TEXT: TemplaTe ToolkiT
  TM 2
  Races
  Written by WILLIAM H. STODDARD
  Edited by SEAN PUNCH
  Illustrated by ABRAR AJMAL, ALEX FERNANDEZ,  
  AARON PANAGOS, DAN SMITH, BOB STEVLIC,  
  MICHAEL WHELAN, and LEO WINSTEAD
  Additional Material by JAMES L. CAMBIAS, S.A. FISHER, KENNETH HITE,  
  MICHAEL HURST, PHIL MASTERS, KENNETH PETERS,  
  DAVID L. PULVER, SEAN PUNCH, and HANS-CHRISTIAN VORTISCH
  Reviewers: Vicky “Molokh” Kolenko, Steven Marsh, Phil Masters, and Christopher R. Rice
  GURPS, Pyramid, Warehouse 23, the pyramid logo, Template Toolkit and the names of all products published  
  by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are trademarks or registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or used under license.  
  GURPS Template Toolkit 2: Races is copyright © 2019 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved.
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  STEVE JACKSON GAMES
  Stock #37-0156 
  Version 1.1 – December 2019
  ®
  GURPS System Design z STEVE JACKSON
  GURPS Line Editor z SEAN PUNCH
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  Production Artist and Indexer z NIKOLA VRTIS
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  IntroductIon  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 3
  About GURPS .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .3
  Using .This .Book .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .3
  Publication .History . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .3
  About .the .Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
  1 . racIal templates and 
  meta-traIts  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 4
  What are racial templates? .  .  . 4
  Alternatives: . .
  Simplified .Statistics . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .4
  Alternatives: .No .Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
  Patrons .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .4
  Enemies .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .5
  Contacts .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .5
  Alternatives: .Unique .Beings .  .  .  .  .  .5
  Character vs. Racial Templates .  .  .  .5
  What are races?  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 5
  Humanoids .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .5
  Aliens .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .6
  Toons .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .6
  Animals .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .6
  Chimerae .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .6
  Robots .and .Automata . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .7
  Vehicles .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .7
  Complexity of Computers  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .7
  Infomorphs .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .7
  Spirits  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .8
  The .Undead .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .8
  Hybrids .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .8
  meta-traits  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 8
  Animated .Character .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .9
  Bioroid . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .9
  Machine . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .9
  Mentality .Meta-Traits . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .9
  Morphology .Meta-Traits . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .9
  Organisms  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .9
  Vehicles .and . .
  Other .Machines . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .10
  Angeloid, Asteroid, Helminth, 
  Scorpionoid, Serpentoid, 
   and Tritonoid Hit  
  Location Table .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .10
  Nanotechnology  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .11
  Spirit .Meta-Traits .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .11
  Features and taboo traits .  .  .  . 12
  2 . BasIc parameters  .  .  . 13
  Size .and .Weight .Table .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .13
  scale  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 13
  Realistic .Scale .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .14
  Under the Hood: Full Realism .  .  .  .14
  Cinematic .Scale . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .14
  Swarms .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .14
  habitats  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 15
  Atmosphere .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .15
  Gravity .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .15
  Gravity .Table .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .16
  Basic .Move .Table . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .16
  Mana and the Environment  .  .  .  .  .16
  Illumination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
  Radiation . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .17
  Temperature .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .17
  Table .of .Solvents .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .18
  substance .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 18
  Density .and .Weight . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .18
  Density .Table .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .18
  Densities .of .Materials  .  .  .  .  .  .  .19
  Worked Example: Putting Together 
  Scale, Gravity, and Density . .  .  .19
  Composition .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .19
  Biochemical .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .19
  Technological . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .20
   
  Virtual and Illusory Beings . .  .  .20
  Elemental .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .20
  Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
  Postmortal .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .21
   
  Worked Example:  
   Skeletal Bodies . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .21
  3 . choosIng traIts  .  .  .  . 22
  conceptual design .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 22
  Fitting .the .Race .to . .
  the .Campaign .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .22
  Sets .of .Races .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .22
  Perks and Quirks .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .23
  Lenses .and .Sub-Races  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .23
  attributes, secondary 
  characteristics,  
  and talents  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 24
  physical traits .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 25
  Sustenance  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .25
   
  Scale and Food .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .25
  The .Senses . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .26
   
  Compound Eyes .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .26
  Communication  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .27
  Movement .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .27
  Manipulation . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .28
  Attack . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .29
  Defense  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .29
  Outward .Form . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .30
  mental traits  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 30
  Consciousness .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .30
  Cognition . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .31
  Motivation .and .Behavior .  .  .  .  .  .  .31
  Chauvinism  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .31
  Concentration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
  Curiosity .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .32
  Egoism .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .32
  Empathy .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .32
  Gregariousness . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .32
  Imagination .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .32
  Playfulness .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .33
  Suspicion .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .33
  Skills  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .33
  Magic .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .34
  social traits  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 34
  The .Reference .Culture .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .34
  Cultures, .Languages, . .
  and .Skills .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .34
  Reaction .Modifiers .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .35
  Culturally Defined Traits .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .35
  Races and Powers  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .35
  4 . races In play  .  .  .  .  .  . 36
  hoW much do they cost? .  .  .  . 36
  Super-Races .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .36
  modiFication .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 37
  player-designed races  .  .  .  .  .  . 37
  inventing races  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 38
  shapeshiFting  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 38
  Transformational Abilities .  .  .  .  .  .  .39
  Under the Hood:  
  Materialization .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .39
  Under the Hood:  
  Elastic Skin . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .39
  permanent transFormation  .  .  . 40
  behavior and mentality .  .  .  .  .  . 40
  Roleplaying .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .40
  Worldbuilding .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .40
  presentation  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 42
  Grace .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .42
  appendIx a:  
  new traIts .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 43
  Advantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
  New .Advantages .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .44
   
  Under the Hood: Signals . .  .  .  .  .44
  Perks  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .45
  Disadvantages .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .45
  Quirks  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .46
  appendIx B:  
  examples  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 47
  Dayton-Wright .DH-4 . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .47
  Decabrach .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .47
  Fly .Demon .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .48
  Prosthetic .Body . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .48
  Raven . .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .49
  Index .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 50
   
  Contents 
  2
  Contents
  
  Nonhuman races have been in GURPS from the start. 
  The original edition of GURPS Fantasy (1986) presented 
  dwarves, elves, orcs, and other fantasy races of Yrth; GURPS 
  Banestorm (2005) still has them. Many advantages and disad-
  vantages are now classed as “exotic” or “supernatural,” mean-
  ing they don’t occur in standard human beings but may be 
  found in other races – and both racial templates and meta-
  traits are intended for use in describing such races. The Basic 
  Set has two chapters on templates: one on how players should 
  use them (pp. B258-263) and one on how GMs can design 
  them (pp. B445-454).
  But there’s a lot more to be said about templates! GURPS 
  Template Toolkit 1: Characters spent 48 pages on occupa-
  tional, dramatic, and cultural templates and lenses for indi-
  vidual characters. This book continues the job by bringing 
  the same level of detail to racial templates. Here you’ll find 
  guidelines for creating templates for all sorts of nonhumans, 
  supplemented by discussions of meta-traits and features that 
  such beings could have; a few new and modified traits; and 
  some more detailed game mechanics on relevant topics.
  Using this Book
  If you’re a GM using this supplement for the first time, 
  read Chapter 1 closely for information about racial templates 
  in general and the different types of “races.” If you haven’t 
  seen templates before, look at the end of Chapter 4, and then 
  at Appendix B, which has several. Skim Chapters 2 and 3, to 
  get an idea of what’s where, and then go to Chapter 4, which 
  discusses how to use templates in a campaign. When you’re 
  ready to create your own templates, go back through Chapters 
  1-3, pinning down all the details you need for each template.
  If you’re a player choosing a racial template for your char-
  acter, skim the first three chapters – but search through 
  Chapter 4 for everything that applies to your 
  character concept.
  PUBliCation 
  history
  This is the first edition of GURPS 
  Template Toolkit 2: Races. Many existing 
  GURPS supplements have racial templates 
  for various sorts of beings; e.g., biologically 
  created or modified species in GURPS Bio-
  Tech, fantastic races in GURPS Fantasy, 
  monsters in GURPS Horror and GURPS 
  Zombies, and robots in GURPS Ultra-Tech. 
  This book borrows from them all – but puts 
  all those borrowings into a comprehensive 
  framework, with a lot of new material.
  Racial traits in this work come from the 
  GURPS Basic Set; from GURPS Powers; 
  and from GURPS Power-Ups 2: Perks and 
  GURPS Power-Ups 6: Quirks. Traits from 
  other supplements, along with a few new 
  traits, appear in Appendix A.
  aBoUt the aUthor
  William H. Stoddard lives in Riverside, 
  California, with his wife, their cat, an uncer-
  tain number of computers, and about 100 
  shelf feet of books. Both the books and the 
  computers contribute to his hobby of doing 
  research, which has been a big help in writ-
  ing GURPS books. His first one, GURPS 
  Steampunk, appeared in 2000; since then 
  he has written, co-written, or compiled more 
  than two dozen books for GURPS.
   
  introdUCtion 
  3
  introdUCtion
  aBoUt GURPS
  Steve Jackson Games is committed to full support of GURPS play-
  ers. We can be reached by email: info@sjgames.com. Our address is SJ 
  Games, P.O. Box 18957, Austin, TX 78760. Resources include:
  New supplements and adventures. GURPS continues to grow –  see 
  what’s new at gurps.sjgames.com.
  Warehouse 23. Our online store offers GURPS print items, plus PDFs 
  of our books, supplements, adventures, play aids, and support . . . includ-
  ing exclusive material available only on Warehouse 23! Just head over to 
  warehouse23.com.
  Pyramid (pyramid.sjgames.com). For 10 years, our PDF magazine 
  Pyramid included new rules and articles for GURPS, plus systemless loca-
  tions, adventures, and more. The entire 122-issue library is available at 
  Warehouse 23!
  Internet. To discuss GURPS with our staff and your fellow gamers, 
  visit our forums at forums.sjgames.com. You can also join us at  
  facebook.com/sjgames or twitter.com/sjgames. Share your brief cam-
  paign teasers with #GURPShook on Twitter. Or explore that hashtag for 
  ideas to add to your own game! The GURPS Template Toolkit 2: Races 
  web page is gurps.sjgames.com/templatetoolkit2.
  Gamer and Store Finder (gamerfinder.sjgames.com): Connect with 
  other people and places playing our games. Add yourself to our database 
  so they can find you as well!
  Bibliographies. Bibliographies are a great resource for finding more of 
  what you love! We’ve added them to many GURPS book web pages with 
  links to help you find the next perfect element for your game.
  Errata. Everyone makes mistakes, including us – but we do our best 
  to fix our errors. Errata pages for GURPS releases are available at 
  sjgames.com/errata/gurps.
  Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for the GURPS Basic 
  Set, Fourth Edition. Page references that begin with B refer to that book, 
  not this one.
  
   
  raCial temPlates and meta-traits 
  4
  It’s perfectly possible to play GURPS without “races.” In 
  a present-day action campaign, all the heroes will be human 
  beings, and so will everyone they encounter, from their 
  arch-nemesis to the convenience-store clerk who sells them 
  batteries. The same is true in historical campaigns, whether 
  realistic or swashbuckling, and often in alternate history or 
  near-future technothrillers.
  But a lot of roleplaying campaigns are more exotic – and 
  one way of making a campaign exotic is to have characters 
  who aren’t human, such as elves or robots. The protagonists 
  are likely to encounter such beings; they may even be such 
  beings. Racial templates provide a systematic way of describ-
  ing nonhumans. If you’re a GM, they’re a tool for defining 
  your setting; if you’re a player, they provide options for creat-
  ing your character.
  And a campaign need not be exotic to use racial templates. 
  A template might define an animal’s species or a vehicle’s 
  model, if the GM prefers to treat such things as fully realized 
  NPCs – especially if they’re likely to be Allies. See Appendix B 
  for examples.
  What are raCial temPlates?
  Human beings are the baseline in GURPS. They have a spe-
  cific form and specific capabilities, defined in the rules in great 
  detail. But none of this costs any character points! Implicitly, 
  there’s a “human” racial template – but its point cost is 0, and 
  it isn’t shown on character sheets.
  Nonhuman beings have different traits, some of which 
  have nonzero point values, positive or negative. Simply being 
  a nonhuman often has a point value. In most settings, nonhu-
  mans fall into distinct types, each worth a certain number of 
  points and having a certain list of traits. A racial template is a 
  definition of one of these types. Each template has a distinc-
  tive name, and can be represented on a character sheet sim-
  ply by its name and point value; all the traits that go into the 
  template are “included by reference,” as if they were 
  all spelled out.
  Racial templates aren’t the only way to 
  describe nonhuman entities. Depending on their 
  role in a campaign, there are other options.
  alternatives: 
  simPlified statistiCs
  Some nonhumans aren’t usually treated as 
  characters, because they don’t really have per-
  sonalities. They don’t get full character sheets, 
  but more compact sets of statistics that make it clear what 
  adventurers can do with them – or what they can do to adven-
  turers. Examples are creature statistics (for animals and 
  sometimes plants) and vehicle statistics. In special cases, 
  these can be expanded into full character sheets; see Animals 
  (p. 6) and Vehicles (p. 7).
  alternatives: no statistiCs
  Sometimes an individual appears in the campaign but 
  doesn’t have a character sheet or fully specified abilities. 
  Such characters don’t need racial templates, even if they’re 
  described as belonging to some race.
  Patrons
  Very powerful Patrons (pp. B72-74) 
  may have effectively unlimited point costs; 
  for example, ultra-powerful individuals or 
  true gods. Such beings don’t need charac-
  ter sheets; the GM is always free to come 
  up with a new ability that fits the basic 
  character concept. Not having statistics, 
  such Patrons don’t have racial templates, 
  either, though they may be given “racial” 
  labels such as primordial entity or god.
  ChaPter one
  raCial 
  temPlates and 
  meta-traits
  
   
  raCial temPlates and meta-traits 
  5
  Enemies
  The rules (p. B135) don’t explicitly say so, but it makes 
  sense that an ultra-powerful individual or a true god might 
  be hostile to a hero (as Hera was to Heracles), and could 
  be bought as an Enemy for -30 or -40 points, with GM 
  approval. As with a Patron, such an Enemy has no defined 
  racial template.
  Contacts
  Contacts (pp. B44-45) serve primar-
  ily as sources of information, defined 
  by minimal statistics: One skill at an 
  effective level, plus a degree of reli-
  ability. Computers and infomorphs 
  can play this role; so can spirits, which 
  count as having “supernatural talents.” 
  They don’t need character sheets or 
  racial templates for this.
  alternatives:  
  UniqUe Beings
  Some characters with exotic or 
  supernatural traits are one of a kind: 
  supers, unique monsters, prototypes of 
  machines or synthetic life forms, and so 
  on. They may have full character sheets, 
  but their uniqueness means there’s no clear line between indi-
  vidual and racial traits for them.
  This can change, though, if beings with similar traits 
  appear – or if characters who can copy another character’s 
  form exist (Shapeshifting, pp. 38-39). It may be useful to decide 
  which special traits belong to such an entity’s implicit “racial 
  template,” and keep that information handy for later use.
  What are raCes?
  In GURPS, “race” is shorthand for a kind or category of 
  beings. But different broader groups of beings can be classified 
  in different ways – for example, as biological species of living 
  organisms, or as models of machines. Such broader groups 
  also commonly share more basic general qualities, found in 
  all the various races that make them up, which GURPS often 
  represents as meta-traits (pp. 8-11).
  Some racial templates don’t include all 
  the attributes and secondary characteris-
  tics of human characters, but are limited 
  to physical traits, or to mental ones (as 
  defined on p. B296). Two such partial tem-
  plates are joined to define a single charac-
  ter (see Robots, p. 7, and Embodied Spirits, 
  p. 8). Technically, the mental template is 
  a lens (Lenses and Sub-Races, p. 23) – but 
  it’s the mental template that carries the 
  character’s personal identity.
  hUmanoids
  Science-fiction movies and television series often portray 
  “rubber forehead aliens”: stated to be of a different species 
  and from a different planet, but played by actors with makeup 
  and prosthetics. This is partly for financial reasons: mod-
  els, puppets, or animated characters – especially convincing 
  ones – cost much more. The original Star Trek, for example, 
  showed the Vulcan Mr. Spock on every episode, and Klingons 
  on several, but the amorphous Horta appeared only once.
  Even without actors being involved, it seems to be eas-
  ier to imagine modified humans than fundamentally dif-
  ferent beings. Fantasy races from pixies to giants are often 
  humanoid, and so are extraterrestrials such as “grays.” Furry 
  art, going back to newspaper cartoons such as Krazy Kat, 
  anthropomorphizes many of its animal characters – and 
  they have precursors such as Egyptian animal-headed 
  gods and the Paleolithic “lion man” sculpture.
  In some cases, this humanoid form is realistically 
  justified. A prehistoric or alternate history campaign 
  could include hominid species other than Homo sapi-
  ens. A future-history campaign could have species nat-
  urally evolved from Homo sapiens, or “parahuman” 
  species created through genetic engineering. Some biol-
  ogists think that a roughly humanoid body plan is bet-
  ter suited to sapient life than any other, so that if aliens 
  do exist, they are likely to look like us.
  Realistic or not, humanlike races won’t have a dis-
  tinctive meta-trait. Their body shape is roughly human, 
  they’re living organisms (though robots may be human-
  shaped for cosmetic reasons; see Robots and Automata, 
  p. 7), they’re likely to be native to an Earthlike environment,  
  and they probably think more or less like us. It’s even pos-
  sible for a humanoid race to have only cosmetic differences 
  that can be represented as 0-point features (p. B261).
  CharaCter vs. raCial temPlates
  Both racial and character templates are trait lists, but the concepts other-
  wise share little but the word “template.” The GM generally decides racial 
  traits (for exceptions, see Player-Designed Races, p. 37). A race’s traits are a fea-
  ture of the game world, and once defined, even minimalist racial templates are 
  rules – composite advantages or disadvantages that define every member of a 
  race, which players accept when they agree to play in the campaign. Playing 
  a member of a race is a package deal; the template lists what’s in the pack-
  age. A race’s fundamental nature rarely varies enough for advice on player 
  choice to be appropriate (but see Lenses and Sub-Races, p. 23, and especially 
  Modification, p. 37), even if individual members can learn and do as many dif-
  ferent things as humans. On the other hand, character templates – however 
  mandatory or prescriptive – are guidelines.
  Even so, both dramatic templates for characters and templates for races 
  can reflect consideration of archetypal qualities. Gamers designing cultural 
  templates for characters may find the advice in Social Traits (pp. 34-35) help-
  ful. And the suggestions for modifying racial templates may also help in devel-
  oping character templates to fit specific races.
  
   
  raCial temPlates and meta-traits 
  6
  aliens
  Then there are aliens who don’t look like human beings. 
  These are most often imagined as races that evolved on dis-
  tant planets, though a few writers have described really alter-
  nate histories where some other life form on Earth, such 
  as dinosaurs or cephalopods, attained sapience. These are 
  living beings, but they may have a meta-trait representing 
  a non human body plan (pp. 9-10), and some are native to 
  non-Earthlike planets and have advantages or features that 
  reflect this (see Habitats, pp. 15-18).
  Creators often take the imaginative shortcut of basing 
  aliens on Earth animals (or sometimes plants): Avian, feli-
  noid, saurian, and even insectoid and ameboid races are com-
  mon in science fiction. More innovative creators may come up 
  with novel species, but define them as “vertebrates” or “mol-
  lusks” or the like – Earth categories that wouldn’t logically 
  apply to the evolutionary trees of other planets – as in Olaf 
  Stapledon’s inventory of galactic races in Star Maker. Some 
  writers attempt to come up with wholly novel races, such as 
  the hrossa, séroni, and pfifltriggi in C.S. Lewis’s Out of the 
  Silent Planet, or many of Poul Anderson’s aliens.
  GURPS Space provides detailed rules for making up 
  entirely novel alien races.
  animals
  Some biological races actually are animals – usually Earth 
  animals, though the rules in GURPS Space can be used to 
  make up extraterrestrial ones. Most animals don’t need racial 
  templates (Alternatives: Simplified Statistics, p. 4). There are 
  situations where racial templates are useful or even necessary, 
  however. Creature statistics can be used as a basis for such 
  templates – fairly straightforwardly, as they already include 
  full sets of attributes and secondary characteristics. Animals 
  often have both a nonhuman body plan (pp. 9-10) and a 
  meta-trait representing their mentality and social posi-
  tion (p. 9).
  Important examples include:
  • Heroes may have animal companions. These can 
  be defined as Allies, meaning they need full character 
  sheets. They often have exceptional qualities, which can 
  include unusual intelligence: +1 (or rarely +2) to species 
  IQ – though this won’t normally boost IQ to sapient levels 
  (6+), except for mages’ familiars.
  • A campaign might be about talking animals, either 
  on their own (like the rabbits in Watership Down) or 
  interacting with humans (like the wolves in The Jungle 
  Book). They won’t have technology, so it makes sense to 
  assume that they have their usual IQ scores – but they 
  use some form of language despite this, either an animal 
  language or, in some stories, human language.
  • Non-anthropomorphic furries have human-com-
  parable IQs but otherwise can be treated like talking 
  animals.
  • In science fiction, animals may be uplifted – some-
  times becoming humanoid, like the Beast Men in Wells’ 
  The Island of Dr. Moreau or Cordwainer Smith’s Under-
  people; sometimes retaining a “beast” form, like Olaf 
  Stapledon’s Sirius or the chims and fins in David Brin’s 
  Uplift novels. Usually they’re shown as having sapient lev-
  els of IQ, but falling a little short of human intelligence, 
  and often being subject to Stress Atavism.
  • Human beings can turn, or be turned, into animals, 
  through Shapeshifting (pp. 38-39), by some magical spell 
  or power, or as a curse. The animal form needs a tem-
  plate – especially if it’s being applied to a PC!
  Chimerae
  In folklore and mythology, there are living beings that 
  combine body parts from different species (for example, 
  the original Greek chimera resembled a lion, but with 
  a goat’s head between its shoulder blades, and a snake 
  in place of its tail). Often these are unique (Alternatives: 
  Unique Beings, p. 5), but they may make up races, such 
  as centaurs or merfolk, particularly if they’re part- 
  human. Such races have body-plan meta-traits (pp. 9-10).  
  toons
  Toons aren’t as clearly defined a category as the others 
  discussed here. Many classic toons are anthropomorphic 
  “funny animals” that could be described as humanoids; oth-
  ers are animals, vehicles, aliens, robots, ghosts, and even 
  humans. But they all have more basic things in common.
  Many toons exist in cartoon worlds with their own pecu-
  liar natural laws. But a more interesting situation, the one 
  this supplement focuses on, is toons existing in and inter-
  acting with a normal physical world and its inhabitants. In 
  doing so, they seem to have substance; but they look like 
  artistically rendered images, and have a large measure of 
  indestructibility. In fact, they act like classic cartoon char-
  acters even when interacting with a non-cartoon world, as 
  in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Cool World. To represent 
  this, take the Animated Character meta-trait (p. 9).
  Other toon abilities often have the Cosmic power modi-
  fier (+50%) from GURPS Powers: They come from a source 
  that transcends natural law, the animator (or GM); they 
  can’t be cut off anywhere in the campaign world; and they 
  can violate that world’s physical laws in various ways. On 
  the other hand, many have the limitation Aspected, Only if 
  it’s funny! (-20%). Some examples:
  Bigger Than Your Head: Your stomach, cheek pouches, 
  trunk, or other internal space can contain huge loads – if 
  you spend enough points, even objects bigger than you 
  are. Payload (Aspected, Only if it’s funny!, -20%; Cosmic, 
  Exceeds normal limits, +50%) [1.3/level].
  Funny Faces: You can distort your face, features, and 
  body to look like someone else. You’re not limited to closely 
  similar races; having the same morphology is enough. Elas-
  tic Skin (Aspected, Only if it’s funny!, -20%; Cosmic, Dissim-
  ilar races, +50%) [26].
  Magic Pockets: You can pull any sort of unexpected 
  thing out of your pocket – a bicycle, a potted rosebush, a 
  trombone – as long as you can lift it one-handed (p. B353). 
  Gizmos (Aspected, Only if it’s funny!, -20%; Cosmic, Unre-
  stricted size, +50%) [6.5/level].
  
   
  raCial temPlates and meta-traits 
  7
  Most chimeric beings were invented without much concern 
  for biological realism, but some have been used as models for 
  aliens, and furry artists have envisioned hybrid races as well.
  roBots and aUtomata
  Robots are constructed beings, ordinarily  
  incapable of reproducing. If they are produced in 
  substantial numbers, and especially if they are 
  manufactured, they’ll have models, which can 
  be treated as “races” and have templates. Classic 
  science-fictional robots are human-shaped (and 
  may be played by human actors, as in Star Wars 
  and Star Trek: The Next Generation), but unlike 
  humanoids (p. 5), their functions are mechani-
  cal rather than biological. Newer imaginings of 
  robots have often featured utilitarian designs, 
  from self-aware computers that fill entire rooms 
  to Hans Moravec’s proposed fractal-branching 
  “bush robots.” 
  In GURPS, most robots are controlled by 
  internal computers and have two partial tem-
  plates: a cybershell (the body and hardware) and 
  an infomorph (the software; see below). Typi-
  cal cybershells are machines, with the Machine 
  meta-trait (p. 9), which includes being Unliving. 
  However, there are other options, from clock-
  work in a fantasy-tech campaign to sophisticated 
  analog systems. Such robots don’t have separate  
  physical and mental templates; their minds aren’t “soft-
  ware” and don’t have Complexity-Limited IQ (p. 12), nor do 
  they always have Digital Mind. Robots can have the Autom-
  aton meta-trait (p. 9), but this makes them unsuitable as 
  independent characters, though they can be Allies with the 
  Minion enhancement. 
  Constructed or manufactured beings can have biologi-
  cal components, or even be entirely biological, as with the 
  “bioroids” of several anime series. Bioroids are sterile, as part 
  of a meta-trait reflecting their distinctive construction (p. 9). 
  Bioroids are usually humanoid, but there have been por-
  trayals of non-humanoid artificial living beings such as H.P. 
  Lovecraft’s amoeba-like shoggoths, created by an alien race 
  in Earth’s distant past. Recent depictions of shapeshifting 
  nanotech robots offer a mechanical parallel. A fantasy set-
  ting may have magically or divinely animated golems shaped 
  from unliving matter; these function much like embodied 
  spirits (p. 8) but often have the Automaton meta-trait.
  vehiCles
  Vehicles are normally described as machines, with simpli-
  fied statistics (Alternatives: Simplified Statistics, p. 4). How-
  ever, the character-creation system can be used to write up a 
  vehicle as a specialized kind of Ally, one that the primary char-
  acter rides around in or on. Each model of vehicle counts as a 
  “race” and has a template.
  The Vehicle meta-trait (p. 9) enables a vehicle to be oper-
  ated, using controls. A typical vehicle has Payload, which pro-
  vides space and load capacity for the operator. A vehicle that 
  has Telecommunication (Vague) can be controlled remotely 
  by an operator who can see it; one with Telecommunication 
  (Video) and imaging sensors can send images to the opera-
  tor. Such vehicles have IQ 0, and as Allies have the Minion 
  enhancement, with no upper limit to their point totals. 
  Treat vehicles with IQ greater than 0 as robots or 
  cybershells (see above). They may still have controls (see 
  Compartmentalized Mind, p. 43).
  infomorPhs
  At TL8, it becomes possible to copy data and programs 
  from one computer to another. This gives rise to the idea of 
  the mind as software, which inhabits a body as hardware. An 
  infomorph is a template for such a mind, which includes Dig-
  ital Mind. Infomorphs are intangible, but the information that 
  makes them up must be stored in some tangible form that a 
  computer can access – and that can be destroyed or erased.
  Infomorphs have only mental statistics; the physical sta-
  tistics go with the cybershell they run on (see Robots and 
  Automata, above). The cybershell also gives them actual sen-
  sory abilities (The Senses, p. 26), to which the mental trait of 
  Per can be applied. In some worlds, conversely, a robot’s DX 
  may be a partly mental trait (see p. B296). The infomorph runs 
  on a computer housed within the cybershell, and its IQ is lim-
  ited by that computer’s Complexity (Complexity of Computers, 
  above; Complexity-Limited IQ, p. 12). It can access the com-
  puter and run ordinary programs on it, giving the cybershell 
  Accessory (Computer).
  Being made up of digital code, infomorphs are capable of 
  being stored and transmitted. Storage gives them the option 
  of Extra Life, representing a replacement cybershell than can 
  house a stored copy. Transmission gives them the option of 
  Possession (Digital), if they are capable of actively taking 
  control of a new cybershell. In either case, the new cyber-
  shell must have sufficient Complexity to support their racial 
  IQ! The Puppet advantage lets them buy an additional cyber-
  shell as an Ally, possibly with Minion. In principle, they could 
  copy themselves without limit, but most societies have laws 
  restricting copying; an infomorph that violates these laws 
  has a Secret (often at the level of “possible death”) or a Social 
  Stigma (Criminal Record or Monster).
  ComPlexity of ComPUters
  Any particular computer can run some programs and not 
  others. GURPS addresses this through Complexity ratings, 
  assigned on one hand to each computer and on the other to each 
  program. A standard computer can run two programs of its own 
  Complexity, or trade off one program for 10 programs with one 
  level less Complexity. A computer’s Complexity depends on its 
  size, TL, and design options; see GURPS High-Tech and GURPS 
  Ultra-Tech for detailed rules, which can be used to decide if a 
  computer can fit into a race’s body. Those rules also give cash 
  costs for computers, but these can mostly be disregarded in cre-
  ating racial templates.
  In this supplement, Complexity is important because digi-
  tal intelligences are programs with Complexity scores. It takes a 
  higher-powered computer to run a mind with a higher racial IQ. 
  See Complexity-Limited IQ (p. 12).
  
   
  raCial temPlates and meta-traits 
  8
  sPirits
  A spirit is another type of intangible entity – a supernatural 
  one that doesn’t need to be stored in a physical medium. As 
  such, it has no physical needs and usually doesn’t age.
  Intangible Spirits
  Many spirits inhabit the material world without them-
  selves being material: they can perceive it from some point of 
  view and have a form, but lack substance. The most limited 
  spirits can’t be seen, touched, or attacked (unless 
  the attack has Affects Insubstantial), and can’t 
  speak or manipulate objects. More capable spirits 
  may be able to speak or become visible, to manipu-
  late objects telekinetically, or to cast spells or influ-
  ence minds. Some of them can even solidify for a 
  short time. Various meta-traits encapsulate these 
  capabilities.
  Some intangible spirits are linked to parts of 
  the natural world, such as trees, bodies of water, or 
  even planets. Others were formerly living people; 
  in some worlds, every sapient being has Potential 
  Form (Spirit) – see Features and Taboo Traits 
  (p. 12). A more specialized case is that of tulpas, 
  or thought-forms (GURPS Horror, p. 81), created 
  by a living person through prolonged meditation or 
  similar processes. A tulpa typically has Automaton 
  (p. 9), acting only according to its creator’s will.
  Embodied Spirits
  Other spirits enter the material world through embod-
  iment, gaining a physical form after being summoned by 
  magic or sent by a greater supernatural power. Common 
  examples of embodied spirits include angels, which typ-
  ically look human but are more powerful; demons, which 
  may look human but are often monstrous; and elementals, 
  which animate a particular substance. At the GM’s option, 
  an embodied spirit may be defined by two partial templates: 
  the vessel for the material form (based, for example, on an 
  elemental meta-trait; see pp. 20-21) and the animus for the 
  mind. Animi are Unaging and may be Reprogrammable, if 
  speaking their true names grants power over them.
  the Undead
  The undead are often a variant of embodied spirits: spirits 
  of the dead inhabiting physical forms. But they have enough 
  distinctive traits to merit their own category. They start out 
  as living beings (usually human); their racial traits are a lens 
  that can be applied to a living character, typically represent-
  ing their having died and then been reanimated in some way. 
  Supernatural animation can involve the dead person’s spirit, 
  brought back to trouble the living; some other spirit taking 
  advantage of an empty body; or a magic spell, often intended 
  to produce a servant (such servants are Allies with the Min-
  ion enhancement). But similar lenses can represent reanima-
  tion by an exotic disease, advanced technology, or some other 
  purely natural process.
  Corporeal undead have a meta-trait that includes some 
  whole-body version of Injury Tolerance; see Postmortal 
  (p. 21). There are also spectral undead, which are intangible 
  spirits (above) of some type.
  hyBrids
  What if different biological races are cross-fertile? If there 
  are more than two or three such races, creating templates for 
  every possible hybrid is probably too much work. But it’s pos-
  sible to provide guidelines for various approaches.
  One common assumption is that the hybrid has the traits 
  of both parents, in weaker forms. In particular, a half-human 
  hybrid often has weaker versions of the nonhuman parent’s 
  traits; e.g., half-elves are long-lived but not unaging. If both 
  parents have racial templates, a trait they have in common 
  will be present at full strength; unshared traits may be dimin-
  ished or missing, and opposing traits definitely will be.
  Some hybrids might have both parental templates at full 
  strength. Here, again, opposing traits usually cancel out.
  Finally, a hybrid might have a form of “hybrid vigor,” gain-
  ing distinctive new traits found in neither parent. Any such 
  trait requires GM approval.
  In a fantasy campaign, dissimilar species might hybridize, 
  producing chimerae (pp. 6-7) with distinctive body plans. If 
  the setting includes supernatural beings, it might also have 
  demigods, or children of mortals and spirits. Demigods almost 
  always have weaker powers than gods, though they may grad-
  uate to full divinity after a life of heroic adventure – a version 
  of Potential Form (p. 12).
  When the sons of God came  
  in unto the daughters of men,  
  and they bare children to them,  
  the same became mighty men  
  which were of old, men of renown.
  – Genesis 6:4
  meta-traits
  Meta-traits (pp. B262-263) are another sort of package 
  deal in character design. Like racial templates, they’re fixed 
  in content. But they neither specify a kind of being in com-
  plete detail nor define only one kind of being. Rather, they 
  encompass sets of traits that are found together in many 
  races. They can be used as shorthand in defining a racial tem-
  plate, and they simplify the design process by reducing the 
  number of decisions required.
  
   
  raCial temPlates and meta-traits 
  9
  animated CharaCter
  85 points
  You’re a three-dimensional drawing that can interact with 
  the physical world but can’t be permanently hurt by doing 
  so. However, you’re vulnerable to one special sort of attack. 
  Unkillable 2 (Achilles’ Heel, Cosmic attack, Rare, -10%) [90]; 
  Unnatural Features 5 [-5].
  Bioroid
  -5 points
  You’re an artificially constructed being made from liv-
  ing tissues, typically but not necessarily humanoid. Early 
  Maturation 1* [0]; Sterile [0]; Unusual  
  Biochemistry [-5].
  * Additional levels of Early Matura-
  tion are common.
  maChine
  25 points
  You’re an artificially constructed 
  being made from nonliving parts. Fuel 
  Supply [0]; Immunity to Metabolic 
  Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance (No 
  Blood; Unliving) [25]; Not Pressur-
  ized [0]; Not Subject to Aging [0]; Not 
  Subject to Fatigue [0]; Sterile [0]; and 
  Unhealing (Total) [-30].
  mentality  
  meta-traits
  You think differently than human 
  beings in some way.
  AI: A computer mind. Absolute 
  Timing [2]; Digital Mind [5]; Doesn’t 
  Sleep [20]; Intuitive Mathematician [5]; 
  Photographic Memory [10]; Reprogramma-
  ble [-10]. 32 points.
  Automaton: A mind lacking creativity and free will. Suited 
  to such beings as golems, magically reanimated corpses, and 
  simple AIs. Hidebound [-5]; Incurious (6) [-10]; Low Empa-
  thy [-20]; No Sense of Humor [-10]; Slave Mentality [-40]. 
  -85 points.
  Domestic Animal: A farm animal, mount, or pet, or a 
  trained wild animal. Cannot Speak [-15]; Hidebound [-5]; 
  Social Stigma (Valuable Property) [-10]; Taboo Trait (Fixed 
  IQ) [0]. -30 points.
  Upload: A formerly living being whose brain is now being 
  emulated on a computer. Your maximum possible IQ is (2 
  ¥ Complexity). Complexity-Limited IQ [0]; Digital Mind [5]; 
  Reawakened [0]. 5 points.
  Vehicle: An ordinary vehicle without sentience or the ability 
  to set its own course (Vehicles, p. 7). IQ 0 [-200]; Compartmen-
  talized Mind 1 (Controls) [25]; Injury Tolerance (No Brain) 
  [5]; Insensate [0]; Nonautonomous [0]; Social Stigma (Subju-
  gated) [-20]; Taboo Trait (Fixed IQ) [0]. -190 points.
  Wild Animal: An ordinary animal found in nature. Bestial 
  [-10]; Cannot Speak [-15]; Hidebound [-5]; Taboo Trait (Fixed 
  IQ) [0]. -30 points.
  morPhology meta-traits
  Many races are non-humanoid, including aliens, animals, 
  chimerae, vehicles, and some robots and embodied spirits. 
  Their body forms can be described in game terms using an 
  expanded set of morphology meta-traits (see p. B263). Such 
  meta-traits fall into two main groups: biological and vehic-
  ular/robotic (questions of morphology don’t apply to info-
  morphs, and seldom affect intangible spirits). The following 
  examples address the most common cases and make it rela-
  tively straightforward to extrapolate others.
  Organisms
  Most of the animal body plans provided here are based on 
  Non-Humanoid Hit Location Tables (pp. B552-553). Cancroid 
  and Vermiform have each been split into two types. For addi-
  tional hit location tables for new body plans, see p. 10.
  Angeloid: A humanoid with separate wings growing out of 
  the shoulders, such as an angel or devil. Flight (Winged, -25%) 
  [30]. 30 points.
  Arachnoid: A spider or similar eight-legged creature. Extra 
  Legs (Eight Legs) [15]; Horizontal [-10]; No Fine Manipula-
  tors [-30]. -25 points.
  Asteroid: A creature with radial symmetry and five arms, 
  such as a starfish. Extra Arms 3 (Foot Manipulators, -30%; 
  Short, -50%) [6]; Extra Legs (Five Legs) [10]; Horizontal [-10]; 
  Injury Tolerance (No Head; No Neck) [12]; Short Foot Manip-
  ulators 2 [-16]. 2 points.
  Avian: A bird. Flight (Winged, -25%) [30]; Foot Manipula-
  tors 2 [-6]; Tail [0]. 24 points.
  
