1 | R P S i ii Baas ees JACKSON INU SSThe Discworld | SN Steve Jackson created by ne GURPS System Design SO Scott Har aR cott Haring Terry Pratchett | Su Managing Editor GURPS game : Sean Punch adaptation by GURPS Line Editor Phil Masters Jack Elmy —- Production Artist Additional ao Monica Stephens Material by) \“/ | hy di Print Buyer John M. Ford ¢ pf A ae’ SSPE ; i Alain Dawson and Terry Pratghé , 2 ese A fy Art Director . a “4 ee = i i Lillian Butler Edited by. : \ boom Pa ee IL seg Art Wrangler Steve Jacksfin | a, a : oh . ok and Page Design ~.* Loren Wiseman “y Marketing Director Woody Eblom Sales Manager Paul Kidby ‘ ee Discworld map by Stephen Player. Ankh-Morpork map by Stephen Briggs. The authors gratefully acknowledge the help of that invaluable guide, The Discworld Companion, by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs. Playtesting and Comments: Lynette Cowper, John Dallman and his crew (Derek Barns, Diana Cox, John Cox, Vanessa Cox, Dafydd Wyn Evans, Susan Foord, Rhodri James, and Phil Nanson), James Dunson, Maddy Eid, Tim Ellis, John L. Freiler, Jonathan Garnett, Hugh Hancock, Reese Harrell, J. Hunter Johnson, Paul King, Peter Meilinger, Nana Yaw Ofori, Pete Piggott, David Pulver, Douglas Reay, Robert Rodger, and Sheila Thomas. 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 Discworld is copyright © 1998 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Discworld is a trademark of Terry Pratchett, used under license. All rights reserved. ISBN 1-55634-261-6 12345678910 STEVE JACKSON GANESContents INTRODUCTION |e 4 About GURPS 00... ...ccccccccccccecscceceeestecees 4 ABOUT THE AUTHORS |e. 5 Adventures And StoriéS..ccccccccccccccccsesseveees 5 1. ON THE BACK OF FOUR ELEPHANTS... 6 Why a Disc? WHY THE TURTLE? |... 7 Great ACTUIM cocci ceecescesesscceeecescsstssecceeseces 7 Morphic Fields and Discworld Genetics ........c.ecceceeeeeeeees 8 But Really. 0 0 ccceccccccsccccssssescsssessscessaes 8 COrOM AICS coco ceecescssnescessncscessnseccecsceees 9 SOCIETY ON THE DISC... 10 DSC SUQUiSUICS oo oeececce ccc ccecccccccecccecccecceceess 1] Languages oo... cess ceeteteceeereees 12 Discworld Light .o..ccccccccsscecsssetsesseeeesess 12 The Social Position of Magic................ 13 DIRECTIONS, TIME AND THE CALENDAR ooo 14 Weather and Temperature .................... 14 Bri gadOOns ....cccccccccsecccscesescessesesseeesensees 14 THM oe ce cece ccceceeececesececceccecececccecseveesevevers 15 Ancient and Arcane Languages v.00. 15 TECHNOLOGY ON THE DISC... 16 Discworld Holidays ...cccccccccecccecssesevees 16 Non-Humans and Money .cccccccccee 17 Medicine and Disease ............ccccescsseees 18 THAVEL ooo. eccccveecessesencccscsscccccccccausceseceececs 18 DISCWORLD CURRENCIES |... 19 THE GENERIC INN RULES .................. 20 Some Backwoods Hostelries ................ 20 2. WHERE TO GO AND WHY NOT TO... 21 THE STO PLAINS 000i cccccccccccceceees 22 The Forest of Skund........ ee 22 ACROSS THE CIRCLE SEA ........0......... 24 Al Khali wu... eeeeeesereeeeenes 24 Dyelibeybi..........cccceccsccesseceeeceseeneeees 24 Ephebe o.oo cccceeceeeeneeeeeeceeeeneenees 25 OMNIA... ccc cccccccssecceccesesecerereneesens 25 TSOTE ooo cccccesccccceeeevessenensessacuseseeuaeesescaces 26 THE BURNING RIM........cccccccsccseeeees. 27 THE RIM AND TURNWISE OCEANS |... cccccccceeeee 28 Kaul occ ccc csssceseesseseseeeeeseeeee 28 Other Islands wo... eeeeeee reer 28 TURNWISE ISLANDS ..0000..c.ccccccccccscecceee. 