TM Written by WILLIAM H. STODDARD Edited by NIKOLA VRTIS Illustrated by PAUL DALY, JEAN ELIZABETH MARTIN, DAN SMITH, and NIKOLA VRTIS Additional Material by JOHN M. FORD, KENNETH HITE, and STEVE JACKSON GURPS System Design z STEVE JACKSON Chief Executive Officer z PHILIP REED GURPS Line Editor z SEAN PUNCH Chief Creative Officer z SAMUEL MITSCHKE Assistant GURPS Line Editor z JASON “PK” LEVINE Executive Editor z MIRANDA HORNER GURPS Project Manager z STEVEN MARSH Marketing Director z RHEA FRIESEN Production Artist and Indexer z NIKOLA VRTIS Director of Sales z ROSS JEPSON GURPS FAQ Maintainer z Page Design z PHIL REED and JUSTIN DE WITT VICKY “MOLOKH” KOLENKO Art Direction and Prepress Checker z NIKOLA VRTIS Reviewers: Frederick Brackin, Roger Burton West, Douglas H. Cole, Peter V. Dell’Orto, S.A. Fisher, Andrew Hackard, Vicky “Molokh” Kolenko, Phil Masters, Christopher R. Rice, Emily Smirle GURPS, Pyramid, Warehouse 23, the pyramid logo, Adaptations, and the names of all products published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are trademarks or registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or used under license. GURPS Adaptations is copyright © 2016, 2017 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved. Art on p. 36 by U.S. Lithograph Co.; from the Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, LC-U SZC4- 1599. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this material via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. STEVE JACKSON GAMES Stock #37-0153 Version 1.0.1 – June 2017 ® C ontents IntroductIon . . . . . . . . . .3 locations .................20 Division of Labor............ 39 Recommended Books ......... 3 Cities and Communities ...... 20 Templates.................. 39 About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Buildings................... 21 Expanding the Original Cast.... 39 About GURPS ............... 3 The Emerald City ............ 21 Based on . . .................4 Vehicles as Locations ......... 22 4 . tHIngs . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Multiple Sources Wild Places................. 22 narrative function .........40 and Mashups.............. 5 Destructive Environments..... 23 Gear ...................... 40 setting and drama..........23 Evidence................... 40 1 . HIgH concept . . . . . . .6 Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Personalizers ............... 40 Glossary .................... 6 Functions of Environments.... 24 Valuables .................. 41 starting Point ..............6 The Pathetic Fallacy .......... 24 Transcendents .............. 41 MacGuffins................. 41 Prequels and Sequels.......... 6 Functions of Locations ....... 25 Filling the Gaps .............. 7 Indirect Exposition........... 25 Physical form .............41 Displacements ............... 7 Clothing and Armor.......... 41 Alternate Universes ........... 7 Personal Gear............... 41 Retelling the Original Story...... 7 . . . a probable Furnishings................. 42 Reinventions................. 7 Vehicles.................... 42 impossibility is to be Premise....................8 Structures .................. 42 preferred to a thing Objects as Characters ......... 43 One Impossible Thing.......... 8 Mundane Premises............ 8 improbable and yet Other Machines ............. 43 Life Forms ................. 44 Fantastic Premises............ 8 possible. genre.....................9 availaBility................44 – Aristotle, Tech Level and Why Genre Matters ........... 9 Variant Technology........ 44 What Defines a Genre ......... 9 Poetics Legality.................... 44 Common Genres ............ 10 Wealth..................... 45 mood ....................11 Presupposed Items........... 45 theme....................11 3 . people . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Fantastic Items.............. 45 The Central Idea............. 11 roles ....................27 A Theme Is Not a Thesis....... 11 Major Characters............ 27 5 . actIon . . . . . . . . . . . .46 From Idea to Action.......... 12 Guest Stars ................. 27 agency ...................46 Inventing a New Theme....... 12 Supporting Characters........ 27 Outward Action ............. 46 Variations.................. 12 Extras ..................... 28 Inward Action............... 46 the Players ...............12 defining major characters...29 action and the World .......46 Interest .................... 13 Attributes and Talents........ 29 Possible Actions............. 46 Familiarity ................. 13 Skills...................... 30 Appropriate Actions.......... 47 Adaptations of Combat Skills............... 30 Thematic Actions............ 47 Roleplaying Games ........ 13 Social Backgrounds.......... 31 Motivated Actions ........... 47 Trust ...................... 13 Martial-Arts Styles............ 31 Conflicting Actions........... 47 Visible Qualities............. 32 Horror and Tragedy........... 48 2 . places . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Motivation and Personality.... 33 Consequences of Actions...... 49 descriBing the World .......14 Perks and Quirks ............ 33 modes....................49 The Source Material ......... 14 Esoteric Arts................ 33 Cinematic Modes............ 49 Further Research............ 15 Special Abilities and Realistic Modes ............. 49 Inventing New Material....... 16 Power Modifiers .......... 34 environments..............16 Racial Traits................ 35 narratives ................50 The Unities ................. 50 Planets .................... 16 Examples .................. 35 Episodic Campaigns ......... 50 The Retro Solar System........ 17 sPecifications for Story-Arc Campaigns......... 50 Terrains ................... 18 original characters .....38 Developmental Campaigns .... 