GURPS Albedo

A Guide to Roleplaying in the Albedo Universe Using GURPS Rules
Copyright © 1993, 1994 Fred M. Sloniker
V 1.7

Foreword

Several years ago, shortly after the first edition of Albedo: the Role-Playing Game came out, I got my hands on a copy of it at a get- together of some of my friends and was immediately fascinated by its portrayal of a future society at risk not from without but from within. It was in fact that role-playing game that got me into the furry fandom; I bought my own copy shortly thereafter, managed to collect most of the comics published thus far, and was immediately hooked on Gallacci's art and story. However, the system as it stood had some serious flaws from my point of view, among them its lack of organization and its reliance on die-rolling to create characters. When I picked up a copy of the Generic Universal Role-Playing System, I knew I wanted to do a conversion of the Albedo RPG into that system.

The work was slow and fraught with delays. It wasn't until the summer of 1993, as I slaved away at college and found myself thoroughly bored with only minimal access to the Internet, that I decided to haul out my old notes on character statistics, riffle through the dog-eared game manuals, run many a number-crunch to determine the best way to convert the statistics, and actually finish my pipe dream. Even then, it took six months to write and repeatedly revise the text, with schoolwork taking up most of my time; part of that time was spent securing the necessary copyright permissions, from not one but three sources, and part of it was spent ensuring the project wouldn't be obsolete before it was finished by making it ready for the second edition before there was a second edition. The only reason that I managed to get through the project in the end was sheer stubbornness; after all the work I'd put in, there was no way I was giving up on this one.

At last, though, I got it all together; the article was sent to R'ykandar for publication at the beginning of the year. Now with any luck I'll find the time to actually play a role-playing game or two . . .

In order to use this reference, you'll need a copy of the GURPS Basic Rules, third edition. GURPS Space and GURPS Aliens have been referenced for various advantages and disadvantages, while GURPS High- Tech and GURPS Ultra-Tech have been used for various bits of equipment; all of these will be useful, but aren't required. You'll also need the Albedo RPG rules (preferably second edition) to supply the framework upon which this conversion is built. (If you don't have them, think of them as a slightly pricy supplement.)

Character Creation and Conversion

Species Selection

• Attribute modifiers. These are always applied after attributes are bought; for instance, a truly Schwartzennegerian mouse (with a ST modifier of -5) wants a ST of 10. This would cost it 60 points (buy ST 15, then subtract 5) instead of 40 (buying ST up from 5 to 10). (It would also definitely require the Unusual Background advantage!)

• Disadvantages and advantages. Being the norm for the species, these are worth (or cost) nothing; (not) having one is a (dis)advantage. For instance, otters are normally Impulsive; for an otter, being Not Impulsive is a 10-point advantage.

• Skill bonuses or penalties. Again, these are applied after skills are bought; they do apply to defaults in the skill (though GURPS Aliens specifies otherwise.)

These benefits and penalties are lumped into species packages, which have point costs just like advantages. These point costs, and the contents of the packages, are detailed in the list below. (This list only covers the critters given in the Albedo RPG, though; anyone who wants an aardvark is on his own.) Note that neither the negative cost of some packages nor the cost of any disadvantages within a package count against the 40-point disadvantage limit.

Avian (minor): 9 points. ST-5, DX+2, Extra Fatigue +5, Reduced Hit
     Points -2, Claws (+2 to kicking damage), Free Fall +2.  Avians of
     all sizes cannot use their hands to punch or grapple (the muscles
     are too weak) but may buffet with their wings (doing swing damage
     for their ST), use hand weapons at -1 to damage for strength, or
     use ranged weapons.  For hand-to-hand combat, they generally kick
     (and get a +2 to damage).
Avian (major): 14 points. ST-2, DX+1, Extra Fatigue +2, Reduced Hit
     Points -1, Claws (+2 to kicking damage), Free Fall +2.
Avian (ratite): 14 points.  Claws (+2 to kicking damage), Free Fall
     +2.
Canine (dog, light): 4 points.  ST-2, DX+1, Extra Fatigue +2, Reduced
     Hit Points -1, Acute Hearing +2.
Canine (dog, average): 4 points.  Acute Hearing +2.
Canine (wolf): 22 points.  ST+2, Reduced Fatigue -2, Extra Hit Points
     +1, Acute Hearing +2.
Canine (fox): 6 points.  ST-2, DX+1, Extra Fatigue +2, Reduced Hit
     Points -1, Acute Hearing +3.  A fennec, with its extremely large
     ears, has Acute Hearing +5, raising its cost to 10 points.
Feline (cat): 14 points.  ST-2, DX+1, Extra Fatigue +2, Reduced Hit
     Points -1, Acute Hearing +2, Night Vision.
Feline (cougar, jaguar, lynx): 9 points.  DX+1, HT-1, Reduced Fatigue
     -1, Acute Hearing +2, Night Vision.
Feline (lion, tiger): 17 points.  ST+2, HT-1, Reduced Fatigue -3,
     Extra Hit Points +1, Acute Hearing +2, Night Vision.
Marsupial (platypus): 0 points.  ST-2, DX+1, Extra Fatigue +2, Reduced
     Hit Points -1.
Marsupial (possum): 24 points.  ST-2, DX+1, HT-1, Extra Fatigue +1,
     Reduced Hit Points -1, Night Vision, Prehensile Tail, Free Fall
     +2.
Marsupial (kangaroo): 9 points.  Striker (crushing, roll DX-2 to hit),
     Acute Hearing +2, Jumping +2.
Mustelid (ferret, otter, stoat): -10 points.  ST-2, DX+1, Extra
     Fatigue +2, Reduced Hit Points -1, Impulsiveness.  An otter has
     Swimming +4, raising its cost to -2 points.
Mustelid (weasel): 0 points.  ST-2, DX+1, Extra Fatigue +2, Reduced
     Hit Points -1.
Rodent (mouse, rat): -1 point.  ST-5, DX+2, Extra Fatigue +5, Reduced
     Hit Points -2, Acute Hearing +2.
Rodent (rabbit): 8 points.  ST-2, DX+1, Extra Fatigue +2, Reduced Hit
     Points -1, Acute Hearing +4.  (Rabbits are really lagomorphs, but
     are listed under rodents to conform with the Albedo RPG.)
Rodent (chipmunk, squirrel): 0 points.  ST-2, DX+1, Extra Fatigue +2,
     Reduced Hit Points -1.
Rodent (beaver): 0 points.  No significant modifiers.
Ungulate (camel, cow, horse, llama): 55 points.  ST+2, DX-1, HT+2,
     Hooves (+2 to kicking damage), Common Sense.
Ungulate (goat, pig, sheep): 5 points.  Hooves (+2 to kicking damage),
     Impulsiveness.
Ungulate (rhino): 36 points.  ST+3, DX-1, Reduced Fatigue -3, Extra
     Hit Points +2, Hooves (+2 to kick).
Ursoid (raccoon): 4 points.  ST-1, DX+1, Extra Fatigue +1, Reduced Hit
     Points -1, Acute Hearing +2.
Ursoid (bear): 16 points.  ST+3, DX-1, HT-1, Reduced Fatigue -4, Extra
     Hit Points +1, Common Sense.

