THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS!
1. Introduction
This conversion draws on Søren Petersen's and Matthew Pook's "GURPS 2300 AD" (for the third edition of GURPS).
The 2300AD source materials will not be duplicated here; they are available on CD-ROM from Far Future Enterprises. It is assumed that anyone using these rules is already sufficiently interested in the setting to have obtained at least the core rules.
This web site is not authorized or endorsed by Far Future Enterprises (FFE) and is run without permission. The contents of this site are for personal non-commercial use only.
GURPS is copyright Steve Jackson Games Inc., and one of that company's registered trademarks. It is intended that its use here should be in compliance with Steve Jackson Games' on-line policy, as given at http://www.sjgames.com/general/online_policy.html, at the time of writing.
No challenge to or infringement of these or any other intellectual properties is intended by the author(s) of this material.
2. World
Tech Level
2300AD is a TL9 setting, primarily along the conservative hard SF path. It has some TL10 and TL10^ developments in power storage and weaponry, and one big TL^ element: the stutterwarp drive. On the other side, computers are at early TL8 at best. For game-mechanical purposes it should be considered TL9.
Money
Costs for equipment are not directly comparable between 2300AD and GURPS; Lv1 seems to be worth somewhere between $1 and $10 depending on the specific item. Comparable equipment in the 2300AD catalogues should be taken as the principal guideline when converting prices from GURPS books; absent this, use Lv1=$5 as a rule of thumb.
Base starting wealth is the usual TL9 30,000 GURPS$, or Lv6,000.
Lv1 equals roughly US$1.25, 1.33 German Talers, or 1.67 Manchurian Rubles.
3. Characters
Homeworld
Every character must have a homeworld. Its key characteristics in terms of character generation are:
Whether it is of the Core (Earth and Tirane) or the Frontier (everywhere else);
What languages are spoken there.
What its home gravity is, which will determine the character's native gravity. (A character from the Core may choose zero-G as his native gravity, representing someone brought up on a small orbital habitat without spin gravity.)
Advantages
G-Experience (B57) and Improved G-Tolerance (B60) are both very common among those who travel between worlds. See B350 for the range of bonuses and penalties.
Skills
Piloting/TL9 (Stutterwarp) covers any space vehicle operating with a stutterwarp drive, both in and out of star systems. If such a vehicle carries a reaction drive and is forced to use it, such operation is still covered by the Low-Performance or High-Performance Spacecraft specialisation as appropriate. Defaults to (and from) other Spacecraft Piloting at -6.
Navigation (Space) covers all space flight under stutterwarp; there is no distinct Navigation (Hyperspace) skill in this setting.
Templates
Body types
Normal humans are GURPS-standard and may come from any home gravity. Some other body types are available in specific areas.
Endomorph
16 points
Endomorphs may not come from worlds with gravity 0.8g or below.
Attributes: ST 11 [+10]; DX 9 [-20]; HT 12 [+20]
Advantages: Improved G-Tolerance (0.5G) [10].
Disadvantages: Unattractive [-4].
Mesomorph
10 points
Mesomorphs may not come from zero-G worlds.
Attributes: ST 13 [+30]; DX 8 [-40]; HT 12 [+20].
Ectomorph
20 points
Ectomorphs may not come from worlds with gravity 1.4g or above.
Attributes: ST 8 [-20]; DX 12 [40].
Advantages: Flexibility [5].
Disadvantages: Skinny [-5].
Homeworlds
Each character should normally take a homeworld package appropriate to his early upbringing.
Core Worlder
5 points
5 points taken from:
Advantages: Any languages spoken on the character's homeworld.
Skills: Administration, Area Knowledge (Homeworld/Country), Boating/TL9, Computer Operation/TL9, Driving/TL9 (Automobile), Driving/TL9 (Hovercraft), Research, Seamanship.
Frontier Worlder
5 points
5 points taken from:
Advantages: Any languages spoken on the character's homeworld.
Skills: Area Knowledge (Homeworld/Country), Boating, Brawling, Driving/TL9 (Automobile), Driving/TL9 (Hovercraft), Electronics Operation/TL9 (any specialisation), First Aid, Guns/TL9 (Pistol), Guns/TL9 (Rifle), Mechanic/TL9 (any specialisation), Prospecting, Seamanship/TL9, Survival (any specialisation), Swimming, Vacc Suit.