50 Technologies................ 18 Point Value................. 38 Revelatory Campaigns........ 51 Populations................. 19 Excluded Options Cultures ................... 19 for Characters............. 38 PreParing the Payoff........51 Slice-of-Life Campaigns ....... 51 War and Politics............. 20 Unusual Background ......... 38 Supernatural Forces ......... 20 Required Traits ............. 39 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 C 2 ontents I ntRoduCtIon One of the big attractions of roleplaying games is explor- Pick your favorite novel, graphic novel, movie, television ing the worlds of our favorite books or movies. The Cthulhu series, or other inspiration – and get started! Mythos, The Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, and many other pub- lished works have licensed game rules – sometimes multiple R B eCommended ooks sets. But maybe you’d rather use GURPS than another system. Or maybe you like a fictional world no one has thought of The only books that are required for use with GURPS making into a game, or one whose author or publisher won’t Adaptations are the GURPS Basic Set. For adaptations of license it. One of the major uses of GURPS is running cam- works in specific genres, the GM may find appropriate source- paigns in such worlds. And one of the big topics for GURPS books useful, such as GURPS Fantasy, GURPS Horror, questions is how to do it right! GURPS Mysteries, GURPS Psionic Campaigns, GURPS GURPS writers have addressed this topic in the Basic Space, or GURPS Supers. Any book with game mechanics Set (especially pp. B486-522) and in supplements, especially can be useful for the right source material – GURPS Power- genre-focused supplements such as GURPS Fantasy, GURPS Ups 2: Perks and GURPS Power-Ups 6: Quirks in particular Horror, GURPS Space, and GURPS Zombies. This material is are good with almost any source. helpful and is highly recommended. But many questions about adapt- ing fictional sources are broader than a single genre. It’s time for a Of all fictions, the marvelous journey is systematic, full-length discussion – the one formula that is never exhausted. GURPS Adaptations. In gaming, “adaptation” doesn’t – Northrop Frye, Anatomy of Criticism mean quite the same thing as in lit- erary, graphic, or cinematic media. Rather than a retelling of the orig- inal story, new stories emerge from campaigns: sequels, pre- A A quels, alternative versions, or more radical transformations Bout the uthoR (see Reinventions, p. 7). This supplement’s focus is on trans- William H. Stoddard and his wife life in San Diego, lating the original setting and characters, but if you want to California, with two cats and more books than they have time reenvision a favorite work, you’ll find suggestions on how to count. He has been running GURPS campaigns for over to do so. 20 years, starting with GURPS Uplift. He has run many cam- When you’re planning a campaign based on a work of fic- paigns based on fictional or dramatic sources, about half of tion or drama, GURPS Adaptations is your “how to” guide. them using his own adaptations of the source material. A GURPS Bout Steve Jackson Games is committed to full support Internet. Visit us on the World Wide Web at of GURPS players. Our address is SJ Games, P.O. Box sjgames.com for errata, updates, Q&A, and much 18957, Austin, TX 78760. Please include a self-addressed, more. To discuss GURPS with our staff and your fel- stamped envelope (SASE) any time you write us! We low gamers, visit our forums at forums.sjgames.com. can also be reached by e-mail: [email protected]. The web page for GURPS Adaptations can be found at Resources include: gurps.sjgames.com/adaptations. Bibliographies. Many of our books have extensive bib- New supplements and adventures. GURPS continues to liographies, and we’re putting them online – with links to grow – see what’s new at gurps.sjgames.com. let you buy the resources that interest you! Go to each Warehouse 23. Our online store offers GURPS adven- book’s web page and look for the “Bibliography” link. tures, play aids, and support in PDF form . . . digital cop- Errata. Everyone makes mistakes, including us – but ies of our books, plus exclusive material available only on we do our best to fix our errors. Up-to-date errata pages Warehouse 23! Just head over to warehouse23.com. for all GURPS releases, including this book, are available Pyramid (pyramid.sjgames.com). Our monthly PDF on our website – see above. magazine includes new rules and articles for GURPS, sys- temless locations, adventures, and much more. Look for Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for the each themed issue from Warehouse 23! GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition. Page references that begin with B refer to that book, not this one. I 3 ntRoduCtIon B . . . Ased on To illustrate its concepts and methods, GURPS Art Thou? (2000), a film by Joel Coen about three escaped con- Adaptations offers examples of working with published victs in rural Mississippi in 1937. sources. Necessarily, these are older books that are in the public domain. However, all of them are still read, all have Water Margin [Shui Hu Zhuan] (WM) been adapted into other media, and all have been sources of A classic Chinese novel attributed to Shi Nai’an (1296- inspiration for later works that imitate or transform them. 1372) that tells the story of the 108 Stars of Destiny, a band Each title is followed by a short form that will be used to of outlaws struggling against corrupt officials. It’s loosely refer to it later in this supplement. based on folktales of the historical outlaw Song Jiang (active around 1121, in the Song Dynasty). It’s one of the oldest known sources of the mar- When we met in tial-arts tropes of wuxia films and recent novel- ists such