Stock #37-2707 C i t ontentS n hiS i From the editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 SSue Born to Be Wild . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 by Christopher R. Rice All that stands between sinister sanity-shattering forces An irregulAr Sort oF terror . . . . . . . . .15 skulking in the shadows and the unaware masses of humanity by J. Edward Tremlett are a small group of champions. Maybe – just maybe – it’ll be enough. This month’s Pyramid expands the world of GURPS eidetic memory: the dWyrm . . . . . . . . .22 Monster Hunters, with new options and opponents for those by David L. Pulver who risk their lives to save the world. To make competent, confident heroes quickly, you need young hunterS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 to tap the possibility of wildcard skills; Christopher R. Rice – by Liam Duncan co-author of Dungeon Fantasy Traps – shares his tips for rAndom thought tABle: designing champions that are Born to Be Wild. Utilize ideas for making wildcard skills feel extra special, don over 20 new the importAnce oF StAtic . . . . . . . . . .35 wildcard skills – including Mastermind!, Teamwork!, and by Steven Marsh, Pyramid Editor Criminal! – and unlock the options of wildcard versions of ABout GURPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 techniques, powers, perks, and magical skills. Was that the wind . . . or a ghost? Discover the supernatural secrets behind An Irregular Sort of Terror. Long-time Pyramid contributor J. Edward Tremlett offers insight into three new a C types of spirit-like creatures. You’ll also learn about well over rtiCle olorS a dozen new kinds of ghostly GURPS abilities perfect for any Each article is color-coded to help you find your kind of spirit. favorite sections. When music from our plane of existence attracts an inter- dimensional entity, a cryptid and an urban legend are born; Pale Blue: In This Issue will you survive your encounter against The Dwyrm? In this Brown: In Every Issue month’s Eidetic Memory, your cryptozoological guide (and Green: Columnist GURPS Psi-Tech author) David L. Pulver suggests typical sightings along with those who might be searching for them. Dark Blue: GURPS Features Discover what the horrific effects of these creatures are on Purple: Systemless Features humans, including GURPS stats for both the entity and its transformed host. cover Art Pursuing a primary education is challenging enough Abrar Ajmal . . . but it gets even more perilous when monsters prowl the schoolyard. When the adults don’t know or don’t care about the truth, Young Hunters need to save the world. Add new lenses and traits to define your youngsters using GURPS Monster And some settings defy this split completely, Hunters 1: Champions, discover adventure ideas, and learn how to include the possibili- happily blending the supernatural with ties of GURPS Social Engineering: Back to the scientific for a world in which reality hackers School in your Monster Hunters campaign. In this month’s Random Thought Table, use computer-assisted spellcasting to defeat aliens, you’ll discover how to keep mysteries more vampires, demons, and plagues from outer space! mysterious by adding some well-placed static. Whether you’re looking for new threats or – GURPS Monster Hunters 5: new ways to augment champions who face Applied Xenology those dangers, this month’s Pyramid is sure to make the fight against darkness more exciting than ever before! Editor-in-Chief z STEVE JACKSON Executive Editor z MIRANDA HORNER Chief Executive Officer z PHILIP REED GURPS Line Editor z SEAN PUNCH Production Artist & Prepress Checker z Chief Creative Officer z SAM MITSCHKE Assistant GURPS Line Editor z NIKOLA VRTIS Chief Operating Officer z SUSAN BUENO JASON “PK” LEVINE Page Design z PHIL REED Marketing Director z RHEA FRIESEN GURPS Project Manager z STEVEN MARSH & JUSTIN DE WITT Director of Sales z ROSS JEPSON P m 2 S 2017 yramid agazine ePtember f rom the e ditor t a a of horror defanged ake rmS gainSt as “modern-day dun- a Sea of troubleS, and geon fantasy, but with vampires instead of o W t by PPoSing aSte hem goblins.” So as you’re plan- At their core, nearly all roleplaying games focus around ning your next adven- action. I don’t mean the “using a makeshift hang glider to ture or campaign, chase after a burning jeep absconding with the Declaration think about action of Independence” kind of action (although that’s really and reaction from the cool), but in the sense of “doing stuff.” Tales that don’t PCs’ point of view. focus on heroic agency are just . . . well, stories, at best, Do you want them to with the GM narrating what happens around the PCs. It’s go through the ringer taking that description of the world and acting with it – or reactively like many against it – that makes RPGs really special. horror-movie heroes, This brings us to GURPS Monster Hunters. As I type perhaps with signif- these words, we near the Halloween season, a time of year icant odds of death? where the shadows seem extra murky and danger lurks in Or do you want the the periphery of our vision and the edges of our weather. heroes to emphasize (That’s if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere. If you’re in action, putting their Australia, I’d wager the weather’s nice. That seems like capacities and capabil- a safe bet.) What sets Monster ities to the forefront