TM

Written by SEAN PUNCH

Illustrated by DEAN SPENCER
GURPS System Design z STEVE JACKSON Chief Executive Officer z PHILIP REED
GURPS Line Editor z SEAN PUNCH Chief Creative Officer z SAM MITSCHKE
GURPS Project Manager z STEVEN MARSH Chief Operating Officer z SUSAN BUENO
Production Artist z NIKOLA VRTIS Director of Sales z ROSS JEPSON
GURPS FAQ Maintainer z Page Design z PHIL REED and JUSTIN DE WITT
VICKY “MOLOKH” KOLENKO ­­­Art Direction and Prepress Checker z NIKOLA VRTIS

Reviewer: Steven Marsh

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STEVE JACKSON GAMES

Stock #37-0369 Version 1.0 – September 2021 ®
 Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Alchemists & Arquebuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The Price of Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
High TL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Strands in the Braid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
About GURPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Roleplaying Ignorance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Lords and Ladies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Other Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Suitable Traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Techno-Dungeons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Other Skill Bonuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Rank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Gaining a Title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Titles Require Personal Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Titles Require Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Wealth to Match! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Starting with a Title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Followers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Strongholds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Social Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Demons and Darkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Terrifying Foes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Sinister Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Embracing Fear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Life Is Cheap(er) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Dark Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Sufficiently Advanced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Playing with Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Ammunition Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Existence, Not Competence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Introduction
The dungeon is the centerpiece of dungeon fantasy, but Yet the dungeon fantasy genre traditionally wasn’t and
less-munchkin fantasy adventures can work, too. still isn’t always like that. Adventurers can raid dungeons but
– GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 2: Dungeons belong to polite society. They can have adventures that aren’t
wall-to-wall fighting. They can encounter situations that their
The GURPS Dungeon Fantasy series quite intentionally
abilities didn’t prepare them for.
limits its scope, in terms of both rules and the kinds of stories
GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 23: Twists offers a few such
it’s optimized to tell. It focuses on hack ’n’ slash adventure,
variations on the predictable narrative.
and although it shamelessly loots other subgenres, it does so
in service to killing things and taking their stuff. The heroes
own the coolest gear, boast the biggest plusses, and fear lit-
tle – qualities that stand in for social importance when “civ-
About the Author
Sean Punch set out to become a particle physicist in 1985
ilization” means “where delvers exchange treasure for even
and ended up as GURPS Line Editor in 1995. In that capacity,
better equipment and training.”
he has written, edited, or contributed to hundreds of GURPS
releases, revised the game into its fourth edition (2004),
and been a regular contributor to Pyramid magazine. From
Encounter the unexpected: Have 2008, he has served as lead creator of the GURPS Action and
adventures that aren’t wall-to-wall GURPS Dungeon Fantasy series; work on the latter led to his
design of the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game, released
fighting – or even belong to polite in 2017. Sean has been a gamer since 1979, but devotes most
society. of his spare time to Argentine tango. He lives in Montréal,
Québec with son amour, Geneviève.

Contents and Introduction 2

 Strands
in the Braid
Here are three ways to change up your GURPS Dungeon Sufficiently Advanced (pp. 8-10) looks at making tech level
Fantasy campaign: important again, and more specifically at higher-tech artifacts
and dangers to challenge adventurers who believe that mere
Lords and Ladies (pp. 4-6) examines gradually restoring
spells and enchanted swords make them kings of the hill.
some of the social traits that Dungeon Fantasy doesn’t nor-
mally use, allowing delvers to gain rank and title – complete Any of these could fill a whole supplement by itself. In fact,
with followers and strongholds – as they accumulate points they already fill several volumes – just not in the Dungeon
and treasure. Fantasy series. Thus, a key objective of these essays is to
Demons and Darkness (pp. 6-8) explores horror-fantasy, tell gamers where to look in the rest of the GURPS library.
where the heroes aren’t the scariest kids on the block, and However, there’s also lots of practical advice to GMs, along
even the most powerful of them must confront fear, perma- with notes summarizing and simplifying key rules specifi-
nent death, and the loss of their eternal soul. cally for dungeon fantasy. As for other genres . . . well, why
not? That’s the whole idea!

