Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1998 09:19:04 +-1000 From: Alan Atkinson To: "'GURPSnet-l@io.com'" Subject: New Adv & Disadv (long) Hey all, Over the time I have had GURPS, I have worked out various advantages, etc. when there wasn't one to fit the bill. Some have been superseded, others (I feel) are still valid. Please feel free to look and tell me what you think. Mundane Advantages Artistic Ability 2/5 pts/level The character is a prodigy, gifted beyond his years in the arts. In the Basic Set, a dispensation is given that the player can pay any number of points into an 'artistic' skill without it counting toward the 'age' total, to simulate high levels of talent. Characters taking this advantage are no longer eligible for that dispensation. For 2 points per level, this advantage improves one artistic skill by the number of levels. This skill is to be chosen by the player at character creation. For 5 points per level, all artistic skills that the character makes any effort to improve are similarly enhanced. Chambara Fighting Style 25 pts Prerequisite: Karate skill at 15+ You are "in tune" with the mystical forces governing the arts of hand-to-hand combat. Using a readied, balanced weapon, you can make one additional attack and parry per turn for every 3 points of skill over 12. Your Wild Swing [see B105] is at a -5 hit penalty, but is not limited to a maximum attack roll of 9. If you have Combat Reflexes, you can sense a surprise attack from behind. As such it counts as coming from the side, not the rear, making the active defense penalty only -2. Your typical defense is to Dodge by jumping. A DX (or Jumping or Acrobatics) roll is required. If successful, you have double your normal Dodge defense against that attack. If the roll fails, you get only the normal Dodge defense. On a critical failure, you fall. Each attempt to Dodge by jumping means the fighter may make one fewer attacks on his next turn. You may also Evade in close combat, passing through a foe's hex, by Jumping. This tactic also requires a successful DX (or Jumping or Acrobatics) roll and costs 4 Move points. If the roll fails, the attempt to Evade failed. If the roll succeeds, the you are at +5 on the Contest of DX to Evade (see p B113). [This gives the fighting abilities of TbaM without allowing access to the Cinematic skills.] Firm Footing 2 pts/level You are very sure-footed; each level reduces unfavourable terrain modifiers by 1. This can be inborn, or it can be a result of training. For instance, 2 levels of this ability are included in the martial arts style Pentjak Silat. High Technology Special Limitation For half cost, the tech you get still works - but it isn't reliable. Either it's not fully charged, or experimental, or worn out - or just plain shoddy work. In addition, you will be working off current-TL defaults. You will not be able to significantly improve the quality of workmanship, but lots of practice will improve the skill above default level - if the device doesn't fall apart first. Zeroed: redefinition. This advantage costs nothing below TL7, as many people were effectively Zeroed through lack of accurate record-keeping and electronic computers. At TL7, the cost is 5 points, as the databanks, though in existence, are rarely as comprehensive as those at TL8+. Above TL7, of course, the cost is 10 points. Super Advantages Danger Perception 50 pts Like Danger Sense, but better. Every time you are in immediate danger, the GM rolls against your IQ. If he succeeds, you gain not only an awareness of danger but also a crystal-clear, three-dimensional mental image of the dangerous item or individual regardless of range. Only obvious physical details are included; if the sniper who has a rifle lined on you is also wearing a balaclava, then you won't recognise his face. Direction and distance are not indicated; a roll on Intuition is required for each such detail. (If the danger is not obvious, then an Intuition roll would be needed to give some hints here, too.) Special Enhancement: If the source of danger is within the range of the character's perceptions (including any unusual senses that the character may have), then the character's attention is automatically focused upon whatever he can perceive of the danger. This could be helpful, or it could be problematical; so it goes. +20%. Swallow Anything 5 pts Your throat and stomach are tough and flexible, so you can "swallow anything one inch smaller than a kitchen stove" and regurgitate it at will later. This would probably be most useful as a party trick or in a comedy campaign. [Derived from the ability of the Venerians in Lensman (page 45), and also of the Netherpunks from Creatures of the Night (page 89).] More Super Advantages Ablative DR (Instant) 5 pts/level This ability is identical to the super advantage Damage Resistance with the Ablative limitation; however, the regeneration time for this DR is 1 point per second. All DR-based enhancements available in Supers are applicable with this advantage. Amorphous varies Your vital areas are decentralised. For each level, any damage multipliers that are incurred by body location are reduced by 1, to a minimum of base damage. At level 1: HT rolls resulting from vital-area damage have a bonus of +5. Any "automatic" stun or knockout results resulting from a vital-area strike is put to a roll vs HT. Twice normal damage is required for a "crippled" or "disabled" result. Damage cutoff, if different from 'body' damage, is reduced to a maximum of HT x 2. 