of the campaign? Depending Hunters aside from your stan- on the players’ interest, you can even mix it up dard horror stories is that the from adventure to adventure; it can emphasize the heroes are expecting – and horrific potential of the scary bits to have the pre- expected – to step up against viously super-effective heroes be seemingly power- the forces of darkness and kick less in the face of a new threat or adversary. their butts. This dichotomy – between W h , a genre (horror) that usually rite ere epitomizes hopelessness, and W n the guns-a-blazing action that rite oW makes the heroes heroic – gives You, gentle reader, also have great agency! Monster Hunters arguably the What do your oracles say about this issue? Is it a widest range out of the box of any monstrous hit, or do you wish something would of the ready-built genres tackled skulk back to the shadows? (And do you have any in recent years by GURPS. You thoughts on the first full GURPS Monster Hunters can steer fairly close to hor- support in a while?) Let us know, privately via ror – traditional or even cosmic [email protected], or by joining the public (pp. 22-28) – or just dress up band of heroes online at forums.sjgames.com. the campaign in the trappings Additional Material: Sean Punch Pyramid, GURPS, Warehouse 23, the pyramid logo, 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. Pyramid is copyright © 2017 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved. Submission of your photos, letters, humor, captions, and marginalia constitutes permission to Steve Jackson Games Incorporated to use them in all media. All such submissions become the property of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated and will not be returned. 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 authors’ rights is appreciated. P m 3 S 2017 yramid agazine ePtember b orn to b W e ild C r. r by hriStoPher iCe GURPS Monster Hunters has amazing wildcard skills their application with some rules from GURPS Power-Ups 7: to let monster hunters do their job. But like new powers, Wildcards. It also takes a look at using a “wild” approach for you can never have enough new wildcard skills. This article powers, perks, and techniques. details numerous common wildcard skills, and broadening t W S aming the ild kill Wildcard skills replace the standard skills in the Basic Power-Ups 7, especially Wild Criticals (Power-Ups 7, p. 26) Set, which become tasks that can be accomplished using and Wildcard Benefits (Power-Ups 7, pp. 10-14). wildcards. Wildcards also give hyper-competency bonuses Use the chart below to determine costs and bonuses of (GURPS Monster Hunters 1: Champions, pp. 28-29, and wildcard skills. Power-Ups 7, pp. 12-13) based on the amount of points spent on them. u W Sing ildCardS They may grant bonuses elsewhere, Wildcard skills such as to damage or reaction rolls. t have greater cost, ogether Wildcard skills thus cost more than ordinary skills, but have greater but for a greater If several wildcards can stand in for a skill scope. In Monster Hunters cam- for the task at hand, use the wildcard with the scope. paigns, it’s especially appropriate to highest full bonus and add the half bonus of any use some of the optional rules from wildcard(s) which include the skill being used. Wildcard Skill Table Wildcard Level: The base relative skill level. Wildcard Points: As per the Hyper-Competency rules Wildcard Cost: The number of character points required to (Champions, pp. 28-29, and Power-Ups 7, pp. 12-13), you get buy the wildcard skill at a particular level. a number of bonus points to expend however you see fit with Skill Roll: The target to roll against for a task. “Attribute” the campaign’s parameters. means the usual controlling attribute for the skill governing Full Bonus: Used to assess certain benefits of high wildcard that task. For instance, somebody with a wildcard at +1 might levels. roll versus DX+1 for Stealth or IQ+1 for Shadowing. Block Half Bonus: Some powerful benefits, like reaction bonuses, and Parry are 3 + [(DX + wildcard level)/2]. use half the full bonus, rounded up. Wildcard Level Wildcard Cost Skill Roll Wildcard Points Full Bonus Half Bonus -3 3 Attribute-3 0 0 0 -2 6 Attribute-2 0 0 0 -1 12 Attribute-1 1 0 0 0 24 Attribute+0 2 0 0 +1 36 Attribute+1 3 +1 +1 +2 48 Attribute+2 4 +2 +1 +3 60 Attribute+3 5 +3 +2 +4 72 Attribute+4 6 +4 +2 +5 84 Attribute+5 7 +5 +3 +6 96 Attribute+6 8 +6 +3 each additional level +12 +1 +1 +1 +1/2 (round up) P m 4 S 2017 yramid agazine ePtember W example, Archery! includes the benefits of Heroic Archer and ildCard Weapon Master (though using the damage bonus above), but ComPlementary bonuSeS only when using that skill. When using a wildcard as a complementary skill, if the W C bonus from the “Half Bonus” column of the Wildcard Benefits ildCard ritiCalS Table (p. 4) exceeds +1, use that as the benefit the wildcard For a Monster Hunters campaign, wildcards start with grants on a successful complementary skill roll (Power-Ups a critical success range of 3-4 and add the half bonus from 7, pp. 25-26) instead of the normal +1. Critical success gives the Wildcard Skill Table (p. 4); e.g., attribute+5 adds 3 to top an additional +1. For instance, for someone with attribute+6 of the range, resulting in critical success on a 3-7. The max- and a half bonus of +3, the range of effect becomes -2, -1, +3, imum