I like to be surprised. Fresh implications and plot twists erupt as a story

unfolds. Characters develop backgrounds, adding depth and feeling.
– David Brin

About GURPS
Steve Jackson Games is committed to full sup- with #GURPShook on Twitter. Or explore that hashtag for
port of GURPS players. We can be reached by email: ideas to add to your own game! The GURPS Dungeon
[email protected]. Our address is SJ Games, P.O. Box Fantasy 23: Twists web page is gurps.sjgames.com/
18957, Austin, TX 78760. Resources include: dungeonfantasy23.
Store Finder (storefinder.sjgames.com): Discover
New supplements and adventures. GURPS continues to
nearby places to buy GURPS items and other Steve
grow – see what’s new at gurps.sjgames.com.
Jackson Games products. Local shops are great places to
Warehouse 23. Our online store offers GURPS print
play our games and meet fellow gamers!
items, plus PDFs of our books, supplements, adventures,
Bibliographies. Bibliographies are a great resource for
play aids, and support . . . including exclusive mate-
finding more of what you love! We’ve added them to many
rial available only on Warehouse 23! Just head over to
GURPS book web pages with links to help you find the
warehouse23.com.
next perfect element for your game.
Pyramid (pyramid.sjgames.com). For 10 years, our
Errata. Everyone makes mistakes, including us – but
PDF magazine Pyramid included new rules and articles for
we do our best to fix our errors. Errata pages for GURPS
GURPS, plus systemless locations, adventures, and more.
releases are available at sjgames.com/errata/gurps.
The entire 122-issue library is available at Warehouse 23!
Internet. To discuss GURPS with our staff and your Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for the
fellow gamers, visit our forums at forums.sjgames.com. GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition. Page references that
You can also join us at facebook.com/sjgames or begin with B refer to that book, not this one.
twitter.com/sjgames. Share your brief campaign teasers

Strands in the Braid 3

 Lords and Ladies
Roleplaying games emerged from wargames, and the Rank gives the benefits noted in Guilds. Briefly, when deal-
first fantasy PCs were knights, nobles, or even royalty who ing with members of one’s profession:
commanded troops on quasi-medieval battlefields. Monster-
• Add level to “social” skill rolls.
slaying and looting soon shoved that into the wings, where it
• Increase effective Wealth by steps equal to level when
lurked as a kind of “heroic retirement plan”: after much delv-
selling loot.
ing, adventurers would attract followers and settle down in a
• Subtract 10% per level from training expenses.
stronghold. Any character type could do so after a fashion; the
• Subtract 5% per level from the cost of professional goods.
lone-wolf scout would obtain a forest holding, the thief a guild
• Subtract 5% per level from hiring costs.
hall, the wizard a monster-filled tower, and so on.
GURPS Dungeon Fantasy repeatedly describes such play When someone with high Status issues a group a charter,
as being outside its scope – but that needn’t be the case! commission, warrant, etc. – e.g., a corrupt noble deputizes
the Assassins’ Guild as enforcers – treat Rank as an equiva-

Suitable Traits lent level of Status (below) for the deal’s duration, but only to
the extent needed to carry out the duties (for instance, Assas-
For adventurers, the priority is to represent their impor- sins’ Guild Rank 3 might count as Status 3 strictly for carry-
tance on character sheets. See GURPS Dungeon Fantasy ing weapons and in Quick Contests involving Intimidation).
17: Guilds for a comprehensive treatment, but broadly: Maximum effective Status is one level below the sponsor’s real
Status rates the standing of those whose title is bestowed by Status; if our noble has Status 5, Assassins’ Guild Rank 4+
the ruling class, while everybody else has Rank. In Dungeon counts as Status 4.
Fantasy, the GM can require delvers to pick one of the two;
neither trait provides residences or servants, or costs money
to maintain (ignore Cost of Living, pp. B265-266); and nei-
Status
ther Rank nor Wealth grants “free” Status. see p. B28
Claim to Hospitality, Clerical Investment, Reputa- This befits the warrior classes (knights, swashbucklers, all
tion, Tenure, etc. might apply, but are tangential to being the professions in GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 20: Slayers, and
super-important. settled scouts and even barbarians), militant religious orders
(holy warriors and non-monastic clerics and martial artists),
and bards who serve as court heralds, interpreters, or enter-
tainers. Status costs 5 points/level, and grants these benefits
Other Skill Bonuses noted in Guilds:
To make Rank and Status worthwhile outside of Status 1. Can legally bear light blades, and metal armor of
town, the GM may add their level to rolls against up to DR 4, in town.
“social” skills – and to rolls to resist these – when act- Status 2. Can bear all weapons and armor in town. Ignore
ing in an official capacity. The GM should be generous; the $150/week to live in one specific town.
a bare minimum is Diplomacy to negotiate on behalf Status 3-5. Can bear all weapons and armor in town. Ignore
of the hero’s organization or realm, Leadership to the $150/week to live in any town in one kingdom. In any town
order around those they outrank, and Public Speak- in that kingdom, add Status-2 (+1 to +3) in Quick Contests
ing to rally support. In Contests, both parties may against living people who are present – a mystical benefit of
enjoy a bonus: to skills when speaking, to Will when noble investiture or blood that has no effect in wilderness,
resisting Influence rolls. dungeons, or foreign lands, against threats that aren’t truly
alive, or on uncontested rolls.
Status 6-8: As Status 3-5, but anywhere in one kingdom,
even outside of town, add Status/2 rounded down (+3 or +4)
Rank in all Quick Contests against living people who are present.
see p. B29 Moreover, some artifacts require a minimum Status level
This represents standing in an organization that – though to work.
widely respected or feared – wields limited power outside There’s one further effect: Add Status to all Savoir-Faire
its membership. It’s typical of those in “learned” guilds and (High Society) rolls. If the roll is contested, both sides add
lodges (demonologists, elementalists, incanters, mentalists, Status instead of the quasi-magical bonus above.
necromancers, scholars, and wizards), religious or spiritual
orders (druids, shamans, and cloistered clerics and martial art-
ists), secret or street-level fellowships (assassins’ guilds, ninja Gaining a Title
clans, thieves’ guilds, etc.), and trade guilds (among delvers: Delvers customarily have to amass treasure and experience
artificers and innkeepers), and of errant bards and scouts. to unlock the privilege of paying character points for Rank or
Using an intuitive name for this is most straightforward; e.g., Status. The GM is welcome to use just one of these measures,
Clerical Rank for clerics or Thieves’ Guild Rank for thieves. but requiring both slows meteoric rises to power and is more
Rank always costs 5 points/level. in keeping with “old school” values.

