gurps - in nomine

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GURPS In Nomine

ConversionCopyright © 1997 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All ights eserved.

Point Values For Converted ames

!hese r"les ass"me that those "sing them are GURPS enth"siasts# "sing it to r"n GURPS In Nomine $rom the $irst day o$ thecampaign. %o&ever# m"ch o$ the in$ormation here can be "sed to convert characters bet&een systems.

I$ yo" are adapting an e'isting In Nomine campaign to GURPS# it(s best not to &orry too m"ch abo"t e'act character point totals)celestials can range &idely in adapted point val"e. Adapt the characters as closely as yo" $eel is necessary# and *"st keep playing. I$the point di$$erence bet&een individ"al +Cs is so great that some players $eel cheated# give the &eaker characters some e'tra pointsto bring them "p to the level o$ the more po&er$"l ones.

Concentrate!

,nless speci$ied other&ise# any "se o$ any kind o$ s"pernat"ral ability - $rom the invoking a resonance to ass"ming celestial $orm -re"ires a single Concentrate mane"ver to per$orm.

Adapting Attunements

As &e hope yo"(ve noticed# In Nomine $eat"res a &ide variety o$ s"pernat"ral po&ers $or characters - $rom the resonances o$ thechoirs and bands# to the po&er$"l Songs# to the att"nements o$$ered by the /emon +rinces and Archangels.

0isting every single one in GURPS terms is beyond the scope o$ these r"les. I$ the need arises# GURPS In Nomine might happenas its o&n book. e &on(t kno& "ntil the $ans tell "s.

In the mean time# to adapt In Nomine's po&ers $or those &ho do &ant to "se GURPS# &e o$$er the $ollo&ing g"idelines &hich

2combined &ith a &orking kno&ledge o$ GURPS and a rela'ed attit"de to&ard n"mbers3 sho"ld be plenty $or 945 o$ the campaignso"t there.

Rule #1: /on(t get h"ng "p on precise adaptations6 e said this already in the main te't# b"t it bears repeating. oc"s on dramatice$$ect. I$ the Compendi"m has an advantage that is close to &hat yo"(re looking $or# then it(s probably good eno"gh. I$ a cleverly-applied enhancement or limitation &ill make it per$ect# then "se it - b"t i$ it takes $o"r or $ive cleverly-placed enhancements andlimitations# then the odds are yo" aren(t doing yo"rsel$ a $avor by in$licting that m"ch n"mber *"ggling on yo"rsel$. Simply determinea point cost that yo" and the players are com$ortable &ith# and get on &ith the game. !hat said# most o$ the more "n"s"al In Nomine

po&ers break do&n into the $ollo&ing categories8The Power to Break Things: Combat po&ers are the easiest to adapt) see GURPS Supers $or all the in$ormation yo"(ll ever need

to describe miracles that smite and smash.Transportation Powers: ost o$ these really amo"nt to either !eleportation 2as per the spell or psi skill3 or light# &ith color$"l

special e$$ects and one or perhaps t&o limitations.Information-Based Advantages: A good many att"nements# in partic"lar# are in$ormation advantages# reasonably straight$or&ard

abilities to kno& something. I$ an in$ormation po&er tells yo" abo"t a person# it sho"ld be &orth abo"t 14 points i$ yo" can "se it toconsistently impress others and gain $avors# abo"t :; points i$ those $avors &o"ld incl"de gen"ine sel$-sacri$ice and abo"t <; pointsi$ the in$ormation gained &o"ld grant eno"gh leverage to bypass moral codes and sel$-preservation. I$ an in$ormation att"nementreally does nothing other than highlight yo"r targets 2sho&ing yo" &hich people deserve special attention3# that(s &orth 1; points. I$ apo&er tells yo" abo"t places or events# then yo" can probably e'trapolate it $rom the psionics r"les# "sing either +sychometry or+recognition as a basis.

