Pyramid 3-77 Combat

Stock #37-2677
In This
®
Contents Issue
For many games, combat is somewhere around Plan A,
Plan B, or . . . well, the only plan. Fortunately, this issue of
From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Pyramid is here to help you rally the troops, hone your aim,
and get into battle. Whatever era or genre you play in, there’s
Combat Writ Large . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 something sure to be of interest here.
by Sean Punch When you’re facing an ogre, killer robot, or alien face-
worms, you’re ready for Combat Writ Large. GURPS giant
Low-Tech Armor Loadouts Sean Punch collects, unifies, and expands the rules for fighting
for the New World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 larger things. The effects of size on attack, defense, grappling,
by Dan Howard and more are all here in one place – along with a few new
rules to cover edge cases! (And remember that when you fight
Eidetic Memory: Ancient Egyptian smaller things, you are the “giant” . . .)
and Roman Armies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
If you like historical accuracy and ready-to-use equipment,
by David L. Pulver you’ll love Low-Tech Armor Loadouts for the New World. Dan
Howard – author of GURPS Loadouts: Low-Tech Armor –
On Target . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 offers some insight into the hard work that went into forging
by Douglas H. Cole that supplement, as well as seven new sets of armor loadouts
for Spanish conquistadors, Aztec war leaders, Shoshone war-
It’s a Threat!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 riors, and more.
by Christopher R. Rice Perhaps conflicts a bit larger than a melee skirmish are
on your mind. If so, get ready to go to battle with Ancient
Random Thought Table: Egyptian and Roman Armies. These two armies for GURPS
Faster, Combatants! Kill! Kill!. . . . . 36 Mass Combat are presented by that supplement’s author,
by Steven Marsh, Pyramid Editor David L. Pulver, in this month’s Eidetic Memory offering. Pit
these two armies against each other, or use either one in your
Odds and Ends. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 own massive conflicts!
featuring Murphy’s Rules For more possibilities for the Aim maneuver in GURPS,
we have some optional rules that are On Target. Crafted by
About GURPS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Douglas H. Cole (scribe of GURPS Martial Arts: Technical
Grappling), these rules will let you use an All-Out Aim,
learn the Quick Aim technique, or experience critical
successes and critical failures like never before.
Article olors C Are you trying to craft effective dangers for GURPS
Dungeon Fantasy heroes? Now you can make sure
Each article is color-coded to help you find your favorite
It’s a Threat! Prolific Pyramid penman Christopher R.
sections.
Rice codifies how threatening all Dungeon Fantasy
Pale Blue: In This Issue monsters are (up through Pyramid #3/76: Dungeon
Brown: In Every Issue (humor, editorial, etc.) Fantasy IV) by describing each one’s Offensive Rat-
ing, Protective Rating, and Combat Effectiveness Rat-
Green: Columnist
ing . . . and providing the rules to calculate your own!
Dark Blue: GURPS Features This month’s Pyramid also features a Random
Purple: Systemless Features Thought Table for those who want to fight faster, plus
Odds and Ends that encourage you to take a breath
and enjoy a new Murphy’s Rules that’s given its best
Cover Art Interior Art shots. Unleash your combative nature with this issue
Eric Wilkerson Greg Hyland of Pyramid!
Editor-in-Chief z STEVE JACKSON Managing Editor z MIRANDA HORNER Chief Executive Officer z PHILIP REED
GURPS Line Editor z SEAN PUNCH GURPS Project Manager z STEVEN MARSH Chief Operating Officer z SAMUEL MITSCHKE
Assistant GURPS Line Editor z Production Artist & Prepress Checker z Marketing Director z BRIAN ENGARD
JASON “PK” LEVINE NIKOLA VRTIS Director of Sales z ROSS JEPSON
Page Design z PHIL REED & JUSTIN DE WITT
Pyramid Magazine 2 March 2015

From the
Editor
Rats? Rats! mopping the floor with us. I (in character) expressed relief that
I was safe outside bravely guarding the others’ backs.
My favorite combat ever as a player was one I didn’t even We eventually dispatched the rats (my cowardly self is
participate in. using the royal “we” there) and healed up, all the while laugh-
It was a fantasy game at a convention. We’d progressed ing and reveling in how we hadn’t noticed that these “nor-
through the dungeon crawl without much incident, and the mal-sized rats” were larger than trained attack dogs.
players (who didn’t know each other beforehand) were getting It was an amazingly fun, lively combat, and certainly one
along well. that doesn’t just stick in my mind solely because the GM – who
In one room, I decided to take up guard duty outside while I’d only met at that convention for the first time – ended up
the rest of the heroes investigated inside. (It made sense in becoming my wife.
character.) Once inside, the heroes were attacked by rats. Regardless of the exact mayhem, mishaps, and merriment,
Thinking it was no big deal, the PCs attacked and were coun- we hope that you have beloved melee memories of your own
terattacked by the rodents. The rats inflicted heavy damage . . . and we especially hope that this Pyramid continues to be a
on the heroes, while the heroes were having a hard time dis- wonderful part of your own gaming memories.
patching the vermin.
Guarding outside – hearing the turmoil both in and out of
character – I ask, “How big are these rats, anyway?” Write Here, Write Now
The GM says, “Oh, they’re normal-sized rats,” and holds Your comments help us improve our publication. How
out two hands about 3’ apart. are you using this material in your campaign? What do you
We all start exclaiming about how “normal sized” these wish we’d write about? Let us know via private feedback at
3’ rats were, and understanding more clearly why they were pyramid@sjgames.com, or join the public discussion online
at forums.sjgames.com.
Special Thanks: Douglas H. Cole and Christopher R. Rice
Pyramid, GURPS, Warehouse 23, the all-seeing pyramid, 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 © 2015 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.
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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.

Combat
Writ Large by Sean Punch
A recurring theme in dungeon crawls, off-world bug-hunts, SM-to-Hexes Table

and monster horror – not to mention GURPS Q&A – is com- Sizes in hexes are ordered (hexes front-to-back) ¥ (hexes
bat between human-sized heroes and larger creatures. The side-to-side).
GURPS Basic Set and its supplements offer many scattered
rules for this. Now it’s time to unify those and fill the gaps. SM Sleek Boxy Upright
These rules often use “monster” to refer to the fighter with 0 2 ¥ 1 1 ¥ 1 1¥1
the higher Size Modifier (SM). Remember that when adven- +1 3 ¥ 1 2 ¥ 1 1¥1
turers fight smaller creatures, they are the monsters! +2 4-5 ¥ 1 3 ¥ 2 1¥2
+3 6-7 ¥ 1 4-5 ¥ 3 2¥3
+4 8-10 ¥ 1 6-7 ¥ 4-5 3 ¥ 4-5
Size Refined +5 11-15 ¥ 1 8-10 ¥ 6-7 4-5 ¥ 6-7
Size Modifier is important but not the whole story. Height +6 16-20 ¥ 1 11-15 ¥ 8-10 6-7 ¥ 8-10
and width, area occupied, and reach also matter. These
dimensions depend on not only SM but also morphology – Reach
particularly on whether the figure has Horizontal (p. B139) or Huge fighters enjoy superior reach in melee combat. Add
No Legs (p. B145). the bonus described in Size Modifier and Reach (p. B402) to the
upper end of reach for melee weapons and unarmed attacks
Size in Hexes with limbs or Strikers. Always mark reach from the counter’s
Per Multi-Hex Figures (p. B392), practically all SM +1 and edge. Treat bites as reach C or use this more complex option:
larger creatures fill more than one hex. Hex count isn’t a strict What a Long Neck You Have! For a Horizontal figure, add
function of SM – a towering giant could have a modest “foot- bonus reach to bites, too, but measure total reach from the
print,” while an impossibly flat slime might engulf acres. For center of the figure toward its head. Since bites start at reach C,
a quick-and-dirty estimate, however, consult the “Longest they remain limited to close combat unless the bonus exceeds
Dimension” column of the Size Modifier Table (p. B19), read half the figure’s length (rounded up). For upright monsters,
“yards” as “hexes,” round down (but never to less than one bites are always close-combat attacks.
hex!), and then follow these guidelines:
For instance, a snaky SM +6 dragon that is 16 hexes long
• A sleek (horse-like) or snaky (dragon-like) Horizontal but has a mere +7 reach can only bite foes in close combat;
figure uses full SM to work out length in hexes, but is a mere much of its counter is neck, so attacking with teeth means
one hex wide – though it might bulge an extra hex or two near moving its head hex into its victim’s hex. A boxy SM +6 pred-
the limbs. ator that’s 11 hexes long could exploit +7 reach to snap at foes
• A boxy Horizontal figure (boar, elephant, muscular pred- within a yard of its head on the battle map. And a SM +6 giant
ator, etc.) uses one SM smaller to determine length in hexes might punch at reach 7, but bending over to chomp is an awk-
and two SM smaller to find width in hexes. ward close-combat move.
• An upright being (like a giant) has a footprint found by
using three SM smaller for front-to-back thickness in hexes
and two SM smaller for side-to-side width. Height Effects
There’s also the issue of what each combatant can reach.
Semi-Upright (p. B153) figures fight as if upright, but the Use Combat at Different Levels (pp. B402-403) with the follow-
GM may treat them as boxy when they drop to run. The ques- ing refinements:
tion of sleek vs. boxy for Horizontal creatures is entirely a fea-
ture. Sleek monsters are more likely to shove smaller figures 1. Assess each fighter’s effective SM. This is full SM for
when turning (Didn’t See You There, p. 6) while boxy ones are upright figures. Horizontal ones have ‑1 to SM, plus an extra
harder to dodge in head-on slams (Defense vs. Slams, p. 9). ‑1 if they lack legs and travel by slithering, rolling, or similar.
The SM-to-Hexes Table (below) summarizes the ranges these Examples: A SM +1 lion has effective SM 0, a SM +1 serpent
rules imply for SM 0 (human size) to +6 (10 times human size). has effective SM ‑1, a SM ‑1 rattlesnake has effective SM ‑3,
and a SM ‑3 housecat has effective SM ‑4.

2. Consulting the Size Modifier Table (p. B19), use the defends at ‑1 for a three-foot difference, ‑2 for a four-foot dif-
“Longest Dimension” column to find an effective height to go ference, or ‑3 for a five-foot or larger difference.
with effective SM. This is not the same as true height; e.g., all
Those who can move in three dimensions by flying or
SM 0 humans use “six feet,” while Horizontal beasts can rear
swimming can usually ignore height disparities. Other work-
up above standing shoulder height. Record this on character
arounds include climbing a larger opponent (Going for a Ride,
sheets if combat between different-sized beings is common-
p. 10) and picking up a smaller one (Big Strength, p. 10).
place. Examples: Effective height is 6’ for the SM +1 lion, 4.5’
for the SM +1 serpent, 2’ for the SM ‑1 rattler, and 1.5’ for
the housecat. Outsize Body Parts
3. Use the disparity in effective height as “vertical differ- Size Modifier isn’t always uniform. A monster uses the
ence” in Combat at Different Levels. Examples: Against a SM SM of an outsize body part to determine that part’s reach
0 human with effective height 6’, the SM +1 lion is at the and permitted attacks, and whether said attacks can use Huge
same level, the SM +1 serpent uses “up to two feet of vertical Melee Attacks (p. 7). Its opponents use that part’s greater SM
difference,” the SM ‑1 rattlesnake uses “up to four feet of when they attack it – and also when assessing Barely Hanging
vertical difference,” and the housecat uses “up to five feet On (p. 10). Use bodily SM for Incidental Collisions (pp. 6-7),
of vertical difference.” Defense vs. Slams (p. 9), Special Attacks vs. High SM (p. 8),
4. Effects of Reach (p. B403) – including bonus reach from pins, and almost all other purposes.
high SM (Reach, p. 5) – mitigates vertical difference normally. Some specific notes:
Then make these further changes: Born Biters (Martial Arts, p. 115): Increases SM for deter-
mining what a bite can accomplish (Breakpoints, below).
• At “up to six feet of vertical difference,” the larger
Makes the jaw and nose easier for foes to hit.
fighter can target the smaller one’s head, neck, arms, and
Long Arms (p. B53) and Long Strikers (p. B88): Give addi-
torso – not just the head. (If using advanced hit locations
tional reach with all melee attacks (including grapples) using
from GURPS Low-Tech, read “arms” as “shoulders” and
those parts. Make those locations easier to hit, too.
“torso” as “chest.”)
Long Legs (pp. B54-55): Give additional reach with kicks.
• At “over six feet of vertical difference,” the smaller fighter
Add their SM bonus to body SM for the purpose of finding
uses the rules for “up to six feet of vertical difference” – that is,
vertical difference (Height Effects, pp. 4-5), determining what
it’s always possible to attack a colossus’ feet or legs.
the monster can evade for free (Evading, p. 6) or trample
• At any vertical difference, the larger fighter can use a kick
(p. B404), and assessing the creature’s lines of sight. Make
against any part of the smaller one at no modifiers other than
the legs easier to hit and increase the monster’s SM for Sand
those for hit location, kicking, and relative SM. The victim
Through Fingers (p. 7).
Breakpoints
When battling huge monsters, it’s imperative to know opponents needn’t kneel or lie down to grapple it while it’s
what game-changing rules “switch on” at specific SM dif- prone, kneeling, or sitting (p. B370).
ferences. Collecting these: • Monster’s SM is three or more larger than victim’s.
Monster fully blocks the line of sight of its puny rival while
• Monster’s SM is equal to or larger than victim’s. Mon-
kneeling, or while standing up if it’s Horizontal (p. B389).
ster with Constriction Attack (p. B43) can use it. Monster’s
Its tramples do large-area injury (p. B400). It can evade
bite can’t attack internal vital spots (skull, spine, veins/
such tiny enemies without rolling dice simply by paying
arteries, or vitals), dismember anything but small body
+1 movement point (p. B352, and see also Movement,
parts (ears, noses, etc.), or cripple limbs (but can cripple
pp. 6-7). Its bite can attack any hit location, and cripple
extremities, joints, and small body parts), and counts as a
or dismember anything; counts as a two-handed grapple
one-handed grapple (GURPS Martial Arts, p. 115).
for all purposes; and can attempt a pin on a standing foe
• Monster’s SM is one or more larger than victim’s. Mon-
(Martial Arts, p. 115).
ster can “bear hug” its opponent’s torso in order to choke
• Monster’s SM is four or more larger than victim’s.
or strangle (pp. B370-371); it doesn’t have to grapple the
Monster completely blocks the line of sight of its oppo-
neck. It can trample a victim who’s lying down (p. B404).
nent under all circumstances (p. B389).
Its bite can attack any hit location, and cripple or dismem-
• Monster’s SM is seven or more larger than victim’s.
ber anything, and counts as a two-handed grapple for
Monster’s unarmed strikes and attacks with melee weap-
strangling, breaking free, Neck Snap, and Wrench Limb,
ons scaled to its size inflict large-area injury (p. B400).
but as one-handed otherwise (Martial Arts, p. 115).
• Monster’s SM is 10 or more larger than victim’s. The
• Monster’s SM is two or more larger than victim’s.
GM may invoke Small Size and Combat (GURPS Powers,
Monster completely blocks the line of sight of its dimin-
p. 76), letting Lilliputian rivals crawl inside the monster’s
utive foe while standing up (p. B389), unless it’s also
armor if its SM is 13 or more larger, enter its bloodstream
Horizontal. It can trample regardless of its victim’s pos-
through wounds if its SM is 19 or more larger, and pene-
ture (p. B404). However, the monster is so huge that tiny
trate its pores if its SM is 44 or more larger.

Evading
Per Jumping (p. B352), obstacles three or
Side Orders more SM smaller than a fighter count only as
minor obstructions that cost +1 movement
GURPS gives you only what you pay for – and SM is a zero-cost fea-
point to bypass (see Movement Point Costs,
ture. While it has upsides and downsides, these roughly balance out.
p. B387). Nothing changes if such an obsta-
Large monsters have some typical traits that the GM may want to add to
cle happens to be an opponent! The monster
stats blocks and racial templates, however.
doesn’t have to roll to evade (p. B368) such a
Strength: As Growth (p. B58) suggests, creatures need ST equal to tiny foe; it just pays a movement point and
about five times height in yards for their SM on the Size Modifier Table keeps going. On a crowded battlefield, apply
(p. B19): ST 10 at SM 0, ST 15 at SM +1, ST 25 at SM +2, ST 35 at SM this generalization:
+3, ST 50 at SM +4, ST 75 at SM +5, and ¥10 ST per additional +6 to SM
You and What Army? The monster pays
(e.g., ST 350 at SM +9).
the extra movement point only once per yard
Hit Points: Per p. B16, HP are usually within 30% of ST – but double
of movement regardless of the number of
HP for Unliving, and quadruple HP for Homogenous or Diffuse.
puny foes that step encounters; e.g., if the
Move: Movement speed increases with SM in a morphology-specific
SM +3 elephant depicted on p. B392 had a
manner that isn’t easy to express. It suffices to say that the GM should
SM 0 man in each of the three hexes dead
increase Move for big monsters. Bonus Move equal to SM is a bare
ahead, it would pay one extra point to evade
minimum.
them, not three.
Damage Resistance: A monster’s hide thickens with size. Consulting
the Size Modifier Table, multiply DR by the ratio of “Longest Dimension” All this assumes the monster steps over
for scaled-up creatures, dropping fractions; e.g., SM +2 notes 5 yards foes. If can’t – or chooses not to – read on!
while SM 0 gives 2 yards, and the resulting ratio of 2.5 would multiply
the DR 1 of a SM 0 wolf to DR 2 for a SM +2 giant wolf. For DR 0 beings, Incidental Collisions
like men scaled to giants, begin with DR 0.5 and drop fractions at the
end; thus, a SM +4 giant with a ratio of 5 gets DR 2. Fantastic beings These rules pertain to monsters three or
often have more DR – they just won’t have less. more SM larger than their foes:
Steamroller! If the monster moves by
Effects of Huge HP means other than walking – rolling, slith-
The Basic Set offers several rules that apply when high-HP beings ering, etc. – the “free” evade also counts as
suffer harm: a free slam attempt (pp. B371-272). Such a
slam requires no roll to hit, and Defense vs.
Collisions and Falls (pp. B430-432): When a creature falls, or collides Slams (p. 9) applies. A creature that has legs
with an immovable object, dice of injury are proportional to HP. (or that can fly) never has to risk a slam; it
High HP and Healing (p. B424): At 20+ HP, multiply HP healed for any may opt to take the free slam, or it may clear
reason by (full HP/10). The rules say to drop fractions – e.g., at 40-49 HP, the smaller figure(s) by stepping/jumping
healing is multiplied by 4 – but if the GM is fine with 47 HP multiplying over them, evading without slamming.
healing by 4.7 (then rounding down), go ahead! Didn’t See You There: If realigning a larger
Shock (p. B419): At 20+ HP, the shock penalty is ‑1 per (full HP/10) of figure with its head after it enters a hex or
injury, dropping fractions. turns sweeps it through a smaller one’s
If using Bleeding (p. B420), it makes sense for the HT roll to be at ‑1 space, don’t use the above rule; instead, treat
per HP/2 lost rather than per 5 HP lost. Thus, a dragon with 40 HP rolls it as a free two-handed shove (p. B372) that
at ‑1 per 20 HP of injury, just as a man with 10 HP rolls at ‑1 per 5 HP. requires no roll to hit. Defense vs. Slams still
Disease (pp. B442-444) might be proportional, too; e.g., a disease that applies to the target’s defense. This shove
takes 1 HP from a man with 10 HP inflicts 4 HP on a dragon with 40 HP. inflicts knockback – only – based on the mon-
That’s sensible when HP loss is shorthand for a countdown (“kills vic- ster’s thrust damage (not doubled, as with a
tims in x days”). Don’t scale localized injury such as infection, or super- deliberate shove). A victim who defends or
natural attacks explained as disease. suffers no knockback stays put, ducking
under or around the monster. One who’s
knocked back at all is swept along – move
the victim’s counter as though it were part of
Stretching (p. B88): As above for arms or legs. Stretching the monster’s!
the neck adds SM for the purpose of biting reach (though not Incidental Tramples: Anybody knocked down by either
what a bite can do) and the monster’s lines of sight, but makes variety of incidental collision may suffer trampling damage
the neck easier to hit. (p. B404) if the monster’s movement continues past the point
of contact. This requires no roll to hit but does allow a dodge at
M ovement
the standard ‑3 for lying down; the victim may retreat by roll-
ing, for the usual +3, but Defense Bonus (e.g., for a shield) is
Huge creatures always obey the rules in Multi-Hex Figures of no value. A hit inflicts trampling damage for half ST (record
(p. B392) when moving, modified as follows. The biggest this for big creatures), which is large-area injury (p. B400).
changes are to Slam and Overrun.