half bonus that can be added is +5. If using multiple and +4. skills together (p. 5), only your best skill determines your critical success range. W C S ildCard ombat killS Some wildcard skills are directly combat-related. In Who’s the Master? place of traits like Gunslinger (see Who’s The Master?, below), these skills give a bonus to damage and include Some of these wildcard benefits overlap existing traits; e.g., many of the benefits associated with advantages like Blade! effectively grants Weapon Master for any sharp weapon Gunslinger or Weapon Master; in general, take either while Criminal! gives limited Intuition. Players should always the wildcard or the advantage. In all cases, such skills be allowed to delete or modify these traits from their tem- grant a bonus to damage equal to 1 + half bonus; con- plates to compensate. For example, the warrior (Champions, vert every +2 damage to +1/die, if better. pp. 19-20) can either omit Weapon Master or replace it with Additionally, combat-related wildcard skills may Weapon Master (Non-Bladed Weapons) [35], spending any automatically get the benefits of any advantages the points saved on advantages and/or wildcard skills – perhaps GM decrees are superseded by wildcard skills. This is adding a new one, like Archery! or Fist! noted in the benefits section of each wildcard skill. For e W l xPanded ildCard iSt Wildcards allow all uses of the indicated skills except where Full Bonus: Add the full bonus to resist natural hardships; noted, plus any other application the GM deems thematic. An when determining the critical failure range for disarming asterisk (*) appears next to the name of combat wildcard skills traps, solving puzzles, etc. (e.g., if effective skill is 4, then crit- (see above for special notes about such skills). ical failure is 14 or more, but with Anthropology! at IQ+2, this would be 16 or more) – though 18 is always a critical failure – Anthropology! or to distance and area class (both p. B176) on any skill to which these apply. IQ Half Bonus: Add the half bonus to active defense rolls to From the Incas to the lost Harappan civilization, you know avoid ancient booby-traps, or to active defense rolls against it all, and you know how to survive long enough to get there. weapons with a TL less than (campaign TL ¥ 0.75), round up. This skill completely replaces the following skills: Anthropol- ogy, Archaeology, Area Knowledge (any past specialty), Geog- Archery!* raphy, Heraldry, History, Linguistics, Naturalist, Navigation, Paleontology, and Sociology. It can stand in for Occultism, DX Philosophy, and Theology when answering questions about Robin Hood, Odysseus, and Orion – all amateurs com- what a particular civilization believed. When communicating pared to you. This skill covers Blowpipe, Bow, Crossbow, with primitive cultures, it also functions as Gesture and can be Sling, Spear Thrower, Thrown Weapon (Dart or Spear) and used for the following Influence skills (p. B359) – Diplomacy, related Fast-Draw skills. You can also use it in place of Artil- Fast-Talk, Intimidation (with a Will-based roll), Savoir-Faire, lery for catapult or bow-like weapons. Make an IQ-based roll and Sex Appeal (with a HT-based roll). It can stand in for for Armoury or Connoisseur to recognize, evaluate, or repair either Literature or Research for any roll related to ancient suitable weapons. Use Archery! in place of such skills as peoples, civilizations, etc. When making or reading maps it Acrobatics and Climbing for crossing or swinging from bow- can substitute for Cartography. Finally make a Per-based roll launched climbing lines, and when shooting while dangling to use any of the following skills in a wilderness or unexplored from high places. Use the better of this skill or your motive area: Camouflage, Meteorology, Observation, Survival, Track- skill to shoot from horseback, from a vehicle, etc. ing, and Traps. Use the wildcard for any Per-based skill (Observation, Scrounging, etc.) when the goal is to locate spent arrows or Wildcard Benefits: Ignore penalties due to lack of Cultural well-shaped sling stones, or while aiming with an appropriate Familiarity of primitive peoples or familiarities or tech level weapon. It also allows a Per-based roll after battle to recover penalties for using equipment covered by this skill. and repair one used arrow, plus one per point of success. P m 5 S 2017 yramid agazine ePtember You can even wield a bow as a melee weapon without ruin- disarm traps, or for Gesture to signal allies. You can also use ing it. Roll against Archery! skill to treat your bow as a baton this skill for Area Knowledge or Current Affairs in places you with Reach 1, for swing or thrust crushing damage. If you spent at least (6 - full bonus) months in. have an arrow ready, you may opt to stab for thrust-1 impal- Make a Will-based roll for Intimidation. Make a Per- ing. You may also parry at 3 + [(DX + relative skill level)/2]. based roll for Observation for “casing the joint” ahead of Finally, if using Quick-Shooting Bows (GURPS Martial Arts, time, Scrounging, Search, Tracking in cities you have Area pp. 119-120), you roll at no penalty, and as long as your skill is Knowledge for, or Urban Survival. 