Appropriate disadvantages for Ghurka?

[jason taylor]

[QUOTE=The Colonel;2397187

Serving a rajah would, IIRC, not make him a Ghurka as is commonly understood in Britain, although the name would still be technically correct and I suspect it would be hard for a lot of people to tell the difference.

[/QUOTE]

No, but if that is the job he got after his tour it could be and it is quite plausible (the bodyguard part, not the monster hunting). Maybe he would not then be an official Gurkha but he would be a former one and have connections with the old regiment.

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

No, but if that is the job he got after his tour it could be and it is quite plausible (the bodyguard part, not the monster hunting). Maybe he would not then be an official Gurkha but he would be a former one and have connections with the old regiment.

That would probably work as well. If he was a VCO or former senior VNCO it could even be a very good reason for him being a Captain of the Rajah's guard - a fairly typical story of a ex-regular being hired by one of the Native Rulers to train their private forces.

[mr beer]

OK, thanks all, appreciate the feedback.

[Racer]

Perhaps mild alcoholism ? A number of Gurkha's in WWII ended up with drinking problems - especially if they were stuck in a location for months at time with little action in the area .

Also during WWII quite a few recruits seemed to be genetical predisposed to short sightedness . Due to need for manpower they were often placed in support roles like medics . But if your in a jungle & pouncing on a Japanese Soldier from four feet away & cutting their throats , being short sighted isn't too much of a handicap .

[mr beer]

He's teetotal and vegetarian. I'm leaning into the idea of a harmless little Indian chappie who is polite right up until he needs to be a khukri swinging death machine.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by mr beer

He's teetotal and vegetarian. I'm leaning into the idea of a harmless little Indian chappie who is polite right up until he needs to be a khukri swinging death machine.

That's the stereotype for Nepali anyway. A lot of it was simply that the wages, miserly as they were by European standards, were so attractive that both Ghurkas and Sherpas could turn away unlikable applicants.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by mr beer

Writing up a Ghurka as a Monster Hunter in Victorian England. What are some appropriate social Advantages/Disadvantages/Quirks/Perks?

Assuming a retired ex-military character or current military who somehow ended up in the UK.

Advantages

Combat Reflexes

Damage Resistance (Tough Skin) 1 or 2.

Fearlessness or Unfazeable: "A man who says he is not afraid to die is either lying or a Gurkha." While it's not exactly appropriate for a Monster Hunter campaign, this is a character who could reasonably be Unfazeable.

Fit or Very Fit

High Pain Threshold

Courtesy Rank: As a Senior NCO or Junior Officer. Gurkhas weren't allowed to become senior officers until after WW2. Likely Havildar or Daffadar - equivalent to Sergeant. Full rank list here.) This should be pro-rated to just apply to military & ex-military who know and appreciate Gurkha soldiers, not stuffy "Horse Guards" officers who've never left the UK. At best, it's a quirk.

Reputation: Gurkhas will have a minor positive Reputation as being "Good Natives" who are generally cooperative with the Raj, which mostly applies to ex-military and colonial types. A former soldier will have some sort of Military reputation (in the form of decorations & campaign ribbons), plus the well-deserved Gurkha Reputation for fearlessness.

("Ee' might be a greasy little bugger, but ee's still Sergeant Major Greasy Little Bugger to you! I seen them Gurkhas stand as fast as Englishmen in a hard scrape. Git on their wrong side an' they'll gut you wit' their hooked knives quick as the devil an' grin like monkeys while they do it!")

Talent (Born Soldier or equivalent)

Temperature Tolerance

possibly Charisma.

possibly Weapon Master (Kukri)

Disads

Code of Honor (Military, Gurkha, &/or Nepalese): The second is a variant Warrior Code of Honor, the last is mostly quirk-level Hospitality towards strangers.

Disciplines of Faith (Buddhism or Hinduism): Most likely as a quirk.

Distinctive Features (Nepali living in Victorian London): Especially true if he's darker skinned and retains some or all of his native dress & customs.

Social Stigma: Minority Group. This will take the form of polite condescension and various "microaggressions" in most cases, but actual hostility from bigots and ruffians.

Quirks

Optimistic or Always Smiles: Gurkha are known for their generally positive outlook even in harsh conditions. This could also justify Congenial quirk or even Charisma.

Skills

Background Skills

Some or all of:

Area Knowledge (British Raj & home territory)
Animal Handling (Goats, Horse, Sheep, or Yaks)
Climbing - He's Nepalese. It comes with the abundance of vertical territory.
Farming/TL4 - Nepal was a very remote area with a large rural population.
Navigation (Land)
Occultism (Indian or Nepalese)
Philosophy (Buddhist, Hindu, or "Eastern")
Theology (Buddhist, Hindu)
Survival (Mountain or Forest)

Language: Accented spoken English, possibly Broken or even no Written English. Native level spoken native language, possibly Accented to No native Written language, plus a bit of spoken Urdu, Hindi, etc. or some other Indian/Pakistani language based on here he served. (A semi-literate character isn't going to have rank above NCO, however.) Maybe several other spoken Nepalese languages at Broken or Accented level and a tiny bit of written/spoken Sanskrit.

Military

Brawling
Guns (Rifle)
Hiking or Riding
Intimidation: For when he's NOT smiling.
Knife: For the small versions of the Kukri.
Leadership: For an NCO or junior officer.
Savoir-Faire (Military or Servant) - Good for playing the appropriately subordinate good native.
Shortsword: At moderate to high levels, for the medium-sized versions of the Kukri.
Soldier: At high levels. The Gurkhas always have been elite troops.
Spear: At modest levels, for use of the bayonet.
Stealth
Tactics (Personal or Small Unit)
Two-Handed Sword: At modest levels, for the rarely-used large versions of the Kukri.

possibly Karate, Thrown Weapon (Knife), Wrestling.

Keep in mind that the average Brit's reaction to him is going to be heavily dependent on his reason for being in England. If he's a currently-serving soldier wearing a recognizable uniform, or even ex-military in western clothing and some campaign ribbons on his chest, he'll get a lot more respect than if he's just some native chappie in ethnic costume.

[fredtheobviouspseudonym]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

. . .There could be some amusing instances trying to keep little prince/princess out of trouble. Double the amusement if the principle is female and thinks him handsome. And what if she wants to go monster hunting with him?

As a Nepali he is probably a Buddhist, albeit with some modifications on the pacifism part.

A Rajah's child is likely to be Muslim or Hindu. Close association (to use a polite euphemism) is therefore unlikely -- most Muslims are pretty hostile to Buddhists (check the Qur'an) and close connection with a Buddhist would cost caste for a Hindu lady. Any such young female (relative of a Rajah) might have a Buddhist Gurkha as bodyguard but would also be accompanied by an elderly and very suspicious female attendant. (Think "battleaxe") who would, regardless of religion, stand a good chance of being executed by the Rajah ASAP if any hanky-panky occurs. Also the girl.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by fredtheobviouspseudonym

As a Nepali he is probably a Buddhist, albeit with some modifications on the pacifism part.

Nepal is apparently 81% Hindu and 9% Buddhist.

[WingedKagouti]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

Courtesy Rank:

Language:

Reputation:

Minor correction:

These should all be in the Advantage section, not the Disadvantage section. The Rank will be a Perk, not a Quirk.

While Reputation could be a Disadvantage, it would not apply to Gurkhas as a group.