Rules Tweaks and Bonuses: any att"nements 2s"ch as that o$ Saminga(s =alseraphs3 allo& In Nomine characters to ignore thereg"lar r"les) others 2s"ch as that o$ the >$anim o$ Jan"s3 let them apply bon"ses to normal die rolls. or the $ormer# the val"e is"s"ally $rom 4 to ?4 character points# &ith the lo& end representing "se$"l convenience and the high end representing po&ers thatcan ro"tinely save the skins o$ an entire gro"p o$ +Cs. or the latter# derive val"es $rom the normal costs o$ skill or attrib"te bon"ses2see GURPS Compendium I 3# &ith a limitation or t&o applied.



Attributes

e recommend that beginning celestial characters have no more than :;; total character points in attrib"tes. %o&ever# this capmay be bypassed in light o$ a partic"larly good character story presented to the G.

or S! scores above 14# angels and demons "se the $ollo&ing prices instead o$ those in the =asic Set8

Supernatural ST Table

ST Cost ST Cost

1@ 7; ?< 1<4

17 ; ?4 14;

1 9; ?@ 144

19 1;; ?7 1@;

?; 11; ? 1@4

?1 1?; ?9 17;

?? 1:; :; 174

?: 1<; :1B B point per level

All types o$ characters p"rchase /D# IE and %! normally. !here is no attrib"te ceiling per se# b"t players and Gs sho"ld note that

attrib"tes above ?4 or so are e'ceedingly rare# even $or celestials.

Adapting Attributes hen adapting characters $rom In Nomine to GURPS# "se the $ollo&ing g"idelines8

S!8 /o"ble In Nomine Strength. I$ the res"lt is less than ?;# add ?. !h"s# an In Nomine Strength o$ @ res"lts in a GURPS S! o$1<.

/D8 F"al to 2Agility B +recision B ?3. I$ this res"lt is less than do"ble In Nomine Agility# bring it "p to that $ig"re.IE8 F"al to 2Intelligence B +recision B ?3. I$ this res"lt is less than do"ble In Nomine Intelligence# bring it "p to that $ig"re.%!8 "ltiply Corporeal orces by $o"r# then add ?.%it +oints8 !o calc"late a character(s hit points# m"ltiply Corporeal orces and In Nomine Strength together# then add ?.Fvery point o$ di$$erence bet&een hit points and %! is &orth 4 character points# as an advantage or disadvantage# as appropriate.

ost angels and demons have a lot o$ hit points# compared to h"mans.

Translating Will: /o"ble the +C(s ill score# add ?# and compare the total to his GURPS IE. or every point over or "nder IE# givethe character a level o$ Strong ill or eak ill# as appropriate.

Translating Pereption: !he process $or +erception is similar to that $or ill. /o"ble +erception# add ?# and compare to IE. I$ the$ig"re is lo&er than IE# ignore it. I$ it is higher than IE# give the character one level o$ Alertness $or every point over# to a limit o$Alertness B:. I$ the $ig"re is more than $ ive above IE# give the character both Alertness B: and /anger Sense.

Essence

Fssence in GURPS is nearly identical to Fssence in In Nomine. It is spent to po&er s"pernat"ral abilities# improve skill rolls on apoint-$or-point basis and so on. Angels recover a point at s"nrise# demons a point at s"nset.

!here are a $e& tiny di$$erences. In GURPS# h"mans recover a point o$ Fssence &henever they make a skill roll e'actly 2instead o$ &ith a check digit o$ @3. =eca"se GURPS "ses a :d system instead o$ the d@@@# Fssence-related modi$iers have a slightly 2b"t onlyslightly3 &eaker e$$ect. >ther $actors co"nterbalance this.

Angels and demons start &ith an Fssence eservoir o$ 9# ordinary h"mans &ith a eservoir o$ 4. Any non-celestial &ith theSymphony A&areness advantage starts &ith @. !he eservoir de$ines starting Fssence and ma'im"m Fssence in the same &ay thatthe n"mber o$ orces does in In Nomine.

>ptionally# characters may p"rchase larger reservoirs at a cost o$ 14 character points per level. Allo& no more than one or t&olevels o$ additional Fssence eservoir at character creation# i$ at all.