as Jin Yong. It could also be a model for Dr. Seward’s study two a supers campaign, as many of its heroes have super-human abilities. hours after dinner, which Recommended version: The Marshes of Mount Liang, translated by John Dent-Young and Alex had been at six o’clock, Dent-Young (Chinese University Press, 1994-2002). There are many Chinese and Japanese adaptations. Works inspired: Golden Lotus (Jin Ping Mei), we unconsciously formed by Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng (1610), an erotic novel that takes off from an incident in Water Margin; a sort of board or committee. Suikoden, created by Yoshitaka Murayama (1995- 2008), a series of martial-arts-themed video games. – Bram Stoker, Dracula Many film and television versions have been cre- ated in Hong Kong and Japan. In a larger sense, the entire genres of wuxia and chambara films take off from it! The Odyssey [Odysseia] (Odys.) Pride and Prejudice (P&P) An epic poem by Homer, thought to have been composed A novel of manners by Jane Austen, first published 1813, before 700 B.C. It tells how a Greek hero came back from Troy, which has become a classic British love story for its portrayal after spending 10 years lost at sea, and finally reclaimed his of initial conflict turning into romantic attraction. It’s a model wife and his kingdom from a crowd of ambitious suitors. The for lively roleplaying with relatively little “adventure,” but a first part provides a model for quest stories, particularly tales good deal of comedy – though one of its subplots involves set at sea; it could also be read as science fiction, with each investigation, after the heroine’s younger sister elopes with a island (like a recently discovered planet in Star Trek) holding soldier who has no intention of marrying her, and has to be a new monster or exotic culture. The second part is a story of tracked down. seeking revenge through covert methods. Adaptations: Pride and Prejudice (1940), a film by Robert Recommended version: The Odyssey, translated by Robert Z. Leonard with a screenplay co-authored by Aldous Huxley; Fagles (Penguin Classics, 1999). Pride and Prejudice (1995), a BBC television series by Simon Adaptation: The Odyssey (television miniseries, 1997), writ- Langton; Pride and Prejudice (2005), a film by Joe Wright. ten and directed by Andrei Konchalovsky. Works inspired: Bride and Prejudice (2004), a film by Works inspired: Nostoi, an ancient Greek epic, now lost, Gurinder Chadha set in modern India and Britain, with many about other heroes coming home from Troy; The True History, Bollywood influences – and amazingly faithful to the original; by Lucian of Samosata (second century A.D.), a satire of Lost in Austen (2008), a four-part British television series by Homer, the oldest surviving story of space travel; The Odyssey: Dan Zeff, in which a 21st-century young woman changes places A Modern Sequel, by Nikos Kazantzakis (1938), an epic poem with the heroine of Pride and Prejudice, derails the plot, and about Odysseus’s departure from his homeland and his later takes desperate measures to salvage the original happy ending; adventures; Homer’s Daughter, by Robert Graves (1955), a “Pride and Prometheus,” by John Kessel (2008), a science-fic- witty novel about a Sicilian princess who writes the Odyssey, tion story where one of the heroine’s younger sisters meets puts herself into it as a character, and passes it off as Homer’s both Victor Frankenstein and his creature; Pride and Prejudice work; “Tales of Brave Ulysses” (1967), a hard-rock song by and Zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith (2009), a mash-up of Eric Clapton and Martin Sharp; Island in the Sea of Time Austen’s story with zombie horror; Death Comes to Pemberley, and its sequels (1998, 1999, 2000), a series of novels by S.M. by P.D. James (2011), a mystery novel in which Elizabeth and Stirling where modern Americans displaced in time encounter Darcy investigate a murder of which her younger sister’s hus- an ancient Greek warrior named Odikweos; O Brother, Where band is accused. I 4 ntRoduCtIon Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea the team leader is Mina Harker, one of Dracula’s foes; The Dracula Dossier Director’s Handbook and the accompa- [Vingt mille lieues sous les mers] (20KL) nying Dracula Unredacted (2015), a campaign framework A novel by Jules Verne, first published 1870, the best known by Kenneth Hite and Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan, based on the of his voyages extraordinaires (“amazing journeys”), which premise that Stoker’s novel is a cover story for a secret history. were major sources of science fiction. It starts out as a story of scientific investigation of a mysterious sea monster, focused on three m s adventurers with varied talents. The “mon- ultIple ouRCes ster” turns out to be a submarine, a classic m “marvelous invention,” and becomes the And Ashups continuing stage for a vehicle-based story of What if you want to combine two or more source works in a sin- exploration – one deliberately modeled on gle campaign – a crossover or mashup? This is common in fan fiction, the nautical adventures of Odysseus. but not limited to it; Alan Moore’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Recommended version: 20,000 Leagues brought together multiple characters from Victorian fiction (see Based Under the Sea, translated by Walter James on . . . , pp. 4-5). Far earlier, the tale of the Argonauts brought together Miller and Frederick Paul Walter (Naval 100 heroes of Greek legends, including Atalanta, Castor and Pollux, Institute Press, 1993) with annotations. Heracles, Laertes (Odysseus’ father), Orpheus, and Theseus – the total Adaptation: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea cast was as big as that of Water Margin! For a sustained