Strands in the Braid 4

Titles Require Personal Power level: You can have a small number of named, customized
retainers (captains, viziers, court wizards, etc.), each worth
Holding title by accident of birth is for NPCs. A hero earns
up to your point total, plus a swarm of interchangeable goons
their place through deeds! Assuming the average citizen with-
(gang members, men at arms, etc.) no more capable than the
out Rank or Status is a 50-point character, each level requires
guard template (Henchmen, pp. 21-22).
its holder to be worth another 50 points:
Allies have their own point cost – they aren’t free with
Rank/Status 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rank/Status. Buy retainers individually. Cost multipliers for
Minimum Points 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 goons are in parentheses.

This is before buying Rank/Status! A PC who starts with 250 Rank/Status 0 1 2 3

points qualifies for level 4, but they must cough up 5 points for Retainers 2 3 5 7
that in play – they can start with level 3 at most. Goons 10 (¥6) 20 (¥8) 50 (¥10) 100 (¥12)
Rank/Status 4 5 6 7
Titles Require Money Retainers 10 15 20 30
Bribes, investments, doweries, finery that’s of no use on Goons 200 500 1,000 2,000
adventures . . . no position worth holding is free. The GM can (¥14) (¥16) (¥18) (¥20)
require delvers to pay a fee before buying Rank or Status:
These numbers are for PCs – the King has bigger armies!
Promotion Cost Promotion Cost
0 to 1   $1,000 4 to 5     $900,000
1 to 2   $3,000 5 to 6   $9,000,000
2 to 3 $15,000 6 to 7 $90,000,000
3 to 4 $80,000
This is cumulative; e.g., advancing from level 0 to 3 costs
$1,000 + $3,000 + $15,000 = $19,000. Costs are paid after
treasure is taxed and cashed in. For instance, dragging back
$10,000 in loot, paying 3% tax at the city gates, and selling
what’s left for 60% of its value leaves $10,000 ¥ 0.97 ¥ 0.6 =
$5,820 to use – even if the other $4,180 went to the people
you’d bribe for Rank/Status!

Wealth to Match!
Optionally, delvers may raise Wealth to match their Status
(or Rank, read as Status) on the table on p. B517, either when
buying Rank/Status or later. This doesn’t provide money – it
represents having paid cash, as above, for the “connections”
to get a better price for loot (GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 2:
Dungeons, pp. 14-15). It’s rarely worthwhile to go past Very
Wealthy [30], even at Rank/Status 4+.

Starting with a Title

The GM may let delvers enter play with Rank or Status. If
titles require minimum points, use the point total before buy-
ing the title and adding its point cost. If titles require money,
starting with the associated Wealth level from p. B517 suf-
fices – don’t also pay cash. A Wealthy knight could begin with
Status 2 and still have $5,000 to spend on gear. Starting out
rich is better than winning over connections later!
In campaigns that use these rules, Rank 1-3 [5/level], Sta-
tus 1-3 [5/level], and Wealth (Comfortable, Wealthy, or Very
Wealthy) [10, 20, or 30] are options for all templates.

Followers
Delvers may hire however many henchmen they can Critters: Adventurers who prefer the company of animals or
afford; see GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 15: Henchmen, monsters can take these as followers. Categorize them as befits
pp. 30-32. When the cash runs out, so do these NPCs. their point totals; e.g., a Rank 4 druid might be a loner with up
Titled heroes may attract unpaid followers. Buy these as to 10 nature spirits or large animals as “retainers,” and up to
Allies (Henchmen, pp. 26-29). To keep this a special feature of 200 62-point pixies as “goons.” An exceptional mount can be a
social importance, limit the number of Allies by Rank/Status “retainer” for anyone.