Roles

!here is no speci$ic mechanic $or roles in GURPS. oles are represented by social advantages or disadvantages 2e.g.# Stat"s andealth3 and by *obs and the re"isite *ob skills applied to a character(s vessel 2or one o$ his vessels# i$ he has several3. !o representa h"man vessel &ith no role# give that vessel the Heroed advantage $or 1; character points. hile roles are "se$"l# sometimes itdoesn(t h"rt to have a vessel &ith $ingerprints nobody kno&s abo"t# &ho can slip thro"gh the cracks o$ the In$ormation Age.

oles don(t al&ays have a point cost in GURPS - being a bartender is $ree# "nless yo" &ant to be especially $amo"s# or o&n yo"ro&n bar. =eing the +rime inister o$ Fngland# on the other hand# &ill re"ire Stat"s# ealth and ep"tation. +erhaps even skills.



>ther advantages and disadvantages &hich de$ine roles incl"de Alternate Identity# Clerical Investment# Contacts# avors# 0egalFn$orcement +o&ers# ilitary ank# earthly /"ties and Social Stigmas.

A !ote A"out the eret $isadvantage: hile most angels and many demons pre$er to keep their celestial nat"re a secret# Secretis only rarely legitimate as a disadvantage. o Heroed vessel may have a Secret# and other vessels red"ce the val"e o$ a Secretby three steps 2see p. CI73. !h"s# i$ yo" create a vessel in a society that &o"ld imprison or e'ile a celestial# it is &orth points only as

a "irk. ot only &o"ld the a"thorities $irst have to be convinced o$ the character(s celestial nat"re# they(d be hard-pressed to come"p &ith any prison or paper that co"ld restrict the movement o$ an angel6 I$ the society &here the celestial has a role &o"ld activelyh"nt him# this red"ces the price o$ the vessel by -4 points. !here m"st also be a gen"ine desire to keep the secret) many societies &o"ld h"nt demons do&n i$ their e'istence &ere ackno&ledged# b"t there are demons &ho co"ld care less and &o"ld en*oy thechase . . .

Servants In GURPS# servants are Allies. ote that i$ yo"r character coerces his servants thro"gh threats o$ violence or other less-than-$riendly means o$ pers"asion# they may co"nt as ,n&illing Allies 2see p. CI193. Ally Gro"ps are also a possibility# representinganything $rom cycle gangs to parental activist gro"ps.

Invoing Resonance =oth angels and demons invoke their resonance &ith an IE roll# &ith a penalty e"al to any dissonance they have. /emons receivea bon"s 2or penalty3 e"al to their level o$ Strong 2or eak3 ill. Angels receive a bon"s e"al to their level o$ Alertness.

I$ the roll is s"ccess$"l# "se the margin o$ s"ccess to determine the e$$ect. !he margin takes the place o$ In Nomine(s check digitmechanic. !reat any s"ccess greater than @ as @.

%&ample: =lind ico# a alakim operating in ashington# /.C.# is stalking a +hilip orris lobbyist# intent on bringing a little *"sticeto the &orld. %e $oc"ses on his resonance# and makes a :d roll against his IE o$ 1:. !he dice come "p 11 - his margin o$ s"ccess is?# the e"ivalent o$ a check digit o$ ?. Images s&im behind ico(s dead eyes - the most noble thing the sc"m has done that &eek &as to give a pocket$"l o$ change to a derelict to make him leave him alone. !he most ignoble thing &as to help cover "p thekidnapping o$ a doctor &ho had too m"ch in$ormation to o$$er the p"blic abo"t the e$$ects o$ secondary smoke on children . . . icograbs the lobbyist by the hair and claps a hand over his mo"th . . .

Some resonances 2s"ch as that o$ the yriotates3 have special r"les) the te't notes these speci$ically.

or some demons# $ailed resonance rolls can ca"se dissonance# as in the normal r"les.

