The Hunter's Guide to Xenoforms: Dark*Matter Creatures Converted to GURPS

Fossilized Rappy · 06-18-2015, 06:51 PM

After over a decade of adherence to another roleplaying game system, I recently became a wholehearted convert to GURPS several months ago. This thread is my first attempt to go further and become an active part of the greater GURPS community. Like the myriad of Dungeons and Dragons conversion threads, this one is designed to convert another roleplaying game's materials to GURPS: in this case, the creatures of Dark*Matter.

What is Dark*Matter?
As one of its attempts to branch away from Advanced Dungeons and Dragons into other genres, TSR created the science fiction roleplaying game Alternity in 1998. The next year, they expanded the game further with the introduction of a campaign setting known as Dark*Matter. The premise of Dark*Matter is that almost all conspiracies and aspects the paranormal are quite real: magic, cryptids, aliens, and secret societies all hide in the shadows. Four sourcebooks (not counting the core campaign setting guide) were written before the line was discontinued, and the setting had some of its iconic entities reappear when Wizards of the Coast created its d20 Modern Roleplaying Game.

How Are Things Handled?
In this thread, I'll be converting creatures from all Dark*Matter books other than the adventure book The Killing Jar (which I don't happen to own). The creature statistics will be in racial template style as per the precedent set by GURPS Horror (with a select few exceptions for the few unique entities of the setting, which will be statted as characters), and each entry assumes you know the contents of GURPS Basic Set, GURPS Horror, GURPS Powers, and GURPS Power-Ups 2 and 6 (Perks and Quirks, respectively). Any materials pulled from other GURPS books will be given an annotation after the template block. In addition to statistics, an abridged version of the creature information provided in Dark*Matter will be provided, as well as three ideas for utilizing the creature in settings outside of Dark*Matter.

The actual conversion process is two-fold. First, the ability scores of the creatures are converted from Alternity to d20 Modern using the free conversion sheet provided by Wizards of the Coast. These ability scores are then converted again with Bruce Grubb's D&D to GURPS method (as well as some personal tweaking if numbers feel off), with any of the skills and traits of the original Dark*Matter creature being approximated to their closest GURPS equivalent.

The Grand List
The following is a list of all creatures being converted. They will not be converted in alphabetical or even book order, instead being more or less based on what "feels right" to convert by my mood at the time. Individual posts will be linked in the index as they are converted.

Creatures from Dark*Matter Campaign Setting
Armodont
Bering Demon, Greater Demon
Bering Demon, Nali
Bering Demon, Yrgling
Ekimmu
Elohim
Etoile
Ghost
Ghoul
Grey
Homunculus
Kinori and Blackscale Kinori
Luciferan
Man in Black
Mole Person and Mole Person Newt
Mothman
Mummy
Sandman
Sasquatch
Yeti

Creatures from Xenoforms: Aliens, Demons, and Aberrations
Basilisk
Black Dog
Blood Devil
Bunyip
Congoraptor
Crawfordsville Monster
Demon, Drabbuk
Demon, Isci ba Fan (Unique)
Demon, Kwarikan
Demon, Meddler
Doppelganger
El Chupacabras
Energy Probe
Fader
Flying Snake
Frogman
Gargoyle
Goblin
Gorgon
Harpy
Ikuya
Internet Ghost
Kabbalist Golem
Kraken
Litterman
Living Dead
Machine Intelligence
Mapinguari
Martin Hammond (Unique)
Megalodon
Montauk Monster
Naga
Nataska
Neanderthal
Outback Dragon
Pterosaur
Reiko
Revenant
Sauropod
Sea Serpent
Series VII Mutant
Shade
Sidhe
Starchild
Thunderbird
Wendigo
Werewolf, Lycanthrope
Werewolf, Shapechanger

Creatures from The Final Church
Demon, Baal-Phegor (Unique)
Demon, Chernabog (Unique)
Demon, Irvund
Demon, Oni
Demon, Rakshasa
Demon, Xic

