or already
  a n g r y, lower Status makes it worse.
  WEALTH
  Wealth governs:
  � How much money you start play with.
  � How much money you earn per game month (though
  this depends on your specific job, too).
  � How much time you must spend earning your living.
  All characters get the “standard” starting wealth unless
  they paid extra character points for high wealth (the We a l t h
  advantage) or took the disadvantage of low wealth (the Pover-
  ty disadvantage); “wealth levels” are explained below.
  G U R P S uses a $ sign to indicate money, regardless of
  the specific currency. Standard starting wealth is $30,000. For
  more on how wealth works, see We a l t h (pp. 127-128) and
  Available Wealth (p. 137).
  Wealth Levels
  Variable
  Dead Bro k e : You have no job, no source of income, no
  m o n e y, and no property other than the clothes on your back.
  -25 points.
  P o o r : You have 1/5 the standard starting wealth. Yo u
  spend 25 hours per week at your job. Some jobs are not avail-
  able to you, and no job you find will pay you very well. -1 5
  p o i n t s.
  S t ru g g l i n g : Your have 1/2 the standard starting wealth.
  You spend 20 hours per week at your job. Most jobs are open
  to you, but you don’t earn much. -10 points.
  Av e r a g e : You have standard starting wealth. You spend
  20 hours per week at your job, and support an average
  lifestyle. No point cost or bonus.
  C o m f o rt a b l e : You have twice the standard starting
  wealth. You spend 20 hours per week at your job. You work
  for a living, but your lifestyle is better than average. 10 points.
  We a l t h y : You have 5 times the standard starting wealth.
  Your job takes only 10 hours per week. You live very well!
  This level of wealth, and higher, may not be chosen without
  the GM’s permission! 20 points.
  Ve ry Wealthy: You have 20 times the standard starting
  wealth. You spend only 5 hours a week looking after business.
  30 points.
  Filthy Rich: You have 100 times the standard starting
  wealth. You spend 5 hours a week on business. 50 points.
  L a rge class of people (e.g., teen-age girls): 1/2
  value (round down).
  Small class of people (e.g., genetic engineers): 1/3 value
  (round down).
  If the class of people affected is so small that, in the
  G M ’s opinion, you would not meet even one in the average
  adventure, your reputation doesn’t count at all.
  Frequency of Recognition also modifies a reputation’s
  value. The more often you are recognized by members of the
  “ a ffected class,” the more important that reputation is (all
  rolls are on three dice):
  All the time: no modifier.
  Sometimes (roll of 10 or less): 1/2 value, rounded down.
  O c c a s i o n a l l y (roll of 7 or less): 1/3 value, rounded down.
  Social Stigma
  -5/-10/-15 points
  You are of an ethnicity, race, or sex that your culture con-
  siders inferior. The “stigma” must be obvious to anyone who
  sees you; otherwise, it’s a Reputation. The point bonus
  depends on the reaction penalty:
  Second-class citizen (e.g., a bioroid in many societies):
  -1 on all reaction rolls except from others of your own kind.
  -5 points.
  Valuable pro p e rt y (e.g., a cybershell): This usually takes
  the form of limited freedom or lack of intellectual respect. - 1 0
  p o i n t s.
  Minority group (e.g., an exotic parahuman in a region
  where they’re rare): -2 on all reaction rolls made by anyone
  except your own kind, but +2 on rolls made by your own
  kind. -10 points.
  O u t s i d e r, outlaw, or barbarian (e.g., an obvious combat
  cybershell outside of an army base or war zone): You get -3
  on all reaction rolls, but +3 from your own kind when met
  outside your home culture. -15 points.
  Anyone who takes a Social Stigma must be bound by it
  . . . roleplay the difficulties it causes!
  Status
  5 points/level of Status
  Status is an indication of your c l a s s in society. A n y o n e
  can determine your Status by looking at you, your dress, and
  your bearing. If you have very high Status, your f a c e may be
  easily recognized – or perhaps your entourage will get the
  message across.
  Status is measured in “social levels,” ranging from -4
  (nonperson) to 7 (head of state); the definition of each level is
  given on the Status Ta b l e (p. 128). The point cost is 5 points
  per level of Status; e.g., Status 5 costs 25 points, while Status
  -3 is a d i s a d v a n t a g e worth -15 points.
  High Status: You are a member of a privileged class.
  Others in your culture (only) defer to you. Because of the
  common relationship between Status and Wealth (see below),
  a wealth level of Wealthy or above lets you pay 5 fewer points
  for high Status: you get one level of Status free. Likewise,
  Military Rank gives a free +1 Status per three f u l l levels of
  R a n k .
  Low Status: You are a homeless individual, a nonperson,
  etc. Note that this is not the same thing as a Social Stigma.
  
  M u l t i m i l l i o n a i re : If you have the Filthy Rich
  advantage, you may buy additional levels of wealth.
  Each increases your wealth by a factor of 10 (e.g., the first
  level would increase total wealth to 1,000 times standard
  starting wealth) and also grants a free level of Status, to a
  maximum bonus of +2 over the free level given for high
  Wealth. 25 points per level.
  The workweeks given above have been adjusted to agree
  with Working Hours (p. 137); double the length of all work
  weeks in earlier eras.
  FRIENDS AND FOES
  Many characters have NPCs who are especially well- or
  ill-disposed toward them. Powerful friends you can call upon
  in times of need are an a d v a n t a g e ; weaker friends you must
  defend are a d i s a d v a n t a g e , as are powerful enemies.
  F requency of A p p e a r a n c e : When a character has friends
  or enemies like this, the GM rolls dice once per adventure to
  see if they will get involved. The chance on three dice of a
  powerful friend showing up or otherwise aiding you, or of a
  weaker friend or an enemy somehow complicating your life,
  is called his f requency of appearance. This adjusts the NPC’s
  value as an advantage or disadvantage, after all other factors
  have been considered, as follows:
  Appears almost all the time (roll of 15 or less): triple cost.
  Appears quite often (roll of 12 or less): double cost.
  Appears fairly often (roll of 9 or less): listed cost.
  Appears rarely (roll of 6 or less): half cost (round up).
  Dependents
  Variable
  An NPC for whom you are responsible is a D e p e n d e n t ,
  and is considered a disadvantage. This may be your child,
  sidekick, spouse, or anyone else you feel an obligation to look
  a f t e r. If your Dependent is kidnapped during play, you must
  go to the rescue as soon as you can. If your Dependent is in
  trouble and you don’t go to his aid immediately, the GM can
  deny you bonus character points (see p. 228) for “acting out
  of character.” You never get any character points for a play
  session in which your Dependent is killed or badly hurt.
  The Dependent is created just like any other character,
  but instead of the 100 points used to create a PC, you use 50
  points or less. A Dependent built with 0 or fewer points is
  worth -16 points, one who is built with 1 to 25 points is worth
  -12 points, and one built with 26 to 50 points is worth -6
  points. A Dependent built with 50+ points is not worth any
  bonus points.
  The more important the Dependent is to you, the more
  points he is worth. For an employer, acquaintance, or other
  person to whom you may weigh risks in a rational fashion,
  h a l v e the values above. For a friend you must a l w a y s p r o t e c t ,
  unless something even more important is on the line, use the
  values above. For a loved one whose safety comes first, no
  matter what, d o u b l e the values above.
  F i n a l l y, pick a frequency of appearance (see above) that
  fits the “story” behind the Dependent.
  No character may ever earn points for more than
  two Dependents at once.
  Allies
  Variable
  A l l i e s are loyal comrades, faithful sidekicks, or lifelong
  friends, competent enough to accompany you on adventures.
  An Ally is an advantage. Allies are usually agreeable to the
  suggestions of their PCs, but they are not puppets. APC should
  receive no character points for any play session in which he
  betrays, attacks, or unnecessarily endangers his A l l y.
  An Ally character is created just as though he were a PC.
  An Ally built on 51-75 points is worth no points, but must be
  protected like a Dependent. An Ally built on 76-100 points
  costs 5 points, one built on 101-150 points costs 10 points,
  and each additional 50 points the Ally has costs the PC an
  extra 5 points. However, an Ally built on over 50 points more
  than his PC is actually a P a t ro n (see below).
  An Ally with special abilities – for instance, political
  power out of proportion to his point value – may cost an extra
  5 to 10 points, at the GM’s discretion.
  As for a Dependent, pick a frequency of appearance that
  fits the “story” behind the A l l y.
  Note that NPC Allies must all pay the points to have their
  PC as an A l l y.
  Patrons
  Variable
  Powerful NPC friends are known as P a t ro n s. Like
  Allies, Patrons are NPCs, created initially by the player but
  controlled by the GM. APatron may be an advisor, protector,
  or a more-than-usually helpful employer. Unlike an A l l y, a
  Patron does not adventure with a PC. Instead, the Patron
  o ffers advice, knowledge, equipment, influence, etc.
  A P a t r o n ’s value depends on his (or its) power. A s i n g l e
  powerful individual (usually created with at least 50 points
  more than the PC), or a group with assets of at least 1,000
  times standard starting wealth, is worth 10 points. An extreme-
  ly powerful individual (created with at least 100 points more
  than the PC), or a reasonably powerful organization (assets
  equivalent to at least 10,000 times standard starting wealth), is
  worth 15 points. A very powerful organization (assets of at
  least a million times standard starting wealth) is worth 25
  points. Anational government or giant multi-national org a n i-
  zation (net worth basically incalculable) is worth 30 points.
  If a Patron supplies useful equipment, this adds 5 points
  to the cost. If the equipment is worth more than the standard
  starting wealth of the campaign, it adds 10 points.
  F i n a l l y, pick an appropriate frequency of appearance.
  Enemies
  Variable
  An NPC or organization that is working against you, or
  just trying to kill you, is an E n e m y. You are responsible for
  determining the nature of your Enemy when you first create
  your character, and must explain to the GM why this Enemy
  is after you. The GM always has the right to veto your choice
  of Enemy if it seems silly or too hard to fit into the campaign.
  To be worth points as an Enemy, your nemesis must be per-
  sonal, not simply a common foe of everyone around you.
  
  Alertness
  5 points/level
  A general bonus to a n y Sense roll (pp. 230-231), or
  when the GM rolls against your IQ to see if you notice some-
  thing. This is cumulative with Acute Senses. Each level gives
  a +1 bonus.
  Combat Reflexes
  15 points
  You have extraordinary reactions and are rarely surprised.
  You get a +1 to any Active Defense in combat (see p. 233).
  You never “freeze up” in a surprise situation, and get +6 on
  any IQ roll to wake up or to recover from surprise or a mental
  “stun” (see p. 236).
  Common Sense
  10 points
  Any time you start to do something that the GM feels is
  STUPID, he rolls against your IQ. Asuccessful roll means he
  must warn you, “Hadn’t you better think about that?” T h i s
  advantage allows an impulsive p l a y e r to take the part of a
  thoughtful character.
  Composed/Unfazeable
  5/15 points
  C o m p o s e d :You’re very hard to panic: +2 on Will rolls to
  resist fear, except Phobias. 5 points.
  Unfazeable: Nothing surprises, frightens, or intimidates
  you. You always succeed on Will rolls to resist fear. You can’t
  take Phobias. 15 points.
  Deep Sleeper
  5 points
  You can quickly fall asleep in all but the worst condi-
  tions, and sleep through unthreatening disturbances. Yo u
  always awaken feeling alert and rested.
  Disease-Resistant/Immunity to Disease
  5/10 points
  Your body naturally resists disease organisms. This pro-
  tects you against bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, but not
  parasites (e.g., tapeworms).
  D i s e a s e - R e s i s t a n t : You get +8 to HT to avoid catching
  any disease. 5 points.
  Immunity to Disease: You n e v e r catch any infection or
  disease, even if you are forcibly injected with it! You must
  start with a HT of 12 or better to take Immunity to Disease,
  but the advantage will remain if your HT is later reduced
  below 12. 10 points.
  Double-Jointed
  5 points
  Your body is unusually flexible. Gives +3 on any Climb-
  ing or Escape roll, or on any Mechanic roll (to reach into an
  engine, etc.).
  Eidetic Memory
  9/18 points
  You remember everything you see or hear.
  Level 1: You remember the general sense of every-
  thing. If exact recall is important, the GM rolls vs. your IQ
  (or IQ+4, if a normal person could recall it on an IQ roll).
  9 points.
  The point value of an Enemy is governed by his
  (or its) strength: the more powerful the Enemy, the more
  points he (or it) is worth as a disadvantage. A single above-
  average individual (created with about half as many points as
  the PC) is worth -5 points. One very formidable individual
  (created with about as many points as the PC), or a group of
  3 to 5 “average” 25-50 point people, is worth -10 points. A
  medium-sized group (6 to 20 people) is worth -20 points. A
  l a rge group (20 to 1,000 people), or a medium-sized group
  that includes some formidable or superhuman individuals, is
  worth -30 points. An entire government or other utterly for-
  midable group is worth -40 points.
  Once you know the base point value of the Enemy, pick
  an appropriate frequency of appearance.
  Too many Enemies can disrupt a game; therefore, no
  character may take more than two Enemies, or more than -60
  points of Enemies.
  ADVANTAGES
  A d v a n t a g e s are innate abilities. In general, a character
  may only be given advantages when he is first created. A f t e r
  that, the only way to gain them is through technology, such as
  biomod transplants (p. 161) or nanosymbionts (p. 165). Each
  advantage has a cost in character points. For some advan-
  tages, this is fixed. Others are bought in levels, at a certain
  point cost for each level. A character may have as many
  advantages as he can aff o r d .
  Absolute Direction/3D Spatial Sense
  5/10 points
  Absolute Dire c t i o n : You have an excellent sense of
  direction. You always know which way is north, and you can
  always re-trace a path you have followed within the past
  month. Gives +3 to Navigation skill. 5 points.
  3D Spatial Sense: You think well in three dimensions.
  You enjoy all the benefits of Absolute Direction, +2 to A s t r o-
  gation and Free Fall skills, and +1 to Piloting skill. 10 points.
  Absolute Timing
  5 points
  You have an accurate mental clock. You always know
  what time it is, down to the second. You can measure elapsed
  time with equal accuracy. You can wake up at a predeter-
  mined time if you choose.
  Acceleration Tolerance
  10 points
  You can withstand high-G accelerations; add +5 to HT
  when rolling to avoid their eff e c t s .
  Acute Sense(s)
  2 points/level
  You have above-average senses that give you a +1 bonus
  per level to IQ rolls made (by you, or by the GM on your
  behalf) to sense something. Acute Hearing gives a bonus to
  hear something. Acute Ta s t e / S m e l l gives a bonus to notice a
  taste or smell. Acute Vi s i o n gives a bonus to see some-
  thing. Each is a separate advantage.
  
