Mundane Characters: 300 points

• Elite operatives, executives, high-level officials
• Many expert-level skills
• Multiple advantages
• No supernatural powers ever

Supernatural Characters: 150 points

• Characters who will develop magic or psionics
• Lower starting attributes (11-13 typical)
• Fewer, more focused skills
• Limited initial advantages
• Powers develop during campaign

Effect: Choose your path at creation. Cannot switch later.

Standard GURPS: Disadvantages give extra character points

This Campaign: Disadvantages give 0 points

Why:

• Disadvantages are for character depth, not optimization
• Prevents "disad farming" for points
• Encourages meaningful character flaws
• All characters built on exact point total (300 or 150)

Effect: Choose disadvantages for story value only. They don't increase your point budget.

Standard GURPS: Attributes have variable costs (ST 10/lvl, DX 20/lvl, IQ 20/lvl, HT 10/lvl)

This Campaign: All 10 attributes cost 10 points/level

Why This Works:

• Simple: No need to remember different costs
• Half-Stat Defaults: High attributes don't give free competence
• Skills Matter: Must invest in skills regardless of attribute scores
• Build Diversity: Spreading points is viable, min-maxing gives marginal gains

DX as Universal Combat Attribute:

Combat Type	Required Attributes	Cost for "15 Base"
Melee Specialist	DX 16, HT 14	60 + 40 = 100 pts
Ranged Specialist	PER 16, DX 14	60 + 40 = 100 pts
Combat Generalist	DX 15, HT 13, PER 13	50 + 30 + 30 = 110 pts

Effect:

• DX helps both melee and ranged (realistic - all combat needs coordination)
• Specialists invest in DX + one other (HT or PER)
• Generalists need DX + HT + PER (expensive but versatile)
• Half-stat defaults prevent high attributes from being overpowered
• Skills remain mandatory for actual competence

Standard GURPS: 4 attributes (ST, DX, IQ, HT)

This Campaign: 10 attributes

Replaces	With	Cost
IQ	KN, IN, PER	10/lvl each
Social Advantages	CH, PR	10/lvl each
IQ/WILL split	WILL (separate)	10/lvl
-	QN (Quintessence)	10/lvl
ST, DX, HT	Unchanged	10/lvl each

Effect: More granular character definition. All attributes cost 10 pts/level for simplicity.

Character advancement is earned through play, not awarded in bulk. There are three ways to earn Character Points (CP) each session:

1. Failed Roll Hashes (Skill & Attribute Growth)

Every time a PC fails a skill or attribute roll during play, they earn one hash mark toward that specific skill or attribute. When a skill or attribute accumulates 3 hash marks, the PC earns 1 CP that must be spent on that skill or attribute. Hash marks reset to zero after the CP is earned.

Hashes	Result
1–2 failed rolls	Hash marks accumulate, no CP yet
3 failed rolls	1 CP earned — must be spent on that skill or attribute

Effect: Characters naturally improve in the areas they actually use and struggle with. A soldier who keeps failing Stealth will eventually get better at Stealth — not Diplomacy.

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2. Session CP (Free Growth)

Every PC earns 1 CP at the end of each session, regardless of what happened. This CP is unrestricted — it may be saved across sessions or spent at the player's discretion on any skill, attribute, or advantage.

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3. Disadvantage Roleplay Bonus (GM Award)

If a PC's disadvantage is brought into play during the session in a way that enhances the experience for the group — creating drama, complications, or memorable moments — the GM may award 1–2 bonus CP to that player. This CP is unrestricted.

• 1 CP: The disadvantage came up meaningfully and affected the scene
• 2 CP: The disadvantage drove a pivotal moment or significantly enriched the session

The GM is the sole judge of whether a disadvantage qualifies. Players should not engineer situations solely to trigger this reward.