10 pts. At level 2: All HT rolls other than those resulting from "Body" damage have a +5 bonus on top of the Level 1 bonus. Crippling requires HT damage. Damage cutoff goes to a maximum of HT x 1.5. 25 pts. At level 3: No HT rolls need be made for other than normal "Body" damage. No bonuses arise from damage to any special area. No area can be disabled, other than appendages that are specifically amputated. Damage cutoff is as per "Body". 50 pts. At level 4: This level allows any body parts or organs that are amputated or cleanly excised to survive and continue working as if they were still attached to you. The removed part must be cleanly cut from the body for this advantage to work; if it is torn away, a HT roll must be made or the part is dead. The removal causes HP damage and this can be healed, but the point of removal does not heal over, nor will it bleed. In fact, through some mystical agency, your blood, and anything else that travels through the body, will travel from your body through the removed part and back to your body, even if separated by a great distance. You will not automatically know where your lost body part is, nor can you make it perform anything other than normal involuntary functions. Pain, however, can still be felt if the part is being mistreated. At least 90% of an organ must be intact in order for it to work; there is almost no minimum size for a limb or part thereof. Removed parts cannot be subdivided; they will die and the character will lose the benefit of having that body part or organ. If the body part is bound or sewn back into place (or, in the case of an organ, placed into the cavity in the body), it will reattach itself, taking just as long as it would to heal the original wound that caused the loss of the body part. During this time, it will continue to function normally. Note: None of the advantages of the previous levels apply at this level; if you want them, you must buy them separately. 100 pts. Special Enhancement: Hyper-Amorphism. For the first level, gain the advantage Double-Jointed. For the second, gain the Flexibility super-advantage. For the third level, not only is Flexibility gained, but any appendage or sensory organ may be absorbed into the body and re-extruded at any time; if it is forcibly removed, it may be "regrown" immediately. Finally, for the fourth level, you may use the senses and control the voluntary actions of any amputated body part; range is 2 to the power of (HT; Will bonuses count) in feet. +40%. [I derived this advantage from the Enterprise Fish from War Against the Chtorr (page 40), and added the 4th level from the abilities of Darklings and Dusklords from Creatures of the Night. When I designed it, I didn't know about Injury Tolerance.] Body of Lightning 7 pts/level Your body continually generates high-voltage electrical current, from which you take no damage. Any unshielded operating electrical or electronic device which you touch is treated as the subject of a successful Surge attack of a Power level equal to your level of Body of Lightning. Your body is naturally conductive: you are immune to as many dice of electrical damage as you have levels of Body of Lightning. Any damage exceeding this is halved. You disrupt the local magnetic field; radius of disruption is determined by the Size table at an effective power level of 2 less. Within this range, radios will buzz with static and TVs will snow up. You take an extra 50% of damage from attacks based on water or any other conductive material, and from magnetic-based attacks. The current does damage to anything that you touch - or anything that touches you. For each two levels of Body of Lightning, you do one point of damage to anything that touches you. Any damage that penetrates (0 or more points), is doubled for knockback purposes; minimum knockback is one yard. For each 7 levels, you do 1 die damage (through damaging electrical arcs) at a distance of Body of Lightning level in inches. Surge effects are as above. If you and another person are touching a conductive material simultaneously, you are liable to do damage as per touch. Your effective level in this case is reduced by distance as according to the Speed/Range table. Special Limitation: You can only assume your Body of Lightning outdoors during a thunderstorm: -60%. Special Limitation: You can only assume your Body of Lightning after being struck by lightning or charged with electricity yourself: -75%. Special Limitation: You cannot switch out of Body of Lightning; this would be a terrible disadvantage for anyone in a technological campaign. -50%. [Is this too complex? If so, how would you do it?] Burn Reduction 10 pts/level You are greatly resistant to damage caused by chemical or energy burns. The damage from any burning attack, after DR is penetrated, is divided by (level + 1). Thus, with one level, all damage is halved; with two levels, all damage is divided by three. Determine vital-area multipliers before rounding down. If the final damage falls between 0.5 and 1, increase to 1. Relevant types of damage