28 The Wyrmber ..........cceccccssesteeeseceeeees 28 Llamedos .o....cccccccccsssssececsseseevsenanens 29 THE RAMTOPS ooo ccccecccecsececeeees 30 LAN cree... ceeeceeecccccccaeeeceesceceuacuanesss 30 Magical Sites we eee eeeeceeeteees 31 Uberwald woe ccceeccseccescenene 31 WIDDERSHINS REGIONS |... 32 GTA o.oo. eeccccccccccscesesetsnssssasscseseecscrsntsees 32 2 CONTENTS THE HUB AND BEYOND... The Hublands .00000....ccec cece ccecceeeeeeeeeees 33 The Vortex Plains.........0..ccccccccccccccsseeeees 33 THE FAR RIM 0 ooicccccccccccccccsseccssecesees 33 The Counterweight Continent .............. 33 EcksEcksEcksEcks......0.cccccccscsesseesseeeee 34 3. “INNE JUSTE 7 DAYES.. .”..........35 STARTING POINTS ooo occcccccceeecsseeee 36 Comedy Characters ..........cccceeeceees 37 CHARACTER TYPES ooo occceccsees 38 Female Characters .00.......cccccccccsecssceeeeees 49 ADVANTAGES, DISADVANTAGES, AND SKILLS oii cccccccccecccssecsssecsssesssecssseees 50 Advantages .......cccccccecsereseesseerteseestessens 50 Disadvantages ........cccceeseeceecsceees 31 SKIS ooo lee ccesesscavessssecesssestecsenenes 53 New Advantages ........cccseseteeecteeees 54 New Disadvantages ..........0..cccesceseeeeees 56 New SKIS oo. ececccccecccssccccseseeessrensceecs 56 STATUS ooooociccccccccccccsssecesssessesseesssseesesseeen 58 Status Table wo...... cece ceecesecseceeeneseseseees 59 JOBS AND WEALTH. 60 Job Table oie ceccccecccececeeesseens 60 Starting Cash wo... cceeeeeeeeeeeeeseeeens 62 ECQUIPMENT ooo ccccecccsecsseccsseseeessees 62 SAMPLE CHARACTERS... 62 Hunchbrood Modoscousin, Dwarf Thaumaturgist.......0...0c.e6 62 Jemzarkiza of Krull, Chelonologist and Female Foreign Wizard .........00...0.... 63 4. NON-HUMANS ON THE DISC ooo 65 THE MorTAc RACES 00000000000... 66 DWARFS ooo eccccscssssssssssssscssssssseeseesen 66 Dwarfs vs. Trolls v...c.cccceeeeeseeeeeseereees 67 Dwarfs in Play ......0.c.cccccceseeseeeceeeeees 67 Dwarf Character Package.............::00 68 Special Disadvantage: Greed (Dwarfish) -15 points ............ 68 GOBLINS (AND GNOMES) |... 69 Goblins in Play... ceecccceeseeeseeeeeeee 69 Goblin Character Package ............0.....: 69 TROLLS AND THEIR ILK ooo. 70 Trolls in Play oo. ceeseceeseccsesetseseesees 72 Sergeant Detritus oo... eeeeeeeeeee 72 Troll or Gnoll Character Package ........ 74 Special Disadvantage: Troll Brain 10/-20 points ............02.... 75 CREATURES OF THE NIGHT ................ 76 VAMPIRES oo cceccssssssssccsseccesnsesssesssnsoee 76 Vampire Character Package.................. 76 WEREWOLVES AND WOLFMEN .......... 78 Werewolf Character Package................ 78 Wolfman Character Package ................ 78 Other Were-Animals? ..........:cc:eseeeeee: 80 MUMMIES ooo ccccccecscssessstseesereeees 80 SUPERNATURAL PERSONIFICATIONS 0.0... 81 SENTIENT ANIMALS 5. WELLCOME TO ANKH-MORPORK ... 83 FISTORY ooo cccccceeeesscssseseesssenseeesen 84 The Smell] coccccccccccccccccscsssccevevevsecsasstscesees 84 The Patrician ...ccccccccccccsssesscssceccevesecseeees 85 Mad Kang oes ccccstscsesseeecsceeeeecees 86 CURRENT GOVERNMENT 0... 86 Recent Events ........ccccccssseecesseeseseeseeeees 87 GEOGRAPHY ooo cccccccsccccccsseeesstecseen 87 C.M.O.T. Dibbler iccccccccccscccsccecsecseseees 87 Hubwards Morpork .........cccccccccceceeees 88 Disasters: Fire and Flood .....0c0.cccccc005 88 Rimwards Morpork and The Shades 0.0... 89 The River An ov. ccceccsesessecucsecscesvcaes 89 Ankh-Morpork the Port ..ccccccscscccceee 89 The Isle of Gods ..0......cccccccssecceeeesereeseeeee 90 ADKD i cecceceetesseceesccsssecesseecesseecnereeees 90 THE PATRICIAN’S PALACE... 