Belly Flop: If a flying colossus lands atop someone, Defense Melee Attacks
vs. Slams applies – and any defense likely suffers the extra ‑2
As p. B19 spells out, SM is a “modifier to rolls to hit you in
for Attack from Above (p. B402). On a hit, use the damage for
combat.” That means all combat – not merely ranged combat.
an incidental trample (above) if the landing was deliberate, or
However, a literal reading of this rule implies that rival SM
Damage from Falling Objects (p. B431) if the monster crashed
‑10 insects would rarely land a blow in a melee, while dueling
(as when incapacitated). Either way, it’s large-area injury and
SM +10 titans would almost never miss. It needs adjustment
the victim’s next turn includes squirming free, giving ‑3 to
for relative size so that opponents of the same SM fight on an
active defenses and allowing at most a step of movement.
equal footing, just like SM 0 humans:
Being Evaded Size Modifiers in Melee Combat: For melee attacks only,
apply the difference in SM as a penalty to the attack rolls of the
Tiny fighters often want to evade huge monsters by duck-
larger combatant. Add it as a bonus to the attack rolls of the
ing between legs and so on. If the evader is one or two SM
smaller fighter, to a maximum of +4. In both cases, this affects
smaller, use the rules on p. B368. The larger creature isn’t big
striking only; grappling works differently (Grappling, pp. 9-10).
enough to prevent the smaller one from pushing past, leaping
over, etc. in the usual fashion. Thus, a SM +1 ogre has ‑3 to hit a SM ‑2 halfling and ‑7 to
If the evader is three or more SM smaller, use whichever of strike a SM ‑6 pixie with melee attacks, while against the ogre,
the following rules applies: the halfling has +3 to melee attacks and the pixie enjoys the
maximum +4 (not +7).
None Shall Pass: If the larger creature rolls, slithers, or oth-
erwise has zero ground clearance – or has legs but is currently
Huge Melee Attacks
sitting, kneeling, or prone – the only way for the smaller one to
evade is to vault over it. The attempt must use DX, Acrobatics, If a creature is seven or more SM larger than its opponent,
or Jumping (not Judo), and suffers an additional penalty equal its unarmed strikes and blows with melee weapons scaled to
to the SM difference. its size deal large-area injury (p. B400), implying that such
Sand Through Fingers: If the larger creature has legs, lev- things are targeting a general area! This suggests a rule:
itates, or otherwise has ground clearance, it will have trou- Swatting Flies: A creature seven or more SM larger than its
ble keeping a small, nimble opponent from evading. Such an target suffers relative SM as a penalty only if it targets a partic-
attempt can use any legal skill, and gets an additional bonus ular hit location (the torso counts). Alternatively, it can simply
equal to the SM difference. try Attacking an Area (p. B414), rolling at +4 instead of at ‑7 or
Regardless of relative SM, the evader still has to cover the worse! The victim’s only permitted defense is Diving for Cover
ground! Use this next rule whenever that is in doubt: (p. B377), and the Defense Bonus of a buckler, cloak, or shield
never helps. A successful defense or a missed attack leaves the
Transit Time: A figure might be so vast (see Size in Hexes, attacker overbalanced: ‑2 to DX and ‑1 to active defenses until
p. 4) that a tiny opponent who successfully evades has insuffi- next turn. Otherwise, the blow does large-area injury.
cient Move to pass through its space in a single turn. If so, the
evader ends the turn next to (if SM difference is two or less), This may seem abrupt: ‑1, ‑2, ‑3, . . ., ‑6, +4. If the GM pre-
atop (None Shall Pass), or beneath (Sand Through Fingers) fers, any warrior attacking a smaller foe can avoid relative SM
the bigger foe. One who’s beside the monster is subject to penalties by attacking a general area:
Incidental Collisions (pp. 6-7) if the creature moves. One who’s Big Swings: Exploiting huge size to pummel entire areas
under it is in the same boat – and if the monster drops to a can blunt the downside of high SM. Roll to hit at a basic ‑3
lower posture for any reason, it inflicts full trampling damage plus SM difference, to a maximum of +4. As a one-SM differ-
(p. B404) instead, no defense allowed! Someone on top is now ence gives ‑2, this isn’t useful until SM is at least two larger.
Going for a Ride (p. 10). Each turn of evading calls for a new The victim defends normally. A successful defense or a missed
Quick Contest. attack leaves the attacker at ‑2 to DX and ‑1 to active defenses
until next turn. A hit uses Random Hit Location (p. B400) and
Attack doesn’t inflict large-area injury.

Some humongous monsters have true area-effect attacks
Larger beings are easier to hit and sometimes have a hard
time striking smaller rivals. The Basic Set rules need refine- capable of hitting many foes at once; if so, the GM should
ment to allow for more sensible scaling, however. specify this.
Man in Black: Look, are you just fiddling around with me

or what?
Fezzik: I just want you to feel you’re doing well.
– The Princess Bride

Special Attacks vs. High SM
Afflictions: The GM might optionally extend Afflic- and Speed/Range Table (p. B550), and use “Linear Mea-
tions and Inanimate Targets (Powers, p. 40) to all large surement” in yards as the cost multiplier. Thus, SM 0 is
combatants, so that tiny stun-guns and the like can’t eas- ¥1, SM +1 is ¥1.5, SM +2 is ¥2, SM +3 is ¥3, SM +4 is ¥5,
ily drop giants. Simply add SM to HT-based resistance SM +5 is ¥7, and each +6 to SM past that is another ¥10
against Afflictions. If modified HT is 21+ after adding SM (e.g., ¥50 cost at SM +10). This doesn’t change things that
and subtracting the Affliction’s HT modifier, resistance much for ogres, elephants, and dragons.
is automatic.
Entangling Weapons: Add SM difference to all rolls to Size and Fear
avoid bad effects due to or escape from bolas, lariats, Per Attacks by Mounts (p. B397), troops charged
nets, etc. scaled to smaller users; e.g., human-made (SM by mounted warriors might have to make Will rolls to
0) bolas give SM +1 ogres +1 to DX rolls to escape or avoid avoid panic. Fighters with SM equal to or greater than
tripping, and to ST rolls against disarms. Oversized weap- the mount’s needn’t roll. Thus, ogres, dragons, etc. won’t
ons can mitigate this, but these weigh and cost more, and flee before knights riding ordinary SM +1 horses, while
give the user ‑1 to skill per extra SM. dragon-riders on colossal wyrms can panic almost anyone!
Fragmentation Damage (p. B414-415): Add SM to rolls Size affects Intimidation (p. B202) as well. Smaller
to be hit by fragments. fighters take relative SM as a skill penalty; larger ones
Poison (pp. B437-439): Delays assume SM 0. Double receive it as a bonus.
them for each +1 SM; halve them for each ‑1 SM. As an optional extension of these ideas, when beings
Pressure (p. B435): At SM +2 or more, multiply injury of different sizes inflict Fright Checks on one another, rel-
from high pressure by SM. ative SM acts as a bonus to the larger party’s rolls and a
Regular Spells (p. B239): Multiply energy cost for penalty to those of the smaller individual. Thus, a SM +4
Regular spells by (1 + SM). This can get out of hand in dragon with Terror gives SM 0 men a free ‑4 to Will, while
high-powered games, with wizards casting spells on, say, the dragon rolls at +4 vs. human-sized opponents with the
SM +43 planets at ¥44 cost. The GM who doesn’t mind same ability.
the extra math can subtract two from SM, consult the Size
Ranged Attacks
In ranged combat, apply absolute target SM as usual.
Defense
Huge fighters wield huge weapons. For blocks, use Damage
However, a further rule does make sense: to Shields (p. B484) to assess the effects of stopping heavy
Close Approaches: For ranged attacks only, being closer blows. Parries require special rules, however – and some
than two yards cancels some penalties for negative SM (but attacks are simply too big.
never results in a net bonus). At one yard, any attacker may
ignore up to ‑2 due to SM. In close combat, the penalty Parrying
ignored is up to ‑4 or the attacker’s own negative SM, which- Big weapons pose two threats to smaller victims who try
ever is more favorable – but remember to apply the Bulk to parry, as described in Parrying Heavy Weapons (p. B376):
penalty (Weapons for Close Combat, p. B391) and note that
targets this close may parry missiles by slapping aside the 1. A weapon three or more times as massive as the defend-
attacker’s hand (p. B376). er’s has a 2 in 6 chance (1-2 on 1d) of breaking the parrying
weapon, rising by +1 per full multiple above three, and modi-
Thus, at two yards, a SM 0 human, a SM ‑2 halfling, and fied further for weapon quality (+2 for cheap, ‑1 for fine, or ‑2
a SM ‑6 pixie all have ‑2 to hit a halfling and ‑6 to hit a pixie for very fine).
with ranged attacks. At one yard, all three ignore up to ‑2 from 2. A weapon that weighs more than the defender’s Basic
target SM, giving 0 vs. a halfling and ‑4 vs. a pixie. In close Lift (BL) if defending one-handed – or 2¥BL if defending
combat, the human and the halfling can ignore up to ‑4 from two-handed – automatically bypasses the parry, disarming an
SM, resulting in 0 vs. a halfling, ‑2 vs. a pixie. The pixie can armed defender if the weapon doesn’t break, or knocking back
approach closely enough to avoid up to her own SM ‑6, and an unarmed defender.
experiences no SM penalties against any of these targets!
This lets tiny beings stand their own height apart and These rules aren’t ideal, though. Unarmed attacks are
enjoy the same modifiers as two SM 0 humans standing their treated as having an effective weight of 1/10 of the attacker’s
height apart. For beings of SM +1 and above, this rule isn’t ST – or full ST, for the attacks under Slam (pp. B371-372). This
needed because range penalties kick in; e.g., titans with SM might seem fine, but consider that BL increases with the square
+10 standing their height apart (‑10 for distance) still have of ST; thus, ST 1 or 2 beings with BL 0.2 or 0.8 and maximum
no net penalty to hit . . . but humans attacking the titans can two-handed parrying weights of 0.4 or 1.6 lbs. can’t parry the
approach closely enough to avoid range penalties yet enjoy 1-lb. or 2-lb. slams of their own kind . . . while ST 10 humans
+10 to hit for size. with BL 20 and maximum two-handed parrying weight of
40 lbs. can parry even the 40-lb. slams of ST 40 monsters.

Perhaps worse, the 4-lb. bite or claw of a ST 40 beast poses no only if the dodge succeeds and the defender’s step is large
significant danger to most human-scale weapons. To fix this, enough to get out of the attacker’s path; e.g., a man barely
use the following: clipped by an elephant’s counter could dive to safety regard-
less of step, but one hit head-on would need to be able to step
Quadratic Natural Attacks: Effective weight of an unarmed
two yards. Without a map, assume the attack is centered, so
attack is 1/20 of the attacker’s Basic Lift (that’s ST¥ST/100) –
step must equal or exceed half of the attacker’s width, rounded
rising to 1/2 of BL (that’s ST¥ST/10) on a slam.
up; e.g., a man charged by a three-yard-wide elephant needs to
This gives consistent ratios of effective unarmed weapon be able to step two yards.
weights to maximum parry weights at every ST. Now ordinary
The GM can also invoke this ruling when an attack other
ST 10 humans won’t be able to parry ST 15+ slams or ST 45+
than a slam is so physically extensive that the only logi-
bites/claws one-handed, or ST 21+ slams and ST 64+ bites/
cal defense is diving aside. The usual candidates are strikes
claws two-handed – and ST 30+ claw swipes will threaten even
involving the entire body rather than just limbs or teeth. Even
serious weapons like 3-lb. broadswords!
unarmed and weapon attacks can work this way if the attacker
Another issue is the independence of the attacker’s ST and
is big enough, though; see Huge Melee Attacks (p. 7).
weapon weight. Even the existing rules have oddities such as
As Being Evaded (p. 7) suggests, a smaller figure can some-
an attacker with ST 24 and an effective fist weight of 2.4 lbs.
times use fancy athletics to tumble under or over a larger one,
being able to use full strength through a hatchet, saber, or
eluding it. The GM may permit this as a defense:
shortsword (three times the minimum ST 8 for those weap-
ons) that only counts as a 2-lb. weapon. Swinging a weapon Evasive Action! Against a slamming attacker too large
makes the brute’s blows safer to parry! Quadratic Natural to permit normal defenses, the defender may make a “free”
Attacks exaggerates this gap. It’s also counterintuitive that, evade attempt of any type allowed against the onrushing foe.
say, ST 10 and ST 30 fighters are equally likely to sweep aside This replaces a standard active defense – and yes, evading is
or shatter defenders’ weapons with their own, because all that easier than dodging in some cases! Failure means being hit.
matters is relative weapon weight. This next rule fixes that: Success sees the monster move through the defender’s space
without making contact.
Weapon Power: For purposes affecting the defend-
er’s parry against an armed melee attack, use the greater
of the attacker’s effective unarmed attack weight or the
weapon’s actual weight. Shields and Size
Thus, a ST 10, BL 20 man with an effective 1-lb. The Defense Bonus (DB) of a buckler, cloak, or shield
punch and wielding a 3-lb. broadsword has a 3-lb. reflects not its absolute size but the extent to which it covers the
attack . . . while a ST 30, BL 180 brute with an effective defender’s body. Therefore, a properly scaled example always
9-lb. punch and the same blade has a 9-lb. attack that gives the user its full DB. However, DB is never of any value
can break other broadswords. For additional realism, against slams, shoves, or tramples by attackers three or more
use this add-on: SM larger than the defender; when a wider assailant slams,
regardless of exact SM; or in Swatting Flies (p. 7) situations.
Punching Above Weight: If effective armed attack
weight exceeds actual weapon weight by a factor of
three or more, the attacker’s weapon risks breakage
when a parry stops it (even if the enemy weapon breaks but
the parry still counts) or when the blow fails to penetrate DR.
Grappling
The Basic Set contains two rules for grappling matches
In those cases, roll for breakage as when parrying, using the between fighters of different sizes:
ratio of effective weight to actual weight.
1. Each point of SM difference gives the larger fighter +3 in
Thus, that brute with a broadsword has a 2 in 6 chance of the Regular Contest for a pin (p. B370). (When following the
shattering the sword against massive DR or a successful parry. advanced rules in GURPS Martial Arts: Technical Grappling,
replace this bonus with +15% to Trained ST per point of SM
Defense vs. Slams difference in all grappling Contests.)
By the rules, when a huge being slams a smaller one – 2. Each point of SM difference gives the larger fighter +1
whether deliberately or due to Incidental Collisions (pp. 6-7) – to hit with a grapple (p. B402). This is instead of the modifiers
the target can block, dodge, or parry. That’s reasonable if the described under Melee Attacks (p. 7), but is capped at +4. A SM
monster is at most two SM larger than its victim and no wider, +1 ogre has ‑7 to punch a SM ‑6 pixie but +4 to grapple, and
though such creatures are usually strong enough for this to this +4 replaces the bonus that Huge Melee Attacks (p. 7) might
be murder on weapons and shields! However, if the attacker give (it’s effectively the same thing).
is any bigger, active defenses become implausible. Use this The first rule applies no matter who initiates the pin; the
optional rule: bigger fighter always enjoys an advantage. The second one
Huge Slams: When one figure slams another that’s smaller matters only when the larger fighter attacks the smaller – do
than it in width (e.g., two or more hexes wide vs. a one-hex- not invert it to penalize diminutive grapplers, who still receive
wide man) – and regardless, when the victim of a slam is three the standard bonus for relative SM (maximum +4) because
or more SM smaller than the attacker – the sole permitted there’s so much to hang on to. It isn’t realistic to let tiny hands
defense is Diving for Cover (p. B377), and the Defense Bonus of grapple gigantic body parts for purposes beyond hanging on,
a buckler, cloak, or shield doesn’t count. On a map, this works though! Handle that as follows:

