Birthright to Gurps

[Nick_Greyden]

yet another thread from D&D to Gurps... seems to be the trend lately eh.... something a little wrong at WotC methinks

Anyway I have some ideas in mind on how to do this but really want a fresh mind and new eyes to take a look and a crack at it. Remember to keep in mind bloodlines, blood powers, realm based turns, creating of roads/castles etc, recuriting troops, etc. Don't know how many of you know BR, but any help would be nice. I'd like a differant twist than what I currently have and don't want to instill ideas that might color what you come up with.

BTW, for any creative designers out there, WotC hasn't done anything with Birthright for a long time. In other words I'm saying GO BUY THE LICENSE IF IT'S FOR SALE AND MAKE IT CAUSE IT'S AWESOME!!!!!

So hit this up and I'll reveal what I have along the way.

[Jürgen Hubert]

The main problem is that GURPS has no rule set that deals with running kingdoms - a glaring oversight in its otherwise large range of products.

I mean, it's a common trope in heroic fantasy that the protagonists come to rule their own kingdom...

Bloodlines probably don't need all that many extra rules - they are just inheritable supernatural abilities. You can learn new ones by either slaying someone else with a bloodline or by ruling well over your domain or expanding said domain.

Realm spells are also fairly tricky. Perhaps they are doable as highly specialized ritual magic...

[cccwebs]

Originally Posted by Jürgen Hubert

The main problem is that GURPS has no rule set that deals with running kingdoms - a glaring oversight in its otherwise large range of products.

Yep, some sort of "economics" GURPS book would be very beneficial, the only problem is that economics change at various TL's. Really, all we need is information of "average" population densities, farmland (all food production actually, not just "farms") per person, ratios of "workers" to "non-workers", government spending per citizen, etc. *It shouldn't be that difficult.*


*note, the sarcasm above.

[Jürgen Hubert]

I'd be happy enough with a relatively simple and abstracted system - maybe not as abstract as the one in Birthright, but still fairly close. Because let's face it, we don't really want to know the exact tonnage of the annual crop yield depending on precipation, soil fertility, and prevailing climate, we want to know how big an army we can raise before totally wrecking the finances of the kingdom.

Well, most of us don't want these details. On the other hand, there seem to be enough people who are obsessed with every last detail of vehicles, so there might be a market for ultra-detailed kingdom rules as well. But I'd still prefer an abstract system...

[Rasmus Wagner]

The Blood of Gods
Being a scion of one of the old gods who died at Deismaar gives you abilities beyond those of ordinary mortals. If the blood of gods runs in your veins, choose your bloodline strength and derivation.

Bloodline Strength
Weak Bloodline [0]: You have a barely-existing Bloodline. You may have up to 10 points of Bloodline abilities.
Minor Bloodline [5]: You have +1 on all rolls to use Bloodline abilities. You may have up to 30 points of Bloodline abilities.
Major Bloodline [10]: You have +2 on all rolls to use Bloodline abilities. You may have up to 60 points of Bloodline abilities. You may have a Bloodmark.
Great Bloodline [15]: You have +3 on all rolls to use Bloodline abilities. You may have up to 120 points of Bloodline abilities. You have a Bloodmark.
True Bloodline [20]: You have +4 on all rolls to use Bloodline abilities. There’s no limit to the amount of Bloodline abilities you may have. You have a Bloodmark.
Bloodmarks
Many of the great bloodlines are characterized by birthmarks of some kind, possessed by all scions of the bloodline. These are known as bloodmarks. Having a Bloodmark is a 0-point feature.
Derivations
All bloodlines are derived from one of the 7 Old Gods who died at Deismaar. The children of blooded nobility inherit the bloodline derivation of their strongest parent.
The derivations are:
 Anduiras, god of noble war.
 Azrai, The Shadow, the face of evil
 Basaia, queen of the sun
 Brenna, godess of commerce and fortune
 Masela, lady of the seas
 Reynir, god of woods and streams
 Vorynn, lord of moon and magic
Totem Animals
Each of the Bloodlines has an affinity for a particular type of animal. The scion may be able to communicate with the animal, control it, use some of its abilities, or shapechange into the type of animal. The totem animals are Anduiras - lions and great cats, Basaia - eagles and raptors, Brenna - domestic cats, Masela - dolphins and whales, Reynir - wolves, Vorynn - owls and nightbirds, Azrai -serpents.

Bloodline abilities
As a scion, you may buy abilities from the following list, but only those of the right derivation. These abilities have the Bloodline power modifier (see below).
Some derivations offer an attribute bonus as aBloodline ability. Such a bonus should be written down as an advantage, and can have enhancements and limitations.
You should note down exactly how many points you have spent on Bloodline abilities. It might become important.

The Bloodline power modifier
Bloodline abilities cost the same as other abilities, but you need a certain level of Bloodline Strength to buy them. They can benefit from Bloodline Strength. They don’t require any particular rituals to use, and are independent of mana levels. They can be considered sanctity-based magic that always work as if in a normal sanctity area.