90 Bloody Stupid JONASON ....ccecccccccecceceee 90 LAW AND ORDER ooo cccccccseeeeeeen 91 The Watch oo... ccc cceeeeeceeserneeeees 9] Watch Commander Sir Samuel Vimes .....ccccccccccccececceceeeens 91 LAW... ceceeceeescececcsececessescescssssecseeseeeereana 93 Captain Carrot Ironfoundersson .......... 94 ARMED FORCES 0000 cccccccccccssssessssee 94 THE GUILDS ooo cccceccescseessessnseesnes 95 Ordinary Trade Guilds .......000...00000. 95 The Merchants’ Guild ......0.000..ceecceee 96 The Assassins’ Guild .......0..0 cc ceeeeeeee 96 Other Watchmen oicccccccccccsccsccccssescseceeess 96 The Thieves’ Guild... eeeeceeeerees 97 The Beggars’ Guild wc. 98 The Fools’ Guild wc eeeeeseees 98 Foop, DRINK AND LODGING |... 98 Assassins’ Guild RA1GS ccccicccccccccccccseeeeee 98 Troll and Dwarf Bars icccccccscceccsesecess 99 LOWOSt Dives iccccceccccccceccccccscssssceseevees 100 6. IN THE NAME OF THE LORE occ. 101 THE BASICS ooo ccccccecssessssessteessseen 102 DANE ZONES .orecenccssseerssesrsesnsesssatenaees 102 TYPES OF SPELL-CASTERS |... 103 Wizards oie. iecccccccecccesccesssnasaevenees 103 Bight Eight Eight ...0..cccsssessscssee 103 WIUCHES....ccceccteseseesecsssseecceceeseeseseeers 104 PHOPS veicceccscecceeeecteesneessnessstesssseesseenssees 104 Other Types ...... cee ceceeceeeesseneeesens 105 Death and Magic-Workers .........0.0000.. 105 WORKING MAGIC ooo ceeeen 107 Spells oo. eeecccccescesssesseeesseeseserseenes 107 Headology eeceesscecccesecneteceteseetseetseneess 107 Exploiting the Laws of Disc Reality ..108 When It All Goes Wrong ...........::cce 108 Mustrim Ridcully uiccccccsiccccsscsceees 108 UNSEEN UNIVERSITY... 109 FISQOLY oo. cece eceseneceseseereeeeaeeaees 109 Town and Gown: Location and Maintenance............c cece eeeee 110 The Tower of Art wo eee eee 110 The Librarian ......ccccccccccccccceccceecseeeesees 110 Administration ......ccccccccccccesceeees 112 Invisible Wititt es cecccccsecccsccsseessessseses 112 ‘aeThe Library oo... ecseseceesesseeeeeeeseaes 114 Other Noted Features ........ cesses 115 D~SPOCO .occccccccccececcceececeeeeeeesenessesnnsseuens 11S Duelling tr MAGIC o.....eeeccceeeeceeeeeesses 116 7. MESSIN’ WITH REALITY .......... 119 MANA LEVELS AND MAGIC-WORKING ooo 120 Temporary Mana-Level Increases ......120 Lower Mana Re ions .......ccccee eee 121 Very High Mana... ceeeeeeeeeeeeee 122 Spell Memorisation: An Optional Rule 0... cececceceseeeees 122 ADAPTING THE GURPS Magic RULES .................. 123 GURPS Magic [tems 0. 124 FQMULIGTS vices cen ee eeseeeseteeeeeneeene 125 Re-Naming Spells ..cccccccccccssecsneeesseees 126 Witch Training ..........cceeecseseseesevsenersnns 126 Commonplace and Imp-Powered Devices ........0cce 127 Wizard Training ..........ce eee 127 Minor Talents .......0...c::ecccceeseeeceeeneeees 127 MAGIC TVEMS 0 eeeceseeeeeeseeeeeeee 128 BroOOmstickS ........::cceeeeeeeeeeeeeeneeeeereneees 128 Sapient Pearwood 0... eeees 129 Enchantment by Use oo... cs cceeeeceress 130 Old Staffs 0.0... cc ceseeeeteeteeeeeneeees 131 Agatedn Luggage .....cccceccccceccceereretens 131 THE STAFF SPELL MODIFYING AND RENAMING EXISTING SPELLS......133 Animal Spells .00....0...ceeceeeeeseeseeeees 133 Body Control Spells... eee 134 Communication and Empathy Spells 2.0.0.0... eceeeeeeeee 134 Elemental Spells... ccecccecsseeseeseeeees 134 Elemental Spirit Spells... 134 Enchantment Spells ......ccccsseeceseeseees 134 Food Spells ........cccceccccccseseeestceeessseeees 136 Gate Spells 0.0... cecceeeseeteeerereerees 136 Healing Spells... eens 136 Illusion and Creation Spells ................ 136 Knowledge Spells 0... 