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Old 03-02-2017, 11:32 AM   #11
Prince Charon
 
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Default Re: Katalysator-1 worldline

Now, a couple of Germans who aren't Nazis:

Hilde Rickmers, 1945

Age: 24

Attributes

ST 9 [-10]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 10 [0]

Secondary Characteristics

HP 9; Will 13 [5]; Per 12; FP 13 [9]

Social Background

Languages: German (Native) [0]; Heligolandic Frisian (Native) [4]; English (Accented/Native) [5].

TL: 6^

Cultural Familiarity: 20th century Western [0].

Subtotal: 73


Advantages

Ally (Klaus Bruckner, 80% of points, 15 or less) [10]
Attractive [4]
Healer 1 [10]
Sensitive [5]
Spirit Allies (Cosmic Modular Abilities; Astral Projection, -10%; Nuisance Effect: must chant and display runes, -10%; Only for Allies with Summonable and Minion, -50%) 10 [30]
Resistant to Sickness +3 [5]

Adjustment (Healing Only, -30%) 9 [36]
Aura Reading 5 [22]
Coincidence (Nuisance Effects: 'Cannot use Extra Effort to gain more uses per day' and 'Only to grant the wishes of others,' -10%; Reliable, +60%) 3 [105]
Curse 5 [30]
EK Shield 3 [12]
Empathy (Psychic Healing, -10%) [14]
Photorefraction 5 [25]
- Hologram 5 (Alternative Ability of Photorefraction) [5]
Retrocognition 4 [40]
- Prognostication 5 (Alternative Ability of Retrocognition) [8]
- Visions (Full) (Alternative Ability of Retrocognition) [4]
Retrocognitive Flashbacks (from Retrocognition) [6]
Second Chance 1 [12]
Seekersense 1 [7]
Spirit Communication 3 [18]
Weather Control 2 [44]

Perks

Alcohol Tolerance. [1]
Classic Features (Pale brunette). [1]
Soothing Touch. [1]

Subtotal: 455


Disadvantages

Code of Honour (Professional) [-5]
Insomniac (Mild) [-10]
Pacifism (Reluctant Killer) [-5]
Sense of Duty (Heligoland) [-10]

Bad Temper (15) [-5]
Delusion (I'm a witch!) [-5]
Fanaticism (Britain) [-15]
Frightens Animals (Telepathy, -10%) [-9]
Phobia (Traditional 'witch banes') (12) [-5]

Quirks

Believes that Heligoland was and would be better off under British rule. [-1]
Fascinated by the occult. [-1]
Flirts well unconsciously, but becomes awkward (-2 to Sex Appeal) when flirting on purpose. [-1]
Rather fond of schnapps. [-1]
Responsive. [-1]

Subtotal: -74


Features

Fortune-Telling is Complementary for all ESP skills. [0]
Symbol Drawing is Complementary for all Psi skills. [0]


Skills

Biology (Biochemistry)/TL6^ [IQ/H] [1] 10
Body Language [Per/A] [1] 11
Chemistry/TL6^ [IQ/H] [1] 10
Diagnosis/TL6 [IQ/H] [4] 13*
Diplomacy [IQ/H] [4] 12
Fortune-Telling (Runecasting) [IQ/A] [1] 11
Meditation [Will/H] [1] 11
Occultism [IQ/A] [2] 12
Pharmacy (Synthetic)/TL6^ [IQ/H] [1] 11*
Physician/TL6 [IQ/H] [8] 14*
Physiology/TL6 [IQ/H] [1] 11*
Psychology [IQ/H] [2] 12*
Sex Appeal [HT/A] [4] 11
Symbol Drawing (Futhorc) [IQ/H] [2] 11
Writing [IQ/A] [1] 11