Ex. Toki, obviously, is a rodent (mouse), and a rather cute one at that. Her species has a ST of only 5, but 10 Fatigue points (which we write as a `split ST' of 5/10); a DX of 12; a HT of 10, but only 8 Hit Points (written as HT 10/8); and Acute Hearing +2. Being a mouse is considered a 1-point disadvantage, but does not count against her allowed 40 points of disadvantages and 5 points of quirks; none of the contents of the mouse species package have any point cost. As detailed in the Albedo RPG, she has gray fur, green eyes, and is 116 cm (3'10"), 23.6 kg (52 pounds). She was born 172-12-02 (December 2 by human reckoning), which makes her 27 as of Issue #8 of "The New Albedo".

Mordek Lazuli (we'll call him Laz), on the other hand, is a stocky, vaguely pleasant-looking squirrel. He starts with ST 8/10 (8 ST, but 10 Fatigue), DX 11, and HT 10/9 (10 HT, but 9 Hit Points). While we're at it, we'll define his height and weight; he's an albino squirrel, 4'2" (127 cm), 87 pounds (39.5 kg), with pink eyes and an exceptionally bushy tail. His birthday is 163-03-11, which means he recently turned 37.

Attributes

ST is equal to Albedo Strength. Fatigue, on the other hand, is equal to Stamina; take levels of Extra/Reduced Fatigue, described under Advantages and Disadvantages, as needed.

DX is the average of Manual Dexterity and Co-ordination. If M-D is higher than Co-ord, you may, if you wish, make DX equal to Co-ord and buy levels of the Manual Dexterity advantage (10 points/level; see GURPS Aliens p. 14) as appropriate.

IQ is the average of Reason and Intuition. Albedo Drive translates directly into GURPS Will; take levels of Weak/Strong Will as needed.

HT is equal to Stamina.

N.B.: your final attribute levels, after species modifiers, are determined by these formulae! (If the formula says you have a DX of 11, and your species has DX+2, spend -10 points on DX, getting a DX of 9, then apply the species modifier. You're clumsier than most of your species, so you get points back.)

There is no GURPS equivalent for Albedo Stability; use the number as a guide for roleplay or to suggest appropriate quirks or mental (dis)advantages.

Ex. Toki's Strength is 5, so her ST is 5; this is worth nothing, being her species average. (She has her species' +5 bonus to Fatigue, so this is written as ST 5/10.) Her DX is 13.5 (the average of an M-D of 14 and a Co-ord of 13); we round it up to 14, paying 20 points (buy DX up to 12, then apply the species' +2). Her IQ is 13 (the average of Reason 12 and Intuition 14), and costs the usual 30 points; her HT is 11, costing 10 points. (Her species has two fewer Hit Points than usual, so we write this as HT 11/9.)

Toki's Drive is only 12, so we ought to give her a single level of Weak Will, and we could buy her another point of Fatigue to make it equal to her HT. On the other hand, she already has plenty of fatigue, and one point of Will won't make too much difference; we won't bother. Therefore, so far she costs 59 points.

When creating new characters, you may buy their attributes normally, though those attributes will be modified by species bonuses and penalties. In a realistic campaign, however, keep in mind that extreme attribute variations, particularly in the physical attributes, would be highly unlikely; anyone whose (particularly) ST is more than three points higher than his species' average is a good candidate for an Unusual Background. (Strictly speaking, someone with more than three points less is also a good candidate, but that critter's got enough problems.)

Ex. We want Laz to be very smart and fairly dextrous; we spend 20 points on DX, raising it to 13, and 60(!) on IQ, raising it to 15. We'll buy down his HT a point (HT 9/8), which saves us 10 points (he's always been a little sickly); ST (8/10) is fine as is, since he isn't really an athletic person when it comes down to it. He costs 70 points so far.

