GURPS Wild World

Wild World is one of the most popular reality television shows in the world. Contestants struggle to survive in a remote wilderness, hiking and climbing to achieve goals set by the producers and audience of the show. Both cooperation and competition are emphasized in contests of strength, dexterity, intellect, and will as participants compete for a $1,000,000 cash prize and the chance to join in future Wild World adventures.

At the beginning of each contest, several individuals are selected and taken to a secret location in a remote and unpopulated wilderness area. They are given rudimentary navigation equipment and a list of clues directing them to the first Goalpost, a waypoint where the contestants may find information to direct them to the next Goalpost. Many of these Goalposts have food and water as well as other supplies. Some goals are known as "Stop-Goals," where the group will not only stop and rest but also engage in physical and mental contests with each other. These contests are broadcast live and sometimes judged by the viewing audience.

Unlike similar television programs, no production crew follows the contestants into the wilderness. Instead each participant is equipped with personal recording equipment (including miniature cameras mounted to safety glasses, helmets, and other gear) that records high-definition audio and video. Stop-Goals feature additional video equipment as well as a portable satellite uplink station. Here the video is uploaded to the studios in Los Angeles, where it is then edited and broadcast on both television and the internet. Each contestant is given intensive training in the operation of the equipment and may also receive training in the repair of the equipment if desired.

With over three thousand television and internet entertainment channels to choose from, competition for viewers is widespread and fierce. Keeping an audience entertained is more challenging than ever, and ratings wars are now daily instead of seasonal events. Producers and performers are willing to do whatever it takes to get their show viewed and renewed, and the demise of labor unions and professional guilds means that Anything Goes. Wild World had its highest ratings ever last season when a Japanese contestant was eaten by a tiger. Producers are hoping this season is just as exciting, though less fatal.

Campaign Background

Campaign name: GURPS Wild World

Starting year: 2036

Genre: Postmodern adventure

Realistic or cinematic? Realistic

General theme of campaign: Wilderness survival and adventure in a cyberpunk world

Are there multiple planes of existence? Unknown

Campaign World: Earth

Campaign’s base city, nation, empire, or planet: Wild World Productions is based in Los Angeles. Each season the show is shot at an undisclosed remote location. Contestants come from all over the world.

Society/government type: Representative democracy with oligarchic bureaucracy.

Control Rating: CR5

Exceptions to general CR:

Tech level: TL9

Exceptions to general TL: Computers, robotics and cybernetics are at TL10.

General mana level: N/A

Do areas of higher/lower mana exist? N/A

Brief description of important neighboring powers, political/economic situation, etc.:

Information for PCs

Realistic characters are required, defined by parameters found in chapter one of GURPS Basic Set: Characters. Age, height, weight, and handedness (if not Ambidextrous) should be included on the character sheet.

Starting point value allowed for PCs: 125

Disadvantage limit (including Quirks): -50

Attribute limits: ST 18, DX 14, IQ 14, HT 14. Per, WIll, HP and FP may not vary more than 30% from their respective base skill. Basic Speed and Basic Move may not vary by more than 3 yd/second above or below the base/default level (DX + HT divided by 4).

PC races allowed: Human

Especially appropriate professions: Artist. Barber. Chemist. Dancer. Environmentalist. Farmer. Geologist. Historian. Inventor. Jeweler. Kickboxer. Ludographer. Metallurgist. Neurologist. Orthodontist. Preacher. Quiz show champion. Researcher. Stunt performer. Thief. Undertaker. Veterinarian. Watchmaker. Xylographer. Yoga instructor. Zoologist.

Starting Wealth: $30,000

Starting Wealth levels allowed: Any

Starting Status levels allowed: Any

Starting TLs allowed: TL9

Languages available: Any

Cultural Familiarities available: Any

Advantages, Disadvantages, and Skills

Required advantages, disadvantages, and skills: Electronics Operation (Media)

Especially appropriate Advantages: Appearance, Charisma, Combat Reflexes, Luck, Outdoorsman

Especially appropriate Disadvantages: Wealth (Struggling)

Especially appropriate Skills: Acting, Bow, Climbing, Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, First Aid, Fishing, Hiking, Jumping, Knot-Tying, Leadership, Mathematics, Meteorology, Naturalist, Navigation, Observation, Performance, Photography, Physician, Physiology, Psychology, Running, Scrounging, Search, Sex Appeal, Skiing, Stealth, Survival, Swimming, Throwing, Tracking, Wrestling.

Disallowed advantages, disadvantages, and skills: No exotic, supernatural, cinematic or or otherwise unrealistic traits are allowed. Additional restrictions are below.

Physical and psychological testing performed by Wild World Productions for liability purposes screens for and ensures the following disadvantages never appear in a contestant: Bad Back, Blindness, Deafness, Dependency, Epilepsy, Fragile, Hemophilia, Lame, Maintenance, Neurological Disorder, No Depth Perception, No Fine Manipulators, No Legs, Numb, Quadriplegic, Restricted Diet, Social Disease, Terminally Ill.

The following traits are also screened, but may be mitigated (or concealed in some cases) at the choice of the contestant: Addiction, Alcoholism, Dependency, On the Edge, One Arm/Eye/Leg, Paranoia, Phantom Voices, Phobias, Sleepwalker. Concealment or mitigation of these traits requires approval by the GM. Examples: One Eye trait may be mitigated by a bionic eye (UT 209). Some mental disadvantages may be mitigated through the use of pharmaceuticals.

Special Abilities Allowed for PCs

Exotic/supernatural traits: None

Cinematic skills: None

Are PC mages allowed? No.

Are PC psis allowed? No.

Are PC gadgeteers allowed? Yes. Non-cinematic only.

Rulebooks and Resources

GURPS 4th edition Basic Set (required).

GURPS 4th edition High-Tech

GURPS 4th edition Ultra-Tech

GURPS 4th edition Social Engineering

See also

GURPS Wild World TImeline