06-18-2015, 06:51 PM	#1
Fossilized Rappy Join Date: Jun 2015	*The Hunter's Guide to Xenoforms: DarkMatter Creatures Converted to GURPS** After over a decade of adherence to another roleplaying game system, I recently became a wholehearted convert to GURPS several months ago. This thread is my first attempt to go further and become an active part of the greater GURPS community. Like the myriad of Dungeons and Dragons conversion threads, this one is designed to convert another roleplaying game's materials to GURPS: in this case, the creatures of DarkMatter. What is DarkMatter?** As one of its attempts to branch away from Advanced Dungeons and Dragons into other genres, TSR created the science fiction roleplaying game Alternity in 1998. The next year, they expanded the game further with the introduction of a campaign setting known as DarkMatter. The premise of DarkMatter is that almost all conspiracies and aspects the paranormal are quite real: magic, cryptids, aliens, and secret societies all hide in the shadows. Four sourcebooks (not counting the core campaign setting guide) were written before the line was discontinued, and the setting had some of its iconic entities reappear when Wizards of the Coast created its d20 Modern Roleplaying Game. How Are Things Handled? In this thread, I'll be converting creatures from all DarkMatter books other than the adventure book The Killing Jar* (which I don't happen to own). The creature statistics will be in racial template style as per the precedent set by GURPS Horror (with a select few exceptions for the few unique entities of the setting, which will be statted as characters), and each entry assumes you know the contents of GURPS Basic Set, GURPS Horror, GURPS Powers, and GURPS Power-Ups 2 and 6 (Perks and Quirks, respectively). Any materials pulled from other GURPS books will be given an annotation after the template block. In addition to statistics, an abridged version of the creature information provided in DarkMatter will be provided, as well as three ideas for utilizing the creature in settings outside of DarkMatter. The actual conversion process is two-fold. First, the ability scores of the creatures are converted from Alternity to d20 Modern using the free conversion sheet provided by Wizards of the Coast. These ability scores are then converted again with Bruce Grubb's D&D to GURPS method (as well as some personal tweaking if numbers feel off), with any of the skills and traits of the original DarkMatter creature being approximated to their closest GURPS equivalent. The Grand List* The following is a list of all creatures being converted. They will not be converted in alphabetical or even book order, instead being more or less based on what "feels right" to convert by my mood at the time. Individual posts will be linked in the index as they are converted. Creatures from DarkMatter Campaign Setting* Armodont Bering Demon, Greater Demon Bering Demon, Nali Bering Demon, Yrgling Ekimmu Elohim Etoile Ghost Ghoul Grey Homunculus Kinori and Blackscale Kinori Luciferan Man in Black Mole Person and Mole Person Newt Mothman Mummy Sandman Sasquatch Yeti Creatures from Xenoforms: Aliens, Demons, and Aberrations Basilisk Black Dog Blood Devil Bunyip Congoraptor Crawfordsville Monster Demon, Drabbuk Demon, Isci ba Fan (Unique) Demon, Kwarikan Demon, Meddler Doppelganger El Chupacabras Energy Probe Fader Flying Snake Frogman Gargoyle Goblin Gorgon Harpy Ikuya Internet Ghost Kabbalist Golem Kraken Litterman Living Dead Machine Intelligence Mapinguari Martin Hammond (Unique) Megalodon Montauk Monster Naga Nataska Neanderthal Outback Dragon Pterosaur Reiko Revenant Sauropod Sea Serpent Series VII Mutant Shade Sidhe Starchild Thunderbird Wendigo Werewolf, Lycanthrope Werewolf, Shapechanger Creatures from The Final Church Demon, Baal-Phegor (Unique) Demon, Chernabog (Unique) Demon, Irvund Demon, Oni Demon, Rakshasa Demon, Xic Last edited by Fossilized Rappy; 01-07-2016 at 04:58 AM.