GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Races - 25 point templates

[Smirg]

I did something similar for a just-for-fun that-other-game conversion (never intended for a real campaign, but got two one-shot-tests), races also had 25 points each (except kobolds, which were -25, but they are supposed to suck...).

Humans had no fixed racial advantages but rather, each class template included a "human boost" of 25 points, usually including both enhancements to the classes core ability and a bit of on-the-sides extra stuff not every regular class member had.


One thing I would definitely be wary of (from experience) is "balancing" combat-related advantages with social disadvantages in a dungeon-centric game. ST, HP and DR are especially "dangerous" in this regard.
The Ogre is an extreme example, because any opponent who is though enough DR-wise to prove a considerable challenge to a regular (e.g. human) fighter will not make much difference to an Ogre. Most likely, he will still be knocked down with a single blow (4d damage or more including class bonus to ST, x1.5 for an edged weapon or x2 for a pick)...
Add to that the DR. Even with only furs, your ogre will likely be equal with a chainmailed human, and has the potential to become nigh-invulnerable to run-off-the-mill cannon-fodder dungeon denizens. This does not even take his extra +10 HP into account, which makes him extremely hard to stun or otherwise disable (added to by +3 HT).
You can't even outrun him with his BM bonus and probably at most light encumbrance even in very heavy armor.
Basically, the only way to get at him is using mind-control, and thats more or less a death sentence for the rest of the PCs. Should be really fun for the other players if he can do everything alone.

The 10% or so of the adventure in a town (getting quest and provisions, selling loot)? Let one of the other guys do it while Mr. Smashy waits outside. 90% of the adventure belong to him anyway. Or just level the town and take what you need, let's see how a few poorly-equipped militia guys tell a plate-over-chainmail clad ogre that they don't want him in the town square... (yeah, thats where the ogre players extra CPs will go to... Signature Gear).


Now, you mentioned that you probably won't allow Ogres as PCs, but the same goes to an extend for other "physical" races. In a dungeon, the social difficulties are basically free points, even when reduced in disadvantage point value...


The whole thing probably won't be a problem with the races spending a good deal of their points on Darkvision like Hobgoblins (because most dungeon crawls don't deal with illumination too much when it gets in the way of a good hack, so 25 points are likely overpriced).
But the Caveman (I really like your writeup btw.) could be a problem once he gets his hands on decent equipment (his pals can show him how to use it) because he'd just be a plain better fighter than, say, an elf, and not by a negligible amount. The Reptile Man even more, because of disadvantages with probably even less impact and a higher DR (decent natural weapons are also handy in a grapple).


Actually, when playing a mage in such a dungeon crawl game, I will always take more HP (through ST, which also allows carrying a bit more armor), HT (FP for casting!) and DR over a single point in IQ. This may differ if you use standard GURPS Magic rules (which I don't usually use) and the mage template is designed to put you exactly at the reduced cost mark with one point per spell, but even then I'd go with the extra survival skills (reduced cost is somewhat balanced by the +2 FP through HT).

I know that when I tried something like this with my players, it became a monster parade...


PS: I could upload my version somewhere if you like, but it won't help too much because it is rather unbalanced in the way I described).



EDIT: Kromm posted while I was writing this monster post, so:
As Icelander said, go ahead and take what you like (though I guess you'll have fun building your own anyway). You can even make additional money by selling official "Kromm stole my template"-T-Shirts through warehouse 23... :)

[demonsbane]

Originally Posted by Kromm

FWIW, I am working on a third DF PDF right now, and it will include some racial templates. (...)

Great! Good news.

I would wish your full initial 240 page Dungeon Fantasy outline could reach eventually the light of released publications, in some way.

[bjork]

Originally Posted by Kromm

To prevent any chance that I might read this thread and steal somebody's ideas, I'm not reading this thread, but hiding it from myself.

Originally Posted by Icelander

And you have a legal right to steal whatever is posted on these forums. ;)

Agree with the above but he might be baiting us to write about him where we think he won't read it :)

Just kidding!