campaign, as (1954), a film directed by Richard Fleischer opposed to a one-shot or guest appearance, look for common elements that has become one of the major sources that match up closely. for steampunk. An extreme case of mashups is the “kitchen sink” campaign, which Works inspired: Nadia: The Secret of Blue takes material from any source in an entire genre. This approach goes Water (1990-1991), a 39-episode anime back to the very start of roleplaying games! The original Dungeons and series directed by Hideaki Anno, in which Dragons books took elements from The Lord of the Rings; sword and sor- two children join forces with Captain Nemo cery by authors such as Howard and Moorcock; more recent fantasy by to struggle against a hidden conspiracy; The Anderson, Leiber, and Vance; and other sources ranging from classical League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, by Alan mythology to “creature feature” movies. Moore and Kevin O’Neill (2003), a graphic Example (Drac./P&P): What if Dracula had shown up in England novel in which Captain Nemo belongs to a decades earlier, and picked one of the Bennet sisters as his prey – and secret British team of proto-supers. George Wickham as his Renfield? Dracula (Drac.) A Gothic novel by Bram Stoker, first pub- lished 1897, which gave the vampire mythos its standard The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (WWOz) form in 20th-century literature and film. Similarly to 20,000 A children’s fantasy novel by L. Frank Baum, first pub- Leagues Under the Sea, it brings together a small group with lished 1900, which became the leading American fairy tale. varied backgrounds to investigate and combat a mysterious The basic plot is a quest, with the same goal as the Odyssey: to threat. It’s notable for its heroes’ reliance on innovative sci- return home. Much of the story is a travelogue fantasy where ence, from blood transfusions to hypnotism. They also engage the heroes pass through strange locations and encounter in unofficial covert ops, from housebreaking in London to peculiar creatures. It’s an early example of a story set in an guerrilla warfare in the Balkans. invented world. Adaptations: Dracula (1931), a film directed by Tod Adaptations: The Wizard of Oz (1939), a film directed by Browning, with Bela Lugosi as Dracula; Horror of Dracula Victor Fleming, notable for its gimmick of changing from (1958), directed by Terence Fisher, the first film with black and white for scenes set in Kansas to color for scenes Christopher Lee as Dracula; Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), a set in Oz; The Wiz, a Broadway musical by William F. Brown film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, with Gary Oldman as and Charlie Smalls (1975) that reinterprets the story in terms Dracula, emphasizing the vampire’s historical background. of African-American culture, later adapted into a film (1978) Works inspired: Nosferatu (1922), a German silent film directed by Sidney Lumet. directed by F.W. Murnau that made its vampire, Count Orlok, Works inspired: 13 sequels by Baum, from The Marvelous a figure of death and corruption with no romantic aspects; Land of Oz (1904) to Glinda of Oz (1914, after his death), which Tomb of Dracula, a Marvel Comics series mainly scripted by further explore Oz and other magical realms (plus many more Marv Wolfman (1972-1979); Anno Dracula, by Kim Newman sequels by Ruth Plumly Thompson and others); “Tin Man” (1992), an alternate history in which Count Dracula becomes (1974), a pop song by America; Robert A. Heinlein’s science the ruler of the United Kingdom; Hellsing (1997-2008), a fiction novel The Number of the Beast (1986), in which inter- manga series by Kouta Hirano in which a reformed Dracula is universal travel allows a visit to Oz; Wicked: The Life and Times an ally of the Van Helsing family; “Buffy vs. Dracula” (2000), of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregory Maguire (1996), an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that brings Count an “alternate universe” prequel; Tin Man (2007), a television Dracula to Sunnydale; The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen miniseries by Nick Willing that reinterprets Oz in science-fic- (see Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, above), where tional terms. I 5 ntRoduCtIon C o hApteR ne h C Igh onCept Movie scriptwriters talk about high concept, a quick sum- run, and what you’re going to promise your players (see The mary of what a movie is about and what’s going to bring in an Players, pp. 12-13). For a game based on a source, thinking audience. That summary is also a mission statement for the about that source in terms of high concept can help identify writers, a starting point for their creative work. the key elements your campaign needs to capture. When planning a roleplaying game, you need the same For the story-title abbreviations used in the examples, see things – a statement of what kind of campaign you plan to Based on . . . , pp. 4-5. g lossARy agency: The ability of characters to make things happen without fantastic elements. Also called literary realism in an imagined world; also, the ability of players to or realistic fiction. affect the course of events in a game. mundane: A setting, character, or story without weird or alternate universe: A retelling of an existing story with a fantastic elements. key event happening differently. pathetic fallacy: The practice of having natural condi- atmosphere: Features of the physical environment that tions change to reflect a character’s emotions or the help to create a mood. emotional implications of a storyline. attribute: (1) In GURPS, one of a character’s four basic protagonist: The main character of a narrative or drama; traits. (2) In painting, a distinctive possession or the