Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - Deep dive on differences between GURPS Dungeon Fantasy and DFRPG templates

Michael Thayne · 09-20-2022, 12:46 PM

I've finally sat down to start carefully comparing changes DFRPG made to the occupational templates in GURPS Dungeon Fantasy. I had some idea of general changes to expect, e.g. traits that had significantly reworker or removed entirely, and DFRPG making certain things previously labeled "power-ups" available to starting characters. But other changes I didn't have a great handle on, and I suspect other people are curious about the details of these changes. I'm going to start by posting my notes for the Barbarian and Bard; others will come later as I do them.

Barbarian
Loses 2 mandatory levels of Outdoorsman (-20 points), and made Animal Handling an optional skill (-2 points). These points get spent on removing Gigantism (8 points), adding more points in advantage options (10 points), and raising main melee weapon skill by a level (4 points).

Quite a few changes got made to optional traits, some of which I expected, but others which I did not: new options to raise DX, HP, and Basic Speed with advantage points, adding Code of Honor, Greed, Obsession, Sense of Duty (Nature), and Wounded to disadvantage options, adding Strategy and Tactics to optional skills, and (for some reason) raising the maximum level of Temperature Tolerance from 2 to 3.

Bard
Loses 2 mandatory levels of Musical Ability (-10), and has fewer points budgeted for spells (-5). This pays for an improved Bardic Talent (4 points—a great deal given that it replaces bonuses previously gotten from Musical Ability in addition to offering broader spell selection), as well as adding more points in advantage options (10 points), and raising Carousing by a level (1 point).

In terms of changed options, the two lists of advantage options have been merged, so there’s no longer a minimum number of points you have to spend on Bard-Song abilities. The Bard also gains Empathy as an advantage option, but loses Smooth Operator and Social Chameleon. (Technically the last two could be counted as "general changes", but I’d previously missed them.) The second two lists of optional disadvantages have also been merged.

09-20-2022, 12:46 PM	#1
Michael Thayne Join Date: May 2010	Deep dive on differences between GURPS Dungeon Fantasy and DFRPG templates I've finally sat down to start carefully comparing changes DFRPG made to the occupational templates in *GURPS Dungeon Fantasy. I had some idea of general changes to expect, e.g. traits that had significantly reworker or removed entirely, and DFRPG making certain things previously labeled "power-ups" available to starting characters. But other changes I didn't have a great handle on, and I suspect other people are curious about the details of these changes. I'm going to start by posting my notes for the Barbarian and Bard; others will come later as I do them. Barbarian* Loses 2 mandatory levels of Outdoorsman (-20 points), and made Animal Handling an optional skill (-2 points). These points get spent on removing Gigantism (8 points), adding more points in advantage options (10 points), and raising main melee weapon skill by a level (4 points). Quite a few changes got made to optional traits, some of which I expected, but others which I did not: new options to raise DX, HP, and Basic Speed with advantage points, adding Code of Honor, Greed, Obsession, Sense of Duty (Nature), and Wounded to disadvantage options, adding Strategy and Tactics to optional skills, and (for some reason) raising the maximum level of Temperature Tolerance from 2 to 3. *Bard* Loses 2 mandatory levels of Musical Ability (-10), and has fewer points budgeted for spells (-5). This pays for an improved Bardic Talent (4 points—a great deal given that it replaces bonuses previously gotten from Musical Ability in addition to offering broader spell selection), as well as adding more points in advantage options (10 points), and raising Carousing by a level (1 point). In terms of changed options, the two lists of advantage options have been merged, so there’s no longer a minimum number of points you have to spend on Bard-Song abilities. The Bard also gains Empathy as an advantage option, but loses Smooth Operator and Social Chameleon. (Technically the last two could be counted as "general changes", but I’d previously missed them.) The second two lists of optional disadvantages have also been merged. __________________ Handle is a character from the StarDrive* setting (a.k.a. d20 Future), not my real name. Last edited by Michael Thayne; 02-05-2024 at 07:52 PM.