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Summary: CP Sources Per Session

Source	CP Earned	Restriction
3 failed rolls (per skill/attr)	1 CP per skill/attr	Must go to that skill/attr
Session award	1 CP	Unrestricted, may be saved
Disadvantage roleplay (GM)	1–2 CP	Unrestricted

Standard GURPS: Skills default at (Attribute - Penalty)

This Campaign: Skills default at (Attribute ÷ 2) - (Penalty - 5)

Formula:

Examples:

Skill	Normal Default	Attribute	Standard	Half-Stat
Broadsword	DX-5	14	14-5 = 9	(14÷2)-(5-5) = 7
Guns (Rifle)	PER-4	13	13-4 = 9	(13÷2)-(4-5) = 7
Tactics	IN-6	12	12-6 = 6	(12÷2)-(6-5) = 5
Fast-Talk	CH-5	11	11-5 = 6	(11÷2)-(5-5) = 5

Effect:

• High attributes don't give automatic competence
• Must invest in skills to be good at them
• Specialists become more specialized
• Jack-of-all-trades becomes harder
• Skills matter much more than standard GURPS

Standard GURPS: Melee weapon skills default to DX

This Campaign: Melee weapon and combat skills default to (DX + HT) ÷ 2

Includes:

• All melee weapon skills (Sword, Axe/Mace, Knife, Spear, Staff, etc.)
• Unarmed combat skills (Boxing, Brawling, Karate, Judo, Wrestling, Sumo Wrestling)
• Fast-Draw (any)
• Shield skills
• Any DX-based combat skill involving close quarters

Why: Melee combat requires both coordination (DX) and stamina (HT). This makes HT relevant for melee fighters.

Calculating Melee Defaults:

1. Calculate melee base: (DX + HT) ÷ 2
2. Apply half-stat default formula: (Base ÷ 2) - (Penalty - 5)

Examples:

DX	HT	Melee Base	Broadsword Default (Base - 5)	Karate Default (Base - 4)
12	10	11	(11÷2)-(5-5) = 5	(11÷2)-(4-5) = 6
13	13	13	(13÷2)-(5-5) = 6	(13÷2)-(4-5) = 7
14	12	13	(13÷2)-(5-5) = 6	(13÷2)-(4-5) = 7
16	14	15	(15÷2)-(5-5) = 7	(15÷2)-(4-5) = 8

Effect: Melee fighters need both DX (finesse) and HT (endurance). Can't dump HT and rely only on DX.

Every skill has been remapped from the standard 4 attributes to the 10-attribute system:

Attribute/Base	Skill Types
(DX+HT)÷2	Melee weapon skills, unarmed combat, Fast-Draw
(PER+DX)÷2	All ranged weapon skills (Guns, Bows, Thrown, Beam Weapons, etc.)
DX	Stealth, acrobatics, technical physical (non-combat)
PER	Observation, tracking, sensors, search
KN	Academic knowledge, sciences, languages, magic spells
IN	Engineering, tactics, problem-solving, analysis
HT	Endurance skills, meditation, breath control
WILL	Mental resistance, meditation, some esoteric skills
CH	Diplomacy, fast-talk, acting, persuasion
PR	Leadership, intimidation, interrogation

Effect: Attributes matter differently for different character types. See complete skill list for all mappings.

Standard GURPS: Basic Speed = (DX + HT) ÷ 4

This Campaign: Basic Speed = (DX + PER) ÷ 4

Why: PER is the ranged combat attribute. Including it in Basic Speed makes perception matter for initiative and dodge.

Examples:

• DX 13, PER 14: Speed = (13+14)÷4 = 6.75
• DX 11, PER 16: Speed = (11+16)÷4 = 6.75

Dodge: Still Basic Speed + 3

Standard GURPS: Basic Move = Basic Speed (rounded)

This Campaign: Basic Move = HT ÷ 2 (round down)

Why: Makes HT relevant for mobility. Separates speed (reactions) from move (endurance).