character who makes the key decisions and whose object by which a specific person such as a saint can fate the story focuses on. be recognized. recognition: A key discovery or insight that changes a austerity: The degree to which characters’ actions have protagonist’s understanding of the dramatic situation consequences, either physical or legal. and leads to a climactic confrontation. fan fiction: Stories about characters or settings from sandbox: A style of roleplaying that emphasizes exploring works of fiction or drama, not written by the original a world without a continuing or developing plot. creator or as authorized continuations; now primarily thaumatocracy: A society governed by people with mag- published online. ical powers or skills. For other common types of gov- indirect exposition: The portrayal of an imagined setting ernments, see pp. B509-510. through the implications of a story’s events, especially theme: A recurring idea expressed in different ways in a minor events. narrative or drama. MacGuffin: An object whose only role in a story is to be trope: A typical element in some form of narrative or pursued or fought over, and whose specific qualities drama. are irrelevant. Also McGuffin or maguffin. unreliable narrator: A viewpoint character who repeat- mimetic fiction: Stories focusing on common life expe- edly misunderstands events and situations. riences in familial and organizational settings, and verisimilitude: The ability of an imaginative work to give a convincing impression of reality. s p tARtIng oInt You and your players are going to create new stories that room for a sequel. The original author may face continuing grow out of your source. Several different strategies exist for demand for sequels to a popular work; Baum tried to end the coming up with ideas for such stories. Oz series with The Emerald City of Oz, as Conan Doyle did the Sherlock Holmes stories with “The Final Problem” – and p s both failed! Requels And equels A sequel could begin the very day after the end of the One of the oldest strategies goes back to storytellers in original work, asking literally, “what happened next?” marketplaces: asking What happened next? Many stories have h C 6 Igh onCept Other sequels start, in effect, “the next time something inter- a situation with the potential for exciting experiences. It’s esting happened.” Or a sequel could begin a generation or also possible to change situations more radically, creating more later, telling about descendants of the original heroes. a disastrous outcome to the original story – one where the Recent works have developed the idea of a prequel, a work heroes need to take up different strategies, or where differ- that tells about the younger life of a hero, his ancestors, ent heroes need to step forward. or the earlier history of a setting. Prequels need to end up Example (Drac.): Dracula doesn’t return in time to save someplace consistent with the start of the original work – Jonathan Harker from the three vampiric women in his cas- which can be tricky for the GM, who has several co-authors tle. Lacking access to the legal records of his property acqui- with their own ideas! sitions, Lucy Westenra’s avengers are delayed in taking action Example (Odys.): During the original story, Odysseus’ son against him, letting him establish himself as a master of Telemachus comes to manhood – and gains the favor of his England’s underworld. This leads to a mystery campaign in father’s patron Athena. He and a group of companions could which the original characters may appear as player characters be sent on a quest of their own, as the subject of a campaign. or as Contacts with valuable information. F g IllIng the Aps R Many sources have stories with time gaps, or multiple etellIng stories separated in time, like the Oz series as a whole. It’s o s possible to fit adventures into the gaps, as “untold tales” the RIgInAl toRy about the original heroes. If the source defines a detailed All of the suggested starting points are for new stories timeline, each untold adventure may need to be assigned based on the source – telling a different story in the same to a specific point on it, before some events and after oth- world, or moving the story to a different world and seeing ers. If time sequence is vague, it may be enough to say, what happens. But what about playing out the original story “This is an untold story.” in the same setting? A novel can be adapted into a movie, a television series, or a graphic novel; why can’t any of these d IsplACements be adapted into a campaign? There are real difficulties in doing this; in fact, they’ve Another way to tell narratives that don’t conflict with been the subject of more than one humorous story. Novel- the source is to focus on different main characters: ists have joked for a long time about characters with minds minor characters from the source who get promoted to of their own, who won’t do what the plot requires, but player stars of their own stories, or original characters made characters really do have minds of their own – because each up for the campaign. has a different creator. The GM can try to manipulate the A campaign can be set in a location that exists in the players into staying on track, but that takes away the free- source material, but is only briefly visited in the original dom that’s one of the big pleasures of roleplaying. story, or even simply mentioned. Any such place could Of course, many adaptations do change the original have its own cast of characters. story, sometimes drastically; the film version of Oz is a Another option is to stay in the main location, but dream, not a real place, for example. If everyone is willing promote minor characters to leading roles. These can be to accept the game as a new story based on the source, a either named