!issonance and !iscord Angels and demons alike# &hen per$orming certain actions that violate their nat"re# may generate dissonance. /issonance is an"mber applied as a penalty to a character(s resonance invocation. In demons# too m"ch dissonance leads to /iscord - *arringpersonal $la&s. In angels# too m"ch dissonance can cast a character $rom grace.

It &o"ld be pointless to *"ggle n"mbers to cram the dissonance mechanics into a GURPS :d roll# so in this case take the oddsdirectly $rom In Nomine. !o determine the e$$ects o$ a potentially dissonant action# "se the r"les described on p. 47 o$ the main r"les.>nly the $ollo&ing ad*"stments are necessary8

'hek $igit: J"st roll 1d to determine the delay# in ho"rs# "ntil the character can invoke his resonance. It doesn(t have to be one o$the dice "sed to check $or dissonance.

$emoni $isord: /iscord is determined by rolling 1d and m"ltiplying the res"lt by 4. !he demon m"st take that many points in

either physical or ne"rotic mental disadvantages 2see belo&3.

Defining Discord In GURPS In Nomine# some disadvantages are more than disadvantages - they(re discordant disadvantages.

Any physical disadvantage 2s"ch as blindness# $at# lame or especially dist"rbing appearances3 is Corporeal /iscord. !his haslittle meaning in game terms# e'cept that angelic characters sho"ldn(t start the game &ith any.

Any mental disadvantages o$ an emotional nat"re 2incl"ding =ad !emper# =erserk# G"ilt Comple'# 0o& Sel$-Image# +aranoia#+hobias and others3 are Fthereal /iscord. Again# this is largely an aesthetic distinction. !he K"lnerability disadvantage 2p. CI1;@3 isalso considered an Fthereal /iscord# as is the >bvio"s A"ra disadvantage 2see e& /isadvantages3.

!he important ones are Celestial /iscords. In GURPS# any mental disadvantage that is 2a3 not Fthereal and 2b3 not a matter o$personal choice# is a Celestial /iscord. !his incl"des =loodl"st# all Comp"lsive =ehavior disadvantages# Gl"ttony# Greed# 0aLinessand 0echero"sness# as &ell as the ne& disadvantages Celestial =lindness# Geas and eed 2see e& /isadvantages3.



hen a character has any Celestial /iscord# he m"st roll higher than one-$i$th the absol"te val"e o$ his largest Celestial /iscorddisadvantage on 1d every time he &o"ld nat"rally regenerate Fssence 2s"nrise or s"nset# depending3. I$ he rolls higher# heregenerates a point o$ Fssence normally. >ther&ise# no Fssence is regenerated.

%&eption: I$ a character has the eed disadvantage and $"l$ills his eed# ignore it &hen checking $or /iscord blockage. I$ theeed is the celestial(s largest Celestial /iscord# then $"l$illing the eed eliminates the blockage roll entirely $or that day.

/isadvantages that do not $it the above categories 2social disadvantages# $or instance# or mental disadvantages that are a mattero$ choice# s"ch as a Code o$ %onor3 do not co"nt as discordant $or any reason. Fven angels may $reely take them at charactercreation.

Excanging Dissonance for Discord Angelic characters may s&ap o"t points o$ dissonance# accepting disadvantages that are added more-or-less permanently totheir character sheets. or every < points o$ dissonance removed# the angel m"st take -4 character points( &orth o$ disadvantages.!he disadvantages chosen m"st be among those that "ali$y as discordant.

All other r"les regarding /iscord are handled as in In Nomine.

"ranslating !iscord ost o$ the /iscords in In Nomine have obvio"s GURPS co"nterparts to be "sed &hen translating characters. Greedy is Greed#+aranoia is +aranoia# >bese is at# Angry is =ad !emper# !&itchy is l"tL# "rdero"s is =loodl"st and so on.

Ignore the concept o$ levels - generally speaking# in GURPS# yo" either have a bad temper or yo" don(t 2b"t see the $re"encyo$ s"bmission r"les on p. 1; o$ GURPS Compendium I $or an option &hich appro'imates levels $or many disadvantages3.