   
  Racial TemplaTes and meTa-TRaiTs 
  10
  Cancroid: A crab- or lobster-like creature with forelimb 
  pincers. Might have Tail [0]; if so, treat as Scorpionoid when 
  rolling hit location. Extra Legs (Eight Legs) [15]; Good Grip 1 
  [5]; Ham-Fisted 2 [-10]. 10 points.
  Centauroid: A chimeric being with a humanoid torso grow-
  ing out of a quadruped body. Extra Legs (Four Legs) [5]; Tail 
  [0]. 5 points.
  Helminth: A true worm, with no skeleton, such as a flat-
  worm, roundworm, earthworm, or leech. Double-Jointed 
  [15]; Injury Tolerance (No Neck) [5]; Invertebrate [-20]; No 
  Legs (Slithers) [0]; No Manipulators [-50]; No Skull DR [-2]. 
  -52 points.
  Hexapod: A six-legged creature such as an insect. Extra 
  Legs (Six Legs) [10]; Horizontal [-10]; No Fine Manipulators 
  [-30]. -30 points.
  Ichthyoid: A typical fish, ichthyosaur, or cetacean. If the tail 
  can deal blows, buy its attack separately as Striker. No Legs 
  (Aquatic) [0]; No Manipulators [-50]; Tail [0]. -50 points.
  Octopod: An octopus with eight arms that double as legs. 
  Extra Arms 6 (Extra-Flexible, +50%; Foot Manipulators, -30%) 
  [72]; Extra-Flexible Foot Manipulators 2 [4]; Extra Legs (Eight 
  Legs; Cannot Kick, -50%) [8]; Invertebrate [-20]. 64 points.
  Ovoid: A creature with radial symmetry and without limbs 
  or a distinct head, such as a sea urchin; can also be used for 
  ameboid creatures by adding Invertebrate. Its only hit loca-
  tions are torso (0), vitals (-3), and possibly eyes (-9). Injury Tol-
  erance (No Head; No Neck) [12]; No Legs (Slithers, Aquatic, 
  or Aerial) [0]; No Manipulators [-50]. ‑38 points.
  Quadruped: A typical mammal, reptile, or amphibian. 
  Extra Legs (Four Legs) [5]; Horizontal [-10]; No Fine Manipu-
  lators [-30]; Tail [0]. -35 points.
  Scorpionoid: A scorpion-like creature with forelimb pin-
  cers and a long tail (buy its attack separately as Striker). 
  Equivalent to Cancroid except for having a tail. Extra Legs 
  (Eight Legs) [15]; Good Grip 1 [5]; Ham-Fisted 2 [-10]; Tail 
  [0]. 10 points.
  Semi‑Upright: An ape or bear. Use Human and Humanoid 
  Hit Location Table (p. B552). Semi-Upright [-5]. -5 points.
  Serpentoid: A snake. Double-Jointed [15]; No Legs (Slith-
  ers) [0]; No Manipulators [-50]; Tail [0]. -35 points.
  Tritonoid: A humanoid with a fish or dolphin’s tail in place 
  of legs, such as a classic mermaid. If the tail can deliver blows, 
  buy its attack separately as Striker. No Legs (Aquatic) [0]; Tail 
  [0]. 0 points.
  Vespertilian: A bat or pterosaur. Hit locations use the 
  “Avian” column on p. B553. Flight (Temporary Disadvantage, 
  No Fine Manipulators, -30%; Winged, -25%) [18]; Short Arms 
  with No Physical Attack 2 [-20]; Tail [0]. -2 points.
  Winged Hexapod: An insect with wings. Extra Legs (Six 
  Legs) [10]; Flight (Winged, -25%) [30]; Horizontal [-10]; No 
  Fine Manipulators [-30]. 0 points.
  Vehicles and Other Machines
  Vehicles get just one hit location table (p. B554). This suits 
  many types of machines. Other machines can often be treated 
  as having one location – the body – or as having the body 
  plus a vital area (targeted at -3, or hit randomly on 17-18). 
  Humanoid robots and mecha can use the humanoid hit loca-
  tion table – or the “Quadruped” column on p. B553 for models 
  such as Boston Dynamics’ dog robots.
  However, many broad classes of vehicles are defined by 
  distinct meta-traits:
  Airship: A powered lighter-than-air vehicle. Flight (Lighter 
  Than Air, -10%) [36]; No Legs (Aerial) [0]; No Manipulators 
  [-50]; Numb [-20]. ‑34 points.
  angeloid, asTeRoid, HelminTH, scoRpionoid, 
  seRpenToid, and TRiTonoid HiT locaTion Table
  Roll
  Angeloid
  Asteroid
  Helminth
  Scorpionoid
  Serpentoid
  Tritonoid
  –
  Eye (-9)
  Eye (-9)
  Eye (-9)
  Eye (-9)
  Eye (-9)
  Eye (-9)
  3-4
  Skull (-7)
  Torso (0)
  Brain* (-7)
  Skull (-7)
  Skull (-7)
  Skull (-7)
  5
  Face (-5)
  Torso (0)
  Face (-5)
  Face (-5)
  Face (-5)
  Face (-5)
  6
  Right Leg (-2)
  Arm 1 (-2)
  Torso (0)
  Neck (-5)
  Neck (-5)
  Tail (-3)
  7
  Right Leg (-2)
  Arm 2 (-2)
  Torso (0)
  Arm† (-2)
  Neck (-5)
  Torso (0)
  8
  Right Arm (-2)
  Arm 3 (-2)
  Torso (0)
  Arm† (-2)
  Neck (-5)
  Right Arm (-2)
  9
  Wing† (-2)
  Torso (0)
  Torso (0)
  Torso (0)
  Torso (0)
  Torso (0)
  10
  Torso (0)
  Torso (0)
  Torso (0)
  Torso (0)
  Torso (0)
  Torso (0)
  11
  Groin (-3)
  Torso (0)
  Torso (0)
  Torso (0)
  Torso (0)
  Groin (-3)
  12
  Left Arm (-2)
  Arm 4 (-2)
  Torso (0)
  Tail (-3)
  Torso (0)
  Left Arm (-2)
  13
  Left Leg (-2)
  Arm 5 (-2)
  Torso (0)
  Leg† (-2)
  Torso (0)
  Torso (0)
  14
  Left Leg (-2)
  Arm 1 (-2)
  Torso (0)
  Leg† (-2)
  Torso (0)
  Tail (-3)
  15
  Hand† (-4)
  Torso (0)
  Torso (0)
  Leg† (-2)
  Torso (0)
  Hand† (-4)
  16
  Foot† (-4)
  Torso (0)
  Torso (0)
  Leg† (-2)
  Torso (0)
  Tail (-3)
  17-18
  Neck (-5)
  Torso (0)
  Torso (0)
  Foot† (-4)
  Tail (-3)
  Neck (-5)
  –
  Vitals (-3)
  Vitals (-3)
  Vitals (-3)
  Vitals (-3)
  Vitals (-3)
  Vitals (-3)
  * Treat as skull, but without DR 2.
  † Roll randomly for which.
  
   
  raCial temPlates and meta-traits 
  11
  Boat: A vehicle that travels on the surface of water or 
  another liquid. Horizontal [-10]; No Legs (Aquatic) [-10]; No 
  Manipulators [-50]; Numb [-20]. Notes: No Legs (Aquatic) 
  is priced to reflect the vessel’s inability to dive and depen-
  dency for mobility on masts, oars, or propellers that can’t be 
  armored. -90 points.
  Fixed-Wing Aircraft: A winged aircraft with propellers 
  or jets. Flight (Cannot Hover, -15%; Nuisance Effect, Noisy 
  and dangerous, -5%; Winged, -25%) [22]; Horizontal [-10]; 
  No Legs (Tracked or Wheeled) [-20]; No Manipulators [-50]; 
  Numb [-20]. -78 points.
  Glider: An unpowered heavier-than-air flying vehicle. 
  Flight (Controlled Gliding, -45%) [22]; No Legs (Aerial) [0]; 
  No Manipulators [-50]; Numb [-20]. -48 points.
  Ground Vehicle: A car, tank, etc. Horizontal [-10]; No Legs 
  (Tracked or Wheeled) [-20]; No Manipulators [-50]; Numb 
  [-20]. -100 points.
  Helicopter: A rotary-wing aircraft with a powered rotor. 
  Flight (Nuisance Effect, Noisy and dangerous, -5%; Winged, 
  -25%) [28]; Horizontal [-10]; No Legs (Tracked or Wheeled) 
  [-20]; No Manipulators [-50]; Numb [-20]. -72 points.
  Hovercraft: An air-cushion ground vehicle with skirts or 
  stabilizers. Flight (Low Ceiling, 5 feet, -25%; Nuisance Effect, 
  Noisy, -5%; Small Wings, -10%) [24]; No Legs (Aerial) [0]; No 
  Manipulators [-50]; Numb [-20]. -46 points.
  Submersible: A vehicle that can travel under water or 
  another liquid. Horizontal [-10]; No Legs (Aquatic) [0]; No 
  Manipulators [-50]; Numb [-20]. -80 points.
  nanoteChnology
  Nanotechnology can take a variety of forms, from realistic 
  near-future speculation to cinematic superpowers.
  • Nanotech fabrication (TL8-12) can produce advanced 
  materials for conventional machines and structures, such as 
  buckminsterfullerenes, nanotubes, diamondoid (p. 20), or 
  catalysts.
  • Embedded nanotech can actively repair materials that 
  contain it, such as bioplastic (TL10-12) or living metal (TL12), 
  given energy and raw materials. Machines with this capability 
  have Unhealing (Partial) rather than (Total) – the condition 
  being availability of specific elements. Cinematic machines 
  may be able to heal without special requirements or even have 
  Regeneration at some level.
  • For nanomorphs (TL12), see below. Many have Fuel 
  Supply and Sterile, but advanced versions may be able to 
  consume food or reproduce. Cinematic nanomorphs might 
  have advanced healing and shapeshifting abilities.
  • For nanoswarms (TL12), see Swarms (pp. 14-15).
  Nanomorph: A robot or other technological entity whose 
  functions are carried out by subunits distributed through its 
  body, rather than by discrete parts. Immunity to Metabolic 
  Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance (Homogenous; No Blood) [45]; 
  Not Subject to Aging [0]; Not Subject to Fatigue [0]; Unheal-
  ing (Partial) [-20]. 55 points.
  sPirit meta-traits
  You are a disembodied consciousness that has a location in 
  the physical world and is able to perceive it.
  Unmanifested Spirit: A spirit that cannot become visible, 
  speak, materialize, or use its powers to affect the physical 
  world. Doesn’t Breathe [20]; Doesn’t Eat or Drink [10]; Doesn’t 
  Sleep [20]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Insubstan-
  tiality (Always On, -50%) [40]; Invisibility (Substantial Only, 
  -10%) [36]; Mute (Substantial Only, -10%) [-22]; Unaging [15]. 
  149 points.
  More interesting spirits have expanded capabilities for 
  interacting with the physical world, rather than just observing 
  it. There are several options for this:
  Demon: A spirit that can possess a living being and use 
  its body to act on the physical world. Doesn’t Breathe [20]; 
  Doesn’t Eat or Drink [10]; Doesn’t Sleep 
  [20]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards 
  [30]; Insubstantiality (Affect Substantial, 
  +100%; Always On, -50%) [120]; Invisibility 
  (Substantial Only, -10%) [36]; Mute (Sub-
  stantial Only, -10%) [-22]; Possession (Spir-
  itual, -20%) [80]; Unaging [15]. 309 points.
  Phantasm: A spirit that can become vis-
  ible, speak, and use magic or powers to 
  affect physical beings. Doesn’t Breathe 
  [20]; Doesn’t Eat or Drink [10]; Doesn’t 
  Sleep [20]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards 
  [30]; Insubstantiality (Affect Substantial, 
  +100%; Always On, -50%) [120]; Invisibil-
  ity (Substantial Only, -10%; Switchable, 
  +10%) [40]; Unaging [15]. 255 points.
  Poltergeist: A spirit that can hurl things and make dis-
  turbing noises. The ability to move things is bought sepa-
  rately, as Telekinesis. Cannot Speak [-15]; Disturbing Voice 
  [-10]; Doesn’t Breathe [20]; Doesn’t Eat or Drink [10]; Doesn’t 
  Sleep [20]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Insubstan-
  tiality (Affect Substantial, +100%; Always On, -50%) [120]; 
  Invisibility (Substantial Only, -10%) [36]; Unaging [15].  
  226 points.
  Sprite: A spirit that can physically manifest, becoming vis-
  ible, tangible, and more vulnerable. Doesn’t Breathe (Only 
  when insubstantial, -10%) [18]; Doesn’t Eat or Drink (Only 
  when insubstantial, -10%) [9]; Doesn’t Sleep [20]; Immunity 
  to Metabolic Hazards (Only when insubstantial, -10%) [27]; 
  Insubstantiality (Difficult Materialization, -20%) [64]; Invisi-
  bility (Only when insubstantial, -10%; Substantial Only, -10%) 
  [32]; Mute (Only when insubstantial, -10%; Substantial Only, 
  -10%) [-20]; Unaging [15]. 165 points.
  You are utterly the stupidest, most 
  self-centered, appallingest excuse for 
  an anthropomorphic personification 
  on this or any other plane!
  – Death, in The Sandman #1/8
  
   
  raCial temPlates and meta-traits 
  12
  featUres and taBoo traits
  All of these traits cost 0 points.
  Body of Swarm: You’re a single mind inhabiting many bod-
  ies, which can act together as a cohesive swarm; see Swarms 
  (p. 14-15). This must be taken in conjunction with Injury Tol-
  erance (Diffuse), possibly with modifiers; see Injury Tolerance 
  (p. 43).
  Carrier: Similar to Dominance and Infectious Attack, but 
  the newly created member of your race is neither a minion 
  nor a possible enemy. See Permanent Transformation (p. 40).
  Complexity-Limited IQ: A taboo trait for infomorphs. You’re 
  a program with a rated Complexity (Complexity of Computers, 
  p. 7). Your maximum racial IQ is (2 ¥ Complexity), unless 
  your meta-trait or template specifies a lower maximum. You 
  can buy your personal IQ up (or down!), unless you have 
  Fixed IQ.
  Early Maturation: You mature at the same rate as if you 
  had Short Lifespan (p. B154) without affecting the frequency 
  of aging rolls. Up to five levels are possible:
   Level 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  5
   Maturity 
  9 years 4 years 2 years 
  1 year 
  6 months
  Fixed (Attribute): A taboo trait. One of your attributes can-
  not be bought up or down from the value in a meta-trait or 
  racial template.
  Fixed (Skill): A taboo trait. One of your skills gets its value 
  from your racial template and cannot be improved from it.
  Fuel Supply: Applies to machines. You get energy from fuel 
  instead of food. You can function for eight hours and need 
  refueling three times a day. Advantages and disadvantages 
  can modify this; e.g., Doesn’t Eat or Drink if you’re powered 
  by a reactor that’s good for years, or Increased Consump-
  tion if you go through fuel quickly. If you run out of fuel, you 
  don’t gradually starve to death or lose FP – you stop func-
  tioning immediately! You don’t lose HP and won’t “die” (be 
  destroyed), however; refueling makes you functional again, 
  assuming you haven’t been damaged in some other way.
  Insensate: Beyond simply having Per 0 and Fixed Per, 
  which would still allow Per rolls with a sufficient positive 
  modifier (such as +10 for being in plain sight), you have effec-
  tive Per 0 in all situations. You may have sense organs, but you 
  yourself can’t use them.
  Nonautonomous: Applies to many machines, particularly 
  vehicles. You must have Compartmentalized Mind (Con-
  trols or Dedicated Controls); with this trait, you have no self- 
  directing capabilities, computer-based or otherwise. Your DX 
  and Basic Speed have no effect on your actions, and you can’t 
  buy them up or down (however, you can buy Handling Bonus 
  or Penalty for Enhanced Move). You act on your operator’s 
  Basic Speed. Your operator’s control rolls take the place of 
  DX rolls, and your Dodge equals (operator’s control skill/2) + 
  Hnd, rounded down. The starting value for your Basic Move is 
  5, and if you have an air Move, its starting value is 10; you can 
  buy either up or down at the usual cost, without restrictions. 
  Anyone who can physically access your controls can operate 
  you (at their effective skill level), but you may have security 
  measures, bought as Accessory (Lock) (p. 45).
  Not Pressurized: Applies to characters with both Unliving 
  (usually as part of Machine; see p. 9) and Immunity to Meta-
  bolic Hazards. In a vacuum, you are not subject to explosive 
  decompression (p. B437) – but lubricant evaporation, cold 
  welding of parts, extreme temperatures, and so on mean you 
  must roll daily as described in Slime, Sand, and Equipment 
  Failure (p. B485), unless you’re designed for airless conditions 
  (Vacuum Support).
  Not Subject to Aging: Applies to machines. Your body 
  doesn’t age and you never make aging rolls. Instead, your 
  body wears out, with effects similar to aging.
  Not Subject to Fatigue: Applies to machines. You have no 
  Fatigue Points and cannot spend FP to engage in extra effort; 
  see Machines and Fatigue (p. B16).
  Potential Form: A one-way version of Alternate Form, 
  changing you from one racial template to another. The new 
  form can’t change back, though it may include a further Poten-
  tial Form. The change isn’t voluntary – it’s triggered by matu-
  ration with time, exposure to a novel environment, or a high 
  level of stress. If the new template costs more points than the 
  old one, treat this like Heir (p. B33).
  Radiation Hardened: Applies to characters with both Unliv-
  ing (usually as part of Machine; see p. 9) and Electrical. You’re 
  immune to radiation sickness; however, each time you accu-
  mulate 100 rads of exposure, roll vs. HT+4, at -1 per cumu-
  lative 100 rads. On a failure, you need repairs (minor if 
  cumulative rads are less than 10¥ your HP, major otherwise; 
  see pp. B484-485). On a critical failure, you permanently stop 
  functioning, and your stored data and memories are lost.
  Reawakened: As a feature rather than an advantage 
  (p. B80), this reflects a former existence recent enough that it 
  doesn’t give access to unusual skills.
  Sterile: You lack the ability to reproduce through biological 
  or other internal processes. This doesn’t deprive you of sexual 
  features or functions; see Neutered or Sexless (p. B165).
  Tail: You have a normal animal tail without special func-
  tions, which can be targeted.
  All organs of an animal form a single system, the parts of which hang together, 
  and act and react upon one another; and no modifications can appear in one part 
  without bringing about corresponding modifications in all the rest.
  – Baron Georges Cuvier, History of the Progress of the Natural Sciences
  
   
  BasiC Parameters 
  13
  Several broad general issues are best considered together 
  at the outset. Many of these involve 0-point racial features (in 
  addition to those discussed in Chapter 1). Some relate to racial 
  size, weight, and strength, or have implications for these. Oth-
  ers help to define a race’s basic physical or magical nature, or 
  its preferred environment.
  For simplicity, size and weight are abstracted as a Size 
  Modifier, or SM (pp. B19-20), based on the being’s longest 
  dimension – usually height or length. Humanlike races have 
  typical values of weight, ST, and HP for each SM, shown in 
  the Size and Weight Table (below); the table gives different ST 
  and HP values for living, Unliving, and Homogenous/Diffuse 
  races. For other races, things can get more complicated, mak-
  ing it necessary to have separate modifiers for ST, and for 
  weight and HP. The GM has the option of using precise values 
  for traits, at the expense of more complicated calculations. All 
  this is discussed under Scale (below), Gravity (pp. 15-16), and 
  Density and Weight (pp. 18-19).
  ChaPter tWo
  BasiC 
  Parameters
  Size and Weight Table
  ST/HP
  Size 
  Modifier
  Height/Length
  Weight
  Living
  Unliving
  Homogenous/
  Diffuse
  -8
  0.1 yard (3.5”)
  0.0125 lb. (0.2 oz.)
  1
  1
  2
  -7
  0.15 yard (5”)
  0.04 lb. (0.6 oz.)
  1
  1-2
  3
  -6
  0.2 yard (7”)
  0.125 lb. (2 oz.)
  1
  2
  4
  -5
  0.3 yard (10”)
  0.4 lb. (6 oz.)
  1-2
  3
  6
  -4
  0.5 yard (18”)
  1.25 lbs.
  2-3
  5
  10
  -3
  0.75 yard (27”)
  4 lbs.
  4
  7-8
  15
  -2
  1 yard (36”)
  12.5 lbs.
  5
  10
  20
  -1
  1.5 yards (54”)
  40 lbs.
  7-8
  15
  30
  0
  2 yards (6’)
  125 lbs.
  10
  20
  40
  +1
  3 yards (9’)
  400 lbs.
  15
  30
  60
  +2
  5 yards (15’)
  1,250 lbs.
  25
  50
  100
  +3
  7 yards (21’)
  2 tons
  35
  70
  140
  +4
  10 yards (30’)
  6 tons
  50
  100
  200
  +5
  15 yards (45’)
  20 tons
  75
  150
  300
  +6
  20 yards (60’)
  60 tons
  100
  200
  400
  +7
  30 yards (90’)
  200 tons
  150
  300
  600
  +8
  50 yards (150’)
  600 tons
  250
  500
  1,000
  sCale
  Scale is a race’s physical dimensions relative to the human 
  baseline. This is expressed primarily by SM: A race that’s big-
  ger than humans has a positive SM; one that’s smaller, a neg-
  ative SM. Choice of scale affects largest dimension, ST, and 
  weight and HP by the same number of steps. See the Size and 
  Weight Table (above) for specifications.
  When using the table, largest dimension is usually rounded 
  up to the next value shown; e.g., a 5’2” human is SM 0.  
  This should be applied to the race, not the individual; typical 
  humans are SM 0, so a 6’4” human doesn’t have to be treated 
  as SM +1.
  Weights shown are typical for the specified SMs, however. 
  A human weighing 125 lbs. would probably be shorter than 
  6’; a 6’ human would probably be heavier than 125 lbs. For 
  humanoids, use the Build Table (p. B18).
  
   
  BasiC Parameters 
  14
  Size Modifier should be adjusted for build: +1 for an elon-
  gated box shape, or +2 for a cube, sphere, or blob (p. B19). 
  Adjustments in the other direction are also possible; e.g., 
  a mature boa constrictor is 7’ to 10’ long (roughly SM +1), 
  but weighs 22-33 lbs., a bit under the weight for SM -1, and  
  so can be given a build modifier of -2 for an elongated cyl-
  inder shape.
  For humanoid races, use 0-point features to represent 
  smaller adjustments to build:
  Gracile: Gracile 1 adds 5% to average height for a charac-
  ter’s ST; Gracile 2 adds 10%. Weight is unchanged.
  Robust: Robust 1 subtracts 5% from average height for a 
  character’s ST; Robust 2 subtracts 10%. Weight is unchanged.
  realistiC sCale
  The standard GURPS approach to racial scale relies on a 
  realistic principle: the square-cube law. If a race’s shape is kept 
  the same but its longest dimension is doubled, its other two 
  dimensions must also double; that multiplies its volume, and 
  therefore its weight, by 2¥2¥2, or the cube of 2. On the other 
  hand, its ST is doubled, and its Basic Lift is multiplied by 2¥2, 
  or the square of 2 (in proportion to the cross-section of its 
  muscles). Using the Size and Weight Table (p. 13) gives results 
  consistent with the square-cube law. Longest dimension, 
  weight, ST, and HP all have the same modifier for scale – the 
  racial SM.
  Examples: An average human being weighs 125 lbs., and 
  has BL of 20 lbs., or 16% of their weight. A tarantula weighs 
  about 2 ounces (0.125 lb.), giving it SM -6; based on this, it has 
  ST 1 and HP 1. Its BL is 0.2 lb., or 3.2 ounces, which is 160% 
  of its weight! (To have the proportionate strength of a spider, 
  you need to have the proportionate size of a spider.)
  To obtain exact scale values relative to SM 0 – especially 
  for races based on animals with known weights – divide 
  weight in pounds by 125 (or multiply weight in tons by 16) 
  and use this as a weight multiplier. Take its cube root to find 
  the multiplier for ST, HP, and longest dimension. Figure SM 
  from longest dimension.
  Example: An Indian elephant averages 4.4 tons. Multiply-
  ing by 16 gives a weight multiplier of 70.4. Taking the cube 
  root gives a ST, HP, and length multiplier of 4.13, for ST 41, 
  HP 41, and length 25’ (SM +4).
  CinematiC sCale
  Races in GURPS need not be realistic! Gigantic beings in 
  epics such as the Odyssey, mock epics such as Gargantua and 
  Pantagruel, or outright satires such as Gulliver’s Travels move 
  and lift things just like human beings, despite the difference 
  in scale; the same is true of creatures in movies, especially 
  those played by human actors with the aid of rubber suits and 
  miniature sets. (Both the Fifty-Foot Woman and the Incredi-
  ble Shrinking Man moved like normal-sized people.) In many 
  cases, scale isn’t consistently defined. Even writers who under-
  stand the square-cube law may choose to ignore it to tell a bet-
  ter story, as H.G. Wells (a trained biologist) did with the giant 
  wasps, rats, and humans in The Food of the Gods.
  In cinematic or epic treatments of scale, tiny or huge 
  beings interact with the environment in ways that are visu-
  ally the same as for normal-sized ones. To achieve this, set 
  aside the guidelines treating ST and HP as multiples of lon-
  gest dimension. Instead, let them equal 2¥, 4¥, or 8¥ the 
  square root of (weight in lbs./5), for creatures, machines, 
  and continuous masses of material, respectively. Applied 
  to a human-shaped creature, this gives BL equal to 16% of 
  weight, regardless of scale. Similarly, multiply all Move scores 
  by the scale factor (cube root of the weight multiplier); this 
  gives Basic Move equal to 2.5¥ the longest dimension in 
  yards, regardless of scale.
  sWarms
  Some life forms or machines are small enough that they 
  effectively have ST 0. A living organism weighing 0.25 ounce 
  (0.016 lb.) would have ST 0.5, rounding up to 1. Anything 
  smaller would usually be unable to take effective physical 
  action, not to mention being tiny (SM -8 for life forms). They 
  would be unlikely to make suitable player-character races or 
  interesting adversaries.
  There’s a way around this: treating a 
  swarm of tiny entities as a single char-
  acter with a racial template. The pri-
  mary trait for this is Injury Tolerance 
  (Diffuse) (p. 43). Other traits depend on 
  the size of the swarming entities. This 
  represents being a swarm all the time. 
  The ability to become a swarm is Alter-
  nate Form (Shapeshifting, pp. 38-39).
  • Small entities down to SM -8 
  (from 3.5” for typical animals to 1.8” 
  for cubical or spherical objects) have 
  the feature Body of Swarm (p. 12). 
  They normally have ST 0.5 (rounding 
  up to 1) or better; individuals can per-
  form some effective physical actions.
  • Tiny entities down to SM -20 (the 
  size of a flea or a sand grain) have Body 
  of Swarm and the modifier Infiltration 
  (p. 43). Individuals have negligible ST.
  Under the hood: fUll realism
  In the real world, scaling is even more complicated than the realistic 
  approach assumes. To apply the square-cube law, we assumed that a man, 
  or a tarantula, was exactly the same shape – just bigger or smaller. In reality, 
  large and small creatures are built differently. Small animals have delicate 
  legs; large ones have massive pillars. There are entire books exploring this 
  subject, creating mathematical models, comparing measurements of different 
  creatures, or both!
  If you enjoy research and physics, there’s nothing wrong with doing detailed 
  calculations of your invented races’ height, weight, strength, and speed. But 
  for any animal between SM -6 (a tarantula) and SM +6 (an estimate for one 
  of the largest land dinosaurs), the rules under Realistic Scale will be off by less 
  than a factor of 2. You can guess at adjustments, making big creatures stron-
  ger and squatter, and small ones weaker and skinnier; or you can accept a 
  lower standard of precision as close enough for a game. Whichever you choose 
  to do, if you and your players are having fun, it isn’t wrong.
  
