GURPS Dark Sun Conversion

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

Elf
Temperature Tolerance 9 [9];

I don't have time to comment on everything now, but why did you give elves 9! levels of temperature tolerance?

Originally Posted by Elvels of athas page 12

Until the temperature climbs above 110°F or dips below 32°F, elves exhibit no undue stress.

[Crakkerjakk]

Originally Posted by NineDaysDead

I don't have time to comment on everything now, but why did you give elves 9! levels of temperature tolerance?

I just kind of winged it, wasn't sure exactly what the final HT levels were gonna be so I threw a bunch on there. The source I had said they don't suffer from mundane temperature extremes. Period. Also it helps them run if they're always comfortable even at higher temps. If I recall correctly Athas regularly gets much hotter than 110. They can't pull their elf run trick if they're sweating bullets in normal afternoon heat.

I'd be happy to drop 5 levels to keep my pentiphilia happy.

[Pragmatic]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

I'd be happy to drop 5 levels to keep my pentiphilia happy.

Pervert... :-P

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by NineDaysDead

Rename it "Lower Body Only -40%"

Interesting. If that's kosher why doesn't anything published do it, I wonder? What's the point of Weak Arms, then?

[Pragmatic]

So I'm kind of a fan of how D&D (and in particular, Dark Sun) treated mental combat.

Anyone convert the harbingers and constructs over?

For example, "The Sword," a specialization of Mind Thrust. Or "The Forest," a specialization of Mind Blank.

What ARE the GURPS assumptions for mental combat? (Book and page citations are enough, I think I have all the books. :-P)

[Crakkerjakk]

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

So I'm kind of a fan of how D&D (and in particular, Dark Sun) treated mental combat.

Anyone convert the harbingers and constructs over?

For example, "The Sword," a specialization of Mind Thrust. Or "The Forest," a specialization of Mind Blank.

What ARE the GURPS assumptions for mental combat? (Book and page citations are enough, I think I have all the books. :-P)

Closest would be in Supers 126, Duel of the Minds. Basically like physical combat but using mental attributes as stand-ins and damage can result in permanent brain damage.

[Jürgen Hubert]

I've revised some of my templates slightly:

I've also decided to leave the half-giants at SM+1 - smaller than they are represented in AD&D, but larger than the half-giants/goliaths in 4E. This does make them more playable in confined places, and to me playability is a big issue for this conversion. Besides, making then any bigger and stronger would probably be overkill in a world with poor armor.

And regarding the square-cube law and things like that... well, I consider Dark Sun a gritty setting, but not one that should be considered very realistic. After all, this is a world where apparently a perfectly valid way of coping with the burning desert sun is to strip down to your loincloths.


== Dwarf (60 points) ==

Attribute Modifiers: ST +1 [10], HT +2 [20].
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: FP +1 [3], HP +1 [2], Will +1 [5].
Advantages: Extended Lifespan 2 [4], Higher Purpose [5], Infravision [10], Magic Resistance 3 [6].
Disadvantages: Stubbornness [-5].
Features: If the dwarf is killed while having failed his Higher Purpose, he will return as an undead banshee haunting his unfinished works.

Notes: The Higher Purpose of a dwarf is referred to as his focus. This is a longer task that requires at least one week to complete, and the dwarf may choose a new one after finishing it.
The Magic Resistance of dwarves works explicitly against wizardly magic only (defiling or preserving). Alchemical potions/fruits work normally.

== Mul (44 points) ==

Attribute Modifiers: ST +2 [20], IQ -1 [-20], HT +1 [10].
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: FP +3 [6].
Advantages: Less Sleep 2 [4], Lifting ST 3 [9], Very Fit [15].

== Thri-kreen (jeral) (91 points) ==

Attribute Modifiers: DX +2 [40], IQ -1 [-20].
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: Basic Move +1 [5], Basic Speed +0.5 [10], Per +2 [10]
Advantages: Affliction 1 (Paralytic Venom: HT; Follow-Up, Teeth or Striker, +0%; Paralysis, +150%) [25], Damage Resistance 4 (can't wear armor, -40%) [12], Doesn't Sleep [20], Extra Arms 2 [10], Fangs [2], Sharp Claws [5], Super Jump 2 [20], Vibration Sense (air) [10]
Disadvantages: Low TL -2 [-10], Odious Racial Habit (eats other sapients) [-15], Short Lifespan 1 [-10], Sense of Duty (Clutch) [-5], Vow (only own what they can carry, no concept of money) [-15].
Quirks: Consider elves delicious, see everything in terms of "the Hunt", test those they interact with to see if they are "worthy".
Features: Cannot jump backwards

Notes: The Fangs represent mandibles.
After being bitten, the victim must make a HT roll. Failure means he’s paralyzed for one minute times his margin of failure.
Thri-kreen may buy up to three levels of Extra Attack for their arms, even in non-cinematic games.
The racial memory can be used to justify knowledge of skills at a very early age. This is distinct from the Racial Memory advantage, which is very common among thri-kreen but not universal (since it represents especially vivid ancestral knowledge as opposed to skills).

[Jürgen Hubert]

I'm going to put up all "finalized" elements of the conversion up at the GURPS Repository. The racial templates I have already posted can be found here.