Strands in the Braid 5

 Frequency of Appearance: Hordes of goons disrupt adven- • Facilities suitable to their profession. Artificers get work-
tures. Fix their frequency of appearance at 9 or less (¥1), but shops with tools for all their skills; clerics, shrines; warriors,
interpret that as “never on adventures” – with the flipside that armories; and so on. Any creatures have suitable homes; e.g.,
in social situations, in strongholds, and at war, a situation- a stable for a horse or a furnace for a fire elemental.
ally appropriate number are automatically present. Retainers • Security! The place has whatever DR, HP, and Lock-
normally have higher frequencies, up to and including picking penalties the GM deems “standard” in the setting;
“Constantly” (¥4). see Dungeons, pp. 17-18 for ideas. This is what would call for
a system, so it’s perforce left abstract here – but against any

Strongholds attempt at theft or invasion, the GM should let the owner’s

player take the role of all Allies present, or lead them when
Established knights customarily have castles; archmages, the PC is there in person, to resist. Such things never occur
towers; master thieves, trap-filled guild headquarters; and so “off screen.” Thus, it’s safe to store money and unused gear in
on. Stronghold-building could fill supplements (starting with the stronghold.
GURPS Low-Tech Companion 1 and 3), but the GM can
assume a stronghold that costs $10,000 per person who can
stay there, to a maximum of the PC and their largest possi- Social Adventures
ble entourage (whether or not they actually have followers). When using these guidelines, the GM should occasionally
For instance, a Rank 5 swashbuckler-lord could have up to run adventures that require GURPS Social Engineering,
15 retainers and 500 goons, and they and their Allies would GURPS Mass Combat, or GURPS Realm Management.
be 516 people, so they could spend up to $5,160,000 on a cas- Treat the salient skills as learnable in play by those with Rank
tle large enough for them all, though they’ll want something or Status.
smaller unless they really save up. For Mass Combat, every 10 followers count as an ele-
Benefits for those in the stronghold are: ment of whatever troops they seem closest to. A stronghold’s
Defense Bonus equals (owner’s Rank or Status)/2 + 5, rounded
• They don’t pay the $150/week cost of living. The strong-
up; e.g., a Status 2 knight’s modest castle has DB +6, while a
hold price includes setting up persistent resources that
Status 6 prince commands a hilltop fortress with DB +8. This
cover this, except during magical famines, sieges, or similar
is true even of urban strongholds – what thieves’ dens and wiz-
extraordinary hardships that need to be resolved through an
ard’s towers lack in conventional defenses, they make up in
adventure.
traps and enchantments.

Demons and Darkness

Dungeon fantasy borrows many horror tropes: black Fright Checks – and probably the Unholy lens to make them
magic, cursed artifacts, undead, demons, evil cultists, unholy demonic. The Evil element is almost certain, and Chaos,
altars, and so much blood – from sacrifices on those altars Darkness, Death, Disease, and Fear also fit.
by the cultists, to battles to the bitter end. Using this not just • Spirits (GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 9: Summoners,
as seasoning but as the meal can transform hack ’n’ slash pp. 20-25). For ghosts – which, like other undead, are Evil.
into horror-fantasy, blending GURPS Horror into GURPS
Monsters from other classes still appear, but often modi-
Dungeon Fantasy. Here are some tips.
fied with disturbing prefixes from GURPS Dungeon Fantasy
Monsters 1, pp. 36-38. Possessed makes anything a demon,
Terrifying Foes distorted makes it an Elder Thing, and ghostly or undead makes
it undead. Psycho killer and ravenous are also horror classics.
Certain bad guys appear far more often in horror-fantasy
Any of the above can acquire Terror, if it doesn’t already
than in other subgenres of fantasy. Starting with the monster
have it. The GM might also take inspiration from GURPS
classes of GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 2: Dungeons, p. 21:
Monster Hunters and assign every monster a Fright Check
• Constructs. Portrayed as raging horrors straight out of modifier to use with Embracing Fear (p. 7): 0 to ‑2 for fod-
Frankenstein, these often start “life” as the warped creations der demons and undead (e.g., zombies); ‑3 or ‑4 for worthy
of power-mad lunatics. demons and undead, and Elder Things and twisted versions
• Demons. The embodiment of Evil – no changes needed! of other monsters; ‑5 or ‑6 for bosses, like master vampires;
GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Monsters 5: Demons covers this and ‑7 or ‑8 for demon lords and Elder Gods. See Dungeons,
topic in detail. pp. 27-28 for what’s fodder, worthy, or a boss.
• Elder Things. Beyond mortal comprehension, and hence And don’t overlook evil people. These are most often wield-
horrifying. Be sure to add Terror, if absent. ers of supernatural powers, ranging from cultists (GURPS
• Undead. In horror-fantasy, these are Evil – no exceptions. Dungeon Fantasy 15: Henchmen, pp. 18-21), through
apprentice demonologists or necromancers (Henchmen,
Two other useful classes were introduced later on:
pp. 6-8) or initiate evil clerics (Henchmen, pp. 12-14), to
• Divine Servitors (GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 5: Allies, adventurer-grade evil clerics (GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 3:
pp. 12-19). Ideally with the Horrific lens, so they cause The Next Level, p. 23) or unholy warriors (The Next Level,

