Jeff Wilson's GURPS Disadvantages Supplement

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Narrow Vision (-5 points)

The Narrow Vision disadvantage means that a character, rather than having a 120 degree field of vision, has a 60-degree field of vision. Peripheral Vision will increase this to the normal 120 degree field, but, for most races, no further gains are possible.

Ordinary Background (Variable)

This disadvantage is similar to Unusual Background and is intended to allow a GM to compensate a character who (for whatever reason) would be less effective in his campaign. It can be used with experienced characters who's stats are not the best, or to compensate a character without combat abilities in a combat heavy campaign. If the GM approves this disadvantage, it does not count against the normal disadvantage limit of the campaign.

Non-Social (-10 points)

A character with this disadvantages has significantly fewer friends that he can call upon for help than the standard individual.

Reduced Defaults (-3/level)

The character's skill defaults are lower than is normal for his level of ability. Any attempt to use a skill at a default is lowered by the level of this advantage. If the reduced defaults only apply to physical or mental skills that is a limitation worth -50%. If the Reduced Defaults apply only to defaults from stats and don't apply to defaults from skills that is worth -30%.

Reduced Hit Points, Revised (Variable)

In order to balance the cost of extra hit points and strength. The first reduced hit point is worth -2 points. 2-20 Reduced Hit Points are worth -1 CPs apiece. Reduced Hit Points beyond that are worth -0.1 CPs. Alternatively, Reduced Hit Points can be taken as a -20% limitation (does not affect hit points) on strength.

Swarm (-100 points)

Rather than being an individual life form, any entity with this disadvantage is actually composed of many individual life forms which are not physically linked (though they may be closely packed). Unlike the Mindshare advantage, Swarms have only a single mind, and little recourse for communicating beyond a very short distance.

Regardless of the total hit points of a swarm, every swarm has a maximum damage that can be taken from non-area attacks. (1 HP = +50 points, 2 HP = +25 points, 3 HP = +15 points, 4-7 HP = +10 points, 8-12 HP = +5 points. Swarms can not be created with a maximum damage of more than 12.) In some cases this is the damage that can be taken by individual members, in some cases (a close-packed swarm of rats) it refers to multiple members.

A swarm is composed of many individuals. This means that area attacks can be particularly effective on them. Area attacks should be multiplied by half the number of individuals in an area to determine the actual damage done to the swarm. The value of this is dependent on the area occupied by the swarm: (This is worth -50 points in the base disadvantage cost.)

Some special kinds of attacks will do their damage normally. For example, telekinetic crushing should do its normal damage, since it exerts damage on the area but is limited to a maximum total damage (as opposed to a maximum individual damage). Other effects may do this at the GM's option.

A swarm will not normally regenerate injury. It gets no daily HT roll to recover lost HP under any circumstances, and is unaffected by magical or psionic healing. First Aid may still work to prevent shock or stop ongoing damage to individual members. A swarm may regenerate damage by finding new members to replace those that were lost. (This is worth -30 points in the base disadvantage cost.) Options: A swarm may not replace slain members: -10 points. First aid is _completely_ useless (members are either uninjured or dead): -5 points. The swarm naturally increases its membership by 10% every month, up to the number of individuals the swarm began with: +10 points. Healing works on a swarm up to maximum non-area damage: +20 points. Healing works on a swarm normally: +30 points. The swarm naturally increases by 10% per month, but can not get new members from the environment: +0 points (this is a combination of natural increase and may not replace members).

A swarm is stunned normally by damage. If it isn't, it is worth +10 points.

A swarm is completely destroyed when brought to 0 hit points. (This is worth -20 points in the base cost.) This acts as a -40% limitation on extra or reduced hit points.

A swarm's ST may be connected to its membership. If this is true, as hit points drop, a Swarm's ST drops proportionally. (A ST 10 Swarm with 100 hit points who loses 20 hit points is now ST 8.) This is worth -36 points and acts as a -40% limitation on the purchase of strength.

A swarm's IQ may be connected to its membership. (In the following formulae, x is based on the proportion between HP and IQ.) A linear relationship, where (HP = IQ * x), would be worth -36 points, and reduce the cost of IQ by -40%. A geometric relationship, where (HP = IQ^3 * x), would be -18, and reduce the cost of IQ by -20%. A logarithmic relationship, where (HP= 2^IQ * x), would be -9, and reduce the cost of IQ by -10%. So a swarm with IQ/10 and 100 HP with the first option would have to lose 10 HP to lose 1 IQ (because HP = IQ * 10); with the second option it would have to lose 27 HP(because HP = IQ^3 * .1); and with the third option it would have to lose 50 HP before it lost 1 IQ (because HP = 2^IQ * .1). The GM should feel free to adjust these modifiers if he feels they produce unreasonable results. For example, if the IQ can't get down to 1, the appropriate modifier should be halved, and if IQ can't get down to 5 there should be no penalty.

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