Mars in Fiction and Myth 41 Index
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MARS The Red Planet Wr itten by James L. Cambias Ad ditional mate r ial by Kenneth Pet e r s Edited by Scott Harin g Co ver art by Christopher Shy Il l u s t r ated by Paul Daly GU R P S System Design ✦ St e ve Jack s o n GU R P S Line Editor ✦ Sean Punch Ma n a ging Editor ✦ An d r ew Hacka r d Pr oject Ad m i n i s t r ator ✦ Monique Chapm a n Pr oduction Manager ✦ He a ther Oliver Cre at i ve Director ✦ Philip Reed Pr oduction Ar tist ✦ He a ther Oliver Pr oduction Assistance ✦ Al e x Fern a n d e z Page Designer ✦ Ja ck Elmy Pr int Buyer ✦ Monica Steph e n s Sales Manager ✦ Ross Jeps o n Er rata Coordi n a tor ✦ An d y Vet ro m i l e Lead Playt e s t e r : Steph Pennington Assistant Lead Playt e s t e r : Devin L. Ganger Pl ay t e s t e rs : Frederick Bracken, Nelson Cunnington, Jeremiah Genest, Anthony Jackson, M.A. Lloyd, David Morgan-Mar, Kenneth Peters, Bill Stoddard, and Constantine Thomas Special Thanks to: Dr. Diane A. Kelly, Dr. Geoffrey A. Landis, Richard Wagner, and Dr. Keith Watt. And thanks to everyone who provided information or commentary. GURPS, Warehouse 23, and the all-seeing pyramid are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Pyramid 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. GURPSMars is copyright © 2002 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved. Some art copyright www.arttoday.com. Some art courtesy of NASA/JPL/Caltech. Printed in the USA. ISBN 1-55634-534-8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 STEVE JACKSON GAMES CONTENTS Introduction . 4 Looking for Life. 30 Fortean Mars . 46 Invaders from Earth . 30 Velikovskian Mars . 47 About the Au t h o r . 4 The Martian Meteorite . 30 Cap ri c o r n One . 47 1. Mars Observed . 5 GET T I N G TO MAR S . 31 Spiritualist Mars. 48 THE RED STAR . 6 Mars Direct . 31 Illuminated Mars . 48 The NASADesign Early Theories and Observations . 6 4. Domed Mars . 50 Percival Lowell: AMan, Reference Mission . 31 COL O N I E S ON MAR S . 51 A Planet, A Ca n a l . 6 Traj e c t o ri e s . 32 The First Base . 51 Naming Names . 7 Ne w Rocket Engin e s . 33 Ch r yse Colony 2050 . 52 Gu l l i ver ’ s Travels and Ma r s One-Way . 33 Chryse Planitia 2050. 52 the Moons of Mars . 8 Regular Service: Other Colonies in 2050. 53 MEN AN D MART I A N S . 9 The Mars Cycler. 34 Domed Colonies in 2050 – Wes t e r n The War(s) of the Wor l d s . 9 The Cycler Spacecraf t . 34 He m i s p h e r e . 54 Sword and Planet . 10 The Mars Lander . 35 Domed Colonies in 2050 – Mars in Classic Science Fiction . 10 Getting Around on Mars. 36 Ea s t e r n Hemisphere . 54 Space Age Mars . 11 Ma r s 1956 . 37 Deimos Base. 56 Ma r tians and Popular Fea r s . 11 Life Under Glass . 56 Ma r s Prob e s . 12 So m eb o d y Else Is On Mars. 57 2. Mars in Reality . 13 Se c r et Colonies. 58 EC H N O L O G Y BAS I C PHY S I C A L DATA . 14 T . 58 The Planet . 14 Ground Veh i c l e s . 58 Mo t i o n . 14 Mars Rover. 58 CON D I T I O N S . 15 Veh i c le Stati s t i c s . 59 Time on Mars . 15 Pressurized Rover. 59 Wha t to Wea r . 15 Power Unit Tra i l e r . 60 Calling Home . 