  Level 2:You have photographic recall; no need to
  roll. 18 points.
  These costs and descriptions i n c l u d e the limitation on 
  p. 129.
  Fit/Very Fit
  5/15 points
  You are in peak condition for someone of your HT.
  F i t : You lose fatigue points (see pp. 237-238) to exertion,
  heat, etc. at the normal rate, but recover them at twice the nor-
  mal rate. Gives +1 on all HT rolls. 5 points.
  Ve ry Fit: You lose fatigue points at h a l f the normal rate,
  and regain them at twice the normal rate. Gives +2 on all HT
  rolls. 15 points.
  G-Experience
  10 points
  You suffer only half DX penalty for gravity other than
  your home gravity.
  Hard to Kill
  5 points/level
  You are incredibly difficult to kill. Add +1 per level to
  H T rolls to avoid death when you are wounded to -HT o r
  worse (see p. 236).
  High Pain Threshold
  10 points
  You are as susceptible to injury as anyone else, but you
  d o n ’t f e e l it as much. If you are hurt in combat, you are not
  stunned and do not have a “shock” penalty (p. 236) on your
  next turn. If you are tortured physically, you resist at +3.
  Language Talent
  2 points/level
  You pick up languages quickly. Whenever you learn any
  Language skill (see p. 224), add your level of Language Ta l-
  ent to your IQ.
  Less Sleep
  3 points/level
  You can stay awake and alert longer than most people.
  For you, a full night’s sleep is 8 hours minus your level of this
  advantage, to a maximum of five levels (3 hours’ sleep). A
  h a l f - n i g h t ’s sleep is half this. See F a t i g u e (pp. 237-238).
  Lightning Calculator
  5 points
  You can do complex math in your head, instantly, as if
  you had a calculator.
  Luck
  15 points
  You were born lucky! Once per hour of play, you may re-
  roll a single bad die roll twice (this must be the last roll you
  made) and take the best of the three rolls! If the GM is rolling
  (e.g., to see if you notice something), you may tell him you
  are using your Luck, and he must roll three times and give
  you the best result. Your Luck only applies on rolls for your
  character to try to do something, OR on outside events that
  a ffect you or your whole party, OR when you are being
  attacked (in which case you may make the attacker roll three
  times and take the w o r s t roll!). Luck cannot be shared.
  Once you use your Luck, you must wait an hour of
  real time before using it again. Luck cannot be saved up.
  You cannot play for hours without using Luck and then
  use it several times in a row!
  Manual Dexterity
  3 points/level
  You get a +1 bonus per level to effective skill for non-
  combat tasks requiring fine motor skills, such as intricate
  mechanical repairs or surg e r y.
  Mathematical Ability
  10 points
  You get +3 on Mathematics and Computer skills (except
  Computer Operation), and +2 on Engineering skills.
  Night Vision
  10 points
  Your eyes adapt rapidly to darkness. You cannot see in
  t o t a l darkness – but if you have any light at all, you can see
  fairly well. Whenever the GM exacts a penalty because of
  darkness, except for total darkness, this penalty does not
  apply to you.
  Rapid/Very Rapid Healing
  5/15 points
  You recover rapidly from all kinds of wounds. T h e s e
  advantages are only available if your basic HTis 10 or above.
  Rapid Healing: Whenever you roll to recover lost HT
  (p. 236), you get +5 to the roll. This does not help you get
  over stunning or similar incapacities. 5 points.
  Ve ry Rapid Healing: As above, but when recovering lost
  H T, a successful HT roll heals t w o hit points, not one. 1 5
  p o i n t s .
  Resistant to Poison
  5 points
  Poisons and drugs affect you less. You get +3 on HTr o l l s
  to their eff e c t s .
  Sensitive/Empathy
  5/15 points
  You have a “feeling” for people. When you first meet
  someone, or when you are reunited after an absence, you may
  ask the GM to roll against your IQ. He will then tell you what
  you “feel” about that person (a failed roll means he may l i e t o
  you). This talent is excellent for spotting imposters and deter-
  mining the true loyalties of NPCs. You can also use it to deter-
  mine whether someone is lying . . . not what the truth is, but
  whether they are being honest with you.
  S e n s i t i v e : The IQ roll is made at -3. 5 points.
  E m p a t h y : The IQ roll is made against unmodified IQ. 1 5
  p o i n t s .
  Single-Minded
  5 points
  When you put your mind to something, you c o n c e n t r a t e!
  You get a +3 bonus when working on lengthy tasks, but you
  may ignore other important tasks while obsessed (make a
  Will roll to avoid this). Roll at -5 to n o t i c e i n t e r r u p t i o n s .
  Strong Will
  4 points/level
  You have much more “willpower” than the average per-
  son. Your level of Strong Will is added to your IQ when you
  make a Will roll (p. 231) for any r e a s o n .
  
  Bully
  -10 points
  You like to push people around whenever you can get
  away with it. This may take the form of physical attacks,
  social harassment, etc. Make a Will roll to avoid gross bully-
  ing when you know you shouldn’t – but to roleplay your char-
  acter properly, you should bully anybody you can. Nobody
  likes a bully – others react to you at a -2.
  Callous
  -6 points
  You are not necessarily c ru e l , but you care little about the
  pain of others. You ignore lost, crying children and push aside
  beggars. You get -2 on all rolls made for social interaction.
  This includes Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, Leadership, and Sex
  Appeal skills.
  Chummy
  -5 points
  You work well with others and seek out company. W h e n
  you are alone, you are unhappy and distracted, and suffer a 
  -1 penalty to your mental skills. NPCs with this disadvantage
  react to the PCs at +2.
  Compulsive Behavior
  -5 to -15 points
  You have a habit (usually a vice) you feel compelled to
  indulge on a daily basis, even though it wastes time or money,
  or gets you in trouble. Examples include gambling, attraction
  to another person, virtual-reality games, arguing, excessive
  c u r i o s i t y, or even fighting. AWill roll is required to avoid the
  compulsion in a specific instance (or for a specific day) – but
  it is bad roleplaying to attempt to avoid the compulsion often!
  The point value depends on what the behavior is, how
  much money it costs, and how much trouble it gets the PC
  into. The GM is the final judge.
  Cowardice
  -10 points
  You are extremely careful about your physical well-
  being. Any time you are called on to risk physical danger, roll
  against Will (at -5 if you risk death). If you fail, you refuse to
  endanger yourself – unless threatened with g re a t e r d a n g e r !
  Soldiers, police, etc. react to a known coward at -2.
  Fanaticism
  -15 points
  You believe so strongly in a country, organization, polit-
  ical philosophy, or meme that you put it ahead of e v e ry t h i n g
  else, even life! If the object of your fanaticism demands obe-
  dience to a certain code of behavior or loyalty to a leader, you
  give this unquestioningly. Roleplay your fanaticism.
  Greed
  -15 points
  You lust for wealth. Any time riches are offered – as pay-
  ment for fair work, gains from adventure, spoils of crime, or
  just bait – you must make a Will roll to avoid temptation. T h e
  GM may modify this roll if the amount of money involved is
  small or large relative to your own wealth. H o n e s t c h a r a c t e r s
  (see p. 218) roll at +5 to resist a shady deal and +10 to resist
  outright crime.
  DISADVANTAGES
  These are problems acquired before the character first
  comes into play. As a rule, a character may only be given dis-
  advantages when he is created.
  Each disadvantage has a negative cost in character points
  – the worse the disadvantage, the higher this cost. Thus, dis-
  advantages give you extra character points, which will let you
  improve your character in other ways. Besides, imperfections
  make your character more interesting and realistic, and add to
  the fun of roleplaying.
  It is possible to “buy off” certain disadvantages and get
  rid of them in play by spending points equal to the value of
  the disadvantage; see p. 229.
  “Good” Disadvantages: Within the framework of the
  game, several virtues, such as Honesty and Truthfulness, are
  treated as “disadvantages” because they limit your freedom of
  a c t i o n .
  Limiting Disadvantages: The GM should be careful how
  many disadvantages he allows players to take; too many dis-
  advantages can turn your game into a circus. A s u g g e s t e d
  limit: disadvantages (other than those in racial/model tem-
  plates) should not total more than -40 points. Negative social
  traits (bad Reputation; below-average Appearance, Status,
  and wealth; etc.), Dependents, Enemies, and points gained by
  reducing an attribute to less than 8 count against this limit.
  H o w e v e r, if only a single severe disadvantage is taken, it may
  have a n y c o s t .
  Mental Pro b l e m s : Many mental disadvantages let the
  a fflicted character make IQ or Will rolls to avoid their bad
  e ffects. In these cases, any roll of 14 or over still fails.
  Amnesia
  -10/-25 points
  You’ve lost your memory and can’t remember your past
  life, including your name. Pick a level:
  P a rt i a l : You design the character, but the GM may
  reserve up to 30 points for use as he sees fit. You may have
  enemies, friends, or skills of which you are unaware! - 1 0
  p o i n t s .
  Total: You only design those elements of your character
  (other than Amnesia) that you can see in a mirror; the GM
  designs the rest! The GM makes all your mental skill rolls in
  secret, at a -2 penalty. -25 points.
  Bad Temper
  -10 points
  In any stressful situation, you must make a Will roll. A
  failed roll means you lose your temper, and must insult,
  attack, or otherwise act against the cause of the stress.
  Bloodlust
  -10 points
  You want to see your foes d e a d . This only applies to
  actual enemies, not to friends with whom you argue, etc. Yo u
  must make a Will roll to avoid a guard instead of attacking
  him, accept a foe’s surrender, etc. If you fail, you attempt to
  kill your foe – even if it compromises other objectives.
  
  H i d eb o u n d
  -5 points
  You find it very hard to come up with an original
  thought. You get -2 on all rolls made for tasks that require
  invention or creativity (GM’s decision).
  H o n e s t y
  -10 points
  You m u s t obey the law, and do your best to get others to
  do so as well. You are compulsive about it. This will often limit
  your options! Faced with unreasonable laws, roll against IQ to
  see the “need” to break them, and against Will to avoid turn-
  ing yourself in afterward! You can lie if it does not involve
  breaking the law. Note that AIs with Reprogrammable Duty
  will not generally consider the restrictions on them to be
  “ u n r e a s o n a b l e . ”
  I m p u l s ive n e s s
  -10 points
  You hate talk and debate. You prefer action! When alone,
  you act first and think later. In a group, when your friends want
  to stop and debate, put in your two cents’worth quickly – if at
  all – and then act! If it is absolutely necessary to wait and pon-
  d e r, you must make a Will roll to do so.
  I n t o l e ra n c e
  -5/-10 points
  You dislike people who are different from you, reacting to
  them at -3. On a “good” or better reaction, you force yourself
  to tolerate them, coldly but civilly. On a “neutral” reaction, you
  tolerate their presence, but are openly disdainful. On a worse
  reaction, you will walk out, drive them off, attack them, etc.
  Members of the disliked group will sense your intolerance and
  reciprocate, reacting to you at -1 to -5.
  Point value depends on the group affected. Intolerance of
  a n y o n e not of your ethnic background is worth -10 points, as is
  intolerance of anyone who does not share your religion. Intol-
  erance of one particular ethnic or religious group you routinely
  encounter is worth -5 points. Intolerance of a group you will
  rarely encounter is treated as a -1-point quirk (see p. 219). See
  p. 133.
  Je a l o u s y
  -10 points
  You have a bad reaction toward anyone who seems
  s m a r t e r, more attractive, or better- o ff than you! You resist any
  plan proposed by a “rival,” and h a t e it if someone else is in the
  limelight. If an NPC is Jealous, the GM will apply from -2 to -
  4 to his reaction rolls toward the target(s) of his jealousy.
  L a z i n e s s
  -10 points
  You are violently averse to physical labor. Your chances
  of getting a raise or promotion in a n y job are halved. If you are
  self-employed, your weekly income is halved. Avoid work –
  especially hard work – at all costs. Roleplay it!
  L ow Empat hy
  -15 points
  You have trouble understanding emotions. You may not
  take Empathy or Sensitive, and have a -3 penalty to use skills
  where understanding emotions would be important, especially
  Acting, Carousing, Criminology, Fast-Talk, Leadership,
  Merchant, Politics, Psychology, and Sex A p p e a l .
  M i s e rl i n e s s
  -10 points
  Like G re e d (p. 217), except you are more concerned
  with holding on to what you already have. You may be both
  greedy a n d miserly! Make a Will roll when called on to spend
  m o n e y, and hunt for the best deal possible. If the expenditure
  is large, the Will roll may be at -5 (or worse). Failure means
  you refuse to spend the money – or, if it m u s t be spent, hag-
  gle and complain!
  O ve rc o n fi d e n c e
  -10 points
  You think you are far more powerful, intelligent, and
  competent than you really are, and you act that way. Any time
  (in the GM’s opinion) you show too much caution, roll
  against IQ. A failed roll means you can’t be cautious . . . act
  as though you were able to handle the situation. An overcon-
  fident character gets +2 on reaction rolls from the young or
  naive, but -2 from experienced NPCs. This requires roleplay-
  ing. You may be proud and boastful, or just quietly deter-
  m i n e d .
  Pa c i fi s m
  -15 points
  You are opposed to violence. There are two diff e r e n t
  f o r m s :
  Self-Defense Only:You will only fight to defend yourself
  or those in your care, using minimum necessary force (no pre-
  emptive strikes!). Do your best to discourage others from vio-
  lence, too. -15 points.
  Cannot Kill: You may fight freely, but will never do any-
  thing that seems likely to kill another. This includes abandon-
  ing a wounded foe to die. Do your best to keep your
  companions from killing, too. If you kill (or feel responsible
  for a death), you suffer a nervous breakdown. Roll 3 dice:
  you’re totally morose and useless (roleplay it!) for that many
  days, and during that time must make a Will roll to offer any
  violence toward a n y o n e, for a n y reason. -15 points.
  P h o b i a s
  Va ri abl e
  A “phobia” is a fear of a specific item or circumstance.
  Many fears are reasonable, but a phobia is an unreasonable,
  unreasoning, morbid fear. The more common an object or
  situation, the greater the point value of a fear of it.
  Roll against Will when faced with the object of your
  f e a r. If you succeed, you will be at -2 IQ and -2 DX while
  the cause of your fear is present, and you must roll again
  every 10 minutes to see if the fear overcomes you. If you
  fail, you will react badly, running away, screaming, or
  freezing. Roleplay it!
  Some common phobias: blood (hemophobia; - 1 0
  p o i n t s); darkness (scotophobia; -15 points); dead bodies
  ( n e c r o p h o b i a; -10 points); enclosed spaces (claustropho-
  bia; -15 points); fire (pyrophobia; -5 points); heights
  (acrophobia; -10 points); loud noises (brontophobia; - 1 0
  p o i n t s); open spaces (agoraphobia; -10 points); strange
  and unknown things (xenophobia; -15 points). See also 
  p. 133.
  