Barely Hanging On: When a smaller fighter grapples a larger up to half “Longest Dimension” on the Size Modifier Table
one and the relative SM bonus plus the hit-location penalty for (p. B19); e.g., 10 yards for a SM +6 dragon. Otherwise, the
grappling (p. B370) is greater than zero, the smaller grappler climber stays aboard.
can hold on but not exploit the grapple for follow-up moves Rolling over also counts as an attack. The monster simply
(Arm Lock, Choke Hold, Neck Snap, etc.). does it! Its foe can attempt to jump off as his active defense;
use Diving for Cover (p. B377) without any Defense Bonus.
For instance, a SM ‑2 halfling fighting a SM +1 ogre has
A successful defense lets the victim land on his feet next to
+3 to hit for relative SM, even when grappling. The standard
the monster before being rolled on. Failure means suffering
grappling penalties are ‑1 for an arm or a leg ‑2 for a hand or
full trampling damage (p. B404) and ending up lying on the
a foot, and ‑3 for the face or neck, which total +2, +1, and 0,
ground next to the monster. Someone who opts to hang on
respectively. Thus, only the ogre’s face and neck remain vul-
instead of defending automatically takes damage and must
nerable to the halfling’s locks, holds, etc.
roll against DX, best grappling skill, Climbing, or Riding for
that creature, at a penalty equal to the SM difference, or be
Big Strength dislodged (as above) regardless.
Large-SM monsters often have sufficient ST to benefit from On each later turn, the climber can clamber one yard up
two further grappling rules: the monster’s body, usually to get nearer the head. Clinging
and Super-Climbing speed this up normally. This counts as
1. Per p. B370, if the monster’s ST is more than twice that a step, so other actions are possible – but at a basic ‑2, plus
of someone grappling it, its puny attacker merely counts as another ‑2 if the creature attacked or dodged on its last turn.
extra encumbrance. Such an insignificant opponent can’t pre- If the smaller fighter frees a hand, such as to attack, he’s more
vent it from moving away! vulnerable to being bucked or rolled on: apply the same pen-
2. Follow-up moves that involve picking up the enemy after alty (‑2 or ‑4) to DX and DX-based skill rolls, and half of it (‑1
grappling – including basic attempts to lift someone (say, as a or ‑2) to active defenses, against either.
prelude to a bite), as well as the Backbreaker, Piledriver, and If the monster is particularly huge and flat (seven or more
Wrench Spine techniques in Martial Arts – only work on tar- SM difference) – or if the climber has Perfect Balance – the
gets that weigh at most BL¥4 lbs. when using two limbs or BL GM may permit running instead of climbing! In that case, the
lbs. when using just one. This typically lets monsters do bad creature counts as treacherous ground (p. B387): +1 move-
things to victims, but not vice versa. ment point per hex. A running fighter has hands free for other
actions but is still at ‑2 or ‑4 to act. Attempts to avoid bucking
Going for a Ride use the better of DX or Acrobatics; grappling skills, Climbing,
As Being Evaded (p. 7) explains, a combatant who wins and Riding aren’t relevant.
the Quick Contest to evade a figure three or more SM larger Spines: Many monsters have Spines (p. B88). These change
by vaulting over it, but who doesn’t have the Move to clear the damage due to rolling from crushing to impaling, but give
the opponent’s entire body, ends up on top. This is tricky to climbers +2 to rolls to grapple or hang on.
accomplish, though – the smaller indi-
vidual must win an already-difficult
Contest at a penalty equal to the SM
difference. Losing means being unable
to leap high enough to clear a hostile
enemy bent on blocking the way.
You’re a great warrior! And a swordsman! . . .
But what if the smaller fighter climbs And you’re ten times bigger than I am, stupid!
up? That starts with a two-handed grap-
ple of whatever body part is nearest; the – Willow, in Willow
tiny attacker can use the best of DX, any
grappling skill, or Climbing skill. The
target defends normally; smart mon-
ster-riders exploit the relative-SM bonus
to make a Deceptive Attack (pp. B369-370). If the grapple
works, the grappler is now climbing his oversized foe! About the uthor A
Whether the smaller fighter gets aboard by evading or by Sean “Dr. Kromm” Punch set out to become a particle
grappling, later turns are considered climbing. On the mon- physicist in 1985, ended up the GURPS Line Editor in 1995,
ster’s first turn after being boarded and every turn thereafter and has engineered rules for almost every GURPS product
until it sheds its tiny tormentor, the creature may ignore this since. He developed, edited, or wrote dozens of GURPS
annoyance or attempt to buck or roll over. It’s up to the GM Third Edition projects between 1995 and 2002. In 2004, he
whether it can attack something on its body in any other way produced the GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition with David
– a fireproof dragon may well scorch its own hide! Pulver. Since then, he has created GURPS Powers (with Phil
Bucking counts as an attack. Roll a Quick Contest: crea- Masters), GURPS Martial Arts (with Peter Dell’Orto), GURPS
ture’s DX or best grappling skill vs. climber’s DX, best grap- Zombies, and the GURPS Action, GURPS Dungeon Fantasy,
pling skill, Climbing, or Riding for that creature type, at a and GURPS Power-Ups series . . . among other things. Sean
penalty equal to SM difference. Victory means the climber has been a gamer since 1979. His non-gaming interests include
falls. The monster can rear up to ensure a fall from any height cinema, mixology, and Argentine tango.

Low-Tech
Armor Loadouts
for the
New World by Dan Howard
GURPS Loadouts: Low-Tech Armor takes the rules help explain why some types of armor were historically pre-
described in GURPS Low-Tech for designing armor and ferred over others that might seem more obvious choices from
applies them to historical armor. Specific cultures and time the rules in Low-Tech.
periods were selected, the most common or interesting armor I tried to include ethnic terms for all of the pieces of armor,
was researched, and the individual pieces were created using which involved a pile of lexicons and combing through sources
GURPS stats. Loadouts were selected to cover as wide a range in their original language, but sometimes nothing could be
of cultures as possible and to showcase different ways of using found even after weeks of searching. Even finding suitable art-
the Low-Tech armor-building mechanics. work was a challenge, since this loadouts supplement was spe-
Loadouts: Low-Tech Armor had a strict page limit, so cifically about historical armor – illustrations that accurately
many potential loadouts couldn’t make it to the final draft. It depict genuine historical armor are a lot harder to get than
was envisioned that some of those could be kept for an appear- one might think. I ended up doing about half of the illustra-
ance in Pyramid, so it made sense to group them together into tions myself, and my artistic skills are one of the reasons why
a common theme. For this set of loadouts, I decided upon the I chose to be a writer.
New World. Included here are loadouts for Spanish invaders I know that this is a favorite topic for some people. I’ve had
and three native peoples of the Americas: Aztec, Shoshone, many members of the Steve Jackson Games forums come to
and Tlingit. When combined with the original supplement, me with questions or requests for custom loadouts, and have
gamers now have a total of 30 different loadouts from all over been unable to help due to the research time required to do it
the world to use in their campaigns. right. Hopefully this article will go someway toward addressing
those requests. Apologies to all those for whom I was unable to
From the Author provide more useful advice when they asked for my opinion.
Hopefully this article will go someway to redressing that.
This was one of the most difficult books I have ever written.
Each of the 26 entries required a similar amount of research
as writing the equivalent of an Osprey book on the subject, and
all of that research had to be compressed into a digest of one
Seven new Low-Tech Armor loadouts!
to three pages. In addition, a lot of calculations were involved
in determining the various stats for each piece of armor and
putting them into a concise loadout table. Even with comput-
erized assistance, many errors crept into the tables in the ini-
About the Author
tial draft. I’d like to thank Douglas Cole and his team for their Dan Howard has an arts degree in history and classical
relentless search for these miscalculations. studies. He was co-author of GURPS Low-Tech and author of
Several problems had to be addressed: Armors that didn’t many articles and supplements for Steve Jackson Games. Dan
fit neatly into the various categories in Low-Tech were sim- has written a book titled Bronze Age Military Equipment, for
plified. Data on the protective capacity of some armors were Pen and Sword Books Ltd., and has published an e-book called
not available so the DR had to be estimated by using similar Compact Castles (available at warehouse23.com/products/
examples from other cultures. New rules had to be devised to compact-castles). He holds a second dan black belt in Oh Do
Kwan Tae Kwon Do and has competed internationally.

Spanish Conquistador
An arrow, where it finds no armor, pierces as deeply as a or a doublet (doblete) – with or without sleeves – and trousers.
crossbow . . . For the most part when they strike upon mail, Leather boots and gloves were worn by cavalrymen, but the
they break at the place where they are bound together. Those of rest made do with cheap shoes. Once in the New World, they
cane split and pierce a coat of mail, causing more injury than replaced worn-out footwear with yucca-fiber sandals.
the other. Pretty much everyone wore a helmet (casco) – usually a
– “The Gentleman of Elvas” brimmed cabasset, morion, or burgonet (borgonata) style.
Cortez found his men short of head protection, and so he had
In 1492 the Reconquista concluded with the fall of Granada.
additional helmets manufactured once he was secure in Cuba.
This campaign against the Moslems in Spain lasted for seven
In addition to the helmet, many wore a gorget (gorjal) – a
centuries. By the end of it, the nation was impoverished, with
guard that protected the neck and chin. Some had segmented
few assets except for a large army of cynical, battle-hardened
plate munnions that extended out from the gorget to protect
soldiers. The discovery of the New World came at just the right
the shoulders.
time for Spain’s rulers – many ex-soldiers, who might have
turned to brigandage at home, instead sailed for the Americas
to seek their fortune. Shields
Every fighter owned his own equipment and weapons but, Shields (rodela) were medium circular bucklers. Some had
with no uniform or centralized arms manufacture, no two a spike instead of a central boss and a strap to sling it over the
men carried the same gear. Only the wealthiest could afford shoulder when not in use.
custom-made armor. The majority of adventurers cobbled
Rodela: DB 2, $60, 14 lbs., DR 4, HP 20, Cover DR 9.
together equipment from wherever they could. Most of the
armor taken to the New World would have been considered
obsolete in 16th-century Europe. Mexican Strike Force
Plate cuirasses (corazo) were made of good quality Spanish Occasionally, the Spanish were more uniformly protected.
steel but usually only worn by cavalry officers. Full plate har- When Cortez was preparing to attack Mexico, he ordered that
nesses were very rare – only worn by a few commanders. The every man in the initial strike force of 300 men be equipped in
majority of metal armor was mail (malla) – either a short “very good armor, well padded, and a gorget, helmet, leggings,
sleeveless vest (acqueta de malla) that only covered the chest, and a shield.” By this time, many of the Spanish had adopted
or a longer sleeveless variant (cota de malla) that covered the the quilted cotton armor of the natives, which they called
entire torso. A few cavalrymen also wore mail on their legs. escaupil (see Aztec Warrior, pp. 14-15). Treat this as medium
Most conquistadors just had a layered cloth vest (escaupil) layered cloth armor (Low-Tech, p. 103). The gorget probably
or a leather jacket (cuerra). The notable aspect of their armor is included munnions as well. The word “leggings” (antipara)
the lack of protection on the arms and legs – especially on the refers to some sort of padded pants, probably a little lighter
infantry. The only armor most infantry wore below the waist and more flexible than the escaupil; treat as light layered cloth
was a single knee cop (guarda o rodillera) on the leading leg. (Low-Tech, p. 103).
Under the armor was worn a linen or woolen shirt (camisa)
16th-Century Spanish Conquistador – Infantry Loadout

Some wealthier members of the infantry wore a light brigandine (bergandina) over their mail. It covered the chest and abdo-
men: DR 3, cost $900, weight 10 lbs., don 30 secs. Add this to the loadout below and penalize DX by -1 because of armor layering.
Common Name Ethnic Name Location DR Cost Weight Don Notes
Shirt Camisa torso, arms 0 $72 2.4 23
Pants Pantalones legs 0 $48 1.6 15
Mail Shirt Cota de Malla torso 3* $500 12 15 [1]
Gorget Gorjal neck, jaw 3 $80 0.7 4 [2, 3]
– Munnions shoulders 3 $60 1.6 5
Knee Guard Guarda o Rodillera knee 4 $125 0.2 3 [4]
Shoes Zapatos feet 1 $40 2 6
Helmet Casco head 7 $529 4.8 12 [5]
TOTAL – – – $1,454 25.3 83
Notes
[1] -2 DR vs. crushing.
[2] Protects the face on a roll of 1 on 1d.
[3] -1 to combat (see Restrictive Neck Armor, Loadouts: Low-Tech Armor, p. 4).
[4] Covers one knee only.
[5] Protects the face on a roll of 6 on 1d (2-6 from above).

16th-Century Spanish Conquistador – Cavalry Loadout
The combination of padded pants and knee cops gives a total DR of 6 on the knees.
Padded Pants Antipara legs 2* $150 12 20
Breastplate Peto chest 7 $4,690 7.5 17
Backplate Dos back 4 $1,875 3 17
Fauld Faldaje abdomen 5 $1,125 6 12
Mail Sleeves Guardabrazo arms 3* $250 6 8 [1]
Knee Guards Guarda o Rodillera knees 4 $250 0.4 6
Gloves Guantes hands 0* $15 0.5 10 [4, 5]
Boots Botas feet, shins 0* $108 2 10 [5]
Helmet Casco head 8 $2,645 4.8 12 [6]
TOTAL – – – $11,680 45.4 140
Notes [3] -1 to combat (see Restrictive Neck Armor, Loadouts:

[1] -2 DR vs. crushing. Low-Tech Armor, p. 4).
[2] Protects the face on a roll of 1 on 1d. [4] Gives Ham Fisted 1 (p. B138).
[5] +1 DR vs. cutting.
[6] Protects the face on a roll of 6 on 1d (2-6 from above).
16th-Century Spanish Conquistador – Mexican Strike Force Loadout

The combination of padded pants and knee cop gives a total DR of 6 on the knee.
Padded Vest Escaupil chest 3 $263 15 23
Padded Pants Antipara legs 2* $150 12 20
– Munnions shoulders 3 $60 1.6 5
Knee Guard Guarda o Rodillera knee 4 $125 0.2 3 [3]
Shoes Zapatos feet 1 $40 2 6
Helmet Casco head 7 $529 4.8 12 [4]
TOTAL – – – $1,339 38.8 97
Notes [3] Covers one knee only.

[1] Protects the face on a roll of 1 on 1d. [4] Protects the face on a roll of 6 on 1d (2-6 from above).
[2] -1 to combat (see Restrictive Neck Armor, Loadouts:
Low-Tech Armor, p. 4).
I say that we were on the alert. . . since we never took off

our armored corselets, collars, or leggings by night or by day.
– Bernal Diaz Del Castillo, Conquest of New Spain
Aztec Warrior
The armor which they use in war are certain loose garments a layer of feathers of different colors, making a fine effect . . . for
like doublets made of quilted cotton, a finger and a half thick, neither arrows nor darts pierce them, but are thrown back with-
and sometimes two fingers; they are very strong. Over them out making any wound, and even with swords it is difficult to
they wear a doublet and hose all one garment, which are corded penetrate through them.
behind. This garment is made of thick cloth and is covered with – Companion of Hernan Cortez

In Aztec society, the largest military orders were known as the head of an animal (jaguar, puma, wolf, coyote, etc.). It was
the Eagles (quauhtin) and the Jaguars (ôcelomeh). They dis- held together with a wooden frame and padded with cotton.
tinguished themselves by wearing feathers and animal pelts. The wearer’s face looked out of the open jaws of the animal.
The armor described below was only permitted to those war- Most helmets were adorned with crests made of feathers.
riors who had already proved themselves in combat. Novices, The combination of ichcahuipilli and tlahuiztli provides DR
both common and noble, only carried a shield to battle. Any 3 against all attacks except cutting, which is DR 4. The highest
warrior who excelled in combat could be elevated to the mili- ranking warriors have a feather-covered body suit called a
tary orders (Status 2) and permitted to wear armor. ehuatl, which gives DR 4 against both cutting attacks and light
There were several types of body armor. The main defense projectiles. The armor layering rules (Low-Tech, p. 103) give
consisted of a thick, sleeveless, quilted cotton corselet (ichca- this combination a DX penalty of -1.
huipilli). It proved so effective that Spanish conquista-
dors adopted it themselves, calling it escaupil (see Spanish Shields
Conquistador, pp. 13-14). Treat this as medium layered cloth
Shields (chimalli) were circular and of two main types –
armor (Low-Tech, p. 103). Some classes were also permitted
both medium bucklers but one was lighter than the other.
to wear a full body suit (tlahuiztli) made of light animal hide
The heavier type was made of wood (cuauhchimalli) and the
(see Light Leather, Low-Tech, p. 104). War leaders (Status 3)
lighter variant made of maize cane (otlachimalli) with a facing
wore a feathered tunic (ehuatl) as an additional layer of protec-
of hide. Some had bosses and ornamentation made of cop-
tion (see Feathers, Low-Tech, p. 104). Variants of this garment
per, silver, or gold. Additional protection was gained from a
were put on different parts of the body. Most only covered
curtain of feathers hanging below the shield rim (see Arrow
the torso but some had sleeves and/or leggings. The elite war-
Curtains, Low-Tech, p. 104).
riors sometimes wore limb protection made from barkcloth
Both variants are listed here, but the lighter one should
(see Paper Armor, Low-Tech, p. 106) or wooden guards on the
only be permitted if Damage to Shields (p. B484) is in use.
shins (cotzehuatl), upper arms (matemecatl), and wrists (mat-
zopetztli). These were decorated with fringes of leather thong Otlachimalli: DB 2, $45, 7 lbs., DR 2, HP 16, Cover DR 6.
and feathers. Many warriors fought barefoot, but some wore Cuauhchimalli: DB 2, $60, 14 lbs., DR 4, HP 20, Cover DR 9.
sandals (cactli).
Two types of helmets (cuacalalatli) were worn. One was a A feather shield curtain gives +1 DR against light ranged
pot helm carved from wood, while the other was made from attacks to the thighs but the wielder has -1 Shield skill ($80,
2 lbs.).
Aztec Warrior
Tunic Maxtlatl torso 0 $48 1.6 15
Corselet Ichcahuipilli chest 3 $263 15 23
Body suit Tlahuiztli torso, arms, legs 0* $450 8.3 60 [1]
Helmet Cuacalalatli skull 4 $30 7.2 6
TOTAL – – – $791 32.1 104
Notes
[1] +1 DR vs. cutting damage (see Low-Tech, Light Leather, p. 104).
Aztec War Leader

Tunic Maxtlatl torso 0 $240 1.6 15
Corselet Ichcahuipilli chest 3 $263 15 23
Feathered suit Ehuatl torso, arms, legs 0* $2,900 8 60 [1, 2]
Arm guards Matemecatl upper arms 3 $10 3 10 [3, 4]
Bracers Matzopetztli wrists 3 $10 3 10 [4, 5]
Greaves Cotzehuatl shins 3 $50 15 15 [4, 6]
Sandals Cactli feet (bottom) 1 $25 0.5 6
Helmet Cuacalalatli head 4 $75 7.8 8 [4, 7]
TOTAL – – – – $3,573 53.9 147
Notes [4] Semi-ablative; loses 1 DR per 10 points of basic damage

[1] +1 DR vs. cutting damage (see Light Leather, Low-Tech, it resists (see p. B47).
p. 104). [5] If the arm is hit, on a roll of 1-2 on 1d, the armor is hit.
[2] +1 DR vs. light projectiles (see Feathers, Low-Tech, [6] If the leg is hit, on a roll of 1-3 on 1d, the armor is hit.
p. 104). [7] Gives Hard of Hearing (p. B138) and No Peripheral
[3] If the arm is hit, on a roll of 5 on 1d, the armor is hit. Vision (p. B151).