Careers
Each template gives a bare minimum initial skill package. Characters who have spent any significant amounts of time in a career should spend further points on these and other suggested skills. None of these templates is compulsory; many other careers exist.
Military
Ground Military
10 points
Brawling, Karate, or other martial arts [2]; Driving (specify) [2]; Explosives/TL9 (Demolition) [1]; Gunner (specify) / Artillery (specify) [2]; Guns/TL9 (Rifle) / Beam Weapons/TL9 (Rifle) [2]; Survival (specify) [1].
Further skill purchases might be any combat or weapon skills, Driving, or Battlesuit.
Sea Military
9 points
Boating (specify) [2]; Brawling, Karate, or other martial arts [2]; Gunner (specify) / Artillery (specify) [2]; Guns/TL9 (Rifle) / Beam Weapons/TL9 (Rifle) [2]; Survival (specify) [1].
Further skill purchases might be any combat or weapon skills, or Driving (Hovercraft). Few larger vessels still exist, but other marine vehicle skills might be justified.
Interface Military
9 points
Electronics Repair (specify) / Electronics Operation (specify) [1]; Guns/TL9 (Pistol) / Beam Weapons/TL9 (Pistol) [2]; Guns/TL9 (Rifle) / Beam Weapons/TL9 (Rifle) [1]; Mechanic/TL9 (specify) / Engineer/TL9 (specify) [1]; Piloting/TL9 (specify) [2]; Survival (specify) [2].
Further skill purchases might be any combat or weapon skills, or relevant Piloting/TL9 specialisations - or Administration.
Space Military
7 points
Brawling, Karate, or other martial arts [1]; Electronics Repair (specify) / Electronics Operation (specify) [1]; Environment Suit (Vacc Suit) [2]; Guns/TL9 (Pistol) / Beam Weapons/TL9 (Pistol) [1]; Guns/TL9 (Rifle) / Beam Weapons/TL9 (Rifle) [1]; Mechanic/TL9 (specify) / Engineer/TL9 (specify) [1].
Further skills purchases might also include Artillery, Gunner, Piloting/TL9 (Aerospace or Stutterwarp), and Navigation (Space); a space marine might also consider the Ground Military skill list, especially Battlesuit.
Exploratory
Scout
7 points
Brawling, Karate, or other martial arts [1]; Electronics Repair (specify) / Electronics Operation (specify) [1]; Environment Suit (Vacc Suit) [2]; Guns/TL9 (Pistol) / Beam Weapons/TL9 (Pistol) [1]; Guns/TL9 (Rifle) / Beam Weapons/TL9 (Rifle) [1]; Mechanic/TL9 (specify) / Engineer/TL9 (specify) [1].
Contact
9 points
Anthropology [1]; Environment Suit (Vacc Suit) [2]; Guns/TL9 (Pistol) / Beam Weapons/TL9 (Pistol) [1]; Linguistics [2]; Psychology [1]; Survival (specify) [2].
Academic
5 points
Administration [1]; Computer Operation / Computer Programming [1]; Research [2]; Writing [1].
Frontier World
Colonist
11 points
Boating (specify) [1]; Brawling, Karate, or other martial arts [2]; Driving (specify) [2]; Environment Suit (Vacc Suit) [1]; First Aid/TL9 [1]; Guns/TL9 (Pistol) / Beam Weapons/TL9 (Pistol) [1]; Survival (specify) [2]; Swimming [1].
Troubleshooter
10 points
Brawling, Karate, or other martial arts [2]; Environment Suit (Vacc Suit) [2]; Guns/TL9 (Pistol) / Beam Weapons/TL9 (Pistol) [1]; Guns/TL9 (Rifle) / Beam Weapons/TL9 (Rifle) [1]; Stealth [1]; Streetwise [2]; Survival (specify) [1].
Core World
9 points
Administration [2]; Computer Operation / Computer Programming [2]; Driving (specify) [2]; Electronics Repair (specify) / Electronics Operation (specify) / Mechanic/TL9 (specify) / Engineer/TL9 (specify) [2]; Research [1].