Adjustment [IQ/H] [4] 12
Aura Reading [IQ/H] [2] 11
Coincidence [IQ/H] [4] 12
Curse [IQ/H] [4] 12
EK Shield [IQ/H] [2] 11
Empathy [IQ/H] [4] 12
Hologram [IQ/H] [2] 11
Photorefraction [IQ/H] [4] 12
Prognostication [IQ/H] [4] 12
Retrocognition [IQ/H] [4] 12
Second Chance [IQ/H] [4] 12
Seekersense [Per/H] [4] 12
Spirit Communication [IQ/H] [4] 12
Visions [IQ/H] [4] 12
Weather Control [IQ/H] [4] 12

Techniques

Channeling (H) Spirit Communication-8 [3] 6
Evil Eye (H) Curse-4 [4] 11
Pinpoint (H) Seekersense-10 [5] 6
Reactive Use (H) Photorefraction-4 [3] 10
Unsupervised Change (H) Weather Control-10 [2] 3

* Includes +1 from Healer Talent.

Subtotal: 109

Total: 563


Equipment

Nice clothes
shoes
purse
First-Aid kit

Notes

I normally would not use or allow Reliable to be added to most Psi abilities, but it's thematically appropriate in this context, and thematically limited.

Evil Eye changes Curse from a touch-range attack, to one based on the user's line of sight.

Hilde would not have survived her empowerment, if not for Klaus's healing abilities. If her Will were lower, she's have more, and/or worse, mental problems.

Ghostdancer did a helpful chart for ally/familiar/dependent costs in his blog (scroll down a little).

Spirit Ally availability maximums (for one ally):

x4 (Constantly): 60%, 338
x3 (15 or less): 75%, 422
x2 (12 or less): 100%, 563
x1 (9 or less): 150%, 845
x.5 (6 or less): 200%, 1126

Thus, the more powerful a spirit is, the less likely it is to be available to help when you need it. I very likely wouldn't allow Constantly without enough backstory to justify it, though in the case of the Spirit Allies power, it just means that she doesn't have to roll to see if the spirit is available, or if the thoughtform will manifest. If you want to run a game without spirits, dropping Spirit Allies and Spirit Communication doesn't make Hilde much less playable, although it does remove one of the justifications for her Delusion.

GURPS Bio-Tech supplied the Nurse template (p207) that I used for her. Templates from GURPS Psis include EK: Energy Absorber, Illusionist; ESP: Ghost Sight, Past-Scanner, Psychic Tracker (modified); Probability Alteration: Doom Bringer, Rain Dancer; Psycic Healing: Empathic Bond (modified).
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-- Tacitus

Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted.

Last edited by Prince Charon; 05-16-2018 at 05:52 PM.
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Old 03-02-2017, 11:33 AM   #12
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Default Re: Katalysator-1 worldline

Klaus Bruckner, 1945

Age: 22

Attributes

ST 16 [54 (SM, -10%)]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 11 [20]; HT 14 [40]

Secondary Characteristics

HP 16; Will 13 [10]; Per 13 [10]; FP 14; SM+1

Social Background

Languages: German (Native) [0].

TL: 6^

Cultural Familiarity: 20th century Western [0].

Subtotal: 174


Advantages

Ally (Hilde Rickmers, 120% of points, 15 or less) [21]
Eidetic Memory [5]
Hard to Kill 2 [4]
Hard to Subdue 3 [6]
Intuitive Mathematician [5]
Mathematical Ability 4 [40]
Single-Minded [5]

Affliction (Advantage: Hard to Kill 10 (Psychic Healing, -10%; Extended Duration: 10 minutes, +40%) [39]
Affliction (Advantage: Regeneration (Regular; Psychic Healing, -10%; Extended Duration: Permanent until fully healed, +150%; Melee Attack, C, -30%) [73]
Damage Control 3 [32]
Mind Clouding 3 [18]

Aura Reading 5 [22]
- Emotion Sense 4 (Psychic Healing; Alternate Ability of Aura Reading) [4]
Cure Disease 1 [6]
Psychic Healing Talent 1 [5]

Perks

Pharmaceutical Probe. [1]

Subtotal: 276


Disadvantages

Gregarious [-10]
Pacifism (Cannot Kill) [-15]
Sense of Duty (Friends) [-5]