   
  BasiC Parameters 
  15
  • Microscopic entities (such as single cells, nanites, or fog 
  droplets) are too small to be seen or to perceive the macro-
  scopic world; treat them as constituents of a single Diffuse 
  being, without Body of Swarm.
  The number of small entities that make up a swarm can 
  be estimated as the square of (HP of swarm / HP of separate 
  bodies). The HP of separate bodies should be less than 1/3 of 
  swarm HP; any larger and there would be too few to make 
  up a “swarm.” Tiny and microscopic entities don’t need to be 
  counted or assigned an exact size.
  With Scatter (p. 43), a swarm can disperse its compo-
  nent bodies over a wide area. While dispersed, it’s effectively 
  insubstantial.
  haBitats
  Characters can be native to non-Earthlike planets. For liv-
  ing organisms, this usually means they evolved there. Techno-
  logical entities may be able to function under a wider range of 
  conditions, but their materials and mechanisms can still fail 
  in sufficiently harsh environments. Even supernatural beings 
  often have affinities for specific terrains or substances, and 
  have trouble manifesting or acting elsewhere.
  In addition to planetary environments, this section consid-
  ers races that inhabit outer space.
  The traits that allow a race to function in its native envi-
  ronment usually cost no points, just as the human ability to 
  survive on land on Earth costs no points. Some environmental 
  conditions are exceptions to this, however.
  atmosPhere
  Most living organisms and many machines get their energy 
  by reacting food or fuel with atmospheric oxygen. In addition, 
  the structural integrity of living organisms generally depends 
  on being under external pressure; in trace atmospheres or 
  vacuum, they risk physical damage (Vacuum, p. B437) unless 
  they have Vacuum Support. Machines are less vulnerable – a 
  result of the Not Pressurized feature (p. 12).
  On Earthlike planets, a basic distinction can be made 
  between land and water terrains. (Planets of other types may 
  have similar distinctions.) Land organisms get oxygen from 
  air, as do air-breathing machines; since this is how humans 
  function, breathing air costs no points. Water organisms get 
  oxygen from water, often using gills; if they can only breathe 
  underwater, Doesn’t Breathe (Gills) is a 0-point feature, 
  but if they can also breathe air, use Doesn’t Breathe (Gills, 
  -50%) [10]. Tiny organisms, or elaborately branched ones 
  such as some water plants, can exchange oxygen and car-
  bon dioxide through their body surfaces; treat this as Doesn’t 
  Breathe (Oxygen Absorption, -25%) [15]. Machines can’t have  
  these traits.
  As discussed on pp. 138-140 of GURPS Space, organisms 
  on non-Earthlike planets might gain energy from breathing 
  hydrogen, methane, sulfur compounds, or even fluorine or 
  chlorine. Such atmospheres are suffocating, toxic, or corro-
  sive (p. B429) – but not to them. Treat this similarly to hav-
  ing gills, as Doesn’t Breathe (Hydrogen Breather) or the like. 
  This is a 0-point feature if oxygen is toxic or corrosive to them 
  (see Biochemical, pp. 19-20). If they can switch freely between 
  oxygen and another gas, it’s Doesn’t Breathe with a -50% lim-
  itation. Immunity to Oxygen [5] reduces toxic to suffocating; 
  for machines, this is included in Immunity to Metabolic Haz-
  ards. Sealed reduces corrosive to suffocating.
  Other organisms gain energy from breaking down complex 
  molecules without breathing any gas; this makes them immune 
  to suffocation. Doesn’t Breathe (Anaerobic) is a 0-point feature 
  for an organism that can’t tolerate oxygen (or another reac-
  tive gas). Resisting the corrosive effects of oxygen still requires 
  Sealed. If oxygen isn’t toxic, use unmodified Doesn’t Breathe; 
  the same is true for a non-air-breathing machine.
  Each race has a native atmospheric pressure, defined as 
  some multiple of Earth’s sea-level pressure. This is another 
  0-point feature. All the pressure ranges defined in the rules 
  (pp. B429-430) are multiplied by the race’s native pressure for 
  it. If its native pressure is vacuum, treat any positive pressure 
  as “superdense.” When rolling vs. HT to avoid injury (p. B435), 
  treat such pressure as 30¥ its native pressure, exactly cancel-
  ing the basic +3.
  gravity
  Different planets have different surface gravities, which 
  can be estimated using the rules in GURPS Space – or, for 
  real planets, looked up in reference works. Surface grav-
  ity is likely to affect the evolution of any life native to the 
  planet. In discussing this, we’ll use “weight” to mean what 
  a race would weigh in a 1G environment (a physicist would 
  talk about “mass”); its weight in its home environment is its 
  “native weight.”
  Beings from any native gravity suffer attribute penalties in 
  lower or higher gravity (p. B350), though there are more pen-
  alties for higher gravity. Beings native to any planetary envi-
  ronment may suffer from the effects of free fall in zero gravity 
  or microgravity (Space Adaptation Syndrome, p. B434). For 
  simplicity, these different effects are treated as canceling out, 
  making native gravity a 0-point feature (see Home Gravity, 
  pp. B17-18).
  The existing rules for moving to higher or lower gravity 
  (p. B350) work well for 1G creatures, but give less plausi-
  ble results otherwise: Natives of high-gravity worlds end up 
  burdened heavily by their own bodies; natives of low-gravity 
  worlds can move freely at up to 1G. To avoid these issues, 
  change the multiplier for added encumbrance at higher-than- 
  native gravity to (local gravity in Gs - native gravity in Gs).
  A race’s native gravity affects both its ST and its size, as 
  measured by its longest dimension – but not in the same way. 
  High gravity requires high ST and a compact build; low grav-
  ity allows low ST and a spindly build. This makes it necessary 
  to distinguish a race’s effective SM for ST from its actual SM, 
  as shown in the Gravity Table (p. 16). A positive SM doesn’t 
  grant a Size limitation for buying ST or HP, and a race’s 
  native gravity doesn’t impose a change in its weight or HP, 
  which remain unmodified. Finally, objects fall faster or slower 
  in high or low gravity, so it’s plausible to adjust a race’s Basic 
  Speed, using the multipliers in the Gravity Table.
  
   
  BasiC Parameters 
  16
  In designing alien races, a useful trick is to trade off scale 
  for gravity: If low gravity makes for increased height, compen-
  sate for this with decreased scale, and vice versa for high grav-
  ity, ending up with SM 0 for height or length.
  Example: Mars’ surface gravity is 0.38G, barely within the 
  range to give +2 SM for size but -1 for ST. Decreasing scale 
  two steps results in SM 0 (human scale) for size, -3 for ST, 
  and -2 for weight and HP; consulting the Size and Weight Table 
  (p. 13), this makes Martians 6’ tall, ST 4, 12.5 lbs., and HP 5. 
  Under Martian gravity, they have native weight 4.75 lbs.
  Basic Move depends on both gravity and leg length. To esti-
  mate this, multiply the race’s longest dimension in yards, from 
  the Size and Weight Table, by its native gravity, and see the 
  Basic Move Table (below). Add or subtract 5% or 10% if the race 
  has some level of Gracile or Robust (both p. 14). For extreme 
  cases, use the formula Basic Move = 3.5 ¥ square root of (grav-
  ity ¥ longest dimension). For a race with unusually short or 
  long legs, adjust Basic Move up or down, typically by ±1.
  Example: Martians (the human-scale version) have longest 
  dimension 2 yards and gravity 0.38G; the product, 0.76, gives 
  Basic Move 3.
  It’s possible to find exact values, starting with actual native 
  gravity. Divide longest body dimension by native gravity; mul-
  tiply both ST and Basic Speed by (square root of native grav-
  ity). Use exact height in the Basic Move formula.
  Example: Under 0.38G, if we use the Size and Weight Table, 
  human-weight Martians have SM -1 for ST, which corre-
  sponds to ST 7-8, and SM +2 for scale, which corresponds to 
  5 yards height. Height 5 yards and 0.38G give Basic Move 5. 
  Assuming a baseline Basic Speed of 5.00, Martians have Basic 
  Speed 3.75. If we use the exact gravity value, human-weight 
  Martians have ST = 10 ¥ 0.62, which rounds to 6; height 6’/0.38 
  = 15’9”; and Basic Speed = 5.00 ¥ 0.62, which rounds to 3.00. 
  Height 5.25 yards gives Basic Move 5. Under Martian gravity, 
  they have native weight 47.5 lbs.
  Some races live in “weightless” environments: immersed 
  in water or another fluid, floating in the air, or in actual 
  zero gravity in outer space. Ignore the calculations above for 
  them – weightlessness would imply multiplying or dividing by 
  zero! Choose a weight for them and give them the correspond-
  ing HP. ST can be anything you like; convenient numbers are 
  0 for a passively drifting entity like a seaweed, or equal to HP 
  to keep the design simple.
  Races that are native to outer space have Immunity to 
  Space Sickness as a 0-point feature. Since their native grav-
  ity is actually 0, their encumbrance on any planet is based on 
  their entire body weight.
  Gravity Table
   Gravity 
  Effective SM 
  Actual 
  Basic Speed
   Range 
  for ST 
  SM 
  Multiplier
   0.076-0.15* 
  -3 
  +6 
  ¥0.35
   0.16-0.35 
  -2 
  +4 
  ¥0.50
   0.36-0.75 
  -1 
  +2 
  ¥0.75
   0.76-1.50 
  0 
  0 
  ¥1.00
   1.51-3.50 
  +1 
  -2 
  ¥1.50
   3.51-7.50 
  +2 
  -4 
  ¥2.50
   7.51-15.0 
  +3 
  -6 
  ¥3.50
  * Gravity less than 0.1G is defined as “microgravity”; see 
  pp. B350, B434.
  Basic Move Table
   Gravity × Longest 
   Dimension 
  0.1 0.3 0.7 
  1.3 
  2 
  2.9 
  4 
  5.2
   Basic Move 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  6 
  7 
  8
  illUmination
  Humans are diurnal and have eyes adapted to daytime 
  light levels on Earth. This actually covers a wide range of illu-
  mination levels with no penalties; see the Illumination Levels 
  Table (p. 17). A light level of 200,000+ lux – or any light five 
  or more steps above what the eyes have adapted to – requires 
  a HT roll, at -1 per step past five. Success by 3+ avoids prob-
  lems; success by 0-2 requires readapting upon returning to the 
  lower light (extra -2 to Vision for two minutes); 
  failure dazzles (extra -4 to Vision for minutes 
  equal to margin of failure, after which readapt-
  ing to the lower light is necessary); and criti-
  cal failure blinds for seconds equal to margin 
  of failure and then works like normal failure.
  Other Earth animals are adapted to dim-
  mer conditions. Typical nocturnal animals 
  have darkness penalties reduced by three lev-
  els, and can be dazzled by 2,000+ lux. Deep sea 
  creatures, or some nocturnal predators, have 
  darkness penalties reduced by six levels, and 
  can be dazzled by 20+ lux.
  On other planets, light levels may be higher 
  or lower. If using GURPS Space, assume that 
  full sunlight is 50,000 lux ¥ L/(R squared), 
  where L is the sun’s luminosity in solar units 
  and R is the planet’s average orbital radius 
  in astronomical units; round up to the next-
  higher level and take the result as the upper 
  limit of undazzled vision for diurnal animals.  
  mana and the environment
  In magical settings, some characters and races may function in 
  ways that depend on magic. Varying mana levels (p. B235) may then 
  affect – or limit – their functioning. This can take several forms.
  Specific abilities may require magic to function. This is inherent in 
  Magery (pp. B66-67), the ability to cast spells. Other advantages can be 
  given the power modifier Magical, -10% (see Races and Powers, p. 35).
  Some living creatures may be magivores, metabolically powered by 
  magic. In technomagic campaigns, some robots or vehicles may sim-
  ilarly have magical power plants. See Sustenance (pp. 25-26) for suit-
  able rules. In no-mana worlds or areas, they starve to death (for life 
  forms) or run down (for machines).
  Embodied spirits (p. 8) may be able to manifest only with the aid of 
  mana. If so, their physical manifestations cease to exist in a no-mana 
  area: elementals revert to their inanimate substance, and angels and 
  demons simply vanish. Treat this as Dependency (Mana; Constantly).
  
   
  BasiC Parameters 
  17
  Alternatively, choose a light level as the upper limit that corre-
  sponds to the temperature at which the planetary biosphere’s 
  solvent is a liquid (Table of Solvents, p. 18): helium, 5 lux; 
  hydrogen, 500 lux; methane or ethane, 10,000 lux; ammo-
  nia or water, 50,000 lux; sulfuric acid, 200,000 lux; sulfur, 
  1,000,000 lux; magma or iron, 5,000,000 lux. Illumination 
  four levels lower is the lower limit for seeing without darkness 
  penalties, defined as a race’s native illumination; e.g., human 
  native illumination is 100 lux.
  Illumination Levels Table
   Penalty Minimum Lux 
  Illumination
   
  -10 
  0 
  Total darkness
   
  -9 
  0.0001 
  Overcast moonless night
   
  -8 
  0.0005
   
  -7 
  0.002 
  Starlight
   
  -6 
  0.01
   
  -5 
  0.05 
  Moonlight, indicator LED
   
  -4 
  0.2
   
  -3 
  1 
  Candlelight
   
  -2 
  5 
  Twilight, flashlight beam, 
   
   
   
   torchlight
   
  -1 
  20
   
  0 
  100 
  Very overcast day, interior light
   
  0 
  500 
  Reading light, arc light
   
  0 
  2,000 
  TV studio
   
  0 
  10,000 
  Daylight
   
  0 
  50,000 
  Direct sunlight, surgical theater
   +3 levels 
  ¥100
  radiation
  Radiation (technically ionizing 
  radiation) damages living things by 
  putting their molecules into ener-
  gized, highly reactive states. Part of 
  this damage is cumulative: If a being 
  receives a dose of 1 rad or more, 10% 
  of the dose (rounded down) never 
  heals (pp. B435-436). A race with a 
  superior ability to repair radiation 
  damage could have the Radiation 
  Recovery perk (p. 45) or some level of 
  Regeneration with Heals Radiation 
  or Radiation Only, which includes 
  the benefits of Radiation Recovery. 
  Some Earth organisms have these 
  traits; Regeneration (Slow; Radiation 
  Only, -60%) [4] is fairly common in the 
  animal kingdom. If alien life forms can exist in high-radia-
  tion environments, they’ll need higher levels; e.g., an organ-
  ism on Jupiter’s moon Io would receive 3,600 rads daily, and 
  would require Regeneration (Fast) to survive. It doesn’t seem 
  likely that any life form would need radiation to keep it alive, 
  so recovery from radiation isn’t a 0-point feature.
  Machines with the Electrical disadvantage have Radiation 
  Hardened, a 0-point feature (p. 12). Those that must oper-
  ate in high-radiation environments may have some level of 
  Radiation Tolerance. Machines without the Electrical disad-
  vantage don’t suffer radiation damage, nor do races whose 
  structure is homogenous (see Composition, pp. 19-21).
  temPeratUre
  GURPS gives each character a thermal comfort zone that 
  allows normal functioning. For ordinary human beings, this is 
  from 35°F to 90°F. This 55° range can be shifted up or down 
  as a 0-point feature. On Earth, creatures native to hot climates 
  (jungle terrain, or many types of desert or grassland) may be 
  comfortable from 55°F to 110°F; creatures native to cold cli-
  mates (arctic terrain) may go at low as -5°F to 50°F. Colder 
  places exist, but they’re permanently frozen. Planets with tem-
  perature ranges as much as 80°F hotter or colder are defined 
  on p. 83 of GURPS Space as possible “garden worlds” that 
  might have water-based life.
  A wider comfort zone requires Temperature Tolerance 
  (p. B93). Each level adds HT in °F, divided as desired between 
  hotter and colder.
  Water conducts heat much better than air. For creatures 
  immersed in water, the comfort zone is only a 10° range 
  (between 75°F and 85°F, if humanlike). Each level of Tem-
  perature Tolerance adds just HT/5 in °F.
  Things get more complicated for a solvent (the liquid in 
  which biomolecules are dissolved) other than water (see 
  GURPS Space, pp. 137-139). For example, hydrogen liquefies 
  at -423°F and freezes at -434°F, a difference of 11°. A 55° com-
  fort zone would mean being able to survive freezing, boiling, 
  or both! To deal with this, do the following:
  1. Find the temperature range at which the solvent is liq-
  uid; the Table of Solvents (p. 18) gives this information for 
  likely solvents. Example: Hydrogen is 
  liquid between -434°F and -423°F; 
  sulfur, between 239°F and 832°F.
  2. Find the range’s size in 
  degrees. Example: Hydrogen is 
  liquid over an 11° range; sulfur, 
  over a 593° range.
  3. Find the divisor or multi-
  plier that scales between this and 
  the 180° range for liquid water. 
  Round to the nearest whole 
  number. Example: For hydrogen, 
  that’s 180°/11° = 16 (liquid over 
  1/16 as wide a range as water); 
  for sulfur, that’s 593°/180 = 3 
  (liquid over 3¥ as wide a range  
  as water).
  4. Scale the standard 55° com-
  fort zone by the same factor to 
  find the size of the typical com-
  fort zone in this environment; round 
  fractions up. This can fall anywhere in the liquid range. 
  Example: Liquid hydrogen creatures have a comfort zone 
  55°/16 = 3.4° wide, rounded up to 4°, between -434°F and 
  -423°F; liquid sulfur beings have a zone 55° ¥ 3 = 165° wide 
  between 239°F and 832°F.
  5. Apply the same factor to HT for Temperature Tolerance. 
  Example: Liquid hydrogen life forms add HT/16 degrees to 
  comfort zone per level of Temperature Tolerance; liquid sul-
  fur beings add 3¥HT degrees.
  If you know the habitat’s actual temperature, make sure it 
  falls into the comfort zone.
  
   
  BasiC Parameters 
  18
  Table of Solvents
  Any of these temperatures can be much higher at greater pressures!
  Solvent
  Freezing Point
  Boiling Point
  Liquid Range
  Comfort Zone Width
  Temperature Tolerance
  Notes
  Helium
  -458°F
  -452°F
  6°
  2°
  +HT/30
  Hydrogen
  -434°F
  -423°F
  11°
  4°
  +HT/16
  Ethane
  -297°F
  -127°F
  170°
  55°
  +HT
  Methane
  -296°F
  -259°F
  37°
  11°
  +HT/5
  Ammonia
  -108°F
  -28°F
  80°
  28°
  +HT/2
  Water
  32°F
  212°F
  180°
  55°
  +HT
  Sulfuric Acid
  50°F
  639°F
  589°
  165°
  +3¥HT
  [1]
  Sulfur
  239°F
  832°F
  593°
  165°
  +3¥HT
  Magma (Rock)
  1,300°F
  2,400°F
  1,100°
  330°
  +6¥HT
  [2]
  Iron
  2,800°F
  5,182°F
  2,382°
  715°
  +13¥HT
  Notes
  [1] Decomposes slowly above 572°F.
  [2] Varies with composition; ultramafic forms (<45% silicon dioxide) can reach 2,940°F.
  sUBstanCe
  The preceding rules assume a race made of flesh or another 
  material with comparable density – but that isn’t the only 
  option! Different density further modifies weight, HP, ST, and 
  BL. And many substances have other properties that a racial 
  template must take into account.
  density and Weight
  Races made of denser or more tenuous materials than flesh 
  weigh more or less than animals of equal volume. Density is 
  specified as a multiple of that of water. Find this on the Density 
  Table (below) to learn the “density modifier”: an adjustment to 
  the race’s SM when determining its weight and HP, and also 
  its ST, but not its longest dimension. If density falls between 
  two multiples, use the next-higher modifier. To extend the 
  table, multiply or divide density by 10 for each two steps – but 
  no natural chemical substance has a density above 30!
  Denser-than-water beings can purchase ST and HP with 
  the Density limitation: -5% per +1 density modifier. This 
  reflects such inconveniences as being unable to float, sinking 
  into soft ground, and having furniture collapse. It amounts to 
  a leveled Nuisance Effect, as it doesn’t also include being more 
  easily seen or targeted.
  For exact values, multiply weight by the actual density fac-
  tor, as given in Densities of Materials (p. 19). Multiply both HP 
  and ST by the cube root of the density factor.
  The density of a living creature is close to that of the sol-
  vent its metabolism is based on. For example, a human-sized 
  alien using liquid helium as its solvent would have density 
  0.145 and density modifier -1. It would get no reduction 
  in the cost of its ST or HP. This is often true of undead 
  beings, too, but some weigh less in proportion to their scale 
  (Postmortal, p. 21).
  The density of a Homogenous being equals that of the 
  material it’s made from. For example, a human-shaped stone 
  figure might have density 2.4 and density modifier +1, letting 
  it buy ST and HP at -5%.
  Things get more complicated for machines. Their designs 
  can include hollow spaces, filled with lighter materials such 
  as air or even with vacuum. Many machines, particularly 
  vehicles, are between density 0.3 and 1.0: light enough to float 
  (unless they leak!). For similar reasons, lighter-than-air vehi-
  cles have density slightly lower than 0.0012. For other vehi-
  cles, it’s less straightforward: The weights of actual vehicles 
  can often be looked up, but their exact volumes can’t – and 
  their shapes are too irregular for volume calculations. To get 
  a workable estimate, divide the vehicle’s unloaded weight by 
  the weight in the Size and Weight Table (p. 13).
  Example: A World War II Panzer IV (GURPS High-Tech, 
  p. 238) has SM +4; the weight for this SM is 6 tons. The Pan-
  zer has LWt. 27.5 tons and Load 1.1 tons; the difference is 
  26.4 tons. Dividing 26.4 by 6 gives density 4.4. This is above 
  the upper limit of +1 to equivalent SM; we give the tank +2. 
  It has Density, -10% – in addition to Size, -40% – when buy-
  ing ST and HP. With ST 150 (figured from unloaded weight), 
  its racial template includes ST+140 (Density, -10%; No Fine 
  Manipulators, -40%; Size, -40%) [280].
  Density Table
  Density 
  Multiple
  Density 
  Modifier
  Density 
  Multiple
  Density 
  Modifier
  0.001
  -6
  0.3
  -1
  0.003
  -5
  1
  0
  0.01
  -4
  3
  +1
  0.03
  -3
  10
  +2
  0.1
  -2
  30
  +3
  Assume a spherical cow.
  – A traditional joke about 
  theoretical physics
  
  ComPosition
  Beyond density, different materials have different physical 
  and chemical properties. These may confer advantages and 
  disadvantages.
  Biochemical
  For living organisms, the main differences are biochemical: 
  what kinds of chemical reactions their solvent and complex 
  molecules are capable of. Non-water-based life forms don’t 
  take Unusual Biochemistry – their composition is so different 
  that human food or medication would never be beneficial and 
  could well be toxic. Treat this as a standard taboo trait.
  Some solvents are strongly acid or alkaline. The bodily 
  fluids of life forms using these solvents can inflict corrosion 
  damage like that from concentrated acids (p. B428). However, 
  water and neutral aqueous solutions act on them as alkalis or 
  acids, respectively, doing similar damage.
  Helium-Based Life Form: Based on exotic molecules dis-
  solved in liquid helium. Damage Resistance 20 (Limited, 
  Electricity, -40%) [60]; Doesn’t Breathe (Anaerobic; Oxy-
  gen is Toxic) [0]; Native Illumination 0.01 lux [0]; Thermal 
  Comfort Zone -456°F to -454°F [0]; Vacuum Support [5]. 
  65 points.
  Hydrogen-Based Life Form: Based on silanols (analogs of 
  alcohols based on silicon rather than carbon) dissolved in liq-
  uid hydrogen. Doesn’t Breathe (Anaerobic; Oxygen is Toxic 
  and Corrosive) [0]; Native Illumination 0.2 lux [0]; Thermal 
  Comfort Zone -431°F to -427°F [0]. 0 points.
  Methane- or Ethane-Based Life Form: Based on lipids (fat-
  like compounds) dissolved in liquid hydrocarbons. Dam-
  age Resistance 10 (Limited, Electricity, -40%) [30]; Doesn’t 
  Breathe (Hydrogen-Breathing; Oxygen is Toxic) [0]; Native 
  Illumination 20 lux [0]; Thermal Comfort Zone -283°F to 
  -272°F (methane) or -239°F to -184°F (ethane) [0]. 30 points.
  Ammonia-Based Life Form: Based on carbon/nitrogen 
  polymers dissolved in liquid ammonia. Doesn’t Breathe 
  (Hydrogen-Breathing; Oxygen is Toxic and Corrosive) [0]; 
  Strongly Alkaline [0]; Thermal Comfort Zone -82°F to -54°F 
  [0]. 0 points.
  Water-Based Life Form: Based on proteins and nucleic acids 
  dissolved in water. 0 points.
   
  BasiC Parameters 
  19
  Densities of Materials
  Substance
  Density
  Equivalent 
  SM
  ST/HP 
  Limitation
  Notes
  Solvents
  Liquid Helium
  0.145
  -1
  –
  Liquid 
  Hydrogen
  0.07
  -2
  –
  Liquid Ethane
  0.54
  0
  –
  Liquid Methane
  0.42
  0
  –
  Liquid 
  Ammonia
  0.68
  0
  –
  Water
  1
  0
  –
  Sulfuric Acid
  1.8
  +1
  -5%
  Liquid Sulfur
  1.8
  +1
  -5%
  Magma
  2.2-2.8
  +1
  -5%
  Liquid Iron
  7
  +2
  -10%
  [1]
  12.2
  +3
  -15%
  [2]
  Elemental Materials
  Air
  0.0012
  -5
  –
  [3]
  Earth
  1.1-1.6
  +1
  -5%
  Fire
  0.0003
  -6
  –
  Ice
  0.9
  0
  –
  Metal
  7.9
  +2
  -10%
  [4]
  8.9
  +2
  -10%
  [5]
  Stone
  2.4-3.0
  +1
  -5%
  [6]
  3.5
  +2
  -10%
  [7]
  Wood
  0.5
  0
  –
  Notes
  [1] At surface.
  [2] At outer/inner boundary 
  of Earth’s core.
  [3] At sea level.
  [4] Iron or steel.
  [5] Bronze.
  [6] Typical.
  [7] Diamond.
  Worked examPle: 
  PUtting together 
  sCale, gravity,  
  and density
  A race’s size, weight, HP, and ST can be affected 
  by its scale, native gravity, and composition. To see 
  how these fit together, consider the Ymirites, a race 
  with liquid hydrogen as their solvent, native to a 
  world with surface gravity 1.75G.
  • Scale can be chosen freely. The Ymirites have 
  SM +2, affecting size, weight, HP, and ST.
  • Gravity of 1.75G gives +1 to effective SM for ST 
  and -2 to actual SM.
  • Hydrogen has density 0.07, giving -2 to effective 
  SM for weight, HP, and ST.
  The Ymirites end up with actual SM 0; effective 
  SM 0 for weight and HP; and effective SM +1 for 
  ST. This gives longest dimension 2 yards, weight 
  125 lbs., HP 10, and ST 15; that’s equivalent to ST+5 
  [50] and HP-5 [-10], for a net 40 points. Gravity gives 
  ¥1.5 Basic Speed; taking this as 7.50 gives Basic 
  Speed+2.50 [50]. Gravity 1.75 ¥ longest dimension 2 
  yards is 3.5, for Basic Move 7 (worth 0 points).
  If we use the precise formulas, SM +2 for scale 
  gives ¥10 weight, corresponding to ¥2.15 size, ST, 
  and HP. Density gives ¥0.07 weight and ¥0.41 ST 
  and HP. Gravity gives ¥0.57 size and ¥1.32 ST. The 
  Ymirites end up with ¥1.23 size, or 2.46 yards, for 
  SM +1; ¥0.7 weight, or 88 lbs.; ¥0.88 HP, for HP 9; 
  and ¥1.16 ST, for ST 12. Their native weight is 154 
  lbs. Their Basic Speed is ¥1.32; rounding this to 
  6.50 gives Basic Speed+1.50. Gravity 1.75 ¥ longest 
  dimension 2.46 yards is 4.31, for Basic Move 7, giv-
  ing Basic Move+1.
  
   
  BasiC Parameters 
  20
  Chlorine-Based Life Form: Based on proteins and nucleic 
  acids dissolved in water/chlorine solution. In the presence 
  of oxygen, such beings must make a HT roll every 24 hours 
  to avoid 1 point of toxic damage. Doesn’t Breathe (Chlo-
  rine-Breathing; Oxygen is Suffocating) [5]; Mild Toxicity 
  (Oxygen) [-1]; Strongly Acid [0]. 4 points.
  Sulfuric Acid-Based Life Form: Based on silicones dissolved 
  in sulfuric acid. Native Illumination 500 lux [0]; Strongly Acid 
  [0]; Thermal Comfort Zone 262°F to 427°F [0]. 0 points.
  Sulfur-Based Life Form: Based on silicones dissolved in liq-
  uid sulfur. Doesn’t Breathe (Hydrogen Sulfide-Breathing; Oxy-
  gen is Toxic) [0]; Native Illumination 2,000 lux [0]; Thermal 
  Comfort Zone 453°F to 618°F [0]. 0 points.
  Magma Life Form: Based on silicates dissolved in molten 
  rock. Damage Resistance 10 (Limited, Electricity, -40%) [30]; 
  Doesn’t Breathe (Anaerobic, -0%) [20]; Native Illumination 
  10,000 lux [0]; Thermal Comfort Zone 1,685°F to 2,015°F [0]. 
  50 points.
  Iron-Based Life Form: Based on magnetic domains in 
  molten iron/sulfur compounds. Affected by Magnetism [-1] 
  Doesn’t Breathe (Gills; Sulfur-Breathing; Oxygen is Toxic and 
  Corrosive) [0]; Native Illumination 10,000 lux [0]; Thermal 
  Comfort Zone 3,634°F to 4,349°F [0]. -1 points.
  Technological
  Vehicles, robots, and other machines are usually made 
  of combinations of materials. Their HP primarily reflect the 
  strength of their structural frames, however, and what those 
  frames are made of mainly determines their physical and 
  chemical properties. Different structural materials are prev-
  alent at different TLs. Technological meta-traits don’t include 
  ST, HP, or DR, as those vary with a mechanism’s size and 
  weight, as discussed in the preceding sections.
  Wooden Structure (TL0-6): Based on seasoned wood. Dam-
  age Resistance 5 (Limited, Electricity, -40%) [15]; Fragile 
  (Combustible) [-5]. 10 points.
  Iron/Steel Structure (TL5-8): Based on ferrous metals and 
  alloys. Affected by Magnetism [-1]; Affected by Rust [-1]. Notes: 
  May be galvanized to remove Affected by Rust. -2 points.
  Light Metal Structure (TL6-12): Based on aluminum, tita-
  nium, or other metals or their alloys. 0 points.
  Polymer Structure (TL7-12): Damage Resistance 5 (Lim-
  ited, Electricity, -40%) [15]. 15 points.
  Diamondoid Structure (TL11-12): Based on synthetic crys-
  tals structurally similar to diamond. Damage Resistance 10 
  (Limited, Electricity, -40%) [30]. 30 points.
  Elemental
  An elemental is a being made up of a single homogenous 
  substance, animated by magic or other supernatural forces – a 
  notion attributed to the 16th-century alchemist and pharma-
  cologist Paracelsus, though parallel ideas exist in other cul-
  tures. Densities of Materials (p. 19) lists elemental substances; 
  adjust weight, HP, and ST accordingly, but note that the ani-
  mating energy may lend cohesion to diffuse or granular sub-
  stances, so that HP don’t depend on mass. Beings of earth, 
  metal, and stone typically have Cannot Float, but those with 
  hollow interiors can be exceptions.
  Body of Air: Your body is made of air or another gas, given 
  cohesion by magic. ST 0 [-100]; HP+10 [20]; Doesn’t Breathe 
  [20]; Flight (Lighter than Air, -10%) [36]; Immunity to Meta-
  bolic Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance (Diffuse) [100]; No Legs 
  (Aerial) [0]; No Manipulators [-50]; Taboo Trait (Fixed ST) [0]; 
  Vulnerability (Vacuum and Wind ¥2) [-20]. 36 points.
  Body of Earth: Your body is made of sand, soil, or clay. 
  Doesn’t Breathe [20]; DR 2 [10]; Immunity to Metabolic Haz-
  ards [30]; Injury Tolerance (Diffuse) [100]; Pressure Support 2 
  [10]; Vacuum Support [5]. Notes: This meta-trait differs from 
  that on p. B262. It lacks Invertebrate, to allow for humanoids 
  such as golems with bodies of clay. It isn’t Sealed, having a 
  granular texture, which also makes it vulnerable to extreme 
  pressures, limiting it to Pressure Support 2. 175 points.
  Body of Fire: Your body is an animate flame! If your flames 
  are very hot, increase Burning Attack and DR. ST 0 [-100]; 
  HP+10 [20]; Burning Attack 1d (Always On, -40%; Aura, 
  +80%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%) [6]; Doesn’t Breathe 
  (Oxygen Combustion, -50%) [10]; DR 10 (Limited, Heat/Fire, 
  -40%) [30]; Fuel Supply [0]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards 
  [30]; Injury Tolerance (Diffuse) [100]; No Legs (Slithers) [0]; 
  No Manipulators [-50]; Taboo Trait (Fixed ST) [0]; Weakness 
  (Water; 1d/minute) [-40]. Notes: Fire elementals have a variant 
  form of Fuel Supply: If deprived of fuel, they do lose FP, fol-
  lowed by HP, and they can “starve to death,” after 
  which providing more fuel doesn’t bring them 
  back to life. 6 points.
  Body of Ice: Your body is made up of ice. 
  Doesn’t Breathe [20]; DR 3 [15]; Fragile (Brit-
  tle) [-15]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; 
  Injury Tolerance (Homogenous; No Blood) 
  [45]; Pressure Support 3 [15]; Sealed [15]; Slip-
  pery 3 [6]; Terrain Adaptation (Ice) [5]; Vacuum 
  Support [5]; Vulnerability (Heat/Fire ¥2) [-30]; 
  Weakness (Intense normal heat; 1d/minute; 
  Variable, -40%) [-12]. 99 points.
  Body of Metal: Your body is made up of 
  metal. Doesn’t Breathe [20]; DR 9 [45]; Immu-
  nity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Injury Toler-
  ance (Homogenous; No Blood) [45]; Pressure 
  Support 3 [15]; Sealed [15]; Vacuum Support 
  [5]. Notes: The quirks Affected by Magnetism 
  and Affected by Rust (p. 46), while optional, 
  suit ferrous metal bodies. 175 points.
  virtUal and illUsory Beings
  Infomorphs and intangible spirits may have the appearance of 
  physical beings, through magic or the image-projection capabili-
  ties of a cybershell an infomorph is inhabiting (such as a computer). 
  For an infomorph, give the cybershell the Illusion advantage (from 
  GURPS Powers). A spirit can have the Illusion advantage as well, 
  possibly with Mental, as a magical ability – or it may simply be able 
  to turn off its Invisibility and reveal its true form.
  Such forms can neither act on the physical world nor be damaged 
  by physical attacks. Physical images can create light or sound, but not 
  at levels that overload the senses (see Attack, p. 29). A race with only 
  one apparent form buys racial appearance and voice normally. One 
  that can project varied forms pays for the most favorable appearance 
  and voice it can assume; comparable or worse apparent forms cost 
  no points.
  
