From: duncanj@snoopy.umd.edu (James Duncan)
Subject: GURPS: GURPS FAQ version 2.1 Part 3 of 8
Followup-To: rec.games.frp.misc
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 19:08:04 GMT


Part 3 of 8 of GURPS FAQ

  Basic (applies to all genres)
  -----
  B1: Does the Running skill affect Dodge score or Initative?
	No! Running skill only increases your movement, it does not modify
	Dodge or improve initiative or the turn sequence order.
  	(Answer source: Steve Jackson, Roleplayer 19, April 1990)

  B2: Why do you need to buy off Disadvantages?  Do you need to buy off 
      disadvantages gained in game play?
 	a. Disadvantages taken at character creation time grant a player 
	   extra points to use to improve their character in other areas.
	   A Disadvantage imposes some restriction on the player character.
	   If you can get rid of a Disadvantage without buying it off means
	   your getting something for nothing and "There ain't no such thing
	   as a free lunch."  Experienced GMs should feel free to relax this
	   rule or even do away with it. Here are some examples of abuse that
	   routinely occur if this rule is removed without caution:

		1. Only the rich rule!  
			a) Cyberpunk game - take any physical disad and then
				buy bionics to fix it.
			b) Fantasy - Poverty disad. If you know that your GM
				tends run adventures where money can be easily
				acquired this is free points.
		
		2. Runaway! 
			a) Enemy - If you take an Enemy and then go someplace 
				the Enemy can't follow you no longer have an 
				Enemy. The GM should give you an equivalent
				Enemy or make you pay off the disad. Otherwise,
				the GM needs to confine the adventure or just
				let you get off free.
			b) Dependents - If you go someplace where your 
				dependents will not come into play the GM needs
				to either get creative and pull an occasional
				emergency at home or in a few cases allow the
				disad to be bought off.  I personally NEVER
				allow Dependents to be bought off unless the
				Dependents are killed or otherwise permanently
				removed from the game.

	b. No. You do NOT need to buy off disadvantages gained during game 
	   game play.	 

  B3: Can you dodge a burst of automatic-weapon fire? How?
	One dodge is allowed against each four-shot group. If bursts
	are figured in 20-shot groups (for ROF of 20 or more), it
	takes five successful rolls to dodge one group.

	(Answer source: Steve Jackson, Roleplayer 19, April 1990) 
	
  B4: What is the "Blow-thru" rule? How does it work?
	The "Blow-thru" rule is buried in a side bar in GURPS Basic on
	page 109 (B109). The Blow-thru rule limits bullets and
	impaling damage. An impaling or bullet hit to the torso will
	do no more than HT of damage, anything exceeding this is lost.
	The exception is if a vital (organ) is hit in which case the
	limit is HTx3. For further details see the rule in GURPS Basic. 
 
  B5: Are there any mass-combat rules for GURPS?
        Yes.  Mass combat has been covered in such sourcebooks as
        Conan,  Vikings, and Japan (and possibly others).  They are
	not a set of miniatures rules but instead are intended to
	allow quick resolution of large scale combat and determine how
	the PCs faired in battle. A revised set of generic mass-combat
	rules written by Brett Slocum is currently being playtested.
	These rules will be incorporated in future editions (not
	reprintings) of GURPS Basic. [Note: GURPS Basic is NOT going
	to be revised anytime in the near future!] 
 
  B6: The language rules given in GURPS Basic give unrealistic results
      for high IQ characters. Are there any better language rules for
      GURPS? 
 	Yes. Roleplayer 26 has an article by Steffan O'Sullivan
	entitled "The Gift of Tongues" giving optional language rules.
	Following the article is a listing of other approaches to the
	same topic as given by various other GURPS players.  

  B7: The fire arm rules in GURPS Basic have several problems, are
      there more expanded rules elsewhere?
      Yes, GURPS High-Tech 2nd Edition expands and improves the reality
      of the GURPS firearm rules.  The first chapter of GURPS
      High-Tech 2nd Edition has a sidebar on "Flinch, Buck Fever and
      Bullet Shyness" (HT7-9). Flinch is responding to the gun's
      recoil prior to actually firing, thus resulting in a negative
      modifier to gun skill.  Buck Fever is decrease in accuracy due
      to firing in a stressful situation. Bullet Shyness is tendency
      to seek cover from gunfire rather than exposing yourself to
      return fire. Bullet shyness in GURPS requires a Will roll by
      NPCs to allow exposure to gunfire (PC's should avoid exposure to
      gun shots due to fear of being blown away!). Other problems
      include heavy breathing (after a run for instance), distractions
      (dust, sweat, ect) and other discoomforts.
      
      Clarifications on how bullet damage works, expansions on
      different ammo types, a modification to Passive Defense vs.
      bullets, explanations of recoil (and felt recoil) and a change
      to the way knockback works for being hit by bullets are included
      in High-Tech 2nd Edition (HT4-15). Gun maintenance and
      malfunctions are also covered.

  B8: When do death rolls need to be made?
      (From: Steven Sharp sesharp@happy.colorado.edu in rec.games.frp.misc )

      A death roll for reaching -HT and each subsequent  -(HT + 5n)
      only has to be made once, when that damage occurs. After that,
      the character is not at further risk of dying until more damage
      occurs.  If this is too unrealistic for you, applying the optional
      rules for bleeding can cause this extra damage to take place without
      further combat.  Otherwise, the character even has a chance to
      regain conciousness later even if there is no aid rendered.
      Aside from the possibility of bleeding to death or falling into
      a coma if no aid is rendered, the only way a character can die
      other than immediately after damage is taken is if they are
      coming out of Berserk.

  B9: How do you speed up GURPS Combat?
      Contributers: Stephan O'Sullivan

      a. Never use the GURPS Advanced Combat Rules!
      b. Use the Very Basic Combat Rules detailed in RolePlayer # 23.
 
*B10: Starting Point costs for different genres. 
      [Under construction. Input requested]

End of Part 3 of 8 of GURPS FAQ

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