  Workaholic
  -5 points
  You always work at least 50% more hours than normal.
  This often results in missed sleep (see F a t i g u e , pp. 237-238).
  As well, you cannot relax, and prioritize work over people.
  This gives a -1 or -2 to reaction rolls in situations where it
  would be apparent (GM’s discretion).
  Youth
  -2 to -6 points
  You are 1 to 3 years “legally underage,” at -2 points per
  y e a r. You suffer a -2 reaction roll when you try to deal with
  others as an adult; they may like you, but they don’t fully
  respect you. Laws may prevent you from signing contracts,
  voting, using drugs/nano/alcohol, owning/operating vehicles
  or weapons, etc. “Buy off” Youth when you reach “legal age”
  (usually 18).
  QUIRKS
  A“quirk” is a minor personality trait – not necessarily a
  disadvantage, just something unique about your character.
  For instance, Greed is a disadvantage. But if you insist on
  being paid in U.S. dollars, even in China, that’s a quirk.
  You may take up to five “quirks” at -1 point each. T h e s e
  do n o t count against the maximum number of disadvantage
  points allowed in your campaign.
  Aquirk must be something that can be roleplayed, or that
  will influence others’ reactions in a significant way. If you
  take the quirk “dislikes heights,” but blithely climb trees or
  c l i ffs whenever you need to, the GM will penalize you for bad
  roleplaying. Beliefs, goals, strong likes and dislikes . . . these
  might be quirks; “Likes VR games” is not a quirk, but “Ta l k s
  constantly about VR games” can be.
  SKILLS
  A “skill” is a particular kind of knowledge. Karate,
  genetic engineering, and the English language are all skills.
  Each of your skills is represented by a number called a
  skill level; the higher the number, the greater the skill. W h e n
  you try to do something, you (or the GM) will roll 3 dice
  against the appropriate skill, modified as the GM sees fit for
  that particular situation. If the number you roll is less than or
  equal to your (modified) score for that skill, you succeed! But
  a roll of 17 or 18 is an automatic failure.
  LEARNING SKILLS
  To learn or improve a skill, you must spend character
  points. Skills are either m e n t a l or p h y s i c a l . The tables below
  show the point cost to learn each skill.
  The first column shows the skill level you are trying to
  a t t a i n, relative to the controlling attribute. This is usually DX
  for physical skills and IQ for mental ones; exceptions are
  noted in individual skill descriptions. If your DX is 12,
  then a level of “DX-1” would be 11, “DX” would be 12,
  “DX+1” would be 13, and so on.
  Secret
  -5/-10/-20/-30 points
  A Secret is an aspect of your life that you must keep
  hidden. The GM rolls three dice before every adventure. On
  a 6 or less, your Secret appears. It is not automatically made
  public; you will have the chance to keep the Secret from
  being revealed, although this might mean caving in to black-
  mail or extortion, stealing the incriminating evidence, silenc-
  ing someone who knows the Secret, etc.
  If you succeed, you get to keep your Secret. The solution,
  h o w e v e r, is only temporary; the Secret will appear again and
  again until you finally buy it off .
  If you fail, and your Secret is made public, replace the
  Secret disadvantage with new disadvantages worth t w i c e a s
  many points as the Secret itself! The disadvantages acquired
  must be appropriate to the Secret, and are determined with
  the GM’s assistance. Secrets usually turn into Enemies, bad
  Reputations, or Social Stigmas, or reduce your Status or
  wealth (going from Filthy Rich to Very Wealthy is eff e c-
  tively a -20-point disadvantage).
  The point value of a Secret depends on the consequences
  if revealed: serious embarrassment (-5 points), utter rejection
  by society (-10 points), imprisonment or exile (-20 points), or
  possible death (-30 points).
  Sense of Duty
  -5/-10/-15/-20 points
  You suffer from a self-imposed feeling of duty. If you
  feel a sense of duty toward someone, you’ll never betray him,
  abandon him when he’s in trouble, or let him suffer if you can
  help. If you go against your sense of duty, the GM will penal-
  ize you for bad roleplaying.
  You define the group toward which your character feels
  a sense of duty, and the GM sets its point value. E x a m p l e s :
  close friends and companions (-5 points); a nation or other
  l a rge group, such as “all humans” or “all AIs” (-10 points);
  everyone you know personally (-10 points); all sapient beings
  (-15 points); all life, digital or organic (-20 points).
  Stubbornness
  -5 points
  You always want your own way. Make yourself general-
  ly hard to get along with – roleplay it! Your friends may have
  to make a lot of Fast-Talk rolls to get you to go along with rea-
  sonable plans. Others react to you at -1.
  Truthfulness
  -5 points
  You hate to tell a lie – or you’re just bad at it. To keep
  silent about an uncomfortable truth (lying by omission), make
  a Will roll. To t e l l a falsehood, roll at a -5 penalty! Afailed roll
  means you blurt out the truth, or stumble so much that your
  lie is obvious.
  Weak Will
  -8 points/level
  You are easily persuaded, frightened, tempted, etc. Each
  level gives you a -1 to IQ when you make a Will roll (p. 231).
  This includes attempts to resist distraction, seduction, torture,
  etc. If your IQ is over 14, treat it as 14 b e f o re s u b t r a c t i n g
  Weak Will; e.g., IQ 14+ and 3 levels of Weak Will would
  result in a Will roll of 11 .
  You cannot have both Strong Will and Weak Wi l l .
  
  The remaining columns show the point costs to
  learn skills of different d i f f i c u l t i e s – E a s y, Average, Hard ,
  and Ve ry Hard – at that level. Harder skills cost more charac-
  ter points to learn!
  Physical Skills
  Your Final
  D i fficulty of Skill
  Skill Level
  E a s y
  Av e r a g e
  H a r d
  D X - 3
  –
  –
  1/2 point
  D X - 2
  –
  1/2 point
  1 point
  D X - 1
  1/2 point
  1 point
  2 points
  D X
  1 point
  2 points
  4 points
  D X + 1
  2 points
  4 points
  8 points
  D X + 2
  4 points
  8 points
  16 points
  D X + 3
  8 points
  16 points
  24 points
  D X + 4
  16 points
  24 points
  32 points
  Mental Skills
  Your Final
  D i fficulty of Skill
  Skill Level
  E a s y
  Av e r a g e
  H a r d
  Very Hard
  I Q - 4
  –
  –
  –
  1/2 point
  I Q - 3
  –
  –
  1/2 point 1 point
  I Q - 2
  –
  1/2 point 1 point
  2 points
  I Q - 1
  1/2 point
  1 point
  2 points
  4 points
  I Q
  1 point
  2 points
  4 points
  8 points
  I Q + 1
  2 points
  4 points
  6 points
  12 points
  I Q + 2
  4 points
  6 points
  8 points
  16 points
  Further increases follow the same progressions: 8 addi-
  tional points per level for physical skills, 4 per level for Ve r y
  Hard mental skills, 2 per level for other mental skills.
  LIMIT ON BEGINNING SKILLS
  The m a x i m u m number of points a starting character can
  spend on skills depends on his age; see S k i l l s , p. 136. T h i s
  d o e s n ’t apply to skills gained in play (see Character Impro v e -
  m e n t, pp. 228-229). PCs built with GURPS Lite should not be
  over 70 (excluding time spent frozen, etc.); for aged PCs, see
  GURPS Basic Set.
  SKILL DEFAULTS
  Most skills have a “default level” at which you perform
  the skill without training. Nobody can know every skill; a
  default roll can save your life. Askill has a default level if it’s
  something anybody can do . . . a little bit.
  For instance, the “default” for Camouflage is IQ-4. If
  your IQ is 11, and you must conceal yourself, you do it on a
  roll of 7 or less. Why? Because 11 minus 4 is 7, so 7 is your
  “default” skill at Camouflage. You smear dirt on your face
  and tie twigs to your hat; it may work!
  Some skills (especially Very Hard ones) have n o d e f a u l t .
  LIST OF SKILLS
  The entry for each skill gives the following information:
  N a m e . Its name; e.g., “Armoury. ”
  Ty p e . Its class (mental or physical) and diff i c u l t y
  ( E a s y, Average, Hard, or Very Hard). Sometimes abbre-
  viated; e.g., “M/A” for “Mental/Av e r a g e . ”
  D e f a u l t s. The attribute(s) to which the skill defaults if not
  known; e.g., “DX-6”. If there’s more than one possible
  default, use the one that gives the highest level.
  D e s c r i p t i o n. Ab r i e f description of what the skill is used
  for and when (or how often) to roll. The GM should permit
  routine tasks to be performed on a straight skill roll; more or
  less difficult tasks, or adverse or favorable conditions, will
  result in modifiers to skill (GM’s discretion).
  Acrobatics (Physical/Hard)
  DX-6
  The ability to perform acrobatic and gymnastic stunts,
  roll, take falls, etc. A separate skill roll is required for each
  trick you attempt.
  Acting (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  The ability to counterfeit moods, emotions, and voices,
  and to lie convincingly over a period of time. Roll a Quick
  Contest versus the IQ of each person you wish to fool.
  Administration (Mental/Average)
  IQ-6
  The skill of running a large organization. Askill roll lets
  you deal with a bureaucracy quickly and eff i c i e n t l y.
  Animal Handling (Mental/Hard)
  IQ-6
  The ability to train and work with all types of animals.
  Daily rolls are required when training an animal.
  Area Knowledge (Mental/Easy)
  IQ-4 for area residents only
  The skill of familiarity with the people, politics, and
  geography of a given area. Roll for each piece of knowledge
  r e q u i r e d .
  Armoury (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  The ability to build and repair weapons. Each class of
  weapons – e.g., artillery, small arms, and vehicular weapons
  – requires its own Armoury skill.
  Bard (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  The ability to speak extemporaneously and to tell stories.
  Also called Public Speaking. Roll once per speech or story.
  Battlesuit (Physical/Average)
  DX-5 or IQ-5
  The ability to wear a battlesuit (p. 160). If making DX
  rolls or using DX-based skills in a battlesuit, your eff e c t i v e
  DX or skill can’t exceed Battlesuit skill.
  Beam Weapons (Physical/Easy)
  DX-4
  The ability to fire beam-projecting small arms. Each type
  of weapon requires its own Beam Weapons skill; see p. 136
  and p. 156. Add 1 to skill for an IQ of 10-11, or 2 for an IQ of
  1 2 + .
  
  Diagnosis (Mental/Hard)
  IQ-6
  The ability to tell what is wrong with a sick or injured
  person, or what killed a dead person. Roll once per diagnosis.
  Disguise (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  The ability to make yourself look like someone else. Roll
  a Quick Contest of Skills (Disguise vs. IQ) for each person (or
  group) that your disguise must fool.
  Electronics Operation
  (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  The ability to use electronic gear. No skill roll is required
  for normal, everyday use of equipment, only for complex or
  e m e rgency situations. Each category of gear – communica-
  tions, medical, security systems (includes electronic lock-
  picking), sensors – requires its own Electronics Operation
  s k i l l .
  Engineering Skills (Mental/Hard)
  No default
  The ability to design and build electronic apparatus
  (Electronics skills) or complex machinery (Engineer skills).
  Each class of electronic equipment (communications, sen-
  sors, etc.) is a separate Electronics skill; each field of engi-
  neering (civil, computers, mining, etc.; see p. 136) is a
  separate Engineer skill. Asuccessful roll will let you identify
  the purpose of a strange device, diagnose a glitch, perform a
  r e p a i r, or design a new system.
  Escape (Physical/Hard)
  DX-6
  The ability to get free from ropes, handcuffs, and similar
  bonds. The first attempt to escape takes one minute; each sub-
  sequent attempt takes 10 minutes.
  First Aid (Mental/Easy)
  IQ-5
  The ability to patch up an injury in the field (see p. 236).
  Roll once per injury.
  Forensics (Mental/Hard)
  No default
  The general science of “laboratory” criminology. Roll to
  analyze each piece of physical evidence.
  Forgery (Mental/Hard)
  IQ-6 or DX-8
  The ability to produce fake passports, identity papers, or
  similar documents. Roll once per forg e r y. See p. 136.
  Free Fall (Physical/Average)
  DX-5 or HT-5
  The ability to handle yourself in zero- or microgravity;
  see pp. 54-56.
  Freight Handling (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  The ability to load and unload cargo quickly and eff i-
  c i e n t l y. A successful skill roll will reduce the time
  required for such tasks by 25%.
  Brain Hacking (Mental/Very Hard)
  Will-6
  The ability to use specialized software to edit, interro-
  gate, and modify captive digital minds. Roll once per attempt;
  failure may damage the mind.
  Brawling (Physical/Easy)
  No default
  The skill of unscientific unarmed combat. Roll against
  Brawling to hit with a punch, or Brawling-2 to hit with a kick,
  and add 1/10 your skill (round down) to damage. You may
  parry b a re h a n d e d attacks at 2/3 skill.
  Camouflage (Mental/Easy)
  IQ-4
  The ability to use natural material or paints to disguise
  yourself, your equipment, your position, etc. Roll once per
  person, vehicle, or position hidden.
  Carousing (Physical/Average)
  HT-4
  The skill of drinking, partying, etc. Asuccessful skill roll
  gives you +2 reaction rolls in such circumstances; failure
  gives a -2 instead. This skill is based on HT, not DX.
  Climbing (Physical/Average)
  DX-5 or ST-5
  The ability to climb mountains, ropes, the sides of build-
  ings, trees, etc. Roll once to start a climb; long climbs may
  require more rolls. See p. 229.
  Computer Skills (Mental/Varies)
  Defaults vary
  Skill in using computers. Roll once per important 
  programming, hacking, or data-recovery attempt. No roll is
  needed for routine use.
  A rtificial Intelligence (M/H): The ability to train or
  design AIs. No default.
  Computer Hacking (M/VH): The ability to break into
  computer systems. This is often i m p o s s i b l e unless s o m e c l u e s
  (partial passwords, “back doors,” etc.) are known. No default.
  Computer Operation (M/E): The ability to call up or
  recover lost data, use common operating systems, play
  games, etc. Defaults to IQ-4.
  Computer Programming (M/H): The ability to write and
  debug computer programs. No default.
  Cooking (Mental/Easy)
  IQ-4
  The ability to prepare a pleasing meal from basic ingre-
  dients. Roll once per meal.
  Criminology (Mental/Average)
  IQ-4
  The study of crime and the criminal mind. Roll to find
  and interpret clues, guess how criminals might behave, etc.
  Demolition (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  The ability to blow things up with explosives. A D e m o-
  lition roll is necessary to safely use explosives.
  
  Gambling (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  The skill of playing games of chance. A s u c c e s s f u l
  Gambling roll can tell you if a game is rigged, identify a fel-
  low gambler in a group of strangers, or “estimate the odds” in
  a tricky situation.
  Genetics (Mental/Very Hard)No default
  Skill in genetics theory or genetic engineering. Each
  genetic science is a separate skill; see p. 136. Roll once per
  research or engineering task.
  Gunner (Physical/Average)
  DX-5
  The ability to fire vehicular or tripod-mounted heavy
  weapons. Each type of weapon requires its own Gunner skill.
  Options include beams (lasers and particle beams), cannon
  (autocannon and tank guns), guided missile, machine gun
  (heavy automatic weapons), and railgun (including coilguns).
  Add 1 to Gunner skill for an IQ of 10-11, or 2 for an IQ of
  1 2 + .
  Guns (Physical/Easy)
  DX-4
  The ability to shoot projectile-firing small arms. Each
  type of weapon requires its own Guns skill; see p. 136 and 
  p. 156. Add 1 to Guns skill for an IQ of 10-11, or 2 for an IQ
  of 12+.
  Hand Weapon (Physical/Varies)
  Defaults vary
  Each class of hand weapons requires a separate physical
  skill; roll against this skill when attacking. Most hand
  weapons may also p a rry (p. 233); this is done at 1/2 skill
  unless noted. Assume that P/E weapon skills default to DX-4
  and P/Aones default to DX-5. Skills include:
  Knife (P/E): Any kind of fighting knife or short, unfixed
  b a y o n e t .
  S h o rt s w o rd (P/A):Any 1- to 2-foot balanced, one-handed
  weapon, such as a police baton or a machete.
  Two-Handed Axe/Mace (P/A): Any long, unbalanced,
  two-handed weapon, such as a shovel, or a heavy rifle or
  machine gun gripped by the barrel.
  Holdout (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  The skill of concealing items on your person or on oth-
  ers, or finding such hidden items. Roll once per item.
  Humanities (Mental/Hard)
  IQ-6
  Each academic “humanities” or “arts” subject (such as
  H i s t o r y, Literature, Philosophy, or Theology) is a separate
  Mental/Hard skill that defaults to IQ-6. Roll versus skill to
  recall references, perform critical analysis, etc.
  Influence Skills (Mental/Varies)
  Defaults vary
  There are several ways to influence others; each is a sep-
  a r a t e influence skill. Asuccessful roll will result in a “good”
  reaction from an NPC. Failure results in a “bad” reaction
  (except for Diplomacy, which is always safe). To actu-
  ally coerce or manipulate an NPC, you must win a Quick
  Contest of your skill versus his Will. Methods of influencing
  others include:
  Diplomacy (M/H): Negotiation and compromise.
  Defaults to IQ-6.
  F a s t - Talk (M/A): Lies and deception. Defaults to IQ-5.
  Intimidation (M/A): Threats and violence. Defaults to
  S T- 5 .
  S a v o i r- F a i re (M/E): Manners and etiquette. Mainly use-
  ful in “high society” situations. Defaults to IQ-4.
  S a v o i r- F a i re (Military) (M/E): Military protocol and the
  “old boy” network. Only useful in military situations.
  Defaults to IQ-4.
  S e x Appeal (M/A; based on HT, not IQ): Vamping and
  seduction, usually of the opposite sex. Defaults to HT- 3 .
  S t reetwise (M/A): Contacts and (usually) subtle intimida-
  tion. Only useful in “street” and criminal situations. Defaults
  to IQ-5.
  Intelligence Analysis (Mental/Hard)
  IQ-6
  Interpreting intelligence reports and analyzing raw
  reconnaissance data. On successful roll, the GM might grant
  you additional information about enemy actions, provided the
  data was reliable.
  Interrogation (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  The ability to question a prisoner. To do so, you must win
  a Contest of Skills: your Interrogation skill vs. the prisoner’s
  Wi l l .
  Judo (Physical/Hard)
  No default
  Formal training in locks and throws. If you have empty
  hands and no more than light encumbrance, you may parry
  attacks (even weapons) at 2/3 skill. On the turn after a suc-
  cessful parry, you may attempt to throw your opponent. T h i s
  counts as an attack, and is rolled against Judo skill. If your foe
  does not dodge or parry, he is thrown to the ground.
  Karate (Physical/Hard)
  No default
  The skill of t r a i n e d punching and kicking. When you
  punch or kick, use Karate skill rather than DX to determine
  the odds of hitting, and add 1/5 of your skill level (round
  down) to damage. You may also parry attacks (even weapons)
  at 2/3 skill. Your encumbrance must be light or less to use
  K a r a t e .
  Law (Mental/Hard)
  IQ-6
  Asuccessful Law roll lets you remember, deduce, or fig-
  ure out the answer to a question about the law. An actual trial
  is handled as a Contest of Law skills.
  Leadership (Mental/Average)
  ST-5
  The ability to coordinate a group in a stressful situation.
  Roll to inspire NPCs to follow you into or to endure danger
  (e.g., combat).
  
