GURPS Low-Tech, 1St Printing
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Covering the Paleolithic to the Age of Sail, GURPS Low-Tech is your guide to TL0-4 equipment for historical adventurers, modern survivalists, post-apocalypse survivors, and time travelers. It surveys current historical and archaeological research to present accurate gear, including: • Weapons. Stone axes, steel blades, muskets, and heavy weapons (from catapults to cannon) to grant a fighting edge whether you face bears, phalanxes, or high-seas pirates. • Armor. Pick coverage, quality, and materials (even exotica like jade!) to suit your budget, and then calculate protection, weight, impact on stealth, and more. • Transportation. Travel aids such as skis and floats; riding gear for horses, camels, and elephants; and vehicles ranging from oxcarts and rafts to war wagons and low-tech submarines. • Survival Gear. Simple tools and local materials to let you find your way, stay warm and dry, and feed yourself in the wilderness. • Tools. Everything you need to gather basic resources, craft finished goods, work in the literate professions, spy, or thieve. • Medicine. Treat illness and injury with herbs, acupuncture, and surgery. GURPS Low-Tech requires the GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition. The information on real-world equipment is useful for any campaign set prior to 1730, as well as historical fantasy. By William H. Stoddard, with Peter Dell’Orto, Dan Howard, and Matt Riggsby Edited by Sean Punch Cover Art by Bob Stevlic Illustrated by Alan Azez, Eric J. Carter, Igor Fiorentini, Angela Lowry, Matthew Meyer, Rod Reis, and Bob Stevlic 1ST EDITION, 1ST PRINTING PUBLISHED DECEMBER 2010 ISBN 978-1-55634-802-0 Printed in $29.99 SJG 01-0108 the USA Written by WILLIAM H. STODDARD, with PETER DELL’ORTO, DAN HOWARD, and MATT RIGGSBY Additional Material by C.J. CARELLA, GRAEME DAVIS, STEPHEN DEDMAN, SHAWN FISHER, LEE GOLD, MICHAEL HURST, EVAN JAMIESON, J. HUNTER JOHNSON, THOMAS M. KANE, AURELIO LOCSIN III, PHIL MASTERS, RICHARD MEYER, DAVID MORGAN-MAR, KENNETH PETERS, DAVID L. PULVER, SEAN PUNCH, S. JOHN ROSS, HANS-CHRISTIAN VORTISCH, and JON F. ZEIGLER Edited by SEAN PUNCH Cover Art by BOB STEVLIC Illustrations by ALAN AZEZ, ERIC J. CARTER, IGOR FIORENTINI, ANGELA LOWRY, MATTHEW MEYER, ROD REIS, and BOB STEVLIC ISBN 978-1-55634-802-0 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 STEVE JACKSON GAMES 5. WEAPONS . 53 MELEE WEAPONS . 54 Hook . 54 ONTENTS Pike and Shot and Bayonet . 55 C Optional Rule: Sheaths . 57 INTRODUCTION . 4 Domestication. 22 Weapons of Quality . 59 Asbestos (TL2) . 23 First Encounter With 1. THE AGE OF LABOR . 5 Rope Deterioration . 24 a New Way to Die . 60 AGES OF TECHNOLOGY . 6 CHEMISTRY . 25 Fighting in Style . 61 Tip Slash . 62 VARIANT PATHS. 7 FUEL AND POWER . 27 Improvised Weapons . 63 ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES . 7 TOOLS AND BASIC Melee Weapon Table . 64 Roads Not Taken . 7 EQUIPMENT. 28 Weapon Composition . 71 Blocked Roads . 8 Tool Kits . 30 BOWS, SLINGS, AND Technology for Nonhumans . 8 Adjusting for SM. 8 3. GENERAL THROWN WEAPONS . 72 Alternate Arrows . 73 TLSANDCHARACTER TRAITS . 8 EQUIPMENT. 31 Bows, Crossbows, Advantages . 8 SHELTER . 31 and Rated ST. 74 Combining Strength . 9 DOMESTIC CONVENIENCES . 33 Muscle-Powered Perks . 9 Heating and Cooling . 33 Ranged Weapon Table . 75 Disadvantages . 10 Light . 33 Harsh Realism for Skills . 10 Furniture . 33 Ranged Weapons . 75 Techniques . 11 Containers and Storage . 34 Arrow Guide . 78 LOW-TECH INVENTORS. 13 PERSONAL GEAR AND Panjagan . 78 Gadget Control. 13 CONSUMER GOODS . 35 MECHANICAL ARTILLERY . 78 THE ECONOMICS Luxuries . 36 Heavy Weapons . 79 OF EQUIPMENT . 13 Entertainment . 39 Aiming Fixed-Mount Weapons . 80 Buying Equipment . 13 Mechanical Artillery Table . 81 Custom-Made Equipment . 14 4. INFORMATION Alternate Catapult Combination Gadgets. 14 TECHNOLOGIES . 41 Ammunition . 83 Personal Artillery Table. 83 MAINTAINING EQUIPMENT . 15 OBSERVATION . 41 Repairing Equipment . 15 Defective Vision . 42 COMBUSTION-BASED Storing Equipment . 15 MEASUREMENT . 42 WEAPONS . 84 EQUIPMENT STATISTICS . 