individual characters, or characters who campaign may work. simply belong to groups. If the players really want to re-create the original story, Example (WM): With 108 main heroes, Water Margin optional rules for letting them shape the narrative can can’t tell all their stories in detail. A campaign could help; see, for example, Buying Success and Player Guidance focus on the exploits of less fully described heroes. These (p. B347) and the expanded discussions in GURPS Power- could be fitted into gaps in time, especially in the first Ups 5: Impulse Buys. The rules for Destiny Points in half of the novel, before the heroes come to terms with Impulse Buys can help pay for this, with the original the imperial authorities. story defining destinies for its characters. For example, if Odysseus misses Polyphemus’ eye, he can buy a success and live to reach Ithaca, instead of getting torn apart. A u lteRnAte nIveRses Alternate histories take off from the real world, choosing some one key event, making it turn out differently, R and tracing the consequences. (For many examples based on eInventIons the history and myths of our world, see the GURPS Infinite Instead of creating a new story in the original setting, it’s Worlds series.) The same method can be applied to key events possible to do the reverse: move to an entirely different setting in fictional settings. Any of this supplement’s source works while preserving the essential situation (as West Side Story did could have ended some other way. Fan-fiction writers, who do with Romeo and Juliet). Roleplaying campaigns often trans- this a lot, talk about “alternate universes.” form realism into fantasy, but the opposite strategy is also The key to creating an alternate universe is finding a workable (see Premise, pp. 8-9). Likewise, consider changing point in the story, or in the previous events it implies, where to a different type of fantastic element – fairy tales to horror, things could have taken a contrasting path – but still created or historical fantasy to science fiction. h C 7 Igh onCept Another style of reinvention is parody, imitation of a source Players who were anticipating heroic Chinese outlawry, for with changes that make it funny or absurd. The key to such example, may not accept a remote galactic empire as a set- reworking is often incongruity, a mismatch between the bor- ting, however similar the themes and incidents. rowed material and the newly introduced characters or set- Example (20KL): Instead of a professor of oceanography, ting. (Though incongruity doesn’t always produce parody: The his valet, and a harpooner, the Nautilus picks up a band of Hobbit starts out with a clash between the respectable Bilbo British schoolchildren (and their dog!). Baggins and the Viking-like dwarves, but Tolkien makes their Example (WM): In a future Galactic Empire, an official’s adventures a serious and exciting story – and by the end, nei- injudicious instructions to a computer lead to the creation ther is ridiculous to the other.) of 108 enhanced posthumans, who band together as heroic If a proposed campaign reinvents its source, the play- space pirates. ers needed to know this before they agree to participate! p RemIse Every story is founded on a premise, something the audi- and necessary for them to find husbands. No one’s view of ence has to assume for its events to be possible. For example, the world would be transformed by believing in this situa- the premise of Water Margin is that 108 spirits are born in tion; it’s of interest because it creates the possibility of drama human form and grow up to be heroic outlaws. This is the or comedy. basis for their amazing fighting skills, for the superhuman Stories of this type are often called “realistic” – but GURPS powers many of them show, and for the affinity that draws contrasts realistic with cinematic (pp. B488-489), which isn’t them together. the same distinction. For clarity, this supplement calls them Further stories in the same fictional world share its original mundane (as in Mundane Background, p. B144). premise, but they may have subsidiary premises, new assump- Campaigns based on a mundane premise usually suggest tions they take off from. Usually these have less wide-ranging mundane subsidiary premises – for example, about the career implications than the original story – they extend or modify developments, later lives, or children of the protagonists. But its premise rather than adopting an entirely new premise, as it’s not impossible to shift to a fantastic key. when Baum’s The Marvelous Land of Oz introduced Princess Example (P&P): Lydia Wickham has not been welcome Ozma as Oz’s long-lost rightful ruler. A game based on a fic- at Pemberley. But she arrives without warning and appeals tional source usually needs this kind of subsidiary premise. to her sister, Elizabeth Darcy, for help: Her husband George Choosing a suitable premise helps to define the campaign’s is being pressured about his latest gambling debts, not to starting point. repay them, but to connive at some serious crime. Lydia is afraid he’ll get caught; Elizabeth can see the danger of his o I t being blackmailed into worse crimes. ne mpossIBle hIng Can she and her husband thwart the H.G. Wells described his science-fiction stories as making one impossible scheme – and should they save Wick- assumption and working out what it implied. This is what GURPS Space, ham, once again, in the process? pp. 29-30, calls the “one miracle” approach to science fiction. In this book’s Example (P&P): Georgiana Darcy terms, that “one miracle” is the premise of a fantastic story. has more than musical gifts; for several There’s nothing wrong with a story, or a campaign, having more than years, she has been hearing the voices of one miracle. But it’s a good idea to be cautious about