Shoshone Plains Indian
They have a kind of armor something like a coat of mail, a mixture of glue and sand. Treat as heavy layered leather
which is formed by a great many folds of dressed antelope-skins, (Low-Tech, p. 105). Similar layered leather armor was worn
united by means of a mixture of glue and sand. With this they by tribes from all over the American continent, including the
cover their own bodies and those of their horse, and find it Pawnee, Kutenai, Chinook, Mohawk, and Navajo.
impervious to arrows. Helmets (baki dezowên) seem to have been rare, but what
– Lewis and Clark evidence there is suggests that they may have been made of
hide like the body armor and decorated with a crest of feath-
The Shoshone or “Snake People” consist of several distinct
ers (si’arudona).
groups all sharing a common language. They originally inhab-
After the introduction of firearms and the horse, warfare
ited the Great Basin and Great Plains of North America. By the
changed dramatically. Body armor was quickly phased out,
middle of the 18th century, other tribes such as the Blackfoot,
shields became smaller, and the spear became the primary
Peeagan, Crow, Sioux, and Cheyenne, who were better armed,
hand weapon.
pushed the Shoshone south and west.
Before the introduction of the horse, all combat was con-
ducted on foot. The first stage involved ritualistic singing Shields
and dancing followed by an exchange of arrows. This usually Their shields were of ozier or bark covered with one or many
resulted in few casualties because of the use of large shields symbols; there are some made of very thick hide.
and body armor. Sometimes the battle ended at this stage, but – Joseph-Francois Lafitau
more serious conflicts followed through with a pitched melee.
The Sioux called the pre-horse Shoshone “Big Shields”
The war chief, after a period of chants and songs, initiated a
because of their full-height shields. Before the introduction of
war cry and led his men into a charge. Hand-to-hand fighting
the horse, Shoshone shields (gapêk) were large and circular –
mainly entailed the wielding of stone-headed maces and axes,
reaching from neck to knee or even larger (some covered neck
with scalps being taken as war trophies.
to ankle). They were designed to protect the shield bearer and
In colder weather, Shoshone wore shirts (kwasu) and pants
a companion from arrows. These shields were made of thick
(kusa) made of soft leather or wool. In warmer weather, many
rawhide, osier, or bark with a couple of hand grips on the back
wore nothing but a breech cloth. Most went about with no
and a strap that was slung diagonally across the back and over
shoes, although moccasins were worn in cold weather and
the left shoulder to help support the weight. Treat as a large
when on a long journey.
shield (Low-Tech, p. 116).
Shoshone warriors (Status 1) wore armor (baki kwasu)
made of multiple layers of hide (bigapeh) joined together by Gapêk: DB 3, $90, 20 lbs., DR 4, HP 22, Cover DR 9.
Shoshone Warrior
Shirt kwasu torso, arms 0* $72 2.4 23 [1]
Pants kusa legs 0* $48 1.6 15 [1]
Corselet baki kwasu chest 4 $394 26.3 23
Helmet baki dezowên skull 4 $104 7 6 [2]
TOTAL – – – $618 37.3 67
Notes
[1] +1 DR vs. cutting damage (see Low-Tech, Light Leather, p. 104).
[2] Helmet crest gives +1 SM for Intimidation (see Low-Tech, p. 113).
. . . our shields were not so many, and some of our shields had to shelter
two men . . . Their arrows went a long way and whizzed about us as balls do from
guns. They were all tipped with a sharp, smooth, black stone [flint] which broke
up when it struck anything. Our iron-headed arrows did not go through their
shields, but stuck in them.
– Saukamappee of the Peeagans

Tlingit X’igaa Káa
They encase the entire body in a wooden or leather armor. pass through, much less in the thickest part of the boards. This
They make a breastplate of wood, and an arrow-proof coat of breastplate is bound to the body by the back. They wear an apron
thin flexible strips bound with string like a woman’s stays. They of armor from the waist to the knees of the same character which
wear helmets with curiously carved visors, and a kind of jacket must hinder their walking. Of the same material they cover the
made of thin laths bound together with sinews which makes it arm from shoulder to the elbow, on the legs they use some leg-
quite flexible, though so close as not to admit an arrow or dart. gings which reach to the middle of the thigh, the hair on the inside
– Captain James Cook . . . Before they put this armor on they put on a robe like that of a
woman but heavier and thicker, with certain kinds of work.
Many tribes in the American Northwest – such as the
Tlingit, Chukchi, Tsimshian, Eyak, and Haida – had a mar- The robe that was worn underneath the armor, similar to
tial culture. Raids and feuds were endemic in this region, but the European aketon, was made of a few layers of elk-hide,
warfare was pursued by individual clans rather than the tribe which has been incorporated into the wooden armor stats in
as a whole. The Tlingit were the largest and most aggressive. the table. Under this was a shirt (k’oodás) and pants (x’uskeit)
They were largely responsible for driving out Russian fur made of moose-hide (light leather). Some tribes wore a hard-
traders in the early 19th century. ened leather triangular guard on the back with the central
War parties traveled in large war canoes, with the leader point extending up to protect the back of the head and the
directing from the bow and an elderly matron steering from wings laced to the wrists, enabling it to wrap around the
the stern. The heads of defeated warriors were taken as tro- wearer. It was a rigid construction, hinged at the shoulders
phies, while women and children were captured as slaves. and elbows, and made of wood and hide. Medium leather mit-
A Tlingit warrior (Status 1) was called x’igaa káa. Armor tens (tsáa’) and boots (x’wán) covered the hands and feet.
(sankeit) was largely made of layered leather (Low-Tech, Helmets (shadaa) were made of hardened leather or carved
p. 105) or from wooden slats or rods that were lashed together from chunks of wood. De Suria’s description continues:
into panels (Wood, Low-Tech, p. 106). It consisted of two sec-
They construct the helmet of various shapes; usually it is a
tions – the first covered the chest and was suspended from the
piece of wood, very solid and thick, so much so that when I put
shoulders; the second hung from the waist to protect the abdo-
it on it weighed the same as if it had been of iron. They always
men and thighs, stopping at the knees. Armor was also made
have a great figure in front, a young eagle or a kind of parrot,
of pieces of horn or bone, laced into a lamellar construction.
and to cover the face they lower from the helmet a piece of wood
A few men sported cuirasses of hardened leather with Chinese
which surrounds this and hangs from some pieces of leather
and Japanese coins attached to them (see Bezainting, Low-
in the middle of the head to unite with one another one which
Tech, p. 105). Sometimes wooden wrist guards (jigei át) were
comes up from the chin. They join at the nose, leaving a gap
worn. Tomas de Suria, traveling along the northwest coast in
through which to see.
1791, described a complete wooden panoply in some detail:
These helmets sat on top of the head, and a wooden bevor
The breast and back armor are of a kind of coat of board two
protected the throat. Some helmets were fashioned in the shape
fingers wide, joined by thick cord which, with much union and
of a bird or animal head, which would cover the warrior’s head
equality, joins them. In this junction the thread takes an oppo-
with him peering through the closed jaws of the animal.
site direction, it being the case that even here the arrows cannot
Tlingit Warrior
Shirt k’oodás torso, arms 0* $48 2.4 23 [1]
Pants x’uskeit legs 0* $48 1.6 15 [1]
Wood breastplate sankeit chest 3 $75 22.5 23 [2]
Wood fauld – abdomen 3 $25 7.5 8 [2, 3]
Leather head guard – head, shoulders (rear) 2* $40 4.8 12
Mittens tsáa’ hands 2* $10 1.2 3 [4, 5]
Boots x’wán feet, shins 2* $80 3 6 [4]
Wooden full helm shadaa head 3 $30 9 9 [2, 6]
Leather pot helm – skull 4 $105 7 6
Bevor – neck 3 $5 1.3 3 [2]
TOTAL – – – $466 60.3 108
Notes [3] -1 DX for actions involving the legs (see Leg Armor and
[1] +1 DR vs. cutting damage (see Light Leather, Low-Tech, DX, Loadouts: Low-Tech Armor, p. 4).
p. 104). [4] -1 DR vs. impaling.
[2] Semi-ablative; loses 1 DR per 10 points of basic damage [5] Gives Ham Fisted 1 (p. B138).
it resists (see p. B47). [6] Gives Hard of Hearing (p. B138) and No Peripheral
Vision (p. B151).

Eidetic
Memory
Ancient Egyptian
and Roman Armies
by David L. Pulver
These two iconic armies from Earth’s past

can also be easily integrated into fantasy or
Infinite worlds campaigns using the GURPS Mass Combat shows off two great armies.
Mass Combat system.
Egyptian New Kingdom (TL1)

The Egyptian New Kingdom was an empire that held sway Egypt-inspired parallel. Pseudo-Egyptian armies of similar
over ancient Egypt and surrounding lands in Africa and the compositions are also a staple of swords-and-sorcery “desert
Middle East from about 1,500 B.C. to 1,000 B.C. Its army was kingdom” forces, such as the sinister Stygian armies of the
a late TL1 fighting force based around a mix of infantry and Hyborian Age that Conan and his allies sometimes faced.
chariots. The New Kingdom included the reigns of famous pha- (Just add elements of magician-priests and mummies.) The
raohs such as Thutmose I, Seti I, Hatshepsuit, Tutankhamun, New Kingdom Army could even be used as model for any TL1
and Ramesses II. It saw the Egyptian empire reach the apex of force that space travelers might encounter while visiting a TL1
its political and military power. Numerous battles were fought planet – indeed, in a von Däniken-esque space-fantasy cam-
against its African neighbors and old enemies the Libyans and paign in which Egyptians had contact with extraterrestrials,
Nubians, as well as powerful Middle Eastern kingdoms such they might be the low-tech remnants of abducted Egyptians
as the Mitanni and Hittites. Later, the New Kingdom strug- whose culture (without external influence) has remained
gled for survival against invading “Sea Peoples” from Europe largely static for thousands of years!
(perhaps ancestors of the Biblical Philistines) and the power-
ful Assyrians and Babylonians.
The earlier Middle Kingdom of Egypt had developed a The Army
decent infantry force, but it used mainly conscript and levy Statistics are given for a corps-sized force of 4,100 troops,
troops. The New Kingdom army was a more structured force, suitable for a punitive expedition or frontier battle. It would be
incorporating hard lessons regarding professionalism and organized into companies of 200-250 men or chariots. A larger
mobility learned after Egypt’s period of domination under the force might be deployed in major campaign with the pharaoh
warlike Hyksos. The New Kingdom’s need to hold far-flung in command – just use two or three times as many elements.
imperial possessions throughout the Middle East saw its con-
script army replaced by warrior nobles, professional garrison
troops, and foreign mercenaries. Infantry were deployed in
New Kingdom War Chariots
formations organized by weapon type, in large square blocks Light Chariots
of archers, swordsmen, and spearmen, supported by a power- Egyptian chariots are the army’s elite force. The
ful force of light chariots. chariots of Egypt are lighter and more agile than those
The GM could use this army in a GURPS Egypt cam- used by rival states such as the Hittites. They’re built for
paign set in the New Kingdom era. It can also be part of a skirmishing rather than shock action, providing fire sup-
military adventure in the Infinite Worlds setting in an Ancient port to the infantry and countering enemy mobile forces.

Each chariot is pulled by a pair of light horses and carries a New Kingdom Royal Guards
two-man crew: a driver (with a whip) and an archer (in com-
mand). The archer was a warrior noble, skilled with a pow- Medium Infantry
erful composite bow as his primary weapon. He’d also have These are infantry who guard the pharaoh or other royalty.
couple of light spears and maybe a shield and sword, for close They are armed as above with a khopesh or axe and a shield,
combat. The archer wore leather or occasionally scale armor; but upgrade body armor from leather to scale. Some of the
the chariot horses occasionally had light head or chest armor more martial pharaohs were not adverse to personally wading
as well. Tactically, the chariots were organized into troops of into battle, and the royal guard would accompany them (or
10, company-sized squadrons of 25 or 50, and larger units of escort their chariots, if they fought mounted).
250. Egyptian chariots were property of the state and belonged TS: 6. WT: 1.
to the pharaoh’s army. Classes: None. Mobility: Foot.
TS: 4. WT: 4. Quality: Good equipment; Good troops.
Classes: Cv, F. Mobility: Mounted. Features: None.
Quality: Good equipment; Good troops. Cost: $75K to raise; $10.2K to maintain.
Features: None. A force of 4,100 men might have 100 royal guards: 10 ele-
Cost: $250K to raise; $34K to maintain. ments with TS 60.
A 4,100-man force might have 750 light chariots: 75 ele-
ments with TS 300.
The Egyptian empire reached the apex
New Kingdom Infantry of its power during the New Kingdom.
Medium Infantry
Egyptian armies included a sizable block of soldiers who
fought with sword, axe, or spear in close order. They used New Kingdom Archers
medium or small shields for protection. Some wielded the
Bowmen
khopesh, an iconic Egyptian sword of the New Kingdom, with
its distinctive question mark-shaped blade (see GURPS Low- Egyptians were decent archers, but the best composite
Tech, p. 57), which could hook a foe’s weapon. Others had axes bows were only affordable to the aristocratic charioteers.
or short spears (often carrying one of each). Due to the warm The bulk of archers had regular bows and arrows, although
climate and cost of metal in the Bronze Age, most Egyptian they were disciplined troops who fired in volleys. They fought
foot soldiers had light armor – just linen or leather chest pro- on foot and eschewed armor; in the warm climate, Egyptian
tection. Otherwise, they wore a kilt, headdress, and sandals. archers wore only a linen kilt and sandals.
TS: 3. WT: 1. TS: 2. WT: 1.

Classes: None. Mobility: Foot. Classes: F. Mobility: Foot.
Quality: Basic equipment; Average troops. Quality: Basic equipment; Average troops.
Features: None. Features: None.
Cost: $30K to raise; $6K to maintain. Cost: $40K to raise; $8K to maintain.
A 4,100-man force might have 1,500 infantry: 150 elements A corps of 4,100 men might have 500 archers: 50 elements
with TS 450. with TS 100.
Battle of Kadesh (c. 1274 B.C.)

The first battle in the world for which detailed histor- chariot units. Kadesh was the largest chariot battle in
ical documentation exists, this was a struggle between recorded history (as well as the first). The Hittites won the
two great 13th-century B.C. empires – the Egyptians and initial reconnaissance contest, using spies to deceive the
the Hittites. Located in what is now Syria on the fron- Egyptian pharaoh and set up a surprise attack. However,
tiers between the two empires (over a thousand miles Ramesses II turned the battle around thanks to hard fight-
march from the Egyptian capital), Kadesh was a pros- ing and timely arrival of reinforcements. The result was
perous walled city. Initially an Egyptian vassal state, it a bloody stalemate in which both sides claimed victory.
shifted allegiance to the Hittites. To regain control, Pha- The Hittites held Kadesh, but the pace of their expansion
raoh Ramesses II led a large force of chariots and infan- slowed. Eventually, a historic peace treaty was signed
try on a lengthy northern campaign against his Hittite between both empires.
rival Muwatellish. Kadesh’s historical interest as the “first documented
In 1274, several thousand Egyptian met a similar num- battle” and the chance an altered ahistorical decisive out-
ber of Hittite soldiers on the plains outside Kadesh. The come could alter the time line in favor of a greater Hit-
Hittites were approximately similar in composition to the tite or greater Egyptian empire makes it a good target for
Egyptian forces, but with weaker infantry and heavier meddling by parachronic or time travelers.

Mercenary
Light Infantry
New Kingdom Army Roster Light Infantry
This represents a force of 4,100 troops. It would be accompanied by a logistic An Egyptian army usually
force of several hundred camp followers. included a few hundred unar-
mored irregulars who fought in
Elements: 335. Cost: $27,000,000 to raise, $4,152,000 to maintain. loose swarms armed with bow,
Elements Total TS Classes Mobility Features light spear, or javelins. Most were
75 war chariot 300 Cv, F Mounted – Nubian (African), Syrian, Libyan,
(light chariots) Bedouin, or Palestinian mercenar-
150 infantry 450 – Foot – ies; many may have been former
(medium infantry) prisoners of war who opted to enlist
50 archers (bowmen) 100 F Foot – in the pharaoh’s armies rather than
50 mercenary skirmishers 100 Rec Foot Mercenary return home. They were usually
(light infantry) used for scouting, foraging, and
10 royal guards 60 – Foot – operations in rough terrain.
(medium infantry) TS: 2. WT: 1.
Artillery TS 0 Classes: Rec. Mobility: Foot.
C3I TS 0 Quality: Basic equipment; Aver-
Cavalry TS 300 age troops.
Fire TS 400 Features: Mercenary.
Recon TS 100 Cost: $40K to raise; $8K to
maintain.
Force TS 1,010
A corps of 4,100 men might
have 500 mercenary light infantry:
50 elements with TS 100.
Early Imperial Rome (TL2)

The armies of Imperial Rome need little introduction – for A full-strength legion (commanded by a legate of senato-
several centuries, their professional legions were the most rial rank) was organized into 10 cohorts each with about 480
effective and disciplined fighting force in the known world. troops, each cohort under a military tribune; the first cohort’s
These descriptions are based on the legions of the early commander was the legion’s official second-in-command.
Imperial period (the Principate) after Augustus reorganized Cohorts were also often used for independent missions or
the legions – that is, about 25 A.D. to 100 A.D. However, outlying garrisons. Each cohort was subdivided into six cen-
they’re broadly accurate for legionary forces in the period 100 turies (each under a centurion), with a fighting strength of 80
B.C. to 100 A.D. (a major change being the lack of organized men. The senior centurion of the first cohort (Primus pilum)
heavy auxiliary troops in earlier periods). had high rank, often being the legion’s most experienced offi-
These troops can be used in a GURPS Imperial Rome cer. The smallest subunits were squads of six to 10 men who
campaign or in historical parallels that are based on ancient shared a tent and fought together. (Late in the first century
Rome in the GURPS Infinite Worlds setting. They are also A.D., the first cohort in each legion was reorganized with two
reasonably appropriate for GURPS Fantasy’s slightly later double-strength centuries.)
period Roma Arcana setting; the troop statistics won’t change The legion probably spent as much or more time digging
that much in Roma Arcana, aside from some minor details of and building as they did fighting. A legion on the march always
organization. With some names altered, the Roman forces can constructed a fortified camp (equivalent to improvised forti-
also be used for any TL2 fantasy empire with regular troops or fications) each night. They also built more permanent forts,
for regressed human colonies in a space-opera setting. bridges, and the famous Roman roads. All legions contained
soldiers who were also artisans, builders, or surveyors.
The Legions Although Rome rarely deployed artillery on the battlefield,
each legion included a force of light bolt throwers for sieges
The core of the Roman army, a legion is a brigade-sized unit
and camp defense. A legion also had a small cavalry force (120
of about 4,400-5,000 troops plus about 1,000-1,200 noncom-
or so riders) as scouts as messengers.
batants (the logistic force). During the first three centuries of
A major campaign might have multiple legions serving
the empire, the Roman army contained 25 to 34 legions, each
together, while a minor incident might see only a cohort or
with its own name and number, e.g., legio VI Ferrata. Legions
two, or a century-sized unit, being deployed. (Rome also had
were recruited from Roman citizens (most coming from rural
fleets and marines – organized like legionary infantry – but
Italy during the early empire).
these are beyond this article’s scope.)

