GURPS: Demonlands
The Demonlands are the common name of a wind-swept island populated by tribal humans, monsters and their demonic overlords.
The people of the Demonlands are a hardy breed who have lived for many centuries mostly at an "iron age" level of development due to the malign dominance of a race of demons who destroyed the previous civilizations, some of which were quite technologically advanced. Several of these demons installed themselves as gods, maintaining a cruel and oppressive dominance over the human population, suppressing any progress of civilization or development of technology.
Basic Information
Campaign name: GURPS Demonlands
Starting year: Approximately two hundred years after the destruction of civilization
Genre: Realistic or cinematic? Grittematic™
General theme of campaign: Dark Fantasy
Are there multiple planes of existence? Yes.
Campaign Background
Campaign’s base city, nation, empire, or planet: The Demonlands (North Island, Pangaea Discordia)
Society/government type: Tribal Anarchy
Control Rating: 0
- Exceptions to general CR: Unknown
Tech level: TL2
Brief description of important neighboring powers, political/economic situation, etc.: Many centuries ago these lands were populated by many people. They built cities and traded with other civilizations to the south. Then the demons came and the world changed. The cities were destroyed and the population decimated, all for the entertainment of these malign creatures.
Information for PCs
Player characters are members of the Gull Tribe located at the northernmost point of the island. Characters must belong to one of the six professions listed below or have other skills sufficient to surviving within the tribal community. Note that magic is feared and forbidden in most areas; mere mention of sorcery can sometimes arouse suspicion, and only Storytellers are tolerated a modicum of leniency in this regard.
Starting point value allowed for PCs: 100
Disadvantage limit (including Quirks): -40
PC races allowed: Human
Especially appropriate professions: Artificer, Farmer, Fisher, Hunter, Merchant, Storyteller
Starting wealth: $250 (TL0)
Starting Wealth levels allowed: 0
Starting Status levels allowed: 0
Starting TLs allowed: TL0-2
Languages available: Human
Cultural Familiarities available: Human
Advantages, Disadvantages, and Skills
See Demonlands Characters for more details.
Required advantages, disadvantages, and skills: Area Knowledge (Demonlands), Current Affairs (Headline News), or Weather Sense. Axe/Mace, Brawling or Wrestling.
Especially appropriate Advantages: Danger Sense, Fearlessness, Unfazeable
Especially appropriate Disadvantages: Hoplophobia, Manaphobia, Necrophobia, Scotophobia, Technophobia, Teratophobia, Xenophobia
Especially appropriate Skills: Survival (any).
Disallowed advantages and disadvantages: Luck, all forms, as well as all exotic and/or supernatural advantages and disadvantages.
Restricted skills: Any skills related to magic or occultism (such as Hidden Lore or Occultism) are restricted to Storytellers. Hidden Lore (Technology) is restricted to Artificers.
Appropriate Patrons, Allies or Contacts: N/A
Special Abilities Allowed for PCs
Exotic/supernatural traits: N/A
Cinematic skills: N/A
Unusual Background cost(s) for these abilities: N/A
Legal or social restrictions on these abilities: N/A
Magic and Psionics
General mana level: Unknown
- Do areas of higher/lower mana exist? Unknown
Are PC mages allowed? No.
Are any of the spells from Chapter 5 off limits? Yes. All of them.
Are PC psis allowed? No.
Are any of the powers from Chapter 6 off limits? Yes. All of them.
Are PC gadgeteers allowed? No.
Rulebooks and Resources
GURPS Basic Set 4th edition (Required)
GURPS Low Tech 4th edition (Recommended)
GURPS Martial Arts 4th edition (The society is not martial and there is no warrior caste, but some basic Brawling and Wrestling techniques are allowed)
GURPS Fantasy-Tech 1 - The Edge of Reality (Recommended for artificers)