16 or higher, you don’t need to make a roll to Fast-Draw your Wildcard Benefits: This skill stands in for Intuition (p. B63) arrows or nock them. for the purpose of finding easy marks, looking for the best Wildcard Benefits: Ignore penalties due to TL difference, loot, realizing someone is going to narc on you, and so on. improvised gear, and so on. This skill includes the benefits Full Bonus: Add the full bonus to ST for all purposes related of Heroic Archer (Martial Arts, p. 45) – there is no reason to to break-ins – using a crowbar to pry open a door, rolls to use have both this skill and that advantage. a battering ram to knock a door down, etc. Add the full bonus Full Bonus: Add the full bonus to ST to determine how to rolls to spot fellow criminals, security of all types, and powerful a bow you can wield; to Will rolls to retain Aim; to “trouble” (physical, social, or otherwise). Add the full bonus your weapon’s DR when parrying; or as a penalty to others’ instead of half bonus to complementary skill rolls when you’re rolls to hear you use your bow. assisting someone in a criminal act (e.g., as a distraction or Half Bonus: Add your half bonus to Accuracy when you helping to forge records). take an Aim maneuver. Half Bonus: Add the half bonus to reaction rolls from other criminals or seedy types. Computers! Wildcard Techniques IQ You may take a technique and turn it into a wildcard technique. This multiplies the original cost by ¥3 and uses the Hard progres- When it comes to computers, you’re king. sion as the baseline, but allows it to apply to all related skills. For This skill replaces Computer Hacking, Computer example, Dual Weapon Attack! could be used for dual pistols, pistol Operation, Computer Programming, Cryptogra- and knife, knife and sword, and so on. Wildcard techniques are phy, Electronics Repair (Computers), Expert Skill especially effective when combined with Targeted Attack (GURPS (Computer Security), and Mathematics (Com- High-Tech, p. 252), as champions often have to decapitate or stab puter Science and Cryptology). their foes in the heart! Furthermore, it can stand in for Brain Hack- ing (in campaigns that have it), Current Affairs to know about the newest models or advancements in computers, Engineer (Electronics) when design- Blade!* ing new computer hardware, any Electronics Operation skill that uses a computer or computer-like interface, Intelligence DX Analysis when mining data, Psychology or Interrogation when See Champions, p. 29, for details on this skill. trying to understand the mind of an AI or interviewing one, or Wildcard Benefits: You have half the usual penalty to make Scrounging when looking for spare parts. It can stand in for a Rapid Strike (see Melee Attack Options, p. B369) or to parry Accounting, Cartography, Counterfeiting, Forgery, Research, more than once per turn (see Parrying, p. B376). or Speed-Reading when creating, seeking, reading, or altering Full Bonus: Add the full bonus to your damage (every +2 to digital files via computer – but not when working with printed damage translates to +1/die, if better). Add your full bonus ¥ 2 or written records! It can be used as any Influence skill when for the purposes of Parrying Heavy Weapons (p. B376). “social engineering” passwords or log-ins, showing off your Half Bonus: When using an applicable technique (e.g., knowledge to others, etc., or when dealing with computer pro- fessionals, IT guys, artificial intelligences, and so on. Armed Grapple or Targeted Attack), add your half bonus to negate technique penalties to determine skill level, though this Wildcard Benefits: Ignore the Indomitable trait for AIs or never gives a net bonus. robots with IQ 6+, as if you had Empathy. Full Bonus: Add your full bonus when repairing comput- Criminal! ers and add your bonus to restored HP (but do not increase the cost of the repairs). Add your full bonus to rolls to avoid DX or mitigate HT-related computer hazards (e.g., computer This skill covers Climbing, Crossbow or Throwing for viruses that can affect living and non-living beings, nano- lobbing grapnels, Escape, Fast-Talk, Filch, Forced Entry, tech, exhaustion due to coding all night, etc.). Intimidation, Pickpocket, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth. Make Half Bonus: Add your half bonus to active defense rolls an IQ-based roll for Accounting to hide or find illegal funds, against robots or AI-controlled machines (e.g., drones with Architecture for locating building access or secret rooms, onboard weapons); as an Accuracy bonus when firing com- Connoisseur for pricing expensive or rare items, Counterfeit- puter-controlled weaponry of any type; or to negate penalties ing, Electronics Operation (Security or Surveillance), Forgery, due to Time Spent (p. B361), allowing you to use any of these Holdout, Lockpicking, Merchant for selling stolen goods, Pan- skills faster with little to no penalty. handling, Shadowing, Smuggling, Streetwise, Traps to spot or P m 6 S 2017 yramid agazine ePtember Cop! of Engineer as long as you’re dealing with electricity in some way. IQ It can work as Lockpicking when dealing with electronic You’re a police officer cranked up to 11. This skill completely locks, and Camouflage, Holdout, or Smuggling to hide any replaces Criminology, Forensics, Law, Lockpicking, Intelli- electronic device (alarms, transponders, bugs, etc.). It can gence Analysis, Interrogation, Savoir-Faire (Police), Shadow- be used as Explosives or Traps to rig any device that uses an ing, Streetwise, and Tactics. You can make