Government and Civil Service
Administrator
7 points
Administration [2]; Psychology [2]; Research [2]; Writing [1].
Field Agent
12 points
Administration [1]; Brawling, Karate, or other martial arts [2]; Computer Operation / Computer Programming [2]; Forgery [1]; Guns/TL9 (Pistol) / Beam Weapons/TL9 (Pistol) [1]; Research [2]; Stealth [1]; Streetwise [2].
Law Enforcement
9 points
Brawling, Karate, or other martial arts [2]; Driving (specify) [2]; Guns/TL9 (Pistol) / Beam Weapons/TL9 (Pistol) [2]; Psychology [1]; Stealth [1]; Streetwise [1].
Journalist
7 points
Administration [1]; Photography / Electronics Operation (Media) [1]; Research [2]; Streetwise [1]; Writing [2].
Independent Trader
6 points
Administration [1]; Merchant [4]; Streetwise [1].
Ship Crew
8 points
Brawling, Karate, or other martial arts [2]; Computer Operation / Computer Programming [1]; Engineer/TL9 (Stutterwarp) [1]; Environment Suit (Vacc Suit) [2]; Piloting/TL9(specify) [1]; Survival (specify) [1].
Extralegal
Thief
10 points
Brawling, Karate, or other martial arts [2]; Computer Operation / Computer Programming [2]; Forgery [2]; Guns/TL9 (Pistol) / Beam Weapons/TL9 (Pistol) [2]; Streetwise [2].
Smuggler/Pirate
10 points
Brawling, Karate, or other martial arts [2]; Computer Operation / Computer Programming [1]; Forgery [1]; Guns/TL9 (Pistol) / Beam Weapons/TL9 (Pistol) [2]; Guns/TL9 (Rifle) / Beam Weapons/TL9 (Rifle) [1]; Streetwise [2]; Survival (specify) [1].
4. Aliens
Pentapod
57 points
Attribute Modifiers: DX -1 [-20]; IQ +2 [40]; HT +2 [20].
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: SM -2; Will +1 [5].
Advantages: 360 degree vision [25]; Amphibious [10]; Extra Arms (one; Foot Manipulators -30%) [7]; High Manual Dexterity 2 [10]; Injury Tolerance: No Neck [5].
Disadvantages: Semi-Upright [-5]; Slave Mentality [-40].
Features: Sterile.
A typical Pentapod encountered on Beta Canum will also have this 13-point package:
Advantages: Cultural Familiarity (Western) [1]; Language (English, French or German) (accented/accented) [4].
Skills: Area Knowledge: Beta Canum-12 (IQ+0) [1]; Diplomacy-12 (IQ+0) [4]; Merchant-11 (IQ-1) [1]; Psychology (Human; Applied)-10 (IQ-2) [1]; Savoir-Faire-12 (IQ+0) [1].
Hit Location Table:
| Roll | Location |
| - | Eye (-8) |
| 3-4 | Brain (-7) |
| 5 | Face (-5) |
| 6 | Torso (0) |
| 7-8 | Arm 1-2 (-2)* |
| 9-11 | Torso (0) |
| 12 | Torso (0) |
| 13-14 | Arm 3-4 (-2)* |
| 15-16 | Arm 5 (-2) |
| 17-18 | Torso (0) |
| - | Vitals (-3) |
5. Conversions
While the author would not recommend converting player characters in an existing campaign, some approach seems necessary for converting NPCs in published material.
Characters
Attributes
To convert an attribute value, multiply it by 5% to get a probability of success. Then look up the closest value on the Probability of Success Table (B171). In summary:
| 2300AD | GURPS |
| 1 | 5 |
| 2 | 6 |
| 3-4 | 7 |
| 5-6 | 8 |
| 7-8 | 9 |
| 9-11 | 10 |
| 12-13 | 11 |
| 14-15 | 12 |
| 16-17 | 13 |
| 18 | 14 |
| 19 | 15 |
| 20 | 16 |
| 21 | 17 |
| 22-23 | 18 |
| 24 | 19 |
| 25 | 20 |
Strength becomes ST; Dexterity becomes DX; Endurance becomes HT. IQ is based on the mean of Intelligence and Education.
