GURPS Dark Sun Conversion

[nanoboy]

It's been many years since I've played Dark Sun, but I remember the Muls being regarded as slaves and the like. You may want to give them some social disadvantages to reflect that-- something like Social Stigma (Valuable Property) or negative levels of Status. The same may go for Half Giants.

[Jürgen Hubert]

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?

In the first two boxed sets, they do get significant bonuses to dice rolls for activities when following their focus, and Higher Purpose maps very well to this. Stubbornness represents that they are very hard to distract from their focus.

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?

I also see the setting as TL2 (there seems to be very little in the way of TL3 tech, and it does tend to have the general feel of the old "gladiator movies"...). And yes, that makes them TL0. The vast majority of thri-kreen are desert nomads, with little interest in more advanced technology. They can learn how to use more advanced tech, but most of them simply don't bother to as they don't see the point.

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.

They are not stupid, but they are very instinct-driven. Most of their starting skills will derive from racial memories instead of something they have actively learned, and since they only live very short lives (they are considered adults at age 5 and are getting old at 25), they rarely develop intellectually very much.

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?

I just made it a part of their 'test those they interact with to see if they are "worthy"' quirk. After all, a Compulsive Behavior is something they would spend a lot of time on, constantly - but in this case, they only do it until a clear hierarchy is established. Thus, it should probably count as a quirk.

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?

I thought about reducing this penalty to -2 as well, but ultimately decided to leave it be. Even though Athas is a very harsh environment, almost all cultures (with the exception of thri-kreen and halflings) still ostracize such behavior strongly.

And everyone needs someone to look down upon, even if this is tempered with fear...

[Jürgen Hubert]

Originally Posted by nanoboy

It's been many years since I've played Dark Sun, but I remember the Muls being regarded as slaves and the like. You may want to give them some social disadvantages to reflect that-- something like Social Stigma (Valuable Property) or negative levels of Status. The same may go for Half Giants.

Problematic, because while many members of these races are slaves (and indeed almost all muls start as such), there are also plenty of free muls and half-giants, and they don't seem to be treated noticeably worse than members of other races. On Athas, slavery is largely a social phenomenon, not a racial one.

Besides, assuming that PC members of these races automatically start as slaves or treated as such probably isn't a good idea, either...

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Jürgen Hubert

Problematic, because while many members of these races are slaves (and indeed almost all muls start as such), there are also plenty of free muls and half-giants, and they don't seem to be treated noticeably worse than members of other races. On Athas, slavery is largely a social phenomenon, not a racial one.

Besides, assuming that PC members of these races automatically start as slaves or treated as such probably isn't a good idea, either...

It means that PC slave Mul's will have the Social Stigma counting against the disadvantage limit, which doesn't seem fair for a trait that a vast majority of their fellows share.

[Jürgen Hubert]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

It means that PC slave Mul's will have the Social Stigma counting against the disadvantage limit, which doesn't seem fair for a trait that a vast majority of their fellows share.

Still doesn't sit right with me. I mean, in most cases either all PCs will start a campaign as slaves, or none are. In the latter case Mul PCs would have to buy it off, making it pointless. And in the former case all PCs would have to take it, which makes it into a campaign constraint which doesn't count against the disadvantage limit for the rest of the PCs, either.

[Crakkerjakk]

Originally Posted by Jürgen Hubert

Still doesn't sit right with me. I mean, in most cases either all PCs will start a campaign as slaves, or none are. In the latter case Mul PCs would have to buy it off, making it pointless. And in the former case all PCs would have to take it, which makes it into a campaign constraint which doesn't count against the disadvantage limit for the rest of the PCs, either.

There's a difference between them actually being a slave (status -2 + involuntary duty) and everyone they meet assuming they're a slave at first blush (social stigma). Muls fall into the second category because they're so rare anywhere but as slaves.

[Jürgen Hubert]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

There's a difference between them actually being a slave (status -2 + involuntary duty) and everyone they meet assuming they're a slave at first blush (social stigma). Muls fall into the second category because they're so rare anywhere but as slaves.

I think assuming that they are a slave largely depends on the kind of dress they are wearing. If they dress like a slave, others will assume that they are slaves. If they dress like freemen, people will assume that they are freemen.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Jürgen Hubert

Still doesn't sit right with me. I mean, in most cases either all PCs will start a campaign as slaves, or none are.

What about the situation where one PC belongs to another or to the party's patron?

[Jürgen Hubert]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

What about the situation where one PC belongs to another or to the party's patron?

Then he gets the points for that, but it will still count against the disadvantage limit.

While the majority of muls are indeed slaves, many of them seem to have won their freedoms and free muls don't seem to be treated any worse than other freemen. Furthermore, there are very large numbers of human slaves and slaves of other races, so the people of the setting are unlikely to see slavery as an inherent aspect of a particular race - again, slavery is largely a social phenomenon on Athas, not a racial one.

[KjetilKverndokken]

Are you going for using Dungeon Fantasy approach or more "realistic"?