  Physician (Mental/Hard)
  IQ-7
  The general professional ability to aid the sick, pre-
  scribe drugs and care, etc. This is the skill to use if the GM
  requires a single roll to test general medical competence or
  k n o w l e d g e .
  Pickpocket (Physical/Hard)
  DX-6
  The ability to steal a small object (purse, knife, etc.) from
  s o m e o n e ’s person. Roll once per theft; if the target is alert,
  treat this as a Quick Contest vs. the targ e t ’s IQ.
  Politics (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  The ability to run an election campaign, stay abreast of
  politics, and get along with politicians. Asuccessful roll will
  give you a +2 reaction from a politician. A campaign will
  involve Contests of Politics skills.
  Prospecting (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  The skill of finding valuable minerals by on-site exami-
  nation or via instruments.
  Research (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  General skill at library research. A successful Research
  roll in an appropriate place of research will let you find a use-
  ful piece of data, if that information is to be found.
  Scrounging (Mental/Easy)
  IQ-4
  The ability to find or salvage useful items. A s u c c e s s f u l
  skill roll will locate the item desired, if the GM rules that it is
  there in the first place.
  Shadowing (Mental/Average)
  IQ-6
  The ability to follow another person through a crowd
  without being noticed. Roll a Quick Contest of Skill every 10
  minutes: your Shadowing vs. the subject’s Vision roll. If you
  lose, you lose the target – or he spots you!
  Social Sciences (Mental/Hard)
  IQ-6
  Each “social science” (e.g., A n t h r o p o l o g y, A r c h a e o l o g y,
  Economics, Psychology, or Sociology) is a separate Men-
  tal/Hard skill that defaults to IQ-6. Roll versus skill to recall
  general knowledge within the field, identify traits that char-
  acterize an individual, culture, or society (as applicable), and
  so on.
  Stealth (Physical/Average)
  IQ-5 or DX-5
  The ability to hide and to move silently. Roll a Quick
  Contest of Skills between your Stealth and the Hearing roll of
  anyone you’re trying to hide from.
  Surgery (Mental/Very Hard) No default
  The 
  ability 
  to perform 
  operations 
  (including
  installing/removing implants). Roll once per operation; fail-
  ure may inflict 1d to 3d damage!
  Mathematics (Mental/Hard)
  IQ-6
  Formal training in higher mathematics. Asuccessful skill
  roll will let you answer the sorts of mathematical questions
  likely to matter on an adventure.
  Mechanic (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  The ability to diagnose and fix ordinary mechanical
  problems. Roll once per diagnosis or repair. Each category of
  machine requires its own Mechanic skill; see p. 136.
  Merchant (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  The ability to act as a “trader,” buying and selling mer-
  chandise. A successful skill roll lets you judge the value of
  common goods, locate markets, etc.
  Meteorology (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  The study of the weather and the ability to predict it,
  given the appropriate instruments. Roll once per prediction.
  Musical Instrument (Mental/Hard)
  No default
  The ability to play a musical instrument. Each instrument
  is a separate version of this skill. Roll once per performance.
  Natural Sciences (Mental/Varies)
  Defaults vary
  Each specialty (e.g., A s t r o n o m y, Botany, Chemistry,
  E c o l o g y, Geology, Physics, or Zoology) is a separate Men-
  tal/Hard skill that defaults to IQ-6, with the exceptions of Bio-
  chemistry and Nuclear Physics, which are Mental/Very Hard
  skills with no default. Roll versus skill to recall general
  knowledge within the field, analyze data, perform lab work,
  and so on.
  Navigation (Mental/Hard)
  No default
  The ability to find position by the stars, ocean currents,
  etc. Whether you are on land, at sea, or in the air, a successful
  roll will tell you where you are.
  NBC Warfare (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  Expertise with the gear used in nuclear, biological, or
  chemical (NBC) warfare or biohazard environments. If prop-
  er equipment is available, roll against skill to safely detect and
  neutralize contaminants. See also p. 136.
  Parachuting (Physical/Easy)
  DX-4 or IQ-6
  The ability to parachute jump. Failure means a drift off
  course or dropped gear. Acritical failure is potentially fatal! A
  second roll is required to dodge trees, avoid injury, etc. in a
  rough landing zone.
  
  Survival (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  The ability to “live off the land,” find food and water,
  avoid hazards, build shelter, etc. A d i fferent Survival skill is
  required for each terrain type. Roll once per day in a wilder-
  ness situation.
  Swimming (Physical/Easy)
  ST-5 or DX-4
  This skill is used both for swimming and for saving a
  drowning victim. Roll once per swim, dive, or lifesaving
  a t t e m p t .
  Tactics (Mental/Hard)
  IQ-6
  The ability to plan small battles, with up to a few dozen
  combatants. A skill roll may give insight into enemy plans
  ( G M ’s option).
  Teaching (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  The ability to instruct others. The GM may require one
  or more skill rolls to teach another character a skill.
  Throwing (Physical/Hard)
  No default
  The ability to throw whatever you can pick up. It helps
  both accuracy (roll against Throwing skill to throw anything
  you can lift) and distance (add 1/6 of Throwing skill to ST
  when determining distance). Roll once per throw.
  Thrown Weapon (Physical/Easy)
  DX-4
  The ability to throw any one type of t h ro w a b l e w e a p o n .
  This skill is different for each type of weapon: Grenade
  Throwing, Knife Throwing, etc.
  Tracking (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  The ability to follow a man or an animal by its tracks.
  Make one Tracking roll to pick up the trail, and one further
  roll per 5 minutes of travel.
  Vacc Suit (Mental/Average)
  IQ-6
  The ability to don a spacesuit quickly, work comfortably
  in it, and swiftly patch any holes.
  Vehicle Skills (Physical/Varies)
  Defaults vary
  Each class of vehicle requires its own operation skill.
  Roll once to get under way and again each time a hazard is
  encountered, or during a high-speed chase. Failure indicates
  lost time, or an accident. Vehicle skills default to DX at -4
  (Easy) or -5 (Average); m o t o r vehicles also default to IQ, at
  similar penalties. Available types include Bicycling (P/E),
  Boating (P/A) (for rowboats and sailboats), D r i v i n g ( P / A )
  (separate versions for cars, tanks, trucks, etc.), M o t o rc y c l e
  (P/E), Piloting (P/A) (separate versions for light and heavy
  propeller craft, jets, helicopters, vertical-takeoff air cars, glid-
  ers, and spacecraft; see p. 137), and Powerboat (P/A) ( f o r
  motorboats and mini-subs).
  Writing (Mental/Average)
  IQ-5
  The ability to write in a clear or entertaining manner.
  Roll once per article, or daily for long works.
  Xenobiology (Mental/Average)
  No default
  Knowledge of extraterrestrial biochemistry; each spe-
  cialty (see p. 137) is a different skill. Roll to recall general
  knowledge within the field, analyze data, do lab work, etc.
  LANGUAGES
  Languages are treated as skills. The Language Ta l e n t
  advantage (p. 216) makes it easier to learn languages.
  Language Skills (Mental/Varies)
  No default
  Each language is a separate mental skill. Your native lan-
  guage skill starts out equal to your IQ, and costs only 1 point
  per level to improve. Other languages are improved like any
  other skill. Difficulty of languages varies:
  E a s y : Pidgins and the like.
  Av e r a g e : Most languages – French, German, Mandarin
  Chinese, etc.
  H a rd : Arare few languages, such as Basque or Navajo.
  Any conversation depending on a language not native to
  all parties requires a roll against skill to understand or be
  u n d e r s t o o d .
  RACIAL TEMPLATES
  The character-creation rules described up to this point
  apply to ordinary “baseline” humans; however, many char-
  acters in a Transhuman Space game will be more than
  human. To create such a character, select a racial template
  (or t w o templates, if an infomorph) from those detailed on
  pp. 11 4 - 1 2 6 .
  Aracial template is a package of attribute modifiers (see
  below), advantages, disadvantages, and features (0-point
  traits). Each template has a racial point cost listed, which is
  the sum of the individual point costs for the traits listed as
  making up the template. (These individual costs are listed in
  the template, in brackets – [ ] – for reference.) For example,
  the Alpha Upgrade on p. 115 has a racial point cost of 35
  p o i n t s .
  If you choose a racial template (or two templates, if you
  are an infomorph), you treat the template’s point cost as if it
  were an advantage (if positive) or disadvantage (if negative).
  If it’s a disadvantage, it doesn’t count against the disadvan-
  tage limit for your campaign.
  When you take a racial (or model) template, all the attrib-
  ute modifiers, advantages, and disadvantages in the template
  apply automatically to your character. Don’t take any advan-
  tages or disadvantages that duplicate them!
  Attribute Modifiers: Most racial templates have one
  or more attribute modifiers; e.g., DX +2 or IQ -1. A f t e r
  
  Extra Flexibility: You have tentacles or similar limbs
  with a larger movement arc than human arms. 10 points.
  Extra Hit Points: Increase your HT by +1/level for the
  purpose of determining how many hits you can sustain (only).
  5 points/level.
  Extra Legs: You have extra legs; you can lose some and
  still walk. Cost varies.
  Extra Life: You can return from the dead . . . once. 2 5
  p o i n t s .
  Faz Sense: You can sense moving objects via air motion
  at short range (e.g., in the same room). 10 points.
  Filter Lungs: You can safely breath airborne toxins or
  contaminants. 5 points.
  F l e x i b i l i t y : Similar to Double-Jointed (p. 215), but more
  extreme: +5 to Climbing, Escape, or Mechanic. 15 points.
  F l i g h t : You can fly at twice your Move. 40 points.
  F u r : You stay warm and have DR 1. 4 points.
  H e r m a p h romorph: You can voluntarily change sex
  (takes six hours). 2 points.
  H y p e r-Reflexes: You can “activate” Combat Reflexes
  and a +1 Speed bonus (if you already have Combat Reflexes,
  double its benefits) at a cost of 1 fatigue point/turn. 15 points.
  H y p e r- S t re n g t h : You can “activate” a +50% ST i n c r e a s e
  at a cost of 1 fatigue point/turn. 30 points.
  Immunity to Poison: Drugs and poisons do not aff e c t
  y o u . 15 points.
  I n c reased Speed: Gives +1/level to Basic Speed and
  Move. 25 points/level.
  I n f r a v i s i o n : You can see in the dark using thermal imag-
  ing. The shapes of people and objects stand out against cool-
  er or warmer backgrounds. Gives +2 to see (or +3 to track)
  living beings. 15 points.
  I n j u ry Tolerance: You lack a specific brain (No Brain),
  or don’t bleed (No Blood), or can’t be strangled (No Neck). 5
  points each.
  M i c roscopic Vision: Your eyes magnify tiny, close-up
  details. Each level doubles magnification. 4 points/level.
  Move Through Ice: You melt or burrow through ice at
  your full Move. 10 points.
  Oxygen Storage: You can store an hour’s worth of oxy-
  gen in your body. 14 points.
  Passive Defense: Your body gives 1 PD per level (up to
  PD 6), if you don’t wear armor. 25 points/level.
  Penetrating Vi s i o n : You can see through 6” of solid mat-
  ter/level. 10 points/level.
  Perfect Balance: You can move like a squirrel and run
  along branches, high wires, etc. with ease. Gives +1 to A c r o-
  batics, Climbing, and Piloting skills. 15 points.
  Polarized Eyes: Flashes or bright light don’t blind you. 5
  p o i n t s .
  Radar Sense: You have built-in radar that lets you see
  objects all around you, ignoring penalties for darkness,
  smoke, etc. 50 points + 1 point/yard of range.
  Radio Speech: You can communicate by radio (see 
  p. 130). 25 points.
  Sanitized Metabolism: You never have body odor, acne,
  or bad breath. Gives +1 to reaction rolls, where appropriate.
  5 points.
  you buy your character’s attributes (p. 210), you apply
  the attribute modifiers in your template(s). This may raise
  or lower your attributes, but you don’t pay any points (or get
  any points back) for this, since the cost was already included
  in the cost of the template. For example, if you buy DX 13 for
  30 points and your template gives DX +2, you would have
  DX 15 at no additional cost.
  Racial Advantages and Disadvantages: These can
  include normal advantages and disadvantages (pp. 210-219),
  as well as special “racial and super” advantages and disad-
  vantages that are not found in ordinary humans (see below).
  They also include the occasional racial skill bonus ( e . g . ,
  “Free Fall +3”) that gives a bonus to a specific skill if at least
  1/2 point is paid to learn that skill.
  RACIAL AND SUPER
  ADVANTAGES
  B r i e f descriptions are given here; for more detail, see
  GURPS Compendium I. Point cost is noted for reference.
  Amphibious: You are at home in the water, and can swim
  at full Move without Swimming skill. 10 points.
  C a t f a l l : You subtract 5 yards from any fall. A DX roll
  h a l v e s all damage taken from a fall. 10 points.
  Chameleon: You blend into your surroundings: +2/level
  to Stealth if still, half that if moving. 7 points/level.
  C l a w s : You have claws that give +2 damage with a
  punch or kick. 15 points.
  Clinging: You can climb walls and ceilings like an
  insect. 25 points.
  Damage Resistance: You have one or more points of
  DR. 3 points/level.
  D i s c r i m i n a t o ry Smell:You have a bloodhound’s olfacto-
  ry abilities, and +4 to smell Sense rolls. 15 points.
  D o e s n ’t Bre a t h e : You cannot drown or be poisoned by
  inhaled gas. 20 points.
  D rug Factory : Your body manufactures drugs. You can
  dispense up to (HT/2) doses daily by bite or claws. 20 points
  (first drug) + 10 points/extra dru g.
  Early Maturation: Each level halves the age at which
  you reach maturity (normally 18). 5 points/level.
  Enhanced Move: Each level increases Move by your
  original Move score in one means of locomotion, if moving
  in a relatively straight line and not dodging. 10 points/level.
  Enhanced Time Sense: You process information inhu-
  manly fast. You get Combat Reflexes, and automatically have
  initiative in combat (if an opponent has this advantage also,
  break ties by highest Basic Speed). The GM will give you
  extra time to think about an action, rather than requiring rapid
  decisions. 45 points.
  Extended Lifespan: Each level halves the rate at which
  you age.5 points/level.
  Extra A r m s : You have multiple arms, or “feet manipula-
  tors” that can double as arms. You can still only make one
  attack per turn. 10 points/arm.
  Extra Fatigue: Increase your STby +1/level for the pur-
  pose of taking fatigue (only). 3 points/level.
  