Skills
A 2300AD skill level can be roughly converted to a number of points in a GURPS skill:
| 2300AD | GURPS |
| 0-1 | 1 |
| 2-3 | 2 |
| 4-5 | 4 |
| 6-7 | 6 |
| 8-9 | 8 |
| 10 | 10 |
Where one 2300AD skill maps to multiple GURPS skills, split the available points; where multiple 2300AD skills map to a single GURPS skill, use the highest 2300AD skill level with possible bonuses for lower skills.
| 2300AD | GURPS |
| Aircraft Pilot | Piloting/TL9 (specify) |
| Anthropology | Anthropology |
| Appraisal | Merchant |
| Astronomy | Astronomy |
| Bargain | Merchant |
| Bureaucracy | Administration |
| Chemistry | Chemistry |
| Combat Rifleman | Guns/TL9 (Rifle) / Beam Weapons/TL9 (Rifle) |
| Combat Walker | Battlesuit |
| Communications | Electronics Operation (Communications) |
| Computer | Computer Operation / Computer Programming |
| Demolitions | Explosives/TL9 (Demolition) |
| Disguise | Disguise |
| Electronic | Electronics Repair (specify) / Electronics Operation (specify) |
| Environmental Engineer | Engineer/TL9 (Environmental) |
| First Aid | First Aid/TL9 |
| Forgery | Forgery |
| Forward Observer | Forward Observer/TL9 |
| Geology | Geology (specify) |
| Ground Vehicle | Driving (specify) |
| Gunner | Gunner (specify) / Artillery (specify) |
| Heavy Weapons | Gunner (specify) / Artillery (specify) |
| History | History (specify) |
| Hover Vehicle | Driving (Hovercraft) |
| Hunting | Traps / Stealth / Naturalist / Survival |
| Imaging | Photography / Electronics Operation (Media) |
| Information Gathering | Research |
| Interviewing | Psychology |
| LTA Vehicle | Piloting/TL9(Lighter Than Air) |
| Leader | Leadership |
| Linguistics | Linguistics |
| Local Knowledge | Area Knowledge |
| Mechanical | Mechanic/TL9 (specify) / Engineer/TL9 (specify) |
| Medical | Physician (and other Medical skills) |
| Melee | Brawling, Karate, or other martial arts |
| Mining | Engineer/TL9 (Mining) |
| P-suit | Environment Suit (Vacc Suit) |
| Physics | Physics/TL9 |
| Pilot | Piloting/TL9(specify) |
| Prospecting | Prospecting |
| Psychology | Psychology |
| Reconnaissance | Stealth |
| Remote Pilot | Electronics Operation (Remote) |
| Riding | Riding |
| Robotics | Electronics Operation (Robotics) |
| Scooter Pilot | Piloting/TL9 (High-Performance Spacecraft) |
| Sea Vehicle | Boating (specify) |
| Security Systems | Electronics Operation (Security Systems) |
| Sensors | Electronics Operation (Sensors) |
| Ship's Drive Engineering | Engineer/TL9 (Stutterwarp) |
| Sidearm | Guns/TL9 (Pistol) / Beam Weapons/TL9 (Pistol) |
| Stealth | Stealth |
| Streetwise | Streetwise |
| Survival | Survival (specify) |
| Swim | Swimming |
| Tactics | Tactics |
| Theoretical Sciences | Engineer/TL9 (specify) |
| Thrown Weapon | Thrown Weapon |
| Tracking | Tracking |
| Trader | Merchant |
| Writing | Writing |
| Zero-G | Free Fall |
Tasks
Approximate difficulty equivalents:
| 2300AD | GURPS |
| Simple | +6 to +10 |
| Routine | +4 to +5 |
| Difficult | -3 to +3 |
| Formidable | -5 to -4 |
| Impossible | -10 to -6 |
For standard-duration tasks, the base duration is found by multiplying the task's listed time by 10; the Time Spent rules (B346) are likely to be helpful in further altering this time (for example to make a task Hasty).
6. Equipment
Ultra-Tech
Weapons
Generally all TL9 weapons are available. Add also: all TL10 lasers, all TL10^ plasma guns (but not TL11^ - these are still bulky mounted weapons), all TL10 electromagnetic (Gauss) guns and GLs.