/iscolored# +allid# Stigmata and Kestigi"m are all represented by the ,nnat"ral eat"re disadvantage 2p. CI43# along &ith anyadditional reaction penalties 2&orth a $lat -4 points per -1 to reactions3.

!he e& /isadvantages section translates those /iscords &hich do not have obvio"s GURPS versions.

Generic E#uivalents hen a sticky sit"ation comes "p# or something covered by an In Nomine r"le b"t not speci$ically covered here# the G sho"ldact by $iat# keeping things consistent and $air. Ass"me that# $rom a &orld perspective 2i$ not a system perspective3 anything that holdstr"e in In Nomine holds tr"e in GURPS In Nomine as &ell. !he $ollo&ing mechanical e"ivalents might come in handy 2note that the

conversions provided do not al&ays "se them) in some cases# a simpli$ication or a change &as deemed more playable in GURPS3. Attri"ute Rolls: A roll against Strength in In Nomine is the e"ivalent o$ a 2S!-<3 roll in GURPS. Agility or +recision 2&hen "sed $or

physical tasks3 e"ate to a 2/D-<3 roll# and Intelligence# +erception# ill and +recision 2&hen "sed $or mental tasks3 each e"ate toan 2IE-<3 roll# &ith appropriate modi$iers 2Strong or eak ill and so on3.

'hek $igits: !his "s"ally translates in GURPS as the margin o$ s"ccess o$ the appropriate :d roll. ,nless speci$ically statedother&ise# the ma'im"m e$$ective margin is @.

$amage: In very general and abstract terms# a point o$ In Nomine damage e"als ? to : points o$ GURPS damage. !his alsoapplies to damaged ill# &hich in GURPS $ollo&s all normal mechanics $or hit point loss and recovery# incl"ding shock# st"n and soon.

Criticals and Intervention hen "sing GURPS# $ollo& the GURPS standard $or s"ccess rolls# instead o$ In Nomine(s r"les $or Intervention.

ote# ho&ever# that critical s"ccesses and $ail"res sho"ld be more spectac"lar in this &orld. !hey do# as in In Nomine# representthe hands o$ God and 0"ci$er) the G sho"ld leap "pon these opport"nities $or dramatic improvisation &henever they come "p#keeping in mind the spirit o$ the setting.

Adapting Sills hen creating a GURPS In Nomine character $rom scratch# *"st b"y skills normally. Angels and demons can learn Cooking# Artistand eteorologyM!0 as &ell as any h"man - "s"ally better. !he idea o$ a seven-$oot Cher"b &ith Jeet "ne /o might be appealing#too# i$ yo" have access to GURPS !artial Arts.

hen adapting characters $rom In Nomine to GURPS# yo"(ll $ind that most skills have a $airly obvio"s analog"e. !he ma*ordi$$erence is ho& speci$ic skills in GURPS tend to be. I$ yo"r In Nomine demon has 0arge eapon skill# it(s "p to yo" and the G todecide i$ he has A'eMace# lail# +olearm# Sta$$# !&o-%anded A'eMace# !&o-%anded S&ord or all o$ those. =ase yo"r decision on



act"al play# i$ possible. I$ yo"r character tends to carry aro"nd his l"cky &oodc"tting a'e b"t has never once even glanced at as&ord# then he probably *"st has A'eMace in GURPS.

!o determine the GURPS level o$ an adapted skill# calc"late yo"r total skill in In Nomine. 2I$ yo" have AcrobaticsM< and an Agility o$4# yo"r total skill is 9.3 !hen do the $ollo&ing8

• I$ the total is @ or less8 Add three to get GURPS skill.

• I$ the total is 7-118 Add $o"r to get GURPS skill.• I$ the total is 1? or higher8 Add $ive to get GURPS skill.

I$ the translated skill is lo&er than a hal$-point &o"ld get yo" in GURPS 2this happens rarely3# "se the GURPS de$a"lt instead. I$the translated skill re"ires prere"isites# ass"me that the character has them at the minim"m re"ired level 2"s"ally 1?3# or at thehal$-point level# &hichever is higher.

gurps - in nomine

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