  S e c ret Communication: You have an undetectable,
  unjammable means of communication. 20 points.
  Sensitive To u c h : Your fingers can recognize faces, read
  newsprint, etc. 10 points.
  Sharp Claws: Your kicks or punches do cutting damage.
  25 points.
  Sharp Te e t h : You can bite for thrust/cutting damage in
  close combat. 5 points.
  S i l e n c e: You add +2/level to Stealth if still, +1/level if
  m o v i n g . 5 points/level.
  Sonar Vision: You “see” by emitting sound waves, with
  a range of 100 yards in air or 1/2 mile in water. 25 points (0 if
  instead of vision).
  Special Rapport : You can sense what a specific individ-
  ual is feeling, or if he’s in pain. 10 points/individual.
  S p e c t rum Vi s i o n : You can detect radio, radar, and other
  electromagnetic emissions. Includes Infrared Vision, above.
  40 points.
  Super Flight: Each level doubles flying speed. Requires
  F l i g h t . 20 points/level.
  Telescopic Vi s i o n : You can see as if using binoculars.
  Each level doubles magnification. 6 points/level.
  Tu n n e l : You can move through earth or rock at the list-
  ed speed in yards per second. 40 points + 10 points/yard per
  s e c o n d.
  Unaging: You don’t age. 15 points.
  Vacuum Support : You can survive in space, underwater,
  or without oxygen as if wearing a vacc suit with an unlimited
  air supply. 40 points.
  Vi s u a l i z a t i o n . By visualizing success at a noncombat
  task, you can improve your odds. Concentrate for one minute,
  describe the task, and make a Will roll. You get +1 to the actu-
  al task per two points by which you beat your Wi l l . 10 points.
  RACIAL AND SUPER
  DISADVANTAGES
  Dependency (Maintenance):You need periodic tune-ups
  or refueling, or you’ll stop working. Cost varies.
  Extra Sleep: You need more hours of sleep each night. 
  -3 points/hour.
  Inconvenient Size: You are substantially larger (over 8’
  tall) or smaller (under 2’) than a human. -10 (larger) or -15
  (smaller) points.
  I n v e rt e b r a t e : You can squeeze into small spaces, but
  your lifting/dragging ST is 25% of normal. -20 points.
  No Manipulators: You have no arms. -50 points.
  One Fine Manipulator: You have only one functional
  arm, and you can’t do things that need two hands. In border-
  line cases, the GM applies a -4 penalty. -15 points.
  P a r a s i t e : You are dependent on a host to live, and die if
  he dies. Cost varies.
  Reduced Hit Points: Reduce your HT by -1/level for the
  purpose of determining how many hits you can sustain (only).
  -5 points/level.
  R e p rogrammable Duty:You can be programmed to obey
  a particular master. -25 points.
  S e s s i l e : You cannot move under your own power! - 5 0
  p o i n t s .
  Slave Mentality: You show no self-initiative at all. Role-
  play it! -40 points.
  S t e r i l e : You cannot reproduce. -3 points.
  U n h e a l i n g :You cannot heal without physical repairs. - 2 0
  p o i n t s .
  ENHANCEMENTS AND
  LIMITATIONS
  E n h a n c e m e n t s increase a given advantage or disadvan-
  t a g e ’s effect, and also increase point cost by a listed percent-
  age; the reverse is true of l i m i t a t i o n s. Most are
  self-explanatory; others are covered in Chapter 4.
  EQUIPMENT
  Now you need to decide what equipment you have. See
  Chapter 5 for available gear. Weapons and armor are a special
  case, however, since their use involves more intricate game
  mechanics. This section will give you enough information to
  let you choose your combat gear intelligently.
  ANote on Buying Things: You start with money equal to
  the standard starting wealth, modified by your wealth level
  (see pp. 213-214). Subtract the price of each item you buy
  from your starting wealth to determine how much money you
  have left. In some cases – e.g., a military or spy campaign –
  equipment will be i s s u e d . This means it does not have to be
  paid for out of your pocket; however, it does not really belong
  to you, and can always be taken away.
  ARMOR
  Armor protects you in two ways (in both cases, higher
  numbers are better):
  Passive Defense (PD): Adds to your defense roll while
  you wear the armor, and represents the fact that some attacks
  are deflected by the armor’s shape. PD ranges from 1 to 6.
  Damage Resistance (DR): The number of hits subtracted
  from an attack that strikes you. For instance, if you are hit
  while wearing DR 15 armor, and the attacker rolls 19
  points of damage, only 4 hits affect you.
  OTHER ADVANTAGES,
  DISADVANTAGES, AND SKILLS
  Some advantages, disadvantages, and skills referenced in
  Transhuman Space d o n ’t appear in GURPS Lite. These are
  detailed in GURPS Basic Set and Compendium I. When using
  GURPS Lite, the GM may adjudicate their effects, or substitute
  others of similar cost from those included here.
  
  C u t t i n g attacks strike with a sharp edge. Damage that
  penetrates DR is i n c reased by 50%, rounded down.
  C ru s h i n g attacks strike with a blunt surface. They score
  no bonus damage. B u l l e t s a r e
  treated as crushing attacks
  (but see p. 157).
  Certain hand weapons
  can be used in diff e r e n t
  ways. For instance, some
  knives can be swung for a
  cutting attack or thrust for
  an impaling attack. Before
  you strike with such a
  weapon, you must specify
  how you are attacking.
  Minimum Damage: I f
  the basic damage rolled for
  a cutting or impaling
  attack, or a bullet, is 0 or
  less, treat it as 1 hit. T h u s ,
  if you strike with a knife
  for “1d-4” damage, and
  roll a 2, you still do 1 hit of
  damage (although armor
  may reduce this to 0).
  H o w e v e r, crushing attacks
  other than bullets c a n d o
  zero damage.
  Maximum Damage:
  Some weapons, especially
  impaling weapons, can only
  do so much damage on any one blow, no matter how
  strong the user is.
  PD, DR, weight in lbs., and cost in $ are given for each
  piece of armor listed on pp. 159-161. GURPS Lite does not
  include a system for assessing damage to specific body parts,
  but use common sense; e.g., a helmet would help against a
  falling brick, while a vest would not.
  WEAPONS
  Guns work for anyone who knows how to use them.
  Hand weapons, such as clubs and knives, do more damage
  when wielded by a strong person.
  Basic Weapon Damage
  Basic damage is the penetrating damage a weapon does,
  before any special modifiers for damage type (below). Yo u r
  basic damage with hand weapons depends on your ST. Dam-
  age is shown as “dice+adds” (see p. 207). For example,
  “2d+1” means you roll two dice and add 1 to the result. T h u s ,
  a roll of 7 would mean 8 hits of damage.
  Hand-Weapon Attacks
  There are two types of hand-weapon attack: t h ru s t i n g
  and s w i n g i n g . A swinging attack does more damage: the
  weapon acts as a lever to multiply your ST. The table below
  shows how much basic damage each type of weapon does,
  according to the user’s ST. The columns show the number of
  dice rolled to determine damage.
  Damage Types and Damage Bonus
  Attacks do three basic types of damage: impaling, cut -
  ting, and c ru s h i n g .
  I m p a l i n g attacks include stabbing weapons and laser
  beams. Damage that gets through DR is d o u b l e d .
  HAND WEAPON TABLE
  Weapons are listed in groups, according to the skill required to
  use them. Weapons that can be used in two ways (for instance, a
  saber can either cut or impale) have two lines – one for each type
  of attack.
  Ty p e is the type of damage the weapon does (see below).
  D a m a g e is the die roll (p. 207) for the damage done to the
  t a rg e t .
  Reach indicates the distance in yards at which the weapon can
  be used; C indicates a close-combat weapon. Reach is not used in
  GURPS Lite, but GMs may find it useful when judging what can
  and cannot be hit with a hand weapon.
  Min ST is “minimum strength.” If you are weaker than this,
  your skill is at -1 for every point of diff e r e n c e .
  We a p o n
  Ty p e
  D a m a g e
  R e a c h
  C o s t
  We i g h t
  Min ST
  Special Notes
  KN I F E ( D X - 4 )
  Bayonet or Combat Knife
  c u t
  s w - 2
  C, 1
  $ 4 0
  1 lb.
  –
  Maximum damage 1d+2.
  i m p
  t h r
  C
  Maximum damage 1d+2.
  SH O RT S W O R D ( D X - 5 )
  B a t o n
  c r
  s w
  1
  $ 2 0
  1 lb.
  7
  c r
  t h r
  1
  M a c h e t e
  c u t
  s w + 1
  1
  $ 7 5
  3 lbs.
  1 0
  Atool; -1 to hit as a weapon.
  TW O- HA N D E D AX E/ MA C E ( D X - 5 )† R e q u i res two hands.
  S h o v e l
  c r
  s w + 2
  1, 2*
  $ 3 0
  6 lbs.
  1 3
  1 turn to ready. Tool; -1 to hit as a weapon.
  c u t
  s w + 2
  2 *
  1 turn to ready. -3 to hit with sharp edge.
  Swung Rifle, Pipe, etc.
  c r
  s w + 2
  1
  –
  –
  1 2
  1 turn to ready. Arifle used as a club.
  * Must be re a d i e d for one turn to change from long to short grip or vice versa.
  † Becomes unready if used to parry.
  BASIC DAMAGE
  S T
  T h r u s t i n g
  S w i n g i n g
  4 or less
  0
  0
  5
  1 d - 5
  1 d - 5
  6
  1 d - 4
  1 d - 4
  7
  1 d - 3
  1 d - 3
  8
  1 d - 3
  1 d - 2
  9
  1 d - 2
  1 d - 1
  1 0
  1 d - 2
  1 d
  11
  1 d - 1
  1 d + 1
  1 2
  1 d - 1
  1 d + 2
  1 3
  1 d
  2 d - 1
  1 4
  1 d
  2 d
  1 5
  1 d + 1
  2 d + 1
  1 6
  1 d + 1
  2 d + 2
  1 7
  1 d + 2
  3 d - 1
  1 8
  1 d + 2
  3 d
  1 9
  2 d - 1
  3 d + 1
  2 0
  2 d - 1
  3 d + 2
  3 0
  3 d
  5 d + 2
  4 0
  4 d + 1
  7 d - 1
  5 0
  5 d + 2
  8 d - 1
  
  Recording Weapon Stats
  D a m a g e is copied from the weapon tables. To calcu-
  late hand-weapon damage, start with your basic damage for
  that type of attack, and then add the damage shown on the
  table for your weapon. If your ST is 10, your basic swinging
  damage is 1d; therefore, if a weapon does “sw+1,” your dam-
  age with that weapon is 1d+1. High-tech weapons such as
  guns inflict damage independent of user ST.
  C o s t and We i g h t are copied directly from the weapon
  tables onto your character sheet.
  Minimum Strength is the minimum STneeded to use the
  weapon properly. For every point of STby which you are too
  weak, you will be at -1 to your weapon skill.
  Ranged Weapons Statistics: If you have a ranged
  weapon, copy the stats from the appropriate weapon table
  (thrown weapons are given here; guns appear on p. 156). A
  number of specialized statistics are used for ranged combat;
  these are explained on p. 234.
  SPEED, ENCUMBRANCE, AND
  MOVE
  Speed
  Your S p e e d score (or Basic Speed) determines your reac-
  tion time and running speed. It is figured from your HT a n d
  DX, and shows how fast you can run without encumbrance
  (see below). An average person has a Speed of 5 – that is, with
  no encumbrance, he runs about 5 yards per second.
  Add your HTand DX together. Divide the total by 4. T h e
  result is your Basic Speed score; don’t round it off! For
  instance, if your Basic Speed is 5.25, your unencumbered
  movement is 5 yards per second. But there will be times when
  a 5.25 is better than a 5!
  Encumbrance
  Your e n c u m b r a n c e is the total weight you are carrying.
  Encumbrance reduces your combat movement rate. It also
  slows long-distance travel, and makes swimming and climb-
  ing more difficult; see Physical Feats (pp. 229-230).
  Your encumbrance level is a measure of that weight rel-
  ative to your strength. Astrong person can carry more than a
  weak one; therefore, the ratio of weight to strength determines
  encumbrance level, as follows:
  Weight up to 2×S T: no encumbrance. You have no
  p e n a l t y.
  Weight up to 4×S T: light encumbrance. Movement
  penalty of 1.
  Weight up to 6×S T: medium encumbrance. Movement
  penalty of 2.
  Weight up to 12×S T: heavy encumbrance. Movement
  penalty of 3.
  Weight up to 20×S T: extra-heavy encumbrance. Move-
  ment penalty of 4. You cannot carry a weight more than 20
  times your ST for more than a few feet at a time; 30 times ST
  is the absolute most you can carry.
  Move
  Your Move is the distance (in yards) you can run in one
  second. To find your Move, add up the total weight of all your
  equipment and find your encumbrance level. Now subtract
  the movement penalty from your Speed score, and round
  d o w n . The result is your Move score – always a whole num-
  b e r, never a fraction. Move controls:
  1. How fast you can move.
  2. When you move in combat.
  3. Your Dodge defense (p. 233). This active defense i s
  equal to your Move.
  Your Move can never be reduced to 0 unless you are
  unconscious, unable to use your legs, or lifting over 30 times
  your ST.
  CHARACTER
  IMPROVEMENT
  At the end of each session, the GM may award b o n u s
  character points for good play; these are the same kind of
  points used to create your character. “Good play” is anything
  that advances your mission or shows good roleplaying
  (including adhering to your disadvantages and quirks) –
  preferably both.
  Bonus points are awarded separately to each character. A
  typical award is 1-3 points, with 5 points being the upper limit
  for a m a z i n g p l a y. Bonus points are used to develop and
  improve your character. Record them as “unspent” on your
  character sheet. Spend them the same way as during charac-
  ter creation, with these diff e r e n c e s :
  THROWN WEAPON TABLE
  Weapons are listed in groups, according to the skill required to use them. See p. 234 for an explanation of SS, Acc, 1/2D,
  and Max; for now, simply note them on your character sheet.
  We a p o n
  Ty p e
  D a m a g e
  S S
  A c c
  1 / 2 D
  M a x
  C o s t
  We i g h t
  Min ST
  Special Notes
  KN I F E TH R O W I N G ( D X - 4 )
  Combat Knife i m p
  t h r
  1 2
  0
  S T- 2
  S T + 5
  $ 4 0
  1 lb.
  –
  Max. dam. 1d+2.
  DX-3 O R TH R O W I N G SK I L L
  Hand Grenade v a r i e s v a r i e s
  1 2
  0
  –
  S T × 3
  v a r i e s
  0.1 lbs.
  –
  See pp. 235-236.
  
  PHYSICAL FEATS
  CLIMBING
  Climbing speed on a ladder is about 3 rungs/second up,
  or 2 rungs/second down. To climb anything more diff i c u l t
  than a ladder, a Climbing roll is required. One roll is required
  to start the climb, with a further roll every five minutes; a
  failed roll means you fall. Modifiers to the roll depend on the
  d i fficulty of the climb; e.g., +5 for an ordinary tree 
  (1 foot/second), no modifier for a typical cliff (1 foot/2 sec-
  onds), and -3 for a modern building (1 foot/10 seconds).
  Encumbrance level is subtracted from your Climbing skill.
  HIKING
  Distance traveled on foot in one day is a direct function
  of encumbrance. Under ideal travel conditions, a party in good
  shape may plan on traveling 50 miles a day with no encum-
  brance. Subtract 10 miles per day per level of encumbrance
  above that; e.g., a party at medium encumbrance travels 30
  m i l e s / d a y. The party’s speed is that of its s l o w e s t m e m b e r.
  Once ideal daily mileage is determined, apply a multi-
  plier for terrain:
  Ve ry Bad Te rr a i n (deep snow, dense forest, jungle,
  mountains, soft sand, swamp): ×0 . 2 0 .
  Bad Te rr a i n (broken ground, craters, forest, steep hills,
  streams): ×0 . 5 0 .
  Average Te rr a i n (light forest, rolling hills, solid ice, dirt
  roads): ×1 . 0 0 .
  Good Te rr a i n (hard-packed desert, level plains, good
  roads): ×1 . 2 5 .
  JUMPING
  U s u a l l y, when you want to jump over something, the
  GM should say “OK, you jumped over it,” and get on with
  p l a y. In combat, jumping over an “ordinary” obstacle costs 1
  extra yard of movement but is automatically successful. Only
  when the obstacle is significant should you resort to math to
  see if the character made the jump! Your ST score determines
  the maximum distance you can jump:
  High Jump: ( 3×ST)-10 inches. Add 2 feet to this if you
  have 4 yards for a running start.
  Standing Broad Jump: ( S T-3) feet.
  Running Broad Jump:As above, but add 1 foot for every
  yard of “takeoff” distance, up to double your standing broad
  jump distance.
  LIFTING AND MOVING THINGS
  In general, the GM may let characters lift whatever they
  need to, without die rolls; but when very heavy weights are
  involved, a check against STmay be needed. STalso governs
  the maximum weight you can lift:
  One-Handed Lift: 6×S T p o u n d s .
  A t t r i b u t e s : To improve one of your attributes (ST,
  DX, IQ, or HT), you must spend character points equal
  to t w i c e the beginning point-cost difference between the old
  score and the new one. E.g., to go from ST10 (beginning cost
  0) to ST 11 (beginning cost 10) would cost 20 points.
  If you improve an attribute, all skills based on that
  attribute also go up by the same amount.
  A d v a n t a g e s : Most advantages are inborn, and can-
  not be “bought” later on. Exceptions include Combat
  Reflexes, which can be learned, and social advantages
  such as Military Rank, which can be earned. To add an
  advantage, you must pay the appropriate character points.
  Buying Off Disadvantages: No character may get
  extra points by adding disadvantages after he is created.
  H o w e v e r, you may get rid of most beginning disadvan-
  tages by “buying them off” with points equal to the bonus
  earned when the disadvantage was taken, if you and the
  GM can agree on a l o g i c a l explanation for this.
  Adding and Improving Skills: Earned character
  points can be used to increase your skills or add new
  ones. Normally, these must be skills that, in the GM’s
  opinion, were significantly used in the adventure in
  which those character points were earned. When you
  improve a skill, the cost is the difference between the cost
  of your current skill level and the cost of the new skill
  l e v e l .
  CREATING NPCS
  The GM creates all NPCs. Those who are likely to
  oppose or befriend the PCs should be created in advance.
  A group of thugs might share a single set of statistics,
  minor NPCs can be made up on the fly, and casual
  encounters might not even need stats. NPCs are built
  using the same rules as PCs, but often with lower point
  t o t a l s .
  PLAYING
  THE GAME
  We’ve seen the rules for creating characters. Now here’s
  how to d o things. Essentially, the GM describes a situation
  and asks each of the players what his character is doing. T h e
  players answer, and the GM tells them what happens next. A t
  some point, the GM won’t be certain that the characters can
  automatically do what the players say they are doing . . .
  “ You’re trying to reprogram the cybershell before the cops
  arrive?” . . . and the dice come out.
  
