GURPS Talislanta

[pawsplay]

Some conversion roughs.

SINDARAN

133 points
Attributes: -1 ST [-10], +8 IQ [160]
Secondary Attributes: -8 Perception [-40], -4 Will [-20]
Advantages: Ambidexterity [5], Compartmentalized Mind 1 [50], Extra Sleep 4 (Nuisance effect, -4 to IQ rolls as half of brain sleeps, -40%) [5]
Disadvantages: Restricted Diet [-10], Unusual Biochemistry [-5],
Quirks: Relentlessly logical and correct [-1], Collector of a particular specialty [-1]
Features:
Taboo Traits: Cannot use magic in any fashion. Empathy and Intuition are also beyond their rigid, logical mindset.

Collector Template
20 points
Disadvantages: Obsession (Collecting) [-10]
Quirks: Remove collecting quirk
Primary Skills: Alchemy (VH) IQ-1 [4]-17, Expert Skill (collecting specialty) (H) IQ [4]-18
Secondary Skills: Blowpipe (H) DX [4]-10, plus five of the following: Anthropology (specialty) (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Archaeology (H) IQ [2]-18, Architecture (A) IQ [2]-18, Astronomy (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Biology (VH) IQ-2 [2]-16, Cartography (A) IQ [2]-18, Criminology (A) IQ [2]-18, Cryptography (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Diplomacy (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Forensics (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Geography (speciality) (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Geology (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, History (specialty) (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Intelligence Analysis (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Law (speciality) (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Linguistics (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Literature (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Mathematics (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Meditation (H) Will [2]-13, Metallurgy (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Meterology (A) IQ [2]-18, Occultism (A) IQ [2]-18, Philosophy (specialty) (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Research (A) IQ [2]-18, Theology (Comparative) (H) IQ-1 [2], or Writing (A) IQ [2]-18.
Background Skills: Games (Trivarian) (E) IQ [1]-18, Brewer (A) IQ [2]-18, plus two of the following: Administration (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Administration (A) IQ [2]-18, Animal Handling (A) IQ [2]-18, Armoury (melee weapons or missile weapons) (A) IQ [2]-18, Carpentry (E) IQ+1 [2]-19, Connoisseur (A) IQ [2]-18, Farming (A) IQ [2]-17, Jeweler (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Leatherworking (E) IQ+1 [2]-19, Machinist (A) IQ [2]-18, Mechanic (A) IQ [2]-18, Merchant (A) IQ [2]-18, Naturalist (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Pharmacy (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Physician (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Professional Skill (A) IQ [2]-18, or Teamster (A) IQ [2]-18.

Effectuator Template
43 points
Secondary Attributes: reduce Perception to -6 [10]
Disadvantages: Obsession (solving mysteries) [-10]
Primary Skills: Blowpipe (H) DX +1 [8]-11, Cryptography (H) IQ [4]-18, Intelligence Analysis (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Criminology (H) IQ [4]-18, Interrogation (A) IQ [2]-18, Law (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Observation (A) Per [4]-13, Streetwise (A) IQ [2]-18, Tracking (A) Per [2]-12,
Secondary Skills: Piloting (A) DX [2]-10, Stealth (A) DX [2]-10, and one weapon skill at (E) DX+1 [4]-12, (A) DX [2]-11, or (H) DX-1 [2]-10.
Background Skills: Expert Skill (collection specialty) (H) IQ-1 [2]-17, Games (Trivarian) (E) IQ [1]-18, one skill listed above for the Collector’s five picks [2].


Sindra: Reduce IQ to +4, and Perception to -4. Remove Ambidexterity, Compartmentalized Mind, and Extra Sleep. Remove Sindaran Quirks. Add Manic-Depressive [-20] and Social Stigma [-10]. This template reduces the Sindaran template by a value of 148 points, to a total of -15 points. In addition, add at least ten more points of mental Disadvantages, possibly including Confused, Delusions, Hallucinations, Indecisive, Paranoid, Phantom Voices, and the like. If the dementia is the result of meddling with magic, a bad Reputation is likely.

[pawsplay]

THRALL

Note that the Thrall racial template already includes rather high attributes. Thralls are virtually alike, and hence this template encompasses most of their abilities apart from training.

148 points
Attributes: +4 ST [40], +2 DX [40], -3 IQ [-60], +3 HT [30]
Secondary Attributes: +3 Perception [15], +5 Will [25]
Advantages: Ambidexterity [5], Combat Reflexes [15], Very Fit [15], High Pain Threshold [10], Reduced Consumption (Cast-iron stomach) 2 [4], Unfazeable [15], Warrior Talent +4 [20], Perk (Sanitized Metabolism) [1].
Disadvantages: Fanaticism (soldier) [-15], Honesty (9) [-15], Short Lifespan [-10].
Quirks: Think of themselves only as warriors [-1].
Racially Innate Skills: Strategy (H) IQ+2 [12]-13, Tactics (H) IQ+2 [12]-13
Features: All Thralls look virtually alike, except for their distinct tattoos
Taboo Traits: Thralls never study magic and cannot posses magical Talent. Further, they do not possess great variation in physical form and madness is exceedingly rare. Only through injury is a Thrall likely to be missing a limb, insane, or the like. Even attributes are unlikely to vary much.

Thrall Society

Due to the nature of Thrall society, Military Rank replaces Social Status in Taz. This does not necessarily apply to Thralls dwelling elsewhere.