Examples:

• HT 10: Move = 10÷2 = 5
• HT 11: Move = 11÷2 = 5.5 = 5 (round down)
• HT 13: Move = 13÷2 = 6.5 = 6 (round down)
• HT 14: Move = 14÷2 = 7

Standard GURPS: Melee weapon skills use DX as controlling attribute

This Campaign: Melee weapon skills use (DX + HT) ÷ 2 as controlling attribute

How it works:

1. Melee weapon skills use (DX + HT) ÷ 2 as their controlling attribute
2. Buy skill points as normal (1 pt for Easy, 2 pts for Average, etc.)
3. Roll vs your weapon skill to attack (just like standard GURPS)

Example Character:

• DX 14, HT 12: Melee Base = (14+12)÷2 = 13
• Broadsword (Average): Defaults at (13÷2)-(5-5) = 6
• Spend 8 points: Skill goes to 13 (Default+7) — spend 20 points to reach skill 16 (Default+10)
• Attack roll: 3d6 vs 13 (8 pts spent) or vs 16 (20 pts spent)

What Changed:

• ✅ Roll vs weapon skill (unchanged)
• ✅ Point costs normal (unchanged)
• ⚠️ Controlling attribute is (DX+HT)÷2 instead of DX
• ⚠️ Defaults calculated from (DX+HT)÷2

Effect: Both coordination (DX) and endurance (HT) matter for melee combat skills. Still roll normally to hit.

Standard GURPS: Ranged weapon skills use DX as controlling attribute

This Campaign: Ranged weapon skills use (PER + DX) ÷ 2 as controlling attribute

Why: Ranged combat requires both perception (PER) to acquire and track targets, and coordination (DX) for steady aim and trigger control. Mirrors the melee formula structure.

How it works:

1. Ranged weapon skills use (PER + DX) ÷ 2 as their controlling attribute
2. Buy skill points as normal (1 pt for Easy, 2 pts for Average, etc.)
3. Apply range/size/speed modifiers
4. Roll vs your modified weapon skill to attack (just like standard GURPS)

Example Character:

• PER 14, DX 12: Ranged Base = (14+12)÷2 = 13
• Guns (Rifle) (Easy): Defaults at (13÷2)-(4-5) = 7
• Spend 8 points: Skill goes 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 (at Base+4 equivalent)
• Target at -4 range penalty
• Attack roll: 3d6 vs 13 (17 skill - 4 range)

What Changed:

• ✅ Roll vs weapon skill (unchanged)
• ✅ Apply range/targeting modifiers (unchanged)
• ✅ Point costs normal (unchanged)
• ⚠️ Controlling attribute is (PER+DX)÷2 instead of DX
• ⚠️ Defaults calculated from (PER+DX)÷2

Symmetry with Melee:

Combat Type	Formula	What You Need
Melee	(DX + HT) ÷ 2	Coordination + Endurance
Ranged	(PER + DX) ÷ 2	Perception + Coordination

Effect: Both perception (spotting targets) and coordination (steady hands) matter for ranged combat. DX is now universally useful for all combat types. Still roll normally to hit.

Standard GURPS: Swing = Thrust + various (1d-2 to 2d+2 depending on ST); damage progression is linear and unrealistic at higher ST values.

This Campaign: Uses the KYOS Revised Strength Table. Damage is logarithmic — each +1 to ST represents roughly a 10% increase in actual strength. Swing is no longer simply Thrust + 2; instead both values are read directly from the table.

Revised Strength Table (Human Range ST 8–16):

ST	Basic Lift	Thrust	Swing	Description
8	13 lbs	1d-4	1d-2	Two-thirds as strong
9	16 lbs	1d-3	1d-1	Three-quarters as strong
10	20 lbs	1d-2	1d	Average person
11	25 lbs	1d-1	1d+1	Half again as strong
12	32 lbs	1d	2d-1	Twice as strong
13	40 lbs	1d+1	2d-1	Twice as strong
14	50 lbs	1d+1	2d	Three times as strong
15*	63 lbs	2d-1	2d+1	Three times as strong
16**	80 lbs	2d	2d+2	Four times as strong

* ST 15 requires Unusual Background (5 pts). ** ST 16 requires Unusual Background (10 pts). These are the human hard limits.