  Two-Handed Lift: 2 5×S T p o u n d s .
  C a rry on Back: 3 0×S T pounds. Thus, you can carry
  more than you can lift by yourself. (However, every s e c o n d
  you carry more than 20×S T pounds, you lose one f a t i g u e
  point; see pp. 237-238.)
  Shove and Knock Over: 2 5×S T pounds, or 50×S T
  pounds with a running start.
  Shift Slightly: 1 0 0×S T p o u n d s .
  D r a g : On a rough surface, you can drag only about as
  much as you can carry. If you are dragging something on a
  smooth, level surface, halve its effective weight.
  Pull on Wheels: As for dragging, but divide eff e c t i v e
  weight by 10 for a two-wheeled cart, or by 20 for a four-
  wheeled conveyance. Halve effective weight again if it is
  being pulled on a good road.
  Picking Things Up in Combat: In combat, a light item is
  picked up with the Ready maneuver, which takes 1 second. It
  takes 2 seconds to pick up a heavy item (weight in pounds
  greater than your ST).
  RUNNING
  In combat, running is just a series of Move maneuvers.
  Your running speed is your Basic Speed score, plus a one-
  y a r d - p e r-second “sprint bonus” if you are running in a
  straight line for more than one turn. This is modified down-
  ward by encumbrance (p. 228).
  When figuring l o n g - d i s t a n c e speed (i.e., for runs of a
  few hundred yards, as opposed to combat movement), do n o t
  round down your Speed. A Basic Speed of 5.5 would let you
  run 65 yards in 10 seconds, if you were unencumbered.
  SWIMMING
  Swimming short distances, your Move is equal to 1/10
  your Swimming skill (round down), minimum 1 yard per sec-
  ond. Over long distances, the yards you swim in 10 seconds
  equals your Swimming skill minus t w i c e your encumbrance.
  Swimming long distances can cause fatigue – see pp. 237-238.
  Make a Swimming roll when you enter the water, and
  again every 5 minutes. Subtract t w i c e your encumbrance level,
  and add 3 if you entered the water intentionally. Overweight
  characters (p. 210) get a bonus here. If you fail this roll, lose
  one point of fatigue (pp. 237-238) and roll again in 5 sec-
  onds, and so on until you reach ST 0 and drown, get 
  rescued, or make the roll. If you recover, roll again in 1
  minute. If you make that roll, roll again every 5 minutes.
  To rescue a drowning person, make a Swimming roll at
  -5, plus or minus the difference in ST between you and the
  person you are rescuing.
  THROWING THINGS
  Anything you can lift – i.e., anything that weighs 25×S T
  lbs. or less – can be thrown. To hit a target, roll against DX-3
  or Throwing skill. To lob something into a general area, roll
  against DX or Throwing. The distance you can throw an
  object depends on its weight and your ST. Find the weight
  nearest to that of the object on the table below, then multiply
  the distance listed there by your ST to get the distance, in
  yards, that you can throw it:
  T h rowing Skill: If you
  have the Throwing skill,
  divide it by 6 (round down)
  and add the result to your ST
  to determine how far you can
  throw something.
  T h rowing Things in Com -
  b a t: Throwing an object during
  combat – whether as an attack
  or not – requires the A t t a c k
  maneuver (p. 232). You must
  pick it up first, as described
  above. To see if you hit, roll
  against Throwing skill or an
  appropriate Thrown We a p o n
  s k i l l .
  If you are hit by a (blunt)
  thrown object, the damage it
  does depends on its weight and
  the ST with which it was
  thrown (see table, left).
  A fragile object (or a
  thrown character) will take as
  well as inflict this amount of damage. Roll damage separate-
  ly for thrown object and targ e t .
  MENTAL FEATS
  SENSE ROLLS
  Sense rolls include Vision, Hearing, and Ta s t e / S m e l l
  rolls. All Sense rolls are made against the character’s IQ. T h e
  Alertness advantage is a bonus to a l l Sense rolls.
  Vision
  To see something small or hidden, roll against IQ plus
  your level of Acute Vision (if any). The GM may make this
  roll easier or harder for things that are more or less well hid-
  den. Partial darkness can give from -1 to -9. Those in t o t a l
  darkness – as well as those who have been blinded – can
  see nothing!
  S T
  1/2 to 10 lbs.
  10+ to 50 lbs. 50+ to 100 lbs.
  o v e r 100 lbs.
  5 - 6
  1 d - 5
  1 d - 4
  1 d - 5
  –
  7 - 8
  1 d - 4
  1 d - 3
  1 d - 3
  –
  9 - 1 0
  1 d - 3
  1 d - 2
  1 d - 2
  1 d - 3
  11 - 1 2
  1 d - 2
  1 d - 1
  1 d - 1
  1 d - 2
  1 3 - 1 4
  1 d - 1
  1 d
  1 d
  1 d
  1 5 - 1 6
  1 d
  1 d + 1
  1 d + 2
  1 d + 2
  1 7 - 1 8
  1 d + 1
  1 d + 2
  2 d - 2
  2 d - 1
  1 9 - 2 0
  1 d + 2
  2 d - 2
  2 d - 1
  2 d
  We i g h t
  D i s t a n c e
  1 lb. or less
  3 . 5
  1 1/2 lbs.
  3 . 0
  2 lbs.
  2 . 5
  3 lbs.
  1 . 9
  4 lbs.
  1 . 5
  5 lbs.
  1 . 2
  7 1/2 lbs.
  1 . 0
  10 lbs.
  0 . 8
  15 lbs.
  0 . 7
  20 lbs.
  0 . 6
  25 lbs.
  0 . 5
  30 lbs.
  0 . 4
  40 lbs.
  0 . 3
  50 lbs.
  0 . 2 5
  60 lbs.
  0 . 2
  80 lbs.
  0 . 1 5
  100 lbs.
  0 . 1
  200 lbs.
  0 . 0 5
  
  are actually attacked – but the chosen maneuver affects the
  defenses you can use.
  Move
  Move, and do n o t h i n g else (except for a “free” action –
  see below). You may use any legal active defense. Movement
  and special actions are wholly abstract; no gameboard is
  required. If a detail is important (“How long will it take me to
  run across the clearing and reach cover?”), the GM decides.
  The number of yards you can run per second is equal to your
  Move score.
  Change Position
  Go from standing to prone, kneeling to standing, or any
  other position change. (It takes two turns to go from prone to
  standing: first kneel, then stand.) E x c e p t i o n : You can go from
  kneeling to standing, or vice versa, and attack on the same
  turn. You can use any defense on a turn you change position.
  Ready
  Ready any weapon or other item. Aweapon is “unready”
  if it is holstered, sheathed, or slung; it takes one turn to take it
  out. It also takes one turn to toggle the safety switch on a gun,
  or to cock a fully automatic weapon. A hand grenade takes
  t w o turns to ready: one to grab it and one to pull the pin. A n
  unbalanced hand weapon, such as a swung rifle, becomes
  “unready” when you swing it; it must be readied again before
  each use!
  Reloading a gun by changing magazines or power packs
  also requires a Ready maneuver. This usually takes 3 seconds.
  You can parry with a hand weapon as soon as you have
  readied it – that is, on the same turn! You can also use any
  other legal active defense on the turn when you ready an item.
  E x c e p t i o n : If you are reloading a gun, your only defense is to
  dodge – and if you dodge, you lose the benefit of that turn of
  reloading. Note that, even if you are ambidextrous, you can-
  not ready one weapon on the same turn you attack with
  a n o t h e r.
  Hearing
  To hear a faint sound, roll against IQ
  plus your level of Acute Hearing (if any).
  The GM may make this roll easier or harder,
  depending on the loudness of the sound, sur-
  rounding noises, etc. Once a sound is heard,
  a regular IQ roll may be required to u n d e r -
  s t a n d its significance. Deaf characters can
  hear nothing!
  Smelling and Tasting
  These are two manifestations of the
  same sense. To notice an odor or a taste, roll
  against IQ plus your level of A c u t e
  Taste/Smell (if any). The GM may also
  require an IQ roll to u n d e r s t a n d the signifi-
  cance of a smell or taste.
  WILL ROLLS
  When someone is faced with a frightening
  situation, or needs to overcome a mental disadvantage, the
  GM should require a Will ro l l. Normally, Will is equal to IQ,
  so this is an IQ roll, but it is modified by the Strong Wi l l
  advantage (p. 216) or the Weak Will disadvantage (p. 219).
  On a successful Will roll, the character overcomes his
  f e a r, bad impulse, or whatever. On a failed roll, he is fright-
  ened, gives in, etc. Any Will roll of 14 or over is an automat-
  ic failure (this does n o t apply to Will rolls made to resist
  Influence Skills!).
  COMBAT
  Combat is treated in more detail than other skill use – a
  split-second decision can mean the difference between life
  and death, and a fight can be an exciting part of an adventure.
  COMBAT TURN SEQUENCE
  Characters act one at a time, until they have all taken a
  t u r n; then they start over. The s e q u e n c e in which they act is
  set as follows:
  Before combat, compare the Move scores of all charac-
  ters. The highest Move goes first, the second-highest Move
  score goes next, and so on. In case of ties, the higher B a s i c
  S p e e d goes first; here is where a 5.25 is better than a 5, for
  instance. If anyone is s t i l l tied, roll dice to see who goes first.
  Your turn s t a rt s when you choose a maneuver and e n d s
  when you choose your next maneuver; i.e., after a l l other char-
  acters have acted once. Each turn represents one second of real
  t i m e .
  MANEUVERS
  Start your turn by choosing any one of the following
  maneuvers. You do not select a defense (p. 233) until you
  SETTLING RULES QUESTIONS
  In any question of rules, the GM’s word is l a w. The GM decides which
  optional rules will be used, and settles any specific questions that come up. A
  good GM will discuss important questions with the players before deciding; a
  good player accepts the GM’s decision once made.
  When a situation is not covered by the rules, there are several techniques that
  can be used:
  Success ro l l s . Roll 3 dice to test a character’s strength, dexterity, skill, or
  w h a t e v e r. Use a success roll when a question arises about someone’s ability to do
  some particular thing.
  Random ro l l s . For a question like “is the guard asleep?” a random roll is
  often best. The GM decides what the chances are, and rolls the dice, leaving the
  rest to fate.
  A r b i t r a ry fiat.You don’t have to use the dice at all. If there is only one “right”
  answer to fit the plot of the adventure – then that’s the answer.
  
  Aim
  Aim a ready r a n g e d weapon. You must indicate a spe-
  cific target. Your attack is at -4 if you use a ranged weapon
  without aiming u n l e s s your effective skill is at least equal to
  the weapon’s Snap Shot n u m b e r. If you aim for 1 turn, your
  attack is at your normal skill level plus the weapon’s A c c u r a -
  c y m o d i f i e r. You may aim for up to 3 more turns, getting a fur-
  ther +1 bonus per extra turn you aim. Guns get a n o t h e r +1 if
  they are braced (on a bipod, window sill, or the like) while
  a i m i n g .
  You can use any defense while aiming . . . but it spoils
  your aim and you lose all the accumulated benefits. If injured
  while aiming, you must make your Will roll or lose your aim.
  Attack
  Attack any foe you can reach (or who is in range) with
  your ready weapon. You may parry (with a ready hand
  weapon) or dodge on the same turn you attack.
  All-Out Attack
  Attack a foe with hands, feet, or a ready hand weapon,
  with no thought to self-defense. You have three choices:
  1 . Make two attacks against the same foe, if you have
  two ready weapons, or one weapon that does not have to be
  readied after use.
  2 . Make a single attack, at a +4 bonus to your skill!
  3. Make one attack, at normal skill, doing +2 damage if
  you hit.
  If you choose an All-Out Attack, you get no active
  defenses at all until your next turn!
  All-Out Defense
  Defend yourself, doing nothing else this turn. If you fail
  your defense roll against any attack, you may try a n o t h e r ( d i f-
  ferent) defense – in other words, you get two defense rolls,
  using two d i f f e re n t active defenses against the same
  attack. You are limited to t w o parries per turn when
  you choose All-Out Defense, but you can’t parry
  twice with a weapon that becomes unready after a
  p a r r y.
  Long Action
  This is a “generic” choice that allows for
  one second’s worth of a n y multi-second action
  (e.g., performing first aid or defusing a bomb).
  The GM decides how many turns each “long
  action” takes. As a rule, no defense except dodg-
  ing is possible during a long action, but the GM
  can vary this as he sees fit. Any sort of defense may
  also interfere with whatever you are trying to do.
  Free Actions
  Things you can do during any maneuver, including talk-
  ing, dropping a weapon or other object, and crouching down
  behind cover (not kneeling).
  MAKING AN ATTACK
  If you choose the Attack or All-Out A t t a c k m a n e u v e r s ,
  you may try to hit a foe. You may attack any foe, unless the
  GM rules that attack is impossible for some reason. The GM
  always has the option of ruling that some combatants may not
  attack certain foes because they are out of range, behind
  c o v e r, etc. If a fight is in extremely close quarters, rifles
  should only get one shot each – then the fight goes to PDWs,
  pistols, armguns, knives, fists . . .
  You can only attack with a weapon if it is re a d y. A b a l-
  anced hand weapon (e.g., a knife) is ready every turn. A n
  unbalanced hand weapon (e.g., a swung rifle) becomes
  unready when you swing it, so it can only be used every other
  turn. A gun is ready when it is loaded and in hand with the
  safety off .
  Each attack is resolved by three die rolls. First is your
  attack ro l l. If this roll is successful, your attack was a good
  one. Now your f o e can try a defense ro l l to defend against
  your attack. If he makes this roll, he is not hit. If he misses
  his defense roll, your attack struck home and you roll for
  d a m a g e .
  Rolling to Attack
  Your “attack roll” is a regular success roll. Figure your
  e f f e c t i v e skill (your basic skill plus or minus any appropriate
  m o d i f i e r s ) with the weapon you are using. Applicable modi-
  fiers include:
  Attacker is Crawling or Lying Down: -4, except with a
  g u n .
  Attacker is Crouching, Sitting, or Kneeling: - 2 .
  Attacker is in a strange position (e.g., hanging upside
  down): -2 or more (GM’s decision).
  Bad footing: -2 or more (GM’s option).
  Bad light: -1 to -9 (GM’s decision); -10 for total dark-
  n e s s .
  B l i n d : -6; blinded s u d d e n l y : - 1 0 .
  Off-hand attack: -4 (no penalty if A m b i d e x t r o u s ) .
  S T under minimum STfor that weapon: -1 for each point
  of diff e r e n c e .
  Wo u n d s: Penalty equal to hits you took on the preceding
  turn. High Pain Threshold eliminates this penalty.
  See p. 234 for additional modifiers that apply only to
  ranged attacks.
  Now roll 3 dice. If your roll is less than or equal to y o u r
  “ e ffective” skill, you rolled well enough to hit the foe, and he
  must roll to defend. Otherwise, you missed!
  Critical Hits: No matter what your skill, a roll of 3 or 4
  always hits, and is a critical hit. If your effective skill is 15,
  then any roll of 5 or less is a critical hit. If your effective skill
  is 16 or more, then any roll of 6 or less is a critical hit.
  On a critical hit, the attack automatically hits home –
  your foe does n o t get a defense roll. As well, on an attack roll
  of 3, you do not roll for damage – your attack automatically
  does the m o s t damage it could do. For instance, maximum
  damage for 3d+2 would be 18+2, or 20 hits. Other critical hits
  bypass the defense roll, but roll normally for damage.
  
