• Return to Core

When you roleplay, you take the part of another person - a 'character' that you create. GURPS lets you decide exactly what kind of hero you will become. Asteroid miner? Wizard? Professional time-traveler? You can take your inspiration from a fictional hero or heroine, or create your new 'self' from the ground up. Once you know what role you want to play, it's time to bring that character to life!

The GM (Game Master - the person 'running' the game) will give you a number of character points with which to 'buy' your abilities. For instance, the stronger you want to be, the more points it will cost. You can also buy advantageous social traits, such as wealth, and special abilities called advantages.

If you want more abilities than you can afford on the budget given to you by your GM, you can get extra points by accepting below-average strength, appearance, wealth, social status, etc., or by taking disadvantages - specific handicaps such as bad vision or fear of heights.

Advanced players can fine-tune these traits by adding enhancements and limitations. Such modifiers will raise or lower the basic point cost of the modified trait.

Character points are the 'currency' of character creation. Anything that improves your abilities costs character points: you must spend points equal to the listed price of an ability to add that ability to your character sheet and use it in play. Anything that reduces your capabilities has a negative cost - that is, it gives you back some points. For instance, if you start with 125 points, buy 75 points of advantages, and take -15 points of disadvantages, you have 125 - 75 + 15 = 65 points remaining.

The GM decides how many character points the player characters (PCs) - the heroes - start with. This depends on how capable he wants them to be, and can range from under 25 points (small children) to 1,000 points or more (godlike beings), with 100 to 200 points being typical for career adventurers.

This beginning point level is sometimes referred to as the power level of the campaign. This is not the same as the 'stakes' of the campaign! Heroes with abilities that let them overcome even the toughest opposition in an optimistic fantasy campaign might face mortal danger in a dark horror scenario.

In most campaigns, all the PCs start at the same power level. This is simple and fair. However, not all people are equally capable in real life, and it is common in fiction for one character to be obviously superior. If everyone agrees, some players might play 'lead protagonists,' worth more points than the other PCs, or 'sidekicks', worth fewer points.

A disadvantage is anything with a negative cost, including low attributes, reduced social status, and all the specific disabilities listed in the Disadvantages section. In theory, you could keep adding disadvantages until you had enough points to buy whatever advantages and skills you wanted. In practice, most GMs will want to set a limit on the disadvantage points a PC may have.

The purpose of a disadvantage limit is to keep the game from becoming a circus, with the PCs' troubles stealing the spotlight from the setting, the adventure, and everything else the GM has created. Most GMs find it difficult to run an engaging game if the PCs are completely dysfunctional - e.g., clumsy, one-eyed, alcoholic outlaws who are afraid of the dark.

A disadvantage cap serves another purpose as well: it restricts the abilities available to starting characters, allowing the GM to set an upper limit on the capabilities of the PCs. A good rule of thumb is to hold disadvantages to 50% of starting points - for instance, -75 points in a 150-point game - although this is entirely up to the GM.

However, if the GM rules that all PCs must have certain disadvantages (e.g., all the PCs are spies, with a Duty to their agency), these 'campaign disadvantages' should not count against the disadvantage limit. Disadvantages that are part of your racial makeup (your “racial template”) are also exempt.

Your character's starting point total is only relevant when he first enters play. Shortly thereafter, he will start to change. The GM will sometimes reward you with extra points to spend, or even new abilities… but you might lose capabilities, too. All of these things will change your point total.

Eventually, your PC will be worth more or fewer points than those of your companions, even though you all started out equal. Don't worry about it! Develop the habit of regarding your point total as a useful measure of your capability at this time - not as a gauge of overall campaign power level, or of your personal success or importance relative to the other players or PCs.

The two most important things to know about your character are who he is and what role you want him to play in his adventures. Find out what kind of game the GM plans to run and what kinds of characters he intends to allow. Then start filling in the details. There are several ways to approach this.