include acid, lasers and electricity, and the like - as well as extremes of cold. Physical attacks, such as bullets, hand-to- hand attacks, grenade fragments and ice particles will do normal damage. [This is a companion ability to Damage Reduction (below)] Damage Reduction 10 pts/level You are greatly resistant to kinetic damage. The damage from any kinetic attack, after DR is penetrated, is divided by (level + 1). Thus, with one level, all damage is halved; with two levels, all damage is divided by three. Determine vital-area multipliers before rounding down. If the final damage falls between 0.5 and 1, increase to 1. Relevant types of damage include bullets, hand-to-hand attacks, grenade fragments and the like. Energy or chemical attacks, such as lasers and electricity, or acid, will do normal damage. [I got this from War Against the Chtorr, derived from point values given on page 74.] Dramatic Costume 5 pts Prerequisite: Costume You can exert a minor subconscious control over your costume's movements to suit the image that you wish to portray; such control will take up no actions or effort. Capes will flare dramatically or gather closely around the wearer, cowls will cast a dramatic shadow over the wearer's features or the nearest wall. Tight-fitting costumes will strategically emphasise pectorals and other physical attributes. Your costume will never wrinkle, twist, tangle or ride up embarrassingly. This gives a +1 reaction modifier when dealing with people who care about such dramatics (cameramen, other flashy heroes), a +1 bonus to Performance skill and, with an IQ roll, a +1 bonus to Cloak skill. [Derived from - and an addition to - the Costume advantage. A 'must' for every flashy hero.] Filtered Senses 10 pts +2 pts/level You have the capacity to filter out excessive sensory input. What would normally be a painful, numbing, deafening, blinding or nauseating overload of your senses is merely very noticeable without being overwhelming. Each level after the first allows you to simultaneously use this advantage for another sense; you cannot use it at all without taking the first 2-point level. The game effects are that you suffer no penalties to do with sensory overload, including the shock effect of wounds. Due to the fact that you are aware of all inputs to that sense (that you are normally able to detect), you effectively gain a free level of Acuteness to the current filtered sense. You never suffer from afterimages, temporary deafness, or any sort of sensory distortion caused by overload. However, if you are exposed to a potentially damaging sensory overload (such as staring unprotected into a supernova), you will still damage your neural receptors. Special Enhancement: For an extra 5 points, your nerves will regenerate at the same rate as you regain HT. Special Limitation: For half level cost, each level can be set to filter a specific sense. [Derived from High Pain Threshold and Polarized Eyes, but for all senses.] Inertialess 250 pts You negate all inertial forces acting on your body. No amount of changing acceleration or angular velocity has the slightest effect on you, or any part of your body. However, whatever angular velocity you possess when you activate this power will come back into play when you deactivate it. This is a very 'cinematic' ability, ignoring certain physical and physiological laws of nature. At default level, this includes only your own body; to possess an inertialess costume, you must take the Costume advantage. Your maximum ground movement is limited to 3/4 Basic Speed, unless you have more than three legs or the Clinging super-advantage (with the Instantaneous enhancement). In this case, you have a level of Super Running and can start and stop on a dime; in addition, your Dodge is equal to your maximum Move score in any type of applicable movement. If you possess Flight, you can instantly go from zero to max speed and decelerate just as fast. Collisions will not harm you; you will simply stop. If you have Amphibious, you gain a level of Super Swimming. You can fall any distance without harm; you attain terminal velocity instantly and land with no impact whatsoever. If you happen to be falling from orbit, your speed will regulate according to the density of the atmosphere that you are falling through and you will take no air friction damage. You cannot leap unassisted into the air at all. If your weight is at any time not over your centre of gravity, you fall to the ground. Any Knockback scored upon you is exactly equal to the foe's reach and is likely to also be a Knockdown; the Recoil penalty of powers or hand-held weapons is doubled. A bare-handed blow does no harm to your opponent. Energy attacks do full damage to you; however, most energy weapons (blasters excepted) hit you with so little force that air friction prevents knockback. If any outside force is acting upon you, and friction and gravity (and whatever powers you have) are not enough to stop you from moving, then you will move. Anyone attempting to move you with Telekinesis has an effective extra level of Power for the purpose of determining the speed that he can move you. You are incredibly easy to Teleport; as you have no mass, even a psi who can only Autoteleport will be capable of taking you along by touching you. You