Strands in the Braid 6

p. 27). GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 7: Clerics expands the If letting bad people “turn evil” to acquire scary magical
options of evil clerics and unholy warriors. But anybody could powers isn’t horrific enough, have these casters face further
be evil in their actions; see Malevolent Motivations (p. 8). downsides. Suitable options are Power Corrupts (Horror,
pp. 146-148), Black Magic (GURPS Magic, p. 156), and
Spiritual Distortion (GURPS Thaumatology, pp. 93-
94). There’s no need to worry about “balance” for
NPCs – what matters is that the magic warps its
users and sets them on a downward spiral.
Lastly, make sure that treasure hauls include
cursed artifacts created with evil magic. These
range from items with disagreeable downsides, like
Maaukepu’s Mask (GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 6: 40
Artifacts, p. 8) and everything in GURPS Dungeon
Fantasy Treasures 4: Mixed Blessings, to ones with
few upsides, like Demonhealer (40 Artifacts, p. 12)
and Spirit Flasks with monsters inside (40 Artifacts,
p. 22). Even “standard” magic items are worrisome
when they impose bad effects and are hexed (Magic,
p. 57), or are made from horrific objects that give the
carrier a reaction penalty – or attract monsters.

Embracing Fear
In standard Dungeon Fantasy, Fright Checks are
always due to the Terror advantage – a rare monster
ability – or spells (Mystic Mist, Terror, scary illusions,
certain critical failures, etc.). Delvers are blasé about
corpses, gore, startling events, and foes who can’t
induce supernatural fear. But the players of powerful
adventurers will fear such things if they can stun or
incapacitate their alter-egos just as combat breaks out,
exposing them to defeat by lowly rats or zombies!

Sinister Magic In horror-fantasy, require Fright Checks under disturbing

or startling circumstances. Monsters are no scarier in pitched
Another horror-fantasy fixture is magic that requires battles – but ones that jump out of nowhere, are found where
ghastly components (like the skin of babies), is fueled by blood least expected (say, where the coast was clear seconds before),
sacrifices, and/or pulls power from Hell. This could be noth- appear in hordes (like wall-to-wall zombies or a seething car-
ing but aesthetics! The only game-mechanical effects might pet of rats), or prove not to be what they seem (e.g., a “corpse”
amount to “affected by Sense Evil and Protection from Evil” that suddenly stands up or has a horrific creature burst from its
(GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 11: Power-Ups, p. 15). chest) cause Fright Checks at the penalties noted in Terrifying
Still, it’s more fun if the magic itself is nasty: Villainous Foes (pp. 6-7). Ordinary cadavers aren’t scary, but horribly or
clerics cast evil clerical spells (The Next Level, p. 24), or spells ritually mutilated ones are, as are fountains of blood, shreds
associated with gods of death (Clerics, pp. 13-14), the night of flesh on rusty meat hooks, etc. See Fright Check Modifiers
(Clerics, pp. 24-25), et al. Black magicians wield demonolo- (p. B360), Fear (GURPS Monsters Hunters 2: The Mission,
gist spells (Summoners, p. 8) and deathly spells (Summoners, pp. 28-29), and much of Horror for inspiration and modifiers.
p. 15). Monsters might cast any of these, but many have spe- Still, don’t dismiss supernatural horror! Give monsters
cial lists like that on p. 9 of Monsters 1. unexpected Terror (Terrifying Foes again) or scary spells
If the GM wants to venture outside the standard profes- (Sinister Magic, above). In certain instances, limit resistance
sions, two magical traditions in GURPS Magical Styles: to these fear-causing effects by declaring them “cosmic,”
Dungeon Magic are ideal for evil magicians: Underworld meaning they ignore Fearlessness and Unfazeable; that’s
Lore (Dungeon Magic, pp. 13-17) and the Mirrored Gaze most fitting for demon lords and powerful Elder Things.
(Dungeon Magic, pp. 29-32). To go even further, introduce Although this won’t faze high-Will heroes, it might neu-
GURPS Magical Styles: Horror Magic. tralize the warriors defending them – which is grounds for
Horror-fantasy often forbids all of the above to the protag- another Fright Check for a horrifying situation!
onists while permitting the antagonists (NPCs) to up and learn
such magic by selling their souls or otherwise cutting corners
that damn them. Thus, anybody could become a demonolo- Life Is Cheap(er)
gist, necromancer, or practitioner of a restrictive style. While For veteran gamers, the only thing that’s really scary in
they may not be as flexible as standard clerics and wizards, dungeon fantasy is the loss of a beloved character. So, making
the magic they do have is unpleasant – and the heroes might that more likely is a useful tool for establishing a horror-fan-
not expect it! tasy atmosphere.

