GURPS Classic Celtic Myth
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GURPS CELTIC MYTH STEVE JACKSON GAMES G U R P S C E L T I C M tanding stones. Headhunting and human sacrifice. Y Lusty kings and cattle-raiding queens. Naked T GURPS Basic Set, Third H warriors painted blue. Mysterious druids and crafty S Edition Revised and Sidhe. The Celtic world was full of strange enchantments Compendium I: Character and bloody battles. Creation are required to use this book in a GURPS Enter a world of feasting and fighting, where magic campaign. GURPS Celtic is everywhere and glory is everything. In this book you’ll find: Myth can also be used as a sourcebook for any Tales of the ancient Irish and Welsh heroes. roleplaying system. A wealth of Celtic character types, with plenty of new THE CELTIC WARRIORS: advantages and disadvantages – including gesas, the mystic prophecies and taboos that ruled the life and Written by death of every Celt. KEN WALTON The Druids: their arcane teachings and enigmatic AND JO WALTON magic. A new Druidic tree-magic system includes Edited by the standard GURPS spells, plus new Celtic ones, SPIKE Y. J ONES, grouped according to ancient natural categories. SUSAN PINSONNEAULT, AND LILLIAN BUTLER The uncanny powers of the Sidhe, children and fathers of gods, and rules for creating characters Cover by with Faerie blood and powers of their own . JOHN ZELEZNIK S T Illustrated by E Willful weapons, magical and powerful, with their DAN SMITH V own personalities and motives. E J A C Return to a time when a battle or K FIRST EDITION, SECOND PRINTING S a wonder was around every PUBLISHED OCTOBER 2000 O N ISBN 1-55634-195-4 corner, and the Otherworld G A was only a step away . M E ® 9!BMF@JA:RSPXTRoY`ZfZdZnZ` S STEVE JACKSON GAMES Printed in the www.sjgames.com SJG01995 6074 U.S.A. By Ken and Jo Walton Additional Material by Loyd Blankenship, Graeme Davis, Phil Masters, Ben W. Miller, Sasha Miller, Steffan O’Sullivan, S. John Ross, Beth Savage, Peggy & Bob Schroeck, Daniel U. Thibault, and Jon Zeigler Edited by Spike Y Jones, Susan Pinsonneault, and Lillian E. Butler Cover by John Zeleznik Cover Design by Alex Fernandez Illustrated by Dan Smith GURPS System Design by Steve Jackson Interior and Color Production by Jeff Koke Scott Haring, Managing Editor Print Buying by Shawn Haranek Sean Punch, GURPS Line Editor Art Direction by Philip Reed Page Layout and Typography by Jeff Koke, Claudia Smith, Sales Manager Lillian Butler, and Susan Pinsonneault Playtesters: Cuchullin, Eric Gilmartin, Jez Green, Steve Hatherley, Will Hughes, Badger Jones, Marshall Ryan Maresca, Andrew Morris, Virginia L. Nelson, Horace Pruitt, Paul Raistrick, Marcus Spears, Arlena Stallman, and Mark Whittington. Thanks to: Derek Stokes, Helen Marsden, Jim Riley, Mary Lace, Lancaster Library and the library of the University of Lancaster for help with books; Lesley Grant of Trinity College Dublin for solving the problem of the Picts; Jez Green, Phil Masters, Steffan O’Sullivan, Andrew Morris, and Cuchullin for helpful comments and suggestions; everyone on rec.arts.sf.written who suggested modern Celtic fiction; Robin D. Laws, and James Wallis for “Woad Warrior” jokes; Mary Lace, and Nora & Allan Walton for babysitting above and beyond the call of duty and, last but not least, to my grandmother, Nancy Lace, for introducing me (Jo) to these stories in the first place. Special thanks to Ahasuerus the Wandering Jew for help with dating. GURPS and the all-seeing pyramid are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Pyramid and Illuminati Online 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 Celtic Myth is copyright © 1995, 2000 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. ISBN 1-55634-195-4 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 STEVE JACKSON GAMES Contents Introduction..................4 The Hero’s Portion ...............20 The Tale of Mac Da Tho’s About the Authors ..................4 The Celts at Play...................21 Pig......................................37 About GURPS.........................4 Hunting .................................21 The Death of Connor ............37 Dressing for War...................21 The Stories of Prydain ..............38 1. The Celtic World......5 Board Games ........................22 The Destruction of The Celtic World-View...............6 Hurley and Other Da Derga’s Hostel .............38 Prydain and Eriu in Time .......6 Field Sports........................22 The First Branch: Celts and the Natural World ...7 Celtic Religion..........................22 Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed .........39 Geography ..............................7 Headhunting .........................22 Pwyll and Rhiannon..............39 Map of Prydain