can 'hitch' a ride with any Exoteleporter, as you won't cause him any extra effort to 'port. The only type of Teleporter who will not be able to transport you will be one who cannot carry anything, not even clothes. If you are unbraced, then normal physical attacks will not harm you, as the blow will simply push you aside harmlessly (and probably knock you over). If your body is so braced that it can recoil partially but not entirely from a physical blow, then Crushing damage is halved, Cutting attacks do base damage and Impaling blows are treated as Cutting attacks. Should you be braced solidly or for some reason be unable to be pushed out of the way, then all attacks do normal damage. Special Enhancement: For a 10% enhancement, the character can render up to (HT) pounds of equipment inertialess at will. Note: Any attempt to hurt someone by swinging an inertialess weapon (other than a weapon that does damage simply by touching you) is essentially useless; thrusting weapons are similarly handicapped unless Impaling, and then they only do base damage. If attempting to use an inertialess missile weapon, then a firearm will fail to fire [see sidebar, LENSMAN, p 79] or a crossbow bolt will fall to the ground. If you throw or drop something while it is inertialess, it will regain its previous angular velocity about a turn after it leaves your hand. Instantaneous (+20%): If this is taken with the above enhancement, then missile attacks that would otherwise damage you (see above) are rendered inertialess (and thus useless) as they touch you. One second after they cease to touch you, they regain all angular velocity, as above. Special Enhancement: You do not retain any angular velocity; nor does anything else you render inertialess. When you restore your inertia, your angular velocity remains the same. +100%. [For an in-depth look into the effects of lack of inertia, refer to LENSMAN, pp 70-79] [Not for use in the Lensman universe - but quite useful (and occasionally frustrating) in a Supers game. Foreshadowed by the Flight enhancement {Suffers No G-Forces In Turns} used by La Fusionne in the IST book (page 106).] Partial DR varies This is DR designed to protect against damage to a specific part of the body. Multiply the penalty to hit that part of the body by 10% and reduce the final DR cost by that much. Example: Nightstalker wishes to have 10 DR on his Vitals. This area is -3 to hit, so the cost of 10 DR (30 pts) is reduced by 30%, to give a final cost of 21 pts. [This, as well as Partial PD, is designed to simulate armor plating (or similar) on part, but not all, of the body.] Partial PD varies As for Partial DR, but use the cost for PD instead. With the example above, if Nightstalker wanted PD 2 on his Vitals as well, the cost would be 50 pts, reduced by 30% to give a final cost of 35 pts. Disadvantages Physical Asthma -10/-15/-50 pts In general, the asthmatic character finds extreme difficulty in breathing under certain circumstances. The three types of asthma are Stress, Normal and True. Stress Asthma: -10 points. When the GM rules that the character is under stress, he takes 1d Fatigue every minute and must cease all activity (or take 1d Fatigue per turn). Every minute he can try a Will roll to snap out of it. Only then can he begin regaining the Fatigue. Normal Asthma: -15 points. This can be triggered by a common substance (pollen, dust, smoke, etc.), heavy activity, or even a certain time of year (to be picked by the character). When it strikes, the character loses 1d Fatigue and makes a HT roll less the amount of Fatigue lost. On a critical success, nothing else happens. On a success, 1d more Fatigue is lost. On a failure, 1 point of HT is lost. On a critical failure, 1d HT is lost and the character stops breathing. True Asthma: -50 points. This is actually a disease where the lungs are slowly liquefying. Your lungs are filled with liquid. You must regularly have them pumped out or you drown. You cannot do any heavy lifting (more than Light Encumbrance) or fast movement (more than 1/2 base Move). ST and HT cannot exceed 10. The only way that a character with Normal or True asthma can participate meaningfully in a game is to have a personal physician constantly on call. In later TL games, a character with Stress or Normal asthma can get by with a ventilator ($2.50, negligible mass & volume; HT roll) and/or a Nebuliser ($300, 5 lb, .125 cf, requires negligible building power; HT+5 roll). These require a prescription. True asthma can be 'cured' by having the diseased sections surgically removed (at TL7+ only). Increased Vulnerability varies A vital area of the character's body is visibly larger than normal, reducing the penalty to hit. The cost for this is -5, multiplied by the called-shot Crushing damage multiplier for that part of the body and the amount by which the hit penalty is reduced. Commonly targeted body-part values: Mult To Hit Brain: 4x -7 Vitals: 3x -3 Throat: 1.5x -5 Head *: 1x -5 Nose: 1x -6 Groin: 1x -3 Eyes: 1x -9 Other areas can be rendered 'vulnerable', depending upon the player's imagination and the GM's judgement. In general, only allow it for areas upon which a called shot would be more than usually effective. Just remember that the vulnerable area is significantly larger! As a guideline, reduce