Michinoku Rules and Optional Rules

These are some rules and optional rules that we will be using in Michinoku. The standard rules are just mentioned to serve as a reminder, since many of them aren’t used that often in most games.

• Much of GURPS Michinoku is set in rugged, mountainous terrain which is covered in snow and ice in the winters. This will present difficulties in movement and in combat. I’ll be using the Movement Point Costs given on B387. For instance, fighting in scree or an uneven mountain path will count as treacherous terrain. This will add +1 movement point per hex. If your normal movement score were 6, you could travel across three such hexes per turn. Snow will also count as treacherous terrain. A snowy, sloping path on a mountain side will be doubly treacherous. Such terrain would add +2 movement points per hex, meaning a character with a move score of 6 would be able to cross two such hexes per turn. No matter how bad the terrain, you can always move one hex in a turn. Bad footing also poses problems in combat. Every +1 movement point that terrain incurs also incurs a -2 to attack and a -1 to defend in combat. Each +1 movement point also adds a -1 to rolls to avoid being knocked down from knockback (B378) per yard knocked back. Note that I will be using all of the information in the Movement Point Costs box on B387, including costs for posture changes and facing changes. It’s worth reviewing all of the Tactical Combat rules starting on B384.

• Extra Effort in Combat will be off the table, though I reserve the right to reverse this decision later. I want to experiment playing without it, because this game is meant to be very realistic and Extra Effort in Combat tends toward being cinematic. Plus, by removing it, it makes the Committed and Defensive Attack options more interesting (MA99-100).

• We will be using all of the rules for Injury and Recovery on MA136. This includes the expanded hit location options as well as the grittier bleeding rules. Note that severe bleeding can be very deleterious to your characters (and their enemies).

• We will be using the Limiting Multiple Dodges rule on MA123. This means that each dodge attempt made after the first in a turn suffers a -1 penalty.

• All of the Retreat Options on MA123 will be in effect.

• This game will allow attackers and defenders to accept many penalties in their attacks and defenses. Sometimes this will result in very poor scores. Please note as per B382 that any attack or defense that fails by 10 or more is a critical miss. If your effective skill or defense is 5 or 6, this means that a 15 or 16 will be a critical failure, respectively. On the subject of critically failed defenses, a critically failed dodge means you fall down, a critically failed parry means you roll on the critical miss table for that weapon, and a critically failed block means your shield becomes unreadied (though shields are pretty uncommon in the samurai genre).

House Rules

• The Perfect Balance advantage includes the effects of Sure-Footed (Slippery) and Sure-Footed (Uneven) from MA52.

• Up to one level in each Enhanced Defense is allowed.