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Old 03-01-2014, 01:15 PM   #1
Anaximander
 
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Augusta, GA
Default Martial Arts, Psionics and Expert Skills houserule

My weekly game has experienced a renaissance over the last few weeks. It's a TL 9 post apocalypse that I've been running for years now. I started the game with GURPS Lite rather than full GURPS and I steadily built the game from that simple base, adding complexities where needed and cutting down elsewhere, to create a very fast-paced and interesting campaign flavor. This is particularly necessary when a campaign has 8 PCs who are all very active and enthusiastic players with unique and awesome characters that engage equally in the game's dramatic and action sequences. Before this campaign, I would have said it was impossible to accommodate such a huge group, now I'm not sure how I never tried it before. Without even planning for it, the PCs are like a force of nature on my campaign setting and I can hardly keep up.

I have been inspired not only to work harder on the game setting, which is growing all the time, but to work harder on creating rules that allow for dynamic and interesting action. To this end I have implemented alternative systems for combat techniques, psionics and for skill techniques.

My reason for making this post is to ask for any and all feedback on what I've done so far and what I mean to do. I'm not as well read on GURPS as many people and I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to move forward. Please don't hold back in any criticisms as well, as my only goal is to make my game better each week.

Combat Skills are a bit easier in my campaign, with lesser need for specialization and a greater emphasis on familiarity. Techniques for targeted shooting and hand to hand combat are easier to utilize, but access to any of them requires the 5-point Fighter advantage. Fighter also permits a character to spend FP on extra effort in combat.

For Psionics I am devising a system based on Magic, but based on an independent attribute. Characters purchase a Psychic advantage similar to Magery that gives them a Psychic (Psy) attribute that controls their Psychic ability skills. The skills are pretty broad in their applications but use most of the rules governing magic spells. They also draw on an independent energy supply. The Psychic advantage grants a pool of Power Points (PP) that the Psion uses to fuel their abilities until they run out and can start burning FP instead. I chose this option because of the high rate of FP burn in my campaign for extra effort. So far it's working out very well for the PCs and their adversaries, but the complete list of Psionic abilities is far from finished.

Finally, I'm also working on a system to allow non-combat skill oriented characters to shine in action scenes. Engineers, Medics, Infiltrators and Rangers can sometimes get sidelined in combat where all they can do is fight just about as hard as the bad guy mooks while the snipers, machine-gunners and samurai rack up the kills and put a permanent end to the villain who has been hounding them for weeks. I want to have a system where their advanced talents grant them techniques through the use of specialized gear to have cool impacts on the battlefield. Like an engineer remotely taking control of a robotic turret. Or a medic inducing nausea and muscle cramps on bad guys and high pain threshold and heightened senses on the good guys. Or like a rogue activating a chameleon suit and hiding in plain sight. To be honest I'm a a complete loss on how to implement this, but I can't be the first person to want to make this in GURPS. This is where I need the most help now.

Thanks in advance forum friends!
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Old 03-02-2014, 09:24 AM   #2
Captain Joy
 
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Default Re: Martial Arts, Psionics and Expert Skills houserule

Off the top of my head:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anaximander View Post
Like an engineer remotely taking control of a robotic turret.
Electronic Operation (Electronic Warfare), Expert Skill (Computer Security), Computer Programming, or maybe just Computer Hacking if cinematic. To actually aim and fire at select targets of your choosing every second or so you really should require Artillery or Gunner skill, IMHO.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anaximander View Post
Or a medic inducing nausea and muscle cramps on bad guys and high pain threshold and heightened senses on the good guys.
Pharmacy (to buff good guys), Poisons (to nerf bad guys), Traps (delivery system for poisons), Physician (antidote to protect good guys from your poisons).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anaximander View Post
Or like a rogue activating a chameleon suit and hiding in plain sight.
Make the PC purchase their cool stealth gear with character points.
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Old 03-03-2014, 09:59 PM   #3
Anaximander
 
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Default Re: Martial Arts, Psionics and Expert Skills houserule

Quote:
Originally Posted by Captain Joy View Post
Off the top of my head:

Electronic Operation (Electronic Warfare), Expert Skill (Computer Security), Computer Programming, or maybe just Computer Hacking if cinematic. To actually aim and fire at select targets of your choosing every second or so you really should require Artillery or Gunner skill, IMHO.Pharmacy (to buff good guys), Poisons (to nerf bad guys), Traps (delivery system for poisons), Physician (antidote to protect good guys from your poisons).Make the PC purchase their cool stealth gear with character points.
TY Cap! I think I'll call all those techniques based off of their core skills and make a Talent like advantage a prerequisite for them.
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