(Provoked by a discussion on the Reddit GURPS board, this goes page-by-page through the Characters book)
p.10 The point cost for creating new characters is 135 pts.
p.11 The disadvantage limit is -50 pts.
p.14+ ST/HT cost ten points per level for the first three levels; DX/IQ cost 15 points per level for the first three levels. They cost 15 and 20 points, respectively, for the next two levels. Scores lower than 10 have a negative cost: -10 pts per level for ST or HT, -15 per level for DX or IQ. I will not let a character have an attribute lower than 8, and an attribute that low will seriously impair a character; I discourage it.
p.16 Characters all have +5 bonus Hit Points, at no charge. (This doesn’t apply to NPCs.) I do not base HP on ST, but on HT. I do not base Fatigue Points on HT, but on ST. I do work with the ±30% limitation, but am slightly more generous when it comes to spellcasters.
p.17 Light Encumbrance reduces Move by 1. Medium Encumbrance reduces Move by 2. Heavy Encumbrance reduces Move by 3. Extra-Heavy Encumbrance reduces Move by 4.
p.29 Rank costs 3 pts/level.
p.32 Advantages: A separate list summarizes the changes to point cost, and those Advantages that are restricted or unavailable to PCs. New Advantages include:
Combat Calm (5 pts): You think and react much faster in a crisis situation than others. You add +1 to Fright Checks. Furthermore, you may take your time thinking of a proper course of action, even during round time. Effectively, while other players may be required to make immediate, time-restricted decisions, you get an extra minute or more to decide.
Fast Reflexes (5 pts/level): You have unusually quick and reactive hand-eye coordination. You add +1/level to any DX roll to catch an airborne object. You also add +1/3 levels (round down) to all weapon parries. You may learn the Parry Missile Weapons skill, and add 1/3 the level (round down) to any such skill roll.
Fixed Property (10 pts): You have up to ten times your regular starting Wealth tied up various properties or other capital investments. Possessions that can be directly used for adventuring, as well as those that can easily be converted to cash, should be purchased with normal starting Wealth. There are two main drawbacks connected with the property: they are not easily convertible to hard cash, and they are subject to calamities such as natural elements, theft or war. The property can be beneficial in the way that it provides income, which should be purchased as Independent Income or earned through work.
Spatial Perception (1 pt/lvl): You have a keen eye for judging distance and size, and roll IQ +2/level for judging the distance to or the size of any subject in LOS. One-fourth your level (round down) is added to any Navigation roll.
p.119 Disadvantages: A separate list summarizes the changes to point cost, and those Disadvantages that are restricted or unavailable to PCs. New Disadvantages include:
Battle Addiction (-10 pts): You are addicted to combat, and must make a Will roll to avoid an obvious combat situation. You are not necessarily vicious towards your enemies (as with Bloodlust) and do not have to enjoy hurting others -- you are simply addicted to the thrill of violence. It is quite possible that you don t enjoy your addiction at all! No character with this disadvantage can take any Pacifism disadvantage. You do not necessarily run around bashing heads and attacking everyone you meet. You can try to avoid potentially violent situations ... but when the opportunity presents itself, you can t resist joining into a fight!
Chronicler (-10 pts): You are an inveterate diarist. This takes the form of an in-character writeup of each gaming session, from the viewpoint of the character, of at least 750 words (about two single spaced typed pages), which is due to be submitted to the GM by the start of the next game session. Skilled artists may substitute an 81/2" x 11" sketch pertaining to the game session. You receive no experience points as long as any writeup is outstanding. After ten such writeups, you are no longer required to submit any, but you receive one bonus XP for each further writeup you do submit.
Compulsive Behavior/Wanderlust (-5 pts): You have a difficult time staying in anyone place for a long time; the need to explore is too great. After six months of living in one place, you must make a Will roll each week or travel again for at least a month. You may have a permanent dwelling and even a family, but can never totally give up your wanderings ... see something new, go somewhere you have never been, wander until you have experienced something new and exciting. Another version is specific to sailors – the desire to return to the sea. You must never leave the close proximity of the ocean or you must start making Will rolls after one week away from salt water.
Dandy (-5/-10 pts): You are the height of fashion and good taste. Everything you own must cost at least 10% more than normal. Your clothing must at all times be very proper and formal, even when it would be restricting or absurd (a dandy would go dungeon diving in a frock coat and silk breeches). You take several extra minutes to prepare to do anything, as it takes time to ensure your hair and clothing are in proper order and that all your jewelry is polished. You must also bathe and change clothes at least daily if possible. At the 10 pt level, your tastes often go beyond tasteful fashion into the gaudy and impractical, even at the expense of safety and good judgment. In general, you must make a Will roll to undertake any activity that will get you dirty, or risk your good looks. Aesthetics are the principal motivator for your decisions, often to an absurd degree. This counts as an Odious Personal Habit with a -2 reaction to anyone but other Fops.
Minor Medical Ailment (-5 pts): You have a minor and intermittent medical problem, such as a bad joint or arthritis, that occasionally handicaps you. Make a HT roll per game session (or game day, whichever occurs more frequently). Failure to make the roll inflicts certain penalties for 1d6 hours. These can also be triggered by stress: heavy lifting can throw out a bad joint, eating a lot of rich food aggravates gout, camping in cold, wet weather can set off rheumatic joints or a bronchial condition. The GM should impose extra HT rolls, at penalties if the situation calls for them, whenever needful. Some possible MMAs are as follows:
-1 ST, -1 DX: Bad shoulder, arm; arthritic or rheumatic hands; hernia
-1 DX, -1 Move: Bad leg or foot; arthritic or rheumatic knees or ankles; gout
-1 IQ, -2 Fatigue: Fibromyalgia; headaches; cancer; diabetes
-1 DX, -2 Fatigue: Various dystrophies; malaria; dietary deficiencies
-1 HT, -2 Fatigue: Bronchitis; cancer; fibrillosis; diabetes
-2 Perception, -2 Fatigue: Lupus; diabetes
These are relatively minor cases; full-blown versions of most of the listed syndromes are considerably more debilitating, and should be reflected through lower stats and/or disadvantages such as Unfit, Wounded or Chronic Pain.
p.170 I do not use the game-time-for-points method; all skills must be improved through earned experience.
p.171 A roll of 5 is an automatic success, and a roll of 16 an automatic failure, regardless of skill level. I don’t bother with the “Relative Skill Level” system.
p.174 A separate list summarizes the skills available in the Celduin campaign. Generally speaking, I don’t strictly adhere to the modifiers set forth in skill descriptions; I’m more wont to ballpark them.
p.254 Psionics are generally unavailable (barring a whopping Unusual Background cost).
p.259 A separate list summarizes the available orders (especially wizardly Orders) and their templates.
p.260 A separate list summarizes the available races and their templates.
p.275 I don’t use the rules for missile weapons, and use the rules from the 2nd edition, which has a Point Blank (PB) modifier of +4, a “snap-shot” penalty of -4 (firing without a round of Aiming), and an Increment (Inc) penalty of -1 per Increment in hexes to the target.
p.286 I don’t use the Reaction Penalty rule, or think it takes only 3 seconds to don armor.
p.290 I award character points after every three sessions. Improving attributes (including raising secondary ones independently) costs double the normal amount of character points.
p.292 As mentioned before, I do not use the Improvement Through Study method of improving skills.
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