Auxilia Veteran Legionaries
Equally important were the auxiliary forces Rome recruited Heavy Infantry
from noncitizens in the provinces or allied kingdoms. During Veteran legions included a high proportion of crack
the prior Republican and Civil War eras, auxiliary units were troops and long-service veterans, often gathered into its first
irregular barbarian troops employed on an ad-hoc basis and two or three cohorts to serve as a striking arm. They are
retaining their original organizations – slingers from the identical to the above troops, but are classed as Elite rather
Balearic isles, Gaulic cavalry, etc. than Good quality.
Under Augustus and succeeding emperors, the auxiliary
forces were reorganized. They were still recruited (via a mix TS: 10. WT: 1.
of volunteer service and conscription) mainly from nonciti- Classes: None. Mobility: Foot.
zens, but they were given Roman-style organization and reg- Quality: Good equipment; Elite troops.
ular salaries. They were expanded in size until their numbers Features: None.
approximately equaled that of the legions. Auxiliary soldiers Cost: $140K to raise; $15.2K to maintain.
were paid less than legions, but long service resulted in a A cohort of 480 legionary veterans consists of 48 elements
grant of Roman citizenship. with TS 480.
Auxilia were grouped into regiments of 400-500 (quinge-
naria) or 750-1,000 (milliaria) either as infantry cohortes,
cavalry alae (“wings”), or mixed cohortes equitatate. They Regular Auxiliary Infantry
might be deployed independently or attached in part or full Heavy Infantry
to a legion. They were commanded by a praefectus cohortis These were similar to legionary soldiers, but recruited
or praefectus alae (Roman or a tribal aristocrat). A cavalry ala largely from noncitizens. They wore helmets and chainmail
was subdivided into 16-24 turmae of 30-40 riders. An infantry or scale shirts and had oval rather than square shields. They
cohort was subdivided into six centuries like that of a legion’s carried a couple of javelins rather than the specialized pilum,
cohort. A mixed force would have six centuries of 80 men and but used the same gladius (short sword) and pugio (dagger).
perhaps four turmae of cavalry. Auxiliary infantry often garrisoned border forts or outposts;
in large battles, they tended to serve on the flanks. Many
were raised from Ilyria or Dalamatia (in the Balkans), Iberia
(Spain) or Galatia (what is now Turkey).
For specifics on armor worn
TS: 8. WT: 1.
by individuals in the Roman army, Classes: None. Mobility: Foot.
see GURPS Loadouts: Low-Tech Quality: Good equipment; Good troops.
Features: None.
Armor. Cost: $100K to raise; $13.6K to maintain.
A cohort of 480 regular auxilia consists of 48 elements with
TS 384.
The Army Equites Alares or Equites Legionis
Statistics are given for a single early Imperial legion and
supporting auxiliaries. Light Cavalry
Regular Roman auxiliary cavalry were recruited from
tribes or provinces with a tradition of horsemanship. In the
Legionaries early empire, more than half of the cavalry were Gauls. The
Heavy Infantry alares wore a helmet, a chainmail or scale cuirass, and carried
The strength of Rome was its heavy infantry. Legionaries an oval medium shield. They were armed with a broadsword
were highly drilled professional soldiers who fought in close (spatha), dagger, and used a thrusting spear. They rode unar-
order. In this period they wore open helmets and chainmail mored horses and did not have stirrups. (Later in the empire,
shirts (lorica hamata) and were protected by large rectangular heavier cavalry and horse archers were also recruited.)
shields (scutum). They were armed with a short sword (glad- Besides the independent cavalry units, a legion had a
ius), a dagger (pugio), and the pilum, a heavy javelin whose similar cavalry detachment (120 equites legionis) for scout-
metal shank bent on impact, rendering a struck enemy shield ing and messenger duties, recruited from good riders among
unwieldy and preventing the weapon from being throw back the legionaries.
(see GURPS Low-Tech, p. 73).
TS: 5. WT: 2.
TS: 8. WT: 1. Classes: Cv, Rec. Mobility: Mounted.
Classes: None. Mobility: Foot. Quality: Fine equipment; Good troops.
Quality: Good equipment; Good troops. Features: None.
Features: None. Cost: $300K to raise; $44K to maintain.
Cost: $100K to raise; $13.6K to maintain.
An ala of 480 men had 48 elements with TS 240. A legion’s
A cohort of 480 legionaries consists of 48 elements with integral cavalry or mixed cohortes equitatate unit had some
TS 384. 120 riders (12 elements) of cavalry with TS 60.

Roman Army Roster
This roster details the troop strength of one legion (11 cohorts, three of them veteran), an ala of equites alares, a
cohort of regular auxiliary infantry, a cohort of Syrian archers, and an ala of Numidian cavalry.
Elements: 742. Cost: $80,044,000 to raise, $10,763,200 to maintain.
Elements Total TS Classes Mobility Features
144 Veteran Legionary (heavy infantry) 1,440 – Foot –
384 Legionary (heavy infantry) 2,688 – Foot –
48 Regular Auxiliary Infantry 384 – Foot –
12 Equites Legionis (light cavalry) 60 Cv, Rec Mounted –
48 Equites Alares (light cavalry) 240 Cv, Rec Mounted –
48 Equites Numidarum (light cavalry) 96 Cv, Rec Mounted Mercenary
48 Sagittarii (bowmen) 144 F Foot Mercenary
10 Legion Artillery (20) Art Foot –
Artillery TS (20)*
Cavalry TS 396
Fire TS 144
Recon TS 396
Force TS 5,054
* Counts as only 2 TS for Force TS
To represent the legion’s integral engineering talent, the GM may wish to allow up to 10% of the heavy infantry to
convert to an equivalent number and quality of miner elements in any siege situation.
Equites Numidarum Classes: F. Mobility: Foot.

Quality: Good equipment; Average troops.
(Numidian Cavalry) Features: Mercenary.
Light Cavalry Cost: $60K to raise; $12K to maintain
Much of Rome’s light cavalry were “Numidians” from the A cohort of 480 men consists of 48 elements with TS 1,440.
regions now referred to as Algeria and Morocco. They were
called equites Maurorum or equites Numidarum (Moorish or
Numidian cavalry). They were irregular forces that rode bare- Legion Artillery
back and had no body armor and only a light shield. They Light Artillery
carried quivers of multiple javelins. Being mercenaries rather A mix of stone-throwing ballistae or onager (one per cohort)
than regular auxiliaries, they did not always serve for the same and very light bolt-throwing carroballistae (one per century).
length of time in the army, but some experienced Numidian
forces would be Good rather than Average. TS: (2). WT: 1.
Classes: Art. Mobility: Foot.
TS: 2. WT: 2. Quality: Good equipment; Good troops.
Classes: Cv, Rec. Mobility: Mounted. Features: None.
Quality: Basic equipment; Average troops. Cost: $100K to raise; $13.6K to maintain.
Features: Mercenary.
Cost: $100K to raise; $20K to maintain. Ten elements have TS (20).
An ala of 480 Numidians consists of 48 elements with TS 96.

About the Columnist
Sagittarii (Auxiliary Archers) David L. Pulver is a Canadian freelance author. An avid sci-
ence-fiction fan, he began roleplaying in junior high with the
Bowmen
newly released Basic Dungeons & Dragons. Upon graduat-
In the Republican period, most auxiliary archers were ing from university, he decided to become a game designer.
Cretans. By the Imperial period, bowmen from Syria and Since then, David has written over 70 roleplaying game books,
Thrace were in the majority. Syrians wore a scale cuirass and and he has worked as a staff writer, editor, and line developer
conical helmets, and used a powerful composite bow. (In addi- for Steve Jackson Games and Guardians of Order. He is best
tion to bowmen, slingers from the Balearic Isles off Spain – known for creating Transhuman Space, co-authoring the Big
light infantry – were widely used in the Republican period, but Eyes, Small Mouth anime RPG, and writing countless GURPS
seem to have been less common during the early Imperial era.) books, including the GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition,
TS: 3. WT: 1. GURPS Ultra-Tech, and the GURPS Spaceships series.

On Target by Douglas H. Cole
Having mastered the task of holding the rifle steady, the sol- on your shot. No fuss, no muss, and repeated Aim gets you a
dier must align the rifle with the target in exactly the same way bigger bonus.
for each firing. The firer is the final judge as to where his eye In real life, shooters can experience the satisfaction of
is focused. obtaining, in an instant, precisely the desired sight picture.
– ArmyStudyGuide.com (not affiliated with the U.S. Army) Perhaps more frequently, they spend many seconds lining up
a shot, only to have the aimpoint wander all over the target,
When engaging targets with a gun, taking time to aim
never quite good enough.
before firing results in far better outcomes. In GURPS, the
These suggestions add more randomness and character skill
current rules are easy and deterministic. An Aim is followed
to Aim maneuvers. They assume time spent choosing an option
by any variety of attack, and you collect your weapon’s Acc
and rolling dice is more fun than simply stating, “I Aim.”
Retargeting the Aim Maneuver

Using the rules as presented in the Basic Set, after a turn half the usual range, target size, and hit location penalties for
of Aim, you get your Acc bonus, whether shooting at an auto- a shot, rounding to nearest whole number.
mobile at seven yards or a zombie’s eye at 700. The following
options can add variability and challenge to Aim and Accu- Sights and Skill Modifiers
racy. They can be combined as desired.
All abilities that add to a shooter’s skill add
to the Aiming roll as well, including gear such
Lazar: Mr. Bond, bullets do not kill. as reflex and laser sights.
Telescopic sights, which constrict field of
It is the finger that pulls the trigger. view, penalize the Aiming roll in equal measure
James Bond: Exactly. I am now aiming to the Acc they will add on a success. Using a
scope inflicts Tunnel Vision (p. B151) as well.
precisely at your groin. So speak or forever
hold your piece. Bracing
Adding an extra hand to a pistol, or another
– The Man with the Golden Gun point of stable contact to a longarm, counts
as bracing the weapon (p. B364). You may
only claim the bracing bonus while moving if
Aim as a Skill Roll the bracing moves with you: Two hands on a pistol, a two- or
three-point sling, or a dedicated weapon mount (such as the
Instead of automatically getting an Accuracy bonus by Articulated Weapon Harness, GURPS Ultra-Tech, pp. 150-151)
declaring the Aim maneuver, aiming successfully requires a qualify and allow movement.
DX-based Guns roll, subject to penalties impacting the abil-
ity to line up a shot, including range, target size, lighting and
darkness, unstable surfaces, target movement, and wind and
Critical Success and Critical Failure
weather conditions. Critical success on an Aiming roll provides a bonus equal
There is no penalty beyond a wasted turn for failing to Acc+2, or 2¥ the weapon’s inherent Acc – whichever is
an Aiming roll. See Wobbly Aim (p. 28) for an alternate greater. The weapon’s Acc does not include aiming aids, but
take, and Critical Success and Critical Failure (below) for does include items like match bullets, which increase mechan-
options on both extremes. ical accuracy. Alternately, the GM may instead allow a critical
success to result in the Aim being a free action. The spike in
Accuracy that results from a critical success only lasts for the
Aim Small, Miss Small next attack.
The options (p. 25) used with an Aiming skill roll include A critical failure makes the weapon Unready.
some substantial boosts for giving up defenses and movement. See Critically Awesome, Critically Awful, p. 25, for more
As such, they are balanced by penalties to Aiming rolls: Apply interesting options for both cases.

Aiming Options Fixed Accuracy
If using Aiming rolls, but not Variable Accuracy (below),
Similar to the various flavors of attack maneuvers, there
can be a continuum of options for Aiming depending on add Acc+1 to skill for the attack. The +1 is to give a reward
how much situational awareness is to be retained. All listed for the delayed gratification inherent in rolling for Aim, and
effects are cumulative. The bonuses and penalties for All-Out to ensure even Acc 0 weapons benefit to some degree (though
and Committed Aim mimic the effects of temporarily obtain- see Crappy Guns, p. 28).
ing something like the Single-Minded advantage (p. B85).
Variable Accuracy
All-Out Aim To simulate variable sight picture, every time the rules
The shooter applies total focus to nothing but his weapon call for adding Acc to the shot, substitute a die roll: 1d-4+Acc
and his target, actively tuning out distractions. It is a good (minimum 1). This will provide an effective 10¥ variability in
choice for sniping, hunting, and target shooting. the quality of the initial sight picture, but the upper limit is
equivalent to the Acc achievable by aiming for multiple sec-
• +4 to Aiming rolls. onds (the maximum roll is Acc+2). Shots that would normally
• +2 to Aiming rolls if your weapon is braced (p. 24). require maximum Acc could now take many seconds to line
• You have Tunnel Vision (p. B151). up – this happens in the real world all the time!
• Roll at Per-5 to notice distractions; you must
make a Will roll to stop aiming.
Movement: None.
Active Defense: You may make no active defense Critically Awesome,
at all.
Critically Awful
Instead of the options listed for a critical success or critical
Committed Aim failure, roll 1d and consult the appropriate table below.
Used for room clearing or other activities where
other sightlines are covered by aggressive and
skilled teammates. Some basic situational aware- Aiming Critical Success Table
ness is retained. 1 – Your bonus is Acc+2, even if you normally use Variable
Accuracy (above).
• +2 to Aiming rolls. 2 – Make an Accuracy roll as described under Variable
• +1 to Aiming rolls if your weapon is braced (p. 24). Accuracy, but double the result!
• You have Tunnel Vision (p. B151). 3 – You gain a bonus equal to double your weapon’s base
• Roll at Per-2 to notice distractions; if you wish to Acc statistic.
stop aiming, roll vs. Will+2. 4 – Your Aim is treated as a free action. You may immedi-
Movement: Step or two steps. A second step gives a ately take any legal Attack maneuver to shoot.
penalty of -2 or the weapon’s Bulk, whichever is worse. 5 – You do not need to roll next turn to maintain aim for a
Active Defense: The attacker may dodge at -2, he may follow-on shot; whatever you roll for Accuracy, it lasts for two
not parry or block. Any active defense spoils your aim. attacks instead of only one.
6 – If you use a 1d random roll to see if you hit a vital
area in the torso or head, you improve your location on a 1-3
Aim instead of just a 1. If not, pick a hit location within the current
This option trades focus for mobility and aware- targeted area up to -3 more difficult than you incorporated in
ness. It is often used for “both eyes open” shooting, your Aiming roll.
especially with a reflex sight.
• Aiming rolls are at full skill, but suffer double pen- Aiming Critical Failure Table
alty for telescopic sights. 1 – You mash the trigger; take a shot at whatever you’re
• Perception and arc of vision are unaffected. aiming at. If you haven’t yet acquired a target, you waste a shot!
Movement: Up to half Move. Forward movement up 2 – Your weapon needs adjustment; you cannot aim or
to two steps gives a penalty of -4 or twice the weapon’s shoot until you Ready it again.
Bulk penalty, whichever is worse. Movement of up to 3 – If there’s any other target in the general area, you aim
Move/2 is at -8 or -4¥Bulk, whichever is worse. at that instead. Make a vision roll to realize you’re aiming at
Active Defense: Dodge. Any active defense spoils the wrong target!
your aim. 4 – You become fixated on your target and are at -2 to Per
and Dodge this turn. (Reroll this if you took All-Out Aim.)
5 – If you have adjustable sights, they get bumped out of
Accuracy alignment. The GM will roll 1d and subtract that from your
weapon’s Accuracy rolls until you have time to sight in.
If the Aim roll is successful, you add the weapon’s
6 – You are flustered! You suffer -4 to Guns until the end
Accuracy (including any gear that usually adds to Acc,
of your next turn.
such as telescopic sights, match bullets, and rangefind-
ers) to the next shot.