a DX-based roll electronic detonation system. Electronics! can also be used in to wield any traditional “police” weapon (nightstick, pepper place of Mathematics, Meteorology, Physics, or Physiology spray, TASER, etc.), to operate any authorized police vehicle, when answering questions about how electricity relates to a when making a Stealth roll, or when using an unarmed attack given system (bodies, weather patterns, etc.). It can stand in to restrain or subdue a subject (this includes using handcuffs, for any skill roll required when piloting UAVs, drones, etc. zip-ties, etc.!). This applies to firearms – in particular, Gun Make a Per-based roll for Search or Traps when the objec- (Pistol), Gun (Shotgun), and Gun (Rifle). The wildcard can tive is to find a hidden electrical device, or for Scrounging be used in place of Throwing for tear-gas canisters, and to when trying to locate parts. You can make a DX-based Elec- replace Explosives (Demolitions) when setting door charges. tronics! roll when using Beam Weapon, Brawling, Gunner, It can stand in for Electronics Operation (Surveillance or Innate Attack, Shortsword, etc. for electrical weaponry or Security) or Photography when surveilling a target. attacks like stun guns, cattle prods, ultra-tech electrolasers, You can use the wildcard for Area Knowledge for your and so on. particular beat or precinct; Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, Intimida- tion, or Psychology when talking to witnesses or suspects; Wildcard Benefits: You can make a skill roll at -1 to know the and Administration, Computer Operation, Research, or Writ- exact state of any gear you’re using. Success means you know ing when filling out reports, taking statements, or looking for its battery power, if it’s damaged, what year it was made, etc. information on a database. It can stand in for Public Speak- Full Bonus: Add the full bonus to restored HP (but do not ing when making being interviewed by news media. Make a increase the cost of the repairs) when repairing electronics; to Per-based roll for Body Language, Detect Lies, Observation, HT-based rolls to resist electrical attacks, afflictions, etc.; or to Search, and Urban Survival when used in the line of duty. HT to any device you are redlining or using extra effort with. Half Bonus: Add the half bonus as an Accuracy bonus when Wildcard Benefits: You can spend Wildcard Points for firing electricity-based weaponry of any type, or when custom- Favors in play. As well, this is an especially broad skill that izing electronics-based gear for an ally for (full bonus - 1, min- can cover many different actions; if it’s a key part of “being a imum of 1) uses. If sabotaging electrical equipment, the half cop,” the GM should allow it. bonus becomes the enemy’s penalty to use it! Full Bonus: Add the full bonus to all rolls for your Intuition (p. B63) or Empathy (p. B51); to resist Influence skills when Encyclopedist! it comes to doing your job right (add half your bonus to resist Influence in other circumstances); or to recognize criminals IQ and other law-breakers. If it’s trivia and you don’t know it, no one does. You are a Half Bonus: Add the half bonus when making Assistance savant with facts – not just knowing, but retaining and finding Rolls (Champions, p. 27) for your department; to damage (or them. This skill completely replaces Area Knowledge, Con- as a penalty to resist) when making non-lethal attacks; or to noisseur, Current Affairs, all Expert Skills, all IQ-based Hobby any roll requiring a Quick Contest to fool or trick criminals. Skills, all IQ-based Professional Skills, and Research. The GM can also allow you to roll against your Encyclopedist! skill in Detective! place of a IQ roll to know, remember, or find any isolated fact or bit of trivia. IQ This wildcard can stand in for Administration for know- See Champions, p. 29, for details on this skill. ing a given bureaucracy’s rules; Architecture or Cartography for interpreting blueprints or maps (but not creating them); Wildcard Benefits: Gain the benefits of Empathy (p. B51); Astronomy (Observational) for reading the sky; Computer though none of the bonuses or penalties) to know when some- Operation to search a database; Games, but only for knowl- one is lying, but use this skill instead of IQ. edge of the rules, not skilled play; Linguistics to determine Full Bonus: Add the full bonus to casual Perception rolls to what a given language is; and Philosophy or Theology for notice clues when no skill would apply, or to rolls for Intuition understanding different religions and overviews of their (p. B63) or Empathy. holy texts. Half Bonus: Ignore up to the half bonus in penalties due to In the right circumstances, Encyclopedist! can replace Time Spent (p. B361), allowing you to use any of these skills any IQ-based skill (even if the skill normally has another con- faster with little to no penalty. trolling attribute). For example, you could make an IQ-based Piloting roll to know what the FAA regulations are or what a Electronics! given manual for an airplane might tell you, but not for pilot- IQ ing the airplane. It cannot be used for skills you could not have If it has a circuit board or uses electricity, you know how to begin with. For example, you could use it for Expert Skill to make it, break it, operate it, or create it. This wildcard (Demonology), but not use it for