Class templates and monstrous machines help for an great war game

[SteampengMK-1]

GREETING THERE DEAR FELLOWS...again.

This well be My third post On this great war game I'm working on (The other two here and here)

The backstory goes a little something like this: The year is 1895, and past advancements (some of the more notable being the widespread use of steam-powered Vehicle (The kings of which are the "ships") 100 years ahead of time and analog computers) Have lead to an massive boom in technology. This however had a Dark side of an "gilded age" and more than one war...

In the last month of the Year 1889, The French President was assassinated. He would be the first casualty of an very, very long war. Following a few other assassinations and mysteries deaths within a few hours, this left an massive power vaculum, allowing an certian Georges Ernest Boulanger to take power. The following spring, he attack Germany, setting off what would snowball into "The Great War"

Tech level of this well be a mix bag 5+1/6 TL, though after a while The players will discover much more powerful forces at play underneath(Hint:Alternate Universe time travel). There will also be some elements of fantastic races, but would be more "There" and not really affect the plot in the long run

The quote Below should help people visualize the factions looks (Keep in mind I'm planning on having tactical battles on an Hex map, hence the different colours)

Originally Posted by Agemegos

I've had a bit of a look, and it seems as though you can get a reasonable range of figures with TL6 equipment and different sorts of hats and helmets. So here's something you could do.

CENTRAL POWERS

US
¶ ¶ Get some figures with "lemon-squeezer" campaign hats such as the US Army wore in the Spanish-American War and the Canadians in WWI. Paint their uniforms tan with a blue stripe on the leg and a few other blue details, or tan pants and dull blue tunics or something, and their campaign hats dark blue with eagles or crossed sabres of something on the front.
¶ ¶ Or use German figure with stahlhelms and paint them in US tan and blue with dark blue stahlhelms. (In this setting the US won't issue British-style Brodie helmets.)

German Empire
¶ ¶ Get some figures with pickelhaubes or stahlhelms. Paint them feldgrau with black helmets.

Austria-Hungary
¶ ¶ Get some Austrian figures with the distinctive tapering shakos, or anything with a bergmutze, czapka or peaked cap. Paint them pike grey with black details.

Japan
¶ ¶ Get some Japanese figures or anything wearing kepis. Paint them buff with red stripes on their pants and red details, and paint their kepis with red bands.

Ottoman Empire
¶ ¶ Get some "Turks" figures with fezes or (better) kabalaks or bashliks. Paint them a brownish shade of khaki. If they're wearing fezes, paint those red; if they are wearing kabalaks or bashliks those would historically match the uniform or be undyed-wool beige, respectively. But paint them dark red instead.

ENTENTE CORDIALE

2nd Confederacy
¶ ¶ Get figures wearing Brodie helmets (WWI British or Americans) and paint them grey with yellow stripes on their pants and yellow details.

Britain
¶ ¶ Get figures wearing Brodie helmets and paint them British khaki (a rather dark and greenish shade at the time) with beige details.

British dominions
¶ ¶ Get figures wearing slouch hats (ANZAC), lemon-squeezer hats (Canadians), peaked caps, and turbans. Paint them British khaki with beige details.

Russian Empire
¶ ¶ Get figures wearing peaked caps or any sort of fur hat. Paint them a dull dark green. If the headdresses are fur hats, paint those grey.

France
¶ ¶ Get figures wearing Adrien helmets (French or Belgians) and paint them bleu horizon with red details.

I think that waves and nods in the direction of camouflage, but gives everyone a distinctive look.

Now for what this thread is for. I'm wanting to make some class 20-70Pt templates for the PC and the NPC

here what I want to use

TRENCH RUNNER- An fast running courier and Forward observer, armed with light weapons

ARMOUR Heavily armoured Assault troops. Slow but practically bullet proof to most small arms

Rifle trooper-Common front line trooper

Sinper-Long range supports

SAPPER-Engineers and often demomen

SUPPORT-Jack of all trade fellow, often armed with short range SMGS and Auto Pistols

COMMANDER-Leader, able to command ally NPC

CREWMEN-A sub-class, for use of heavy, crewed weapons and machines (Ect: Tanks)

TRENCH RAIDERS-Spies

How does this look so far? Any ideas on skills/advantages/Disadvantages to add? Ect.