Phantom Voices (Annoying) [-5]
Phobia (Snakes) (12) [-5]
Post-Combat Shakes (12) [-5]
Stuttering [-10]

Quirks

Bum knee. [-1]
Fond of animals. [-1]
Likes dark-haired women. [-1]
Loves Hilde, but thinks he's not good enough for her. [-1]

Subtotal: -59


Features

Gigantism. [0]
Mathematics is Complementary for all Psi skills. [0]


Skills

Animal Handling (Dogs) [IQ/A] [2] 11
Astronomy/TL6 [IQ/H] [1] 13*
Cryptography/TL6 [IQ/H] [2] 14*
First Aid/TL6 [IQ/E] [4] 13
Guns (Rifle)/TL6 [DX/E] [1] 12
Guns (Shotgun)/TL6 [DX/E] [1] 12
Hiking [HT/A] [1] 13
Intimidation [Will/A] [1] 12
Mathematics (Pure)/TL6 [IQ/H] [8] 16*
Mathematics (Statistics)/TL6 [IQ/H] [4] 15*
Mathematics (Cryptology)/TL6 [IQ/H] [2] 14*
Mathematics (Surveying)/TL6 [IQ/H] [1] 13*
Mathematics (Applied)/TL6 [IQ/H] [1] 13*
Physics (Astrophysics)/TL6 [IQ/H] [1] 13*
Stealth [DX/A] [2] 12
Survival (Woodlands) [Per/A] [2] 13
Tracking [Per/A] [2] 13
Traps/TL6 [IQ/A] [2] 11

Affliction (Healing) [IQ/H] [4] 12**
Aura Reading [IQ/H] [2] 11**
Cure [IQ/H] [4] 12**
Damage Control [HT/H] [2] 14**
Emotion Sense [IQ/H] [2] 11**
Mind Clouding [IQ/H] [4] 11

* Includes +4 from Mathematical Ability.
** Includes +1 from Psychic Healing Talent.

Techniques

Cure Affliction (H) Cure-6 [2] 7
Harden Bone (H) Damage Control-4 [5] 14
Heal Limb (H) Affliction-6 [2] 7
Restore Limb (H) Affliction-10 [4] 5
Bulk Compensation (H) Mind Clouding+0 [5] 15 (Medium Encumbrance)

Subtotal: 74

Total: 465


Equipment

Clothes
Boots


Notes

Fear of reptiles in general is -10, so I suspect that fear of snakes, specifically, should be around -5.

Klaus was never the brightest child growing up; indeed, before he got his powers, he had IQ 9, though he could somewhat fake higher intelligence due to his excellent memory, Talent for maths, and single-minded devotion to learning. Also, his father was a hunter and dog-trainer, and made sure his children could handle themselves there (he certainly can shoot, he just doesn't want to).

Before gaining his powers, Klaus had Pacifism (Total Non-Violence) [-30], and the 'Doesn't know his own strength' quirk.

GURPS Psis supplied some templates to Klaus: Shadow (yes, the 8-foot-tall guy can sneak up on you) and Treat Disease.


Thoughts?
__________________
Warning, I have the Distractible and Imaginative quirks in real life.

"The more corrupt a government, the more it legislates."
-- Tacitus

Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted.
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Old 03-03-2017, 08:45 AM   #13
Greg 1
 
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Default Re: Katalysator-1 worldline

Cool setting! I like alt-history.

Some suggestions for expansion:

Consider what PC parties might originate within this world. I can imagine all sorts of adventures taking place in this world that don't require the story to be about alternative worlds.

Say more about how daily life differs from our world.

Say more about the political divisions between everyday people in the West (or on Earth).

Can you say more about how religion has coped with psi?