You can choose the abilities you want, spend your character points, and work out a character concept that fits the abilities. A good character is much more than a collection of abilities, but 'shopping' for abilities can be a great inspiration.

You might instead decide on your character's focal qualities first - the handful of things that define him, such as personal history, appearance, behavior, aptitudes, and skills. Think about how he acquired those qualities, then spend your points on features that go with these traits. (You might find it useful to work out a biography first, as described below.)

Finally, you might find it helpful to answer some basic questions about your character, using the answers to develop a biography before you spend any points. For instance:

- Where was he born and where did he grow up? Where does he live now?

- Who were his parents? (Does he know?) Are they still alive? If not, what became of them? If so, does he get along with them?

- What training does he have? Was he an apprentice? A student? Or is he self-taught?

- What is his current occupation? What other jobs has he held?

- What social class does he belong to? How wealthy is he?

- Who are his friends? His enemies? His closest professional associates?

- What were the most important moments of his life?

- What are his likes and dislikes? Hobbies and interests? Morals and beliefs?

- What are his motivations? Plans for the future?

You can answer such questions in your head, on paper, or in an interview with the GM. You can even discuss them with the other players (but you will want to keep some secrets, even from your friends.) Or you might prefer to answer them by writing a life history.

To really solidify your character concept, you can write your character's life history, or 'character story.' You don't have to write a character story - but it's recommended. If you do, then you should show this story to the GM, but not necessarily to the other players. This can serve as a great aid to roleplaying, and can help the GM integrate your character into his campaign world.

As your character adventures and gains experience, his 'story' will get longer and more detailed. Not only will you have the adventures themselves to remember… the more you play your character, the more you'll work out his background, history, and motivations.

Writing a life history amounts to roleplaying a character before the campaign begins. The GM might choose to reward players who write detailed character stories with a few extra character points for good roleplaying - perhaps 1 to 5 points. The story need not be a literary masterpiece to merit bonus points, but it should be more than just a token effort, and should attempt to answer all of the questions listed under Character Concept that are relevant to the character.

A character can have any combination of abilities he can afford, provided the GM agrees. (Players of other RPGs take note: this means that GURPS does not use character classes.) However, all of his abilities should paint a picture consistent with his character concept. Some inspirations from heroic fiction:

Exotic. An alien, angel, robot, 'super' (a comic-book superhuman), or other hero defined by his unusual powers or nature. Most of his starting points should go toward high attributes, exotic or supernatural advantages, or a racial template. As a result, he probably has fewer mundane abilities than his fellow adventurers.

Jack-of-All-Trades. A many-skilled hero: mercenary, bush pilot, reporter, etc. DX and IQ are most important. Advantages such as Talent and Versatile can help. Pick one or two skills from those suggested for each of the other character types. A Jack-of-All-Trades isn't as good as a dedicated expert, but he has some skill in many areas.

Mouthpiece. A bard, con man, or other person who exploits wit and charm. IQ is crucial. Charisma, Cultural Familiarity, Rapier Wit, Voice, and a good appearance are all useful. Most important are skills that emphasize social interaction: Carousing, Fast-Talk, Merchant, Public Speaking, and so on.

Sage. A 'wise man' - priest, professor, scientist, etc. High IQ is essential. Classic advantages are Eidetic Memory, Intuition, Language Talent, and Languages (and in some campaigns, Illuminated!) He needs several related IQ/Hard skills in obscure fields (Expert Skills are especially suitable), as well as Research, Teaching, and Writing.

Scout. A seasoned outdoorsman or 'ranger'. All attributes are equally important; some extra Basic Move and Perception can be extremely useful. The archetypal scout advantage is Absolute Direction. Valuable skills include Area Knowledge, Camouflage, Naturalist, Navigation, Survival, and Tracking.

Sneak. Thieves and spies need high DX and IQ, as well as good Perception. Helpful advantages include High Manual Dexterity and Night Vision. Many skills are appropriate - Acting, Current Affairs, Disguise, and Savoir-Faire suit a worldly spy, while a fantasy thief should pick Climbing, Lockpicking, Pickpocket, and Traps. Stealth skill is universal!