PS: It very late over where I'm at, So i'm kind of tried. I will try to answer questions when I wake up

[Toptomcat]

There's an unofficial conversion of many of the templates from GURPS WWII available here, which could serve as a useful starting point.

Most of these are over your suggested 20-70 point range. The Hitler Youth is 46-47 points.

You might partially bridge the gap by saying that average Strength is 9 in this period, agricultural technology not having caught up with the rest of the boosted TL sufficiently to give everyone adequate nutrition. HT might be lowered with similar justification, with additional appeal to lack of germ theory and public sanitation. (Historically, it was well on the way to catching on in 1895- but less so in the 1860s-1870s, when the PCs and most adult NPCs were growing up. Child nutrition is quite relevant to adult size.)

(Average height of British adult males of the period being five foot seven, average weight 145 lb.)

[SteampengMK-1]

Originally Posted by Toptomcat

There's an unofficial conversion of many of the templates from GURPS WWII available here, which could serve as a useful starting point.

Most of these are over your suggested 20-70 point range. The Hitler Youth is 46-47 points.

You might partially bridge the gap by saying that average Strength is 9 in this period, agricultural technology not having caught up with the rest of the boosted TL sufficiently to give everyone adequate nutrition. HT might be lowered with similar justification, with additional appeal to lack of germ theory and public sanitation. (Historically, it was well on the way to catching on in 1895- but less so in the 1860s-1870s, when the PCs and most adult NPCs were growing up. Child nutrition is quite relevant to adult size.)

(Average height of British adult males of the period being five foot seven, average weight 145 lb.)

Sorry that I didn't came here sooner, I was doing other thing D:

Anyway, The Templates above do infact look nice, but as you said, Got too much points wrapped up in them. (however, It doesn't look to hard to chop off some unneeded skills, I'm pretty sure not every crewman would need to know how to shoot off every gun in the tank or need to know how to use an electronics)

This is an good start :)

[Toptomcat]

Originally Posted by SteampengMK-1

I'm pretty sure not every crewman would need to know how to shoot off every gun in the tank...

If you're training tank crews, it makes all the sense in the world to train your guys to be able to fill in for each other in a pinch. If the tank takes a hit and your loader bites it, it's really nice for the gunner to be able to fill in, rather than having that incident render your tank unable to fire.

That said, you're right that there should be ways to save some points here. Let's see:

-Reduce ST and HT by -1 each across the board. (-20 points, universal)

-Many of the templates have points in Guns (Light Auto). First of all, rename to Guns (SMG) per 4e convention.

Secondly: historically, only the Germans had a submachine gun in the WWI era, and it was only in wide use among their specialized 'Stoßtruppen' units. If this is still the case in your TL 5+1 game, then remove Guns (Light Auto) from every template that has it, making the Perk Anachronistic Skill (Guns (SMG)) part of Germany's National Advantages. (-0 to -4 points to various)

-Except those templates that are already exclusive to one nation, each has some number of points in National Advantages. Take 5 points away here. (-5 points, near-universal)

After these adjustments, and removing templates outside your point range or otherwise inappropriate to a WWI game, you have, by descending pint total:
Combat Engineer, 70 pt
Mobster, 66 pt
Diplomat, 65 pt
City Fighter, 61 pt
Resistance Fighter, 58 pt
Mountain Infantryman, 54 pt
Cavalryman, 49 pt
Rifleman, 48 pt
Armor Crewman, 47 pt
Sailor, 37 pt
Artilleryman, 29 pt

Gestapo Agent, 69 pt, works with minor adjustments as a generic Secret Police Agent.

The Hausfrau works as a generic Female Civilian with minimal reworking, minus the ST and HT but nothing for National Advantages since she hasn't got any. Total of -2 points.

The Spiv works a generic Petty Criminal, minus the ST and HT but nothing for National Advantages since he hasn't got any: he'll clock in at 10 points.

Volksturmmann works as a generic Last Resort Reservist. Leave him his National Advantages and he'll be a 2-point character.

Hitler Youth works as a generic Underage Conscript with a little reworking. He has no National Advantages to trim, but still clocks in at 26-27 pt with the ST and HT adjustments.