Write up an introductory paragraph for people who are new to the setting, just surprising the setting and what's different and special about it.
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Old 03-05-2017, 09:53 AM   #14
Prince Charon
 
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Default Re: Katalysator-1 worldline

I keep wanting to reply to this and being tired, so if this is lacking detail and/or coherency, that's why.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg 1 View Post
Cool setting! I like alt-history.
Thank you.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg 1 View Post
Some suggestions for expansion:

Consider what PC parties might originate within this world. I can imagine all sorts of adventures taking place in this world that don't require the story to be about alternative worlds.
Apart from crazier-than-usual superheroes (which are an option, but not a necessity, depending on the GM), any sort of party appropriate to late 1970s Earth could work, but you could also have a party of astronauts exploring Mars and Venus, or a party of Martian or Venusian natives brought to Earth and learning about this strange new world.

One problem that it occurs to me that the players and GM might have, is accurately playing a party of loons without driving each other crazy in RL.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg 1 View Post
Say more about how daily life differs from our world.
Well, it's the 1970s, so that's already quite different: no internet, just a primitive ARPAnet with transistorized computers instead of microchips (I considered having them still using vacuum tubes, but couldn't make it that plausible to myself) - no home computers, here (not that there were all that many at this point, anyway); no cellphones, although cars with radio-phones are around if you're rich, and telepathic communication devices are also around.

Really, the widespread existence of psi-tech is going to make things quite different from either our 2017, or our 1977 - if you can afford a flying car, there's little reason not to buy one, because they're practical and fairly safe when piloted by someone competent - what they aren't is cheap, so most people still get around the same way they did in our 1977.

Psi-tech Mind Shield generators are common and somewhat cheap, because early high demand lead to manufacturers trying many ways to undercut the competition. Mind Block and Expert Skill (Psionics) are commonly taught in school, sometimes even before High School. Mental Strength, Autohypnosis, and Meditation are probably all available in school, and anyone planning to take the catalyst, or who has psi abilities through exposure to active psis (e.g. one or both parents) is probably encouraged or required to take them.

RadioShack predates the point of divergence, and you can get some examples of psi-tech there. Psi-based entertainment systems may be an option, though data storage is fairly primitive (you can have video tape without microchips, but the VCR would be a bit bigger, I think).

Psi drugs of various types are available, even a few over the counter, but the catalyst itself would require a prescription (though there most likely is a political movement to make it freely available to all, in small enough doses to be safe; most doctors and many politicians would find that objectionable, though not all for the same reasons).

A greater interest in having competent mental health professionals might or might not have much effect on daily life, but having fairly large numbers of crazy people with super powers would.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg 1 View Post
Say more about the political divisions between everyday people in the West (or on Earth).
Hmm. Would the catalyst have butterflied away the Southern Strategy? Not sure.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg 1 View Post
Can you say more about how religion has coped with psi?
It probably varies widely by faith, and not being terribly religious myself, I'm somewhat vague on who would have what opinions. Certainly, psi is so useful that there would be some pressure not to denounce it as the tools of the Devil, but the number of psis who are obviously nuts would tend to encourage that viewpoint. Likewise, there's going to be cults that worship psi in general, or certain psis in particular, and some of these groups may be common illegal manufacturers of the catalyst and other psi drugs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg 1 View Post
Write up an introductory paragraph for people who are new to the setting, just surprising the setting and what's different and special about it.
I'll try to remember to get back to this one, but it's something I keep drawing a blank on, each of the times I've looked at your post. Sorry.
__________________
Warning, I have the Distractible and Imaginative quirks in real life.

"The more corrupt a government, the more it legislates."
-- Tacitus

Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted.

Last edited by Prince Charon; 05-31-2017 at 02:21 AM.
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Old 03-07-2017, 04:06 PM   #15
Prince Charon
 
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Default Re: Katalysator-1 worldline

Here's another character, this one rather less overpowering (and rather less nuts). If there's anything missing, let me know and I'll edit it in, as I pretty much guessed at his equipment, and vaguely feel that there's something wrong or incomplete with his mundane skills:

Corporal Arnold Billings

Age: 31

Attributes

ST 11 [10]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 10 [0]; HT 10 [0]

Secondary Characteristics

HP 11; Will 12 [10]; Per 13 [15]; FP 10

Social Background

Languages: English (Native) [0]; French (Broken/None) [1]; German (Broken/None) [1].

