Return to Eíre Campaign Planning Form

Basic Information

Campaign name: GURPS Eíre: Return to Eíre

Starting year: 3099 KE (1165 CE), several months after the Great Devastation

Genre: Realistic or cinematic? Cinematic

General theme of campaign: Fantasy

Are there multiple planes of existence? Yes.

Note: Return to Eíre is intended to be a Dungeon Fantasy campaign that takes place in the milieu of Eíre and Wycklow. The 'dungeon crawl' aspect should not be taken to suggest hack-and-slay fighter-types will be the only advantageous skillset. Au contraire: while the lack of a good sage, mage or druid probably won't kill you, having one in the party will definitely provide benefits. Plus, this not being some game where mages can't use metal, there's no reason a warlock can't swing a mean yard of steel.

Campaign Background

Campaign’s base city, nation, empire, or planet: The City of Wycklow, on the eastern coast of Eíre

Society/government type: Representative Democracy with Caste/Clan elements.

Control Rating: CR2, but there are a number of taxes imposed throughout the city.

Exceptions to general CR: Anarchic areas outside the current borders are 90% CR0. Within these areas some old baronies still exist that are CR3 or higher, but they tend to be very intolerant to outsiders. Most of the old kingdoms are CR4 or CR5.

Tech level: 3 (Medical TL2)

Exceptions to general TL: Medical technology is TL2 in the large cities, but TL1 in towns and rural areas. The primary medical theory is similar to Greek and Roman humoral medicine. Transportation technology remains TL3 on land and sea, with some TL4 innovations in sailing found on the eastern coast. Power technology is limited to TL3 windmills, water wheels and draft animals; electricity is of course unknown, but rudimentary steam engine technology and organic battery technology are known to those who have studied the classic Roman and Greek scientists. Weapons and armor are of course TL3, steel being the preferred metal of warriors but iron and bronze weapons still found among the common people. Explosives technology and firearms are restricted (LC0) throughout the land. See GURPS Fantasy-Tech 1: The Edge of Reality for more information on realistic representations of medieval era technologies. GURPS Low-Tech 4th edition has specific tiems descriptions as well as rules and costs associated with each technology.

Brief description of important neighboring powers, political/economic situation, etc.: See Return to Eíre for an update on recent events. Adventurers have likely been busy the last several months since the Devastation.

Information for PCs

See GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 1: Adventurers for excellent information on building heroic adventurers.

Starting point value allowed for PCs: 200

Note: If you are retconning your old Eire character simply increase your current character point total to 200 and increase or add skills as you wish.

Disadvantage limit (including Quirks): -75

PC races allowed: Human, Human hybrids (e.g. Half-Elf, Half-Dwarf)

Especially appropriate professions: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Holy Warrior, Knight, Martial Artist, Scout, Swashbuckler, Thief, Wizard.

Starting wealth: $1,200

Starting Wealth levels allowed: 0-2

Starting Status levels allowed: 0-2

Starting TLs allowed: 0-3

Languages available: Gaelic, Anglo-Saxon, Latin, Norman, Norse, Pictish, Elven, Dwarven.

Cultural Familiarities available: Eíre, Anglo-Saxon, Elven, Norman, Norse, Pict, Dwarven.

Advantages, Disadvantages, and Skills

Required advantages, disadvantages, and skills: Everyman Lens: At least two of the following skills: Animal Handling (Dogs), Area Knowledge (Midhe), Cooking, Current Affairs (Headline News), Farming, Fishing, Gardening, Housekeeping, Merchant (Household Goods).

Especially appropriate Advantages: Blessed, Combat Reflexes, Danger Sense, Fearlessness, Fit, Hard to Kill, Hard to Subdue, Luck, Outdoorsman, Power Investiture.

Especially appropriate Disadvantages: Broad-Minded, Code of Honor, Compulsive Behavior, Cursed, Illiterate, Greed, Innumerate, Unlucky, Wealth (Struggling), Weirdness Magnet.

Especially appropriate Skills: Axe/Mace, Boating, Bow, Climbing, Cooking, Hiking, Merchant, Navigation, Seamanship, Shortsword, Swimming, Weather Sense.

Disallowed advantages, disadvantages, and skills: None.

Appropriate Patrons, Allies or Contacts: Dara Bragh, armourer in Wicklow, known to finance potentially profitable ventures. Cormac Mar, former chief druid of Wicklow, now a physician and founder of an academy, may finance expeditions into the Outlands. King Aelfys of Midhe, known to have agents in Wicklow, and may sponsor criminal actions such as piracy and slavery. Any of the Wardens of Wycklow might also be appropriate patrons.

Special Abilities Allowed for PCs

Exotic/supernatural traits: Any.

Cinematic skills: Any.

Unusual Background cost(s) for these abilities: The GM may require Blessed or Power Investiture for especially powerful or supernatural abilities.

Legal or social restrictions on these abilities: There are no laws against being special.

Are PC mages allowed? Yes.

General mana level: Normal (80% of the time). Varies between areas.

Do areas of higher/lower mana exist? Low (15%) to High (5%), some areas of Very High, Wild and Twisted (less than 1%).

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. Psionic skills are however very rare; finding a teacher is next to impossible, so learning new psionic skills is limited to self-taught only and subject to the usual x2 penalty.

Are PC gadgeteers allowed? Yes. Engineering and materials are limited to TL3 in most cases. Magic may also affect the apparent TL of certain equipment. Most gadgeteers have some knowledge of Making/Breaking or Technological fields of magic.

Rulebooks and Resources

GURPS Basic Set 4th edition (required).

GURPS Martial Arts.

GURPS Fantasy 4th edition, as well as the entire GURPS Dungeon Fantasy series and Fantasy-Tech 1: The Edge of Reality.

GURPS Low-Tech 4th edition for TL3 weapons, armor and other equipment, along with Low-Tech Companion supplements.

GURPS Magic 4th edition, along with GURPS Thaumatology 4th edition for rules regarding Clerical Magic, Threshold Magic, and other matters.

If there is a book not listed that you wish to utilize, please let the GM know.

See also

• The New Face of Eíre. Post-devastation analysis by Galen of Aran.

• Medieval Names Archive. Medieval names from historical sources. Includes Celtic, Irish, Manx and other sources. Written by SCA heralds whose research is impeccable but whose advice should be taken with a large 1-pound block of sodium chloride, at least as regards this game. (However, if you're looking for an SCA name that will pass muster, you need look no further.)