Hidden Lore (Demons). completely replaces Electrician, Electronics Operation, Wildcard Benefits: Ignore penalties for Geographical and and Electronics Repair. It also stands in for any specialty Temporal Scope (p. B176). P m 7 S 2017 yramid agazine ePtember Full Bonus: Add your full bonus to any roll that notes a parry with your firearm at 3 + [(DX + relative skill level)/2]. See bonus for Eidetic Memory (p. B51), including recall rolls for Champions, p. 29, for further details of this skill. Speed-Reading; or to Contests against Influence skills, Gam- Wildcard Benefits: Reduce the Recoil of any firearm you bling, Merchant, Politics, Strategy, etc. rolls trying to deceive wield by 1/3 your full bonus, rounded down; this can reduce you about facts. the Recoil to a minimum of 1. Half Bonus: Apply the half bonus on any roll where using Full Bonus: Add the full bonus to ST to determine what Encyclopedist! might be helpful as a complementary skill. weapons you can wield via minimum ST. Add the full bonus to Will rolls to retain Aim. Fist! Half Bonus: Add your half bonus to Accuracy when Aiming. DX From street-fighting to T’ai Chi, you know what you’re Inventor! doing. Use this skill to make all unarmed attacks; this includes IQ using weapons that can be wielded using an unarmed skill, See Champions, pp. 29-30, for details on this skill. such as brass knuckles or improvised fist loads. It replaces Boxing, Brawling, Judo, Karate, Parry Missile Weapons, Wildcard Benefits: Treat any tool kit or lab (Champions, Sumo Wrestling, and Wrestling. The damage bonus from p. 56) you have as if it were one category better for equipment this wildcard applies even when you bite, use fist-loads, or modifiers: a belt kit becomes equivalent to a box kit, a field other natural attacks. You get the improved Retreat bonus kit is as good as a shop kit, and a shop kit gives an additional when parrying and you are considered to be using a “fencing” bonus equal to 1/3 your full bonus, rounded down. weapon when you do so, but aren’t penalized for encumbrance Full Bonus: Add the full bonus as either a bonus or a penalty or when parrying kicks or weapons. when rolling on the table under Weird Technology (p. B479). You can roll against this skill in place of any physical roll Decide after you roll! made when in combat while fighting unarmed, such as Acro- Half Bonus: Add the half bonus to your or allies’ rolls to batics, Climbing, Jumping, and so on. Make an IQ-based roll operate anything you create. for Savoir-Faire (Dojo) in social situations, Fast-Talk to use Specious Intimidation (p. B202), Tactics for close-in unarmed fighting, etc. Make a Per-based roll for Body Language or This might help. I’ve mass- Observation to figure out if someone is about to sucker punch you, or Detect Lies when someone is making a threat he can’t produced a small device that, when back up physically. Make a Will-based roll for Intimidation placed on individual Dominators, if you are threatening someone with your unarmed fighting skills (“I should warn you: I can kill anyone with my thumb”). will cause indescribable agony. You may also use it instead of Forced Entry when you are Not the nicest invention, attacking doors, windows, and other inanimate objects. but this is war. Wildcard Benefits: Ignore Hurting Yourself (p. B379) com- pletely. You never suffer the penalty for striking or parry- – Dr. Martin Stein, ing with your off hand (p. B17). You’re always considered Legends of Tomorrow #2.7 armed for the purposes of Parrying Unarmed (p. B376), but though you are still “armed” when Parrying Unarmed Attacks (p. B376), you must make an opposed roll of Fist! vs. the skill the opponent defended with. Success means you roll damage Lore! normally. This is better than Aggressive Parry (Martial Arts, p. 65); don’t use both. IQ Full Bonus: Add your full bonus + 1 to your damage (every See Champions, p. 30, for details on this skill. +2 to damage translates to +1/die, if better); when making a “basic unarmed attack” technique (e.g., Kicking, Choke Hold, Wildcard Benefits: You never suffer cultural or physiology or any similar attack from the Basic Set), add your full bonus penalties when dealing with monsters. Additionally, you can to the penalty to determine skill level, though this never gives make a roll against Lore! - 1 to notice anything odd – curses, a bonus; and bonus ¥ 2 for the purposes of Parrying Heavy blights, faeries in the basement, etc. – that happens to ani- Weapons (p. B376). mals, crops, or people in an area where you’ve lived for at least Half Bonus: Add the half bonus when you Retreat (in addi- (5 - full bonus) months. tion to the already improved retreating bonus you get). Full Bonus: Add the full bonus to your Will when making Fright Checks caused by supernatural beings and effects. Add Gun!