Advantages

Absolute Direction-- While this advantage will work on any planet, it
     does not work in space and gives no bonus to Astrogation.  See 3D
     Spatial Sense, below, for an advantage that does.
Acute Hearing-- This is a very common advantage for critters,
     especially ones with large, swivellable ears.  Such critters are
     also capable of pinpointing sound more readily than humans; on a
     good Hearing roll, the GM should provide the approximate location
     of the sound, if it isn't obvious.
Animal Empathy-- This advantage is not available in known space, since
     there are no animals to whom it might apply.  See Empathy, below.
Appearance-- Many of the cues to attractive appearance and behavior
     are species-specific.  When a critter interacts with another
     critter not of the same genus (rodent, canine, ungulate), his
     effective Appearance is reduced by one level(towards Average).
Clerical Investment-- While many critters in known space are beginning
     to experiment with the concepts of faith and religion, there
     simply aren't any churches large enough for Clerical Investment
     to be available as an advantage.  However, the critter's
     individual beliefs may form a Sense of Duty, a Vow, or even a
     Delusion, depending on their nature and strength.
Charisma-- This being a universal force of personality, it works
     undiminished over all species, unlike Attractiveness.
Combat Reflexes--  All critters who have training in Coolness Under
     Fire, especially military critters, are heartily encouraged to
     take this advantage.
Danger Sense-- Note that this is a psionic ability (though one that
     any critter may have), and thus is of interest to the Net.  (See
     the discussion on psionic skills, under Skills, below.)
Empathy-- This is also a freely available psionic ability.
Legal Enforcement Powers-- Homeguard officers will usually have 5
     points worth of this advantage.  EDF forces may have 5 or 10
     points, depending on their position (support staffers have less
     authority than special forces types); however, the EDF's
     jurisdiction is space, and these powers will carry little weight
     planetside.
Literacy-- This is the norm for the Albedo campaign; every critter is
     taught this fundamental skill.  However, that doesn't mean
     everyone can learn it; see Dyslexia, under Disadvantages, below.
Magical Aptitude, Magic Resistance-- These do not exist in Albedo.
Military Rank-- In the first edition ruleset, critters in the EDF have
     two types of ranking to worry about: rank grade and specialist
     rating.  The former is their authority, the latter their
     capability.  Therefore, EDF critters take Military Rank equal to
     their rank grade; specialist rating is not bought separately, but
     is given based on the levels of the appropriate skills possessed
     by the critter.  (See the Albedo RPG for guidelines on
     determining specialist rating.)  Homeguard forces, and second
     edition characters, merely take Military Rank equal to their rank
     number.
Night Vision-- Some critters have this automatically (for example,
     cats), but anyone else may take it if desired.
Patrons-- A member of the EDF or Homeguard may, but is not required
     to, take it as a Patron.  The EDF costs 25 points as a base (due
     to its interstellar authority), the Homeguard 15.  The Net is
     very rarely available as a Patron; it keeps tabs on people in
     positions to advance and improve society (which, at present,
     means it's on the ConFed's `side', but it isn't locked into that
     role) and assists them through manipulation of the terabytes of
     data it processes hourly.  It studies Talents as well, because of
     their unusual capabilities, though most of them are not aware of
     its scrutiny.  It is worth 15 points, being an individual with
     unusual abilities but limited ability to act, and is only
     available if the GM offers it to you.
Peripheral Vision-- Any critter may have this advantage.  Avians and
     ungulates are the most likely to have it, since their heads are
     still shaped very much like their nonsentient `ancestors', which
     have this advantage.
Toughness-- This is quite rare for critters, and probably only
     appropriate for huge-framed ones, or those whose "ancestors" had
     natural armor.  GMs should keep mobile combat platform characters
     in check with any method they see fit, including disallowing the
     advantage and assessing an additional Unusual Background cost.
Wealth-- While characters living in capitalist economies will have
     more starting cash and better job pay than characters living in
     socialist economies, most of their wealth will be tied up in
     house payments and utility bills, leaving them with about the
     same free spending money as their more pampered cousins.  In game
     terms, Average Wealth is 1,500 credits for Coreworlders, 7,500
     credits for Rimworlders-- but since 80% of their money goes to
     home gear, they also have only 1,500 credits free for adventure
     supplies.  (On the bright side, they probably have a nicer, or at
     least more individual, pad.)  This also applies to job pay;
     capitalist critters get more money, but socialist ones have no
     cost of living to worry about.  (EDF or Homeguard characters,
     whose room and board is covered, are effectively in a `socialist'
     economy wherever they go.)  See Economy, under The Big Picture,
     for more information.

The following advantages from GURPS Space may be used:

Acceleration Tolerance (10 points)-- This advantage will be of the
     most use to EDF/Homeguard aerodyne and helicopter pilots, who
     have to cope with sudden, radical accelerations during evasive
     maneuvers.  Those in larger ships should look at Improved G-
     Tolerance, below.
Bionics (variable, see Space p.67)-- Given the level of medical
     technology in known space, bionics will be rare, but they are not
     unknown, particularly in victims of space combat.  (See the
     original Albedo v.7 for a good example.)  No critter may (and no
     sane critter would!) simply purchase bionics, however; they will
     only be used to replace organs lost to injury or genetic defect,
     and usually only for the few years it takes to successfully
     `grow' a replacement.  Only those bionics in GURPS Space are
     available to furries; it is recommended that neither cash nor
     points should be charged for components that merely replace
     flesh, while anything that provides improved capabilities should
     cost both cash and points.
G-Experience (10 points)-- While spacers may take this advantage, it
     is of limited use since most inhabited planets have gravities
     close to one G.  It might come in handy in a scouting campaign.
Improved G-Tolerance (variable, see Space p.33)-- This advantage will
     be of the most use to scouts, who sometimes explore high-G
     worlds, and starship crew, who are sometimes subjected to
     sustained periods of high G's.
3D Spatial Sense (10 points)-- Note that this is considered a psionic
     talent in the Albedo campaign!  (Erma has this advantage, and the
     Net has taken an interest in her in part because of it.)  It is a
     quite useful advantage for astrogators and pilots.