and Eriu .........7 Fasting ..................................23 Rhiannon, Pwyll, and Celtic Honor ...............................8 Rituals and Rites...................24 Pryderi...............................39 Kingdoms................................8 Druids and Priests.................24 The Naming of Pryderi.........40 The Gesa.................................9 The Fitness of Things............24 The Second Branch: Warriors and Storytellers........9 Celtic Festivals .....................25 Branwen, Daughter of Llyr...40 Wonders ..................................9 Playing for High Stakes........25 Gwern ...................................41 The Living Countryside............10 Sacrifices ..............................25 The Many Deeds of So Much Magic ........................10 Holy Groves and Temples .....26 Finn Mac Cool...................41 Doing it by Threes ................10 Gods of the Celts...................27 The Deaths of Kings, Warriors, and Scholars...11 Other Festivals......................28 Branwyn and Bran.............42 Celtic Kings ..........................11 Birth and Death.....................29 The Third Branch: Technology ............................11 Holy Places...........................29 Manannan, Son of Llyr..........42 Plan of a Typical Dun..............11 The Cult of the Head ............30 The Mabinogion....................42 The Warrior Elite......................12 Stone Circles and An Army of Mice .................43 Plan of a Typical Hill Fort......12 Standing Stones..................30 And Arthur Himself . ..........43 Life in the King’s Hall..........13 The Fourth Branch: The High King ......................13 2. The Tales...............31 Math, Son of Llyr ..................44 Learning and Literature ........14 The Ulster Cycle.......................32 Llud and Llefelys ..................44 Peasants and Slaves ..............14 Setanta ..................................32 Arianrhod and Dress.....................................14 The Irish Stories....................32 Llew Llaw Gyffes..............45 Celtic Women ...........................15 The Hound of Chulain ..........33 The Tale of Taliesen ..............45 Kilts.......................................15 The Invasions of Eriu............33 Llew and Blodeuaedd ...........46 Warfare .....................................16 The Second Battle Culhwch and Olwen..............46 Single Combat ......................16 of Moytura .........................33 Living on Hospitality ............16 Bricriu’s Feast.......................34 3. Characters ...............47 The Conventions of War.......17 Connor, Fergus, and Noisi ....35 Character Types ........................48 Fosterage...............................17 Emain Macha........................35 Advantages ...............................52 Spearmen ..............................18 The Loss and Recovery Disadvantages...........................53 Cattle Raiding.......................18 of the Tain..........................35 New Advantages.......................55 Celtic Law.................................18 The Tain................................36 New Disadvantages ..................55 Respect for the Bard .............18 The Death of Maeve..............36 Skills .........................................56 Halls and Forts .....................19 Cuchulain: New Skills.................................57 Honor Price...........................20 “Hound of Culain”............36 Appearance ...............................58 Marriage and Legitimacy......20 Cuchulain and Ferdiad..........37 Social Status and Wealth ..........58 The Death of Cuchulain........37 Social Status .........................59 2 * Contents Names ...................................59 Culture and Politics ..............72 Magic and the Sidhe .............94 Jobs and Income .......................59 Willful Non-Weapons ............72 Tree Magic................................94 Job Table...................................60 Sidhe Abilities ..........................73 Skills not Spells ....................95 Celtic Weapons.........................60 The Spear Feat......................73 Ogham ..................................95 Weapons....................................61 Other Feats ...........................73 Consonant Tree Spells ..............96 Celtic Armor.............................62 Character Points and Birch (B – Beth) ...................96 Celtic Equipment ......................62 Sidhe Blood Levels............74 Rowan (L – Luis)..................97 Unique Feats.............................74 Alder (F – Fearn) ..................97 4. The Sidhe...............63 Sidhe Attributes ........................75 Willow (S – Saille) ...............97 The Tuatha de Danaan..............64 Sidhe