   
  BasiC Parameters 
  21
  Body of Stone: Your body is made up of rock, either 
  as a solid mass or broken up into gravel. Doesn’t 
  Breathe [20]; DR 5 [25]; Fragile (Brittle) [-15]; Immu-
  nity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance 
  (Homogenous; No Blood) [45]; Pressure Support 3 
  [15]; Sealed [15]; Vacuum Support [5]. 140 points.
  Body of Water: Your body is made up of water or a 
  liquid that can be mixed with water. Amphibious [10]; 
  Constriction Attack [15]; Doesn’t Breathe [20]; Immu-
  nity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance (Dif-
  fuse) [100]; Invertebrate [-20]; Pressure Support 3 
  [15]; Slippery 5 [10]; Vulnerability (Dehydration ¥2) 
  [-10]. 170 points.
  Body of Wood: Your body is made up of wood; this can 
  apply to either a wooden figure or a living tree. DR 2 [10]; 
  Injury Tolerance (Homogenous; No Blood) [45]. Notes: If not 
  a living tree, add Doesn’t Breathe [20]; Fragile (Combustible) 
  [-5]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Pressure Support 2 
  [10]. 55 points (living) or 110 points (nonliving).
  Energy
  Beings made out of cohesive energy are basically a vari-
  ant of elementals, but they’re usually science fiction rather 
  than fantasy (though it’s hard to make the science rigorous). 
  Often they’re portrayed as evolutionarily advanced races and/
  or inhabitants of outer space, perhaps feeding on sunlight 
  or cosmic radiation. They can be affected by conditions and 
  technology that affect the energy that makes them up; for 
  example, beings of light can be wounded by lasers, reflected 
  by mirrors, or absorbed by dark materials (treated as entan-
  glement). This adds the Elemental power modifier (GURPS 
  Powers, p. 27) to Injury Tolerance (Diffuse).
  Body of Electricity: ST 0 [-100]; HP+10 [20]; Affected by 
  Magnetism [-1]; Cannot Speak [-15]; Doesn’t Breathe [20]; 
  Electrical [-20]; Flight [40]; Generator [1]; Immunity to Met-
  abolic Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance (Diffuse; Elemental, 
  -10%) [90]; No Legs (Aerial) [0]; No Manipulators [-50]; Pres-
  sure Support 3 [15]; Signals (Electrical Pulses) [15]; Taboo 
  Trait (Fixed ST) [0]; Vibration Sense (Active Electrorecep-
  tion) [10]. Notes: For ST 0 beings with the Generator perk, 
  sustained power output in watts is (HT¥HT)/5, and short-term 
  exertions require a HT roll. 55 points.
  Body of Light: ST 0 [-100]; HP+10 [20]; Detect (Light; Ana-
  lyzing, +100%; Reflexive, +40%) [24]; Doesn’t Breathe [20]; 
  Flight (Space Flight, +50%) [60]; Illumination [1]; Immunity 
  to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance (Diffuse; Elemen-
  tal, -10%) [90]; Mute [-25]; No Legs (Aerial) [0]; No Manipu-
  lators [-50]; Pressure Support 3 [15]; Signals (Blinker) [15]; 
  Taboo Trait (Fixed ST) [0]; Vacuum Support [5]. 105 points.
  Body of Sound: ST 0 [-100]; HP+10 [20]; Doesn’t Breathe 
  [20]; Flight [40]; Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Injury 
  Tolerance (Diffuse; Elemental, -10%) [90]; Invisibility [40]; 
  Mimicry [10]; No Legs (Aerial) [0]; No Manipulators [-50]; 
  Pressure Support 3 [15]; Sonar (Extended Arc, 360°, +125%) 
  [45]; Taboo Trait (Fixed ST) [0]. 160 points.
  Postmortal
  Several meta-traits reflect being a dead person who still 
  walks the Earth, or haunts part of it. The existence and con-
  dition of the remains dictate which meta-trait to use. All omit 
  traits that might be expected but aren’t universal – notably 
  Doesn’t Sleep, Fragile (Unnatural), Not Subject to Fatigue, 
  and Unhealing.
  Some remains weigh less than the living person: Divide 
  weight by 4 for desiccated bodies or skeletons (skeletons are 
  also Skinny), by 25 for ashes. Retain the original volume and 
  SM (if compacted, ashes have -3 to SM). For skeletons and 
  ashes, the original weight is the weight before applying Skinny, 
  Overweight, Fat, or Very Fat.
  Ashen Undead: The ashes of someone who was burned to 
  death or cremated, in a semi-cohesive cloud. Doesn’t Breathe 
  [20]; Doesn’t Eat or Drink [10]; High Pain Threshold [10]; 
  Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance (Dif-
  fuse; No Eyes) [105]; Sterile [0]; Temperature Tolerance 10 
  [10]; Unaging [15]. 200 points.
  Intact Undead: A dead body that hasn’t decayed signifi-
  cantly. Doesn’t Breathe [20]; High Pain Threshold [10]; Immu-
  nity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance (Unliving) 
  [20]; Sterile [0]; Supernatural Features (No Body Heat; No 
  Pulse; Pallor) [-20]; Temperature Tolerance 10 [10]; Unaging 
  [15]. Notes: Doesn’t Eat or Drink [10] and Injury Tolerance 
  (No Blood) [5], though common, are absent in the archetype: 
  the vampire. Potential Form (Rotting Undead) [0] is also wide-
  spread, but some entities are mystically preserved. 85 points.
  Mummified Undead: A body that has dried out rather than 
  rotting. Appearance (Monstrous; Universal, +25%) [-25]; 
  Doesn’t Breathe [20]; Doesn’t Eat or Drink [10]; Fragile (Com-
  bustible) [-5]; High Pain Threshold [10]; Immunity to Meta-
  bolic Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance (No Blood; No Brain; No 
  Vitals; Unliving) [35]; Social Stigma (Dead) [-20]; Sterile [0]; 
  Temperature Tolerance 10 [10]; Unaging [15]. 80 points.
  Rotting Undead: A body that has been dead long enough to 
  decay significantly. Appearance (Monstrous; Universal, +25%) 
  [-25]; Bad Smell [-10]; Doesn’t Breathe [20]; Doesn’t Eat or 
  Drink [10]; High Pain Threshold [10]; Immunity to Metabolic 
  Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance (No Blood; Unliving) [25]; No 
  Sense of Smell/Taste [-5]; Potential Form (Skeletal Undead) 
  [0]; Sexless [-1]; Social Stigma (Dead) [-20]; Temperature Tol-
  erance 10 [10]; Unaging [15]. 59 points.
  Skeletal Undead: A body that has been reduced to bones, 
  held together by dried tendons or magic. Basic Speed+1.00 
  [20]; Appearance (Monstrous; Universal, +25%) [-25]; Cannot 
  Float [-1]; Doesn’t Breathe [20]; Doesn’t Eat or Drink [10]; DR 
  2 [10]; Fragile (Brittle) [-15]; High Pain Threshold [10]; Immu-
  nity to Metabolic Hazards [30]; Injury Tolerance (No Blood; No 
  Brain; No Eyes; No Vitals; Unliving) [40]; No Sense of Smell/
  Taste [-5]; Sexless [-1]; Skinny [-5]; Social Stigma (Dead) [-20]; 
  Temperature Tolerance 10 [10]; Unaging [15]; Vacuum Sup-
  port [5]; Vulnerability (Crushing ¥2) [-30]. 68 points.
  Worked Example: Skeletal Bodies
  Alice Fong, when alive, had ST 8, stood 5’3”, and was Over-
  weight at 150 lbs. After her death, she became a walking skel-
  eton. Her corresponding average weight is 115 lbs. (150 lbs. 
  divided by 1.30). Dividing this by 4 gives 29 lbs.; applying the 2/3 
  multiplier for Skinny gives 19 lbs. The corresponding HP score 
  for an Unliving character is 11. The ST score is the same – but 
  Alice has -2 to ST to resist knockback, for effective ST 9.
  
   
  Choosing traits 
  22
  After making the initial choices, it’s time for a full racial 
  design. Just as with a new invention (pp. B473-474), this 
  involves two steps: coming up with a concept and then cre-
  ating a model – a racial template. Building the template 
  includes figuring out all the point costs involved and summing 
  them up. This chapter discusses the “how to”; for examples, 
  see Appendix B.
  Not all character traits work well in racial design. Traits 
  such as Dwarfism and Lame are defined as individual rather 
  than racial. Many social traits – especially those reflecting rela-
  tionships to specific people, like Allies and Enemy – fit individ-
  uals rather than populations. Traits that alter the flow of the 
  game – such as Extra Life, Luck, Serendipity, and Weirdness 
  Magnet – are primarily designed to apply to individual char-
  acters, and it’s also hard to rationalize their being inheritable.
  ConCePtUal design
  For a race to make sense, it needs a unifying concept – a 
  single theme that all of its traits reflect, so that they’re consis-
  tent with each other. Usually, no one trait will capture this. 
  Rather, it’s a more abstract idea reinforced by several crucial 
  traits without being fully defined by them.
  It’s important to make sure that secondary traits are con-
  sistent with the high-priority traits. But this is only a tool for 
  making sure they’re consistent with the basic concept. And it’s 
  best to be cautious in adding other traits, to avoid complicat-
  ing the design and obscuring its basic idea.
  fitting the raCe  
  to the CamPaign
  Even more basically, a campaign has a setting and a theme.
  The setting mainly provides limits on what kinds of races 
  are plausible. Some of these are physical: A campaign set in an 
  asteroid belt mining community makes it hard to have plausi-
  ble aquatic life forms or water spirits. Other limits stem from 
  the way the world works. In a preindustrial setting, digital 
  intelligences and cybershells don’t fit (though there might be 
  artificial beings such as Talos, the bronze giant who guarded 
  Crete in Greek legend). In a near-future technothriller, there 
  won’t be spirits or magically created beings (though in a 
  cyberpunk campaign, analogs of both might exist in cyber-
  space). Nonhuman races are part of the fantastic aspect of a 
  world, and need to fit the premise that supports that.
  The theme may make some kinds of races necessary. For 
  example, in an apocalyptic campaign where advanced technol-
  ogy threatens human survival, robots will be designed for com-
  bat functions, and many are likely to be vehicular rather than 
  humanoid. In a campaign about fear of the unnatural, subtler 
  robots may impersonate people: technological doppelgangers 
  that outwardly appear human. In a campaign about civil 
  rights and political oppression, robot workers might petition 
  for self-ownership or seek protection from human mobs; they 
  may be approximately human-shaped but visibly mechanical. 
  Different robot “races” would fit these different campaigns.
  In a tightly focused campaign, races may exist only to 
  play roles that support the theme, and be narrowly limited to 
  such roles. With a broader focus, races may appear in roles 
  contrasting with the main theme, or exploring implications 
  of the setting’s premise, and only incidentally involved with 
  the storyline. Some fictional worlds have both treatments. 
  In Tolkien’s Middle-Earth, elves and dwarves had business 
  of their own with little relation to the troubles of men and 
  hobbits, but orcs were purely an enemy race – though later 
  in his life, Tolkien had doubts about this and speculated 
  about whether orcs might be capable of moral choice and 
  redemption. Deciding how narrow or broad a campaign’s 
  focus will be can help decide how many races to create, and 
  what kinds.
  sets of raCes
  Some campaigns will have only one nonhuman race: 
  First-contact stories may have a single alien species, horror 
  may have a single type of werewolf or zombie, and so on. But 
  if one nonhuman race is possible, others may well be.
  If a setting is to have multiple races, it works better if 
  they form some sort of coherent scheme. Having arbitrary 
  races with no relation to each other doesn’t make for an eas-
  ily grasped premise for the setting. Having races with over-
  lapping abilities, appearances, and concerns means that any 
  one race’s role is hard to define. It’s best if the different races 
  divide up the possible roles in a systematic way.
  ChaPter three
  Choosing  
  traits
  
   
  Choosing traits 
  23
  Ecological
  Living organisms usually have traits that fit their means of 
  survival. This reflects their habitat, which in GURPS terms is 
  the terrain to which they’re best adapted, as described for Sur-
  vival skill (pp. B223-224). Terrains are defined for Earthlike 
  worlds, but planets of other types can have analogous terrains 
  inhabited by alien races. A suite of races can be distinguished 
  by having one inhabit plains, another woodlands, another des-
  erts, and so on.
  The same principle can be applied to spirits associated with 
  the natural world. The ancient Greeks, for example, distin-
  guished dryads (spirits of trees, especially oak trees), naiads 
  (spirits of springs and rivers), nereids (spirits of the sea), oreads 
  (mountain spirits), and other sorts of nymphs, each 
  with their own characteristic habitat.
  For life forms, but not often for spirits, dis-
  tinctions can also be made for other biological 
  traits. Size can differentiate otherwise simi-
  lar races; for example, humanoid beings could 
  be giants or dwarfs, or several different sizes 
  of each with different SMs. (Don’t give such 
  races Gigantism or Dwarfism, which are for 
  abnormally large or small members of a race, 
  not for races that are normally large or small.) 
  Races could also be distinguished by primary 
  means of movement – such as running, climb-
  ing, flying, and swimming – probably with dif-
  ferent morphologies (pp. 9-11). Day and night 
  races – and perhaps crepuscular races active at 
  dawn and dusk – might coexist. Yet another way 
  to split things up is by means of sustenance: 
  herbivores, omnivores, carnivores, specialized 
  types such as filter feeders or nectarivores, and 
  perhaps photosynthesizers – probably with dif-
  ferent types of mouths and sense organs, and 
  often with different behavior.
  Functional
  Machines don’t usually have to provide for their own sur-
  vival; they’re powered, maintained, and repaired by a tech-
  nological infrastructure. They do have to be adapted to the 
  planetary type and terrain where they’re expected to operate, 
  however. But multiple races may exist in a single habitat that 
  they share with their human (or nonhuman) users. What dis-
  tinguishes them is the job they’re designed for. For example, 
  both Transhuman Space and GURPS Ultra-Tech offer dif-
  ferent types of robots engineered to play varied roles, from 
  housework to surgery to battlefield combat. Potentially, there 
  could be a huge number of machines in a suite, but it’s usu-
  ally convenient to define broader types, such as “ground com-
  bat robot,” and assume that any machine that’s treated as a 
  character has enough flexibility to be adapted to varied tasks.
  Similar logic can be applied to some biological organisms. 
  Bioroids are often designed for specialized types of tasks; e.g., 
  there might be attractive “social interface” models, or hazmat 
  models with resistance to poisons, disease, radiation, or the 
  like. Modified human races won’t usually be as drastically 
  engineered, but can have physical or mental enhancements 
  that favor specific occupations, and personality traits to go 
  with them. 
  Thematic
  In a campaign with supernatural elements, races might 
  reflect archetypes or other abstractions. For example, Chris-
  tian art depicts angels with birdlike wings and beautiful 
  features, and devils (that is, fallen angels) with bat wings, 
  horns, hooves, and barbed tails, as figures of Good and Evil. 
  GURPS Thaumatology lists varied groups of archetypes, 
  such as the four classical Western elements, the five Chi-
  nese elements, the seven astrological “planets” (the Sun, the 
  Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn), and the 
  signs of the zodiac. Any of these might be the basis for a suite 
  of spirits or embodied spirits; e.g., elemental spirits of earth, 
  water, air, and fire.
  lenses and sUB-raCes
  Some races have sub-races with distinctive traits. Domes-
  ticated animals have breeds, which many be as different as 
  a greyhound and a bulldog; robots and other machines have 
  variant models, whether for special purposes, or basic and 
  advanced; aliens may have diversified into subspecies. Such 
  things can be represented with lenses: specialized templates 
  that aren’t meant to be used by themselves, but to be added 
  to other templates. The definition of lenses is a way to pro-
  vide choices within a racial template (see Character vs. Racial  
  Templates, p. 5).
  Most lenses represent additional biological, mechanical, or 
  supernatural traits. Players can choose lenses but don’t nor-
  mally get choices within a lens. However, a race may also 
  have varied cultures, each with its own cultural lens, and 
  such lenses might allow some choices; see Cultural Templates 
  (GURPS Template Toolkit 1: Characters, p. 5).
  Some biological races have sexual dimorphism extreme 
  enough that males and females are effectively different races. 
  In this case, each sex has its own template. This also applies to 
  hive species with multiple castes, such as social insects with 
  queens, drones, workers, and soldiers.
  Perks and qUirks
  Perks and quirks don’t count for much points-wise, but they 
  can be a helpful part of racial design. Full-blown advantages and 
  disadvantages often have extreme effects on behavior, or confer 
  abilities so potent that they’re suited only to super-races. But a few 
  traits worth ±1 point can help make a race distinctive.
  Exotic perks (GURPS Power-Ups 2: Perks, pp. 9-12) can add to 
  a race’s capabilities and make it clear that they’re not just cosmeti-
  cally modified humans. The various Accessory perks are a good fit 
  to machine characters; many are close equivalents to other exotic 
  perks that fit biological races. There aren’t nearly as many exotic 
  quirks (GURPS Power-Ups 6: Quirks, pp. 12-13), but they can 
  help define a race more fully as well. See also Appendix A for a few 
  new perks and quirks suited to racial templates.
  Quirks also play a big part in defining racial mentalities. See 
  Motivation and Behavior (pp. 31-33) for suggested mental quirks 
  for races of various types.
  
   
  Choosing traits 
  24
  attriBUtes, seCondary 
  CharaCteristiCs, and talents
  Every race has attribute and secondary characteristic mod-
  ifiers – though these are noted only if nonzero. Talents are 
  optional, but often useful. In brief:
  • A race’s ST, DX, IQ, and HT modifiers are based on the 
  difference between its average attribute score and the human 
  average of 10. Their cost is that of buying the average attri-
  bute. For example, if a race of 20’-tall sapient allosaurs has 
  average ST 35, this is shown as ST+25 (Size, -30%) [175]. “As 
  good as the average human” is a 0 modifier and costs 0 points.
  • For secondary characteristics, figure the base value from 
  racial attributes; there’s no cost for this score. But if the sec-
  ondary characteristic is higher or lower than the base value, 
  that’s shown as a racial modifier, with a cost equal to that of 
  taking the modifier for an individual character. For example, 
  the sapient allosaurs above would have a racial HP value of 
  35; if they were exceptionally hard to kill, with average HP 40, 
  they would have racial HP+5 (Size, -30%) [7].
  • Racial Talents are bought just like 
  individual Talents, and at the same cost.
  A race’s ST and HP are based on its 
  physical size and weight, as discussed 
  in Chapter 2. They can be as high as is 
  needed to fit these (the largest reported 
  whale weighed 190 tons, giving it HP 145!). Some beings are 
  too small to have meaningful ST or HP scores; an animal 
  weighing 2 ounces would have exactly HP 1, and one weigh-
  ing less than 0.25 ounce would have less than HP 0.5, which 
  would round down to 0. (Any injury automatically kills a being 
  with 0 HP.)
  Most other attributes and secondary characteristics don’t 
  have straightforward physical interpretations that could 
  require extraordinarily high values. Their main functions are 
  as target values for success rolls on 3d, and in determining 
  skill levels that also act as target values. GURPS limits charac-
  ters other than godlike beings to an attribute range of 1 to 20 
  (see p. B14), corresponding to attribute modifiers from -9 to 
  +10. For races whose members might be PCs, modifiers from 
  0 to +6 allow competence at the tasks they apply to; races com-
  parable to humans should have modifiers between -2 and +2, 
  indicating a marginally lower or higher capability.
  Intelligence (IQ) is something of an exception. Sapient 
  beings have IQ scores of 6 or higher, but lower IQ scores are 
  possible for nonsapient animals or machines. As a guideline: 
  IQ 1 fits reflex-guided animals, such as most invertebrates; 
  IQ 2 fits fish and reptiles; IQ 3 fits most birds, and less intel-
  ligent mammals, such as many herbivores; IQ 4 fits more 
  intelligent mammals, such as most carnivores; IQ 5 fits ele-
  phants, monkeys, some parrots and songbirds, and possibly 
  octopuses; and IQ 6 may be appropriate to chimpanzees and 
  gorillas. To cover tasks and challenges where such creatures 
  aren’t hopelessly handicapped, give them racial Per and Will 
  bonuses that compensate for and perhaps exceed racial IQ 
  penalties. For example, a tiger (p. B456) would have IQ-6 but 
  also Per+8, for a net +2!
  One secondary characteristic, Basic Move, does reflect a 
  measurable physical trait: the speed of a race’s movement (by 
  land, water, or air). Information on this is often available for 
  animals or vehicles. Vehicular top speeds don’t usually trans-
  late directly into Basic Move. If the information is available, 
  divide top speed in mph by the number of seconds of accel-
  eration needed to reach it, to find an average mph increase 
  per second; dividing this by 2 gives its Acceleration score, 
  which is equivalent to its Move. (See Movement, pp. 27-28, 
  for Enhanced Move.) Similar estimates may be possible for 
  fast-moving animals, such as cheetahs and many birds; for 
  others, assume that sprinting move is 120% of Move and 
  paced running is half of that (see p. B354), and equate this 
  with the recorded top speed or sustained movement speed, 
  respectively. If this is different from Basic Speed, as estimated 
  (usually) from DX and HT, treat the race as having a bonus or 
  penalty to Basic Move.
  Some races have advantages that are effectively special-
  ized versions of attributes or secondary characteristics. Lift-
  ing ST suits beasts of burden, cargo vehicles, and other heavily 
  built races; Striking ST is less common, but may be found in 
  races that deliver rapid blows. Arm ST fits races that brachi-
  ate or burrow – but for races with relatively weak arms, such 
  as some centauroids, apply Modifying Beings With One or Two 
  Arms (p. B53) to the Weak limitation for Extra Arms (e.g., a 
  centaur whose two arms have half the ST of their equine body 
  would convert a -25% limitation to -5 points for two arms). 
  Arm DX works similarly; for modifiers to hands or equivalent 
  parts, see Manipulation (p. 28). Acute Senses are best treated 
  as specialized variants of Per (in effect, they have One Sense 
  Only, -60%), affecting the efficiency with which sensory data 
  is processed more than the physics of the sense organs (for 
  that, see The Senses, pp. 26-27).
  Talents provide a different sort of specialization. In effect, 
  a Talent is a midpoint between an attribute or secondary char-
  acteristic and a skill based on it; it raises multiple skills and 
  usually costs less than increasing the underlying attribute. 
  Races with specialized interests or functions can plausibly 
  have a Talent; for example, artificial intelligences or scientifi-
  cally advanced aliens might have racial Mathematical Ability. 
  It’s also possible to define a racial Talent that benefits a group 
  of skills associated with that particular race; GURPS Power-
  Ups 3: Talents gives several examples. Racial Talents can 
  encompass groups of skills that don’t obviously fit together, as 
  long as that makes sense for a specific race. Any such Talents 
  require GM approval and should usually be GM-designed, even 
  if players are allowed to create new races (Player-Designed 
  Races, p. 37).
  To have the proportionate strength of a spider, you need 
  to have the proportionate size of a spider.
  
   
  Choosing traits 
  25
  PhysiCal traits
  Most racial templates include physical traits. The excep-
  tions are partial templates for infomorphs (p. 7) and animi 
  (the mental part of embodied spirits, p. 8).
  What traits count as “physical”? Human thought may be a 
  physical process within the brain, and human intelligence and 
  various personality traits are partly hereditary; robot thought 
  would be a physical process within a computer. But if those 
  are “physical” it’s hard to see what would be “mental”!
  For humans, the body outside the brain is physical. So 
  are the existence of the brain, its structural integrity, and its 
  biochemical state – being asleep, drugged, or comatose from 
  brain injury is a physical condition. For robots, the same is 
  true, but with “computer” in place of brain; in particular, the 
  Complexity (p. 7) that lets a computer run a particular digital 
  mind or infomorph is physical. If a sapient being can occupy 
  a new physical body (say, via some form of Possession), it 
  acquires that body’s physical traits.
  sUstenanCe
  The most urgent need of most living organisms, and 
  many machines, is oxygen (or other reactive molecules, for 
  races from non-Earthlike planets). Without it, living organ-
  isms suffocate (pp. B436-437) and air-breathing engines lose 
  power and stop running, as if reduced to 0 HP (p. B483). Suf-
  focation can be delayed by Doesn’t Breathe (Oxygen Storage) 
  (p. B49). Machines can’t normally “hold their breath,” and 
  don’t use air in their interior as an oxygen source, but 
  a similar ability can be bought as Doesn’t Breathe 
  with a Nuisance Effect worth -5%: needing a sec-
  ond set of tanks to hold the oxygen, and needing to 
  recharge oxygen at the same time as fuel (it doesn’t 
  make sense mechanically to give a machine mis-
  matched tanks).
  Most animals breathe via lungs, gills, or other 
  localized organs; internal combustion engines 
  have devices such as carburetors. Steam engines 
  can be treated as having Doesn’t Breathe (Oxy-
  gen Combustion). Animals smaller than SM -6 
  can breathe via Oxygen Absorption or Oxygen 
  Combustion; so can plants, thanks to the surface 
  area of their leaves. Microorganisms that break 
  down complex molecules without using oxygen 
  have Doesn’t Breathe (Anaerobic) (see Atmosphere, 
  p. 15). Machines that don’t use fuel have unmodi-
  fied Doesn’t Breathe.
  Doesn’t Eat or Drink eliminates the need for 
  food and water; Reduced Consumption decreases it; 
  and Increased Consumption (obviously!) increases 
  it. Reduced Consumption can be defined as either 
  Food Only or Water Only, for -50%. The same lim-
  itations can be applied to the other two traits; for 
  example, vegetative races should have Doesn’t Eat 
  or Drink (Food Only), because plants still have to 
  have water, as well as air and sunlight. As defined, 
  these traits fit living races native to land habitats. 
  Aquatic living races live immersed in water and 
  would only take the Food Only versions; machine 
  races with Fuel Supply typically use fuel in place of both food 
  and water, so neither limitation applies – they pay the full cost 
  for using more, less, or no fuel.
  A separate issue is the kind of food or fuel a race uses. Races 
  with Universal Digestion can digest any plant or animal mate-
  rial, or oxidize any combustible substance as fuel (Making 
  Things Burn, p. B433). Races with no advantage or disadvan-
  tage are omnivorous, or can burn a wide range of organic fuels, 
  such as wood, peat, and coal. Restricted Diet limits a race to a 
  narrower range of food or fuel, or to using non-rechargeable 
  batteries (treated as Very Common). Rechargeable batteries 
  require spending time connected to an electric power source, 
  which is common enough not to count as Restricted Diet; a 
  “meal” is time spent recharging. Taking Reduced or Increased 
  Consumption with Cast-Iron Stomach (p. 45) doesn’t change 
  the range of food, water, or fuel a race can use, but lets it use 
  impure or contaminated forms without problems.
  Some races get their energy from non-material sources 
  that can’t be classed as “food” or “fuel.” The simplest way 
  to represent this is as Doesn’t Eat or Drink with appropriate 
  limitations:
  • Plant races can take Accessibility, Only with daily sun-
  light -10%. Treat a full day without sunlight as three missed 
  meals. For plants, this is Food Only; they still need to take in 
  water. Solar-powered machines take the same modifier with-
  out the Food Only limitation.
  sCale and food
  For realistically scaled races, food or fuel consumption fol-
  lows the square-cube law (Realistic Scale, p. 14). For example, a 
  half-scale organism (SM -2) requires one-fourth as much food 
  (0.5¥0.5, the square of scale); but its stomach holds one-eighth 
  as much (0.5¥0.5¥0.5, the cube of scale), so it needs twice as 
  many meals a day (six rather than three) – the average interval 
  between meals is one-half as long (four hours rather than eight), 
  in proportion to scale, while the number of meals is in inverse 
  proportion to scale.
  Increased and Reduced Consumption are defined in terms 
  of the number of meals, not their size or total weight. Small 
  races have to eat or refuel more often, so they have Increased 
  Consumption; a half-scale race would have Increased Consump-
  tion 1. Allowing half-levels of Increased Consumption for -5 
  points provides a closer fit to racial scale. Reduced Consump-
  tion doesn’t fit as neatly; allowing one-half meal frequency for 
  1.5 levels, 10% for 2.5 levels, and 2.5% for 3.5 levels better rep-
  resents intermediate larger sizes. For different-sized stomachs 
  or fuel tanks, buy different levels of these traits. Being Cold-
  Blooded reduces food (but not water) consumption separately.
  For cinematically scaled races, none of this applies; they eat 
  three meals a day, scaled to their large or tiny stomachs, and 
  don’t take Increased or Reduced Consumption. Exceptions can 
  be made for exaggerated scaling; for example, tiny fairies who 
  eat only once a day take Reduced Consumption 2.
  
   
  Choosing traits 
  26
  • Electrically powered machines without batteries take 
  the Elemental power modifier, worth -10% (GURPS Powers, 
  p. 27). The mundane countermeasures include pulling the 
  plug, throwing a main power switch, or shutting off a gener-
  ator. As machines, they don’t suffer from starvation; rather, 
  they immediately stop running – but they can start again if 
  power is restored.
  • Magivores (living organisms that feed on magic) take the 
  Magical power modifier, worth -10% (GURPS Powers, p. 27). 
  Treat a full day in a no-mana zone as three missed meals, 
  or one in a low-mana zone as one missed meal. In very high 
  mana, all FP spent are immediately restored.
  There are still other possible requirements for survival. 
  A race might have Dependency – for example, on an exotic 
  atmospheric chemical, mana, or radiation (or, more mun-
  danely, on water for a machine powered by an open-cycle 
  steam engine, such as a locomotive). Supernatural crea-
  tures or exotic machines may have Draining; e.g., without 
  blood, vampires weaken and die faster than humans with-
  out food. And artificial beings such as machines and syn-
  thetic life forms sometimes have Maintenance, falling apart 
  without external upkeep. These traits might accompany the 
  need to eat and drink, burn fuel, or photosynthesize – but 
  not necessarily! Doesn’t Eat or Drink often occurs alongside 
  Dependency (Mana) for magical constructs such as golems 
  and zombies, or Maintenance for machines with long-term 
  power sources.
  Increased Life Support represents a race’s need for large 
  or inconvenient equipment to survive in the campaign set-
  ting. Most often, this applies to alien races visiting a plane-
  tary environment (usually an Earthlike one) very different 
  from that of their native planet, and severely hostile to them 
  (see Habitats, pp. 15-18), or traveling in a vehicle that pro-
  vides such an environment for the benefit of its other occu-
  pants. This is over and above the traits that represent the 
  physiological or mechanical issues. A race that can sustain 
  itself with the contents of a pocket, or with an environment 
  suit no more awkward than winter clothing, doesn’t take 
  Increased Life Support – meeting its needs isn’t inconve-
  nient enough.
  the senses
  A race’s senses enable it to perceive the world, making it 
  possible to move and act in an informed way. Races that lack 
  senses either take no actions or carry out internally deter-
  mined actions that aren’t influenced by their surroundings. 
  Some vehicles are an exception to this: If they have IQ 0 and 
  Compartmentalized Mind (Controls), they act as an operator 
  decides, and the operator’s senses inform the decision.
  Human beings can detect light, with vision; sound, with 
  hearing; solid objects and temperature, with touch; and chem-
  ical substances, with smell and taste. Humans and other races 
  get these for free. The frequency ranges of sight and hearing 
  can be shifted up or down at no cost, or expanded by buying 
  various advantages: Hyperspectral Vision, Infravision, Sub-
  sonic Hearing, Ultrahearing, or Ultravision.
  For more exotic options, take Detect (to notice a sub-
  stance, signal, or condition); Scanning Sense (to emit energy 
  and recognize objects from the reflections); Telecommunica-
  tion, possibly with Receive Only (to detect and understand sig-
  nals, similar to hearing); or Vibration Sense (to “feel” objects 
  without touching them). Detect normally operates only after a 
  second of concentration, and detects only the nearest relevant 
  source; add Reflexive, +40% to avoid both issues, giving some-
  thing more like a biological sense. Scanning Sense and some 
  forms of Vibration Sense are “active,” emitting energy while in 
  use, which others can detect.
  Sapient races need to have a primary sense. For 
  humans – and for many animals and aliens, and for robots 
  and spirits that interact with humans – this is vision. Other 
  human senses can be enhanced by taking the Discrimina-
  tory versions (or Sensitive Touch); this enables their use to 
  identify specific objects, track their movements, or navi-
  gate the environment. There is no equivalent advantage for 
  vision; the vision of primates, most birds, and cephalopods 
  is already discriminatory, for 0 points. Other organisms 
  may use Sonar or Vibration Sense (Active Electroreception) 
  (p. 44) for the same purposes. Machines can have various 
  forms of Scanning Sense, and spirits may have Detect (Ana-
  lyzing). In a world with psionics, aliens or mutant humans 
  may rely on abilities of the ESP power.
  Hearing and touch are secondary senses for humans. 
  Many species with camera eyes have vision as a secondary 
  sense with poor resolution, such as typical “mammal vision”; 
  see Visual Impairment (GURPS Powers: Enhanced Senses, 
  p. 12). Detect (especially with Signal Detection), Telecommu-
  nication (often with Receive Only), and Vibration Sense can 
  be secondary senses for other sorts of beings.
  Minor human senses include smell, taste, awareness of 
  temperature, and awareness of pain. Balance can also be con-
  sidered a minor sense, though Perfect Balance mainly affects 
  movement (pp. 27-28). Detect (Vague) and Telecommunica-
  tion (Vague, often with Receive Only) can represent minor 
  senses of other beings.
  ComPoUnd eyes
  Human and other primate eyes are much better than 
  most camera eyes, but compound eyes – such as those of 
  insects – are much worse. To represent this, give the race 
  Blindness and Detect (Light) with the Precise enhance-
  ment. Treat light as Occasional, like radio and radar. 
  This provides the ability to sense light sources, reflective 
  patches, or spots of specific colors, and to tell the direc-
  tion to them. This ability normally works in a 360° radius; 
  it can be narrowed using the Restricted Arc limitation, 
  worth -30% for 240°, -60% for 120°, or -75% for 60°.
  Further modifiers can be applied to better fit the capa-
  bilities of specific organisms or machines. For example, 
  mantis shrimp, with 12 different visual pigments, have 
  Analyzing (+100%), adding 10 points to the cost – compa-
  rable to taking Discriminatory Taste, and allowing recog-
  nition of very specific colors.
  
