Pyramid #3/52: Low-Tech II - Page 3

Kromm · 02-22-2013, 11:12 AM

Guarding caravans
Marching with arms and armor
Wish I'd stayed at home
— Some hack

The great thing about history is that while the events are long past, our knowledge of the details is always growing. Remember Pyramid #3/33: Low-Tech? Well, e23 recently dug deeper and found Pyramid #3/52: Low-Tech II. After carefully dusting off the artifacts, here's what turned up:

GURPS Low-Tech Companion 3: Daily Life and Economics went into detail on how a farmer could afford to feed his family – but what if your PCs tend toward the higher end of the economic spectrum? As Lord of the Manor, you need to know how many farms and serfs it'll take to support the lifestyle to which you are accustomed, and no one knows that better than Matt Riggsby.
Warriors want to be protected at all times, but there are some places you simply cannot go in full plate armor. That's why Dan Howard brings you detailed rules for Concealed Armor, complete with statistics for several historical examples. If Abraham Lincoln had worn "Judge Bradshaw's Hat" to the theater, history might have gone a different way!
David Pulver loves to tinker with systems, and Low-Tech Armor Design is no exception. In this month's Eidetic Memory, he offers a way to design custom armor based on the surface area it protects. And don't let the name fool you – as the tables show, these rules work as well for modern Kevlar as they do for old-school mail.
One of the more interesting early gunpowder weapons was The Puckle Gun. While GURPS Low-Tech covers this briefly on pp. 92-93, there's much speculation about what bores and configurations it came in. With plenty of backstory and historical information – and four different takes on the same weapon – this "fast-firing" miracle gun is begging for a supporting role in your next game!
GURPS offers many ways to lower your opponents' defenses: Deceptive Attack, Feint, and so on. But if you want Delayed Gratification, try the Setup Attack. Based on realistic fighting techniques, this new combat option gives you a way to launch an offensive that may cost your opponent his Hit Points and his defenses.
For many of us, our first GURPS adventure was Caravan to Ein Arris. Dan Howard helps us Return to Ein Arris with a detailed look at caravanserais, popular travel stops along trade routes through the desert. This culminates in the Prophet's Rest, a ready-to-use caravanserai, complete with supporting cast, map, and adventure seeds.
And even the lowest-tech issue wouldn't be complete without the usual features, including a Random Thought Table that aims to undercut your expectations, an Odds and Ends to help you reverse technological advances, and a Murphy's Rules that may make you rethink becoming a leatherworker.

— PK & Kromm

02-22-2013, 11:12 AM	#1
Kromm *GURPS* Line Editor Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Montréal, Québec	Pyramid #3/52: Low-Tech II Guarding caravans Marching with arms and armor Wish I'd stayed at home — Some hack The great thing about history is that while the events are long past, our knowledge of the details is always growing. Remember Pyramid #3/33: Low-Tech? Well, e23 recently dug deeper and found Pyramid #3/52: Low-Tech II. After carefully dusting off the artifacts, here's what turned up: *GURPS Low-Tech Companion 3: Daily Life and Economics* went into detail on how a farmer could afford to feed his family – but what if your PCs tend toward the higher end of the economic spectrum? As Lord of the Manor, you need to know how many farms and serfs it'll take to support the lifestyle to which you are accustomed, and no one knows that better than Matt Riggsby. Warriors want to be protected at all times, but there are some places you simply cannot go in full plate armor. That's why Dan Howard brings you detailed rules for Concealed Armor, complete with statistics for several historical examples. If Abraham Lincoln had worn "Judge Bradshaw's Hat" to the theater, history might have gone a different way! David Pulver loves to tinker with systems, and Low-Tech Armor Design is no exception. In this month's Eidetic Memory, he offers a way to design custom armor based on the surface area it protects. And don't let the name fool you – as the tables show, these rules work as well for modern Kevlar as they do for old-school mail. One of the more interesting early gunpowder weapons was The Puckle Gun. While *GURPS Low-Tech* covers this briefly on pp. 92-93, there's much speculation about what bores and configurations it came in. With plenty of backstory and historical information – and four different takes on the same weapon – this "fast-firing" miracle gun is begging for a supporting role in your next game! *GURPS* offers many ways to lower your opponents' defenses: Deceptive Attack, Feint, and so on. But if you want Delayed Gratification, try the Setup Attack. Based on realistic fighting techniques, this new combat option gives you a way to launch an offensive that may cost your opponent his Hit Points and his defenses. For many of us, our first *GURPS* adventure was *Caravan to Ein Arris. Dan Howard helps us Return to Ein Arris* with a detailed look at caravanserais, popular travel stops along trade routes through the desert. This culminates in the Prophet's Rest, a ready-to-use caravanserai, complete with supporting cast, map, and adventure seeds. And even the lowest-tech issue wouldn't be complete without the usual features, including a Random Thought Table that aims to undercut your expectations, an Odds and Ends to help you reverse technological advances, and a Murphy's Rules that may make you rethink becoming a leatherworker. — PK & Kromm __________________ Sean "Dr. Kromm" Punch <kromm@sjgames.com> *GURPS* Line Editor, Steve Jackson Games My DreamWidth [Just *GURPS* News]