Appearance by the number of levels that the hit penalty is reduced by. Note: These bodily modifications are not overtly damaging to the character's health - unless someone targets them, of course! If such is not the case, a case of Terminal Illness [see SUPERS, p 21] may be indicated. * If a character's Brain has Increased Vulnerability, then his Head must have the same level or higher, at half disadvantage cost. The reverse does not apply. Motion Sickness (adjustment - from a person who used to suffer) For -5 points, characters can learn vehicle skills, for there is now a +3 bonus to the roll if you are controlling the vehicle (that is, driving or steering it; working the rigging does not count - in fact, on a rolling sailing vessel, it could make it much, much worse [GM's call]). The roll is made (HT) minutes after the journey starts; on a critical failure, the character will vomit continuously - or attempt to do so - until the journey is halted. All rolls are at -5. On a failure by 1 or more, the character will vomit for (30-HT) seconds; another roll must be made every HT minutes. He feels queasy and miserable; rolls at -2. On a success by 0, the character does not vomit, but feels queasy and must roll again in HT minutes. Rolls at -1. On a success by 1 or more, the character feels fine but still must roll again in (HTx2) minutes. On a critical success, the character need not roll again; he is safe for the duration of the journey. For both levels, there are medications that can alleviate this condition. These must be taken HT minutes before the journey starts, to have full effect; they will generally make the person drowsy, reducing all rolls by the bonus they give to the Motion Sickness roll. That is, a pill that gives a +3 bonus will also reduce your other rolls by -3. [The original Motion Sickness was too sweeping, and didn't allow for people who sometimes don't suffer from it.] No Sense of Touch -20 pts Your tactile sense is entirely absent. You can do nothing "by feel"; even if you are watching what you are doing, the GM may exact a DX penalty for lighting conditions or intricate tasks. This disadvantage normally includes a High Pain Threshold; it is possible, though improbable, to be only able to feel painful stimuli. In such a case, the disadvantage is worth -30 points. [This is taken from the Lensman Martians. I can't imagine anyone taking the -30 point version.] Mental Adventure Magnet -10 pts You attract excitement and adventure - you just can't get away from it. This is not Weirdness Magnet - the adventures you go through may be perfectly mundane, but they are frequent. Events never pass you by - even if you only enter the city once a year, the first convenience store you enter is almost certain to be the site of an armed holdup. Nothing lethal will happen to you, at least not immediately, and occasionally an adventure will lead to greater things. But most of the time it will be quite inconvenient. People who understand what an adventure magnet is (and that you are one) will react to you at -1. The exceptions will be thrill- seekers and reporters, who will follow you around! [A minor version of Weirdness Magnet, without the weirdness. I'm considering a 5-point version as well.] Cathexis varies The character has formed a strong emotional bond to an object, type of object or person that he has encountered or used at least once. He may consider this bond to be "love" (not necessarily reciprocated!) or that the object of his cathexis is "lucky" for him. This is essentially a specific form of Obsession, with elements of Delusion. The character idolises the object of his cathexis (although the idolisation may not be recognisable as such, depending upon the character's personality) and will resist being separated from it. Other mental disadvantages may be induced or triggered if the character loses or is forcibly separated from the object of his cathexis. -1: Essentially a Quirk. The character has some small object (a coin, a flower) that he is constantly playing with or wears prominently. In the case of a person, it may be a girlfriend to whom he constantly writes - or whose photo he always carries. This isn't especially noticeable unless the characters are cooped up together for a long time. Nor is it inconveniencing, unless the characters have to "go undercover" and change their entire methods of dress and behaviour. If the necessity for this is explained to the character, he will probably submit with bad grace and temporarily acquire another quirk such as Irritable or Constantly Counts Change. -5: Minor. This is slightly more inconveniencing. The object of cathexis plays more of an active part in the game (such as a gun he always has on him, or a girlfriend he's always bringing over), and has more chance to cause problems. Nearly every party has secrets they'd like to keep secret, or missions they have to go on where guns are a no-no. Unfortunately, the character can *not* see any problem with Julie being in the room when Wonder Whatsit takes his mask off, or with going through Customs with his favourite Walther PPK in his back pocket. Unless the other characters remember to keep a close eye on him and present some very persuasive arguments, the character will see nothing wrong with what he is doing. Only