GURPS Dark Jazz: OSI

WORK IN PROGESS

Basic Information

Campaign name: GURPS Dark Jazz: The New Prometheans

Starting year: 1965

Genre: Realistic or cinematic? Cinematic

General theme of campaign: Supers

Are there multiple planes of existence? Yes

Campaign Background

Campaign’s base city, nation, empire, or planet: Los Angeles, California, Earth (Gernsback-9)

Society/government type: Libertarian Democracy

Control Rating: CR3

Exceptions to general CR: “Ray guns” and other advanced tech (TL8+) are controlled by the WSC, and are often only available for use by WSC agents. Some medical technology is available only to licensed practitioners.

Tech level: TL7+2

Exceptions to general TL: Weapons, up to TL(7+3); broadcast power, TL7^

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

Information for PCs

Characters are members of a privately financed team of super-powered or science-based heroes.

Starting point value allowed for PCs: 350

Disadvantage limit (including Quirks): -100 (not including any required disadvantages listed below)

PC races allowed: Human, Mutant, Extraterrestrial

Especially appropriate professions: Attorney. Circus performer. College professor. Experimental chemist. Fashion designer. Inventor. Mercenary. Newspaper reporter. Police officer. Private investigator. Security consultant. Stunt performer.

Starting wealth: $17,500

Starting Wealth levels allowed: Struggling, Poor, Average, Comfortable   (No Bruce Waynes or Tony Starks!)

Starting Status levels allowed: 0

Starting TLs allowed: Any appropriate to character and setting.

Languages available: Any appropriate to character and setting.

Cultural Familiarities available: Any appropriate to character and setting.

Advantages, Disadvantages, and Skills

Required advantages, disadvantages, and skills: Unusual Background (Cost TBD).

Especially appropriate Advantages: Contact. Patron (Promethean Foundation).

Especially appropriate Disadvantages: Enemy. Obsession. Secret. Secret Identity. Trademark.

Especially appropriate Skills: Criminology. Streetwise. Urban Survival.

Disallowed advantages, disadvantages, and skills:

Appropriate Patrons, Allies or Contacts: Promethean Foundation

Special Abilities Allowed for PCs

Exotic/supernatural traits: Any are allowable, subject to final approval by GM.

Cinematic skills: Any are allowable, subject to final approval by GM.

Unusual Background cost(s) for these abilities: A minimum Unusual Background [10] is required for "exotic" skills.

Legal or social restrictions on these abilities: Psionic individuals are rare and generally unaccepted in most social circles; most psis have Social Stigma as a result, unless they are keeping it hidden or Secret (-10, Utter rejection). All psionic individuals are required by law to register with the government of their nation of residence. Failure/refusal to do so requires Secret [-20, Imprisonment or Exile). Additionally, use of psionic powers in private industry or for personal advantage is prohibited by law. As a result of these restrictions, most psychics work for the government.

Magic and Psionics

See Magic (New Prometheans) for more details.

General mana level: Normal.

Do areas of higher/lower mana exist? Unknown.

Are PC mages allowed? Yes.

Are any of the spells from Chapter 5 off limits? No.

Are PC psis allowed? Yes.

Are any of the powers from Chapter 6 off limits? No.

Are PC gadgeteers allowed? Yes.

Rulebooks and Resources

GURPS 4th edition Basic Set. (Required.) A very simple super could be constructed using only the Basic set.

GURPS 4th edition Supers. (Optional.) A guide to the supers genre. Stories and themes rather than mechanics. COntains some very useful and inspirational templates.

GURPS 4th edition Powers. (Required.) The mechanics of constructing a super-powered character. Absolutely essential to constructing all but the most simple of supers.

GURPS 4th edition Martial Arts. (Optional.) For those special super-moves in super-combat as well as martial-arts-themed supers.