   
  Choosing traits 
  27
  A variety of disadvantages exist for races that lack human 
  senses: Blindness, Deafness (or Hard of Hearing, for par-
  tial deafness), No Sense of Smell/Taste, and Numb. The lack 
  of exotic biological senses such as Infravision or Vibration 
  Sense, or technological capabilities such as Imaging Radar, 
  isn’t a disadvantage – humans lack those senses – but if a race 
  has Infravision, for example, an individual member of that 
  race who lacks it can take No Infravision as a disadvantage 
  (see Modification, p. 37).
  For much more on the senses, see 
  GURPS Powers: Enhanced Senses.
  CommUniCation
  Communication can be either 
  precise, as with speech or sign lan-
  guage, or vague, limited to sim-
  ple codes or general concepts and 
  emotions, as with animal sounds 
  or gestures. Sapient races need pre-
  cise communication, both to inter-
  act with other sapient beings and to 
  give structure to their own thoughts. 
  Nonsapient races with IQ 1-5 (most animals) are capable only 
  of vague communication. Races with IQ 0 (most vehicles) 
  can’t communicate at all, though they may have instruments 
  that operators can read, or built-in telecommunications 
  devices for operators to use.
  Communication normally requires a physical channel. For 
  human beings, this is primarily sound. Other races may have 
  Mute if they can’t make sounds at all, or Cannot Speak if they’re 
  limited to animal noises. Races that communicate on differ-
  ent frequencies may have Subsonic or Ultrasonic Speech; if 
  they’re limited to these frequencies, either is a 0-point feature.
  It’s possible to imagine races (typically alien) that use other 
  channels based on the signaling mechanisms of animals, such 
  as an octopus’s color changes or a knifefish’s electrical signals. 
  This is defined as the advantage Signals (pp. 44-45).
  Robots and other machine races can take most varieties of 
  Telecommunication (but probably not Telesend); a very com-
  mon option here is Cable Jack (p. 44). A robot or computer 
  can have a built-in speaker for free, or a video display screen 
  as an Accessory perk. The ability to project a convincing holo-
  graphic image is Illusion (Visual Only, -30%); see GURPS 
  Powers, pp. 94-95.
  Sapient races with fine manipulators can express them-
  selves with the Gesture skill or learn true sign languages 
  (p. B25). Whole body movements such as the waggle dance of 
  honeybees can convey messages in stereotyped codes; sapi-
  ent races can use IQ-based Dancing similarly to Gesture, 
  though less conveniently. (For sapient swarms – Swarms, 
  pp. 14-15 – IQ-based Dancing is more convenient, and is the 
  normal skill for conveying simple concepts.) Understand-
  ing sign languages requires human-comparable vision, an 
  equivalent Scanning Sense, or Sensitive Touch; simpler mes-
  sages require any version of Scanning Sense, touch, or vision 
  (including Detect (Light) with Precise).
  Alien races, or races of advanced humanoids, may be able 
  to communicate psionically (see Races and Powers, p. 35). 
  Spirits don’t usually do this; some of them can speak for them-
  selves, and embodied characters with Channeling can lend 
  their voices to others.
  movement
  Most races have some means of moving from place to 
  place. Members of races that might join parties of adventurers 
  need a way to travel! Beings with No Legs (Sessile) might be 
  Contacts, but aren’t likely Allies – much less PCs.
  Races that can move may be able to do so in or on a vari-
  ety of media:
  Ground 
  movement 
  nor-
  mally takes the form of walk-
  ing and running; races without 
  special traits, and amphibious 
  races, are capable of this. If 
  their speed is the same, races 
  without legs can have No Legs 
  (Bounces, Rolls, or Slithers), 
  for 0 points. Races that move 
  slowly have their Basic Move 
  bought down; they might also 
  have Taboo Trait (Fixed Basic 
  Move) as a feature. Machine 
  races often have the No Legs 
  (Tracked or Wheeled) disadvantage. They may also have air 
  cushions, like hovercraft; buy this as Flight with Low Ceil-
  ing (usually 5 or 10 feet), but it’s effectively a form of ground 
  movement – though it usually works over liquids, too. Races 
  with No Legs (Semi-Aquatic) have reduced ground movement; 
  those with No Legs (Aerial or Aquatic) have none.
  Above-ground movement can be defined as climbing, and is 
  often accompanied by Perfect Balance. This may be granted 
  by a balancing organ such as a tail too small to count as an 
  Extra Arm or Striker; such an appendage is targeted at -3 and 
  takes injury as an extremity, and crippling it negates Per-
  fect Balance. Clinging allows above-ground movement with-
  out Climbing rolls, and doesn’t benefit from Perfect Balance. 
  Buy faster movement as levels of Super Climbing. Brachiator 
  allows a race with at least two arms to use them to swing from 
  overhead handholds; this is considered aerial movement, and 
  fast brachiation is bought as Enhanced Move (Air).
  Underground movement can be bought as Tunneling – but 
  only for super-races. Use the Burrower perk to represent real-
  istic underground movement; this allows digging at a speed 
  proportional to Basic Lift (see p. B350). Buy a second level of 
  Burrower to allow breaking up hard soil or rock.
  Underwater movement is possible without special traits, but 
  at limited speeds (p. B18), and Swimming rolls are required. 
  Races with Amphibious or No Legs (Semi-Aquatic or Aquatic) 
  can swim at their Basic Move without these restrictions. For 
  faster swimming, buy extra water Move (no more than two 
  levels for races with restricted speeds) or Enhanced Move 
  (Water). It’s common for swimmers to rely on fins, webbed 
  feet, paddlewheels, or propellers that can’t be armored; this is 
  a disadvantage (p. B145). Propulsion by pump jets, whether 
  in squid or watercraft, is purely internal and can be bought 
  as Enhanced Move. All these rules apply equally to living 
  organisms with solvents other than water (see Biochemicals, 
  pp. 19-20) swimming in bodies of those same solvents. Sub-
  mersible machines are usually designed to have the same 
  buoyancy as their fluid medium; high-density machines (or 
  life forms!) sink to the bottom, but they can use ground move-
  ment there.
  Gummitch was a superkitten, 
  as he knew very well, with an I.Q. 
  of about 160. Of course, he didn’t 
  talk. But everybody knows that 
  I.Q. tests based on language ability 
  are very one-sided.
  – Fritz Leiber,  
  “Space-Time for Springers”
  
   
  Choosing traits 
  28
  Surface water movement follows the same rules, but with 
  the added disadvantage of inability to dive (p. B145). It’s also 
  possible for a race to be incapable of staying on the surface; 
  this is the Cannot Float quirk. Vehicles or other machines that 
  depend on sails for mobility – or life forms along the lines of a 
  Portuguese man o’ war – should have No Legs (Aquatic, Pas-
  sive) (p. 46) and Sails (p. 45), which can’t be armored. Sails 
  as such don’t prevent a race from diving, but if it has No Legs 
  (Aquatic, Passive), it’s at Move 0 when submerged. Walk on 
  Liquid is an alternative – though only realistic for races small 
  enough to have ST 0.
  Air movement normally means Flight, fairly often along-
  side Enhanced Move. Highly maneuverable races are likely to 
  improve air Move (p. B18); races that travel at high speeds 
  on mostly straight courses should take Enhanced Move. Both 
  living organisms and machines generally have Flight with 
  Winged (a helicopter’s rotors, for example, count as wings) 
  and may also have Cannot Hover. Less fully aerial races 
  might have the Gliding or Controlled Gliding modifier, often 
  with enhanced jumping ability (see below) to assist takeoff. 
  Machines or science-fictional races occasionally have Flight 
  with Lighter Than Air. If a Nonautonomous lighter-than-air 
  vehicle lacks a propulsion system, buy its air Move down to 0 
  and give it Taboo Trait (Fixed Air Move).
  Space movement is Flight with Space Flight or Newtonian 
  Space Flight – the latter, in most realistic campaigns. Races 
  native to space often have Space Flight Only as well. Newto-
  nian Space Flight suits races that rely on reaction mass; after 
  their reaction mass is exhausted, they’ll have to take on addi-
  tional mass, perhaps from a gas cloud or a planet with micro-
  gravity. Space Flight suits races with light sails; these add 
  Accessibility, Only in sunlight, -10% (sunlight is nearly omni-
  present in space, at least in the inner solar system).
  All of the preceding forms of movement are continuous, 
  but many races are capable of discontinuous movement, or 
  jumping. Basic jumping is possible for races without spe-
  cial traits; an average human can high jump 20 inches or 
  broad jump 7 feet, or twice as far with a running start. Buy 
  increased jumping capability as Super Jump; this usually 
  represents propulsion by leg muscles, but Super Jump with 
  Limited Use can represent built-in rocket thrust. Heavily 
  built life forms or robots may be unable to jump; see Cannot 
  Jump (p. 46).
  Swimmers can’t perform a standing jump out of water, 
  but a fast swimmer can jump with a moving start, based 
  on the number of yards it swims. This could also apply to a 
  wheeled race that ascends a ramp. Fliers don’t usually need 
  to jump, but gliders can get into the air with a jumping start, 
  taking off from either the ground or the water (like flying 
  fish or some squid).
  The ultimate in discontinuous movement is Warp, which is 
  likely only for fantastic races.
  maniPUlation
  Manipulators can take a variety of forms. In living organ-
  isms, they’ve evolved from such varied body parts as limbs, 
  tails, and noses. Aliens or psionically gifted humans may 
  manipulate things using psychokinesis or other powers (Races 
  and Powers, p. 35). Machines (and prosthetic devices) so far 
  have largely been restricted to simple grippers, hooks, or 
  specialized tools – but the emergence of microprocessors has 
  enabled much more sophisticated devices, and fictional robots 
  may have humanlike hands or radically different and highly 
  capable equipment.
  Whatever its origins, in GURPS, a limb that supports 
  manipulatory structures is an “arm.” The standard racial 
  design includes two of these. A race with more can take 
  Extra Arms (p. B53), which can have modifiers for being lon-
  ger, shorter, more flexible, or weaker than the body; if they’re 
  stronger, take Arm ST (p. B40). The standard two arms can 
  be modified, too, using Modifying Beings With One or Two 
  Arms (p. B53). This can make racial templates look compli-
  cated; e.g., a being with three long arms would have Extra 
  Arms 1 (Long, +1 SM, +100%) [20] and Long Arms 2 (+1 SM) 
  [20], but all three arms would be identical! A race with one 
  arm takes One Arm (p. B147) and pays for the cost of any 
  modifications to that arm. A race with no arms takes No 
  Fine Manipulators (p. B145) – or No Manipulators, if it has 
  no limbs at all.
  Some races have dual-purpose limbs that act as both arms 
  and legs. For apelike creatures with prehensile toes on their 
  feet, this is Extra Arms modified with Temporary Disadvan-
  tage, Legless, -30%; see Foot Manipulators (p. B53). Birds 
  such as parrots with wings and clawed feet can be treated 
  as having two modified arms bought as Foot Manipulators. 
  Bat-like creatures with claws on their wings buy the Flight 
  advantage with Temporary Disadvantage, No Fine Manipu-
  lators, -30%, and pay for the claws as two modified arms; see 
  Vespertilian (p. 10).
  Some arms didn’t start out as limbs, such as an elephant’s 
  trunk or a monkey’s prehensile tail. These are normally taken 
  as Extra-Flexible. The same applies to the arms of inverte-
  brates such as octopuses.
  A separate set of traits applies to the capabilities of the 
  manipulators. If a race has nothing better than a mammal’s 
  paws or an insect’s unbranched legs, treat this as No Fine 
  Manipulators. If its manipulators are clumsy, take Ham-
  Fisted: one level for a gorilla’s hands, two for a crab’s claws. 
  Superior manipulators have High Manual Dexterity. A race 
  such as Moravec’s proposed “bush robots” – with fingers 
  branching into second-order fingers that then branch into 
  third-order fingers and so on – would have Accessory (Micro-
  manipulators) and should also have Sensitive Touch. A race 
  can also have one or more levels of Bad Grip or Good Grip 
  (p. 44). Don’t give Bad Grip to a race that climbs habitually; 
  the skill penalties are prohibitive!
  There are two situations where a race without limbs 
  shouldn’t be treated as having No Manipulators. If a race 
  has a mouth, as most biological races do, and its parts offer 
  more extensibility, flexibility, and opposability than do human 
  mouthparts (e.g., a parrot’s beak and tongue), this can be 
  pressed into service as an arm, usually Short and with No 
  Physical Attack; if the creature has no other manipulators, 
  treat this as One Arm. Mouths should usually have one level of 
  Good Grip (with teeth or a beak), unless they have Weak Bite. 
  A limbless race with Constriction Attack can use its entire 
  body to grasp things; if it does, treat its body as a “limb” (giv-
  ing it No Fine Manipulators rather than No Manipulators).
  Mechanical races may be able to pick up ferrous objects 
  magnetically, and the same may apply to some exotic alien 
  races. Treat this as Telekinesis (Magnetic, -50%).
  
   
  Choosing traits 
  29
  attaCk
  The ability to attack is inherent in the possession of arms 
  (punching), legs (kicking), or teeth (biting). These body parts 
  can also grapple. And the whole body can be used as a weapon 
  in a slam.
  To enhance these “free” attacks, add Claws or Teeth. A race 
  with DR 3+ without Flexible, Force Field, or Tough Skin (see 
  Defense, below) can get +1 to crushing damage from the Strik-
  ing Surface perk.
  Larger bonuses require a Striker, which can represent 
  horns, tusks, or the like. Wings that can inflict damage must 
  be paid for as Strikers (often Long) in addition to Flight 
  (Winged); they can be attacked (pp. B552-553), or damaged 
  by a parry. A heavy tail, or one with spikes or a sting, can 
  also be attacked and damaged (p. B553); to represent this, add 
  both a suitable Striker (possibly with Clumsy, Limited Arc, 
  or Long) and the Tail feature (p. 12). For a smaller, lighter 
  tail, take Striker with Weak, and treat it as an extremity rather 
  than a limb.
  For enhanced grappling ability, buy Constriction Attack. 
  And to discourage enemy grapples and enhance slams, get 
  Spines.
  At the GM’s option, races that lack some free attacks pos-
  sessed by humans may substitute others. For example, an ani-
  mal whose mouth lacks a biting surface (such as teeth or a 
  beak) might instead have the ability to secrete digestive juices 
  on its food, like a starfish, causing 1d-3 corrosion damage. An 
  electrically powered machine might be able to inflict nonle-
  thal electric shocks; a nuclear-powered one might emit low-
  level radiation (perhaps 1 rad/hour).
  Buy any higher-powered attack 
  as usual: as Affliction, Binding, 
  or Innate Attack. Living organ-
  isms may use venom or electric 
  shocks. Machines might have 
  built-in firearms, liquid projec-
  tors, or – at higher TLs – energy 
  weapons. For many worked 
  examples, see GURPS Powers, 
  pp. 136-145.
  defense
  A race’s defense against direct 
  physical attacks is often based 
  on its structural support – that is, 
  its skeleton. Possibilities here include:
  Complete External Skeleton: The entire body is covered with 
  a rigid material that encloses its muscles and organs, or its 
  working mechanisms. To allow motion, it has built-in joints. 
  Treat this as Damage Resistance: bone, chitin, or bark with 
  DR 2-6 for living organisms, or structural materials that may 
  be much stronger for machines. This works like the skull of a 
  human being, whose DR 2 must be overcome before the brain 
  can be damaged. If the race has a head, and its entire body has 
  the same DR as its skull hit location, then reduce DR there to 0 
  as DR -2 (Partial, Skull, -70%; Tough Skin, -40%) [-2] – abbre-
  viated “No Skull DR” – before buying whole-body DR. Armor 
  like this usually has ports for sensors, electrical connections, 
  and/or ingestion, respiration, and excretion; if not, add Sealed. 
  Such beings are usually Horizontal, but can’t be Invertebrate 
  in the GURPS meaning of the word.
  Partial External Skeleton: Part of the body is covered with 
  rigid material that protects its vital organs, like a mollusk’s 
  shell. This is Damage Resistance (Partial, Vitals, -30%). Such a 
  race is Invertebrate, but can’t squeeze through small openings, 
  adding a Nuisance Effect that increases disadvantage value by 
  +5%, to -21 points.
  Internal Skeleton: The body has a rigid internal skeleton, 
  like a vertebrate, or a load-bearing frame, like a ship. This is 
  the standard option in GURPS. If there’s a head, it has a skull 
  with DR 2; the rest of the body gains no DR from its skeleton, 
  but can add external armor. In organisms this is usually DR 
  1-4 (Tough Skin, -40%); shells can have DR 2-5, typically with 
  Partial, Torso only. In machines it may be Flexible or Partial 
  (for important hit locations), or the machine may have jointed 
  external armor that isn’t load-bearing; much higher DR values 
  are possible. Such a race cannot be Invertebrate.
  No Skeleton: The body is made up of flexible, possibly elas-
  tic tissues, gaining rigidity from internal hydrostatic pressure. 
  Any DR has Tough Skin (in living organisms) or Flexible (in 
  machines), and there should be no separate skull armor; take 
  No Skull DR [-2]. Such races are normally Invertebrate.
  Other races have bodies without separate structural ele-
  ments; the entire body acts both as a skeleton and as armor. 
  Represent this using one of the elemental meta-traits under 
  Elementals (pp. 20-21). Such races often have Injury Tolerance 
  (Homogenous); this is also appropriate for undead beings that 
  have no functional internal organs (like a vampire’s digestive 
  system), but are simply masses of dead tissue. Beings made of 
  liquids, gases, or particulates may instead have 
  Injury Tolerance (Diffuse), taking only mini-
  mal damage from physical attacks. Entities 
  with Insubstantiality, such as unmaterial-
  ized spirits, take no damage at all from nor-
  mal physical attacks, but are harmed by 
  attacks with Affects Insubstantial; they can 
  usually harm each other, too, and it’s per-
  fectly possible for a spirit to have insubstan-
  tial armor.
  Machines with complex structures have 
  Injury Tolerance (Unliving) rather than 
  Injury Tolerance (Homogenous). Those 
  with power plants or batteries treat them 
  as vital organs and won’t have No Vitals. 
  The bleeding rules can be used to represent 
  leaks (letting in water or letting out air or gas), 
  and machines that can leak shouldn’t have No Blood. For the 
  equivalent of No Eyes, see No Windows (p. 43). Machines, 
  especially vehicles, may have Accessory (Lock) (p. 45).
  The other major class of harmful agents is those resisted 
  by an attribute, normally HT. Defenses against these usually 
  involve making a race Resistant, which gives bonuses to HT 
  for such rolls. Most forms of Resistant protect against cate-
  gories of things that affect living organisms, all the way up to 
  the broad category of metabolic hazards (all diseases and poi-
  sons, plus altitude sickness, the bends, seasickness, and other 
  physiological conditions). Total Immunity, other than the nar-
  rowest sort such as to specific poisons or diseases, is rare; it 
  usually reflects being a different basic type of entity, such as a 
  machine or spirit with Immunity to Metabolic Hazards.
  
   
  Choosing traits 
  30
  Machines and spirits, in turn, often have the ability to be 
  affected by an unfavorable condition as a disadvantage; e.g., 
  machines may have Electrical, making them vulnerable to 
  power drainage and surges, while computers, infomorphs, 
  or spirits with “true names” may be Reprogrammable. The 
  absence of such a trait could be considered an Immunity; 
  rather than removing it entirely, a race or character might still 
  have it, but be Resistant to its ill effects – for an example, see 
  Resistant (p. 44) for a discussion of being hardened against 
  power surges. In many cases, if being subject to a hazard has 
  a negative point value, it’s fair to “flip the sign” and use that as 
  the cost of Immunity to that hazard.
  A more specialized trait of the same kind is Protected Sense, 
  which can keep a ranged sense from being overwhelmed 
  by intense stimuli. Versions of this trait can be applied to 
  machines, organisms with exotic senses, and more unusual 
  beings. It’s relatively rare in living creatures (though Nictitat-
  ing Membrane, armoring the eyes, is common enough), but 
  may be found in combat-hardened machines and some super-
  natural beings.
  Both Resistant/Immunity and Protected Sense may occur 
  in races that have to live in harsh, unpredictable environ-
  ments. Such races may also have Radiation Tolerance (see 
  Radiation, p. 17, for more on this).
  Another important category of defensive traits is the abil-
  ity to heal from damage. This applies to living organisms and 
  to most spirits and their material forms; machines must be 
  repaired, and the undead tend to have limited or no healing 
  abilities (any of which is Unhealing). Regrowth – the capacity 
  to grow back lost body parts – is the most biologically realis-
  tic healing trait. A race with Rapid Healing or a modest level 
  of Regeneration might be justifiable; reserve high levels of 
  Regeneration for supernatural beings and super-races.
  Avoiding getting hurt in the first place can be an even bet-
  ter option! This is the main benefit of Combat Reflexes, which 
  suits many wild animals (predators and elusive prey alike) 
  and races of warriors, and of Enhanced Time Sense, available 
  to computer-based races. Enhanced Move is another good 
  option for races with natural enemies.
  oUtWard form
  A race’s physical qualities include such things as its appear-
  ance and voice, which can give it reaction modifiers. Appear-
  ance is a matter of shape and surface texture, and can be 
  perceived by vision, Scanning Sense, or touch; it ranges from 
  Horrific to Transcendent. Voice can be perceived by hearing, 
  and its extremes are Disturbing Voice and Voice; Stuttering 
  is equivalent to Disturbing Voice, but applies only to beings 
  that can use a language. Races that communicate non-acous-
  tically might have analogous advantages and disadvantages, at 
  the same point values, affecting those with the relevant senses 
  (see Signals, pp. 44-45). Only a disadvantage, Bad Smell, is 
  available for what a race smells like.
  Normally, these traits affect one’s own race and closely 
  similar races. Their main effect is to produce more or less 
  favorable reactions. For example, typical humans have Aver-
  age appearance, and their usual reactions to each other are 
  “Poor” on a 9 or “Neutral” on a 10-12. If elves have Attrac-
  tive appearance, giving +1 to reactions, their usual reactions 
  to each other will be “Neutral” on a 10-12 or “Good” on a 13, 
  making them naturally more cooperative; if orcs have Unat-
  tractive appearance, it will have the reverse effect. Don’t 
  include these traits in a racial template unless you want such 
  behavioral effects. Even then, be careful about the size of the 
  total modifier – anything beyond ±2 will have extreme effects.
  The voice traits and Bad Smell affect other races with the 
  relevant senses; so does appearance with the Universal modi-
  fier. Such effects don’t matter to social behavior within a race, 
  but may affect a race’s reputation within a larger community 
  of many races. An option for appearance is to limit its effects, 
  not to members of the same race, but to members of the most 
  common or most powerful race in the setting; this is particu-
  larly suitable for Horrific, Monstrous, or Hideous appearance, 
  for monstrous beings, or for Transcendent appearance, for 
  godlike ones, but can also apply to any appearance level with 
  Impressive. Manufactured beings, such as robots or bioroids, 
  could also have appearance levels aimed at the race of their 
  makers; they might have the Off-the-Shelf Looks limitation, as 
  might a race with little genetic diversity.
  mental traits
  Partial templates for cybershells (see Robots and 
  Automata, p. 7) and vessels (see Embodied Spirits, p. 8) omit 
  mental traits. Vehicles with IQ 0 (p. 7) usually have Insensate 
  and Nonautonomous; mental traits don’t apply to them and 
  aren’t specified.
  ConsCioUsness
  Sleep-related traits are defined as physical, and sleep has a 
  physical effect: restoration of lost FP (pp. B426-427). On the 
  other hand, sleep amounts to loss of consciousness, and con-
  sciousness is a prerequisite for the exercise of nearly all men-
  tal traits. (A vehicle, without mental traits, doesn’t sleep – but 
  its operator probably does, so it doesn’t have to pay points for 
  Doesn’t Sleep.) Thus, it makes sense to start the discussion of 
  mental traits with sleep and consciousness.
  The human baseline is eight hours of sleep per day. This 
  can be increased (Extra Sleep) or decreased (Less Sleep). For 
  human beings, no more than ±4 hours are allowed, but non-
  human races can have different limits, or be conscious all 
  the time (Doesn’t Sleep). A race that never woke up wouldn’t 
  be suitable for character design, so a limit of 15 hours of 
  Extra Sleep, or one waking hour per day, seems reasonable.  
  Sleepy (p. B154) is equivalent to Extra Sleep in cost, and its 
  comments on schedule apply here as well.
  Oh no! Another Laurie Anderson clone!
  – Laurie Anderson,  
  “Talk Normal”
  
   
  Choosing traits 
  31
  Some races can enter other altered states of conscious-
  ness. The Autotrance perk may be found in biological races 
  that have close relations with spirits. A race that’s naturally 
  capable of lucid dreaming could have Dreaming as a racially 
  learned skill (p. 33). Compartmentalized Mind represents a 
  race’s ability to carry on distinct mental tracks in parallel; this 
  is most likely to be useful in races with psionic or magical 
  abilities that let a secondary consciousness act independent 
  of the body, or to computers or infomorphs that can be active 
  in cyberspace.
  Consciousness is tied up with the perception of time. Most 
  races experience the passage of time approximately as humans 
  do. However, some races have Enhanced Time Sense, letting 
  them effectively step outside the flow of time, think about 
  their actions at leisure, and then step back in; this is common 
  in infomorphs and may also occur in AIs, intangible spirits, or 
  superhumanly gifted biological races. Similar but lesser bene-
  fits can be gained from Altered Time Rate.
  A more fundamental choice in racial design is whether 
  to have Digital Mind. This is characteristic of infomorphs 
  with Complexity-Limited IQ (p. 12), but can also appear in 
  machines in general, and perhaps even in unusual organ-
  isms. It’s a net advantage because it makes the race invul-
  nerable to psionic or super powers that affect the mind, to 
  magical powers or spells with similar effects, and to most 
  biologically based mind-affecting abilities. However, it 
  includes susceptibility to Computer Hacking and Computer 
  Programming, to cybernetically based abilities with the Dig-
  ital modifier, and to cyberpsi abilities, none of which can 
  affect analog minds, whether in organic beings, spirits, or 
  even unusual machines. Digital Mind can also justify such 
  traits as Compartmentalized Mind, Enhanced Time Sense, 
  Lightning Calculator, Modular Abilities, and Photographic 
  Memory – and Reprogrammable.
  Cognition
  Cognition is awareness of the world, of oneself, and of 
  abstract ideas. It provides the basis for making decisions 
  and taking actions. In GURPS, cognitive abilities are mainly 
  represented by IQ (Attributes, Secondary Characteristics,  
  and Talents, p. 24). Some specialized aspects of cognition 
  are covered by other traits, however.
  Improvements in memory can take the form of Eidetic 
  or Photographic Memory. Realistically, most living organ-
  isms should be limited to Eidetic Memory. Infomorphs and 
  the majority of robots have the AI meta-trait (p. 9), which 
  includes Photographic Memory. Discriminatory Senses 
  (including Sensitive Touch) are equivalent to Eidetic Memory 
  for their sensory modalities; adding the Profiling enhance-
  ment makes them equivalent to Photographic Memory in 
  this realm.
  Impaired thinking can take the form of Dyslexia, Innu-
  merate, or Non-Iconographic, for inability to use written 
  language, arithmetic, or abstract images, respectively; Innu-
  merate in this case isn’t simple lack of knowledge, but inabil-
  ity to acquire that knowledge. Quirk-level versions are Mild 
  Dyslexia, Math-Shy, and Symbol-Shy. Represent enhanced 
  abilities with Language Talent for words, or Lightning Cal-
  culator or Intuitive Mathematician (included in the AI meta-
  trait) for numbers. None of these traits apply to races with 
  racial IQ 5 or less.
  Remarkable creativity takes the form of Versatile – and its 
  lack takes the form of Hidebound. Hidebound is included in 
  the Automaton meta-trait (p. 9), found in some infomorphs, 
  robots, golems, and undead. For more on these traits, see 
  Motivation and Behavior (below).
  motivation and Behavior
  Different races can have a variety of traits (often disad-
  vantages or quirks) that shape their thinking and behavior. 
  Bear in mind that GURPS disadvantages, particularly those 
  with self-control numbers, produce exaggerated behavior 
  patterns; players may be reluctant to roleplay beings from 
  such races, especially those with multiple disadvantages, 
  or a self-control number of (9) or (6). More nuanced behav-
  ior – only modestly unusual in human terms – can be repre-
  sented by quirks.
  A detailed system for profiling racial “personality” 
  appears on pp. 169-170 of GURPS Space. It’s presented 
  there as the last step in random racial creation, but with 
  the suggestion that GMs can also start with desired per-
  sonality traits and work backward to find compatible bio-
  logical traits. The version presented here supports that 
  approach; in particular, it omits Space’s detailed rules for 
  assigning trait values in favor of general guidelines. See 
  Behavior and Mentality (pp. 40-41) for suggestions on how 
  racial traits play into social patterns.
  A race with the Automaton meta-trait (p. 9) – such as some 
  robots, infomorphs, bioroids, and undead – has Curiosity -3, 
  Empathy -3, Imagination -2, and Playfulness -2. Its other traits 
  will usually be at 0, though it may have enhanced Concentra-
  tion, especially if it also is Reprogrammable.
  Chauvinism
  Awareness and protection of the boundaries of social 
  groups, from clans or tribes up to entire races. High in 
  races that depend on geographically localized resources 
  or that form hives, and in spirits of place. Low in races 
  that trade extensively.
  Score
  Traits
  +3 or more
  Chauvinistic (becomes racial Intolerance 
  if Empathy is less than +1 or Suspicion 
  greater than -1; becomes Xenophobia 
  (12) if Suspicion is greater than +1)
  +2
  Chauvinistic (becomes racial Intolerance 
  if Empathy is less than +1 or Suspicion 
  greater than -1)
  +1
  Chauvinistic (becomes racial Intolerance 
  if Empathy is less than 0 or Suspicion 
  greater than 0)
  0
  Normal
  -1
  Broad-Minded
  -2
  Broad-Minded (becomes Xenophilia (15)  
  if Suspicion is less than 0 and Empathy 
  is greater than 0)
  -3 or less
  Delusion (quirk-level – “All sapient races 
  are alike”) (becomes Xenophilia (12)  
  if Suspicion is less than 0 or Empathy 
  is greater than 0; Xenophilia (9) if both 
  are true)
  
   
  Choosing traits 
  32
  Concentration
  Ability and inclination to focus on 
  long-term tasks. High in races that 
  depend on resources that take a long 
  time to find or harvest, and in elemen-
  tal spirits of solid materials. Low in 
  races that react opportunistically to 
  sporadically available resources, and 
  in elemental spirits of air and fire.
  Score
  Traits
  +3 or more
  Single-Minded, and either High Pain 
  Threshold or one 5-point Talent
  +2
  Single-Minded
  +1
  Attentive or Patience of Job
  0
  Normal
  -1
  Distractible
  -2
  Short Attention Span (12)
  -3 or less
  Short Attention Span (9)
  Curiosity
  Level of attention paid to new things, and interest in find-
  ing them. High in omnivorous biological species, and in info-
  morphs. Low in herbivorous biological species; in spirits and 
  the undead; and in races with no primary sense.
  Score
  Traits
  +3 or more
  Curious (9) (becomes Curious (6) if 
  Concentration or Suspicion is 0 or less)
  +2
  Curious (12) (becomes Curious (9) if 
  Concentration is 0 or less)
  +1
  Nosy (becomes Curious (12) if 
  Concentration is 0 or less)
  0
  Normal
  -1
  Staid
  -2
  Incurious (12) (becomes Incurious (9) if 
  Suspicion is less than 0)
  -3 or less
  Incurious (9)
  Egoism
  Focus on personal gain or honor, and resistance to sub-
  ordination. High in biological races that rarely form groups, 
  in males in harem species, and in free-willed undead; 
  low in races that form hives, and in free-willed robots  
  and bioroids.
  Score
  Traits
  +3 or more
  Selfish (9)
  +2
  Selfish (12) (becomes Selfish (9) if Empathy 
  is less than 0 or Suspicion is greater 
  than 0)
  +1
  Proud (becomes Selfish (12) if Suspicion 
  is greater than 0; becomes Selfish (9) if 
  Empathy is -2 or less or if Suspicion is 
  +2 or greater)
  0
  Normal
  -1
  Humble
  -2
  Selfless (12) (becomes Selfless (9) if 
  Chauvinism is +2 or greater)
  -3 or less
  Selfless (6)
  Empathy
  Awareness of the feelings 
  of others; avoidance of giv-
  ing offense. High in races 
  that form small groups, and 
  in carnivores that pursue 
  intelligent prey; low in races 
  that rarely form groups, and 
  in free-willed robots and 
  infomorphs.
  Score
  Traits
  +3 or more
  Empathy (add Charitable (12) if 
  Gregariousness is greater than 0)
  +2
  Sensitive
  +1
  Responsive (becomes Sensitive if 
  Gregariousness is greater than 0 and 
  Suspicion is less than 0)
  0
  Normal
  -1
  Oblivious
  -2
  Callous
  -3 or less
  Low Empathy (add Bloodlust (12) for 
  carnivores)
  Gregariousness
  Sociability, need for the company of others. High in bio-
  logical races that form herds or (especially) have hive societ-
  ies; low in races that rarely form groups, particularly solitary 
  hunters, and in the undead.
  Score
  Traits
  Score
  Traits
  +3 or more
  Gregarious
  -1
  Uncongenial
  +2
  Chummy
  -2
  Loner (12)
  +1
  Congenial
  -3 or less
  Loner (9)
  0
  Normal
  Imagination
  Ability to see patterns, invent new behavior, and come up 
  with new ideas. High in biological races with flexible feeding 
  strategies, and in infomorphs; low in races with stereotyped 
  feeding strategies.
  Score
  Traits
  +3 or more
  Imaginative (becomes Versatile if 
  Concentration is 0 or greater and 
  Egoism is less than +2; if Empathy is 
  less than +1, add Odious Racial Habit 
  (Nonstop idea factory) [-5])
  +2
  Imaginative (becomes Versatile if 
  Concentration is 0 or greater and 
  Egoism is less than +2; if Concentration 
  is less than +1 or if Egoism is greater 
  than 0, add Dreamer)
  +1
  Imaginative (becomes Versatile if 
  Concentration is 0 or greater and 
  Egoism is less than +2)
  0
  Normal
  -1
  Dull
  -2
  Hidebound
  -3 or less
  Hidebound and reduce racial IQ by 1
  The fox runs for his 
  dinner; the rabbit runs  
  for his life.
  – Traditional proverb
  
   
  Choosing traits 
  33
  Playfulness
  Willingness to engage in non-utilitarian behavior; playful 
  animals are easier to train, and playful sapients have a sense 
  of humor. High in biological races with long maturation (such 
  as human beings) and in animals with species IQ 5; low in 
  animals with species IQ 1 or 2 and in races that rarely form 
  groups; very low if race has Cannot Learn.
  Score
  Trait
  +3 or more
  Compulsive Playfulness (12) [-5*] (becomes 
  Trickster (15) if race has Overconfidence)
  +2
  Playful
  +1
  Normal†
  0
  Serious
  -1
  Odious Racial Habit (Wet blanket) [-5]
  -2
  No Sense of Humor
  -3 or less
  Intolerance (Any form of jokes or play)
  † Humans are not the norm for this trait!
  Suspicion
  Distrust and fearfulness toward new things or surprises. 
  High in herbivores, in small races, and in races with no pri-
  mary sense or a handicapped primary sense; low in carni-
  vores, and in large races.
  Score
  Traits
  +3 or more
  Fearfulness 2 (add Cowardice for 
  herbivorous races, or Paranoia for 
  carnivorous races)
  +2
  Fearfulness 1 (becomes Careful if Curiosity 
  is -3 or less)
  +1
  Careful (ignore if Curiosity is -2 or less)
  0
  Normal
  -1
  Fearlessness 1
  -2
  Fearlessness 2 (add Overconfidence (12) if 
  Egoism is +2 or greater)
  -3 or less
  Fearlessness 3 (becomes Unfazeable 
  if Chauvinism is -3 or less; add 
  Overconfidence (12) if Egoism is +1 or 
  greater)
  skills
  Skills must ordinarily be learned, and thus differ from one 
  member of a race to another. This makes them suitable to 
  include in character templates but not in racial templates. Yet 
  there are exceptions to this rule.
  Racial Skills
  In some cases, every member of a race learns a skill, in 
  the way that every human being learns to speak a language. 
  “Every” can’t be taken literally – some members may develop 
  a different skill, as deaf humans often learn to sign a lan-
  guage, and some may not have it at all. See Modification 
  (p. 37) for more about such cases. A skill may also be part of 
  a race’s self-image, or other races’ image of it (see Archetypal 
  Skills, p. 35).
  In other cases, a race might not need to learn a skill – it 
  could be inherent in their nature. Biological races may have 
  instincts; artificial intelligences may have programs; spirits 
  may be spirits of something that implies a particular skill.
  The price of a racial skill is the same as if an individual 
  character were learning it (Skill Cost Table, p. B170). For 
  example, a tiger with DX+3 and racial-average DX 13 has 
  Stealth-13. This would be written under Racially Learned 
  Skills (Presentation, p. 42) as Stealth (A) DX [2]-13.
  Instincts, hardwired programs, and other inherent skills 
  often cannot be modified by learning. This is Taboo Trait 
  (Fixed Skill) (p. 12). With the GM’s permission, a racial tem-
  plate can be modified (p. 37) by removing an inherent skill; 
  with further permission, a member of the race might also 
  lack the taboo trait and be able to learn the skill. If so, the 
  skill has no default and must be learned initially from a 
  teacher or trainer.
  A computer-based race is likely to have Modular Abilities 
  (Computer Brain) – or in classic cyberpunk settings, Modular 
  Abilities (Chip Slots). Treat skills gained in this way as inher-
  ent skills with Taboo Trait (Fixed Skill). The same applies to 
  other types of races with other forms of Modular Abilities.
  Skill Bonuses and Penalties
  A race may be exceptionally good or bad at a particular 
  skill. If it’s exceptionally good, it gets a skill bonus that costs 2 
  points/level, to a maximum of three levels (+3); this is allowed 
  only in a racial template. If it’s exceptionally bad, give it an 
  Incompetence quirk as a racial trait.
  A racial knack for a group of related skills is a Talent 
  (Attributes, Secondary Characteristics, and Talents, p. 24).  
  A race can also be incompetent at a group of related skills; 
  treat this as a negative level of a Talent, with a negative point 
  cost. No race can have more than one “group incompetence.” 
  Talents can have up to four levels, positive or negative.
  