Claws (15 points)-- Both avians and ungulates have 15-point Claws.
     (Although they're called Hooves for ungulates, they have the same
     game effect.)  The advantage may not be taken by other critters,
     however; the cost is only given here to make creating new species
     packages easier.
Extra Fatigue (5 points/point)-- While critters shouldn't be able to
     buy this without restraint, some characters being converted from
     the Albedo RPG will need it to accurately model their high
     Stamina.  Players with GM permission may also use this advantage
     to buy off levels of Reduced Fatigue inherent in their species.
Extra Hit Points (8 points/point)-- This advantage is not available
     without explicit GM permission; one legitimate use is to buy off
     levels of Reduced Hit Points.
Manual Dexterity (10 points/level)-- Anyone may take this advantage
     freely.

Lazuli, on the other hand, is only Attractive (5 points), but has Charisma +2 (10 points). He is Literate and has Strong Will +2 (8 points-- for a Will of 17!). He has a reputation in the scientific community as a hard-working researcher (+2 for a large group, all the time; 5 points), and a good job at his local university (Comfortable Wealth, 10 points) for a total of 38 points, raising his point total to 108 points.

Disadvantages

Also note that several severe mental disadvantages are, by their nature, quite likely to be discovered and corrected, especially on the Coreworlds. Addiction, Berserk, Bloodlust, some Compulsive Behaviors, Major or Severe Delusions, Fanaticism, Kleptomania, Megalomania, Phobias, Sadism, and Split Personality should not be available without GM permission, unless the campaign is set on a Rimworld where such disadvantages are less likely to be compulsorily corrected. Furthermore, the EDF and Homeguard will not hire someone with any of these disadvantages (overtly; individuals with good political connections have been known to circumvent this). Other negative mental disadvantages will hurt the critter's chances as well, though more by affecting his SPI than any specific regulations against them.

Addiction-- Addictions are nearly unknown, but they can exist, even in
     the `enlightened' society of known space.  Any addiction is
     automatically worth five more points than usual; addictions
     aren't strictly illegal, but they are considered behavior
     aberrations, and the offending critter will be `cured' if he
     isn't discreet.
Albinism-- Albino mammals are uncommon, but present.  Their fur
     provides more protection from the sun's effects than bare skin,
     but less than a normal critter's fur; halve the rates of damage
     for sunlight on page 27 of the Basic Set.  Because of the number
     of limitations Albinism imposes on work and play, the
     disadvantage is still worth -10 points.
Alcoholism-- Alcohol is easy to make; it can make itself if fruit
     juice isn't properly stored.  Therefore, this is the most common
     addiction for critters to succumb to.  It is worth -20 points,
     due to `illegality' (see Addiction, above, for more details).
Appearance-- As for good Appearance, bad Appearance is less obvious to
     those of a different species.  Unless the critter is interacting
     with another critter of the same genus, his appearance is
     effectively improved by one level (towards Average).
Deafness-- Any character from a species with Acute Hearing bonuses
     also trades them off, getting back 2 points per +1.
Duty – EDF or Homeguard critters are required to take this
     disadvantage to represent the hazards of employment in a military
     organization.  Other employers may require this disadvantage as
     well.  See Sense of Duty, below.
Dwarfism-- Any critter may take this disadvantage, though none start
     with it.  Dwarf mice (and dwarf bears, for that matter) will be
     rather an unusual sight.
Dyslexia-- Since Literacy is the norm in known space, this
     disadvantage is worth -15 points.  It is also the only way to
     have Illiteracy (see below).
Enemies-- People who would work towards seeing a specific critter dead
     aren't appropriate to the genre of Albedo.  (Even EDF troops on
     the front line are `merely' being shot at in the line of duty.)
     However, this merely means the GM has a chance to show the
     players that an Enemy can do much more painful things than kill;
     a rival in the scientific field, a high-society type who snips at
     your ego every chance he gets, or the higher-ups in command who
     think you're doing your job too well are all good choices for
     Enemies.  The Net also makes a rather nasty Enemy; it can't do
     you any physical harm, but it can ruin your promotion prospects,
     get you transferred to obscure locations, and make important
     files `lost' in transit.  It is worth a base of -15 points, but
     is only available if the GM inflicts it on you; it chooses to act
     against an individual as often as it chooses to act for one,
     which is quite rarely.  (See Patrons, under Advantages, above.)
Gigantism-- As for Dwarfism, this is not mandatory for any species,
     but is available to any critter.  A Giant bear is truly fearsome
     in combat, but tough to shop for.
Hard of Hearing-- Any critter from a species which has Acute Hearing
     bonuses should first sell them back, getting 2 points per +1,
     before taking this disadvantage.
Illiteracy-- This disadvantage is not available in known space; all
     critters are taught how to read as a matter of course.  However,
     some critters can't learn to read; see Dyslexia, above.
Intolerance-- The effects of this disadvantage on a critter vary
     depending on both his occupation and the group he is intolerant
     of.  The EDF tends to officially frown on hiring Intolerants,
     even those Intolerant of (say) the ILR, since they want their
     troops to be capable of rational thought.  The Homeguard, on the
     other hand, often encourages Intolerances of the ILR, rabbits, or
     even EDF/centrists, depending of course on which Homeguard it is.
Lecherousness-- This disadvantage is relative to the usual mating
     habits of the critter's species; cyclical critters, for instance,
     may have periods of intense interest (even by their species'
     standards), or may be flirty all the time, even when not capable
     of coupling.  Most critters are only interested in mating with
     their own species, or at least similar ones; to do otherwise may
     be a Quirk, or even an Odious Personal Habit.
Phobias-- Manaphobia (fear of magic), Teratophobia (fear of monsters),
     Triskadekaphobia (fear of the number 13), and Ophiophobia (fear
     of reptiles) are unavailable in known space for obvious reasons.
Poverty-- Note that a critter in a socialist economy can be Dead Broke
     and still get the essentials of life (food, shelter, clothing,
     medical care, and basic Net access).  On the other hand, not
     every planet has such an extensive `safety net', and especially
     on corporate worlds, Dead Broke is simply dead.  See also the
     discussion on Wealth, above, and Economy, below.
Primitive-- This disadvantage is not available in known space.  All
     critters are at TL9, the campaign norm.  (See AlbedoTech, below.)
Sense of Duty-- Good citizens, especially Coreworld citizens, often
     have a Sense of Duty to the ConFed; on Rimworlds, this often
     winds up being a Sense of Duty to their homeworld.  However, this
     is never enforced; EDF/Homeguard personnel, in particular,
     usually have the Duty instead (though with GM permission, a Sense
     of Duty may be substituted for a Duty).
Social Stigma-- The stigmas which characters may have levied against
     them vary from world to world; one common one (in areas near the
     ILF-ConFed border) is being a rabbit.  GMs should inform the
     players what Social Stigmas apply to the campaign.
Status-- A negative Status is uncommon, since the ConFed tends to
     correct or execute problem individuals.  Reaction modifiers for
     personal history or personal behavior are better handled as a
     poor Reputation or an OPH, respectively.