[AOTA]

Originally Posted by Kromm

FWIW, I am working on a third DF PDF right now, and it will include some racial templates. To prevent any chance that I might read this thread and steal somebody's ideas, I'm not reading this thread, but hiding it from myself (all hail admin powerz!).

Sweet! Looking forward to it.

[LoneWolf23k]

Why steal? I'm glad to give away those templates I made!

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Smirg

One thing I would definitely be wary of (from experience) is "balancing" combat-related advantages with social disadvantages in a dungeon-centric game.

Quoting for Truth.

To a lesser extent, beware balancing basically social advantages with physical disadvantages - your players will never use templates like this if they mentally run the numbers, and if they do by accident, they'll be annoyed at the results.

Especially if Mr. Smashy is in the same party.

Obviously a player can build a character with +5 ST, gigantism, and -45 points in social disadvantages, but here's a place where the suggested disad limits come into play - there's only so much minmaxing the player can do. Because templates don't have a disad limit, and the flaws don't count towards your characters limit, you can accidentally munchkin out the template and end up with a party full of ogres.

Attribute penalties are OK, but try not to balance a tank character by debuffing IQ or the only way you'll be able to stop it him by hexing him until he sings I'm A Little Teapot while murdering the other PCs with his ubertwinked PC (as previously noted by Smirg). Buy down IQ for big dumb races, but consider strongly buying Will back up again (And possibly Per too). It's sort of ANTI-IQ! and therefore anti-munchkin.

A good place to go for points for an uberstrong race is DX - you're lowering its attack power and defenses and Move that way. Move, incidentally, is another decent place to go for points.

Consider physical problems - perhaps Ogres have a Bad Smell (they usually do) and No Sense of Smell. Now you have a PC who can complain about everyone else complaining about his stink, and no idea why he's attracting all those carrion crawlers and gelatinous cubes. ;)

[Sielle]

No one thought up a gnome yet?

[LoneWolf23k]

Originally Posted by Sielle

No one thought up a gnome yet?

Which flavor? Gadgeteer? Illusionist? Forest-warden? Bard?

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by Sielle

No one thought up a gnome yet?

Here's one that I came up with for my own world setting:

Gnomes
25 points
Attribute Adjustments: ST -2 [-20]; IQ +2 [40].
Secondary Characteristic Adjustments: SM -2; HP +2 [4]; Will -2 [-10]; Per -2 [-10]; Basic Move -1 [-5]
Advantages: Acute Taste and Smell 3 [6]; Artificer Talent 1 [10]; Extended Lifespan 1 (×2) [2]; High Manual Dexterity 2 [10]; Longevity [2]; Magery 0 [5].
Perks: Sanitized Metabolism [1].
Disadvantages: Bad Sight (Nearsighted) (Mitigator: Glasses, -60%) [-10].

Gnomes are a small, inquisitive folk. They are similar to dwarves in that they live for over two centuries and are master craftsmen, but are smaller and not as strong. They have sensitive noses, which tend to be longer than most other races'. (Yes, gnomes have gnoses.)

Gnomes have nimble fingers and are naturally near-sighted. Like dwarves, gnomes tend to have beards; however, gnome beards are generally kept short; this is more for aesthetic rather than practical reasons.

Obviously, this is only a 25 point template if spectacles are available in the setting.

[Phantasm]

Goblins
25 points
Attribute Adjustments: ST -2 [-20]; DX +2 [40].
Secondary Characteristic Adjustments: SM -2; Basic Move -1 [-5].
Advantages: Acute Vision 2 [4]; Clinging [20]; Silence 3 [15]; Slippery 3 [6].
Disadvantages: Appearance (Unattractive) [-4]; Bad Back (Mild) [-15]; Easy to Kill -2 [-4]; Short Lifespan -1 [-10]; Weak Bite [-2].

Goblins are small, weak humanoids with greenish tinted skin. They are expert climbers, with microscopic claws which enable them to stick to most rough surfaces. They are also able to move without making noises, and excrete a clear substance which makes it difficult for others to hold onto them. This same substance, known as 'goblin slime' among other races, also lets them move through spaces that would normally be too small for others of the same size, such as gnomes and halflings, to get through. This same slime is a valued alchemical component for stealth elixirs.