   
  Choosing traits 
  34
  In creating a character of a race with skill bonuses or pen-
  alties, start out from the relevant attribute; determine the level 
  of the skill relative to that attribute, based on the points spent 
  on the skill; and then apply any racial bonus or penalty.
  magiC
  In a fantasy campaign, a race can have the ability to work 
  magic, often defined as Magery 0, or a talent for using magic, 
  as levels of Magery. Taking levels of Magery with limitations 
  can help give a race a distinctive “feel.” Magic is usually avail-
  able only to living organisms or spirits, but machines or info-
  morphs might be capable of it with a magical coprocessor or 
  magical symbols, perhaps requiring an Unusual Background. 
  Or a standard computer might be possessed by a spirit with 
  magical abilities.
  In settings where standard spell-based magic (pp. B234-
  253) is available, a spell may be racially learned or inherent, 
  just like a racial skill. Racially learned spells are treated like 
  any other skill; in particular, they can be studied or trained to 
  a higher level. Inherent racial magic can’t be; it takes the form 
  of fixed spells. Determine the cost of a fixed spell as follows:
  • Take Magery 0 for 5 points.
  • Take the highest level of Magery required for the spell 
  or any of its prerequisites, with the modifier One Spell Only 
  (-80%), for 2 points/level.
  • Take the spell at a level relative to IQ + Magery, at the 
  usual point cost.
  • Add 1 point for each prerequisite spell.
  For fixed spells, the maximum level of Magery can be as 
  high as the GM wants. A nonsapient animal – or even a plant 
  with IQ 0 – could have enough Magery to cast one innate spell 
  at a reasonable level!
  In other settings, magic is better treated as a set of abili-
  ties built from advantages. This approach lends itself well to 
  inherent racial magic. Take whatever advantage is appropri-
  ate to represent a racial ability, and give it the power modifier 
  Magical (-10%), along with any other modifiers that fit. The 
  result is an ability that’s affected by the local mana level and 
  can be countered or dispelled by magic. A race may have an 
  inherent Talent for such an ability; characters of some sapient 
  races can buy levels of Talent as a learned trait – sometimes 
  even if they have the inherent Talent.
  GURPS Thaumatology provides many other options for 
  magic. Some forms of magic can be turned into racial traits 
  along the same lines as spell-based magic.
  soCial traits
  Social traits emerge from a being’s interaction with others, 
  and depend on how those interactions go. Different members 
  of a race can have different experiences that give them differ-
  ent identities. Because of this, most social traits are traits of 
  individuals, not of races. This is especially true when mem-
  bers of a race interact mainly with each other – they won’t see 
  a trait as distinctive if they all have it! Some races and some 
  traits are exceptions, however.
  the referenCe CUltUre
  Some character traits reflect, not a person’s inherent qual-
  ities, but how they stand in a particular society. For example, 
  an American in 1900 with technological skills at TL6 has nei-
  ther High TL nor Low TL. But in the TL1 world of Greek leg-
  end, a character with exactly the same skills would possess 
  High TL 5. Traits such as High TL and Low TL define how 
  an adventurer’s access to skills and equipment compares to 
  what’s normal in the scene of their adventures.
  It would be awkward if a Maori warrior had Low TL 5 rela-
  tive to the English colonists while his friend the Scots explorer 
  had High TL 5 relative to the local Maori village! And it would 
  be inconvenient if they both had to change traits when they 
  traveled from New Zealand to the British Isles. Rather, the GM 
  of a GURPS campaign needs to define a “reference society.” 
  This is usually the society where most of the action is expected 
  to take place. If a racial template includes social traits, these 
  should be defined in relation to the reference society.
  CUltUres,  
  langUages, and skills
  Social traits include things learned as a result of being cre-
  ated or educated in a particular culture. In some cases, a racial 
  template can include these.
  Cultural Lenses
  Races are often divided into multiple cultures. It’s possible 
  to represent a culture as a character template, as discussed in 
  GURPS Template Toolkit 1: Characters. When used together 
  with racial templates, these function as lenses: additional 
  packages of traits that make a racial template more specific. 
  If a culture’s traits are distinctive and uniform, it can make 
  sense to treat them as rules rather than guidelines or sugges-
  tions – to treat the culture as a sub-race.
  Several types of traits can be used to define a cultural lens:
  • Assets. A race may have access to unusual material 
  assets, such as High TL or above-average Wealth – or suffer 
  from Low TL or below-average Wealth.
  • Beliefs and prejudices. These are usually self-imposed 
  mental disadvantages or Odious Personal Habits, but other 
  mental traits are possible; e.g., a culture might share a Delu-
  sion or a Phobia.
  My mother was a test tube; 
  my father was a knife.
  – Robert Heinlein, 
  Friday
  
   
  Choosing traits 
  35
  • Genetic traits of a bloodline or closed breeding group 
  such as a caste. These are typically attribute modifiers or phys-
  ical advantages and disadvantages, but there are more exotic 
  options, such as – in a fantasy setting – Charisma (in a royal 
  lineage) or Magery 0 (in a sorcerer caste).
  • Physical modifications to a race’s body type, such as 
  minor surgery or body art to create distinctive features, or 
  refitting a machine for a new function.
  • Teachings that define a culture. Cultural Familiarities and 
  Languages are basic (and one of each is free!), but all mem-
  bers of a culture may have learnable advantage such as Eidetic 
  Memory, or skills such as Spacer, Survival, or a weapon skill.
  Archetypal Skills
  In some settings, races may be identified with archetypes, 
  as discussed in Sets of Races (pp. 22-23). Such an archetype 
  can include particular skills: Perhaps all dwarves are skilled 
  with axes, or all Belters know how to navigate in space. Such 
  archetypal skills often build on racial advantages, 
  such as Arm ST or 3D Spatial Sense. In an epic 
  or cinematic campaign, a race may have eso-
  teric skills – for example, all elves might have 
  Light Walk. All of these can be defined as racially 
  learned skills (p. 33). The ability to learn a skill 
  that’s normally off limits, such as Light Walk, 
  can be treated as a racial feature.
  Archetypal skills aren’t distinctive to a partic-
  ular cultural group. Rather, every member of a 
  race has them. Where including cultural lenses 
  provides a way to distinguish members of a race 
  from each other, archetypal skills provide a way 
  to make each race’s members play one main role 
  in their world. To identify such skills for a race, 
  look for things its members are always shown 
  as doing in stories, or – for a newly created 
  race – things it will be depicted as doing.
  reaCtion modifiers
  The most truly social aspect of a race is the 
  way members of other races regard it. Ideally, 
  each individual would be judged for their own 
  unique qualities, but it saves time and men-
  tal effort to form expectations about a race’s 
  typical behavior, and to react to its members 
  accordingly. In relatively benign cases, these 
  expectations and reactions will reflect the race’s 
  actual traits; often, they’ll exaggerate those traits 
  (e.g., Distractible may be thought of as Short 
  Attention Span); and some societies will attri-
  bute entirely imaginary qualities to the race. 
  Unusually objective (Broad-Minded) people, or 
  those who know an individual well, can com-
  pensate for such perceptions, and an individual’s 
  Reputation can work against and even overcome 
  the preconceptions; racially Intolerant individu-
  als will cling to their prejudices despite all evi-
  dence to the contrary.
  If the reference society in general views a 
  race in a particular way, its template can include 
  Social Regard (if it invites favorable reactions) or 
  Social Stigma (if it invites unfavorable ones). The difference is 
  sometimes subtle! For example, Social Regard (Feared) pro-
  duces favorable reactions similar to those from Intimidation; 
  Social Stigma (Monster) also can involve being feared, and 
  while it usually produces unfavorable reactions (up to being 
  hunted on sight), it gives a large Intimidation bonus. Use the 
  first for races that are still seen as people with some legal 
  rights, and the second for races that aren’t seen as people at 
  all. Only traits that don’t depend on individual acts or stages 
  in the life cycle are suitable; among Social Stigmas, this can be 
  Dead (p. 46), Minority Group, Monster, Second-Class Citizen, 
  Subjugated, and Valuable Property; possibly Uneducated; and 
  the supernatural form of Excommunicated for entities such 
  as demons.
  If only some people view a race in a certain way, give it a 
  racial Reputation, or different racial Reputations with differ-
  ent groups. Do the same if reactions to a race take a special-
  ized form, or are based on specialized traits, that don’t easily 
  fit any standard type of Social Regard or Social Stigma.
  CUltUrally defined traits
  Some traits are not necessarily specific to any one culture, but 
  take on distinctive forms in particular cultures. These may be cultur-
  ally flavored versions of standard variants of those traits, or newly 
  defined variants for particular cultures. The obvious examples are 
  self-imposed mental disadvantages – notably Code of Honor or Dis-
  ciplines of Faith (but not Trademark or Vow, which are inherently 
  individualized and don’t have standard variants) – but other pos-
  sibilities are Compulsive Behavior, Delusions, Phobias, or even a 
  particular Addiction. Some of these may be suitable as elements in 
  cultural lenses or even as archetypal traits.
  raCes and PoWers
  Belonging to a race, as such, can’t be defined as a power. Pow-
  ers of many types can be shut off – by mundane or technological 
  countermeasures, anti-powers, or the disapproval of the being that 
  grants them. What would it mean to “shut off” being a demon or a 
  robot – or, for that matter, a human being? Your template is what 
  you are; if you stop being that, you stop being, vanishing from the 
  world. A high-end cosmic ability might conceivably be able to negate 
  someone’s very existence, but no ordinary force should be capable 
  of that.
  On the other hand, becoming a member of a race – through 
  Shapeshifting, for instance – can be treated as the ability of a 
  power. Ordinarily this means that having the power shut down 
  restores your original form. If Shapeshifting has Once On, Stays 
  On (GURPS Powers, pp. 75, 109), however, shutting it down takes 
  away the ability to resume your original form, leaving you stuck in 
  the assumed form.
  It’s also perfectly possible for races to have powers; magical pow-
  ers are common in fantasy, and psionic powers in science fiction. 
  Countermeasures against the power source can shut down specific 
  racial abilities, but won’t usually make the race unable to exist or 
  function – a dragon in a no-mana zone might lose its fiery breath or 
  be unable to fly, but would still be a huge creature with sharp teeth 
  and an armored hide. Of course, if it lost the ability to fly at an alti-
  tude of 1,000 feet, the fall might easily kill it!
  
   
  raCes in Play 
  36
  Once a race has a template, char-
  acters who belong to it can be brought 
  into play, by the GM and often by play-
  ers. This raises the issue of how to 
  use a template effectively in a cam-
  paign – and knowing how a race will be 
  used can also help in designing its tem-
  plate in the first place.
  hoW mUCh do they Cost?
  Different races aren’t all equal, and their point costs don’t 
  have to be the same.
  The standard way to deal with this in GURPS is to give every 
  character the same number of character points. Templates 
  with positive point values are bought as advantages; templates 
  with negative point values are taken as disadvantages.
  Suppose a campaign allows 100 points for character 
  design, and up to -50 points in disadvantages and quirks. A 
  normal human can spend up to 150 points on desirable traits 
  and take up to -50 points in undesirable ones. A member of a 
  -25-point race can spend up to 150 points, but has free choice 
  of only -25 points of undesirable traits; a member of a 75-point 
  race can take the full -50 points in undesirable traits, but can’t 
  have more than 75 points of desirable ones; a member of a 
  375-point race can’t be played at all! Player-character races 
  have a limited range of point values, and extreme values allow 
  fewer choices for character design.
  A way around this is to separate the choice of race from 
  spending points. Players get some number of base points, and 
  some maximum number of points from disadvantages. But 
  they also get to choose a character’s race, and that doesn’t 
  count toward these limits. This takes care in planning the 
  campaign; races with positive costs have to be specialized 
  enough that they don’t overwhelm other races, while races 
  with negative costs have to have merits that make playing 
  them worthwhile. Maybe, for example, the -25-point race 
  is small and good at hiding, making suitable thieves or 
  scouts; maybe the 375-point race is highly intelligent, but 
  has little understanding of emotions and social interac-
  tion. It’s also possible to allow free choice of racial tem-
  plate, but within limits; e.g., “any race worth no less than 
  -50 points and no more than 50.”
  A further step is to do away with point budgets. In 
  the “build to concept” approach, players choose a race 
  and a few other broad descriptions, such as “cultural 
  background” and “profession,” and choose traits to fit 
  each of these. If the campaign uses character templates 
  (see GURPS Template Toolkit 1: Characters), charac-
  ter design might involve choosing racial and charac-
  ter templates – though it’s a good idea to allow a few 
  points for skills, perks, and quirks outside of these, to 
  make characters more interesting. The point cost of  
  each character is whatever its traits add up to. The pri-
  mary “balancing” mechanism is the requirement for 
  each character to embody a coherent and limited con-
  cept. However, it’s also vital that the GM design a suite 
  of races (see Sets of Races, pp. 22-23) that can all play 
  useful roles in a campaign, no matter how different 
  their point values (disregarding the restrictions under 
  Races and Powers, p. 35).
  ChaPter foUr
  raCes in Play
  sUPer-raCes
  In most campaigns, racial cost is limited to a modest range 
  of point values, whether positive or negative. But it’s possi-
  ble to create extremely powerful races. Angelic or demonic 
  beings, natural or elemental spirits, fantasy races such as 
  dragons, advanced aliens, or combat robots could be built 
  on hundreds of points. These usually appear as NPCs – pos-
  sibly Patrons or Enemies. But in a high-end campaign, such 
  as epic fantasy or supers, PCs may have enough character 
  points to belong to such races.
  In the supers genre, a common character origin is as 
  members of alien races, such as DC’s Kryptonians and Mar-
  tians and most of the Legion of Super-Heroes, or Marvel’s 
  Kree and Skrulls. Often, abilities of such races – like other 
  “superpowers” – can be negated or stolen by advanced tech-
  nology or special abilities based on Neutralize or Static. In 
  this case, it makes sense as a genre assumption to apply the 
  Super power modifier to any racial traits that are affected 
  this way.
  Such a campaign may also be a case for Player-Designed 
  Races (p. 37).
  Let us therefore defeat the humans in one fell 
  swoop, and create our own perfect AI world!!
  – Fuchikoma, in Ghost in the Shell
  
   
  raCes in Play 
  37
  modifiCation
  Not all humans are typical. A long list of GURPS traits are 
  ways in which a human character can differ from the aver-
  age human, and choosing among these is an important part of 
  character creation. It’s just as legitimate to create an atypical 
  nonhuman character.
  A character can have attributes or secondary character-
  istics different from the racial average, unless their race has 
  a taboo trait fixing an attribute or secondary characteristic’s 
  level. Buy attributes up or down from 10, at the usual cost, 
  and then add or subtract any racial bonus or penalty. Use the 
  resulting values to figure secondary characteristics; buy these 
  up or down from the figured values, at the usual cost and with 
  the standard restrictions on how big a change is possible; and 
  again add or subtract any racial bonus or penalty.
  A character can lack capabilities that appear as advan-
  tages on its racial template. For example, just as a human 
  can have Blindness or One Arm, a member of another race 
  could have No Sonar or Missing Extra Arm as an individual 
  trait. The negative point value of the lack should exactly can-
  cel out the positive point value included in the template.
  Approach adding capabilities with caution. For exam-
  ple, average mammalian vision compares to human vision 
  as human smell compares to a dog’s Discriminatory Smell; 
  buying off Bad Sight (Low Resolution) should be treated as 
  acquiring an exotic trait. However, some enhanced capabilities 
  may be within a race’s normal range of variation. Ask the GM 
  before adding such a trait.
  If a race has a Talent, individual members of the race can 
  also have levels of that Talent as an individual trait, up to the 
  usual maximum – that is, if a race is naturally good at, say, 
  mathematics or social interaction, some of its members may 
  be gifted beyond human limits. It should also be possible, 
  with most Talents, for an individual member of the race to 
  buy down the Talent; the negative point value for the resulting 
  “Anti-Talent” should exactly cancel the positive point value 
  included in the template.
  For behavioral traits, humans can vary in either direction 
  from the (usually neutral) human average. A similar adjust-
  ment can be made around any racial norm; see Behavior 
  and Mentality (pp. 40-41). Such reasoning can apply to other 
  traits that can shift in two different directions. For example, 
  an unusually homely elf might have Not Attractive to repre-
  sent being no better looking than a human. In some cases, the 
  description may take a different form: a playful member of 
  a race with No Sense of Humor might have Sense of Humor 
  [10], or a very timid member of a race with Fearlessness 1 
  might have Fearfulness 1 [-4] with a footnote: “Bought down 
  from racial Fearlessness 1.”
  Standard racial traits should be subsumed by the racial 
  template. Differences should be listed as individual traits.
  The only noticeable effect garlic had on me was bad breath.
  – Nancy Collins, Sunglasses after Dark
  Player-designed raCes
  Some players may want to do more than modify a racial 
  template – they might want to create a template for a race of 
  their own creation, or have the GM do so.
  Letting players do this can generate problems for a cam-
  paign. There’s a chance of its leading them into temptation, 
  inviting the creation of races as a form of wish fulfillment, or 
  of excessively powerful races that make characters of other 
  races irrelevant; or if several players take the opportunity, of 
  turning the campaign into an arms race. Even players who 
  don’t feel such urges won’t have as good a sense as the GM 
  of what the game world is like, or how different races fit into 
  it – especially if the campaign is intended to have a suite of 
  races that fit together coherently (see Sets of Races, pp. 22-23). 
  The fewer races a game world has, the more adding a new race 
  will change it, and the more the campaign will revolve around 
  that race; in the limit, if there’s only one nonhuman race, as 
  in an alien “first contact” situation, dealing with that race is 
  likely to be the campaign’s entire focus.
  On the other hand, a campaign might allow the creation 
  of individual characters with exotic or supernatural traits – as 
  supers, for example. If a character template can have such 
  traits, a similar racial template would usually have no greater 
  disruptive effect. And while a single new race is likely to be 
  the main focus of a campaign, one new race among many, as 
  in some outer space or “invented world” fantasy settings, may 
  have little impact on a game world. So some GMs may choose 
  to explore this option.
  This is something the GM has to decide. A campaign’s 
  theme or setting may not admit nonhuman races. If it does, 
  players’ ideas for races still require GM approval as playable. 
  It’s generally a good idea to set limits on racial design, both 
  prohibiting unsuitable traits (e.g., a hard science fiction cam-
  paign probably won’t allow Magery) and setting limits on racial 
  point cost (which should fit within the point totals allowed for 
  PCs). Hugely powerful races might be a source of Patrons or 
  Enemies, but players don’t get to design these NPCs! It’s often 
  helpful to have players discuss ideas for races among them-
  selves, to make sure whatever they come up with is enjoyable 
  for everyone. Following on from this, if player-created races 
  are allowed, they should all be created before anyone builds an 
  individual character, and any player should have the right to 
  play a member of any other player’s invented race.
  
  shaPeshifting
  A common idea in fantastic genres, from mythology to sci-
  ence fiction, has been taking on a different form. In GURPS 
  this is usually represented as Shapeshifting. By definition, 
  Shapeshifting is reversible; shapeshifters can be regarded as 
  having a new feature, Original Form, which represents their 
  original racial template when they’re shifted, as a latent trait.
  Not all different shapes are represented as racial templates. 
  With the Cosmetic limitation, Shapeshifting grants the ability 
  to turn into one or more different members of one’s own race, 
  or beings with the same abilities. This is still an advantage, 
  because the ability to disguise oneself as an entirely different 
  person is useful in its own right!
  Cosmetic changes of form mostly don’t affect a charac-
  ter’s point value. However, the Cosmetic limitation doesn’t 
  include Retains Shape, so it’s possible to assume a different 
  morphology meta-trait (pp. 9-11) with a different point value: 
  a humanoid could look like an octopod, or a ground vehi-
  cle like a boat. A character can also temporarily lose a body 
  part, acquiring Blindness, Lame, One Arm, or One Eye, for 
  example. Appearance level (p. B21) can be lowered, but Hor-
  rific or Monstrous appearance requires GM approval, unless 
  the character’s usual appearance is Horrific or Monstrous. To 
  raise appearance level, for either the primary form or a differ-
  ent form, pay the full point cost of the highest level available 
  to any form.
  Taking on a single different racial template is Alternate 
  Form without the Cosmetic modifier. As a general rule, the 
  choice of the other template is not unlimited: a living organ-
  ism can’t become a machine, an infomorph, or a spirit. How-
  ever, it can have a different mass or morphology. Any of 
  these rules can be changed as an assumption of a specific 
  campaign, with no effect on point cost. For example, a com-
  ic-book super may assume an Alternate Form that includes 
  Body of Fire or Body of Metal; or in a hard science-based 
  campaign, all Alternate Forms may be required to have 
  unchanged mass.
  Creating a character with Alternate Form includes 
  defining the racial template for that form. If a character 
  has several Alternate Forms, each requires its own racial 
  template. In contrast, a character with Morph has a wide 
  range of possible forms; it isn’t feasible to write up a tem-
  plate for every animal, or machine, or embodied spirit that 
  a morphing character might become, or fair to limit such 
  a character to forms that already have templates avail-
  able. Instead, assume that most human-sized or smaller 
  animals (or machines) cost 0 points or less and are freely 
  available even if detailed templates haven’t been written up.  
   
  raCes in Play 
  38
  inventing raCes
  In some settings, new races can be created during the cam-
  paign. Existing races may be modified into new forms, such as 
  parahumans or uplifted animals. Entirely new races may be 
  invented, such as robots, infomorphs, golems, or tulpas.
  In some campaigns, this is a long-term project for a large 
  organization. Working on it is likely a job, calling for monthly 
  job rolls against skills such as Alchemy (for homunculi), Bio-
  engineering (for life forms), Computer Programming (for 
  infomorphs), Engineer (for computers, robots, or vehicles), 
  or Ritual Magic or Thaumatology (for magical entities). Most 
  of the actual work will take place offstage, but an occasional 
  game session might be devoted to testing a prototype, fixing 
  a bug, or containing catastrophic effects; the New Inventions 
  rules (pp. B473-474) can provide inspiration.
  The same skills can apply to actually creating a new race, if 
  this is possible for PCs. This is an exception to the recommen-
  dation against player-designed races, as the PCs won’t nor-
  mally belong to the newly created race. Use New Inventions 
  for realistic attempts, or Gadgeteering (pp. B475-477) for 
  cinematic ones. As with any invention, the GM assigns the dif-
  ficulty. Guidelines for some types of races appear in GURPS 
  Powers: The Weird.
  For this type of project, coming up with a racial template 
  can represent the “Concept roll” step in design. If the play-
  ers submit a racial template that’s internally consistent and 
  compatible with the setting’s TL, treat this as a valid Concept 
  roll. If there are questionable points, a roll against the inven-
  tion skill can identify them; on a failure, the inventor needs to 
  make another try. On a critical failure, the project moves for-
  ward – but at best the prototype will use up resources with no 
  result, while at worst it will have a major physical or mental 
  defect, which the GM should secretly add to the racial tem-
  plate. A Prototype roll will often also add minor or major 
  defects. Testing a prototype may take a long time; for new bio-
  logical species, for example, one testing roll a year is plausi-
  ble! Testing a sapient race typically calls for Teaching rolls; for 
  nonsapient life forms, use Animal Handling (or possibly Gar-
  dening!); for vehicles, use the relevant vehicle operation skill.
  Gone! Gone! O form 
  of man
  And rise the demon – 
  Etrigan.
  – Jack Kirby,  
  The Demon
  
   
  raCes in Play 
  39
  Large or dangerous races may have 
  a higher cost, and it’s a good idea to 
  have templates for races that morphing 
  adventurers are likely to encounter.
  Morph allows taking on a potentially 
  unlimited number of forms, but the range 
  of forms is usually restricted. Every form 
  must be copied from an existing race, 
  though a race’s mental disadvantages 
  and its modifiers to IQ, Will, and Per can 
  be omitted. A shapeshifter with Morph 
  (Improvised Forms, +100%) is free of this 
  restriction, and can combine traits from 
  different forms, if those traits exist in the 
  campaign world.
  Embodied beings can change form 
  but not substance; for example, a water-
  based life form can’t turn into an ammo-
  nia-based one, or an elemental with Body 
  of Earth into one with Body of Metal. 
  The Unlimited enhancement allows a 
  change of substance, or a change from 
  a substantial being to an insubstantial 
  one such as a spirit. Races are divided 
  into broad groups (as discussed in What 
  Are Races? pp. 5-8), and taking on a form 
  that belongs to a different group requires 
  Unlimited whether or not there are differ-
  ences of composition; e.g., a living human 
  can’t turn into a walking corpse without 
  Unlimited. In effect, Unlimited is a form 
  of Cosmic; it allows disregarding the nor-
  mal rules for Morph. The broad groups 
  are as follows:
  Organic: Any naturally living being, 
  artificially constructed living being, or 
  spirit materialized in a biologically func-
  tioning body, such as a djinn in human 
  form or an incubus.
  Mechanical: Any unliving being whose functions depend on 
  a technologically based structure, such as a computer, robot, 
  or vehicle.
  Mass: A material being without structural complexity, typ-
  ically Homogenous, often controlled by the will of an embod-
  ied spirit, such as an elemental, golem, or skeleton.
  Insubstantial: A spirit without a tangible body, but with 
  a physical location and the ability to perceive the material 
  world.
  Various limitations can narrow the range of templates 
  available through Morph. Mass Conservation prevents taking 
  a form with a different weight; this should be required in a 
  hard-science campaign. Retains Shape prevents taking a form 
  with a different morphology meta-trait. Flawed prevents tak-
  ing a form that exactly copies an individual member of one’s 
  own or another race; rather, you look like yourself as a tiger, 
  yourself as a robot, or yourself as a demon. Cosmetic is the 
  opposite of Flawed, and is as discussed for Alternate Form.
  Either Alternate Form or Morph may be a trait of an entire 
  race, rather than a special ability of an individual. This requires 
  two layers of racial templates: Templates for the forms that 
  members of the race can assume by changing shape, and a 
  further racial template that includes at least the Shapeshifting 
  ability. The latter may be otherwise identical to the template 
  of a non-shapeshifting race (for example, a human-based race 
  might have a template consisting only of a single Alternate 
  Form); it may include minor visible marks or behavioral traits 
  related to shapeshifting; or shapeshifters may be an entirely 
  distinct race whose primary form is different from that of any 
  non-shapeshifting race.
  Shapeshifting can be a disadvantage if the other shape is 
  actively destructive or hostile; see Disadvantageous Alternate 
  Form (p. 46). The assumed form is not under the control of 
  the character or the player, so that trait doesn’t include the 
  ability to choose a shape that goes with Morph; it’s a variant 
  on Alternate Form.
  A different form can also be inflicted on someone by an 
  enemy. If this is treated as an ability of the foe, build it as 
  Affliction with Advantage; if the target fails a HT roll, their 
  form changes (over 10 seconds, unless the advantage is 
  enhanced to work faster), and they stay in the changed form 
  for one minute per point of failure (unless the Affliction has 
  Extended Duration). The template for the Alternate Form 
  replaces the character’s usual racial template. The same 
  replacement may be achievable by casting a spell in a cam-
  paign where magic works.
  transformational aBilities
  Not all shapeshifting involves the eponymous advantage. Being able to 
  alter SM is Growth or Shrinking – or Stretching, if only part of the body 
  changes. For minor cosmetic alterations, Elastic Skin (below) suffices. 
  Such abilities suit racial templates for toons (p. 6), fantasy and sci-fi “meta-
  morphs,” and superscience nanotech beings of “living” plastic or metal. 
  Realistic invertebrates and adaptable machines can’t change mass or over-
  all size, but may have a level or two of Stretching, sometimes limited to spe-
  cific limbs or other body parts.
  Under the Hood: Materialization
  Insubstantiality normally grants the ability to change freely between 
  material and immaterial forms. However, with Always On (-50%), it doesn’t; 
  a race that has this is always immaterial. Gaining the ability to material-
  ize raises the cost of Insubstantiality by 40 points. In comparison, adding 
  Unlimited (+50%) to Morph increases its cost by 50 points. But the extra 
  10 points buy the ability to materialize in widely varied forms, human, 
  mechanical, or vessel – so for a powerful spirit capable of shapeshifting, it 
  can be a great bargain!
  Under the Hood: Elastic Skin
  Elastic Skin allows changing one’s skin and features to look like a dif-
  ferent member of the same or a similar race. It doesn’t actually grant a 
  new racial template, and thus is similar to Morph with Cosmetic (-50%). 
  There are two important differences. First, Elastic Skin is purely superfi-
  cial, whereas Morph usually affects the entire body; this can be accounted 
  for partly by Morph being Cosmetic, and partly by adding Retains Shape 
  (-20%), which prevents changing the shapeshifter’s morphology. Second, 
  Elastic Skin requires a Disguise roll for impersonation; Flawed (-10%) can’t 
  be combined with Cosmetic, but if it could, the flaws might be concealable 
  with a Disguise roll. Applying all these limitations gives a cost of 20 points, 
  the same as that of Elastic Skin.
  
