Rough Notes on Babylon-5 to GURPS translation. Sep 14, 1995. v0.2 Babylon-5 is trademarked and/or copyrighted by PTEN and Warner Brothers. GURPS is trademarked and/or copyrighted by Steve Jackson games. Watch Babylon-5! It is a great Science Fiction TV show! The epsiodes actually have internal consistency, a rarity for TV SF. None of the information here-in in official or endorsed by the B5 producers or by Steve Jackson games. This material is copyrighted by Stan Berry, 1995. Permission to reproduce and distribute for non-commercial purposes is granted, provided that the above messages remain intact. ------------------------------------------------------------------- The purpose of this document is to assist Game Masters (GM's) in who wish to run a role-playing game in the Babylon-5 (B5) universe using the GURPS role playing system. Many B5 fans who play GURPS will be interested in perusing this document just for the reading. This specific version is intended as a rough draft, and comments from B5 fans and GURPS players is welcomed. ************** B5 Tech Level - The GURPS Tech Level system puts modern day earth (1950-2000) in the Tech Level 7 category. Swords and Plate Mail were at TL4. The Star Trek universe with force shields, tractor beams, and transporters, was probably TL11-13. The Earth Alliance seems to be early TL10, with a number of variations. For example, there is very limited evidence of artificial intelligence (which is a GURPS standard at TL9), yet fast FTL communications are available (which is TL11 in GURPS). Medical technology may be as low as TL8 in GURPS terms. The Narn are a little less advanced than the humans, probably TL9. The Minbari and Centauri are more technologically advanced than the humans. Treat the Centauri as high TL10, and the Minbari as low TL11. The Vorlons have acess to unknown levels of high tech. Roleplaying encounters with Vorlons should be very limited. The Shadows also have acess to unknown levels of high tech. Roleplaying encounters with Shadows should be very limited, although encounters with servants of the Shadows (Shadow warriors, or agents among the mundane races) are quite acceptable. Artifacts and relics from long dead races of TL10-? have been encountered. The league of non-aligned worlds has a number of minor races, whose base TL appears to be around TL8, with purchase of TL9 items such as FTL Jump Gates. ** B5 FTL Travel and FTL Astrogation (see GURPS Space, pages 23 & 26) The faster than light (FTL) travel in the Babylon 5 universe is through hyperspace, with big assists from Jump Gates. Most ships depend on the Jump Gates to enter and exit hyperspace, but large ships can carry the equipment to create their own jump points. Travel from Jump Gate to Jump Gate is relatively fast and simple. The trip from Earth to B5 (about 25 light years or 8 parsecs) takes about 3 days, for a speed of ~2.5 parsecs/day. This may involve jumps through multiple gates, and limited regular space travel between the gates (occasionally attracting pirates or raiders). Amother possibility is that the B5 station has a modern tunable gate, and that the non-aligned worlds use cheaper pairs of matched gates for the short jumps (i.e. spurs) to reach the tunable gates (hubs). New colony planets might also use the cheaper tunable gates. Anyway, it does appear that Jump Gates have to be separated by some physical distance (to avoid interference?), because we have seen ships attacked by raiders while traveling in regular space between gates. Travel along well mapped paths between Jump Gates appears to be much less expensive (and possibly faster) than new exploration. I suspect that the Explorer class ships map new paths as they explore and set up jump gates. It would be reasonable to assume that it is much easier to use a "mapped" path than to travel an unexplored path. This would explain why it was such a major undertaking for the Narns to send a single scout ship to the planet of Z'ha'duhm. In GURPS terms, FTL Astrogation is Complex 3-dimensional. A few scout-prospectors have been known to pilot their own ships, but almost all jumps seen to date are through charted or known space. Astrogation may be much more chancy on the Rim (the edge of charted space). The masses of planets and stars do create gradients and other effects in hyperspace. Jump Gates also act as Hyperspace beacons of limited range. A ship in hyperspace, out of range of a beacon, with damaged hyper-astrogation equipment, is unlikely to ever make it home. Jumps to hyperspace can be set up in a few seconds on military ships. ** B5 FTL Communications Earth to B5 communications (25 light years) happen in real time. But communication with ships on the Rim does not appear to do so. I suspect that the FTL communications rely on the jump gates as relays. ** PPG (Pulsed Plasma Gun?) This weapon was designed to kill or incapacitate humans without puncturing the walls of a spaceship or space station, so armor is doubly effective against it. It is an ideal weapon for heavily armored troopers to use against unarmored opponents (if you don't mind killing them). It shoots a narrow beam (~5-10 cm at target) of plasma. The atmosphere quickly attenuates the beam at distances over 25 yards. GURPS Stats: Malfunction (Ver.); Damage Type: Crushing; Shap Shot: 10; Damage: 3d+1 (1/2); Accuracy: +3; Half Damage: 25 yards; Max Range: 35 Yards; Weight: 1.5 lb; Shots: 12/C; Min Strength: 6 (pistol); Recoil: -1; LC: 2; TL: 9; Cost: $3000. The damage is based on a single shot to the Torso nearly killing Garibaldi. I an not sure of the damage. A .22 pistol can also kill with a single shot, but it has a low damage rating that can't kill with one shot. ***** Races: Most of the races appear to be very human like in their basic statistics. All races have some racial traits (advantages/disadvantages.) GURPS Point costs for advantages are shown in patentheses. ** All Minbari have the racial advantage of High Tech Level, +1.5 tech levels (+30 points), and +1 DX (+10 points). Minbari Warrior Caste: (+45 points total) High Tech Level, +1.5 (+30). +1 DX (+10), +1 ST (+10), +1 HT(+10). +1 Reputation as good warriors. (+5) Intolerant of non-Minbari (-10) Duty (-10) Rank is by individuals. Minbari Religious Caste (+55 points total) High Tech Level, +1.5 (+30). +1 DX (+10), +1 IQ (+10) Clerical Investiture (+10) - Respected by other Minbari castes. Minor intolerance of non-Minbari (-5) Rank/status is by indiviudals. Many seem to have a vague sense of the future (varies) Minbari Worker Caste (+35 points total) +1 DX (+10) High Tech Level, +1.5 (+30). Minor intolerance of non-Minbari (-5) Otherwise, treat as normal for now. ** Narn (0 points total) +2 ST (+20), +1 HT (+10) +1 Damage Resistance (5) due to thick skin/armor. Blood Lust (-10) Stubborn (-10) -1 Reputation (-5) as Dangerous Low Tech Level, -1/2 level (-10) Narns have trouble acquiring high tech devices, and are behind even the humans in military capability (but not numbers). ** Centauri High Tech Level, +1 (20). Extra Manipulators (TBD?) - sex organs can be used as clumsy tentacles -1 Reputation (-5) as Lazy/Incompetent Many Centauri have a duty to their House/Clan. ** Vorlon Very High Tech Level (unknown) Stats may be out of the range of Human norms. Vorlons appear to be the good guys. ** Shadows Very High Tech Level (unknown) Stats may be out of the range of Human norms. Shadows appear to be the bad guys. Shadows work from behind the scenes, almost never allowing themselves to be seen.