* the full bonus to rolls to resist supernatural abilities of any specific creature you’ve previously examined or encountered. DX Half Bonus: Add the half bonus to your reaction or Influ- You can wield a firearm as a melee weapon without ruining ence skill rolls against nonhumans. Add your half bonus to it. Roll against Gun! skill to strike with a longarm as a baton at active defense rolls if you succeed on a Lore! roll (use the Reach 1, for swing or thrust crushing damage. For handguns, modifiers from Occultism, GURPS Monster Hunters 2: The treat as if you had brass knuckles (p. B271). You may also Mission, p. 8). P m 8 S 2017 yramid agazine ePtember W P m t S ildCard ath and agiC radition killS Particularly potent magic users may possess wildcard Half Bonus: Add the half bonus to rolls to attack or skills devoted to a Path skill or a Tradition (introduced in defend against animals or non-sapient plants (IQ 5 or GURPS Thaumatology: Ritual Path Magic). Here is one less). All the half bonuses from Path! (see below) apply example of a Tradition. All Path skills are based on the as well. wildcard described below. Path! Druidism! IQ IQ You know secrets of a particular Path that only lesser Your magic is like a green and growing forest. This mages can dream of. This skill subsumes one particular skill subsumes Animal Handling, Disguise (Animals), Path skill, as well as Thaumatology – making the latter Naturalist, Navigation, Pharmacy (Herbal), Veterinary, redundant if you only wish to cast spells. It also stands and Weather Sense. You can make a Druidism! Instead in for Alchemy, Herb Lore, or other such skills when of Religious Ritual or Theology when answering druidic making charms or conditional spells based on the chosen questions. Make a Will-based roll for Meditation. Make Path! specialization. This wildcard removes the additional a Per-based roll for Survival or Tracking. Druidism! also requirement for needing a Path of Magic effect for creat- functions as any Hidden Lore specialty appropriate for ing a conditional spell as long as the spell could be cast druids in the campaign. It can stand in for Herb Lore with your skill alone. when creating ritual path magic herbals (see The Old Ways A Per-based roll can help you determine if a subject in Pyramid #3/56: Prehistory). is under enchantment or help you unravel a spell. Make This wildcard can function as any Path skill that relates a Will- or HT-based roll when resisting spells that your to animals, plants, nature, weather, etc. It can stand in for skill covers. divination using ogham-script wands, reading the future Wildcard Benefits: You can spend a character point (or by watching birds, and so on. spend a Wildcard Point) to gain a one-use Energy Reserve Wildcard Benefits: If higher, Druidism! skill replaces (Magic) equal to (your full bonus) ¥ 5. So Path of Mind! at the roll required for traits like Oracle, Intuition, Common attribute+4 gives you Energy Reserve 20 (Magic) to spend Sense, and similar traits. It can also replace Influence on a spell, which translates to +6 to a single roll using skills when used on animals, sentient plants, nature spir- voluntary sacrifice. its, and the like – someone with this skill does not need Full Bonus: When determining how many conditional Animal Empathy, Plant Empathy, or Spirit Empathy to spells you can have active at one time – as long as they are affect such beings! Add all the bonuses from Path! (see spells you could cast with your Path! skill – add your full below) as well. bonus to your skill. Add the full bonus to Path level when Full Bonus: Add the full bonus to resistance for any using the Golden Rule (Ritual Path Magic, p. 24). threat found in nature (toxic mushrooms, Komodo dragon Half Bonus: Add the half bonus to damage or healing bacteria, etc.) or other druidic magic. All the full bonuses dice for your Path! skills. from Path! (see below) apply as well. Mathematician! bonuses associated with these traits. If you know this skill at IQ+3 or higher, Lightning Calculator is upgraded to Intuitive IQ Mathematician (p. B66). If you know this at IQ+7 or higher, You’re a supercomputer. This wildcard covers Account- Absolute Direction is upgraded to 3D Spatial Sense (p. B34). ing, Cryptography, Mathematics, Economics, Engineer, If you know this skill at IQ+10 or higher, Absolute Timing is Finance, Market Analysis, Navigation, and Physics; math- upgraded to Chronolocation (p. B34). When using this skill ematical applications of Astronomy; Sociology to perform as a complementary skill (p. 5) or when combining wildcard sociometry (GURPS Social Engineering, p. 81); Gambling to skills (p. 4), use the full bonus if knowing the odds, exact estimate probabilities; and Mind Block to hide your thoughts dimensions of an item or area, etc. would help the master behind calculations. skill. Finally, Mathematician! allows a roll against full skill as It can also serve as a complementary skill to any roll that per Oracle (p. B72) to derive information of mundane signifi- would benefit from mathematical modeling; this normally cance from vast quantities of numerical data. takes one minute, but uses modifiers for Time Spent (p. B346). Full Bonus: Add the full bonus to contests against any Examples include trajectory analysis for an aimed shot, hit- skills trying to deceive you about numbers, such as odds, ting the ground at the right angle when falling, or statistical dimensions, or counts (cards, troops, etc.). Add to Observa- analysis to predict an enemy’s movements. tion vs. visual deceptions (e.g., shuffling around troops con- fusingly, or fancy card-sharp tricks); to Detect Lies vs. verbal Wildcard Benefits: This skill includes the benefits of “bafflegab” about numbers, such as embezzlement or fraud; Absolute Timing (p. B34), Absolute Direction (p. B34), and to rolls to recall numbers or formulas. Lightning Calculator (p. B66) – but does not include the skill P m 9 S 2017 yramid agazine ePtember