a successful Intimidation, Fast-Talk, Pick Pocket (if applicable), Diplomacy or Sex Appeal (once again, if applicable) roll, best coupled with particularly persuasive roleplaying (for a GM bonus), will cause the character to relent. All such attempts have a penalty of -2. -10: Major. Rather inconveniencing. The object of cathexis is more important to the character than almost anything else. In addition, it will be quite conspicuous and may be, on occasion, rather inconvenient to have around. Should anyone attempt to separate him from it, regardless of reason or reasonableness, any but the most sublime diplomacy will result in a bout of Bad Temper. Any attempts will have a penalty of -5. -15: Severe. Very inconveniencing. The character probably owns something, like a car, that he won't go anywhere without, and spends all his time (and money!) fixing and tuning. This is fine and dandy in downtown LA, but if the party has to go somewhere that it can't, like the jungles of South America, he will move heaven and earth to find a way to bring it. Failing that, he will acquire Chronic Depression or something similar. But if there is any possible way to bring it, no amount of persuasion will budge him. If the object is stolen or damaged (or the party forces him to leave it behind) then he will probably go Berserk. In the case that the object (or person) is threatened by danger, the character will utterly ignore any threat to his own well-being in order to save it. [I once read a book called "The Road Less Travelled", on psychology and the problems that psychiatrists have. The above is what I got out of it.] Code of Honor var Vigilante's Code: Protect the innocent, punish the guilty, avoid unnecessary damage. -10 points. [I think we made this up for a game and I kept it] FNORD Magnet varies This is related to Weirdness Magnet, but it is more focused - and *much* more silly. FNORD, FNORD Everywhere -1 Quirk: Everywhere you go, you encounter the word FNORD. It may be a typo, an accidental arrangement of letters, a baby's innocent fingerpaint scrawl, anything - but it will happen. -5: As above, but words actually rearrange themselves to spell FNORD. Example: You might suddenly notice that your neighbour is driving a FNORD Fairlane. You quiz him about it, and he insists that it's been spelt that way all the time. Checking the encyclopaedia, you find that the inventor of the moving assembly line was Henry Fnord. The more attention you pay to this, the more you notice it. If you don't pay as much attention, the really big changes will quietly alter back to FNORDmal and it will happen less often - but it will happen. Example 2: The reverse may apply: Leafing through the dictionary, you glimpse the word FNORD out of the corner of your eye, but however you search for it from then on, you don't find it. GM's: pick any word that contains the letters F, N, O, R or D, singly or in combination. Then superimpose the word FNORD over the appropriate letters. Become more blatant as the character becomes increasingly paranoid. My Budgie's Plotting to Destroy the World! (He might succeed, too!) -10: You are constantly being approached by agents of an unnamed conspiracy. They don't want to recruit you - they are convinced that you are already part of it! Whatever you do is "recognised" by them (only one appears at any one time) as the preset signal for an exchange of information. No matter what you say or do, this will be what they expect of you. Either they will rattle off a nonsense phrase at you, or even give you a slip of paper with the coded message, or they will wander off, muttering over and over to themselves a seemingly-innocuous phrase that you said to them. Any attempt to follow will see them slip around a corner and (gasp!) disappear. If you attack the agent, you will find no ID on him and the body will shortly thereafter disappear. In addition, if you do not then buy off the points, an agent of an opposing (and equally cryptic) conspiracy will turn up, congratulating you on being such a successful double agent! Messages will give you no hint as to what's going on; they will include such gems as: "It's on." "Tell A to inform B that it's OK to get the donuts." "FRAZZLE FRAZZLE FRAZZLE." "Fraternity; Notoriety; Omnipresence; Recklessness; Duty." -15: As above, but wherever you go, conspiracies also spring up out of nowhere. Aunt Edie's Sewing and Macrame Club will suddenly decide that it would be a good idea to overthrow civilisation and will not only evolve overnight into a full-blown secret society with secret code-words and the like, but also mysteriously acquire an impressive arsenal and the skills to use it (but not necessarily well)! This has great comedy potential - and is also a great way to bring a Dependent into play. -20: The lot. Go for it. And what's the explanation? Is the character suffering from a complex series of delusions, or is the entire world conspiring against his very sanity? That's for the GM to decide. However, if the character ceases to react to this without paying off the points, inform him that he is now clinically insane and replace FNORD Magnet with a Delusion of GM's choice and equivalent value. [A truly nasty thing to do is to bring this in as a Secret Disadvantage...] Thoughts? Criticisms? GURPS-Nut