adding an entirely new ghosts. On a visit to her aunt, Lady Cath- fantastic premise. The players were probably attracted by the premise of the erine de Bourgh, she realizes that her original source, and want to explore it. A different premise may not appeal cousin Anne has fallen under supernat- to them; and in any case, it’s not what the campaign promised them, and it ural influence. Can her brother and his takes time and attention away from the original premise. new wife help her uncover the mystery? Philosophers talk of Occam’s razor, the principle that the simplest explana- tion that actually works is the best. Storytellers and campaign designers can F AntAstIC think in terms of Wells’ razor: The fewer and simpler premises a story has, the more easily the audience will accept it. pRemIses Campaigns set in fantastic worlds are founded on fantastic premises – that is, on m p assumptions that the world is different from what most peo- undAne RemIses ple believe in some important way. The Odyssey assumes that Some premises don’t change the nature of the fictional its hero has the favor of the goddess Athena, and more broadly world. Rather, they add detail to it. Pride and Prejudice, for that the Greek pantheon is real. Dracula, 20,000 Leagues Under example, starts out with five sisters of divergent personalities the Sea, Water Margin, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz make and abilities, whose modest fortunes make it both difficult other fantastic assumptions. h C 8 Igh onCept The subsidiary premise for a campaign based on one of Example (Drac.): Lord Godalming’s adventures in the Bal- these works can be either fantastic or mundane. A further kans while avenging his fiancée’s death confirmed his inter- development of the original fantastic premise can inspire est in foreign affairs. As a member of the House of Lords, he a new campaign. Alternatively, a campaign can explore the became involved in foreign intelligence. After two decades, mundane implications of the original fantastic premise. he’s the head of the Balkan section, dealing with bureaucratic infighting, the plots of Serbian nationalists, and hints of more Example (Drac.): Less than a year after their final encoun- sinister forces that he would rather have forgotten. ter with Count Dracula, Jonathan and Mina Harker had twin children – a son, Quincy, and a daughter, Lucy. Now in their teens, both have developed unusual qualities that set them apart from other peo- If you buy the premise, you buy the bit. ple – and have started wondering why. Are they adopted? Under a family curse? Bastards of some – Robert A. Heinlein, Expanded Universe noble family? Their investigations open the door to family secrets perhaps better left hidden. g enRe The difference between fantastic and mundane premises is in a particular genre is promising you that particular sort is part of genre. The word “genre” means “kind.” A genre in of experience. literature or film is a group of works that are seen as similar Because roleplaying games are a social activity, the atti- and that appeal to similar audiences. Many roleplaying games tudes of the other players can also affect your own pleasure. are inspired by a specific genre; GURPS, as a universal game, If the other players have signed up for a game in a particular has sourcebooks for various genres, such as GURPS Fantasy, genre, you can reasonably hope they’ll share your enjoyment GURPS Horror, GURPS Mysteries, GURPS Space, GURPS of it. And since they’ll help create the story, you’re better off if Supers, and GURPS Zombies. they make the kinds of choices that you like, which the genre helps identify. Conversely, genre defines what other players W g m are entitled to expect of you – actions and characters that fit hy enRe AtteRs the assumptions of the genre. Talking about genre may be interesting to theorists and critics. But what does it do for the GM and players? W d g hAt eFInes A enRe To the GM Each genre has its own characteristic types of content and ways of telling stories. Fictional works typical of a campaign’s genre give you a model for your own work. If you know that fairy stories classi- Conventions cally have the participants interacting with anthropomorphic animals and supernatural and inscrutable magical beings, you The conventions of a genre are its particular ways of tell- can set up your fairy-tale campaign to include these elements. ing a story, and the things that storytellers assume in order Or you can intentionally go against that, and instead of the to relate the tale. It’s a convention of epic poetry, for exam- happily nonlinear whimsy found in children’s stories, you ple, that characters speak in verse – and that no one sees any- might play to the brutal morality tales of the original fairy thing strange in everyone speaking in verse. Long impromptu stories – working against the usual expectations of the genre, speeches with perfect scansion don’t need special explana- as a way of surprising your players. tions; they’re just a device for telling the story. One of the GM’s roles is to define the reward structure of Another type of conventions takes the form of limits on the campaign. Primarily, this means awarding bonus points what can happen in a story. For example, classic four-color (pp. B498-499) – so characters who perform genre-appropri- supers don’t kill criminals – not because they’re incapable of ate actions could earn an extra point for that session, whereas it, but because deadly force was considered unsuitable for those who violate genre would forgo it. Some genres also pro- the readers. vide special ways to spend points, such as the training mon- tages of martial-arts stories (see GURPS Social Engineering: Tropes Back to School). In a campaign where character points or des- Tropes originally referred mainly