TL: 6^

Cultural Familiarity: 20th century Western [0].

Subtotal: 57


Advantages

Contact Group (Criminals; Skill 12, 6 or less, Usually reliable) [5]
Street-Smart Talent 2 [10]

Exoteleport 3 (Touch-Only) [45]

Mind Shield 4 [16]
Telepathy Sense 2 [7]

Oracle (ESP, -10%) [14]
Visions (Dream) [5]

Perks

Coin Trick. [1]
Exposition Sense. [1]
Skill Adaptation: Exoteleport based on Will. [1]

Subtotal: 105


Disadvantages

Code of Honor (Pirate's) [-5]
Duty (British Army, 15 or less) [-15]
Greed (15) [-7]

Lunacy [-10]

Quirks

Hates driving. [-1]
Ironic sense of humour. [-1]
Strong Liverpudlian accent. [-1]
Loves a good beer, but loves the waitresses more. [-1]

Subtotal: -41


Features

Fortune-Telling is Complementary for all ESP skills. [0]


Skills

Acting [IQ/A] [2] 10
Fast-Talk [IQ/A] [4] 11
Fortune-Telling (Tarot) [IQ/A] [2] 10
Filch [DX/A] [2] 11
Games (Tarocchi) [IQ/E] [1] 10
Guns (Rifle)/TL6 [DX/E] [1] 11
Hobby (Card tricks) [DX/E] [2] 12
Lockpicking/TL6 [IQ/A] [4] 11
Merchant [IQ/A] [2] 12*
Panhandling [IQ/E] [1] 12*
Pickpocket [DX/H] [4] 11
Scrounging [Per/E] [1] 15*
Shadowing [IQ/A] [1] 11*
Sleight of Hand [DX/H] [4] 11
Smuggling [IQ/A] [4] 11
Soldier/TL6 [IQ/A] [2] 10
Stealth [DX/A] [4] 12
Streetwise [IQ/A] [2] 12*
Survival (Woodlands) [Per/A] [1] 12
Tactics [IQ/H] [2] 9
Throwing [DX/A] [2] 11
Urban Survival [Per/A] [1] 14*

Exoteleport [Will/H] [4] 12
Mind Shield [Will/H] [1] 10
Telepathy Sense [Per/H] [1] 11
Oracle [IQ/H] [4] 10
Visions [IQ/H] [1] 8

Subtotal: 60

Total: 181


Equipment

Brodie helmet
Uniform
Boots
Boot knife
SMLE (.303 British)
Bayonet
Grenades
Backpack w/ typical marching supplies

Notes

*Includes +2 from Street-Smart Talent.

Templates from GURPS Psis: Teleportation: Object Sending; Telepathy: Mental Guard; ESP: Intuitive Divination.

As a child, he and his siblings were sometimes taken care of by their slightly dotty great-aunt (a semi-retired carnival 'gypsy' with no noticeable trace of Romani blood), who taught them card games and tricks, including Tarot, to keep them busy and out of trouble. In the former, she succeeded, but in the latter, the Billings children became quite skilled at getting things they were not exactly supposed to - just not when Great-Aunt Millie was minding them, because they didn't want her to stop the lessons. In civillian life, he made a marginal living as a non-violent small-time criminal, and an odd-job man for the shops and such in the poorer part of Liverpool. Since joining the Army, he mostly uses his criminal skills to keep his fellows' morale up, and to obtain supplies that they might not technically be entitled to.

In most of Britain, Arnold's Contact Group will be available on a 9 or less, or a 12 or less in his native Liverpool.

Due to his power, if Arnold is used in combat at all, he's quite likely to be issued rather more grenades than would be typical. On the other hand, he would be far more useful for his oracular abilities, if he trains them up enough.


Thoughts?
__________________
Warning, I have the Distractible and Imaginative quirks in real life.

"The more corrupt a government, the more it legislates."
-- Tacitus

Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted.

Last edited by Prince Charon; 03-20-2017 at 07:40 PM.
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