Holding Aim Posture
Taking repeated Aim maneuvers after an initial success It is generally regarded that offhand shooting (shooting
is called holding aim. If using fixed Accuracy (p. 25), each from standing) is more difficult and less accurate than kneel-
repeated successful Aiming roll gives +1 to Acc, to a limit of ing or prone shooting, but the Basic Set rules exempt ranged
+2. If using variable Accuracy (p. 25), successful repeated rolls attacks from posture penalties. Optionally, standing and
allows the substitution of a better roll for a worse one; if the crouching give -2 to aiming and shooting; kneeling, sitting,
new Accuracy roll is lower than your current bonus, the old and lying face-up give -1; and lying face down (prone) incurs
result is retained. no penalty.
In both cases, a failed roll gets -1, while a critical failure
spoils your aim completely (or prompts a roll on the Aiming Precision Aiming
Critical Failure Table, p. 25).
The rules in this article work best on the one-second time
scale of GURPS combat. If using these rules, Precision Aiming
Minute of Angle can be used as-is, but should probably be discarded.
It is suggested that the GM enforce the Minute of Angle rule
(GURPS Tactical Shooting, p. 32) and limit maximum possi- Rapid Fire
ble skill to 22 + 2¥Acc. This ensures that a lucky Accuracy roll
A successful aim and the Accuracy effect roll applies to all
cannot exceed the mechanical precision of the firearm.
shots fired on the next attack directed at the same hit location.
If using the more restrictive rules from Tactical Shooting, all
Aiming in Combat of the caveats in Aimed Shooting (Tactical Shooting, p. 14)
apply, including those for follow-up shots.
Certain common situations will need to be addressed when
using the Aiming roll or variable Accuracy bonus.
Wait and Aim
Follow-up Shots Wait can be used to maintain a careful watch for targets
along a narrow fire lane. There are two options.
Aim tends to jump around as you fire. If you select a reg-
ular Attack to shoot, any aiming bonuses are lost after your Wait and Aim: The shooter selects an area to watch, and if
first attack is made (including the second attack in a rapid a potential target enters that area, the Wait triggers and the
strike). All-Out Attack (Determined) (or the variant ranged All- gunman gets an Aim roll, at -2 per yard watched. If successful,
Out and Committed Attacks, p. 25) allows you to retain half the shooter has locked on to the new target.
of your Acc on the same target. If your weapon is braced, you Wait and Shoot: The shooter can Aim (and get the Acc
may apply full Acc if you are making single shots, or with any bonus) down a single line of fire one yard wide. If any target
RoF from a weapon in a fixed mount. crosses this line, the attacker can use Opportunity Fire (at -2
To simulate skilled shooters being better able to execute to hit) to shoot instantly.
follow-up shots, allow an Aiming roll as a free action (use
The first option is used to keep watch on a wide area,
whatever modifiers are appropriate for the attack maneuver
or take a bit of time for target identification before shooting.
being taken), and only apply the Acc bonus if it’s successful.
Ranged Attack Maneuvers

Taking All-Out Attack to claim the bonus for aimed fire
Movement: None (this is a change from the Basic Set).
may be realistic, but the loss in defenses provides a huge
Active Defense: You may make no active defense at all.
disincentive to use this option in play, leading to behavior
even farther away from what the realistic rules are trying
to simulate. The presence of Committed Aim fairly begs Committed Attack (Ranged)
for a ranged option for Committed Attack. A Committed Attack used with ranged weapons, the
Tactical Shooting stipulates All-Out Attack (Deter- shooter dedicates most of his concentration on the attack,
mined) to claim the bonus for sighted or aimed shoot- but reserves some defensive and movement capability.
ing, but a Committed Attack could be permitted for • Make a single attack at +1 to hit.
sighted shooting. • You have Tunnel Vision, and any Per rolls are at -2.
All-Out Attack (Ranged) Movement: Step or two steps. A second step gives a
Complete focus, compatible with All-Out Aim (p. 25). penalty of -1 or half Bulk, whichever is worse. Attacks can
be made before, during, or after the steps.
• Make a single attack at +2 to hit (this is a change Active Defense: All active defenses are at -2, plus any
from the Basic Set). facing-related penalties.
• You have Tunnel Vision, and any Per rolls are at -5.

The second option will attack anything that crosses the line – For multi-weapon use, Enhanced Tracking and Extra Attack
risking a friendly fire incident – but allows aimed fire to inter- combine well.
dict movement (such as covering a door).
Gunslinger
Character Traits see p. B58
Some abilities are modified when using the rules presented Shooters with Gunslinger (p. B58) don’t have to make
here. Aiming rolls when firing single shots with a one-handed
weapon. They do, however, have to roll for Accuracy every
time they change targets (including deliberately targeting a
Altered Time Rate different hit location on the same foe). If claiming the half-
see pp. B38-39 Acc bonus when using a longarm, use 1d-4+Acc/2 (rounded
Given two maneuvers on your turn, you may freely select up) and roll that; you get the maximum possible Accuracy roll
any of the variant Aim and Attack choices. if you actually take an Aim maneuver.
Gunslinger does not exempt you from all Aiming rolls.
Firing multiple shots with a one-handed weapon or trying
Breath-Holding to achieve the full Accuracy potential for a longarm requires
see p. B41 an Aiming roll.
Characters with one or more levels of
Breath-Holding get +1 to All-Out Aim and All-
Out Attack. Other flavors of Aim and Attack
are unaffected.
We both have guns. We aim, we fire, you die.
– The Kid, The Quick and the Dead
Deadeye
see Tactical Shooting, p. 38
This perk grants +1 to Aiming rolls for each level of Dead-
eye; the normal maximum of three levels applies. The bonus Telescopic Vision
is especially useful for overcoming the penalty resulting from see p. 92
aiming with a telescopic sight. This advantage boosts Aiming and Accuracy rolls on
attacks. The level of Telescopic Vision is still applied as a
Enhanced Tracking penalty to the Aiming roll, which means high magnification
see p. B53 on close-in targets is still more difficult. This penalty replaces
the “must Aim for as many seconds as the bonus” part of the
Each level of this advantage gives you a separate Aiming
advantage description. If the Aiming roll is successful and you
roll at a target of your choosing. Success applies Acc to each
are using variable Accuracy, the Accuracy roll grants a bonus
one (use a separate roll for each with variable Accuracy) if you
of 1d-4 + Telescopic Vision.
can simultaneously train sights on both (such as with multiple
This ability doesn’t normally stack with technological aids,
weapons). If you can aim at two targets, you still suffer Rapid
but Cosmic (+50%) will fix that right up for you.
Strike penalties for changing targets with a single weapon.
Optional Rules
These ideas are either more complex than usual, may
increase the uncertainty around aiming, or apply the above
Extra Attack
rules to bows, spells, and powers. If you have this trait, you may aim and fire in one turn,
choosing any combination of Aim and Attack maneuvers you
like. However, you suffer the worst repercussions from both
Aim as Attack choices when it comes to movement, Per, and defenses.
Multi-strike is not required to Aim and shoot using Extra
The Aim maneuver can instead be treated as an attack,
Attack.
much like a Feint. This allows skilled shooters to aim and fire
in one turn, and opens up a few other options as well.
Quick Aim
All-Out Attack (Double) Average
The shooter can select this option and select Aim followed Default: Guns-6.
by Attack (not All-Out or Committed Aim, and no bonuses for Prerequisite: Guns; cannot exceed Guns.
Determined on the shot). If the aim fails, the option to not fire This technique allows a shooter to attempt to aim (All-Out
on the second shot is retained. This is still an All-Out Attack and Aim, Committed Aim, or Aim) as a free action by rolling vs.
thus suffers the same movement and defensive restrictions. Quick Aim; this roll is always penalized by Bulk.

Failure grants no Aim bonus, and if you still try to fire on only granted for knowing range and speed, and +1 for “no
that turn, it’s at -6 + the margin of failure. risk for missing,” such as showing off on the range. Players
Gunslinger halves both these penalties. will mostly only choose All-Out Anything out of combat,
anyway, due to the loss of defenses. The same holds true
Rapid Strike, Quick Shot, for firing: If the shooter wants bigger bonuses, wait until he
rolls a critical success, boosting Accuracy.
and Quick Aim
Low-Tech Weapons
Quick Shot (Tactical Shooting, p. 45) is used to buy off the
penalty for using Ranged Rapid Strike to shoot two targets in
one second, including firing at two hit locations on a single Muscle- or spring-powered weapons (such as a spear gun)
target. Ranged Rapid Strike and Quick Aim increment sepa- should be treated as firearms. For bows, you may only hold
rately at -6 per additional use. To make one Quick Aim is at aim for as many seconds as your ST exceeds the ST required
-6, a second is at -12. Rapid strike is at -6 for two targets, -12 to keep the bow drawn (much lower than the draw ST for
for three, etc. compound bows). Additionally, you must have at least the
bow’s holding ST+2 to aim without penalty; Aiming rolls are
Example: A shooter attempts a one-second Mozambique
-1 at ST+1 and -2 at ST.
Drill (Tactical Shooting, pp. 15-16). The shooter would try
to aim at two different hit locations (torso and head) for an
additional -12 on each Aim, while shooting at two different
locations, at an additional -6 to each Attack. If either Aiming
Spells and Powers
roll fails, that attack ends. The general concepts presented could reasonably used
for Innate Attacks, spell throwing, and similar supernatural
abilities. Weapons enchanted with Accuracy (GURPS Magic,
Accuracy Tweaks p. 65) increase skill, like a reflex sight. Quick Aim (see above),
which normally has the effect of “two turns of aiming,” would
A few options can vary how Accuracy works.
instead give +1 to normal Acc (combined with an Aiming roll,
that would give Acc+2 with fixed Accuracy, or 1d-3+Acc with
All 3d, All the Time variable Accuracy).
Ideally, the Accuracy roll after a successful Aim would
vary from a minimum of +1 to a maximum of something like
2¥Acc, with an average clustering around Acc. If you can deal About the Author
with it, go ahead and calculate the Accuracy boost as equal to Douglas Cole is a sometimes writer and oft-times blogger,
3d/10¥Acc, rounded up. where he tries to spread the GURPSpel at Gaming Ballistic
(gamingballistic.blogspot.com). He has been roleplaying
Crappy Guns since 1981, and playing GURPS since 1988. His gripping
release, GURPS Martial Arts: Technical Grappling, was
Weapons that have Acc 0 will have a hard time purpose-
released in September 2013 – go buy it. He also acted as lead
fully hitting a human-sized target beyond 25 yards. Wherever
playtester for GURPS High Tech, GURPS Tactical Shooting,
these rules assume a minimum bonus of +1, an Acc 0 weapon
and GURPS Loadouts: Low-Tech Armor. Douglas lives
platform has a minimum of 0 instead. If you want more, buy
with his wife and daughters (!!) in Minnesota, where many
a better gun!
are cold, but few are frozen. He would like to thank Jake
Bernstein, Peter Dell’Orto, Nathan Joy, and Daniel Lunsford
Wobbly Aim for advice and playtesting, as well as Christopher R. Rice and
Apply half the margin of failure of any missed Aiming the Pyramid Write Club . . . but the first rule of Write Club is
roll to the Guns skill roll for the next shot. You may shoot we do not talk about write club.
at the reduced skill, or Aim again
at full skill.
If you really love uncertainty,
any successful Aim always triggers
a new Accuracy roll.
Non-Combat
Bonuses
Tactical Shooting (p. 9) allows
up to +10 in bonuses for shooting
out of combat. On Target provides
for very large bonuses by player
choice, but most of those impact
only Aim rolls, which don’t exist
in the regular rules. As such,
non-combat bonuses to Aiming are

It’s by
a Threat!
Christopher R. Rice
Calculating effective combat encounters with a points- created obstacles and ones in previous publications. Matt
based system can be difficult. It takes time and practice for Riggsby originally created the N system in GURPS Dungeon
any GM to accurately match a group of opponents with the Fantasy Adventure 1: Mirror of the Fire Demon. This arti-
player characters. GURPS Monster Hunters 3: The Enemy cle’s system borrows from that concept.
has notes for each monster entry on what sort of challenge it This system provides guidelines, not hard-and-fast rules.
provides. This article offers a similar framework for GURPS Balancing encounters is an art, not a science.
Dungeon Fantasy, including guidelines for gauging newly
Danger Is a Go, Delver!

Since Dungeon Fantasy uses a specific starting point total, Add a cumulative +3 for Heroic Archer, Trained by a Mas-
determining how much of a hazard a particular monster poses ter, and Weapon Master. Add any bonuses from Rapid Fire
is easy – with the right guidelines. (p. B373). If an attack hits automatically, add 15; do not add
this for attacks that require another attack to hit first!
Combat Monsters Example: Lady Ion has a Broadsword skill of 17, so 17 - 10

= 7. Since she has no extra attacks, she uses her base score.
Use the following methodology to determine the Combat
Effectiveness Rating (CER) of player characters and their com-
Affliction
bat-useful allies. CER is derived from two subunits: Offensive
Delvers with an attack mimicking an irritating or incapac-
Rating (OR), which represents how much damage a character
itating condition (pp. B428-429) add a value equal to 1/5 of
can dish out; and Protective Rating (PR), which measures how
its worth as an enhancement to Affliction (pp. B35-36). Do
much damage he can take.
this once for the costliest such Affliction. If an attack inflicts
Combine OR and PR scores to generate the adventurer’s
damage and an Affliction, use the higher of the damage value
CER. Minimum score is always 1. Thus, the party’s knight,
or the value of the Affliction, plus 1/5 of the lower value. For
Lady Ion the Shy (used in the examples below), has a Protec-
Terror, True Faith with Turning, and similar traits, add 1 per
tive Rating of 21 and an Offensive Rating of 24, so her CER is
5 character points the attack has in such traits (rounding up).
45. Once you’ve calculated the CER for all player characters
For Binding, add its ST as a bonus amount. In both cases,
and any allies who are useful in combat (animal companions,
these values are in addition to any other Affliction attacks.
servitors, etc.), add together all their CER scores. This is a
If the best attack is from a spell or similar FP-using ability,
given party’s total CER and is used to determine how much of
divide the final score by two.
a threat a given group of monsters is to them (see pp. 32-33).
This same system is also used to determine a monster’s Example: Lady Ion has the Kiai skill; Stunning is worth
CER. See p. 31 for more details on this. +10% as an Affliction, but it costs FP to use, we halve this
amount. This gives her an additional 1 to her OR.
Determining Offensive Rating
The Offensive Rating (OR) is based on five traits.
Damage
Take the number of dice of damage for the character’s
Attack Skill best damage type of his best attack (including follow-up or
linked damage) and multiply it by 3.5, rounding up. If the
Take the skill level for the adventurer’s best attack and
attack has a modifier, like “2d+1” or “3d-2,” add or sub-
subtract 10. For ranged attacks, add a bonus equal to the
tract the modifier (e.g., +1 or -2) to the score. Damage can
Accuracy+2 of the attack; for innate ranged attacks, assume
be from a weapon, spell, special ability, and so on. Multiply
Acc 3 if none is listed. Add 5 if the character is capable of
this amount by any bonus to skill from Rapid Fire (p. B373)
multiple attacks other than a Rapid Strike (p. B370), due to
plus one, rounding up if necessary. Include bonuses for
an advantage or power-up (e.g., Extra Attack or Two-Weapon
equipment, traits, etc. Further modify this by the dam-
Fighting). If he is capable of multiple Rapid Strikes, use the
age’s type: multiply by 0.5 for small piercing attacks, by
following formula instead: (adjusted skill for number of rapid
1.5 for cutting or large piercing attacks, and by 2 for corro-
strikes for attack - 10; minimum of 12) ¥ number of attacks.
sion, fatigue, huge piercing, or impaling attacks; round up.

Move
Take the delver’s best Move score and subtract
Social Threats? six. For delvers with Enhanced Move or similar
mobility-enhancing traits, use their highest Move
“Who goes first?”
“Wait! The bard wants to talk to it.” score for this purpose. If the delver is encumbered,
“Wha–?” use his modified Move.
So what happens when the players don’t want to kill the mon- Example: Lady Ion has a Move of 7, but she’s just
ster you’ve so carefully written up, but talk to it instead? Well, under Medium encumbrance so her modified Move
you can let them do that and reuse the encounter via a not-so- is 5, so 5 - 6 = -1.
carefully orchestrated Quantum Ogre, or you could simply adjust
the meaning of an “encounter.” For the GM who doesn’t mind Total
the occasional “talky-peacenik-hippy” approach, use the follow- Add together the numbers derived from the previ-
ing guidelines to determine a “social” version CER for monsters ous characteristics to determine OR. Thus, Lady Ion
and delvers. has an Offensive Rating of 7+ 1 + 14 + 3 - 1, or 24.
• Influence: Take the best of Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, Intimi-

dation, Savoir-Faire, Sex Appeal, or Streetwise, and subtract
Determining Protective Rating
10. If a character lacks any of these skills, use the worst default. The Protective Rating (PR) is based on five traits.
Alternatively, use your base reaction bonus if better (which may
be the case for nymph bards!). This is the character’s Offensive Active Defense
Rating (Social). Take the character’s Dodge minus eight, and
• Influence Resistance: Take the character’s effective Will multiply by two. You may substitute your best Parry
score and subtract 10. Include +8 for each of Indomitable and minus eight, but only if it’s higher than your Dodge.
Unfazeable. Add half the levels of Fearlessness. Apply +5 if a If you can parry multiple times without penalty
monster’s entry lists the creature as “Unwilling to negotiate.” (usually because you have two weapons or are par-
Alternatively, see the box Ridiculous Reactions (GURPS Dungeon rying unarmed), add 2 for each additional parry.
Fantasy 11: Power-Ups, p. 21) and treat the penalties listed there Add 1 if Trained by a Master or Weapon Master
as bonuses. Those with the Detect Lies or Body Language skills applies to this Parry. You may also substitute your
may substitute their Will-based skill instead of their base Will, if Block minus eight, but only if it’s higher than your
higher. This is the character’s Protective Rating (Social). Dodge. For Block, add 1 for Weapon Master (Shield).
Treat Blocking spells as a Block for the purposes of
Tally this as you would CER, but record it separately; e.g., this calculation. Factor into the total any DB (from
“CER 40 (Social).” As with hazards, the actions of a single PC shields, magic rings, etc.). In all cases, add 20 per
could be enough to neutralize the encounter, so compare the level for Altered Time Rate.
party’s best CER (Social) vs. the opposition’s.
Example: Lady Ion has Dodge 9 and Broadsword
Parry 12, so 2 ¥ (9 - 8) = 2 ¥ 1 = 2 and 12 - 8 = 4. Since
her Parry is higher, we use that.
Add 0.5 to this modifier if the attack is also explosive, or 1 if
it’s a “vampiric” attack. Attacks with Armor Divisors add 5 per Damage Resistance
“step” (i.e., Armor Divisor 3 would add 10). Attacks with cycles
Add the DR values for each major location the character
get a bonus equal to the damage total after adjustments mul-
has and divide by 4; use a value of 0 for each location without
tiplied by the number of cycles affecting the target within 15
armor. Major body locations are: head, arms (or anything used
one-second turns of combat, rounded up (e.g., an acid spider,
for manipulation), legs (or any limb used for locomotion or bal-
GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 2: Dungeons, p. 21, would score
ance), and torso. Include bonuses for equipment, traits, and so
20 for damage). If the best attack is from a spell or similar
on. Damage Resistance with split values (e.g., mail armor) uses
FP-using ability, divide the final score by two.
the average of the two values. DR that only protects against a
Example: Lady Ion’s best attack is 2d+2 cutting, thanks to specific threat (e.g., DR vs Heat/Fire or DR with Tough Skin)
her fine broadsword. This is calculated as 9 (the dice of dam- adds +1 per 5 character points (rounded up) of such protection.
age plus modifier) ¥ 1.5 (for cutting damage) = 13.5, rounded DR with Hardened add 5 per “step” (e.g., Hardened 2 would
up to 14. add 10).
Add 1 per 5 character points a delver has in combat-
Fatigue Points useful traits like Injury Tolerance, Resistant, Supernatural
Take the maximum number of FP the character has and Durability, Unkillable, and so on. Apply -1 per -5 character
subtract 10. Add any bonus FP gained from special abilities points he has in traits like Dependency, Fragile, Vulnerabil-
(e.g., Energy Reserve) or equipment after subtracting 10. Add ity, Weakness, etc. Add levels of Magic Resistance as a bonus
1 per 5 character points (rounded up) for traits that enhance to this amount.
FP recovery, but only if they can recover FP within a span Example: Lady Ion wears scale armor on her torso, mail
of 15 one-second combat rounds, rounded up. Ignore this for sleeves and leggings, and a pot-helm. Therefore, she has DR
beings with an FP of “N/A.” 4/2 (arms) + DR 4/2 (legs) + DR 4 (torso) + DR 4 (head) = 14;
Example: Lady Ion has 13 FP, so 13 - 10 = 3. when divided by four, this gives a score of 3.5, rounded up to 4.