  have a Shortsword skill of 19, you have a Parry defense
  of 9 with a baton.
  You cannot parry with a weapon unless it’s re a d y. P a r r y-
  ing with an unbalanced weapon makes it “unready.” For
  instance, you can’t shoot a rifle on the same turn you parried
  with it; you’d have to re-ready it first.
  If a weapon is used to parry anything of three or more
  times its own weight, it b re a k s on a roll of 1 or 2 on 1d! (The
  parry still counts, however. )
  You may only parry one attack per turn, unless you have
  two weapons (in which case you may parry once with each
  weapon) or you chose the All-Out Defense maneuver (in
  which case you may parry twice – or twice with each weapon,
  if you have more than one).
  If you successfully parry a barehanded attack with a
  weapon, you may injure your attacker. Immediately roll
  against your own weapon skill (at -4 if your attacker used
  Judo or Karate). If you hit, your parry struck the attacker’s
  limb squarely; roll normal damage.
  Some special parrying rules:
  K n i v e s and equally small weapons are at -1 to parry w i t h .
  R i f l e s used in hand-to-hand combat parry at 1/2 Tw o -
  Handed Axe/Mace skill. Roll 1d after every parry; on a 1,
  the gun is damaged, and will require repairs before it can
  fire again.
  T h rown knives and similar small, hurled weapons are
  parried at -2.
  P a rrying Bare h a n d e d : You may parry a k i c k
  or p u n c h with your hands. Your Parry is the best
  of 1/2 your DX or 2/3 your Brawling, Judo, or
  Karate skill, rounded down. If you parry a
  w e a p o n barehanded, you are -3 unless the
  weapon is a thrusting weapon or you are
  using Judo or Karate.
  Passive Defense (PD)
  If you are wearing armor (or have natural
  armor), you will usually have a “passive” defense
  factor protecting you as well. Armor PD ranges from 1 to 6;
  see pp. 159-161. Passive defense a l w a y s protects you. It nor-
  mally adds to a dodge or parry, but if neither is legal (e.g.,
  you’re immobile, unconscious, or unaware of the attack), you
  can roll against PD alone. If you have any PD at all, a defense
  roll of 3 or 4 will succeed for you!
  DAMAGE
  Rolling for Damage
  If an enemy fails his defense roll, you have hit him and
  may make a “damage roll.” This roll tells how much damage
  you did to your target. Your weapon (and, for hand weapons,
  your strength) determines the number of dice you roll for
  d a m a g e .
  If the enemy is wearing armor, the armor’s Damage
  Resistance (DR) is subtracted from the damage you roll. If
  you roll enough damage to exceed your foe’s DR, you will
  injure him.
  Automatic Misses: Regardless of skill, a roll of 17
  or 18 always misses. At the GM’s option, a weapon may
  break, malfunction, or be dropped.
  DEFENSE
  If you make your attack roll, your attack is good enough
  to hit your foe – u n l e s s he defends. Exception: Your foe does
  not get to attempt a defense roll if you rolled a critical hit!
  Your foe’s defense is equal to the sum of his armor’s p a s -
  s i v e defense (PD), if any, and his a c t i v e defense (Dodge or
  Parry). Passive defense always protects, but active defenses
  must be specifically chosen from those that are “legal” at the
  moment. This depends on the maneuver the defender chose
  on his last turn – see pp. 230-231.
  The defender indicates the defense he is using and rolls
  3 dice. If his roll is less than or equal to his total defense, he
  dodged or parried your attack. Otherwise, his defense was
  i n e ffective and your attack struck home. If your attack hits
  your foe, you can roll for damage.
  A defense roll of 3 or 4 is a l w a y s successful – even if
  your total defense is only 1 or 2! A roll of 17 or 18 always
  f a i l s .
  Active Defense
  Two active defenses can protect you against an attack:
  Dodge and Parry. Each is calculated in advance. W h e n
  you are attacked, you may choose o n e a c t i v e
  defense as part of your total defense roll. (If you
  took All-Out Defense, you may make t w o s e p-
  arate defense rolls, using different defenses.)
  Your active defense will depend on your
  situation – e s p e c i a l l y the maneuver you chose
  last turn. Some attacks or maneuvers limit the
  active defenses you can make. Astunned char-
  a c t e r’s active defense is at -4.
  Sometimes you will have n o active defense.
  Aknife from behind, a sniper’s shot, or an unexpect-
  ed booby trap would be attacks against which no active
  defense is possible.
  Combat Reflexes (p. 215) gives +1 to active defenses.
  Dodging
  Your Dodge defense is the same as your Move score.
  You may dodge a n y attack, except one that you did not know
  about! You may even make a Dodge roll against a gun or
  beam attack made by a foe you can see (this represents the
  e ffects of evasive action – you don’t actually dodge bullets!).
  There is no limit to the number of times you may dodge d i f -
  f e re n t attacks in one turn.
  Parrying
  Hand weapons (batons, knives, etc.) and bare hands can
  be used for defense as well as offense, but only against
  unarmed, hand-weapon, and thrown-weapon attacks – not
  bullets or beams!
  When you parry with a weapon, h a l f your skill with that
  weapon (round down) counts as active defense. Thus, if you
  
  Injury
  If the total damage you roll e x c e e d s your foe’s Dam-
  age Resistance (armor, skin, etc.), the excess hits are taken as
  damage. E x a m p l e : Your assault pod’s “Damage” statistic is
  3d+2. You roll 3 dice, add 2, and get a 12. The targ e t ’s arach-
  noweave vest gives 8 points of DR, so 4 points of damage get
  through, and the target takes 4 hits of damage. Remember that
  cutting and impaling attacks get bonus damage (see D a m a g e
  Types and Damage Bonus, p. 227).
  Effects of Injury
  All injuries are assumed to be to the torso; specific hit
  locations are beyond the scope of GURPS Lite. Subtract the
  hits you take from your HT score. See I n j u ry, Illness, and
  F a t i g u e (pp. 236-238) for more details.
  UNARMED COMBAT
  Anyone can engage in unarmed combat, but cer-
  tain skills – Brawling, Judo, and Karate – will make you
  a more effective at it.
  P u n c h i n g : Apunch is an attack. Your “skill” for a
  punch is the best of DX, Brawling, or Karate. It inflicts
  thrust-2 crushing damage, determined from your ST
  using the table on p. 227. E x a m p l e : With ST 12, your
  thrust damage is 1d-1, so your punch does 1d-3 dam-
  age. Add +1 damage for a rock in the fist, +2 for brass
  k n u c k l e s .
  K i c k i n g : A kick is an attack at DX-2, Brawling-2,
  or Karate-2. It does thrust crushing damage, +1 if wear-
  ing heavy boots. If you m i s s , you must make a DX or
  skill roll to avoid falling down!
  Brawling and Karate: Add the h i g h e r of 1/5
  Karate skill or 1/10 Brawling skill, rounded down, to
  punching or kicking damage.
  RANGED WEAPONS
  Ranged weapons work like other weapons: make your
  attack roll, let your foe make his defense roll, and then roll for
  damage if you hit. Some additional rules apply, however.
  Guns, beam weapons, thrown knives, etc. can be fired at
  any target you can see, if nothing’s blocking the line of fire.
  Figure your attack roll by:
  1 . Starting with your base skill with the weapon. In most
  cases, this is the Beam Weapons, Guns, or Gunner skill noted
  on the Weapon Ta b l e (p. 156). For thrown weapons, this is the
  general Throwing skill or the specific Thrown Weapon skill
  for that weapon.
  2 . Modifying for the targ e t ’s speed and range ( h a n d l e d
  as a single modifier) and s i z e .
  3 . Adding the weapon’s A c c u r a c y (Acc), if you took at
  least one turn to aim. The bonus from Acc cannot exceed your
  basic skill.
  4 . Applying situational modifiers (cover, darkness, etc.).
  5 . Applying an extra -4 if you have not aimed and 
  your modified skill is less than the weapon’s Snap Shot
  (SS) number.
  The result is your effective skill.Aroll of this num-
  b e r, or less, is a hit.
  Weapon Statistics
  A ranged weapon has several specialized statistics; see
  p. 156. These numbers, and their effects on game play, are:
  D a m : The damage it inflicts, expressed as “dice + adds.”
  S S : The Snap Shot number; see step 5, above.
  A c c : The Accuracy number; see step 3, above.
  1 / 2 D : Half-Damage range. The range (in yards) past
  which the weapon does only half normal damage. Roll nor-
  mally and divide by 2 (round down). If a target is beyond
  1/2D, you do not receive your weapon’s Acc bonus, even if
  you have aimed!
  M a x : Maximum range. The range (in yards) past which
  no attack is possible with the weapon.
  R o F: Rate of Fire. How often the weapon can fire each
  turn. RoF 1/3 means it can fire every third turn; two turns are
  required to load a new shot. RoF 1 means it can fire once per
  turn. RoF 3~ indicates a semi-automatic weapon that can fire
  up to three times per turn as a single maneuver, requiring a
  separate attack roll each time. RoF 4 or more is an automatic
  weapon (see p. 235); a * means it can fire as if RoF 3~
  i n s t e a d , if desired.
  S h o t s : Shots per magazine, power pack, etc. After this
  many shots, the weapon won’t fire again until you reload.
  R c l : Recoil. If a gun is fired more than once, in the same
  or consecutive turns, without pausing for one turn between
  shots, this penalty is subtracted from the s e c o n d and subsequent
  shots. Double Rcl if your ST is below the “ST” listed for the
  weapon. Automatic weapons use Rcl differently; see p. 235.
  Situational Modifiers
  In addition to the modifiers in Rolling to A t t a c k (p. 232),
  the following situational modifiers apply to ranged attacks:
  The target is . . .
  Behind light cover (e.g., bushes): -2.
  Behind moderate cover (e.g., a tree, a doorw a y ) : - 3 .
  Behind someone else: - 4 .
  Firing a weapon from a tre n c h: -4.
  C rouching, sitting, or kneeling: -2, -4 if behind cover.
  P rone or crawling: -4, -7 if behind cover.
  Moving forw a rd evasively (at half Move): - 1 .
  Moving evasively at the cost of forw a rd pro g ress 
  (Move 1): - 2 .
  The attacker is . . .
  Walking (Move 1-2): - 1 .
  Running (Move 3+): - 2 .
  Speed/Range and Size Modifiers
  Ranged attacks take modifiers for the targ e t ’s speed and
  range (treated as one modifier), and for its size. These are
  determined from the chart on the next page, as follows:
  S p e e d / R a n g e : Look up the s u m of range to the target (in
  yards) and the targ e t ’s speed (in yards per second) in the third
  column, and then read the modifier in the first column. Ignore
  speed (but not range) when attacking a human targ e t .
  
  for a weapon with RoF 12 and Rcl -1, the first 4 rounds
  are at -1, the second 4 at -2, and the final 4 at -3. T h i s
  penalty continues to accumulate over subsequent turns until
  the firer stops shooting for one full turn.
  A rea Effect:Aburst can be played over several targets in
  one turn. All these targets must be within a 30° angle. The tar-
  gets must be engaged in succession, and the firer must
  announce, before rolling to hit, how many rounds he uses on
  each one. Calculate the attack separately for each target. If the
  t a rgets are more than one yard apart, traversing between tar-
  gets wastes some rounds: one round is lost per yard between
  t a rg e t s .
  Grenades and Smart Warheads
  These can affect an area, so even if you miss, s o m e o n e
  may get hurt. Roll against Throwing skill or DX to lob a
  grenade (p. 159), or against an appropriate Guns skill to fire a
  weapon with a smart warhead. Apply all the rules and modi-
  fiers above. If you miss, you missed your target by a number
  of yards equal to the amount by which you failed or half the
  distance to the target (round up), whichever is l e s s . Roll 1d for
  direction: on a 1, it goes long; on a 2-5, it lands to one side;
  and on a 6, it falls short of the target, which may endanger
  yo u !
  Defense Against Ranged Weapons
  T h rown We a p o n s: The target of a thrown weapon may
  dodge, or parry at -2. Against a grenade, only a dodge is eff e c-
  tive – and only if there’s cover to duck behind.
  Guns and Beam We a p o n s : The target may only dodge;
  he may not parry.
  Automatic We a p o n s : As per guns, but the target rolls
  against Dodge for each g ro u p , regardless of how many
  rounds it contains. Success means the entire group misses
  him; failure means the entire group hits him. Roll damage
  separately for each round that hits and apply DR separately
  against each round.
  EXPLOSIONS
  Explosives (see S m a rt Wa rh e a d s, p. 158) do c o n c u s s i o n
  d a m a g e and fragmentation damage. Both types of damage
  are d o u b l e d for anyone in contact with the explosive when it
  goes off. PD has no effect on either type of damage, and no
  active defense is possible against an explosion.
  C o n c u s s i o n : Damage due to the shock wave. This is
  applied to e v e ry t h i n g n e a r b y. For blasts up to 6d×20, apply
  full damage to anyone within 2 yards. More distant targ e t s
  divide damage by 4 per 2 yards range (1/4 at 2 yards, 1/16 at
  4 yards, and so on). Each tenfold increase in the amount of
  concussion damage doubles the increment at which damage
  is quartered. The DR of armor does not pro-
  tect against concussion, unless it’s sealed.
  The DR of sealed vehicles, cybershells
  with Vacuum Support, or structures is
  s q u a re d vs. concussion.
  S i z e : Look up the targ e t ’s size in the third column,
  rounding up to the next larger size, and then read the
  modifier in the second column. Ignore size when attacking a
  human targ e t .
  Automatic Weapons
  Automatic weapons are handled like other ranged
  weapons, except as follows. An automatic weapon will fire
  for as long as the trigger is held. The shots fired by one trig-
  ger pull are a b u r s t . The Rate of Fire (RoF) for an automatic
  weapon is the number of rounds it fires each turn. It is rare for
  all rounds in a burst to hit the target. To simulate this, the burst
  is divided into g ro u p s of 4 shots (if RoF does not divide even-
  ly by four, any remaining shots form a group of 1, 2, or 3
  shots). Aseparate roll to hit is made for each group.
  The table below shows the number of shots that hit,
  depending on the attack roll. Even failure by 1 can result in a
  h i t !
  A critical hit with a group of shots is a hit with all the
  rounds. Treat one round in the group as a critical hit, the rest
  as normal hits.
  R e c o i l : When firing an automatic weapon, apply Rcl as
  a penalty to effective skill
  on the attack roll for the
  f i r s t group, and again on
  the roll for each four-
  round group or partial
  group after the first. E.g.,
  Speed/Range and Size Table
  S p e e d / R a n g e
  S i z e
  Size, Range, or S p e e d
  S p e e d
  M o d
  M o d
  (in yd or y d / s e c )
  (in mph)
  + 2
  - 2
  1 yd
  2 mph
  + 1
  - 1
  1.5 yd
  3 mph
  0
  0
  2 yd
  4.5 mph
  - 1
  + 1
  3 yd
  7 mph
  - 2
  + 2
  4.5 yd
  10 mph
  - 3
  + 3
  7 yd
  15 mph
  - 4
  + 4
  10 yd
  20 mph
  - 5
  + 5
  15 yd
  30 mph
  - 6
  + 6
  20 yd
  45 mph
  - 7
  + 7
  30 yd
  70 mph
  - 8
  + 8
  45 yd
  100 mph
  - 9
  + 9
  70 yd
  150 mph
  - 1 0
  + 1 0
  100 yd
  200 mph
  - 11
  + 11
  150 yd
  300 mph
  - 1 2
  + 1 2
  200 yd
  450 mph
  - 1 3
  + 1 3
  300 yd
  700 mph
  - 1 4
  + 1 4
  450 yd
  1,000 mph
  - 1 5
  + 1 5
  700 yd
  1,500 mph
  - 1 6
  + 1 6
  1,000 yd
  2,000 mph
  - 1 7
  + 1 7
  1,500 yd
  3,000 mph
  - 1 8
  + 1 8
  2,000 yd
  4,500 mph
  - 1 9
  + 1 9
  3,000 yd
  7,000 mph
  - 2 0
  + 2 0
  4,500 yd
  10,000 mph
  R o u n d s
  Roll Made by
  in Group
  -1
  0
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5 +
  1
  0
  1
  1
  1
  1
  1
  1
  2
  0
  1
  1
  1
  1
  1
  2
  3
  1
  1
  1
  1
  2
  2
  3
  4
  1
  2
  2
  3
  3
  3
  4
  