A Thrall’s fanaticism means that he will never break ranks, will gladly sacrifice his life for an important military objective, and will not disobey orders unless victory is at stake. He obeys the military hierarchy, honors alliances, and to the practical extent possible observes the rules of engagement.

Warrior Talent: This Talent grants a bonus to Strategy, Tactics, Artillery, Expert (Military Science), Forward Observer, Leadership, and Soldier. 5 points/level.

THRALL WARRIOR

A Thrall warrior has the above traits, plus the following that represent his background and training.

166 points
Advantages: as above
Disadvantages: 10 points of the following: Bloodlust [-5 or -10], Bully [-5 or -10], Callous [-5], Chummy [-5], Clueless [-10], Code of Honor (Rules of engagement or gladiator) [-5], Duty [-5], Guilt Complex [-5], Hidebound [-5], Intolerance (various) [-1 to -5], No Sense of Humor [-10], Odious Personal Habit (quoting regulations and good military practice) [-5], Overconfidence [-5], Selfless [-5], Sense of Duty [-5 or -10], Truthfulness [-5], or Workaholic [-5].
Primary Skills: Garde (A) DX +1 [4]-13, Two-Handed Sword (A) DX+1 [4]-13, Sumo Wrestling (A) DX+1 [4]-13, Riding (Equs or Mangonel) (A) DX+1 [4]-13
Secondary Skills: Soldier (A) IQ [2]-11, Two other weapon skills [2 each], Leadership (A) IQ+0 [2]-11, Observation (A) IQ+0 [2]-11.
Background Skills: Armoury (pick one) IQ+0 [2]-7.

Wounded Veteran Lens: Sometimes, Thralls receive grievous injuries that do not disqualify them from service. Although battle wounds are honorable, other Thralls find them a bit pitiable; these modifiers cancel out. Such Thralls find ways to make themselves useful. Add any physical disadvantage worth -15 to -20 points. Increase Armoury to IQ +2 [8]-13. Add Teaching (A) IQ+0 [2]-7 and one IQ/Average skill at IQ+2 [8]-9, typically something such as Administration, Animal Handling, Architecture, Masonry, Merchant, or the like. Add the quirk “Tries to be useful” [-1]. Net cost 0, or -5 for a -20 point Disadvantage.
Some wounded veterans become dispirited; replace Fanaticism with Chronic Depression. Such individuals rarely live long.

Sergeant Lens: Add Military Rank 2 [20] and increase Leadership to 12 [4]. Sergeants always have a Duty. Adds 22 points to the template cost, or only 12 if stationed outside Taz (where Status is determined normally).

Junior Officer Lens: Add Military Rank 3 [30], increase Leadership to 14 [12], and add Administration (A) IQ+1 [4]-8 and Law (Military) (H) IQ+1 [8]-8. Increases template cost by 52 (37 outside Taz).

Tazian Hunter Lens: Reduce Sumo Wrestling, Garde and Two-Handed Sword to DX [2]-12. Add Bow (A) DX+1 [4]-13, Naturalist (A) IQ+1 [4]-8, and Tracking (A) IQ+1 [4]-8. This raises the cost by 6 points.

Tazian Combat
Primary Skills: Garde, Sumo Wrestling
Techniques: Disarming (Garde)

Garde (DX/Avg)
Defaults to Shield (any) -4 or Brawling -5

A garde is unique Thrall weapon, consisting of spiked metal plates. Essentially, it is used as a kind of shield, in addition to being used for powerful attacks. Garde can be used in a form of shield-rush. This is a primary tactic of Tazian combat.

[Drohem]

Good work!

What point level are you starting your characters with?

The reason I bring this up is because most games start at 100 pts with 40 pts in Disadvantages. This would put these templates out of reach for starting PCs.

If you're starting with 150/40 pts, then these are viable but with few points for personal development.

You might want to consider reworking to bring down the point cost for your templates.

I love Talislanta and GURPS, so seeing any work done on it is exciting. I was sorely disappointed many years back when the GURPS/Talislanta book failed to be published.

[pawsplay]

150 points is the new gold standard for an action-adventure campaign, which Talislanta certainly is. Talislanta archetypes are pretty powerful; a Sindaran collector, for instance, is a genius way beyond the competence of a typical fantasy sage type character. Some even have formidable magical powers. A 150 point game would leave little room for customization; by default, traditional Talislanta characters are like that, and the traditional way of customizing is to lower one attribute and raise another. I built the Thrall warrior below to approximate the competence of the beginning template in the Talislanta book. However, Thralls are fairly competent. It looks like the archetypes so far are coming in at 175 points or so, for some of the more powerful characters. 150+40 should be able to do it.

[Drohem]

That's cool. I would start at 150 points as well. I understand your points. However, in my GURPS experience, 15-20 points for skills, stats, and advantages after template cost is just not that viable. In order to have any kind of decent skill level in more than a couple of skills, you are going to have to pass on advantages and maybe gimp your stats. Or if you pump your stats, then you'll have subpar skill levels.

If all your template are 150-175 pt. range, and you feel that you can't shave them further, then you may want to consider bumping starting point total to 175 pts. This will allow enough points for unique customization.

Anyway, these are just my opinions of course. It's your world and do as you wish. Please don't misread my comments; they are merely suggestions. As I already said, I think it's cool that you are doing this conversion. I hope that you are satisfied and successful with your campaign and hard work. I know how difficult it can be to completely covert another system into GURPS.