Fighter Pilot might be salvagable, depending on your weird-tech: drop DX by 1 along with the universal adjustments to get a 53-point version.
Ditto Bomber Crewman, with no adjustment needed at 45 points.

No Polish Cavalryman, since Poland wasn't an independent state at the time. No FBI Agent, as the contemporary Bureau of Investigation was pretty minor. Military Frogmen didn't exist at the time, and would bust your point limit anyway. No Commando, Eastern Front Expert, Granicer/Frontier Guard, Ghurka, Hitler Youth SS Veteran, Intelligence Agent, Jedburgh, Legionnare, Long Range Desert Group Trooper, Marine, Old-Guard Officer, OSS Agent, Paratrooper, Recon Trooper, Scientist/Engineer, Ski Trooper, SOE-F Operative, Sniper, Submariner- they're all too badass for your point limit, and for most of them it would be futile to try to pack it all in there.

[SteampengMK-1]

Originally Posted by Toptomcat

If you're training tank crews, it makes all the sense in the world to train your guys to be able to fill in for each other in a pinch. If the tank takes a hit and your loader bites it, it's really nice for the gunner to be able to fill in, rather than having that incident render your tank unable to fire.

That said, you're right that there should be ways to save some points here. Let's see:

-Reduce ST and HT by -1 each across the board. (-20 points, universal)

-Many of the templates have points in Guns (Light Auto). First of all, rename to Guns (SMG) per 4e convention.

Secondly: historically, only the Germans had a submachine gun in the WWI era, and it was only in wide use among their specialized 'Stoßtruppen' units. If this is still the case in your TL 5+1 game, then remove Guns (Light Auto) from every template that has it, making the Perk Anachronistic Skill (Guns (SMG)) part of Germany's National Advantages. (-0 to -4 points to various)

-Except those templates that are already exclusive to one nation, each has some number of points in National Advantages. Take 5 points away here. (-5 points, near-universal)

After these adjustments, and removing templates outside your point range or otherwise inappropriate to a WWI game, you have, by descending pint total:
Combat Engineer, 70 pt
Mobster, 66 pt
Diplomat, 65 pt
City Fighter, 61 pt
Resistance Fighter, 58 pt
Mountain Infantryman, 54 pt
Cavalryman, 49 pt
Rifleman, 48 pt
Armor Crewman, 47 pt
Sailor, 37 pt
Artilleryman, 29 pt

Gestapo Agent, 69 pt, works with minor adjustments as a generic Secret Police Agent.

The Hausfrau works as a generic Female Civilian with minimal reworking, minus the ST and HT but nothing for National Advantages since she hasn't got any. Total of -2 points.

The Spiv works a generic Petty Criminal, minus the ST and HT but nothing for National Advantages since he hasn't got any: he'll clock in at 10 points.

Volksturmmann works as a generic Last Resort Reservist. Leave him his National Advantages and he'll be a 2-point character.

Hitler Youth works as a generic Underage Conscript with a little reworking. He has no National Advantages to trim, but still clocks in at 26-27 pt with the ST and HT adjustments.

Fighter Pilot might be salvagable, depending on your weird-tech: drop DX by 1 along with the universal adjustments to get a 53-point version.
Ditto Bomber Crewman, with no adjustment needed at 45 points.

No Polish Cavalryman, since Poland wasn't an independent state at the time. No FBI Agent, as the contemporary Bureau of Investigation was pretty minor. Military Frogmen didn't exist at the time, and would bust your point limit anyway. No Commando, Eastern Front Expert, Granicer/Frontier Guard, Ghurka, Hitler Youth SS Veteran, Intelligence Agent, Jedburgh, Legionnare, Long Range Desert Group Trooper, Marine, Old-Guard Officer, OSS Agent, Paratrooper, Recon Trooper, Scientist/Engineer, Ski Trooper, SOE-F Operative, Sniper, Submariner- they're all too badass for your point limit, and for most of them it would be futile to try to pack it all in there.

Now this looks better for my players budgets (they will be given 100pt each, and given an 50pt boost a few session in for the "wake-up" Boss )

I may also add marines and Legionnare, but they're more likely to be straight up NPCs instead of templates.

I will write more on this soon, up now i got to get off.