All Derivations
 Alternate Form: Totem animal
 Animal Empathy totem species only, -60%
 Detect: Illusions (Rare), reflexive +40%. All except Anduiras
 Detect: Life, possibly with reflexive, +40%
 Longevity
 Magery
 Mind Reading, Mind Control, Possession, all with Totem animal only, -80%
 Resistance: Thought and emotion reading abilities (Common)
 Speak with Animals, totem species only, -60%.
 Talent: Animal Friend (reaction/skill bonus for totem species only, -40%)
 True Faith (in yourself), all except azrai
 Unaging

Anduiras:
 Battlewise (+3 to Strategy) (6 points)
 Charisma, possibly with the limitation Unblooded people only -20%.
 Detect: Supernatural Evil (Common), possibly with reflexive, +40%
 Empathy
 Fearlessness. Can be modified with Ranged +40%, Area Effect, Emanation -20%.
 Hard to Kill
 Hard to Subdue
 Healing
 Mind Shield. The shield works against any Bloodline abilities that could be considered Telepathy in other settings, as well as spells.
 Magic Resistance
 Power Investiture, with access to the following spells: Purify Air, Seek Air, Create Air, Shape Air, Devitalize Air, Walk on Air, Wall of Wind, Windstorm, Wind, Essential Air, and all Elemental (Air) Spirit spells.
 Regeneration
 Regrowth
 Striking ST

Azrai:
 increased Perception
 increased IQ
 Acute Senses
 Battlewise (+3 to Strategy) (6 points)
 Charisma, possibly with the limitation Unblooded people only -20%.
 Darkvision
 Detect: Poison (occasional), possibly with reflexive, +40%
 Detect: Portals to the Shadow World (rare), possibly with reflexive, +40%
 Extra Life
 Hard to Kill
 Hard to Subdue
 Innate Attack (touch, toxic/withering)
 Magery (dark-aspected)
 Magic Resistance
 Morph, retains shape -20%, cosmetic -50%
 Regeneration
 Regrowth
 Resistance: Necromacy and the attacks of undead creatures (Occasional)
 Resistance: Poison (Occasional)
 Shadow Form
 Terror (with the Melee Attack limitation)
 Unkillable

Basaia:
 increased IQ
 increased Perception
 Acute Vision
 Alerness
 Charisma, possibly with the limitation Unblooded people only -20%.
 Damage Resistance (fire only, -40%).
 Darkvision/Nightvision with a 10% limitation for being obvious, shining beams of light from your eyes
 Empathy
 Extra Life
 Healing
 Innate Attack: Flashes of light to blind/stun foes, blasts of sunlight to damage undead.
 Magery, day-aspected
 Perk: Being able to illuminate your surroundings, about as well as a torch
 Power Investiture, with access to the following spells: Ignite Fire, Seek Fire, Create Fire, Extinguish Fire, Shape Fire, Fireproof, Slow Fire, Fast Fire, Resist Fire, Essential Flame, Flaming Weapon, Flaming Armor, Breathe Fire, and all Elemental (Fire) Spirit Spells.
 Resistance: Poison
 Telescopic Vision
 Temperature Tolerance (Heat)
 Unkillable
 Warp (must travel from a large bonfire to another large bonfire)

Brenna:
 increased DX
 increased Perception
 Acute Senses
 Charisma, possibly with the limitation Unblooded people only -20%.
 Empathy
 Mind Reading, touch-based -20%, subordinates only -20%
 Morph, retains shape -20%, cosmetic -50%
 Nightvision
 Racial Memory
 Resistance: Restraining spells (Rare)
 Shadow Form
 Special Rapport (with the “spirit” of your domain, rather than a specific person)
 Telecommunication: Telesend, vague -50%, subordinates only -20%
 Warp. A path, road or trail must connect beginning and end, -30%.
 Wild Talent

Masela:
 Absolute Direction, only at sea, -30%
 Breath Holding
 Damage Resistance: Electricity, -50%
 Doesn’t Breathe (waterbreathing, -50%)
 Power Investiture, with access to the following spells: Seek Water, Seek Coastline, Purify Water, Create Water, Destroy Water, Shape Water, Umbrella, Foul Water, Freeze, Fog, Walk on Water, Water Vision, Whirlpool, Walk through Water, Essential Water, Breathe Water, Current, Tide, Create Spring, and all Elemental (water) Spirit spells
 Racial Memory
 Resistance: Poison
 Warp: the departure and arrival point must be linked by a body of water.
 Wild Talent
 specials: The ability to commune with the ocean. The ability to hear and see, unimpeded by weather. The ability to hear your name spoken within 10 miles, and eavesdrop on the conversation.

Reynir:
 increased HT
 +3 to Tracking (6 points)
 increased Perception
 Absolute Direction, not at sea -10%
 Acute Senses
 Damage Resistance, cold only -40%
 Detect: Poison (occasional), possibly with reflexive, +40%
 Enhanced Move, only in forests -30%
 Hard to Kill
 Hard to Subdue
 Healing
 Magic Resistance
 Obscure: All forms of tracking
 Power Investiture, with access to the following spells: Seek Earth, Shape Earth, Seek Pass, Earth Vision, Earth to Stone, Stone to Earth, Predict Earth Movement, Walk Through Earth, Entombment, Essential Earth, Stone to Flesh, Purify Earth, Earthquake, Alter Terrain, Move Terrain, and all Elemental (Earth) Spirit spells
 Reduced Consumption
 Regeneration
 Regrowth
 Resistance: Poison
 Temperature Tolerance (cold)
 Terrain Adaptation: Forest

Vorynn:
 Charisma
 Damage Resistance, magical energy only -40%
 Danger Sense
 Detect: Arcane Spellcasting (occasional), possibly with reflexive, +40%
 Empathy
 Extra Life
 Magery (Night-aspected)
 Magic Resistance, improved
 Morph, retains shape -20%, cosmetic -50%
 Oracle
 Psychometry (past spellcasting)
 Racial Memory
 Unkillable
 Warp. Must take place at moonrise or moonset, -40%
 Wild Talent

[Rasmus Wagner]

That's my pre-Powers writeup. Not quite finished.