The Scribblings of Samuel Baughn

Smaller swords tend to be rather less effective than larger ones in GURPS (and, indeed, in almost all roleplaying games). This is probably realistic, since despite the additional expense and inconvenience of long blades, people seem to have preferred them right up until the invention of the smallsword. However, shorter weapons do have some advantages which I think might be worth representing, in order to make them more attractive to PCs and increase the variety of weapons available without deliberately hindering your ability to fight. Add the following note to the thrust attack (only) of the baton, dusack, shortsword, and small falchion: Reduce the penalty for attacking in close combat by -2. Add the following note to the thrust attack (only) of the cutlass, falchion, jutte, large katar, large quadrens, macuahuilzoctli, sai, and smallsword: Reduce the penalty for attacking in close combat by -1.

While most GURPS players don’t want their characters to be randomly generated, there are bound to be some who do and GMs may want to create random NPCs. Unfortunately, many aspects of character creation are setting-specific. However, attributes tend to be fairly universal, and are well suited to randomization. The first version of the third edition Basic Set suggested simply rolling 3d for attributes, but that gives absurd results, especially with fourth edition rules. To generate a random attribute value, roll 3d and consult the following table: 3d Attribute 3 7 4-5 8 6-8 9 9-12 10 13-15 11 16-17 12 18 13 This should result in 'realistic' values if you assume that each level of a GURPS attribute is about one standard deviation from the norm, which 'feels' about right. Many professions will not have the same distribution of compete...

  The following modifiers expand the options in Weapons of Quality ( GURPS Martial Arts p. 59). None of them may be applied to missile weapons. E viscerating*: Reduce the penalty to target vitals to -2 rather than -3. Fencing weapons, knives, and swords: + 3 CF. Other weapons: + 9 CF. L acerating † : +1 damage with cutting attacks against DR 0 targets. Fencing weapons, knives, and swords: +1 CF. Other weapons: +4 CF. Nimble : Reduce the penalty for multiple parries and rapid strike by 1 (before any reduction for Fencing parry, parrying with a two-handed weapon, Trained by a Master, or Weapon Master). +4 CF. May not be combined with balanced or poorly balanced. Puncturing *: Reduce the penalty for targeting chinks in armor by -1. +1 CF. Melee weapons only. Sharp † : +1 damage for any cutting or impaling weapon. Projectiles and impaling-only melee or thrown weapons: +1 CF. Fencing weapons, knives, and swords: +2 CF. Other cutting weapons: +8 CF. Som...

While GURPS has a lot of interesting rules for combat between opponents of very different size, it still has a few obvious scenarios which it doesn’t cover.   Squeezing A bear hug typically needs a two-handed (or legged) grapple, but it seems viable with one hand if your opponent is small enough. Squeezing them between arm and body should be possible if your SM exceeds theirs by 4, while doing it with just your hand is only possible if your SM is 7 higher than theirs. The former requires first grappling an opponent, then getting them into position (treat as Shift Grip, GURPS Martial Arts p. 117), and finally squeezing. The latter simply requires a grapple followed by squeezing as your next attack. In both cases, use half your actual ST in the contest to squeeze.   Chewing and Swallowing If your SM is 9 or more greater than your opponent’s, you can fit them into your mouth! Start with a bite, which establishes a free grapple (see Teeth, GURPS Martial Arts p. 115), fo...

  People have probably been using magic to search for valuables since shortly after the concept of valuables was invented, but Renaissance Europe had an especially rich tradition of magical treasure hunting. Although people in the war-torn early modern period often buried their valuables to avoid having them looted, magical treasure hunting was about more than just finding material goods in mundane hiding places. Treasure was associated with otherworldly beings and monsters, such as demons, fairies, and (most of all) ghosts, and could have magical properties such as being able to move of its own accord. … pieces of good money, of ancient coin; which halving betwixt them, they sold in dish-fulls for dish-fulls of meal to the country people. Very many of undoubted credit saw, and had of the coin to this day. But whither it was a good or bad angel, one of the subterranean people, or the restless soul of him who hid it, that discovered it, and to what end it was done, I l...