Health Total
Take the character’s HT score and subtract 10. Add in Combine the numbers derived from the above character-
bonuses to HT for Fit or Very Fit. Add half the level of Hard istics to figure out PR. For Lady Ion, her Protective Rating
to Kill or Hard to Subdue. Apply +2 for each of High Pain becomes 4 + 4 + 7 + 6 + 0, or 21.
Threshold and Recovery.
Example: Lady Ion has High Pain Threshold, Recovery, and CER-Affecting Gear
a HT of 13, so 13 - 10 = 3. We add 4 because she has both High Some gear provides bonuses similar to advantages and
Pain Threshold and Recovery, for a total of 7. should be calculated as such. In all cases, the GM should use
common sense to determine what the gear does. For example,
Hit Points meteoric armor might effectively give 10 levels of Magic Resis-
Take the maximum number of HP the character has and tance, for a +10 to PR.
subtract 10. Include any bonus HP gained from special abil-
ities like Great Rage (GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 11: Power- Healthy Delvers
Ups, p. 19). Add 1 per 5 character points (rounded up) for
Some may notice that HT, which represents, the ability to
traits like Rapid Healing, Recovery, Regeneration, etc. Those
keep fighting (among other things) is not valued more. This
with the ability to heal others add half the amount of HP they
is intentional, because delvers usually have the option to run
can restore in one use of their ability to this amount (cumu-
when they get low on HP, or have others heal them, while
lative with all other bonuses); if all lost HP are restored, add
only boss monsters fight at negative HP. A GM whose playstyle
10. Those who can cure debilitating conditions add a bonus
differs may wish to double or triple the final value HT gives to
equal to one-fifth its worth as an enhancement to Affliction
the PR.
(pp. B35-36). Use only the better of their ability to heal dam-
age or remove afflictions.
Example: Lady Ion has 15 HP, so 15 - 10 = 5. We add 1 Monstrous Threats
because she also has Rapid Healing, for a total of 6. Monsters also have CERs, and they are calculated using
the same method as for adventurers. Groups of monsters use
Will their combined CER to determine their effectiveness against a
Take the delver’s effective Will score and subtract 10. Add party of delvers. The GM may wish to turn low-CER monsters
half the levels (round up) of Fearlessness. Add 1 for Combat into “monster swarms” for ease of use. See Made Monsters
Reflexes; and add 8 for Unfazable. (below) for a quick method.
Example: Lady Ion has a Will of 10, so 10 - 10 = 0.
Made Monsters
For some monsters, it might be easier to treat a small • Reach: The swarm’s reach remains the same (typically
collection of creatures as one entity (e.g., a “swarm”) Reach C), but those with a longer reach can strike at
rather than several discrete beings. To do this, use the anything near their hex, or hexes if a multi-hex creature.
following rules to adjust their statistics. • Size Modifier: To determine the size modifier of the
swarm, first decide how many hexes it occupies. This
• Attacks: Swarms use the same attacks they have
is typically a single hex, but use the rules for Multi-Hex
as individuals and can go after anything in their hex or
Figures (p. B391) if needed. Creatures of size modifier -8
anything within their reach. Don’t forget to add the bonus
or less also add Injury Tolerance (Diffuse) to their list of
for Rapid Fire (see below) to their skill! If the base creature
traits. The following table assumes an “average” swarm;
has grappling attacks, the swarm does as well. Treat this
“sparse” swarms may have up to 1/30 the listed amount
as a single attack using the base creature’s ST and DX,
listed in the table below, while “dense” swarms may have
both multiplied by 1.2 for a grapple or takedown, or 1.4
the maximum amount or even one step higher!
for a pin. For multi-hex swarms, count only the number
of creatures in that particular hex for the purposes of the SM Typical Creatures per Hex
swarm’s RoF. 0 2 or 3
• Damage: The swarm’s damage for its attacks remains -1 4 to 6
the same, but attacks now use the rules for Rapid Fire -2 10 to 15
(p. B373) to resolve how many hit. RoF equals the total -3 20 to 30
amount of beings in the swarm, while Rcl is 1. -4 40 to 65
• Defense: Swarm defenses remain the same as the -5 90 to 140
base creature, but they usually Dodge. -6 200 to 300
• Fatigue/Hit Points: To figure out a swarm’s HP and -7 400 to 650
FP, use the following formula: (total number of creatures -8 900 to 1,400
in swarm) ¥ (base FP or HP) ¥ 0.6. Once a swarm takes -9 2,000 to 3,000
that much damage, it disperses (no HT roll required).

Hazardous Threats by any means, or double the modifier if it requires a special
trait (e.g., Magery 0) to notice, minimum 1.
Dungeons are full of pits of stinking water with spikes, fiend- • Disarmament: Add the modifier to disarm the trap, but
ish traps, and rooms with moving walls to crush pesky delvers. reverse it (e.g., -10 to disarm adds 10). Traps that cannot be
They can be as dangerous as any monster (sometimes more disarmed add 15 instead.
so!), so why not assign them a CER as well? The usual hazard • Effects: Traps causing damage use the rules for Damage
type is “Traps,” but natural hazards (such as dangerous areas (pp. 29-30). Those with multiple shots add a bonus equal to 1/5
of caves) may require other skills and be calculated separately the value for damage per shot; infinite shots add 10. Hazards
but in a similar fashion. that don’t damage targets might have noxious effects such
as those caused by Affliction (p. 29). Hazards
mimicking spells use the base skill (calculate as
for Attack Skill, p. 29), but add damage or Afflic-
Terminology of tions normally. If a trap has a roll to hit, also
Specialized CER, OR, or PR use Attack Skill (p. 29) to determine the value.
Technically, a specialized aspect of CER – e.g., PR (Traps) – refers • Evasion: Add the inverse of the modifier
only to the part calculated for that specific hazard or situation. In to evade the trap (e.g., DX-4 to avoid adds +4).
practice, this gets unwieldy outside of formulas, so players, the GM, and Traps that cannot be evaded add 10.
the author will tend to refer to the total of the general and specialized Combine all scores together to determine
CER, OR, or PR. Therefore, while Flicker the Black’s nominal PR for the hazard’s OR. Multiply this total by 1.5 for
Traps is 9 – added to her general PR of 19 in the formula to compute N hazards without a method of circumvention.
for this hazard – it’s easier to compress that to PR (Traps) 28. Whether a trap is stealable or not has no effect
on its OR. For instance, Frozen Runes (GURPS
Dungeon Fantasy 2: Dungeons, p. 20) would
have an OR of 101.
Characters
Delvers use only their Protective Rating against traps
and similar hazards, with bonuses (or penalties) based on
Using the Ratings
their ability to detect and disarm or circumvent the danger. You’ve got all these alphabet-soup ratings and scores, so
Calculate these as follows, recording the values for each type what now? Now you can decide how challenging an encounter
of hazard separately. will be! Balancing Encounters (Dungeon Fantasy 2, p. 27) will
be of great use to the GM.
• Trap-Detecting: Take the character’s Per (and any levels of Remember that everything is relative. Encounters that
Acute Sense he might have) and subtract 10. Some advantages qualify as “boss-level” for a party of Funny New Delvers might
give bonuses to Vision rolls; in such cases, add their bonus to be a mere nuisance to experienced adventurers! The environ-
Per before modifying it. A delver may substitute his level of ment or awareness of the threat can further modify this (see
Alchemy, Poisons, Thaumatology, or Per-based Traps instead Situational Modifiers to CER, p. 33), as can the number of PCs
of the base Per, if higher. Add 8 for Danger Sense. and/or foes. For example, two delvers vs. two orcs is not the
• Trap-Disarming: Take the best of Alchemy, Hazardous same as six delvers versus six orcs, because those six orcs could
Materials, Poisons, or DX-based Traps and subtract 10. If an team up against one adventurer and leave the other five alone.
adventurer lacks any of these skills, use the worst of DX-5 or
the default.
Threat Class
Example: Lady Ion’s roguish companion, Flicker the Black, Once the OR, PR, and CER for the party and its challenge
has DX 13, Per 12, 8 points in Traps, and a Protective Rating has been tallied, use the following formulas to determine N.
of 19. Her Per-based Traps level is 14, from which she her
player subtracts 10 to get 4. Her DX-based Traps skill of 15, For monsters: N = (Party’s Total CER) / (Monsters’ Total
minus 10, is 5. Therefore, her PR (Traps) is 4 + 5, or 9. Add CER).
this to her overall PR of 19 to get 28, and divide that by a given For hazards: N = (Party’s Total PR + PR (hazard type)) /
trap’s OR to determine if it will be a challenge, or if she’ll waltz (Hazard’s OR).
right through it. An N of less than 1 means that the delvers are outmatched.
If the actions of a single PC are enough to circumvent While N of 0.10 doesn’t mean 10% chance of victory or odds of
the obstacle, compare the trap’s OR with the party’s best PR survival in the strictest sense, low N values are likely to result
(Traps). If every PC must defeat the obstacle individually, use in sudden and lethal spirals once the PCs engage the enemy.
the party’s average PR (Traps). For example, if the CER of a party of four adventurers is
120 and a monster’s CER is 120, then N is 1. In theory, this
monster should be an even match for the party. In practice,
Traps the party is likely to use flanking or other group tactics to gain
To calculate a trap or other hazard’s OR, use the following an advantage, unless the encounter will somehow prevent
four aspects of the challenge. this (see Situational Modifiers to CER, p. 33, for some ideas).
The GM probably will want to use a couple of these oppo-
• Detection: Add the modifier to detect the trap, but reverse
nents, or add some assistants, to keep the party on their toes.
it (e.g., -10 to detect adds 10). Add 10 if it cannot be detected

However, if a battle has left Lady Ion the last adventurer • Fodder monsters are only a little “beefier” than nui-
standing, a single CER 45 monster should keep her quite occu- sance monsters. Their attacks are better, but not by much.
pied until the other players get back from their pizza run. As Dungeon Fantasy 2 notes, they’re basically “a distributed
The GM also can use the formulas to decide how many monster that has lots of attacks.” Combats consisting of lots
monsters are needed for an encounter of a specific threat class. of little creatures can go by fast, but are a pain for the GM
To get the total CER of all monsters in the encounter, divide to track; see Made Monsters (p. 31) for an alternative. Typical
the party’s total CER by an N related to the threat class. Then, N-Rating: Between 10 to 3.
divide the monsters’ total CER by the CER of a single monster • Worthy monsters can typically challenge delvers on a
to find the number of enemies needed. For an easier encoun- one-to-one or two-to-one odds. Such creatures use Balancing
ter, drop fractions. For a tougher challenge, round up the Encounters (Dungeon Fantasy 2, p. 27) “as is.” Should the
number, or add different creatures with a smaller CER to cre- GM wish to vary this, he can make trade-offs between defense,
ate a mixed group. See Dungeon Fantasy Threats (pp. 34-35) mobility, or offense. For example, a giant might do increased
for a list of pregenerated CERs. damage but move slowly. Typical N-Rating: Between 2 to 0.75.
Using N, consult the following chart to determine the mon- • Boss monsters are meant to be a difficult task for an
sters’ “threat class,” which is based on the “fodder,” “worthy,” entire party of delvers. Their defensive capabilities are hard to
and “boss” titles described in Dungeon Fantasy 2 (p. 27). bypass. They can kill with two to three hits, and are capable
of being nearly anywhere on the battlefield. Multiple attacks
N Threat Class Description
are likely, in the form of Extra Attacks or high skill to perform
11+ Nuisance The monsters are pests or Rapid Strikes. Their active defenses are high, or they have
a diversion of some kind. a lot of DR, and they’ll fight on even when below -HP. Such
10 to 3 Fodder The enemy may wear down the encounters don’t need to be a single monster – they could be
PCs, but will rarely beat them. multiple powerful worthies using teamwork, tactics, and/or
2 to 0.49 Worthy This fight is roughly even. local terrain. Typical N-Rating: Between 0.50 to 0.10.
0.50 to Boss The enemy outmatches • Epic monsters pose a nearly – or outright! – impossible
0.10 the party, who will need challenge. Their defenses defy reason, and their attacks slay
luck and quick wits to win. any being they hit. Their means of locomotion grants them a
Less than Epic Only luck, emergency nigh-ubiquitous battlefield presence. In video-game terminol-
0.10 one-use magic, or ogy, they are the final boss of the game. Typical N-Rating: Less
unexpected reinforcements than 0.10.
will save the heroes!
• Nuisance monsters usually appear in droves outnumber- Example
ing the delvers at least 10 to one. Their attacks are so weak The Headhunters are a group of bounty-hunting delvers
and ineffective that only critical hits can do minor damage, “shooting trouble” for gold. They’ve been tasked to find a
even to those with the weakest DR. The enemies never attempt group of orc raiders. Locating the encampment, they manage
an active defense, aren’t nearly as mobile as adventurers, and to set up an ambush. The total CER of the Headhunters is 250,
have low HP. This usually means they go “splat” after one while the orcs have a CER of 49 each. Since the GM wants this
hit. Such creatures are dangerous only to the ill-prepared or to be a low-level “boss” encounter, he’ll need at least 10 orcs.
unlucky. Typical N-Rating: 11 or more. The GM had intended to have 11 orcs in the camp, but more
are needed to maintain the challenge in the face of an ambush.
Situational Modifiers to CER

Monsters or hazards by themselves are dandy, but if the party’s druid casts Walk Through Plants on all adven-
what if the PCs have the upper hand thanks to terrain or turers before an orc encounter in an old-growth forest, the
other environmental conditions? What if the monsters orcs will be at a disadvantage due to terrain; this adjusts the
do? This affects how difficult the encounter is. To repre- monster’s total CER by -20%. If the druid had forgotten to
sent this, modify the opposition’s total CER. The GM then cast Walk Through Plants (+20% to the opposition’s CER
can raise or lower the number of monsters involved, or due to terrain hindering the party) and the enemy had their
adjust the circumstances, to maintain the threat level. The own caster use such a spell (+20% to CER due to extra orc
GM may need to create his own modifiers, but here are a maneuverability), that would be +40% to their CER. This
few suggestions. indicates the orcs in such an encounter will be more potent
Advantageous terrain, environments, modes of move- than their basic CER suggests, and the GM may need to
ment (e.g., flight, insubstantiality, etc.), or weather alters take care to avoid an unintended slaughter of the heroes.
the opposition’s total CER by +20% if circumstances hin- If a PC has a trait that negates or outright bypasses
der the PCs, or by -20% if conditions help the adventurers. a dangerous situation, and it affects the entire party (or
Modify the total CER if the majority of one or the other most of it), then ignore the situation’s modifier. For exam-
are capable of advantageous movement (air vs. land, insub- ple, if the party’s thief has Danger Sense and will likely
stantial opponents, etc.) but can still attack. When more succeed at her roll to notice an ambush, do not include a
than one condition applies, they are additive! For example, modifier for the ambush to the monsters’ total CER.

With the ideas from Situational Modifiers to CER (below) in scrolls, and so on. The lower such “spendable” resources
mind, the GM settles on 16 orcs and sets up the map . . . become, the harder future fights are going to be.
CER depends on the delvers being at full strength – and
Hazards of the Delve repeated combats can wear down their ability to get back to
it. GMs may wish to gauge encounters ahead of time by esti-
Wandering through dank halls searching for books of for- mating the CER of a depleted party, based on what has come
gotten lore is a rough business. More than that, the adventur- before. Alternatively, a GM may wish to adjust monsters “on
ers will be wounded at least some of the time or otherwise the fly.” An easy way to do this is to rate the CER of delvers
incapacitated to some degree. Back-to-back encounters while who have run out of consumable resources as only 75% (or
the party’s resources dwindle will become increasingly diffi- even 50%) of their base CER. This is a highly optional rule,
cult. The GM should keep a close eye on the party’s current HP because it can require pausing the game while the GM does
and FP, as well as consumable gear like potions, projectiles, hasty math to weaken (or strengthen) the opposition based on
the condition of the group.
Dungeon Fantasy Threats

The following tables do all the work in calculating OR, PR, Monster Name OR PR CER Notes
and CER of the published monsters from the various Dungeon Demon from Between 56 30 86
Fantasy supplements and Pyramid magazine through Febru- the Stars, Priest
ary 2015. Gear is ignored here, except where it is noted that a Demon of Old 29 57 86
specific piece of equipment is used by the monster. Dinoman 9 3 12
Spellcasting monsters use the best damage- or Affliction- Draug 31 25 56
inducing spell they can cast. Electric Jelly 58 89 147
OR is the Offensive Rating (see pp. 29-30). Eye of Death 25 34 59
PR is the Protective Rating (see pp. 30-31). Flame Lord 23 44 67
CER is the Combat Effectiveness Rating (see p. 29). Giant Ape 33 45 78
Giant Ape, King of the Apes 62 67 129
Monster Name OR PR CER Notes
Gladiator Ape 21 16 37
GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 2: Dungeons Horde Pygmy 14 -4 10
Acid Spider 32 62 94 Horrid Skull 49 -22 27
as-Sharak, Agni 27 59 86 Ice Wyrm 55 77 132
as-Sharak, Akaska 29 59 88 [1] Karkadann 49 20 69
as-Sharak, Jala 40 59 99 Leaping Leech 8 -7 1
as-Sharak, Prithvi 22 59 81 Lich 100 59 159
as-Sharak, Vayu 27 59 86 Obsidian Jaguar 29 45 74
Crushroom 14 55 69 Rock Mite 13 53 66
Dire Wolf 14 13 27 Slorn 23 40 63
Dire Wolf, Alpha 15 15 30 Slugbeast 35 28 63
Doomchild 34 16 50 Sphere of Madness 30 40 70
Erupting Slime 11 20 31 Sword Spirit 41 27 68
Flaming Skull 37 48 85 Throttler 18 24 42
Flesh-Eating Ape 16 14 30 Troll 29 86 115
Foul Bat 31 5 36 Undead Slime 18 63 81
Frost Snake 28 22 50 Void Brute 19 35 54
Giant Rat 13 5 18 Watcher at the Edge of Time 44 48 92 [2]
Golem-Armor Swordsman 19 33 52
Horde Zombie 4 19 23 GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 14: Psi
Mindwarper 61 75 136 as-Sharak, Aloakasa 20 58 78
Peshkali 31 81 112 Astral Hound 17 29 46
Siege Beast 37 42 79 Astral Thing 33 -8 25
Stone Golem 29 41 70 Chaos Monk 29 19 48
Toxifier 12 35 47 Flying Squid Monster 23 37 60
Triger 32 16 48 Fuzzy, Biter 16 -7 9 [3]
Fuzzy, Bright 25 -7 18 [3]
GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Monsters 1 Fuzzy, Gloomy -3 -7 1 [3]
Bronze Spider 19 31 50 Fuzzy, Jiggly 20 -7 13 [3]
Bugbear 16 10 26 Fuzzy, Lumpy 5 -7 1 [3]
Cicualá 57 50 107 Fuzzy, Spewer 11 -7 4 [3]
Corpse Golem 20 15 35 Neuroid 37 52 89
Demon from Between 44 30 74 No-Brainer 4 20 24
the Stars Odifier 17 38 55

