GURPS Fourth Edition

Steve Jackson Games produces a role-playing game called GURPS which is (as of this editor's own knowledge) is currently in its fourth edition of publication.  The acronym stands for "generic universal role-playing system" and it lives up to this name; consequently, it is useful for adaptation to many different fictons.

An outline, to be expanded into several pages:

Races:

As with many GURPS universes, humans are taken as the base-line, zero-CP-modifier race. Adopting a particular culture on character creation may impose a CP cost, naturally; whereas the culture of Puna Dara has a slightly higher TL than the Imperial norm, for example, a Punaji character will need to invest CP in that culture to reflect the advantage.

The second most common race in the story is the elves. The following meta-trait is suggested for an elvish character:

> Elf [49]
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> Attribute modifiers: ST -2 [20], DX +1 [20].
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> Secondary Characteristic modifiers: Per +2 [10].
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> Advantages: Acute Hearing +2 [4], Doesn't Breathe (Elvish metabolism modifier based on Oxygen Storage, 3 hours, -20%) [16], Doesn't Eat or Drink (Elvish metabolism limiting effective duration to one month, -20%) [8], Doesn't Sleep (Elvish metabolism limiting effective duration to one week, -20%) [16], Fey-aspected Magery 0 [5], Unaging [15].
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> Disadvantages: Dependency: mana, Very Common, constantly [-25].
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> Taboo Traits: Attribute and secondary characteristic increases purchased after character creation cost double CP unless magical or alchemical assistance is involved [0].
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(As an aside, this editor is personally unconvinced of the rationale for pricing the Unaging advantage so highly. It has rather few game effects.)
Most half-elves look like humans.

> Half-Elf [19]
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> Advantages: Doesn't Breathe (Elvish metabolism modifier based on Oxygen Storage, 3 hours, -20%) [16], Doesn't Eat or Drink (Elvish metabolism limiting effective duration to one month, -20%) [8], Doesn't Sleep (Elvish metabolism limiting effective duration to one week, -20%) [16], Extended Lifespan 2 [4].
>
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> Disadvantages: Dependency: mana, Very Common, constantly [-25].
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> Taboo Traits: Attribute and secondary characteristic increases purchased after character creation cost double CP unless magical or alchemical assistance is involved [0].
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> Notes: A half-elf character may purchase up to two more levels of Extended Lifespan for the basic price at time of creation. Some half-elves may also have Unnatural Features [-1], representing elvish-seeming attributes like pointed ears, that preclude their easy integration into human cultures.
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Of the other races, this editor is much less confident in statting them.

> Gnome [27]
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> Attribute modifiers: ST -2 [-20], IQ +1 [20], HT +2 [20].
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> Secondary Characteristic modifiers: Basic Move -1 [-5], SM -1 [0].
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> Advantages: Longevity [2], Resistant (+3) to Metabolic Hazards [10].
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> Taboo Traits: The traits of Chronic Depression, Confused, Dyslexia, Hidebound, Incurious, Paranoia, and Unfit are forbidden to gnomes at character creation.
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Sadly, this editor is very unsure of her knowledge of dwarves.

> Dwarf [20]
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> Attribute modifiers: HT +2 [20].
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> Secondary Characteristic modifiers: Basic Move -1 [-5], SM -1 [0].
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> Advantages: Divine-aspected Magery 0 [5].
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Cultures:

The world of the "bastard-verse" (surely there's a better name for this; I invite edits, and better sooner than later) is mostly at GURPS TL 3-4, with pockets of TL 5 and maybe 6.  The Elder Gods had TL 10-12; it is unknown to this editor whether there are any other extant enclaves of different technological knowledge.  As such, the default TL is 3, and new characters may with the gamemaster's permission purchase higher TL at the usual rate of 5 CP per TL, up to a maximum of 5.  Higher TL will definitely require Unusual Background.

As of Chapter 12 of *The Gods are Bastards*, the following cultures are defined for the purposes of Cultural Familiarity:

* Human Cultures:
	+ Imperial, TL 3
	+ Punaji, TL 4
	+ Sifanese, unknown TL (probably TL 3)
* Elvish Cultures:
	+ Surfacer, including
		- Wood Elves, unknown TL
		- Plains Elves, TL 2
	+ Underworld, including
		- Narisian, TL 3
		- Scyllithene, unknown TL

* Dwarvish Cultures
	+ Five Kingdoms, TL 4 to early 5
* Gnomish Cultures
	+ Not much is known about gnomes, sadly; this editor declines to speculate further.
* Others
	+ Dryads, pixies and other fairies unsocialized by other peoples might constitute a culture.

Magic:

Most of the world has at least Normal mana level; individuals who are attuned to magic (in GURPS mechanical terms, characters who have the Magery advantage) are able to cast spells, and non-attuned individuals who have studied unreasonably hard can make spells work once in a while.  It may be the case that parts of the world have High or Very High mana, wherein anyone with minimal knowledge of a spell can make it work, though that is as yet unproven in the text.  Unlike the case of most worlds, *all* magic in the bastard-verse is aspected; there are four major aspects, the Arcane, Divine, Fey, and Infernal, plus other less-well-documented aspects such as Shadow.

For simplicity's sake, then, any character learning the Magery advantage must choose one of the four major aspects as primary, for all levels of the advantage, including Magery 0, at a 0% trait modifier.  (All four major aspects give great scope for empowering spells, such that any limitations really are too minimal to affect CP accounting.)  Effective skill is modified as by the Circles of Interaction as explained in the story; one step clockwise is effective skill -3, two is -5, three is -7.  Characters may invest in the Magery advantage multiple times, however; thus, a dwarf with innate Divine Magery 0 may purchase Arcane Magery at normal cost as well.  The dwarf arcanist may need the GM's permission and an Unusual Background, however, because his culture does not approve of arcane magic.

The GURPS spell schools are typically associated with the aspects of magic:

* Arcane: Gate, Illusion and Creation, Knowledge, Movement
* Divine: Divination, Light and Darkness, Healing, Protection and Warning
* Fey: Air, Animal, Body Control, Earth, Plant, Water, Weather
* Infernal: Communication and Empathy, Fire, Mind Control, Necromancy

The schools of Enchantment, Meta-Spells and Technological Spells do not have aspects, as mages of all four aspects seem to have ability with them.  Magic effects of the schools of Food, Making and Breaking, and Sound have not been discussed in the story, so they are left unspecified for now.

As for example, then.  An arcanist may choose to learn a Healing spell; her skill with that spell is thus reduced by three due to the Circles of Interaction, wherein Healing is Divinely aspected, and thus one step clockwise from the arcanist's own specialization.  If the arcanist were to desire to learn a Fire spell, her skill in that spell would be reduced by seven, as that is three steps clockwise from her specialization.

Spells which belong to more than one school may be learned at the skill modifier most favourable to the learner.  Thus, whereas the Missile Shield spell is both a Movement and a Protection and Warning spell, it may be learned without penalty by both arcanists and priests.  Dually, if a spell belongs to multiple schools outside a learner's own specialty, the learner will take the maximum Circles of Interaction penalty with respect to that spell.  Continuing with the example, then, a warlock must accept a -5 penalty, not a -3 penalty, to learn the Missile Shield spell.

(much more later, I hope ... yes, please do correct any misconceptions I may have.  this is a wiki!  wikis are fun.)