Effect: More realistic damage scaling. A ST 12 character does noticeably more swing damage (2d-1) than under the old Thrust+2 system (1d+1). High ST is more meaningful and the logarithmic scale prevents inflation at the top end.

In this campaign, ST is divided into Striking ST (SST), Lifting ST (LST), and Hit Points (HP). Grappling is the one place where Lifting ST directly affects combat outcomes — raw muscle mass and leverage determine who controls a grapple.

Base grapple CP comes from Striking ST (normal thrust via GCS/GGA), unchanged. After base CP is calculated, add a Grapple Power bonus based on the Lifting ST difference between attacker and defender:

GP = max(0, floor((Attacker LST − Defender LST) ÷ 3))

This bonus applies to:

• CP inflicted on a successful grapple or control attack
• CP removed on a successful Break Free or Reduce Control action

GP never goes below 0 — being weaker gives no penalty to base CP, only no bonus.

Examples:

Situation	Attacker LST	Defender LST	GP Bonus
Evenly matched humans	12	12	+0
Strong vs. average	16	12	+1
Power armor vs. human	20	12	+2
Superhuman vs. power armor	28	20	+2

Effect: Bigger, stronger characters are meaningfully harder to grapple and easier to control. A highly-trained fighter with modest LST can still grapple effectively — their base CP from Striking ST and technique remains intact. But against a power-armored opponent or a genuine giant, raw leverage starts to tell.

📖 See The 10 Attributes → ST Components for SST, LST, and HP costs.

Standard GURPS: Option to use Dice+Adds for damage

This Campaign: Using Dice+Adds system

How it works:

• Damage listed as dice + adds (e.g., 2d+3)
• Multipliers apply to BOTH dice and adds
• Makes damage scaling more consistent

Example:

• Broadsword does 2d+3 cutting
• ×1.5 for cutting becomes (2d+3)×1.5 = 3d+4

Effect: Cleaner damage calculations with multipliers.

Standard GURPS: Spells are IQ-based skills

This Campaign: Spells are KN-based skills

Why:

• KN = Knowledge, including magical lore
• Separates magical learning from other mental abilities
• Prevents "super-wizard" who's also tactical genius and perception expert

Effect: Mages invest in KN for spell skills, just as fighters invest in DX/PER for combat.

Standard GURPS: Spells cost FP

This Campaign: Spells cost QP (Quintessence Points)

QN Attribute:

• QN = Quintessence (10 pts/level)
• QP = QN score (QN 12 = 12 QP base)
• Magery doesn't increase QP, but higher Magery may reduce spell costs or improve effectiveness
• Recover QP like FP (10 min rest = 1 QP)

Magic System:

• Spell Skill: Based on KN
• Spell Cost: Paid in QP (not FP)
• Spell Resistance: WILL (mental strength)
• Magic Sense: QN + Magery level

Example Mage:

• KN 14: Spell skills at 14 base
• QN 12: 12 QP total
• Magery 2: Improves spell effectiveness and reduces costs
• WILL 12: Resist spells at 12
• Magic Sense: 14 (QN 12 + Magery 2)

Clarification: WILL does NOT power magic or psionics

WILL is used for:

• Resisting mental influence
• Resisting fear and terror
• Extra effort and pushing limits
• Resisting spells that target the mind
• Psionic contests (defense)

WILL is NOT used for:

• ❌ Casting spells (that's KN + QN)
• ❌ Powering psi abilities (that's IN or PER)
• ❌ Magic skill rolls

Effect: WILL is purely defensive/resistance. Prevents "WILL super-build."