to ways of using language tiny points can be spent on successes (see Retelling the Original in telling a story, such as similes (“he was as brave as a lion”) Story, p. 7), the GM can restrict this to actions that fit the genre. or metaphors (“she was a lioness”). In discussing stories, they now often refer to typical story elements: robots or spaceships To the Players in science fiction, assassins or encrypted messages in thrill- For the players, genre is a basis for predicting what ers, or aristocratic people with mysterious pasts in romance. they’re going to like. If you’ve read or watched dozens of hor- (The website TV Tropes provides many examples.) Much of ror stories, or romances, you can reasonably anticipate that Chapters 2-4 in this supplement is about identifying story ele- you’ll enjoy another one. The GM who says that a campaign ments and defining them in game terms. h C 9 Igh onCept the audience accepts not because of some elaborate rationale but because they’re funny. There are strong elements of humor in Pride and Prejudice, notably in Lizzie’s confrontations with Darcy and with Lady Charlotte. Martial arts (such as chambara or wuxia) was originally a Chinese genre; it’s basi- cally action/adventure, but with borderline fantastic elements based on Buddhist or Taoist beliefs. This is most familiar in film, but Water Margin, a novel, contains almost every element of the genre. Mimetic fiction (also called realistic fic- tion) is about relationships and social con- flicts, often familial, organizational, or political; fantastic elements are excluded, and action/adventure is often kept in the background. Pride and Prejudice has strong elements of mimetic fiction. Mystery starts out with a murder or other crime, and focuses on a detective who has to identify the criminal, whether by bril- liant deduction, systematic investigation, or stubbornness and physical toughness. Dracula has some elements of mystery. Romance is about love and courtship, and most often about couples who are attracted to each other, but can’t or won’t C g ommon enRes get together, often because of differences of social back- ground. In roleplaying games, it’s more often a subplot than A number of genres appear frequently in roleplaying games. the main story. Pride and Prejudice is one of the major sources Action/adventure is about carrying out tasks that involve for romance, though it’s often comedic and even ironic. physical danger, typically in mundane settings. Some versions Science fiction takes off from a speculative scientific or of the swashbuckling genre can be included. technological idea to describe an invention, creature, or Alternate history (or uchronia) involves stories, usually alien world that its characters encounter. Current science but not always mundane, set in worlds where historic events fiction mostly relies on indirect exposition – portraying a happened differently. A common convention is to trace the future society through characters who take its differences change to a specific point of divergence. for granted. Science fiction often takes place in outer space. Fantasy is inspired by myths, legends, or fairy tales, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a prototype for science fic- generally includes magic or the supernatural; a campaign tion, set beneath the seas rather than in space; much of the based on the Odyssey would usually be fantasy. Fantasy often Odyssey can be read as an ancient analogue of science fic- is set in invented countries or worlds where magic is perva- tion, based on the science of navigation. sive, as in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Slipstream and related genres such as bizarro and new Hardboiled fiction and noir films entail some forms of weird introduce fantastic or horrific elements into mundane mystery, but aren’t limited to it; they also include crime genres – without attempting elaborate worldbuilding, unlike drama, stories of political corruption, and “mean streets” fantasy or science fiction. The goal is more to deconstruct the urban fiction, in a grimmer and more cynical analog of usual vision of the world than to offer a different one. mimetic fiction. The scenes of official corruption and abuse Superheroic fiction features people with superhuman pow- in Water Margin are often in this spirit. ers or extraordinary skills, engaged in ongoing struggles of Horror portrays people, creatures, or places that inspire (usually) clearly defined good and evil. It has a whole series fear, which its characters have to endure and overcome. Hor- of standard tropes, including dual identities, code names, and ror often has science fiction or fantasy premises, but they don’t colorful costumes. define it – it can be better if the source of the threat is myste- Thrillers are stories that emphasize tension and suspense, rious or incomprehensible. Dracula is an example of horror. often focused on maintaining a deception while pursuing a Humor (or comedy) can be a mood in almost any genre goal. Stories about espionage, especially realistic treatments (Mood, p. 11), but it can also be a genre in its own right. Char- of it, are a classic example; crime, private vengeance, and psy- acteristic of pure humor is avoidance of grave consequences – chological dramas are other common themes. Physical action because neither life nor fortune is at risk, or because the may be involved, but it’s not the most important element. The heroes are saved by coincidence, or because they’re immune swashbuckling genre is a precursor; its Spanish name, capa y to lasting harm (as with the cartoon figures of Toon). Humor espada, is the source of “cloak and dagger.” The events after often takes off from unlikely or impossible situations, which Odysseus’ return to Ithaca are a classic thriller plot. h C 10 Igh onCept