   
  raCes in Play 
  40
  Permanent transformation
  Not all changes of shape are reversible. Sometimes it’s 
  impossible to change back; the original form is lost when a 
  new racial template is acquired.
  Permanent transformation can be natural to a race. Living 
  organisms may have a life cycle that includes changes of form, 
  like a caterpillar’s metamorphosis into a butterfly; some cor-
  poreal undead are destined to take on new forms as their tis-
  sues decay, going from intact to rotting to skeletal (p. 21). Any 
  such tendency is represented by the feature Potential Form 
  (p. 12). Each form has its own template; if the template for the 
  later form has a higher point value, the cost of Potential Form 
  is half the difference, rounded up. The other half must be 
  paid when the change occurs. (Potential Form is not required 
  for a race such as humans that grows and learns, but only for 
  one that undergoes a significant change in form, such as cat-
  erpillar to butterfly or tadpole to frog.)
  Such changes are often a matter of time. But they may be 
  triggered by specific events: the occurrence of environmen-
  tal conditions favorable to the new form; general stress (e.g., 
  injury that requires a HT roll to avoid death); or injury that 
  makes the old form nonfunctional 
  (treat as Extra Life 1 together with 
  Potential Form).
  Permanent transformation can 
  also be imposed from outside. This 
  may involve any of the processes dis-
  cussed under Shapeshifting (pp. 38- 
  39), but with Extended Duration, 
  Permanent (the +300% version that 
  can’t be undone). It can also be brought about by surgery 
  or genetic engineering on living beings, or by engineering 
  or computer programming on technological beings; turning 
  a biological sapient into a cyborg would require skills from 
  both groups. Such changes are often Gadgeteering (GURPS 
  Powers: The Weird discusses this process for living beings), 
  usually as modification of an existing invention (p. B477).
  Another way to do this is by imposing one’s own racial tem-
  plate on a member of another race (normally a very similar 
  one), an ability found in some lycanthropes and undead, for 
  example. If the newly created being becomes a loyal servant of 
  the original, this is Dominance; in addition to the racial tem-
  plate, the servitor acquires Slave Mentality. If it doesn’t restrict 
  the behavior of the recipient, leaving them free to attack their 
  creator, it’s Infectious Attack – and for reasons of game bal-
  ance, it’s a good idea to have the recipient pay the point cost 
  of a more powerful template. It’s also possible to have this 
  capability as a feature, Carrier (p. 12), if the change erases the 
  recipient’s memory (treat as total Amnesia), or if they become 
  your Dependent (and have an appropriate point value after 
  the change), or if your race is non-
  sapient; in this case, you simply 
  have an unusual form of repro-
  duction. The standard definition 
  of these traits assumes a super-
  natural condition, but they can 
  also be used to represent natural 
  agents such as a virus, a computer 
  program, or a runaway meme.
  Behavior and mentality
  Most races think and behave in characteristic ways. Differ-
  ences in racial mentality will affect both the characters and 
  the setting.
  rolePlaying
  Racial behavior is largely shaped by the traits discussed in 
  Motivation and Behavior (pp. 31-33). Mental disadvantages or 
  quirks from racial templates should be roleplayed exactly like 
  any other mental disadvantages or quirks. Obviously, this is 
  something to take into account before deciding to play a char-
  acter of a particular race! Conversely, in designing a racial 
  template, it’s useful to have a particular sort of personality in 
  mind, and to choose traits that fit and support that personality.
  Individual members of a race need not all be the same, 
  though (as discussed in Modification, p. 37). For instance, 
  humans as a race fall in between Attentive (sticking to long 
  tasks until done) and Distractible (having difficulty staying 
  focused), but some people fall to either side. In exactly the 
  same way, some members of a naturally Distractible race 
  (such as ravens, p. 49) may be no more distractible than the 
  average human; others may have full-scale Short Attention 
  Span, constantly losing track of tasks that take more than a 
  few minutes.
  Behavior can also be shaped by capabilities. Members of a 
  race with the Artificer Talent, for example, will tend to solve 
  problems by devising clever gadgets or tools; if they’re inclined 
  to playfulness, their hobbies, games, and sports may involve 
  making and modifying things. A member of the race who’s 
  exceptionally capable will be admired; one who’s bad at one 
  of its main activities may lack self-confidence (even if they’re 
  better than the average human!); and one whose gifts lie else-
  where might be a bit of a loner, or be thought of as eccentric.
  WorldBUilding
  Racial behavior also shapes a game world’s societies and 
  cultures. Each of the traits that make up a racial personality 
  profile (Motivation and Behavior, pp. 31-33) can influence the 
  race’s social patterns:
  Chauvinism: High Chauvinism reflects strong aware-
  ness of differences between groups – from families to spe-
  cies – and a tendency to value loyalty. Low Chauvinism 
  shows ease in dealing with strangers, or even assimilation 
  to their customs. A high-Chauvinism community acts like 
  a city under siege; a low-Chauvinism one, like a mercantile 
  fair eager for customers.
  If you strike me down,  
  I shall become more powerful 
  than you can possibly imagine.
  – Obi-Wan Kenobi, 
   in Star Wars: A New Hope
  
   
  raCes in Play 
  41
  Concentration: A measure of a race’s ability to work and 
  save for long-range goals and a big influence on economic 
  style. Races with high Concentration work steadily, save for 
  the future, and take care of their assets; races with low Con-
  centration tend to be burst workers, entrepreneurs, and spec-
  ulators, quick to respond to opportunities.
  Curiosity: High Curiosity is a desire to discover and learn 
  about new things. Races with low Curiosity may dismiss nov-
  elties as uninteresting, or avoid them as potentially danger-
  ous. Accumulation of new knowledge for its own sake is an 
  expression of Curiosity; if a race also has normal or better 
  Concentration, this can give rise to scientific research.
  Egoism: High Egoism is a tendency to ask, “What’s in it for 
  me?” – and resistance to subordinating one’s own concerns 
  to shared goals. Lower Egoism favors acceptance of group 
  enterprises; very low Egoism may lead to self-neglect. Con-
  trol Ratings in societies of high-Egoism races tend to be nota-
  bly low (reflecting individual recalcitrance) or high (reflecting 
  the harsh measures needed to overcome it); low-Egoism races 
  readily accept intermediate levels of control and tolerate very 
  high levels.
  Empathy: A measure of awareness of others’ feelings, and 
  often of concern for them. Races with high Empathy strive to 
  be agreeable and care a lot about good manners – but can be 
  intolerant of anyone who isn’t equally caring. Races with low 
  Empathy run to brutal honesty. If they have high Egoism, they 
  come across as rugged individualists; if they have low Egoism, 
  as harsh moralists.
  Gregariousness: This rates affinity for social groups and 
  tolerance of regular social interaction. Gregarious races are 
  extroverts who need frequent social stimulation and tolerate 
  crowding well; they tend to form large, dense settlements – and 
  as a result, to have lots of economic opportunities. Non-Gre-
  garious races are introverts, needing time alone and liking 
  smaller groups or communities; their populations are likely to 
  disperse as much as space allows.
  Imagination: Often closely related to Curiosity, Imagina-
  tion is a drive not to find new things in the external world, but 
  to make or think of them. Races with little Imagination tend to 
  stick with what works, seldom taking chances on new ideas; 
  races with more Imagination come up with new ideas all the 
  time, and their cultures may be highly diverse. High Imagina-
  tion is a driver of applied science (technology), as high Curios-
  ity is of theoretical science.
  Playfulness: A high-Playfulness race spends energy on non- 
  utilitarian activities and concerns, such as art and sports (and 
  roleplaying games!). A low-Playfulness race seeks a prac-
  tical payoff for its activities. Playfulness is a trait on which 
  humans are not at the midpoint: A score of +1 represents typ-
  ical human Playfulness, sustained through a prolonged child-
  hood and often partly persisting into adulthood.
  Suspicion: High Suspicion is a tendency to see threats 
  everywhere. Races with this trait spend a lot of time watching 
  for physical dangers, and may be fearful of supernatural ones. 
  Politically, they have contradictory tendencies: they want pro-
  tection from abuses of power through explicit legal rights 
  (favoring a low CR), but protection from lawbreakers and out-
  siders through stringent law enforcement (favoring 
  a high CR). Races with low Suspicion tend to be 
  optimistic, personally brave, and trusting, and 
  are comfortable with informal customs in place 
  of laws; they make long-term agreements read-
  ily, but are vulnerable to being exploited by giv-
  ing trust too readily.
  Example: As noted on p. 31, the Automa-
  ton meta-trait implies Curiosity -3, Empathy 
  -3, Imagination -2, Playfulness -2, and possi-
  bly enhanced Concentration. Thus, a society of 
  robots would probably spend all its energy on 
  practical tasks (Playfulness -2), and would nei-
  ther invent new things, nor seek them out, nor 
  take an interest in them (Curiosity -3; Imagina-
  tion -2). If its members were programmed for 
  specific tasks, though, they would work at them 
  steadily and plan them far in advance (Concen-
  tration +3), which could result in taking prompt 
  action once a threat was identified. Any depar-
  ture from programmed action would result in 
  explicit corrective feedback (Empathy -3).
  However, just as individual characters can 
  deviate from a racial template, so can cultures. 
  Humans have vast cultural diversity, with hundreds or thou-
  sands of distinct cultural groups. Science fiction and fantasy 
  sometimes treat nonhuman races as if each had a single, uni-
  form culture, but cultural diversity within races is often more 
  realistic – and can make a setting more interesting. To provide 
  this, add a cultural template, as defined in GURPS Template 
  Toolkit 1: Characters, to a racial template. If the culture’s 
  expected behavior goes against the race’s typical behavior, 
  add a trait to the cultural template that cancels the relevant 
  racial trait, as described for Modification (p. 37). The GM can 
  completely specify all of a world’s cultural templates, give gen-
  eral descriptions without templates, or allow players to make 
  up cultural backgrounds for their characters. In the first case, 
  players can reasonably be allowed to adjust a cultural tem-
  plate – not all members of a culture conform to it perfectly!
  
   
  raCes in Play 
  42
  Presentation
  The GM decides how to present racial templates, but 
  GURPS uses a standard format intended to facilitate template 
  design and use. An example follows these notes; for others, see 
  Appendix B.
  Template Name: Style this as a title preceding everything 
  else. The name of an entire race is likely to come up often in 
  discussions, both in and out of character, so avoid anything 
  needlessly difficult to pronounce or remember. Racial tem-
  plate names may be used either on their own, or together with 
  one or more names for occupational templates; the simplest 
  way to accommodate this is to make the racial template a 
  noun, but use it as a modifier when necessary.
  Racial Cost: Place this under the name, like a trait’s point 
  value in the Basic Set. It’s essential to specify how many char-
  acter points it costs to belong to a race!
  Template Description: Put this before the stats to let players 
  know what sort of “race” they’re dealing with, what its most 
  distinctive traits are, and what it looks like. This will help 
  them understand what the stats are meant to represent, and 
  decide whether the template fits their character concept.
  Stats: List character traits in the standard order: Attribute 
  Modifiers, Secondary Characteristic Modifiers, Advantages, 
  Perks, Disadvantages, Quirks, Racially Learned Skills, 
  Racially Learned Spells, and finally Features (including taboo 
  traits). Include attribute and secondary characteristic mod-
  ifiers only when different from zero. Attribute modifiers are 
  relative to the human norm of 10; secondary characteristic 
  modifiers are applied after figuring the secondary charac-
  teristic scores from the modified attributes (see Attributes, 
  Secondary Characteristics, and Talents, p. 24). For example, 
  in the Grace template (below), IQ 10, costing 0 points, would 
  be modified by IQ-1 to IQ 9; this would give Will 9 and Per 9, 
  but Per+2 would then give Per 11. Within the other sections, 
  list traits in alphabetical order. Omit any section that con-
  tains no traits, even Attribute and Secondary Characteristic 
  Modifiers; Perks, Quirks, and Features are sometimes absent, 
  and Racially Learned Skills and Spells often are.
  Footnotes: Some traits require explanation to be under-
  stood; e.g., an advantage may have a newly defined modi-
  fier, or a perk or quirk might be unique to the race and call 
  for explanation. Put a mark such as * or † after the trait’s 
  name, repeat the mark beneath the stats block, and give  
  the information.
  Customization Notes: If the template can be modified in 
  some way – e.g., a vehicle with a high-performance, armored, 
  or combat-ready variant – describe the options here.
  Grace
  90 points
  Graces are a parahuman race (Homo gracilis) created by 
  genetic manipulation in around year 2100. Their developers 
  tweaked the gene complexes involved in Williams syndrome 
  for improved baseline IQ, while retaining high social intelli-
  gence, providing complementary traits, and eliminating most 
  health defects (those remaining are represented as Unfit). 
  Even without actively using skills or abilities, they have +1 to 
  reactions from Attractive, +1 from Charisma, +2 from Voice, 
  and often another +3 from Pitiable. As an unplanned bonus, 
  they get an exotic ability: reprogramming others’ minds by 
  talking with them, with comparatively high reliability corre-
  sponding to their bonus from Voice.
  Graces have light builds, with average ST 9; typical weight 
  is 135 lbs. Typical height would normally be 5’6”; the feature 
  Gracile 1 adds 5%, for an average of 5’9”. Long, thin fingers 
  aid manual dexterity. The overall appearance is “elfin” and 
  androgynous, and has been adjusted for attractiveness.
  The template was designed by selecting behavioral traits 
  directly, rather than from a racial personality profile, but 
  could be approximated as Chauvinism -3, Concentration -1, 
  Egoism +2, Gregariousness +1, and Suspicion -1.
  Attribute Modifiers: ST-1 [-10]; DX+1 [20]; IQ-1 [-20].
  Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: Per+2 [10].
  Advantages: Attractive (Androgynous) [4]; Charisma 1 [5]; 
  Eidetic Memory (Aspected, Social interaction, -20%) [4]; 
  Fearlessness 2 [4]; High Manual Dexterity 1 [5]; Language 
  Talent [10]; Mind Control (Conditioning Only, -50%; Hear-
  ing-Based, -20%; Reliable +2, +10%) [20]; Pitiable [5]; 
  Resistant to Influence Rolls (+3) [5]; Smooth Operator 3 
  [45]; Voice [10].
  Perks: Honest Face [1]; Sanitized Metabolism [1].
  Disadvantages: Post-Combat Shakes (12) [-5]; Selfish (12) 
  [-5]; Unfit [-5]; Xenophilia (12) [-10].
  Quirks: Cannot Float [-1]; Congenial [-1]; Distinctive Features 
  (Huge eyes) [-1]; Distractible [-1].
  Features: Gracile 1.
  . . . a perfect typical man, embodying quantitatively all human 
  attributes in absolute scale and proportion as a norm, and with 
  an unimaginable common denominator by which such qualities 
  would be translatable into number for points which could be added 
  together.
  – Isabel Paterson, The God of the Machine
  
   
  neW traits 
  43
  Some options for racial templates in this supplement 
  involve variations on existing advantages and disadvantages, 
  or new perks and quirks. For convenience, these are collected 
  here. For meta-traits, see Meta-Traits (pp. 8-11). For 0-point 
  features, see Features and Taboo Traits (p. 12) and elsewhere 
  throughout this work.
  advantages
  Several existing advantages can take new forms or be mod-
  ified by new special enhancements or limitations.
  Affliction
  see pp. B35-36
  An additional irritating condition is available:
  Itching: The target has -2 to DX for the duration of the 
  itch. Scratching relieves the itch but prevents any other useful 
  action (a Do Nothing maneuver in combat). +10%.
  Compartmentalized Mind
  see p. B43
  Some points about Controls and Dedicated Controls need 
  clarification:
  • A robot vehicle (one with nonzero IQ) can have Controls, 
  allowing an operator to direct its actions in special circum-
  stances. Resolve conflicts between operator and vehicle with 
  Quick Contests of vehicle operation skill vs. Will.
  • If a machine with No Legs (Portable or Sessile) has a 
  character sheet or racial template, its having an operator is 
  treated as Dedicated Controls.
  Flight
  see p. B56
  A new limitation applies to some flying entities:
  Lighter Than Air, Passive: You have all the restrictions of 
  regular Lighter Than Air and no propulsion system. You can 
  ascend or descend at Move 1, and seek favorable winds by 
  doing so on a successful IQ or Meteorology roll (one attempt 
  per minute), but your horizontal Move comes entirely from 
  the wind. -60%.
  Injury Tolerance
  see pp. B60-61
  A number of enhancements to 
  Injury Tolerance (Diffuse) apply to 
  swarm races (those with Body of 
  Swarm, p. 12):
  Flying Swarm: Requires Body 
  of Swarm. Your component bodies 
  can fly, with air Move equal to twice 
  your Basic Speed. +30%.
  Humanoid Form: Requires Body 
  of Swarm. You can assemble your 
  component bodies into a roughly human shape. If you try to 
  pass for a humanoid being, you effectively have Unnatural 
  Features 5; if you have a relevant power Talent, you can use 
  it to compensate for this. With GM approval, you can instead 
  take on the semblance of any one different morphological 
  meta-trait, such as Hexapod or (for machines) Ground Vehi-
  cle. +50%.
  Infiltration: Your body is a fluid or, if you have Body of 
  Swarm, a collection of tiny units. You can filter or flow through 
  tiny holes, and ooze through narrow cracks and porous bar-
  riers, including ordinary clothing (in two seconds) or chinks 
  in armor (in five seconds). This doesn’t give you the ability to 
  shapeshift or stretch. +40%.
  Scatter: Requires Body of Swarm. You can disperse your 
  constituent bodies over a half-mile radius by taking a Con-
  centrate maneuver; add levels of Area Effect to increase 
  this radius. Your outer edge travels at your best applicable 
  Move. While you are dispersed, you are effectively insubstan-
  tial. Only area effect, cone, and explosion attacks can injure 
  you, and their damage is generally reduced; multiply it by the 
  square of (attack radius/your current radius). With a Ready 
  maneuver, you can focus your senses on any point within your 
  area, and your constituent bodies can communicate instantly 
  and act cooperatively. +40% if you can’t affect the material 
  world while scattered; +120% if you can.
  A new form of Injury Tolerance applies specifically to vehi-
  cles with onboard operators or crew:
  No Windows: You have no openings in your structure that 
  give your operator a direct line of sight to the exterior, but you 
  still provide visibility through periscopes, virtual displays, or 
  the like. Your operator cannot be directly targeted visually and 
  is fully protected by vehicular armor. 5 points.
  aPPendix a
  neW traits
  These planets were so large that no mobile organism could 
  be bigger than a beetle, no flying organism bigger than an ant. 
  In the intelligent swarms that fulfilled the part of men in these 
  worlds, the microscopic brains of the insect-like units were 
  specialized for microscopic functions within the group . . .
  – Olaf Stapledon, Star Maker
  
   
  neW traits 
  44
  Resistant
  see pp. B80-81
  The computer design option Hardened – which gives 
  +3 to HT against electromagnetic pulses, microwaves, and 
  power surges – can be interpreted as being Resistant to a 
  Common attack. As such, it can have a version that gives 
  +8, for advanced battle-hardened designs, and an Immu-
  nity that totally prevents surge effects. Immunity costs 15 
  points; Resistant (+8) and (+3) cost 7 and 5 points, respec-
  tively. Any character with Electrical can benefit from  
  these traits, which have no effect on attacks that drain elec-
  trical energy.
  Telecommunication
  see p. B91
  A new variety is applicable to computers, robots, and 
  vehicles:
  Cable Jack: You can send and receive information through 
  a conductive or fiber-optic cable. This allows direct, unjam-
  mable communication with any other computer with a similar 
  jack; wired remote control of a vehicle with Compartmental-
  ized Mind (Controls); or plugging into an external device that 
  provides longer-range telecommunication. Includes a cable 
  up to 10 yards long. 5 points.
  Vibration Sense
  see p. B96
  Some animals and alien races have an ability that can be 
  treated as a form of Vibration Sense:
  Active Electroreception: This uses a completely different 
  mechanism from standard Vibration Sense – sensing elec-
  tric field distortions rather than air or water currents – but 
  provides very similar capabilities. It functions only in water, 
  and can only detect objects that are either insulators or con-
  ductors relative to water. Water currents don’t hinder it, 
  and it can’t detect them. A successful Sense roll  
  identifies an object’s size, location, and speed 
  and direction of movement. The roll is mod-
  ified for the range to the target, per the Size 
  and Speed/Range Table (p. B550); in addition, 
  add the target’s SM to the roll and subtract 
  your own. Using this sense generates an elec-
  tric current that can be detected. 10 points.
  neW advantages
  Two new advantages are especially useful 
  when designing races.
  Good Grip
  5 points/level
  The converse of Bad Grip (p. B123). This 
  can represent hardened, closely opposed 
  gripping surfaces like a crab’s claws or a set 
  of pliers or forceps (typically one level), or 
  a suction apparatus like an octopus’ suckers 
  (typically two levels). Each level gives +2 with tasks that 
  require a firm grip (including climbing).
  Signals
  15 points
  You have the ability to communicate in a physical medium 
  other than sound. It typically originates in biological rather 
  than technological processes, and it can’t carry digital signals. 
  Your range is short compared to Telecommunication, limited 
  by the recipient’s senses.
  There are several versions, none of which can take the 
  Vague limitation. “Vague Communication” is a 0-point feature 
  that can accompany the prerequisite trait.
  Blinker
  Prerequisite: Illumination (GURPS Power-Ups 2: Perks, 
  p. 10).
  Your communications take the form of series of light 
  flashes, about as bright as a torch or flashlight. Receiving 
  them requires vision or Detect (Light; Precise, +100%).
  Chemical Messengers
  Prerequisite: Discriminatory Smell (Emotion Sense, +50%).
  Your communications involve release of a wide range of 
  different molecules into the air or water. All living organisms 
  emit vague signals, except those with Sanitized Metabolism 
  (p. B101). However, the ability to interpret chemical signals is 
  an aspect of Discriminatory Smell.
  Color Changes
  Prerequisite: Chameleon (Controllable, +20%).
  Your communications involve changing the coloration 
  of your skin in complex patterns. Receiving them requires 
  vision. You can take the modifier Video (+40%), allowing you 
  to produce high-resolution patterns that copy what you see 
  in detail.
  Under the hood: signals
  The advantage Signals, in its various forms, represents the abil-
  ity to “speak” in a medium other than sound. How much should this 
  be worth?
  The human ability to speak is a baseline ability that costs 0 points; 
  the ability to make only animal noises is Cannot Speak, worth -15 
  points. Telesend costs 30 points, but Telesend (Vague, -50%) is worth 
  just 15 points, and limits the user to general concepts and emotions. 
  So 15 points seems a fair price for the difference between vague and 
  non-vague communication.
  On the other hand, while Telesend (Vague) costs 15 points, Mute 
  is -25 points – 10 points less than Cannot Speak. And any person’s or 
  animal’s emotional state can be detected by a race with Discrimina-
  tory Smell (Emotion Sense); it costs nothing to emit vague chemical 
  signals. So rather than being defined as Signals with a limitation, 
  other forms of vague, animal-level communication are each identi-
  fied with whatever existing traits provide suitable capabilities.
  
   
  neW traits 
  45
  Electrical Pulses
  Prerequisite: Vibration Sense (Active Electrore-
  ception) (p. 44).
  Your communications involve emitting modu-
  lated series of electrical discharges, usually at fre-
  quencies comparable to those of the human voice. 
  Receiving them requires Vibration Sense (Active 
  Electroreception).
  Perks
  Some newly defined perks are available as part of 
  racial templates.
  Accessory (Lock)
  You have a mechanical or electronic lock that 
  restricts access to your interior, controls, or vital sys-
  tems, of normal difficulty to pick for your TL.
  Pestilent
  You’re physically unclean, carrying infectious 
  agents. If you wound a living creature with an 
  unarmed attack, or contact an open wound or a 
  mucous membrane, your victim must check for infec-
  tion (p. B444) with the -3 for a “special infection.”
  Radiation Recovery
  You don’t heal any faster from radiation than the 
  normal 10 rads/day, but you heal from all of the orig-
  inal dose. Regeneration (Heals Radiation or Radia-
  tion Only) automatically includes this perk – don’t 
  take both!
  Sails
  You have one or more sails that provide you with propul-
  sion when the wind is blowing. This can be taken together 
  with No Legs (Aquatic, Passive) (p. 46).
  disadvantages
  A number of existing disadvantages can take new forms.
  Bad Sight
  see p. B123
  A new variant can be used to represent the limited visual 
  abilities of many animals (see The Senses, pp. 26-27):
  Low Resolution: You have -4 to spot objects at any range, 
  and -8 to resolve fine details in an object you have focused on. 
  This is an inherent limitation of the number of retinal cells, 
  and cannot be corrected with lenses. -25 points.
  Increased Consumption
  see p. B139
  You can add a half-level of Increased Consumption to any 
  number of full levels for another -5 points. This multiplies the 
  number of meals for the preceding full level by 1.5.
  Some creatures have Increased Consumption with a spe-
  cial limitation:
  Cast-Iron Stomach: Any level of Increased Consumption 
  bought with this limitation increases how often you must 
  eat, but not the cost (in money, time spent foraging, or life 
  support), because you can eat low-quality food and drink 
  low-quality water; see Reduced Consumption (p. B80). For 
  example, with Increased Consumption 1 (Cast-Iron Stomach), 
  you must stop to eat six times a day, but that costs no more 
  than someone without this trait spends on eating three times 
  a day. Each level of Increased Consumption with this modi-
  fier gives you +1 to resist the effects of food-borne poisons or 
  diseases; but anyone seeing you eat reacts to you at -3. -50%.
  You may take only some of your levels of Increased Con-
  sumption with Cast-Iron Stomach; in that case, your cost 
  is based on the levels that aren’t modified. You can also 
  take more “levels” of Cast-Iron Stomach than you have of 
  Increased Consumption, up to four levels. If you do, apply 
  Cast-Iron Stomach to all your levels of Increased Consump-
  tion, and also take as many levels of Reduced Consumption 
  as you have left over.
  Example: You have Increased Consumption 1, but three 
  levels of Cast-Iron Stomach. This is bought as Increased Con-
  sumption 1 (Cast-Iron Stomach, -50%) [-5] together with 
  Reduced Consumption 2 (Cast-Iron Stomach, -50%) [2], for 
  a net -3 points. You need six meals a day, but the cost is the 
  same as for one meal a day of clean food.
  
   
  neW traits 
  46
  No Legs
  see p. B145
  Two new variants are available for racial design:
  Aquatic, Passive: You have the normal restrictions for 
  Aquatic, but in addition, you can’t swim or actively propel 
  yourself; your basic water Move is 0 and can’t be bought up. 
  You can be carried downstream or drift with the current, or 
  you can be towed. If you have Sails (p. 45), you can be pro-
  pelled by the wind. -10 points plus any additional restrictions 
  from Aquatic.
  Wheels, Passive: You have the normal restrictions for 
  Tracked or Wheeled, but in addition, you can’t actively propel 
  yourself. You can roll downhill or be towed. -30 points.
  Shapeshifting
  see pp. B83-85
  Shapeshifting is sometimes a disadvantage!
  Disadvantageous Alternate Form
  Variable
  Under certain conditions, you change into a form that you 
  don’t control and that acts as your enemy. Point value depends 
  on trigger condition rarity as defined for Weakness (p. B161): 
  -5 points for Rare, -10 points for Occasional, -20 points for 
  Common, or -30 points for Very Common.
  The Alternate Form’s point value usually doesn’t mat-
  ter. However, if it’s greater than your primary form’s value 
  and there are ways to exploit it for the benefit of yourself of 
  your companions, this disadvantage is offset by an advantage 
  worth points equal to the difference in point value between 
  forms, multiplied by this disadvantage’s point cost read as a 
  positive percentage: 5%, 10%, 20%, or 30%.
  Social Stigma
  see pp. B155-156
  Undead beings that are known to have died have a distinc-
  tive Social Stigma:
  Dead: You were once a member of a sapient race. Now 
  your life has ended. Either you’re visibly not living, or your 
  death is on record and can be verified officially. You have no 
  legal right to own property; your heirs can take possession of 
  your worldly goods. If you attempt social interaction with the 
  living, they react to you at -4; those who encounter you unex-
  pectedly must make Fright Checks. -20 points.
  Unnatural Features
  see p. B22
  A humanoid robot may have this trait, depending on cer-
  tain details of appearance and construction defined on p. 28 of 
  GURPS Ultra-Tech:
  Sculpted Body (the default) – an obviously mechanical 
  body in humanoid shape, covered perhaps with metal or plas-
  tic – doesn’t give Unnatural Features, because it would never 
  be thought of as human in the first place.
  Mannequin, looking like a well-made doll with little or no 
  expression, gives Unnatural Features 2.
  Realistic Flesh, including facial muscles capable of 
  expression and finely made synthetic skin, gives Unnatural 
  Features 1.
  Living Flesh or being a bioshell (a living body controlled 
  by an implanted computer) again doesn’t give Unnatural Fea-
  tures – though close examination using Electronics Opera-
  tion (Medical) or other suitable skills will reveal the robot’s 
  true nature.
  qUirks
  Some newly defined quirks are available as part of racial 
  templates.
  Affected by Rust
  A quirk-level form of Fragile: If you get wet, your body sur-
  faces oxidize. At the end of any day spent exposed to moisture, 
  roll against HT+4 – or against HT under extreme conditions 
  such as torrential rain. On a failure, your joints stiffen: -2 to 
  DX and -1 to Basic Speed until they’re oiled and moved back 
  and forth. On a critical failure, or if your joints are currently 
  stiffened and you fail again, you’re paralyzed (p. B429) until 
  oiled! If part of you is splashed or immersed, make an addi-
  tional HT roll to avoid localized effects on that body part.
  Cannot Jump
  You’re capable of ground movement, but not of propelling 
  yourself off the ground. Automatically included in No Legs 
  (Tracked or Wheeled).
  SMITH & TINKER’S
  Patent Double-Action, Extra-Responsive,
  Thought-Creating, Perfect-Talking
  MECHANICAL MAN
  Fitted with our Special Clock-Work Attachment.
  Thinks, Speaks, Acts, and Does Everything but Live.
  – L. Frank Baum, Ozma of Oz
  
   
  examPles 
  47
  These templates illustrate how to build and present several 
  different kinds of “races.”
  Dayton-Wright DH-4 (Vehicle)
  -79 points
  An American version of the British De Havilland DH.4 
  biplane. Nearly 5,000 were manufactured during World 
  War I; after the war, large numbers were sold for civilian 
  use at bargain prices (with the weapons mounts removed!). A 
  band of adventurers might plausibly have two or three. Vehi-
  cle statistics from GURPS High-Tech, p. 233 appear here  
  for convenience.
  The DH-4 has the Vehicle meta-trait (p. 9) and cannot oper-
  ate without a human pilot.
  The DH-4 is 30’ long, with a 43’ wingspan; its SM (which 
  doesn’t take wingspan into account) is +4. A scale factor of 5 
  (10 yards/2 yards) gives a weight estimate of 15,625 lbs.; since 
  unloaded weight is actually 1.7 tons or 3,400 lbs., its density is 
  0.22, allowing it to float (until its body fills with water). ST and 
  HP come from unloaded weight (4 ¥ cube root of 3,400). HT 
  reflects its relatively light construction. Planes of this era run 
  on standard gasoline, which is a Common fuel. Its fuel tanks 
  make it Flammable.
  Basic Move (on the ground) is bought down from 5; air 
  Move is bought down from 10. Enhanced Move 2.5 (Ground) 
  gives ground speed 24, a little above its stall speed of 23. 
  Enhanced Move 4 (Air) allows air speed 64, just above its 
  actual top speed of 62. Its Flight (included in Fixed-Wing Air-
  craft) has Cannot Hover, requiring it to maintain at least air 
  speed 16, raised to 23 for historical accuracy. With Basic Lift 
  720 lbs., Payload 11 lets it carry 792 lbs. (rounded to 0.4 ton), 
  providing 40 cubic feet of internal space. Cruising speed of 
  1.6 mph ¥ top speed is 99 mph, letting it cover 396 miles in 4 
  hours, close enough to the actual 420 miles to count as four-
  hour endurance (Increased Consumption 1).
  Attribute Modifiers: ST+50 (No Fine Manipulators, -40%; 
  Size, -40%) [100]; HT-1 [-10].
  Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: SM +4; Basic Move-1 
  [-5]; Air Move-6 [-12].
  Advantages: DR 3 (Can’t Wear Armor, -40%) [9]; Enhanced 
  Move 4 (Air Speed 62; Nuisance Effect, Propeller, -5%) 
  [76]; Enhanced Move 2.5 (Ground Speed 24; Environmen-
  tal, Unpaved Flat Surfaces, -40%) [30]; Injury Tolerance 
  (No Neck) [5]; Machine [25]; Payload 11 [11].
  Disadvantages: Fixed-Wing Aircraft [-78]; Fragile (Flamma-
  ble) [-10]; Increased Consumption 1 [-10]; Restricted Diet 
  (Gasoline) [-20]; Vehicle [-190].
  Features: Tail Strut.*
  * The DH-4 has only two wheels, which can be crippled by 
  (HP/4) injury. A tail strut keeps its tail from dragging on the 
  ground, but can be used safely only on a grassy field, not on a 
  paved airstrip. Injury over (HP/3) cripples the strut, which can 
  be targeted at -3.
  Customization Notes
  Some owners install two-way voice radios: Telecom-
  munication (Radio). The military version of the DH-4 has 
  two fixed weapon mounts controlled by the pilot (treat as 
  Accessory perks) and two flexible mounts controlled by the 
  observer (treat as Weapon Mounts and also buy Compart-
  mentalized Mind (Dedicated Controls)); see GURPS High-
  Tech for details.
  Decabrach (Alien)
  100 points
  An alien race adapted to an amphibious life in fresh water 
  or humid air. Their racial features reflect their home world’s 
  environment. Their native air pressure counts as “very dense,” 
  but comes primarily from helium; its oxygen partial pressure 
  can be treated as “dense.”
  Decabrachs are invertebrates, with a horizontal posture 
  and five pairs of flexible arms that also function as legs. Aver-
  age weight is 45 lbs., giving a weight multiplier of ¥0.36. Exact 
  calculations give ¥0.71 HP, for an average of HP 7. With grav-
  ity of 1.4G, they have ¥1.00 ST, for an average of ST 10, and 
  ¥0.51 length, for an average of 3.1’ and SM -1. Basic Speed 
  is ¥1.18, for an average of 6.00; with longest dimension 1.03 
  yards, their Basic Move averages 4, reduced 10% for each leg 
  they use as an arm. Other attributes and secondary character-
  istics are as for humans.
  Decabrachs have very different senses from humans, 
  lacking sight, and hearing only at subsonic frequencies. 
  Their main ranged sense is electrical, letting them sense 
  the shapes of nearby objects for several yards around them; 
  they also use this for communication. Their arms have mul-
  tiple suckers rich in nerve endings, providing a strong grip, 
  a very precise sense of touch, and an added chemical sense.  
  They have +16 to grapple (using all their arms) and +4 to climb.  
  aPPendix B
  examPles
  DH-4 Vehicle Stats
   TL Vehicle 
  ST/HP 
  Hnd/SR 
  HT 
  Move 
  LWt. Load 
  SM 
  Occ. DR 
  Range 
  Cost 
  Locations 
  Stall
   6 
  DH-4 
  60 
  0/3 
  9f 
  4/62 
  2.1 
  0.4 
  +4 
  2 
  3 
  420 
  $85,000 
  O2W2Wi 
  23
  
