Heian Twilight Campaign

[Sciencezam]

As some people in the GURPS discord channel are aware, I'm woring on a fantasy action/intrigue game set in a mythical Heian-Era Japan. This thread is going to cover some writings and work on it, for people who want to read up on it all in one consolidated place.

Today, I'm starting off with Monster Classes. The game will have some elements of Dungeon Fantasy, but I've decided to rework the various monster classes to more appropriately convey the tone and vibe of the setting. There are also Know Thy Enemy skills ala Monster Hunters, though they are reworked to reflect that horrible monsters are known to exist by most of the public (and sometimes suspected even when problems have mundane sources). It should be noted that while RAW Buddhism uses Philosophy and not Theology, at this point in Japanese history the distinction is almost non-existent due to the prevalence of esoteric schools of thought. I've used the japanese terms for some monster classes where it 'feels right', though the definitions of such things are quite fuzzy in the real world; obake, bakemono, mononoke, yokai, etc, all have significant overlap in their actual usage. People working on their own Know Thy Enemy equivalents for Dungeon Fantasy may find this useful for some ideas.

Undead-skeletons, zombies, etc. Corporeal undead. Knowledge is covered by Philosophy (Buddhist), Occultism(Undead). Have difficulty entering sanctified areas (Buddhist or Shinto).

Yurei & Onryo (幽霊 & 怨霊)-Ghosts, essentially. Non-corporeal undead; Onryo are ‘Grudges’, those with a serious bone to pick. Vulnerable to Exorcism (Buddhist). Knowledge is covered by Philosophy(Buddhist), Occultism (Yurei). Have difficulty entering sanctified areas (Buddhist or Shinto). Sometimes subject to Influence skills.

Yokai (妖怪)-Oni, Kitsune, Kamaitachi, Kappa, etc. Monsters, usually corporeal. Theology(Shinto), Occultism (Yokai) cover knowledge of their lifestyle and habits. Often subject to Influence skills (Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, etc). A very broad class.

Kami (神)-Spirits of nature, not people. Usually corporeal. Vulnerable to Exorcism (Shinto), when outside their natural habitat. Knowledge is covered in Theology(Shinto), Occultism (Kami). When sentient, often capable of diplomacy. Particularly spiritually powerful animals, plants, and oozes get 'elevated' to this class.

Animals-wolves (dire or otherwise), tigers, deer, etc. Naturalist, Animal Handling, or Survival specialties of their environment.

Ooze-Fugi, molds, jellies, slimes, and certain varieties of slugs. Naturalist or Survival specialities of their environment will work. Never capable of diplomacy; if they were smart enough for that, they'd count as Animals or Kami.

Plants-Naturalist or environment-specific Survival specialties. Pharmacy & Herb Lore can provide information on toxic and medicinal plants, of both the normal and aggressive varieties. Also not capable of diplomacy.

Marebito (稀人)-’unique ones’, creatures without precedence or similarity to anything else which exists. Knowledge is covered by Hidden Lore (Marebito). No defining type characteristics, but often Foreigners as well (see below). Roughly equivalent to Elder Things.

Demons (Akuma/ 悪魔)-Spirits of hell, etc. Corporeal. Knowledge is given by Philosophy(Buddhist), Occultism (Akuma). Have difficulty entering sanctified areas (Buddhist or Shinto).

Angels(Tennin/ 天人)-Spirits of the heavens. Corporeal. Knowledge is given by Philosophy(Buddhist), Occultism(Tennin). This also encompasses the Lunarians of Kaguya-hime's legend.

Other:
Mononoke (物の怪) is used variously to refer to incorporeal Yokai that are inimical to mankind as well as curses. Ayakashi (あやかし) covers Yokai and Onryo inimical to mankind that live in bodies of water. Noroi (呪い) refers to curses, not creatures;they are identified with Esoteric Medicine, Occultism (Noroi), and Thaumatology.

There is also one Subtype so far, which monsters gain or lose during their life:
Foreigner-creatures not native to this time or worldline. Affected by Banish-like effects. Creatures gain or lose this subtype as they move between worldlines. For instance, an ISWAT team showing up would have this applied.

You'll notice several skills cover a lot of territory. Traditionally in japan Buddhism handles funerals, and its introduction of heavens and hells is why it covers undead and spirit beings. Shinto lacks a morality component to its afterlife, or much care for the afterlife at all, so it has been given most of the information on living spiritual creatures.