Half Bonus: Add the half bonus to all reaction rolls from Half Bonus: Add the half bonus - 1 when you use this skill engineers, scientists, math geeks, etc. The half bonus can as a complementary or directive skill. Add the half bonus negate penalties for Time Spent (p. B346) when performing for assistance rolls (see Patrons and Influence, GURPS calculations, but never gives a bonus. Monster Hunters 2: The Mission, pp. 26-27), if applicable to the campaign. Mastermind! Medic! IQ You have a plan. You always have a plan. This skill stands IQ in for Administration, Diplomacy, Finance, Intelligence See Champions, p. 30, for details on this skill. Analysis, Leadership, Politics, Propaganda, Public Speaking, Wildcard Benefits: Treat any first aid kit or medical lab Savoir-Faire, Strategy, Tactics, and most aspects of Teaching. (Champions, p. 56) you have as if it were one category better It counts as Body Language and Gesture to “read” and signal for equipment modifiers: a belt kit becomes equivalent to a box those you lead; Detect Lies if your underlings try to deceive kit, a field kit functions as a shop kit, and a shop kit gives an you; First Aid to bandage them; and Psychology to under- additional bonus equal to 1/3 your full bonus, rounded down. stand them. Finally, you can use this as a complementary or Full Bonus: Add the full bonus to HT rolls to resist diseases directive skill when coordinating allies. or toxins; HP restored via First Aid (p. B424); and to reaction Wildcard Benefits: Ignore Cultural Familiarity penalties for rolls from anyone who’s benefited from your Medic! skill. anyone under your leadership or who is considered your ally. Half Bonus: Add the half bonus to resist supernatural infec- Furthermore, if there is a limit on the number of Gizmos for tions such as lycanthropy or a zombie virus. the campaign, you add 1/3 your full bonus (round to the near- est whole number) to this limit. Psychologist! Full Bonus: Add the full bonus for others to hear and understand you. When leading a group, add your full bonus IQ to your followers’ Fright Checks, rolls to resist supernatural You are a true expert on of the mind – both your own mind control or persuasion, self-control rolls to disadvantages and others. This skill replaces Brainwashing, Criminology, that inhibit working well as a group or taking orders, morale Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, Hypnotism, Interrogation, Politics, checks, etc. Add your full bonus to spot impostors for anyone Propaganda, Psychology, and Sociology. Make a Per-based you’ve led before. Add your full bonus to reaction or influence roll for Body Language, Detect Lies, or Observation. Make a rolls against anyone you’ve led or who watches you work (your Will-based roll for Autohypnosis, Dreaming, Meditation, or skill is impressive!). Mind Block. W P ildCard erkS A perk which normally requires specialization can be of gear it applies to. The person must have had the item, turned into a wildcard perk. This costs 5 points instead weapon, vehicle, etc. for at least six months (starting of 1, but allows it to function as all specialties of that equipment always counts). perk. For example, Sure-Footed! [5] (GURPS Power-Ups This does come with a downside: those who’ve claimed 2: Perks, p. 8) lets you ignore the -2 to attack and -1 to a bonus for a particular item (weapon, tool kit, crowbar, defend for bad footing in general, not just in one situa- hovercraft, etc.) must use that piece of equipment in any tion. Where this is underwhelming, the GM may expand subsequent circumstances that require such an item! They its benefits, by extrapolating from its existing ones, look- invoked their “Schrödinger’s bond,” so now they’ve always ing at related perks, or just getting inventive. For example, been bonded to it . . . If there’s a reason to use some other Iron Body Parts! [5] (Perks, p. 6) should give the character bow/spaceship/kit, it requires a Will roll for the individual DR 1 (Tough Skin) on any body part that doesn’t already to force himself to set aside his beloved whatever, and he have innate DR, along with +3 to all ST or HT rolls to suffers -1 to all rolls to use the alternate gear. If he cannot resist locks, choking, etc. This always requires GM adju- get his bonded item for some reason, he doesn’t need to dication, as some wildcard perks can be overpowered; if make a Will roll, but he’s still at -1. so, charge more (like 10 points), add minor drawbacks, or Each Gear Bond! only ever applies to one item within simply forbid it. each category – one firearm, plus one vehicle, plus one lab An example that needs GM discretion is the Weapon or tool kit, and so on. (The GM decides whether two pieces and Equipment Bond perks. of gear fall into the same category.) Even dual-wielding requires two Gear Bond! perks. For example, a com- Gear Bond! mando with Gear Bond! 2 [10] might have two Colt M1911s (guns) and a favorite backpack and tent from his 5 points Army days (camping gear); he’d get +1 on all rolls to use This wildcard perk comprises Equipment Bond, them, but would have to make a Will roll to use any other Vehicle Bond, Weapon Bond, and similar “gear enhancer” handguns, camp with any other tent, and so on, unless he perks. This gives +1 to skill rolls while using any piece has no choice . . . but either way, he’s at -1. P m 10 S 2017 yramid agazine ePtember