   
  examPles 
  48
  They cannot jump or kick, but can use hydraulic pressure to 
  stretch their limbs for effective SM 0.
  Decabrachs are carnivores, using their electrical and 
  chemical senses to seek and stalk prey. Their behavioral pro-
  file includes Concentration +1 (patient hunting strategies), 
  Empathy +2 (pursuit of intelligent prey), Gregariousness -1 
  (as mainly solitary hunters), Imagination +1 (flexible feed-
  ing strategies), and Suspicion -1 (as carnivores); they are not 
  high in Playfulness. Their sociality is less spontaneous than in 
  humans, growing out of the empathic ability to predict each 
  other’s goals as a conscious strategy of cooperation and trade.
  Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: SM -1; HP-3 [-6]; Basic 
  Speed+1.00 [20]; Basic Move-2 [-10].
  Advantages: Amphibious [10]; Detect (Chemical Substances; 
  Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%; Nuisance Effect, Must touch 
  with suction cup for full sensitivity, -5%; Reflexive, +40%) 
  [11]; Doesn’t Breathe (Accessibility, Not in dry air, -10%; 
  Oxygen Absorption, -25%) [13]; Extra Arms 8 (Extra-Flex-
  ible, +50%; Foot Manipulators, -30%) [96]; Extra-Flexible 
  Foot Manipulators 2 [4]; Extra Legs (Ten Legs; Cannot 
  Kick, -50%) [8]; Fearlessness 1 [2]; Good Grip 2 [10]; Sen-
  sitive [5]; Sensitive Touch [10]; Signals (Electrical Pulses) 
  [15]; Stretching 1 [6]; Versatile [5]; Vibration Sense (Active 
  Electroreception) [10].
  Perks: Rinse [1]; Vibration Sense Usable in Humid Air [1].
  Disadvantages: Blindness [-50]; Invertebrate [-20]; Mute 
  [-25]; No Skull DR [-2]; Restricted Diet (Carnivorous) [-10].
  Quirks: Attentive [-1]; Cannot Jump [-1]; Serious [-1]; Uncon-
  genial [-1].
  Features: Native Gravity 1.4G; Native Pressure 7 atm; Sub-
  sonic Hearing; Thermal Comfort Zone 85°F to 140°F.
  Fly Demon (Embodied Spirit)
  A composite entity formed by a demonic spirit possessing 
  a swarm of flies.
  Captain of Flies (Animus)
  22 points
  You are a malevolent spiritual entity in the service of the 
  Lord of the Flies or another demon or god such as the Furies. 
  Your master can grant you access to material hosts; or a sor-
  cerer can call you to the material plane, if they know your 
  true name; or you can transfer from one swarm to another. 
  On your own, you have no access to or awareness of the mate-
  rial plane.
  You’re not very bright, but not an automaton – you can 
  be controlled by your true name, but you can try to twist the 
  orders you’re given. You’re guided more by immediate percep-
  tion than by reasoned decisions, and easily distracted, but you 
  don’t lack curiosity. You have Empathy -2, Imagination -2, and 
  Playfulness -2 (reflecting demonic malevolence and narrow-
  ness), along with Concentration -1 (opportunism).
  Attribute Modifiers: IQ-2 [-40].
  Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: Will+3 [15]; Per+3 [15].
  Advantages: Doesn’t Sleep [20]; Possession (Accessibility, 
  Swarms of flies only, -40%; Spiritual, -20%) [40]; Unaging 
  [15].
  Disadvantages: Callous [-5]; Hidebound [-5]; No Sense of 
  Humor [-10]; Odious Racial Habit (Filthy) [-10]; Repro-
  grammable [-10].
  Quirks: Can Be Turned By True Faith [-1]; Distractible [-1]; 
  Likes Carrion [-1].
  Features: Can Be Exorcised.
  Customization Notes
  For a much more powerful captain of flies, replace all 
  advantages with the Demon meta-trait, keeping the Acces-
  sibility limitation on Possession. This raises cost to 216 
  points. The result is an immaterial being that can perceive 
  the material world and travel about it, looking for abattoirs 
  and battlefields.
  Host of Flies (Vessel)
  123 points
  A swarm of bluebottle flies (Calliphora vomitoria) or related 
  species of carrion flies (the same statistics can be used for flies 
  of other kinds). Individual flies average SM -13 and have effec-
  tive ST 0. However, they swarm, drawn together by phero-
  monal signals, and can be possessed by malignant spirits that 
  grant them meaningful IQ and Will. The traits listed here are 
  purely physical, for a swarm used as a vessel; they don’t reflect 
  the mentality of flies.
  The swarm as a whole is Diffuse, and can’t lift or move 
  objects of any size, so its ST is 0; however, its HP equal the 
  Will of the animating spirit, which is the amount of injury 
  needed to disperse it. It moves at the speed of its constitu-
  ent bodies, and can scatter at that speed, becoming effectively 
  insubstantial. On the ground, the flies crawl at a fraction of 
  Move 1, but they can cling to walls and ceilings; they fly com-
  paratively slowly and can often be outrun. Their bite can’t 
  penetrate human skin, but causes a distracting itch, and their 
  wings make a loud hum, treated as Penetrating Voice.
  Flies have 360° vision; they see at extremely low resolu-
  tion, but the animating spirit can combine thousands of visual 
  impressions into an image that’s merely poorly resolved. They 
  feed on corpses, excrement, and open wounds, which they can 
  smell from a great distance, and contact with such material 
  makes them carriers of infection.
  Attribute Modifiers: ST-10 [-100].
  Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: HP+11 [22]; Basic 
  Move-5 [-25]; Air Move-6 [-12].
  Advantages: 360° Vision [25]; Acute Taste and Smell 10 [20]; 
  Affliction 1 (Itching, +10%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%) 
  [8]; Clinging [20]; Injury Tolerance (Diffuse; Flying Swarm, 
  +30%; Infiltration, +40%; Scatter, Can’t affect the material 
  world, +40%) [210]; Reduced Consumption 3 (Cast-Iron 
  Stomach, -50%) [3].
  Perks: Penetrating Voice [1]; Pestilent [1].
  Disadvantages: Bad Sight (Low Resolution) [-25]; Bestial 
  [-10]; Cannot Speak [-15].
  Features: Body of Swarm; Taboo Trait (Fixed Basic Move); 
  Taboo Trait (Fixed ST).
  Prosthetic Body (Robot)
  135 points
  A machine body that replaces a human body as a hous-
  ing for a living brain to create a total cyborg as discussed in 
  GURPS Ultra-Tech. The English name is a translation of the 
  Japanese gitai. This template can be applied to an existing 
  character as a permanent transformation (p. 40).
  
   
  examPles 
  49
  The body is human-shaped, for both functional and psy-
  chological reasons, but the basic model is visibly artificial, 
  with a polymer outer coating. It weighs about the same as 
  a human body, but because it’s Unliving, its HP are dou-
  bled and its ST is boosted correspondingly. Support comes 
  from a light metal internal skeleton. Most internal systems are 
  electrical, powered by rechargeable batteries. Basic safety fea-
  tures include DR 3 overall armor, which provides a hard sur-
  face for striking blows (tougher than a human skull, so the 
  brain compartment isn’t specially armored); protective lenses 
  over the eyes; and surge protection giving +3 to HT.
  The brain still needs air, water, and food; the last two come 
  from a nutrient solution, recharged weekly, treated as Depen-
  dency on a Common substance. Its physiological state is mon-
  itored by built-in systems that the user or a medic can access. 
  The brain has no pain receptors; “pain” represents disrupted 
  mechanical functions.
  The brain controls the body via a computer interface, 
  which also provides basic computer functions and can inter-
  face with external computer networks via a cable jack. The 
  control system allows slightly faster reactions.
  Attribute Modifiers: ST+10 [100].
  Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: Basic Speed+1.00 [20].
  Advantages: Cable Jack [5]; DR 3 [15]; High Pain Threshold 
  [10]; Machine [25]; Nictitating Membrane 1 [1]; Resistant 
  to Power Surges (+3) [5].
  Perks: Accessory (Biomonitor) [1]; Accessory (Computer) [1]; 
  Striking Surface [1].
  Disadvantages: Dependency (Nutrient Solution; Common; 
  Weekly) [-20]; Electrical [-20]; No Sense of Smell/Taste 
  [-5]; No Skull DR [-2]; Unnatural Features 2 (Mannequin) 
  [-2].
  Features: Light Metal Structure; Reawakened; Subject to 
  Aging (Brain Only).
  Customization Notes
  This design is for an average human-
  sized body. To have a larger or smaller 
  body (perhaps based on your original), 
  double your original ST and pay for the 
  difference from standard racial ST.
  A customized body can have a coat-
  ing of realistic flesh, giving it Unnatu-
  ral Features 1 instead of 2, and can be 
  artistically shaped for attractiveness, possibly with Off-the-
  Shelf Looks. It’s also possible to select an obviously mechan-
  ical sculpted body, eliminating Unnatural Features entirely. 
  Some total cyborgs add Accessory perks. At TL10, a living 
  flesh exterior is an option (removes Unusual Features).
  As an added safety feature, the light metal skeleton can 
  be changed to polymer, for +5 DR vs. electrical attacks. As 
  well, Resistant to Power Surges can be raised to +8. Tech level 
  11 offers diamondoid structure, giving +10 DR vs. electrical 
  attacks and allowing general DR to be raised to 6.
  Raven (Animal)
  -45 points
  A large, omnivorous, exceptionally intelligent bird (Corvus 
  corax), likely to be chosen as a companion by a mage or even 
  a god (see Customization Notes).
  Ravens have Avian morphology, with two wings and two 
  feet that can be used as manipulators. They’re moderately 
  large but lightly built birds, averaging 24” and 3 lbs. or slightly 
  over, which gives them HP 3 and ST 3. As flying creatures, 
  they enjoy high DX and Basic Speed. They typically have 
  IQ 5 – comparable to monkeys – and aren’t easily tricked or 
  intimidated. Their small size gives them ground Move 2, but 
  they have air Move 12 and one level of Enhanced Move, letting 
  them fly at 24 mph and reach top speed 48 mph.
  Because of their small size, ravens have Increased Con-
  sumption, eating nine meals a day. However, as omnivorous 
  carrion eaters, they can be less selective about what they eat; 
  their last half-level of Increased Consumption has the Cast-
  Iron Stomach limitation. It costs them no more effort to find 
  food than it normally would to find six meals a day. Each meal 
  is about 0.03 times the size of a human meal, in proportion to 
  their body weight.
  Ravens can live up to 69 years, if not more – comparable to 
  humans – but are reproductively mature at 3 years, treated as 
  Early Maturation 2.
  A behavioral profile for ravens includes Concentration -1 
  (opportunistic feeders), Curiosity +1 (omnivores), Imagina-
  tion +1 (flexible feeding strategies), and Playfulness +1 (spe-
  cies IQ 5). Despite their small size, their ability to fly away 
  protects them from many dangers, so their Suspicion is 0.
  Ravens make up to 30 different sounds, including a croak 
  that can be heard more than a mile away, and can imitate 
  bird calls and even human speech. Most of their behavior is 
  learned rather than instinctive; they normally have points in 
  Survival and may have Aerobatics, Brawling, Filch, or Mim-
  icry, but these aren’t part of the racial template. Ravens can 
  learn Area Knowledge based on Per rather than IQ, but only 
  for areas they’ve physically explored (on the scale of a neigh-
  borhood, village, or town).
  Attribute Modifiers: ST-7 [-70]; DX+3 [60]; 
  IQ-5 [-100]; HT+1 [10].
  Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: SM 
  -3; Will+6 [30]; Per+7 [35]; Basic Move-4 
  [-20].
  Advantages: Avian [24]; DR 1 (Flexible, 
  -20%) [4]; Enhanced Move 1 (Air Speed 
  24) [20]; Nictitating Membrane 1 [1]; 
  Sharp Beak [1]; Temperature Tolerance 
  1 (Colder) [1].
  Perks: Attribute Substitution (Area Knowledge based on Per) 
  [1]; Attribute Substitution (Mimicry based on Per) [1]; 
  Feathers [1]; Penetrating Voice [1].
  Disadvantages: Bestial [-10]; Cannot Speak [-15]; Curious 
  (12) [-5]; Increased Consumption 1 [-10]; Increased Con-
  sumption 0.5 (Cast-Iron Stomach, -50%) [-2].
  Quirks: Distractible [-1]; Imaginative [-1]; Likes Shiny Things 
  [-1].
  Features: Early Maturation 2; Taboo Trait (Fixed IQ).
  Customization Notes
  For a raven familiar, buy off Taboo Trait (Fixed IQ) and 
  Bestial. This allows it to have IQ 6 or higher. It may also 
  replace Cannot Speak with Disturbing Voice, or acquire 
  Mindlink. Adding skills, or (with GM approval) buying Mag-
  ery and a spell or two, will raise it to a positive character point 
  total suited to an Ally.
  He sent forth  
  a raven, which went 
  forth to and fro.
  – Genesis 8:8
  
   
  index 
  50
  Specific meta-traits are listed in their 
  own section on p. 52.
  Abilities, see Advantages.
  Accessory (Lock) perk, 29, 45.
  Advantages, 24, 43-45; as alternatives to 
  templates, 4-5; as specialized versions of 
  core traits, 24; density and weight related, 
  18-19; habitat-related, 15-18; mana levels 
  and, 16; meta-traits, 8-11, 19-21; other 
  transformational, 39; Shapeshifting, 35, 
  38-39; swarms, 14-15; Talents, 24; toon, 
  6; see also Features.
  Affected by Rust quirk, 46.
  Affliction advantage, 29, 39; new condition, 
  43.
  Aliens, as race, 6; chimerae as, 8; example, 
  47; meta-traits, 9-10; scale and gravity, 
  16; super-races, 36; see also Races,  
  Racial Templates.
  Alternate Form advantage, 38, 39; 
  disadvantage, 39, 46; feature, 12;  
  swarms, 14.
  Animals, anthropomorphized, 5; as race, 
  6; Basic Move, 24; example, 49; hit 
  locations, 9, 10; Hit Points (HP), 24; 
  Intelligence (IQ), 24; mentality meta-
  traits, 9; morphology meta-traits, 9-10; 
  simplified statistics, 4; see also Races, 
  Racial Templates, Swarms.
  Animus, example, 48.
  Archetypes, 23, 35.
  Arms, related traits, 28.
  Atmosphere (habitat), related traits, 15.
  Attack, related traits, 29.
  Automata, see Robots.
  Bad Sight disadvantage, 45.
  Basic Move secondary characteristic, 24; 
  cinematic scale and, 14; gravity and, 16, 
  19; movement, 27-28; worked example, 
  19.
  Behavior-related traits, 31-33; roleplaying, 
  40; worldbuilding and, 40-41.
  Bigger Than Your Head ability, 6.
  Bioroids, 7, 23, 30-32; meta-trait, 9.
  Breathing, related traits, 25.
  Build (body), 14; features, 14; modifier, 14; 
  see also Scale.
  Campaigns, races in, 22-23; racial 
  personality and, 40-41; roleplaying races, 
  40; sets of races, 22-23; worldbuilding, 
  40-41; see also Character Design, Races.
  Cannot Jump quirk, 28, 46.
  Captain of flies racial template, 48.
  Carrier feature, 12.
  Character design, no statistics, 4-5; racial vs. 
  character templates, 5; roleplaying races, 
  40; simplified statistics, 4; unique beings, 
  5; see also Races, Racial Templates.
  Chauvinism (racial personality), 31, 40.
  Chimerae, 8; as race, 6-7; morphology  
  meta-traits, 9-10.
  Cognition-related traits, 31; impaired, 31.
  Comfort zone, adjusting, 17-18.
  Communication, related traits, 27.
  Compartmentalized Mind advantage, 31; 
  clarifications, 43; feature, 12; vehicles, 7, 
  9, 12, 26, 44.
  Complexity, computers, 7.
  Complexity-Limited IQ taboo trait, 12.
  Composition meta-traits, 19-21.
  Compound eyes, 26.
  Computers, 7; as Contacts, 5; Complexity, 7; 
  features, 12; meta-traits, 9; racial skills, 
  33; suggested traits, 27, 30, 31; taboo 
  traits, 12; see also Infomorphs, Machines, 
  Robots, Vehicles.
  Concentration (racial personality), 32, 41.
  Consciousness, related traits, 30-31.
  Contacts advantage, 5.
  Creativity, related traits, 31.
  Culture, related traits, 34-35; trait variants 
  defined by, 35.
  Curiosity (racial personality), 32, 41.
  Cybershells, 7, 20, 30; see also Infomorphs, 
  Machines, Robots.
  Darkness penalties, adjusting, 16-17.
  Dayton-Wright DH-4 racial template, 47.
  Decabrach racial template, 47-48.
  Defense, related traits, 29-30.
  Density, example, 19; limitation, 18; 
  materials, 19; related traits, 18-19;.
  Diffuse (Injury Tolerance), defenses, 29; 
  elementals, 20, 21; energy beings, 21; 
  example template, 48; features, 12; Injury 
  Tolerance enhancements, 43; postmortal, 
  21; scale and, 13; Size Modifier and, 13; 
  see also Swarms.
  Disadvantageous Alternate Form 
  disadvantage, 46.
  Disadvantages, 5, 45-46; meta-traits, 8-11, 
  19-21; see also Taboo Traits.
  Early Maturation feature, 12.
  Ecological racial roles, 23.
  Egoism (racial personality), 32, 41.
  Elastic Skin ability, 39.
  Elemental power modifier, 21, 26.
  Elementals, as spirits, 8, 16; concentration 
  traits, 32; defenses, 29; densities of 
  materials, 19; energy beings, 21; mana 
  and, 16; meta-traits, 20-21.
  Empathy (racial personality), 32, 41.
  Encumbrance multiplier, gravity, 15.
  Enemies disadvantage, 5.
  Energy meta-traits, 21.
  Features, 12, 14, 27, 44; habitat-related,  
  15-17; meta-trait-like, 10, 19, 20.
  Fixed (Attribute) taboo trait, 12.
  Fixed (Skill) taboo trait, 12.
  Flight advantage, 28, 29; new limitation, 43; 
  meta-traits with, 9-11, 20, 21; movement, 
  27, 28.
  Fly demon racial template, 48.
  Food, see Sustenance.
  Fuel Supply feature, 12.
  Functional racial roles, 23.
  Funny Faces ability, 6.
  Furries, 5, 6.
  Golems, as race, 7.
  Good Grip advantage, 28, 44.
  Grace racial template, 42.
  Gracile feature, 14.
  Gravity, encumbrance multiplier, 15; 
  example, 19; related traits, 15-16; Size 
  and, 15; ST and, 15.
  Gregariousness (racial personality), 32, 41.
  GURPS, 3, 4, 5, 7, 14, 17, 23, 24, 28,  
  29, 31, 34, 36, 38, 42; Banestorm, 3;  
  Bio-Tech, 3; Fantasy, 3; High-Tech, 
  7, 18, 47; Horror, 3, 8; Power-Ups 2: 
  Perks, 3, 23, 44; Power-Ups 3: Talents, 
  24; Power-Ups 6: Quirks, 3, 23; 
  Powers, 3, 6, 20, 26, 27, 29, 35; Powers: 
  Enhanced Senses, 26, 27; Powers: The 
  Weird, 38, 40; Space, 6, 15, 16, 17, 31; 
  Template Toolkit 1: Characters, 3, 23, 
  34, 36, 41; Thaumatology, 23, 34; Ultra-
  Tech, 3, 7, 23, 46, 48; Zombies, 3.
  Habitat, related traits, 15-18.
  Hardened option, as Resistant, 44.
  Height, based on Size Modifier, 13-14;  
  build features and, 14; see also Scale.
  Hit locations, new body plans, 10.
  Hit Points (HP) attribute, 24; density and, 
  18-19; related features, 12; scale and,  
  13-14; Size Modifier and, 13, 19; 
  swarms, 15; tiny scores, 24; weightless 
  environments, 16; worked example, 19.
  Homogenous (Injury Tolerance), defenses, 
  29; density and, 13; elementals, 20, 21; 
  nanomorphs, 11; scale and, 13; Size 
  Modifier and, 13.
  index
  Enter FERDINAND; and ARIEL, invisible, 
  playing and singing.
  – William Shakespeare, The Tempest
  
   
  index 
  51
  Host of flies racial template, 48.
  Humanoids, as race, 5; build features, 14; 
  example, 42; Injury Tolerance variant, 43; 
  meta-traits, 9, 10; weights, 13; see also 
  Aliens, Races, Racial Templates, Robots.
  Hybrids, as race, 8.
  Illumination, related traits, 16-17.
  Illusion advantage, 20, 27.
  Illusory beings, 20.
  Imagination (racial personality), 32, 41.
  Immunity advantage, see Resistant 
  Advantage.
  Increased Consumption disadvantage,  
  25, 45; Cast-Iron Stomach, 25, 45.
  Infomorphs, as Contacts, 5; as race, 7; 
  cognition, 31; consciousness, 31; magic 
  and, 34; mentality meta-traits, 9; physical 
  appearance, 20; racial personality 
  traits, 31-32; racial personality, 31, 32; 
  Reprogrammable, 30; taboo trait, 12; see 
  also Robots.
  Injury Tolerance advantage, defense, 29; 
  elementals, 20-21; energy beings, 21; 
  feature, 12; new enhancements, 43; new 
  variant, 43; swarms, 14, 43; undead, 8, 
  21.
  Insensate taboo trait, 12.
  Intelligence (IQ) attribute, 24, 31, 33; 
  communication, 27; Complexity-Limited, 
  12; computer Complexity, 7; Dancing 
  skill, 27; guidelines, 24;; suggested levels, 
  24.
  Itching condition, 43.
  Jumping, movement, 28.
  Languages, 35.
  Length, see Height.
  Lenses, creating, 23, 34-35.
  Limbs, related traits, 28.
  Machines, as unique beings, 5; atmosphere 
  and, 15; attacks, 29; cinematic scale, 
  13-14; communication, 27; composition 
  meta-traits, 20; consciousness, 31; 
  defenses, 29-30; density, 19; functional 
  roles, 23; Intelligence (IQ), 24; magic, 34; 
  mana levels and, 16; manipulation, 28; 
  meta-trait, 9; morphology meta-traits, 
  10; movement, 27-28; nanotechnology, 
  11; perks, 23; radiation and, 17; related 
  features, 12; senses, 26; sustenance, 
  25-26; swarms, 14-15; transformational 
  abilities, 39; see also Compartmentalized 
  Mind Advantage, Computers, Robots, 
  Races, Racial Templates, Unliving, 
  Vehicles.
  Magic Pockets ability, 6.
  Magic, mana levels, 16; related traits, 34.
  Magivores, 16, 26.
  Manipulation, related traits, 28.
  Materialization ability, 39.
  Mecha, hit locations, 10; see also Machines, 
  Robots.
  Memory, related traits, 31.
  Mental traits, 30-34.
  Mentality meta-traits, 9.
  Meta-traits, lists, 8-11, 19-21; overview, 5, 8.
  Morph advantage, 38-39; board groups, 
  39; other advantages vs., 39; see also 
  Alternate Form Advantage, Shapeshifting.
  Morphology meta-traits, 9-11.
  Motivation, see Behavior.
  Movement, related traits, 27-28.
  Nanotechnology meta-traits, 11.
  No Legs disadvantage, 27, 28; Cannot Jump 
  and, 46; Compartmentalized Mind and, 
  43; meta-traits with, 10, 11, 20, 21;  
  new variants, 46; Sails and, 45.
  Nonautonomous feature, 12.
  Not Pressurized feature, 12.
  Not Subject to Aging feature, 12.
  Not Subject to Fatigue feature, 12.
  Outward form, related traits, 30.
  Patrons advantage, 4.
  Perks, 45; racial design and, 23.
  Personality profile, see Behavior.
  Pestilent perk, 45.
  Physical traits, 25-30.
  Plants, 6, 25.
  Playfulness (racial personality), 32, 41.
  Postmortal meta-traits, 21; see also Undead.
  Potential Form feature, 12.
  Powers, racial, 35.
  Prosthetic body racial template, 48.
  Quirks, 46; racial design and, 23.
  Races, as powers, 35; campaign restrictions, 
  22; inventing, 38; overview, 5; personality 
  profile, 31-33, 40-41; player-designed, 37; 
  roleplaying, 40; roles, 22-23; super, 36; 
  types, 5-8; see also specific races.
  Racial templates, alternatives to, 4-5; as 
  packages, 5; attributes on, 24; character 
  templates vs., 5; conceptual design, 22-23; 
  cost of, 36; creating lenses and sub-races, 
  23, 34-35; defined, 4; examples, 42, 47-49; 
  game presentation, 42; mental traits on, 
  30-34; modification, 37; perks on, 23; 
  permanent transformation, 40; physical 
  traits on, 25-30; quirks on, 23; secondary 
  characteristics on, 24; social traits on, 
  34-35; Talents, 24; see also Advantages, 
  Disadvantages, Races, Shapeshifting, 
  Skills.
  Radiation, 17; Regeneration advantage, 17; 
  other traits, 17.
  Radiation Hardened feature, 12, 17.
  Radiation Recovery perk, 17, 45.
  Raven racial template, 49.
  Reaction modifiers, related traits, 35.
  Realism, food, 25; scale, 14.
  Reawakened feature, 12.
  Reference culture, 34.
  Resistant advantage, 29, 30; new variant, 44.
  Robots, as race, 7; Bioroid meta-trait, 9; 
  cognition, 31; communication, 27; 
  composition meta-traits, 20; example, 
  48-49; hit locations, 10; in campaigns, 
  22, 23, 41; jumping, 28; Machine 
  meta-trait, 9; mana levels and, 16; 
  manipulation, 28; mentality meta-
  traits, 9; morphology meta-traits, 9-11; 
  nanotechnology, 11; outward form, 30; 
  racial personality traits, 31-32; senses, 26; 
  Telecommunication, 27, 44; Unnatural 
  Features, 46; see also Machines, Races, 
  Racial Templates, Unliving, Vehicles.
  Robust feature, 14.
  Sails perk, 28, 45.
  Scale, 13-15; cinematic, 14, 25; density and, 
  18-19; example, 19; food and, 25; gravity 
  and, 15-16; realistic, 14; swarms, 14-15; 
  under the hood, 14.
  Sense, related traits, 26-27.
  Shapeshifting, advantage, 35, 38-39; 
  disadvantage, 46; feature, 12;  
  with other advantages, 39.
  Signals advantage, 27, 30, 44-45.
  Size Modifier (SM), 13-14; build modifier, 
  24; effective vs. actual, 15-16; gravity and, 
  15-16; skeletal bodies, 21; swarms, 14-15; 
  see also Scale.
  Skeletal bodies, 21.
  Skeletons, as defense, 29.
  Skills, bonuses and penalties, 33-34;  
  for templates, 33-35; racial, 33, 35; 
  racially learned spells, 34.
  Sleep, related traits, 30.
  Social Stigma disadvantage, 7, 35;  
  new variant, 46.
  Social traits, 34-35.
  Solvents, biochemical meta-traits, 19-
  20; definition, 17; density and, 18-19; 
  illumination and, 17; movement, 27; 
  tables, 18, 19; temperature and, 17.
  Spells, cost of fixed, 34;racial, 34.
  Spirits, as Contacts, 5; as race, 8; 
  communication, 27; consciousness, 31; 
  defenses, 29-30; example, 48; magic, 34; 
  mana levels, 16; Materialization, 39; 
  meta-traits, 11; physical appearance, 20; 
  racial personality, 31-32; racial roles, 23; 
  racial skills, 33; senses, 26; Shapeshifting, 
  38-39; spectral undead, 8; see also 
  Elementals, Races, Racial Templates, 
  Undead.
  Sterile feature, 12.
  Interviewer: HAL, despite your enormous 
  intellect, are you ever frustrated by your 
  dependence on people to carry out your actions?
  HAL: Not in the slightest bit. I enjoy working 
  with people.
  – 2001: A Space Odyssey
  
   
  index 
  52
  Strength (ST) attribute, 24; density and, 
  18-19; gravity and, 15-16; scale and, 13; 
  Size Modifier and, 13; skeletal bodies, 21; 
  swarms, 14; tiny scores, 24; weightless 
  environments, 16; worked example, 19.
  Sub-races, 23.
  Substance, related traits, 18.
  Super-races, 36.
  Suspicion (racial personality), 32, 41.
  Sustenance, related traits,  
  25-26; scale and, 25.
  Swarms, communication, 27; example 
  template, 48; feature, 12; Injury Tolerance 
  and, 43; nano, 11; traits for, 14-15;  
  see also Diffuse.
  Tables, Basic Move, 16; densities  
  of materials, 19; density, 18;  
  gravity, 16; illumination levels, 17;  
  new hit locations, 10; size and  
  weight, 13; solvents, 18.
  Taboo traits, 12; biochemical, 19.
  Tail feature, 12.
  Talents, 24, 33, 37; magic, 34.
  Technological meta-traits, 20.
  Telecommunication advantage, 
   7, 26, 27; new variant, 44.
  Temperature, other solvents and,  
  17-18; water and, 17.
  Temperature Tolerance advantage,  
  17-18.
  Templates, see Racial Templates.
  Thematic racial roles, 23.
  Thought-forms, as race, 8.
  Time, sense of, 31.
  Toons, 6, 39; meta-trait, 9.
  Traits for templates, see Racial Templates.
  Transformation, other transformational 
  abilities, 39; permanent, 40; 
  Shapeshifting, 38-39.
  Transhuman Space, 23.
  Tulpas, as race, 8.
  Undead, as race, 8; cognition, 31; defenses, 
  29, 30; density, 18; meta-traits, 21; 
  permanent transformation, 40; racial 
  personality, 31-32; Social Stigma, 46; 
  weight change, 21; see also Races,  
  Racial Templates, Spirits.
  Under the hood, 14, 39, 44.
  Unliving (Injury Tolerance), defenses, 
  29; example template, 48-49; features, 
  12; machines, 7, 9; scale and, 13; Size 
  Modifier and, 13; see also Machines, 
  Robots, Spirits, Undead.
  Unnatural Features disadvantage, Injury 
  Tolerance and, 43; new variants, 46.
  Vehicles, as race, 7; Basic Move and, 24; 
  communication, 27; composition  
  meta-traits, 20; consciousness, 30;  
  core meta-trait, 9; density, 18; example, 
  47; hit locations, 10; Injury Tolerance 
  variant, 43; Machine meta-trait, 9;  
  mana and, 16; morphology meta-traits, 
  10-11; movement, 27-28; related feature, 
  12; senses, 26; simplified statistics, 
  4; Telecommunication, 43; see also 
  Compartmentalized Mind Advantage, 
  Machines, Races, Racial Templates, 
  Robots.
  Vessels (for spirit), example, 48.
  Vibration Sense advantage, 26, 27;  
  new variant, 44; Signals and, 45.
  Virtual beings, 20.
  Vision rolls, illumination and, 16.
  Weight, based on Size Modifier, 13-14; 
  related traits, 18-19; skeletal bodies, 21; 
  see also Scale.
  Weightless environments, 16.
  Meta-Traits
  AI, 9.
  Airship, 10.
  Ammonia-Based Life Form, 19.
  Angeloid, 9; hit locations, 10.
  Animated Character, 9.
  Arachnoid, 9.
  Ashen Undead, 21.
  Asteroid, 9; hit locations, 10.
  Automaton, 9; applications, 7, 8, 31, 41.
  Avian, 9.
  Biochemical, 19.
  Bioroid, 9
  Boat, 11.
  Body of Air, 20.
  Body of Earth, 20.
  Body of Electricity, 21.
  Body of Fire, 20.
  Body of Ice, 20.
  Body of Light, 21.
  Body of Metal, 20.
  Body of Sound, 21.
  Body of Stone, 21.
  Body of Swarm, 12; Injury Tolerance and, 
  43; template with, 48; see also Swarms in 
  main index.
  Body of Water, 21.
  Body of Wood, 21.
  Cancroid, 10.
  Centauroid, 10.
  Chlorine-Based Life Form, 20.
  Demon, 11.
  Diamondoid Structure, 20.
  Domestic Animal, 9.
  Ethane-Based Life Form, 19.
  Fixed-Wing Aircraft, 11.
  Glider, 11.
  Ground Vehicle, 11.
  Helicopter, 11.
  Helium-Based Life Form, 19.
  Helminth, 10; hit locations, 10.
  Hexapod, 10; related, 10.
  Hovercraft, 11.
  Hydrogen-Based Life Form, 19.
  Ichthyoid, 10.
  Intact Undead, 21.
  Iron-Based Life Form, 20.
  Iron/Steel Structure, 20.
  Light Metal Structure, 20.
  Machine, 9
  Magma Life Forms, 20.
  Methane-Based Life Form, 19.
  Mummified Undead, 21.
  Nanomorph, 11.
  Octopod, 10.
  Organism meta-traits, 9-10.
  Ovoid, 10.
  Phantasm, 11.
  Poltergeist, 11.
  Polymer Structure, 20.
  Quadruped, 10.
  Rotting Undead, 21.
  Scorpionoid, 10; hit locations, 10.
  Semi-Upright, 10.
  Serpentoid, 10; hit locations, 10.
  Skeletal Undead, 21.
  Sprite, 11.
  Submersible, 11.
  Sulfur-Based Life Form, 20.
  Sulfuric Acid-Based Life Form, 20.
  Tritonoid, 10; hit locations, 10.
  Unmanifested Spirit, 11.
  Upload, 9.
  Vehicle, 9.
  Vermiform, 9.
  Vespertilian, 10.
  Water-Based Life Form, 19.
  Wild Animal, 9.
  Wooden Structure, 20.
  Winged Hexapod, 10.
  They themselves do not see the world as we do, but our shapes cast 
  shadows in their minds, which only the noon sun destroys; and in  
  the dark they perceive many signs and forms that are hidden from us: 
  then they are most to be feared. And at all times they smell the blood  
  of living things, desiring and hating it.
  – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
  
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