The following disadvantages from GURPS Aliens may be taken:

Dependency (varies, see Aliens p. 19)-- Some critters may have to take
     certain medication at regular intervals, for physical (preventing
     organ rejection, say) or mental (controlling severe mental
     disorders) reasons.  See also Addiction, above.
Reduced Fatigue (-5 points/point)-- As with Extra Fatigue (see
     Advantages, above), this will most commonly be taken to remove
     levels of Extra Fatigue (to simplify bookwork) or to reflect a
     converted character's low Stamina.
Reduced Hit Points (-5 points/point)-- See also Extra Hit Points,
     above.  It is not normally available outside of species packages.

Lazuli, meanwhile, has to cope with Albinism (-10 points)-- remember those pink eyes? He is a Coward (-10 points), avoiding pain nearly devoutly, and has an Odious Personal Habit (-5 points); instead of medicating his mild allergy to pollen, he just keeps wiping his nose with the back of his hand. On the flip side, he is Honest (-10 points), if for no other reason than a paranoid suspicion a Homeguard officer will appear from nowhere to berate him if he tries anything funny. He is also mildly Shy (-5 points), preferring the company of his technical gear and the Net community to `real actual people'. This is a total of -40 points, bringing his point total to 68 points.

While we're at it, let's define their Quirks. Toki's Quirks are "Not picky about species", "Wants to raise her own litter", "Flirts with a passion", "Encourages others to be as social as she is", and "Likes listening to music". These total -5 points, bringing her total to 69 points.

Laz's Quirks, on the other hand, are "Always eats his food one taste at a time", "Likes being outdoors, but doesn't like the dirt and weather", "Hangs out with those more social than himself", "Spends more time than he ought to on the Net", and "Hates being out of control of a situation". These total -5 points, bringing his total to 63 points.

Skills

                    Albedo RPG -> GURPS conversion
Training/experience level
          (first edition):  1-4  5  6  7  8  9  10* 11  12# 13  14 15~
GURPS Skill at (attribute)+: -5 -4 -3 -2 -2 -1   0   1   2   2   3   4

*: Second edition skill/expertise.
#: Second edition adept skill/great expertise.
~: Second edition master skill/very great expertise.

Certain sticky spots may be encountered during the conversion process. Often `default' or low-level skills in the Albedo system convert to a skill at a lower level than you are capable of buying under GURPS rules, particularly if the skill is an Easy one. In that event, either omit the skill, taking the default, or spend 1/2 point and take what it gives you. When two or more skills in Albedo become one skill in GURPS, average the attribute modifiers each skill would give, add one for each skill over the first being merged, and use that as the attribute modifier for the skill. (To clarify: suppose a critter has a training level of 7 in Public Speaking and 13 in Repartee. If both are combined to make Bard, average IQ-2 (from Public Speaking) and IQ+2 (from Bard), getting IQ, then add 1 for having put two skills together, to get IQ+1.) Skill packages must first be broken up into their component skills, as detailed in the Albedo RPG, then converted.

As for the skills themselves, the choice of an appropriate GURPS skill is usually straightforward. Here's a list of the ones that may cause difficulty:

Aerodyne Weapons Systems-- Gunner (specialized).
Art-- Take whichever Artistic or Craft skill is appropriate to the
     character.
Assess Personality-- This skill is not available in GURPS, but the
     Psychology skill or Empathy advantage is probably the best fit.
Auto G.L. Gunnery-- Gunner (specialized).
Biology-- In GURPS, you must specialize in this.  See p. 60 of the
     Basic Set for more information.
Boxing-- Brawling or Karate.
Brokerage-- This is a new Professional Skill, Mental/Hard.
Coolness Under Fire-- This skill is not available in GURPS.  Most
     military critters will have Combat Reflexes; civilians will tend
     towards a level of Strong Will instead.
Current Affairs-- History (with optional specialization) or Area
     Knowledge.
Debate-- Bard.
Detect Hidden Object-- This skill is not available in GURPS.  Instead,
     calculate the level the skill would be at if it existed, then
     take that level (minimum 0) of Acute Vision or Alertness.  For
     instance, if the critter has Detect Hidden Object 12, that would
     be a skill at IQ+2; buy Acute Vision +2 or Alertness +2).
Ecological Science-- Ecology/TL9.
Fine Arts Appreciation-- Appreciate Beauty (Mental/Very Hard, defaults
     to appropriate art/craft, IQ-5 or Savoir-Faire-5).  (A more
     complete description is given in GURPS Japan, p. 30, among other
     sources.)
Grenade Launcher-- Guns (specialized).
Hide In Cover-- Stealth or Camouflage.
Jump Drive Navigation-- Astrogation (specialized).
Literacy-- Writing.
Long-arms-- Guns (specialized).
Mechanical Repair-- Mechanic.
Medicine-- Physician or First Aid.
Melee (armed)-- an appropriate combat skill, such as Knife or Axe.
Melee (unarmed)-- Brawling, Judo, or Karate.
Mineral Appraisal-- Geology or Metallurgy.
Mingle-- Savoir-Faire.
Missile Launcher-- Gunner (specialized).
Operate Heavy Machinery-- Driving (specialized).
Philosophy-- A new Scientific skill, Mental/Hard.
Political Science-- History (with optional specialization; see GURPS
     Basic Set, sidebar, p. 43).
Public Speaking-- Bard.
Repartee-- Bard, Carousing, or Savoir-Faire.
Salesman-- Merchant.
Sneak-- Stealth, Disguise, and/or Camouflage.
Snitch-- There is no direct analogue to this skill; use Stealth, Acute
     Senses of some sort, or just Luck (in the right place at the
     right time . . . )
Socio-History-- see Political Science.
Spin Yarn-- Bard or Acting.
Spotting-- See "Detect hidden object", above.
Starship Navigation-- Astrogation (specialized).
Stickfighting-- Staff.
Systems Engineer-- Electronics/TL9 (specialized).
Tactical & Strategic Skills-- Tactics/TL9 or Strategy/TL9
     (specialized).
Throw Grenade/Rock-- Throwing.
Turreted Main Arms-- Gunner (specialized).
Wrestling-- Judo.
Zero-G-Movement-- Free Fall.

New characters have matters rather simpler, not having the headache of skill packages to mess with; however, there are limits to what skills characters can take in an Albedo campaign. The following list covers each of the basic categories of skills, mentioning any problem areas; if a particular skill is unmentioned, it may be taken freely:

Animal Skills-- There being no animals even on the level of reptiles
     in the Albedo universe, none of these skills exist except for
     Veterinary/TL9, which is rare.
Artistic Skills-- Calligraphy doesn't exist; Musical Instrument is
     limited to simple woodwinds, percussion instruments, and (most
     common) synthesizers; Photography is Camcorder Operation/TL9;
     Sculpting is rare.
Athletic Skills-- Parachuting and Riding do not exist, while
     Bicycling, Scuba, Skiing, and Sports are rare; Breath Control
     does exist, but is uncommon.  Judo and Karate skill rolls may be
     substituted for any ST roll involved in a grapple, which
     especially helps small critters.
Combat/Weapon Skills-- Only Axe/Mace, Axe Throwing, Brawling, Fast-
     Draw, Gunner/TL9, Guns/TL7, Judo, Karate, Knife, Knife Throwing,
     Shield, Speed-Load, Staff, and Thrown Weapon exist in Albedo, and
     edged weapon skills are uncommon.  Note that Guns is a TL7 skill!
     (Hand weapons haven't kept pace with vehicular and starship
     armaments.)
Craft Skills-- Pottery is rare, and Shipbuilding/TL9 uncommon, but all
     skills here are available.
Language Skills-- There is only one language in known space, known as
     Standard; all critters have this skill at IQ level.  However,
     various planets and regions have their own dialects;
     Coreworlders, especially, can have rather thick accents.  In
     addition, some religious practicioners may use a particular
     variant of Standard in their own practices, providing both unity
     in faith and privacy from eavesdroppers.  The homeworld of a
     particular character should be noted on his character sheet, and
     the GM should assign a penalty (up to -4 for dialects; religious
     variant tongues, if allowed by the GM, may have more severe
     penalties) to language rolls for anyone who doesn't speak that
     dialect to understand it when spoken.  Gesture is the only other
     language skill that exists.
Medical Skills-- Hypnotism is not practiced as a skill, though no
     doubt the Net is aware of the principle of mesmerism.  Medical
     skills may be specialized for a species or group of species,
     including non-sentient ones like arthropods and fish.
Outdoor Skills-- Seafaring skills are unusual, but all these skills
     are available.
Professional Skills-- Heraldry is not available, but all the rest are.
Psionic Skills-- Psionics deserve separate discussion.  (And they'll
     get it, in "Psionics in the Albedo Campaign", coming soon.
     Blatant plug.)  However, it's worth noting for now that the Net
     takes an interest in anyone with developed psionic abilities,
     particularly if they include any Electrokinetic skills.
Scientific Skills-- Alchemy, Linguistics, Occultism, and Theology do
     not exist (unless studying the Creators counts as Theology);
     Anthropology exists as a study of the ancient (that is, 200 years
     ago) critters; Archaeology covers the technology they were gifted
     with.  Skills such as Biochemistry and Botany may be specialized
     either towards the workings of critters and their `support' flora
     and fauna, or towards the indigenous life forms of the known
     space.  Physiology, First Aid, and the like may be specialized
     (see GURPS Basic Set, sidebar, p. 43 for more details) to an
     individual species; if the skill is unspecialized, each genus
     counts as a familiarity (again on page 43).
Social Skills-- All skills in this category may be taken freely.
GURPS Space Skills-- Of the new skills, Force Shield, Force Sword, and
     Tangler do not exist for lack of equipment; Xenobiology and
     Xenology do not exist since no truly alien life forms have yet
     been discovered to which they would apply.  (Mordek Lazuli is a
     xenobiologist, and his skills make an excellent reference for any
     other aspiring xenologists.)  Unless elsewhere forbidden, the
     rest of the skills are allowed.
Thief/Spy Skills-- Ventriloquism doesn't exist.  Some of the other
     skills, like Poisons, would be unusual even for a secret agent,
     but they can be taken by anyone with an appropriate background.
Vehicle Skills-- Battlesuit and Teamster do not exist, and Bicycling
     is uncommon.  As a whole, these are uncommon, as many critters
     walk or take public transportation instead of driving.