Strands in the Braid 7

 A surprisingly effective way to accomplish this is to be firm castles and cathedrals (like GURPS Locations: St. George’s
about enforcing the rules surrounding injury and healing: Cathedral), unholy temples, and so on. Stage outdoor quests
Minor Healing and Major Healing spells suffer penalties for in cursed burial grounds, lonely heaths, pestilent bogs,
repeated uses, while other spells (especially Great Healing) etc. Whatever the backdrop, ensure that its aesthetics are
can be attempted once per day. Players often work around uncomfortable, involving such things as staring statuary,
this by taking long pauses, so put the adventure on a strict demonic symbols, bloodstains, rusty torture apparatus, and
clock and have the monsters press. Don’t ignore Bleeding corpses in various states of decay. Don’t neglect unexplained
(p. B420) – and don’t give the heroes the 30 minutes required noises – from howling wolves to clanking chains – and
for bandaging (Dungeons, p. 13) after every battle. Have dia- nasty odors.
bolical enemies target healing potions in combat, or enforce Horrific Hazards: Some of this should go beyond win-
the rules for the bottles breaking on a fall; see Concoctions dow dressing! A horror-fantasy dungeon is dismal, with
(GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 1, p. 28). If the environs are extra- severe darkness penalties or total darkness; strictly enforce
foul, have the wounded check for Infection (p. B444). Light Sources (Dungeons, p. 6). Many areas are crumbling,
The “insurance policy” of resurrection greatly blunts the rotten, slimy, twisting, or obscured by fog, penalizing tasks
impact of all this, so make it less of a sure thing. Few or per- there (Dungeons, p. 7). Beyond Terrifying Foes (pp. 6-7), dan-
haps no temples might offer the service or artifacts capable of gers include distressing numbers of Evil Runes and curses
it (e.g., charged scrolls) – it could be reserved for pious heroes (Dungeons, p. 9), plus traps that involve poison or resemble
on holy missions. Even if it’s widespread, it can’t bring back instruments of torture (like an iron maiden whose two halves
people reduced to ‑10¥HP, dissolved by Slime-class monsters, slam shut on the victim).
or incinerated by Hellfire (Power-Ups, p. 24), and the GM Malevolent Motivations: Adventurers should rarely be able
would be justified in forbidding it to those turned into undead to trust anybody who isn’t an Ally or Patron bought with
after death; such fates should be more common. Lastly, res- character points (cash isn’t enough). Almost anyone they
urrection might be unreliable – maybe it just buys Extra Life meet might have unpleasant motivations. This isn’t limited to
“retroactively,” reducing the subject’s power by 25 points in dungeon denizens! Random NPCs needn’t be good or even
painful ways they can’t control. nice; innkeepers might rob or murder guests, peasants on the
farm where the heroes stop for the night could follow the Old

Dark Themes (and Creepy) Ways. Quest-givers are often worse – temples of
“good” seek sinister artifacts for shady reasons, and any mis-
Horror-fantasy isn’t just about scary monsters, black sion from the Thieves’ Guild or Wizards’ Guild likely serves
magic, Fright Checks, and dying. Adventures should be scar- evil. On that last point, remember that small-e evil behavior
ier by design: isn’t large-E, supernatural Evil, so spells and special abilities
for detecting that can’t predict betrayal. At the same time, PCs
Questionable Quests: Avoid simple “fetch quests” and
who consistently make small-e evil choices will eventually
orc-slaying missions. Horror-fantasy adventures come with
become Evil.
the implication that failure will cost lives or souls, ideally
Unexpected Uncanniness: Finally, don’t follow the advice
those of innocent NPCs or at least lots of NPCs. Rescues
so far religiously. Standard fantasy fare is disturbing when it
involve prying victims from the clutches of vampires, diabol-
shows up somewhere it shouldn’t (like slime in the nice part
ical cults, and the like. If the heroes are fetching something,
of town). Even mundane stuff can be worrisome if it’s subtly
it’s likely the cure for a horrible plague or curse, or possession.
or not-so-subtly “off” (say, a villager with a milky eye using
Recovered artifacts tend to be dangerously cursed – items
a sickle . . . to slaughter animals). For a worked example, see
delvers won’t want to carry, never mind wield. And whatever
GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Encounters 3: The Carnival of
the plot, it’ll lead to . . .
Madness (one word: clowns).
Disturbing Dungeons: Set indoor adventures in claus-
trophobic tombs, haunted houses, prisons, ruined Gothic

Sufficiently Advanced
Shortly after fantasy games appeared, gamers starting High-Tech for TL5-8, or GURPS Ultra-Tech for TL9-12 – and
tossing in advanced technology. Typically, this was a sur- suitable ground rules.
prise sprung by a GM or an adventure
writer, presenting players with a puz-
zle (deduce that the bizarre “magic” is Why stick to P
laying with ire F
actually tech) packaged with a chal- fantasy? Recycle rules The single biggest challenge is incorporat-
lenge (prevail while roleplaying their ing advanced weapons – from cannonlocks
alter-egos as ignorant of realities they and components to death rays, collectively “guns” – without
couldn’t possibly grasp). Such twists from any game! blowing away the campaign. These inflict
also offered a nice bonus: recycling enough damage to render low-tech armor
rules and components from any game! obsolete (along with its wearers!), while
In GURPS, this amounts to using GURPS Dungeon their rates of fire and ranges regularly outclass spells and mus-
Fantasy alongside GURPS Low-Tech for TL4, GURPS cle-powered weapons. Here are tips for managing them.