Monster Name OR PR CER Notes Spines (15): 1d+2(2) impaling + roll vs. HT at -1 per 2 points
of penetrating damage or suffer from Terrible Pain for
Pyramid #3/50: Dungeon Fantasy II
(20 - HT) minutes, minimum of 1 minute. Furthermore,
Abominable Snowman 19 22 41
if the spines aren’t removed, they work their way into the
Animated Snowman 9 4 13
flesh of the target. This inflicts 1d+2 impaling damage
every 10 seconds until the target is dead or the spines are
Pyramid #3/70: 4th Edition Festival removed (see Horrible Grubs, Dungeon Fantasy 2, p. 13).
Horde Ninja 28 7 35 [4] Range 10/50, RoF 7, Rcl 1.
Pyramid #3/76: Dungeon Fantasy IV Traits: Blindness; Deafness; Dependency (Soil and water;
Dire Frog 23 11 34 Constantly); Detect (Living Beings; Reflexive; Targeting);
Dire Hart 23 17 40 High Pain Threshold; Injury Tolerance (Homogenous, No
Fetusoid 14 23 37 Blood, No Eyes, No Head); Invertebrate; Mana Enhancer
Hungry Room 21 112 133 (Accessibility, Necromancy only); No Manipulators; Numb;
Intruder 42 57 99 Unfazeable; Vibration Sense (Air; Reflexive; Targeting);
Pscorpion 26 27 53 [5] Wild Animal.
Pyro-Tiger 55 15 70 Skills: Camouflage-15; Innate Attack (Projectile)-15.
Terrible Dire Bunny 52 13 65 Class: Plant.
Terrible Dire Wolverine 69 65 134 Combat Effectiveness Rating: 106 (OR 81 and PR 25).
Terrible Hedge 315 8 323 Notes: Not affected by Plant spells or Plant Empathy, but are
Terrible Terrier 18 3 21 affected by Necromancy spells and Spirit Empathy with
Terrible Whipping Willow 315 76 391 the Necromantic power modifier. Their Detect and Vibra-
tion abilities borrow the Targeting modifier from Scanning
Notes Sense. This raises their skill by six against a target they aim
[1] Assumes that ignoring DR against opponents except at that has been located with both Detect and Vibration
those with Doesn’t Breathe is worth as much as Armor Divisor Sense. They typically attack the neck (skill 16) or the vitals
(2), for +5 to its base OR. (skill 18) in such cases. Aquatic versions of boneflowers,
[2] Gives full bonus for “Warp” Move. resembling bull kelp or other underwater plants, may exist
[3] Was calculated using effects as if they were Afflictions. if the GM wants to confront the party with under-the-sea
[4] Includes damage from Bladeblack poison. threats – such as necromantic mermaids.
[5] Pscorpions with two tails add 5 to their CER; other vari- Combat Effectiveness Rating Calculation: Boneflowers have
eties use the CER listed. an attack skill factor of 15: 15 (Skill) - 10 + 5 (Acc) + 1 (RoF).
Its Affliction factor is 3: (Terrible Pain) 12 ¥ 1/5. Its damage
New Monster starts at: 6 (1 die of damage ¥ 3.5, plus the modifier of +2) ¥
2 (RoF) ¥ 2 (impaling), making the damage factor worth 24.
This new creature for Dungeon Fantasy campaigns Its Armor Divisor adds 5, for 29. It also has Cyclic, which can
demonstrates how to use the formulas with other opponents affect a delver twice in 15 one-second rounds, which is worth
not listed here. 44, for a total of 71. It gets 0 for Fatigue (FP 10 - 10 = 0) and
-4 for Mobility (2 - 6 = -4). Its total OR is 81. It has an active
Boneflower defense factor of -1: 7 (Dodge) - 8 = -1 ¥ 2, is -2. Its DR factor
Boneflowers are top-heavy plants that look like grotesque is 9: 3 (base DR) + -5 (Dependency) + 11 (Injury Tolerance).
sunflowers around 10’ tall. Their roots resemble moss-cov- Its HT factor is 4: 2 (HT 12 - 10) + 2 (High Pain Threshold).
ered bones. They attack by “spitting” a hail of small poisoned Its HP factor is 5: 15 (HP) - 10. Its Will factor is 8: 10 (Will
spines from its all-too-human-looking mouth. Despite its score) - 10 + 8 (Unfazeable). Its total PR is 24. Therefore, its
appearance, it can move around, albeit slowly and with effort total CER is 105.
(for 1 FP, it gains a Move of 2 for 1 minute).
Boneflowers are a favorite of necromancers, thanks to the
negative energies they naturally emit. These energies raise the
About the Author
mana level within one yard of them by one step for Necro- Christopher R. Rice knows it’s a trap and now he knows
mancy spells and necromantic abilities. it’s a threat. What will he know next? From Portsmouth,
Boneflowers reproduce when one of their spines is Virginia, he dreams of being able to write full time, or at
implanted in flesh. The spine will sprout in 1d days into a least eke out a living doing it. Of course, if he’s not writing
small (but rapidly growing) baby boneflower. Accounts of about GURPS, he’s blogging about it. Visit his site “Ravens
delvers living long enough to have it sprout out of them (the N’ Pennies” (www.ravensnpennies.com) for more GURPS
host dies soon after!) are quietly whispered of in taverns. goodies. He wishes to thank L.A., his own personal muse,
as well as the rest of his gaming group; Antoni Ten Monrós;
ST: 15 HP: 15 Speed: 4.50 Beth “Archangel” McCoy, the “Sith Editrix”; Douglas Cole;
DX: 10 Will: 10 Move: See above. Peter Dell’Orto; Scott “Rocketman” Rochat; Tim “Humabout”
IQ: 4 Per: 12 Weight: 100 lbs. Ponce; and Walter “Nymdok” Wilson, for when I called upon
HT: 12 FP: 10 SM: +1 them, they answered.
Dodge: 7 Parry: N/A DR: 3

Random
Thought Table
Faster, Combatants!
Kill! Kill!
by Steven Marsh, Pyramid Editor
When it comes to combat, sometimes faster is better. Per- • Until a certain real-world time is reached or used (say,
haps you’ve got bigger plot developments coming up. Maybe “five minutes” or “until noon”).
you’re running toward the end of the allotted gaming time,
At that time, the GM should determine how effective (or
and you need to wrap things up quicker. I once ran an epic
not) the lesser adversaries have been. As the most obvious
12-hour game where the players were too tired to really be
outcome, if that mooks haven’t managed to inflict any dam-
invested in the final climactic battle; I wish I would’ve sped
age against the heroes during that period, while the mooks
things up an hour or two earlier to make that final confronta-
have been whittled down or had their Hit Points eroded, then
tion more meaningful. Over the years, I’ve used and tweaked
it’s reasonable to extrapolate that they’ll never do any dam-
a number of techniques to speed things up in minor and not-
age against the heroes (barring critical successes or other
so-minor ways. Here, then, are some bits I’ve tried over the
unlikely outcomes).
years. These aren’t universally applicable, and are probably
Similarly, if the mooks managed to do 1d of damage against
best suited for gamers who don’t favor tactical exactness. I’ve
one of the four PCs in the period, during the time when 33%
played a lot of games over the years, so not all ideas neces-
of the mooks have been taken out, then it’s reasonable to wrap
sarily apply to RPGs you’re interested in (<ahem> GURPS
up by extrapolating that two random PCs will each suffer 1d
</ahem>). But hopefully there’s a nugget or two you can use
damage each (to which they can apply any applicable defenses
in your own campaigns.
or abilities).
To use this technique, run the combat as normal until the
Accept the Inevitable breakpoint. Then the GM can say something like, “I think
we’ve seen enough to wrap this up narratively; does anyone
Many systems allow PC combatants to mop up mooks
object if I abstract this out?” If the players are cool with it,
quicker and easier, often by either by giving the baddies fewer
then wrap up the combat. (It’s probably best to for the GM to
Hit Points or giving the heroes abilities that let them blast
be fair – even erring on the side of the heroes – so that players
through unimpressive adversaries.
don’t continue unnecessary combats just to keep from getting
However, that’s often not terribly satisfying from an intel-
adversely affected by GM fiat.)
lectual point of view; why should Carl J. Henchman not be
able to use his abilities to his fullest? Why does he have red-
and-white concentric circles painted on him just because he Troubleshooting
hasn’t advanced that high up the EvilCo hierarchy chart? If one or more of the players wants combat to continue,
One technique that works well is to run encounters with that can be justifiable. Here are some likely reasons.
lesser adversaries “by the book,” with no special bonuses or
They want to accomplish something. Sometimes partic-
penalties for either side. However, the combat is only run for
ipants have secondary reasons for entering or continuing
a finite period, or until a predefined outcome occurs. Some
combat, such as gaining experience trying out new abilities,
ideas include:
attempting to see if the mooks reveal any clues that lead to
• Until a certain number of combat turns have been exe- the identity of the mastermind, and so on. If so, then either
cuted (two to three seconds in GURPS, a few combat rounds abstract those elements (“give me a roll to see if you trick
in Dungeons & Dragons, etc.). one of these losers into revealing something”) or continue
• Until a milestone is reached (for example, two mooks are the combat until he’s satisfied. This doesn’t mean the combat
incapacitated). needs to continue for everyone . . .

The objecting player(s) enjoy combat. It’s entirely plausible description and receive a bonus gets (say) +1, the second gets
that one or more players enjoys combat, even if “combat” is +2, the third gets +3, etc. In this way, the player who holds off
here defined as “mopping the floor with horribly outclassed being cool gets to be even cooler.
bad guys.” If that’s the case, then run their side of combat; if • Everyone gets a turn (escalating). This combines Everyone
there are four PCs and eight mooks, then let the fight-happy gets a turn with the escalating idea; once the last player gets
player mop up his two dopes. Some GMs might worry that his [+number of players] bonus, everyone gets their tokens
this turns the focus onto those PCs too firmly at the expense and it resets to +1 again.
of the other players. However, when the spotlight is moved
to noncombatant heroes at other points in the game, the GM
should let each person have his own kind of fun – some heroes Roll Preemptively
get their 15 minutes of glory by bamboozling bureaucrats or Many players love rolling their dice, and it’s unwise to try
sneaking across courtyards; others get theirs by being fighters to dissuade gamers from using them. But the GM? A lot of
without peer. what he does with dice is “busy work”; it’s necessary from a
simulationist point of view, but doesn’t really need to be done.
Cool (Yet Limited) If you’re looking to speed things up on the GM side of the
cardboard duck blind, generate a batch of dice rolls for NPCs
Descriptions ahead of time. This works especially well for mooks, who have
a limited range of skilled actions and tactics.
Many tabletop games benefit from players who seek to be How you create your list of pregenerated rolls is up to you.
descriptive in their actions. Your hero made a Lockpicking If you’re old-school or trapped in 1979, you can roll physical
roll by 3; by saying either “I focus on the lock and drown out dice ahead of time. If you have programming acumen, you
the chattering of my teammates, becoming one with the tum- can easily write some code. If you use Microsoft Excel or
blers,” or “I start using language that would make a sailor LibreOffice Calc, this equation will generate a random 3d roll
blush as I try to get this freakin’ lock open,” you’re provid- (which you can copy/paste as much as you want):
ing insight – and hopefully a bit of amusement for the other
players. (And this applies not only to RPGs, but to all tabletop =(INT(RAND()*6)+1)+(INT(RAND()*6)+1)+(INT(RAND()
games; if you roll a 12 while playing Monopoly, that’s a perfect *6)+1)
time to say, “I floor it in my thimble and zip on by your expen- Once you have a list of random rolls, keep them handy and
sive roach-motel properties! Ha-ha!1” rattle off middling battle results quickly. For example, if you
Of course, the expressive flavor of explaining what dice have three mooks with Knife-12, and you think you’ll need at
rolls mean happens in combat as well. In fact, Exalted gave most 10 rolls apiece, then you might expand their skill line for
significant bonuses to players who came up with descriptions that to read:
for their actions beforehand; the highest bonus was defined
as: “The player comes up with something amazing. Everyone Mook 1
at the table goes ‘Damn, that’s cool.’” Knife-12 – 9 5 8 14 8 4 11 9 12 12
Unfortunately, it’s possible to be too graphic – especially
at a table with a few hammy players. If your every action is Mook 2
punctuated with a two-minute digression into how awesome
Knife-12 – 13 15 13 8 9 3 13 8 8 9
you’re being, it can get on everyone’s nerves.3
If you have a codified system that gives a bonus to actions
Mook 3
that the players seem a bit too anxious to tap, then feel free to
Knife-12 – 6 9 8 11 8 16 15 16 10 12
limit it in some ways. Some ideas:
As mooks make their attacks, just cross off the used
• Once per combat per player. Simple, easy to adjudicate.
numbers.
The GM might need to give more clues as to where in the com-
This technique can also be used for damage, dodge rolls,
bat the heroes currently are, to keep players from hoarding
and other mundane methods that can be predetermined.
their bonus too long and then only getting to use it when the
outcome is inevitable.
• Everyone gets a turn. Perhaps each player has a unique
token (such as a chip with his hero’s name on it) that he tosses
About the Editor
into the center of the table whenever he’s going to be descrip- Steven Marsh is a freelance writer and editor. He has con-
tive and claim the bonus. Once all the players have tossed tributed to roleplaying game releases from Green Ronin, West
their chips into the table, everyone reclaims their chips. End Games, White Wolf, Hogshead Publishing, and others.
• Once per combat (escalating). This is similar to the He has been editing Pyramid for over 10 years; during that
first option above, but with a strategic twist. Each subse- time, he has won four Origins awards. He lives in Indiana with
quent usage provides a bonus. Thus the first player to give a his wife, Nikola Vrtis, and their son.
1. I’m just kidding. Please, don’t do this; it’s obnoxious.2

2. And when I say “it,” let me clarify: Never, ever play Monopoly.
3. Of course, if the descriptions aren’t getting on everyone’s nerves and everyone is having fun, then – by all means – continue! If you’re
having fun with something, who am I to tell you not to do it?2

Odds and Ends
I See You Shiver
With Antici . . .
In fiction and roleplaying games,
one of the most satisfying elements of
many combats and battles is the calm
before the storm, that moment before
the weapons are drawn, when both
sides get to chat, intimidate, etc. Here
are some tips to make that happen –
and see Meeting and Greeting Before
the Beating in Pyramid #3/54: Social
Engineering for even more ideas.
by Greg Hyland
• Reward gamers who play along. If
it’s genre appropriate to give the villain
a chance to gloat when he rotates in
his chair while stroking a cat, give the
players a reward for letting him do so.
If the heroes try to intimidate villains
or inspire their side (and roll-play/role-
play well enough), make sure they get a
bonus, a tidbit of intel, etc.
• Give cause to hold fire. Coming
up with a reason why the heroes can’t
start blasting goes a long way to ensur-
ing there’s a moment of calm. Perhaps
one of the villains has some info that
the heroes first need to trick or cajole
him into giving. Maybe it’s an area
where fighting wouldn’t be conducive
(nightclub, space station, college caf-
eteria). The latter can work especially
well when you . . .
• Let the lull be finite and known. If
the countdown to combat is known (at
least by one side), then that makes the
tension even greater. Perhaps a firefight
on the spaceship is dangerous while it’s
leaving the planet’s atmosphere, but as
soon as it hits space, the vessel has the
resources to enact a full shield (and
thus end the danger of stray shots).
Maybe the villains are slowly phasing
into our reality, and they willing to
engage in a bit of conversation before
they arrive in body.
• Make it fun. The lull before battle
can be brief but fun. Let the bad guys
twirl mustaches and goad. Let the
good guys reiterate their dedication
to righteousness or rally their own
forces. Savor the moment before the
dice start flying.

About GURPS
Steve Jackson Games is committed to full support To discuss GURPS with our staff and your fellow gamers,
of GURPS players. Our address is SJ Games, P.O. Box visit our forums at forums.sjgames.com. The Pyramid
18957, Austin, TX 78760. Please include a self-ad- web page is pyramid.sjgames.com.
dressed, stamped envelope (SASE) any time you write us! Bibliographies. Many of our books have extensive bib-
We can also be reached by email: info@sjgames.com. liographies, and we’re putting them online – with links to
Resources include: let you buy the resources that interest you! Go to each
book’s web page and look for the “Bibliography” link.
New supplements and adventures. GURPS continues to
Errata. Everyone makes mistakes, including us – but
grow – see what’s new at gurps.sjgames.com.
we do our best to fix our errors. Up-to-date errata pages
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tures, play aids, and support in PDF form . . . digital cop-
on our website – see above.
ies of our books, plus exclusive material available only on
Warehouse 23! Just head over to warehouse23.com. Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for the
Internet. Visit us on the World Wide Web at GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition. Page references that
sjgames.com for errata, updates, Q&A, and much more. begin with B refer to that book, not this one.
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What topics are covered in the magazine?

What topics are covered in the magazine?

What new rules are introduced for fighting larger opponents?

What new rules are introduced for fighting larger opponents?

Stock #37-2677

Pyramid Magazine 2 March 2015

Special Thanks: Douglas H. Cole and Christopher R. Rice

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16th-Century Spanish Conquistador – Infantry Loadout

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Aztec War Leader

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Egyptian New Kingdom (TL1)

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TS: 3. WT: 1. TS: 2. WT: 1.

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Ranged Attack Maneuvers

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