Specialist. An expert at one skill. His knowledge runs deep and narrow; he is the opposite of the Jack-of-All-Trades. His skill is very high (at least 18), with a good score in the attribute it is based on. Any advantage that gives a skill bonus is helpful - especially Talent.

Tinkerer. An engineer, inventor, technician, or other mechanical genius. IQ is vital; DX is useful. Any kind of technological skill fits this sort of character (see Skills for Design, Repair, and Use), and Scrounging skill is obligatory. Cinematic inventors should also have High TL, Gadgeteer, and Gizmos.

Warrior. A professional fighter needs high ST, DX, and HT, and might wish to buy up Hit Points and Basic Speed. Useful advantages include Combat Reflexes, Hard to Kill, and High Pain Threshold; cinematic warriors should also consider Extra Attack and Weapon Master. Combat skills are a must, and Leadership, Strategy, and Tactics can help. Modern commandos should add skills such as Explosives, Forward Observer, and Parachuting.

Wizard. IQ and Magery are crucial. Extra Fatigue Points are useful for powering magic. Of course, a wizard needs spells - as many as he can afford! Although wizards are most common in magical worlds, the 'surprise value' of a mage on a low-magic world can compensate for his reduced effectiveness.

Be sure to visit all of the following sections during character creation:

• Basic Attributes and Secondary Characteristics. These affect almost everything else on your character sheet, so pick them first.

• Build and Age and Beauty. These sections describe the in-game effects of height, weight, age, looks, etc.

• Social Background, Wealth and Influence, Friends and Foes, and Identities. Determine what kind of society you are from, where you stand in the game world, how others regard you, and who you can count on for support - or for a knife in the back!

• Advantages. This section lists dozens of special talents and powers. Perks are special 'mini-advantages' that can help individualize your character.

• Disadvantages. This section lists a wide variety of negative traits, from inconvenient to crippling. Mental disadvantages and Quirks, special mini-disadvantages, can help you define your personality.

• Skills and Techniques. The abilities in these sections describe what you can actually do. Be sure to match your skills to your occupation and character type.

Aside from attributes, which you should normally select first, the order you work through these sections makes little difference… start with the one most important to you, and work from there.

A full-sized character sheet and other GURPS forms can be acquired from http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/resources/.

There are several things you might want to keep track of separately:

Job Details. It can be important to know what you do for a living when you're not adventuring (unless adventuring is your job - lucky you!) and how long you spend doing it. This determines your income and on-the-job training opportunities. Military characters should keep a service record.

Life History. If you write down your character story, keep it in a separate file so you can easily expand it as your adventures unfold.

Spells. Wizards often know dozens of spells - more than easily fit on a character sheet. If you wish, you can just note the total point cost of all your spells under “Skills” and write out your full spell list on a separate “grimoire” or “spellbook” sheet.

Vital Statistics. If you think your parents' names, your place and date of birth (or zodiacal birth sign), your bloodline (or race - in some settings, you might need to specify that you are an ordinary human!), and similar traits are likely to matter, keep a separate “personnel file” on yourself that contains such details.

Character design in GURPS is intended to give a balanced hero, someone whose strengths and weaknesses more or less cancel each other out.

In real life, of course, being super-strong doesn't necessarily mean you have to give up something else. And being weak in body doesn't mean you'll automatically be good at something else. A totally realistic system would be one in which a character's strength (for instance) was determined randomly, with no relationship to his intelligence or social status … and so on for all his other capabilities.

But random choices aren't really satisfactory for heroes. You might end up with a superman… or a weak, stupid, boring clod. You avoid people like that in real life; why would you want to become one, even for a minute, in a game?

In GURPS, two characters built on the same number of points start off “equal,” but not the same. You can design the type of character you want while leaving room for growth and improvement.