Strands in the Braid 8

Ammunition Control delvers learn such skills without High TL (below), it’s wise
to require an Unusual Background (say, “Born Marksman”)
The ultimate control on guns, whether in the hands of bad
first. That should cost at least 5 points, though not as much
guys or delvers, is ammo. Early firearms consume powder and
as High TL.
shot; more advanced ones, cartridges; and energy weapons,
power cells. None of these things need be obtainable in a fan-
tasy setting!
Unless the GM wants to raise the campaign’s TL,
assume that high-tech visitors arrive with limited ammu- Alchemists & Arquebuses
nition. While their weapons work – or else why put them
there? – that doesn’t justify local manufacture. Dungeon The GM who feels that TL3-4 guns suit “TL Olden
fantasy is “TL Olden Tymes”: medieval tech spiced up Tymes” – perhaps with the hand-waving of “alchemical
with hand-picked advances yet inexplicably unchanged explosives,” “magical engineering,” or “cool racial weap-
by them. As it includes magic, it’s fair to declare that the ons” (traditionally dwarven or gnomish) – can control
supernatural somehow interferes with the production pro- access by declaring these available only to adventurers
cess but not finished products brought in from the future with a certain professional or racial template instead of
or other timelines. the High TL advantage. That’s the approach taken for the
That doesn’t rule out fetching more ammo from its demolisher (Pyramid #3/36: Dungeon Fantasy, pp. 4-7)
place of origin – say, via a gate – but if that’s possible, and musketeer (Pyramid #3/36, pp. 17-21). The guns them-
the campaign’s TL should shift. For “static dungeon fan- selves still cost more if TL4+, and access should require
tasy with guns,” it’s simplest to declare that the means of High TL if TL5+.
transportation was a one-off fluke. If it’s possible to go
back for more, that should be difficult (“when the stars
are right”) and an adventure in itself.
“How much ammo?” has no sure-fire answer. “Whatever
the weapon can hold, less whatever was shot” works for guns The Price of Power
in enemy hands. Add one full reload if the heroes are supposed The GM might permit PCs from the future or alternate
to learn how to shoot. More than that gets iffy. For high-tech realities where guns exist. If so, it’s important to establish the
PCs, cost sets the limit; see The Price of Power (below). maximum TL allowed. This tends to be self-limiting, as there
are two controls that get more restrictive with TL, which the
Existence, Not Competence GM should mercilessly enforce.
Bad guys with guns (and high-tech PCs, if permitted; see High TL
The Price of Power, below) will know how to use their weap-
ons. Ordinary delvers – however clever – won’t! They’ll want see p. B23
to try to use captured artifacts, though. Heroes with this advantage can start with weapons – and
It’s reasonable to permit skill defaults to adventurers the skills to use them – from their TL or below. This costs 5
who’ve seen guns in use – likely by being on the receiving end! points per TL, treating “TL Olden Tymes” as TL3 and all guns
For Beam Weapons, Gunner, Guns, and Liquid Projector, as TL4+, even if TL3 in our world. Thus, TL3-4 guns require
that’s DX-4. Grenades are hurled using Throwing, but deduc- High TL 1 [5], and TL5 to TL12 weaponry, High TL 2 to 9 [10
ing how to arm them requires an IQ-4 roll; failure means to 45]. This buys the potential to use such weapons, not the
throwing the grenade unarmed but allows another try if weapons themselves!
there’s a next time (save “You go boom!” for critical failures), High TL is “all or nothing” in Dungeon Fantasy. It can’t
while success means it works and no roll is needed next time. be bought at reduced cost for one category of tech, like
Advanced melee weapons use the closest Melee Weapon skill “weapons only.”
(notably, Force Sword defaults to any sword skill at ‑3), but if
activation is required, roll IQ-4 as for grenades. Expense
Delvers ambushed from concealment or who find advanced see pp. B27, B478
weaponry sitting around have no clue how the weapons work. For each TL by which that listed for a weapon (or its
Break out Futuristic and Alien Artifacts (pp. B478-479). If the ammunition) exceeds TL3, double its base cost. That’s list
GM wants tech to interact strangely with magic, the Enigmatic price for the primitive gonnes and ammo of TL3, higher for
Device Table is fine; if they’d prefer more-or-less plausible out- everything else:
comes, a roll of 0-8 means a PC suffers the weapon’s usual
damage, while rolls of 18+ count as 18. When the table says, TL 4 5 6 7 8
“‑4 to skill,” this means ‑4 to default; “no skill penalty” means Cost Multiplier ¥2 ¥4 ¥8 ¥16 ¥32
the usual default. TL 9 10 11 12
If the GM allows the Reveal Function spell (GURPS Magic, Cost Multiplier ¥64 ¥128 ¥256 ¥512
p. 176), treat it as Reveal Function/TL3. It’s at ‑5 for primitive
TL4 guns, ‑10 for TL5 ones, and ‑15 for TL6 ones, and cannot This is about game balance. The GM should choose an
decipher TL7+ weaponry. Success allows default use. in-world explanation: rarity, hardship (“I sacrificed every-
Improving gun-related skills from default needn’t be pos- thing for this!”), price-gouging by crosstime arms dealers, the
sible – that requires shooting lots of ammo. If the GM lets expense of visiting other times and realities, etc.