15 Incendiaries . 84 WRITING AND RECORDS . 45 Tech-Level Specialization . 16 Black Powder . 85 Pictures. 45 “Can We Have Gunpowder?”. 85 Maps and Globes . 45 2. CORE Gunpowder Artillery . 87 Writing Media . 45 ECHNOLOGIES The Cost of Ammunition . 87 T . 17 Palimpsests . 46 Alternate Cannon Ammunition. 88 MATERIALS . 17 Written Documents . 47 Personal Firearms . 90 Stone and Earth. 17 Printing. 48 Precious Stones . 18 Water and Firearms . 90 SIGNALS AND MESSAGES . 48 The Race for Porcelain . 19 Using Firearms . 94 Horizon Table . 49 Metals . 20 Firearm Quality . 95 Wire . 20 CALCULATION AND Variant Ammunition . 95 Organics . 21 COMPUTATION . 50 Careful Loading . 95 Furs . 22 NAVIGATION. 50 Firearm Accessories . 96 GURPS System Design ❚ STEVE JACKSON Managing Editor ❚ PHILIP REED Art Director ❚ WILL SCHOONOVER GURPS Line Editor ❚ SEAN PUNCH Asst. Managing Ed. ❚ MONICA STEPHENS Marketing Director ❚ PAUL CHAPMAN Page Design ❚ PHIL REED and –––– Production Artist ❚ NIKOLA VRTIS Director of Sales ❚ ROSS JEPSON JUSTIN DE WITT Indexer ❚ NIKOLA VRTIS GURPS FAQ Maintainer ❚ ––––––– Print Buyer ❚ PHILIP REED VICKY “MOLOKH” KOLENKO Research Assistance: Susan Koziel and John Brent Macek • Master Armorer: John Brent Macek Lead Playtester: Jeff Wilson Playtesters: Douglas Cole, Shawn Fisher, Martin Heidemann, Leonardo Holschuh, Rob Kamm, MA Lloyd, Paraj Mandrekar, Garðar Steinn Ólafsson, Leigh O’Neil, Kenneth Peters, Emily Smirle, Shawn K. Stevenson, Antoni Ten Monros, and Dustin Tranberg GURPS, Warehouse 23, and the all-seeing pyramid are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Pyramid, Low-Tech, and the names of all products published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are registered trademarks or trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or used under license. GURPS Low-Tech is copyright © 2010 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. 2CONTENTS 6. DEFENSES . 97 Covert Entry. 126 SURGERY AND SURGICAL CLOTHING . 97 Smuggling Gear. 126 EQUIPMENT. 147 Hand and Footwear . 98 DECEPTION . 127 Stone Age Surgeons . 148 Hobnails (TL2) . 98 Secret Messages. 127 Early Prosthetics. 149 Headgear . 98 Forgery and Counterfeiting . 128 DRUGS . 150 Protective Clothing . 99 POISONS. 128 Herbs . 150 Clothing and Status . 99 ENFORCEMENT AND COERCION 130 Honey . 150 ARMOR. 100 Restraints . 130 Belladonna . 151 Armor Locations Table . 100 Torture . 131 Inorganic Substances . 152 Optional Rules for Armor. 101 Iron Maiden (TL3) . 131 NONDRUG THERAPIES. 152 Blunt Trauma and Acupuncture and Edged Weapons . 102 8. MOBILITY AND Moxibustion . 152 My Armor Doesn’t Fit! . 103 TRANSPORTATION. 132 Pain Control . 152 Textiles . 103 ON LAND . 132 Antidotes and Feathers (TL1) . 104 Riding Gear . 133 Detoxification . 153 Hide . 104 Land Vehicles. 135 Bleeding and Purging . 153 Arrow Curtains. 104 Litters (TL0) . 136 Dietary Regimens . 153 Leather of Quality. 105 ON WATER . 138 Electrical Therapy . 153 Reinforced . 105 Riding on Logs . 138 Heat. 154 Other Nonmetallic Armor. 105 Immersion . 154 UNDER WATER . 143 Jade . 106 Lotions and Salves . 154 Metallic Armor. 106 9. MEDICINE AND Massage . 154 Chinese Mountain Scale . 106 Ventilation. 154 Mail Variants . 107 SURGERY. 144 Variolation . 154 Copper and Bronze . 108 DIAGNOSTIC METHODS . 144 Armor of Quality . 109 FIRST AID . 145 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 155 Heavy Plate . 109 Optional Rule: Sliding Rivets (TL4) . 109 Tight Tourniquets . 146 INDEX . 157 Armor of Proof (TL4) . 110 Transporting the Injured. 147 WEAPONRY INDEX . .160 Armor Table . 110 HELMETS. 111 Face Protection . 112 Neck Protection . 112 Plumes and Crests (TL1) . 113 About GURPS Steve Jackson Games is committed to full support of GURPS players. SHIELDS. 113 Our address is SJ Games, P.O. Box 18957, Austin, TX 78760. Please include Shield Grips . 113 a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) any time you write us! We can Shield Bosses . 113 also be reached by e-mail: [email protected]. Resources include: Types of Shields . 114 Sample Armor Loadout: Roman New supplements and adventures. GURPS continues to grow – see Imperial Legionary . ..