(Laz and Toki's stats, as well as a character story for Laz, appear at the end of this article for your convenience.)

Finishing the Character

The character's base SPI is three times his IQ, plus or minus any Will bonus or penalty, divided by ten (so a character with IQ 12 and Strong Will +2 has a base SPI of (3(12)+2)/10, or 3.8). Subtract .1 for every five full points of negative mental disadvantages (such as Greed or Bloodlust) the character has; add .1 for every five full points of positive mental disadvantages (such as Honesty or Pacifism) the character has. Finally, for every full 20 points the character has spent on skills, add an additional .1.

Converted characters' SPI may change slightly; if the change lowers their SPI below the minimum required by their profession, character points must be expended to improve it, in a manner open to the player's discretion (for instance, raising IQ or improving skills).

Ex. Toki's base SPI is 3 times 13 (her IQ) divided by 10, or 3.9 (remember, we chose not to give her a level of Weak Will, which would have lowered this to 3.8). Of her disadvantages, Impulsiveness and Stubbornness together lower her SPI .3 (-15 points); Honesty raises it .2 (-10 points). (Truthfulness means she won't lie to her superiors, but it also means she can't lie to the enemy, so it has no effect.) She's spent 62 points on skills, which means an additional boost of .3 to her SPI. Her final SPI is 4.1, identical to her Albedo rating.

Lazuli, on the other hand, has an IQ of 15 and Strong Will +2, so his base SPI is 4.7 ((3(15)+2)/10); he is a Coward, which lowers it by .2 (10 points), but is Honest, which raises it by .2 (10 points). (His Shyness and OPH don't affect his SPI.) Having spent only 37 points on skills, he gets only a .1 bonus, so his SPI is 4.8.

Converted characters whose point total comes out over 100 points may, unless the GM requires otherwise, keep the extra points; characters who come out lower should be brought up to 100 points. Newly created characters must, however, abide by the character point limit for the campaign.

Equipment Selection and Conversion

The simplest way to convert weapons is to compare the weapon to weaponry currently in use, then just use the stats of the same or similar weapon (either from the Basic Set, or from GURPS High-Tech or Ultra-Tech if you have them); handgun technology isn't significantly better than our state of the art, while shipboard weaponry is much more sophisticated. The one modification you'll have to make is to minimum ST; improved recoil compensators and the like reduce the kick of guns to the point that mice, avians, and the like can at least use pistols without the recoil throwing their aim all over the place (reduce minimum ST of all firearms by 3).

Armor, on the other hand, will have to be converted. Weight, cost, and coverage are all self-explanatory. PD is equal to the penetration resistance in the second edition (half of it in the first), or 6, whichever is lower; DR is equal to twice the impact resistance. The encumbrance number is a penalty to DX, and any DX- based skills affected by the area covered, while the armor is worn. These apply to vehicular armor as well.

The Big Picture

AlbedoTech

• While starship weaponry is fairly sophisticated, using beam weapons and 'brilliant' high-energy kinetic missiles (use TL9 rules), hand weaponry is still at TL7. There are no hand lasers, blasters, stunners, or other pseudoscience weaponry available. There is also no bladed weapon tradition; knives and other cutting objects are available, and training in using them well can be obtained, but a critter who uses one is either desperate or deranged.

• Similarly, vehicular and starship armor is at the forefront of the technological advance, while personal gear lags behind. Personal armor is just entering TL8, mostly due to trickle-down from starship tech; it's good protection from pistols, rifles, and the like, but won't slow anything heavier down.

• Communications and scanning equipment is at TL8, using only incremental improvements to technologies that exist today. (Sorry, folks, no tachyon imaging scanners.)

• Medicine is, for the most part, at TL9. The exceptions to this rule are in scanning technologies and implants; medical techs still rely on currently- or soon-available techniques, such as MRI, to look into the body. As for implants, such as internal time clocks or reflex speeders, they are theoretically possible, but frowned upon in concept, a reaction halfway between a reasoned ethical stance against building critters into combat platforms and a gut-level revulsion. Cloning is possible, but slow; growing an organ generally takes a few years. (Cloning an entire body is not done under normal circumstances, but it *has* been done, at least once . . . ) Bionics, as mentioned under Advantages, above, are available but rare, usually used while replacement organs are being cloned.

• Drive systems for FTL travel are at TL9, but STL travel lags behind at TL6+ reaction drives. On the other hand, TL9 fusion provides a much better source of reaction mass than chemical propulsion.

In other fields, such as computer technology and odd gadgetry, the Albedo universe is TL9. Use common sense, though, in deciding what gadgets from, say, GURPS Ultra-Tech are available. The GM's word (and Gallacci's) is law.

Economy

The practical upshot of all this is that starting cash and job pay can vary widely from campaign to campaign; in general, however, since the characters will be in the same economic system, there shouldn't be any great disparities in cash and pay (other than those paid for with character points). The most likely exception would be a campaign on a Rimworld in which some of the characters are EDF personnel (and effectively living in a socialist economy) and some of them are not.

A number of job listings are already given in the Albedo:RPG rules. More can, of course, be added, using the normal GURPS job table construction method; the GM will need to determine job pay and prerequisite skills.