Strands in the Braid 9

 High-tech characters start with $1,000, like all delvers. the secret lab of extradimensional visitors, and – if the fantasy
Affording advanced weapons usually means buying Wealth world is actually post-apocalyptic (perhaps magic caused its
or trading points for cash. Signature Gear works, too – a gun collapse!) – ruins dating to a long-forgotten past.
is likely to define its user and be something they don’t want Here are thoughts on what to include. All of this, monsters
to lose – but gets costly. especially, grows easier to justify as the underlying TL rises
and/or superscience is added.
Monsters: Giant or dire specimens from the Ani-
Roleplaying Ignorance mal class, most Hybrids, and weird life forms of
If the advice in PC Knowledge (p. B495) applies anywhere, the Mundane and Plant classes could pass as aliens,
it’s when fantasy heroes encounter technology. The players mutants, or genetically engineered beings. Robots
will eventually deduce that their alter-egos are facing tech, not and bioroids are essentially Constructs. None of these
magic – that’s fine! What’s unacceptable is abusing their knowl- need differ from their fantasy versions – although
edge of the modern world, science-fiction tropes, or stats in magical powers should be removed, justified as tech
High-Tech or Ultra-Tech. While the GM can enforce this with (see below), or replaced with psionics from GURPS
a stick, awarding fewer character points to “cheaters,” it’s more Dungeon Fantasy 14: Psi (if so, “aliens” could be
fun to use a carrot: Award more points to gamers who have their Elder Things). By contrast, Demons, Elementals,
characters interpret everything in terms they understand, even Faeries, and Undead should be rare, even absent.
when that puts them at a painful disadvantage. For descriptions of monster classes, see GURPS
Dungeon Fantasy 2: Dungeons, p. 21.
Magic: Technological opponents shouldn’t wield
this! They might have psi instead. Alternatively, they

O ther ech T could use “sufficiently advanced technology”: hologram illu-

sions, nanotech healing, tractor beams to move objects, etc.
Little is as impressive – or as interesting to delvers – as Superscience can recycle the rules for comparable magic;
weapons, but if the GM wants other high-tech artifacts in the plausible tech retains its usual rules. Neither superscience nor
campaign, follow similar guidelines: ultra-tech is a requirement here – many modern-day devices
produce effects that fantasy denizens would deem miracu-
• Skills needed to use such equipment are normally avail- lous, especially if they don’t present as magical. That last bit is
able only to NPCs who possess the gear and, if allowed, PCs crucial: These things are distinguishable from magic because
who buy High TL. Everybody else must witness the tech in use they don’t depend on mana or sanctity, or show up as magical
to get a default; otherwise, invoke Futuristic and Alien Artifacts to spells (although delvers might assume this means they’re
(pp. B478-479). The GM decides whether improving skill from cosmic, not technological).
default is possible; if so, this should require an
Unusual Background. Total cost for such Unusual
Backgrounds shouldn’t exceed that of High TL.
• Technological spells work at ‑5 on TL4 arti-
facts, ‑10 on TL5 ones, and ‑15 on TL6 ones. They
Any sufficiently advanced technology is
simply fail on TL7+ items. indistinguishable from magic.
• If the gear is available to characters with
High TL, each TL by which its TL exceeds TL3 – Arthur C. Clarke
doubles its cash cost.
• Consumables – batteries, chemicals, fuel,
etc. – should be available in very limited quan- Tricks and Traps: Advanced technologies – especially sen-
tities, also at higher cost. For advanced gear that con- sors, switching, computers, and servos – enable many inter-
sumes nothing, enforce Slime, Sand, and Equipment Failure esting traps. These needn’t seem magical; dungeon fantasy has
(p. B485), regardless of whether that rule applies to that suspiciously good traps already, and tech might simply jus-
type of equipment, or at all, in the campaign. tify them differently or better. The same goes for tricks. Many
Default penalties and the point costs of Unusual Back- unremarkable modern-day devices – motion sensors, sliding
grounds for fantasy denizens – and the cash cost of gear and doors, loudspeakers, etc. – would be baffling mysteries to fan-
point cost of High TL for visitors – already limit advanced tasy heroes. To avoid needless slaughter by things like land-
tech, but the GM should still exercise judgment. This is less mines and laser fences, allow the Traps skill to find something
about TL than about what each device can accomplish. Most “odd, and probably dangerous,” but not disarm it.
important is avoiding absolutes; e.g., don’t permit ultra-tech Treasures: Although the rules for figuring out and using
armor that renders its wearer functionally invulnerable. It’s tech apply, it’s fun if some artifacts appear to be cosmic stuff
simplest to restrict the options available to PCs to things that that just works. Prizes like modern-day load-bearing gear
use up consumables or break down without maintenance. (High-Tech, pp. 53-55), or futuristic swords with superfine
or monowire blades (Ultra-Tech, p. 163), would have pur-
poses evident to users of lower-tech versions, and require no
Techno-Dungeons special skills. Think through the ramifications of each item,
A whole dungeon can have a technological theme. Classics however; players have a knack for breaking campaigns with
include the crashed flying saucer, the outflow of a time portal, unintended consequences.

Strands in the Braid 10

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