"Save or Die" effects in GURPS.
 

Being a relatively new convert to GURPS (from D&D), I have put a lot of effort into adapting the GURPS ruleset to a D&D-like campaign. One place where I have trouble, however, is building "save or die" effects with the rules. It's easy to ad-hoc these effects as something like "roll HT -3 or die", but I'd like to know how one could create such an effect from the rules as written.

One option that seems promising is a Cyclic effect that would continue to damage a person until it killed them, but I'd like to see a way to kill a person instantly, preferably in a way other than inflicting tremendous amounts of damage on them.

Re: "Save or Die" effects in GURPS.
 

Affliction (Status: Heart Attack) I think? Not sure where that's found and I'm AFMB.

EDIT: And note, creatures without hearts are immune to this, but given the immunity of golems, plants, oozes, and undead to various things in D&D, I don't that's too horrible.

Re: "Save or Die" effects in GURPS.
 

GURPS doesn't do a lot with "save or die." Such effects tend to be instant game-stoppers, and they're priced very high to keep them rare. For example, GURPS Powers defines a heart attack effect that will kill anyone without superhuman HT. It costs 760 points. Of course, if it's inflicted by a trap or fiendish device, it doesn't have to cost points.

Bill Stoddard

Re: "Save or Die" effects in GURPS.
 

Heart Attack, +300%; on an affliction

It doesnt have to be an heart attack, it is the generic name for an enhancement that remove the target from play if the resist roll is failed.

celjabba

Re: "Save or Die" effects in GURPS.
 

I think you well served by trying to reverse engineer the saving throw effect mechanic versus the dice/system mechanic.

Perhaps the character won't die of Death Ray outright in some gimmick fashion, but the actual ported game effect of the Death Ray should be potentially lethal and thus they might die from its cosmic effects.

Re: "Save or Die" effects in GURPS.
 

This is a bit related so I'm asking it here:
Is there a ways for a Save and Die power to model it gets harder and harder to resist every time you use it? (e.g. an additional -1 for the roll every time)

Re: "Save or Die" effects in GURPS.
 

Not by straight RAW, though you can limit further levels of Affliction with Accessibility (only cumulatively after using previous level on the same target). Not sure what would be the price - it is a very tricky effect, and requires playtesting.

Re: "Save or Die" effects in GURPS.
 

What about a linked cumulative affliction granting them a penalty to resist the affliction? Though they'd get to resist the lowering of resistance too.

Re: "Save or Die" effects in GURPS.
 

That's exactly the problem. It just won't be worth it.

Re: "Save or Die" effects in GURPS.
 

I was also thinking about linking Heart attack and -1 to HT - But then for the -1 HT there again is a roll.

My problem is that usually all enemies we will face have HT 12+, so for the effect to relibly work I need to buy the affliction to HT-3 or so. This is ofc very expensive and no fun because its just a save or die...