[Josef]

Regarding the templates above…

I’m no expert on the Dark Sun setting; I’ve read and enjoyed Troy Denning’s first three books (and own the D&D 4e Campaign Setting and Creature Catalog supplements but remain unimpressed and don’t play D&D much) but a few things occur to me…

Dwarf: Is their focus really an advantage rather than a disadvantage? An exceptional Dwarf may have Higher Purpose but perhaps Obsession would be more common? I also wonder if Stubborn is a good choice, as I imagine that the well ordered Dwarf communities would be somewhat more chaotic with every single individual trying to do things his own way? Perhaps Staid or Dull would be a better reflection of the Dwarf mindset?

Mul: It seems to me this template refers to a Mul gladiator more than the race as such? Having inherited many of the best aspects of his/her parents a Mul has a better starting point to develop the kind of athleticism and strength displayed by Mul gladiators but would not actually be born with Very Fit. It would be very common but not universal among Muls. Also, the IQ penalty would perhaps be better replaced with Social Stigma (Uneducated) and (Valuable Property) for a Mul individual raised in the gladiatorial pits in order to reflect the limitations of such an upbringing? Neither Dwarves nor Humans are stupid, so why would a Mul be?

Thri-kreen: Is the Thri-keen race really so technologically backward? (I have no references, so I ask.) Isn’t the setting TL 2, making them effectively TL 0? As with the Mul I question the IQ penalty as I don’t really see Thri-kreen as any more stupid than other races. Very different, yes, but not stupid. Would perhaps Clueless or some such disadvantage be appropriate to reflect difficulties when interacting with other races, considering their way of viewing everything in terms of a hunter-prey relationship? The pecking order they try to determine in any group by challenging clutchmates would perhaps be worth more than a single point? A Compulsive Behavior perhaps? Regarding their habit of eating sentients, a -3 reaction penalty is a big thing in any sort of social interaction, equivalent to the cost and penalty of Social Stigma (Monster) but without the Intimidate bonus! Is that behavior really viewed with such horror and worth such a stiff penalty on a world like Athas? They’re not really seen as horrible monsters, sending people running in horror, are they? In a more “civilized” setting they probably would be, but on Athas? (Again, I have no references, so I ask.) Perhaps the lesser penalty of Social Stigma (Minority Group/Barbarian) could be an alternative instead?

[Dunadin777]

Originally Posted by Josef

Regarding the templates above…

I’m no expert on the Dark Sun setting; I’ve read and enjoyed Troy Denning’s first three books (and own the D&D 4e Campaign Setting and Creature Catalog supplements but remain unimpressed and don’t play D&D much) but a few things occur to me…

Dwarf: Is their focus really an advantage rather than a disadvantage? An exceptional Dwarf may have Higher Purpose but perhaps Obsession would be more common? I also wonder if Stubborn is a good choice, as I imagine that the well ordered Dwarf communities would be somewhat more chaotic with every single individual trying to do things his own way? Perhaps Staid or Dull would be a better reflection of the Dwarf mindset?

I agree with those changes, but then I'm normally hesitant to give racial templates mental disadvantages at all--they just seem more suited to individual character generation to me.

Mul: It seems to me this template refers to a Mul gladiator more than the race as such? Having inherited many of the best aspects of his/her parents a Mul has a better starting point to develop the kind of athleticism and strength displayed by Mul gladiators but would not actually be born with Very Fit. It would be very common but not universal among Muls. Also, the IQ penalty would perhaps be better replaced with Social Stigma (Uneducated) and (Valuable Property) for a Mul individual raised in the gladiatorial pits in order to reflect the limitations of such an upbringing? Neither Dwarves nor Humans are stupid, so why would a Mul be?

The Muls are a magically created slave race, and almost purely made as battle-slaves. It is therefore very appropriate to make their racial template assume they are a gladiator. Remember, a racial template can be counter-acted by the player making a Mul character, but the racial template depicts the average Mul, and the average Mul is a battle slave. Heck, if I had a player who wanted a PC Mul who had never fought in an arena, I'd make them take unusual background on top of paying for the changes.

And as for the reduced IQ, part of the mystery of the Mul is that they don't merely inherit the traits of their parent races--They're bigger, more submissive, and generally susceptible to magical influence(IIRC, DHMBWM), making them distinct from both dwarves and men.

Thri-kreen: Is the Thri-keen race really so technologically backward? (I have no references, so I ask.) Isn’t the setting TL 2, making them effectively TL 0? As with the Mul I question the IQ penalty as I don’t really see Thri-kreen as any more stupid than other races. Very different, yes, but not stupid. Would perhaps Clueless or some such disadvantage be appropriate to reflect difficulties when interacting with other races, considering their way of viewing everything in terms of a hunter-prey relationship?

I don't equate low TL with stupidity, even in a setting with inter-cultural trade. It's not that the Thri-Kreen are stupid, they just don't have a developed culture, and so the average Thri-Kreens should all have Low TL. Again, this is a template, so individuals might be familiar with higher tech levels. Also, I believe Athas is still TL 3. Not having metal and being a desert just so happens to make it look and feel like TL 2, but they still have all the TL 3 refined elements when they can afford them, for instance in the cities. So, as a psychologically limited race obsessed with the hunt, I think it fits perfectly for them to default to TL1.