Campaign Style

Gallacci's stories about the ConFed explore two primary themes: personal interaction and sociopolitical struggle. Both of these are certainly fine things to use as campaign focuses, or at least for a night's gaming; the former, particularly, may well be a welcome change for GURPS veterans, a chance to roleplay without being overly concerned with `winning' the game. Still, these aren't by any means the only stories that can be told about Albedo; there are still those who boldly go where angels fear to tread, or eke out an existence on the final frontier, or just try to make a living going from planet to planet (or city to city) trading valuable wares. Many stories told in other genres, from fantasy to cyberpunk, can be told in the Albedo environment with a little tweaking.

Of course, there's no reason you have to be totally realistic if you don't want to be. Take those 200 points and go cinematic. Use `flesh wound' rules, expendable extras, evil bad guys, the whole bit. After all, it's your campaign, and there is a certain appeal to having your players be the only people who can stop the vicious ILR from launching The Bomb That Will Destroy the Universe. If you prefer, you can explore the world of the "Birthright" comics, after the collapse of the ConFed, and have your players cruise the stars in their very own starship; or perhaps a crossover campaign is more to your liking (what would happen, for instance, if our favorite critters found other life, not human or critterian, near known space?)

Finally, there's one very significant aspect of life in known space that the original RPG doesn't explore, but really isn't all that difficult to get into. Just gather your usual gang of players together for character creation and tell them that, this time around, they're all going to be creating rabbits in a capitalist economy . . .

Afterword

I welcome your comments on this article; was there something you wanted to see? Something you wish was different? Something you didn't understand? Send me email at lazuli@u.washington.edu, or write me care of "Refractions", and I'd be happy to reply to your questions.

GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games; Albedo (the graphic novel series) is a copyrighted work of Steven Gallacci; and Albedo: the Role-Playing Game is a copyrighted work of Paul Kidd. Used with permission.

Coming soon: psionics rules for GURPS Albedo!

---Fred M. Sloniker

Toki (EDF Staff Commander)

     27 years old; female mouse, pale gray fur, shading to white in
front, green eyes; 3'10", 52 pounds; SPI 4.1 – 131 points.
     ST 5/10, DX 14, IQ 13, HT 11/9.
     Basic Speed 6.25; Move 6.
     Dodge 6, Block (with improvised shield) 5.
     Wears casual clothing or uniform (no armor) on-duty; has access
to EDF flak armor (PD 3, DR 8).
     Advantages: Appearance (Beautiful); Charisma +1; Combat Reflexes;
Legal Enforcement Powers; Literacy; Military Rank 3.
     Disadvantages: Duty (to ConFed); Honesty; Impulsiveness;
Stubbornness; Truthfulness.
     Quirks: Not picky about species; Wants to raise her own litter;
Flirts with a passion; Encourages others to be as social as she is;
Likes listening to music.
     Skills: Administration-17; Appreciate Beauty-13; Bard-15;
Carousing-13; Computer Operation/TL9-15; Electronics (basic starship
systems/TL9)-13; Free Fall/TL9-14; Guns (pistols/TL7)-15; Guns
(rifles/TL7)-16; Leadership-12; Merchant-15; Savoir-Faire-13; Sex
Appeal-13; Singing-14; Tactics (Aerodynes/TL9)-14.
     Weapons: EDF pistol: 2d-1 crushing.

Mordek Lazuli

     37 years old; male squirrel, slightly stocky, white fur, pink
eyes (albino); 4'2", 87 pounds; SPI 4.8 – 100 points.
     ST 8/10, DX 13, IQ 15, HT 9/8.
     Basic Speed 5.5; Move 5.
     Dodge 5, Block (improvised) 4, Parry (from Staff or Judo) 8.
     Wears work or casual clothes; no armor.
     Advantages: Appearance (Attractive); Charisma +2; Literate;
Reputation (+2, scientific community, all the time); Strong Will +2;
Wealth (Comfortable).
     Disadvantages: Albinism; Cowardice; Honesty; Odious Personal
Habit -1 (constantly wiping nose); Shyness (mild).
     Quirks: Always eats his food one taste at a time; Likes being
outdoors, but doesn't like the dirt and weather; Hangs out with those
more social than himself; Spends more time than he ought to on the
Net; Hates being out of control of a situation.
     Skills: Area Knowledge (the Net)-15; Biochemistry/TL9-12 (from
Chemistry default); Botany/TL9-12; Chemistry/TL9-16; Computer
Operations/TL9-16; Computer Programming/TL9-12; Cooking-15; Diplomacy-
12; First Aid/TL9-12; Judo-12; Mathematics-12; Musical Instrument
(Synth Keyboard)-12; Naturalist-16; Physics/TL9-12; Physiology/TL9-15;
Research-15; Staff-12; Survival-13 (default from Naturalist); Writing-
15; Zoology-12.
     Weapons: Wooden walking stick: 1d crushing (swung), 1d-1 crushing
(thrust) at ST 8.

His interest paid off when he entered college. After a rocky first few years in the unfamiliar world of higher education and freer Net access (sometimes to the detriment of his studies), he buckled down to his xenobiology studies, eventually obtaining his doctorate. (His thesis, curiously enough, was written on a species of arthropod he had never seen in the wild, being native only to a few worlds on the other end of known space.) He briefly considered a career in the ConFed, but with exploration of space slowing and tensions with the ILR making the chances of him actually having to get shot at unacceptably high, he decided to play it safe and get a research position at the university he'd graduated from.

Over the last few years, he's distinguished himself in the scientific community. He's quite bright and skilled (though sometimes he lets a batch of cells die off because he's busy skimming the Net; old habits die hard) and has written several papers. The major area of development he lacks is social skills; he can be good enough company in a one-on-one situation, but large groups of people (say, more than two) cause him to fade into the shadows.

Sample dialogue:

"No, I haven't had time to read that article. I've been busy shaking the bugs out of `Attack of the Space Flotsam'."

"Um, yeah, lovely view, sure. Can we step back a bit from the guardrail? Maybe, say, ten meters or so? . . . "

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