  F r a g m e n t a t i o n : Most explosive munitions are
  designed to produce lots of metal fragments. Fragmenta-
  tion damage is given in square brackets after concussion dam-
  age; e.g., 2d[2d] means “2d concussion, 2d fragmentation.”
  An explosion projects fragments to a distance of 5 yards times
  the dice of concussion damage. Ahit is automatic at “ground
  zero.” At 1 yard from the blast, a hit occurs on a roll of 17 or
  less. At 2 yards, the roll is 16 or less, and so on. When this roll
  reaches 3, it stays at 3 to the limit of fragment range. DR pro-
  tect normally against fragmentation. Fragmentation damage
  is considered cutting damage.
  INJURY, ILLNESS,
  AND FATIGUE
  The life of an adventurer is not all song and glory. Yo u
  can get tired, h u rt , or even d e a d .
  Wounds and other injuries cause bodily damage, or
  “hits.” Your HT score tells how many hits you can take. A
  character who goes down to 0 hit points will soon fall uncon-
  scious. It i s possible to survive with a negative hit-point total.
  GENERAL DAMAGE
  (LOST HIT POINTS)
  Someone who is wounded repeatedly will eventually
  weaken and collapse, even if no single injury is very great.
  Record hits on your character sheet. The effects of lost hit
  points are:
  3 or less hit points left: Your Move and Dodge are cut in
  half; you are reeling from your wounds.
  0 or less hit points left: You are in immediate danger of
  collapse. At the beginning of each turn, roll against your basic
  H T, plus or minus Strong or Weak Will. Asuccess means you
  may take your turn normally. A failed roll means you fall
  u n c o n s c i o u s .
  -H T hit points: You must make your HT roll (use basic
  HT) or die. Another roll is required after each further loss of
  5 hit points.
  - 5×H T: Automatic death. You have lost a total of 6 times
  your original hit points; no one can survive that much injury.
  DEATH
  A dead character is out of the game, unless he has an
  Extra Life (p. 129) or is uploaded (p. 167). If your PC dies,
  you can create a new character, introducing him in the next
  game session with the GM’s help.
  SHOCK
  When you are injured, your DX and IQ, and any skills
  based on DX and IQ, are reduced by that amount, on your
  next turn only. Example: If you take 3 hits of injury, your
  IQ, DX, and skills will be at -3 on your next turn.
  Active defenses are n o t r e d u c e d .
  This subtraction will most often affect weapon attacks –
  but a n y use of IQ, DX, or skills is affected. Therefore, on the
  turn after you are badly hurt, it may be a good idea to try
  flight, All-Out Defense, or the like, rather than counterattack-
  ing instantly.
  This is only a temporary effect due to shock. On your fol-
  lowing turn, your skills are back to normal.
  KNOCKDOWN
  Anyone who takes damage g reater than half his HT
  (modified by any Extra or Reduced Hit Points) in one blow
  must immediately roll against his basic HT. If he fails the roll,
  he f a l l s and is s t u n n e d (see below). If he makes his HT r o l l ,
  he keeps his footing, but he is still stunned.
  STUNNING
  Someone will be “stunned” if he takes damage g re a t e r
  t h a n half his HTin one blow.
  If you are stunned, all your active defenses are at -4 until
  your next turn. At that time, roll against basic HT. A s u c c e s s-
  ful roll means you can act normally on that turn. Afailed roll
  means you are still stunned and stand there mindlessly . . . T h e
  “stunned” state continues until you can make your HT r o l l
  and snap out of it. You may act again on the turn you do so.
  Mental Stun: Someone who is surprised or shocked may
  be m e n t a l l y “stunned.” The effects of this sort of stunning are
  just the same, but you must make your IQ roll, rather than your
  H T roll, to snap out of it. You’re not h u rt – you’re c o n f u s e d .
  FIRST AID
  Most of the HTloss from an injury is due to shock rather
  than actual physical damage. Therefore, prompt treatment
  after a fight can restore some of the lost hit points.
  Simple Bandaging: Basic, unskilled bandaging will
  restore 1 lost hit point per fight – but no more, no matter how
  bad the injury. This takes 30 minutes per victim.
  First A i d : See p. 161. On a critical success, the victim
  regains the maximum. On a critical failure, the victim l o s e s 2
  hits, and bandaging will not help. Barring critical failure, 1
  point is always restored. First aid is n o t cumulative with sim-
  ple bandaging.
  NATURAL RECOVERY
  Natural re c o v e ry will cure any number of hits. At the end
  of each day of rest and decent food, the victim may roll
  against his basic HT. Asuccessful roll results in the recovery
  of 1 hit point. The GM may modify the roll downward if con-
  ditions are bad, or upward if conditions are very good.
  Avictim under the care of a competent physician (Physi-
  cian skill level 12+) gets +1 on all healing rolls and may roll
  t w i c e daily to recover.
  
  Used victim’s clothes, blankets, and so on: H T
  Ate victim’s cooked flesh (animal, we hope!): H T
  Ate victim’s raw flesh (ditto!!): H T- 1
  P rolonged contact with living victim(s): H T- 2
  Kissing or other intimate contact with victim: H T- 3
  The GM may require a harder roll for a virulent plague,
  or an easier one for a less contagious one.
  Symptoms
  Disease symptoms usually appear at least 24 hours after
  the disease is caught. Most diseases aren’t contagious until
  after symptoms appear. Typical symptoms include daily HT
  loss (which may endanger the victim) for several days; loss of
  S T, DX, or IQ; fatigue; sneezing, coughing, spots, sores, or a
  rash. Severe symptoms could include delirium, unconscious-
  ness, blindness, etc.
  Diagnosis
  When symptoms of a disease are apparent, the GM
  should roll against the character’s Diagnosis skill, or IQ-6, in
  secret. Success means he identifies the disease.
  Recovery
  Ty p i c a l l y, a disease sufferer must make a daily HT roll –
  possibly at a penalty. This roll and the effects of failure vary
  with each illness. For a “generic” disease, a failed roll might
  mean you lose 1 HT; a success would let you regain 1 HT.
  When you have recovered all HTlost to an illness, you
  are cured. If your illness allows HT rolls to attempt to recov-
  e r, a roll of 3 or 4 means the disease has vanished (lost HT
  must be recovered in the normal fashion).
  For some diseases, recovery will be aided by use of
  appropriate drugs. For most diseases, a physician’s care (as
  for injuries) will aid attempts to recover.
  FATIGUE
  Fatigue represents lost ST, just as injury
  represents lost HT. If your ST is 10, you can
  lose 10 “fatigue points” before falling uncon-
  scious from exhaustion. Keep separate track
  of fatigue you lose or regain. Fatigue does not
  a ffect HT at all.
  You can suffer fatigue from exertion, running long
  distances, heatstroke, etc. You will also suffer fatigue at the
  end of each battle that lasts more than 10 seconds; the amount
  is equal to your encumbrance level plus 1.
  While your ST is reduced due to fatigue, any Contest of
  S T, attempt to lift or throw an object, or other use of ST i s
  made at the reduced ST score; your score in any ST- b a s e d
  skill is similarly reduced.
  The basic damage you do with hand weapons is
  unchanged. This is for playability, to avoid constant re f i g u r -
  ing of weapon effects!
  Likewise, your Move score is not affected by fatigue
  until your ST reaches 3. At that point, cut your Move in half,
  rounding down.
  Recovering From Unconsciousness
  If your HT is still positive, roll vs. HT every hour to
  awaken (or, if you have lost no more than 2 HT, roll every 15
  m i n u t e s ) .
  If your HT is negative, but not f u l l y negative, you regain
  consciousness in as many hours as your HT is negative, or a
  maximum of 12 hours. When you awaken, you can call for
  help or even try to drag yourself to shelter.
  If your HT has gone f u l l y negative – e.g., HT of -10 or
  worse for someone with a basic HT of 10 – you are in bad
  shape. If you can make a roll on basic HT, you will awaken
  (as above) after 12 hours, and can try to help yourself. If you
  fail the roll, you stay in a coma and die unless you are helped
  within HTh o u r s .
  OTHER HAZARDS
  Adventurers often face other dangers: the hazards of
  extraterrestrial space (pp. 53-60), as well as . . .
  Falling
  When you fall, roll for damage as follows:
  1 or 2 yard s : (1d-4) damage per yard.
  3 or 4 yard s : (1d-3) per yard.
  5 or more yards: (1d-2) per yard.
  If you land on something soft, subtract 1 point per yard
  fallen. A successful Acrobatics roll will reduce the eff e c t i v e
  distance of your fall by 5 yards. The Catfall advantage (p. 225)
  also reduces falling damage.
  Terminal velocity – the maximum speed a falling object
  can achieve – varies for humans, but is normally reached after
  3 or 4 seconds of falling. Therefore, treat any fall of more than
  50 yards as only 50 yards.
  Armor protects against falling damage at h a l f its usual
  D R .
  Flame
  Walking through fire does 1d-3 damage per second;
  actually s t a n d i n g in fire does 1d-1 damage per second. A r m o r
  protects completely against ordinary heat or flame for a num-
  ber of turns equal to 3 times its DR. After that, it still protects
  against flame, but the wearer must roll vs. HT every turn to
  resist the heat of the fire. Afailed roll costs 1 point of fatigue
  ( b e l o w ) .
  ILLNESS
  Anyone in a disease-ridden area, or encountering a dis-
  ease carrier, is in danger of contracting the disease. (E x c e p -
  t i o n : Immunity to Disease, p. 215, protects wholly against
  disease.) Most diseases allow a HT roll to resist, made in
  secret by the GM. Roll against HT once per day; a failed roll
  means you catch the disease. From the table below, choose
  the least advantageous roll:
  Avoided all contact with possible victims: H T + 4
  E n t e red dwelling or shop of victim: H T + 3
  Spoke with victim at close quart e r s : H T + 2
  Touched victim briefly: H T + 1
  
  If fatigue reduces your ST to 0, you fall uncon-
  scious and automatically rest until your STreaches 1 and
  you awaken. You cannot have “negative” fatigue or a “nega-
  tive” ST.
  Sample Fatigue Costs
  M a rc h i n g : Each hour of road travel costs fatigue equal to
  your encumbrance level +1. Add 1 more in hot climates.
  Running or Swimming: After each 100 yards traveled,
  roll vs. HT. Afailed roll costs 1 point of fatigue.
  O v e re x e rt i o n : Carrying more than 20 times ST, or push-
  ing or pulling a very heavy load, costs 1 fatigue per second.
  Losing Sleep: A night without sleep costs 5 fatigue. A
  half-night of sleep costs 2 fatigue.
  Recovering from Fatigue
  Afatigued character will regain his lost ST at the rate of
  1 point per 10 minutes of rest. Talking and thinking are
  allowed; walking, or anything more strenuous, is n o t rest! T h e
  GM may allow an extra point of fatigue to be regained if you
  eat a decent meal while re s t i n g .
  Fatigue due to lost sleep is regained only by getting a
  f u l l night of sleep! This restores a l l lost fatigue.
  C A M P A I G N S
  The following topics are liable to arise in the course of
  running a campaign; see pp. 26-27 for campaign ideas.
  ADVENTURES
  The GM should usually prepare for an
  adventure before a game session. T h i s
  involves determining a way to motivate and
  involve the PCs (e.g., a rich or interesting
  person hires them to solve a problem). Make
  notes (or diagrams) to help describe events
  or locations the adventurers may encounter,
  create a few interesting NPCs the PCs may
  interact with, and devise challenges or obsta-
  cles that require wit, negotiation, skill use, or
  combat to overcome!
  JOBS
  C h a r a c t e r s ’ lives may be devoted
  entirely to adventuring, or they may have
  more mundane jobs they perform in between;
  see p. 138. Five things define a job:
  D e s c r i p t i o n : The job’s title, and what the job entails.
  P re re q u i s i t e s : The skills or advantages needed to do
  the job, and the minimum required level in each.
  Success Roll: At the end of every month in which
  you work, roll against the listed prerequisite skill (“PR”)
  for your job – or in some cases, your HT or IQ. If you roll
  anything but a critical success or a critical failure, collect your
  monthly income and go on. On a critical success, you get a
  10% permanent raise. Results of a critical failure vary; loss of
  one or more months of income (-1i, -2i, etc.) or being fired is
  typical, but an on-the-job injury (doing 1d, 2d, etc. of dam-
  age) is also possible. The GM should interpret all results!
  Monthly Income: The amount of money earned on a suc-
  cessful roll.
  Wealth Level: Each job has a wealth level: poor, stru g -
  gling, average, comfort a b l e, or w e a l t h y. This is the minimum
  level of wealth the c h a r a c t e r must have if he holds that job.
  Very Wealthy and Filthy Rich characters get “wealthy” jobs,
  but the Very Wealthy take home twice the listed pay for any
  job, and the Filthy Rich get 10 times the listed pay!
  GAME TIME
  Game time is the time that passes in the game world. T h e
  GM judges how much time has passed.
  Time During Adventures
  Personal combat is played out in “slow” time. One com-
  bat turn equals one second. It may take a minute or so of real
  time for each combat turn, especially if the players are inex-
  perienced or the battle is large. But combat is usually life-or-
  death, and you need to give players time to think.
  Conversations, negotiations, attempts to pick locks, and
  similar situations are played in “real” time. If the players
  spend 10 minutes debating how to best approach an NPC
  informant . . . their c h a r a c t e r s spent 10 minutes talking on the
  s t r e e t .
  Routine travel, and so on, is handled in “fast” time.
  When the adventurers voyage from Islandia to Mars, for
  instance, the GM can simply skip the month-long travel time.
  Tell the players when they encounter an interesting NPC, or
  arrive at their destination. Just compress the rest of the time.
  Time Between Adventures
  In a continuing campaign, you also need to keep track of
  time between adventures. This can always be the same
  amount of time, or the GM and the players can agree on a
  “logical” time to pass between the end of one adventure and
  the start of the next. It can be a good idea to let a month or two
  go by, to allow for healing, “ordinary” jobs, interplanetary
  travel, etc.
  Of course, no game time at all has to pass between s e s -
  s i o n s, if you can’t finish an adventure in one session. If, when
  you quit play, the heroes have just spotted an approaching
  horde of devourer microbots, the cyberswarm will get no
  closer in the real-world week before you can play again!
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Transhuman Space (GURPS)/Transhuman Space Lite.pdf