15 Ai r c r a f t . 61 Cl i m a t e . 16 Mars Blimp . 61 At m o s p h e r e . 16 Ro b o t s . 61 The Mean Datu m . 16 The Mars Launche r . 61 So i l . 16 MAR S PIO N E E R S . 62 Wat e r . 16 3. Mars in Fiction Ad m i n i s t r a t o r . 62 Re s o u r c e s . 17 and Myth . 38 As t r o n a u t . 62 Ma r s Suits . 62 Ha z a r d s . 19 DIA L M FO R MART I A N . 39 Wha t Mars Doesn’t Have . 19 Hard Science vs. Co l o n i s t . 62 FEAT U R E S . 21 Planetary Romance. 39 Mission Specialist. 63 Uplands and Lowlands . 21 Primitive vs. Ad v a n c e d . 39 Pr o s p e c t o r . 63 Tharsis and Elysium . 21 Si l l y Mars. 40 Re b e l . 63 The Caver ns of Mars? . 21 Thr ee Little Men From Kids on Mars? . 63 Top o graphic Map of Mars in 2002 – Ma r s Ar e We. 40 Sc i e n t i s t . 64 Me rc a tor Proj e c t i o n . 22 Dying World vs. New Frontier . 41 Weap o n s . 64 Tec h n i c i a n . 64 Top o graphic Map of Mars in 2002 – MYS T I C MAR S . 41 St e re o graphic Proj e c t i o n s . 23 Mars in As t r o n o m y . 42 Vehicle Operator. 64 Ma r tian Geograph y . 24 Mars and the Cabal. 43 ADVA N TA G E S , DIS A D VA N TA G E S , Channels and Val l e y s . 26 The Mars Effe c t . 43 AN D SKI L L S . 65 Crater Basins . 27 Space Gods From Mars? . 43 Ad v a n t a g e s . 65 The Polar Caps. 27 Mars in Al c h e m y . 44 Master Minds of Mars . 65 Missions to the Moons . 28 Wor lds in Collision . 44 Di s a d v a n t a g e s . 66 THE MOO N S OF MAR S . 28 Mars in Magic . 44 Sk i l l s . 67 Ph o b o s . 28 Sailing Thr ough the CAM PA I G N S AN D ADV E N T U R E S . 67 De i m o s . 29 Cr ystal Spheres . 45 Di s a s t e r ! . 67 Martian Gold Rush. 68 LIF E ON MAR S ? . 29 WEI R D MAR S . 45 Conditions in the Past. 29 Pyramids of Mars? . 45 Return of the Martians . 68 Where Life Might Survive . 29 Art i f icial Moons? . 46 In d e p e n d e n c e . 69 2 CONTENTS Other GU R P S Se t t i n g s . 69 Attack Saucer. 96 Sq u a t t e r s . 70 Transport Saucer. 97 About GURPS Martian Marshal. 70 The Tripod Expeditionary Force. 97 Ma r tian Trip o d . 97 Steve Jackson Games is committed to full support of the GU R P S system. Our 5. Terraformed CHA R A C T E R S . 98 address is SJ Games, Box 18957, Austin, TX Mars . 71 Martian Character Typ e s . 98 78760. Please include a self-addressed, Pre s e r ving the Old Worl d . 72 Ma r tian Mutants. 10 0 stamped envelope (SASE) any time you Wha t if it Goes Wro n g ? . 72 Ad v a n t a g e s . 10 0 write us! Resources include: TER R A F O R M I N G . 72 Di s a d v a n t a g e s . 10 1 Py ra m i d (ww w. s j ga m e s . c o m / py ra m i d / ). Why Ter r a f o r m ? . 72 Sk i l l s . 10 1 Our online magazine includes new GU R P S What Mars Needs. 73 CAM PA I G N S AN D ADV E N T U R E S . 10 2 rules and articles. It also covers Du n ge o n s Big Jobs . 73 Invaders From Mars . 10 2 and Dragon s , Travel l e r ,Wor ld of Darkn e s s , Bi o l o g y . 75 Invaders From Earth. 10 3 Call of Cthulhu, and many more top games Ma r s Needs . Um . 75 Other GURPS Settings . 10 4 – and other Steve Jackson Games releases THE NEW WOR L D . 75 Rival Planets. 10 5 like In Nomine, Il l u m i n at i , Car Wars , Too n , Phase One. ..