136 Making and Breaking Spells .............. 136 Meta-Spells .o.cceecscceeesscsesseeereseeeeres 136 Mind Control Spells... ee 136 Movement Spells .....0.... cece 137 Necromantic Spells ..........ceceeeeeeres 137 Plant Spells... cecesceseeeseesereereneeees 138 Protection and Warning Spells............ 138 Technological Spells .......0 ce 138 NEW SPELLS 0.0... 138 Animal Spells ..0....cccccsesesesseersrecees 138 Body Control Spells... eee 141 Communication and Empathy Spells ..141 Elemental Fire Spells ..........0 ccc 141 Enchantment Spells... 142 Food Spells... ceecescesceeseseeeeeeneees 142 Gate Spells .0...cecee eee neseeereetees 142 Healing Spells oo... ccceeeseeceeeeeseeeees 143 Iliusion and Creation Spells ............... 144 Knowledge Spells 00... seeees 144 Meta-Spells ......ceeeeeeeeeeeceeeeeees 146 Mind Control Spells... eee 147 Movement Spells 0.0... eee 149 Necromantic Spells 0.0... ee 150 8. LARGE QUESTIONS, SMALL GODS occ 151 THE FOUNDATIONS OF REALITY oooocccccccscceseeceee 152 The Creation of the Universe.............. 152 The Old High Ones oes 152 Things in Residence ......c2.cccccccecceceee 152 The NecrotelicOmmicon ..c.cccccccccccccccees 152 The Auditors of Reality ..00.0.0. 153 The Death of Rts .......0.ccccceccceteeeeeneee 153 Binky, the Steed of Death «00.00.00... 153 MAJOR POWERS MANIFEST ............ 154 Death woe cceeecccccccesscsseseeseseeaeeneess 153 Death and the Afterlife 000i 154 Death and the GOdS .occcccccceccccscecceceueees 155 Roleplaying Death .... eects 156 THE DUNGEON DIMENSIONS ............ 157 The THINS .........eeceeceeeeeseeeeneneereneetees 157 THE GODS ooo eeceeese eee 158 Forgotten GOdS ..eccccceeccseeeceeteeteeteeees 158 The Small Gods wo... ceeeees 159 The Hogfather cccccccccccccccccssesenerenes 159 Pantheon ........cccccccccsevacceesscareeeeseevavenss 160 Ome Gods oo... eee cceeeveeseessseeeeueeeeaeens 16] The Tooth Fairy Franchise ..........06 16] Nature Gods oc. eeeesescescssseeeseeeesees 162 Inter-Faith Relations ..ccccccccccccccscceseeees 162 Enigmatic Cases: Fate and The Lady 20... 163 Priests and Priesthood ..0..........cceceeee 163 DeMONS AS GOS .iccccccsescccvevecercerssseneutes 163 Cori Celesti oo... cccecceseseesasseeeseecees 164 DISCWORLD DEMONS o.oo cccccces 164 AStfal and Vassenego .....cciieceee 164 Hel occ ccceeeeececsecesseseesesesnensuneseunes 165 9. BEWARE THE AMBIGUOUS PUZUMA |... cccececeeeseeceeeereees 166 DRAGONS ooo cccccccccccccceceeseceesteseseeseeeees 167 Swamp Dragons ....0....... eee 167 Noble Dragons «0.0... eee eee 167 OTHER FAUNA ooo teseeeneesees 169 ELVES ooo ccccccccccssessessesecsstssesseceseeseen 171 SUPERNATURAL BEINGS ................... 173 Dryads oo... cece eeee eer eeeeteneseeseeenacens 173 GOMES... eet ceeeeenne terse eneeeeeenerens 173 GHOSTS AND SPIRITS 0c 173 CLO) OY (ee 174 DISC FLORA occ 176 10. SUICIDALLY GLOOMY WHEN SOBER, HOMICIDALLY INSANE WHEN DRUNK oc 177 ASSORTED WANDERERS oo. occccsc 178 Rincewind ooo... cceccecescs cee eeeesesesnereeeees 178 Cohen the Barbarian........0....cccceeeee 180 Count Giamo Casanunda ..........0.0....... 189 Susan Sto Helit...... 0. eeceeseecceeeeeee 182 THE LANCRE COVEN occas 183 Granny Weatherwax ....... eee 183 Nanny O88 ....ccee cece seseeeeeee ener eeeenee 184 Greebo woe eeeeecececceevesseseeceenaveaves 1é Magrat Garlick ...........::cceeeeeeseeeereeeeeee Ii OTHERS ooo ccccccccscccseesrssescesereseeseeseens Lf 11. “BAD FOOD, NO SLEEP, AND STRANGE PEOPLE ...”..1: RUNNING FOR YOUR LAUGH............ L¢ On Becoming a Discworld AGVeHIUFEr ..ccceccesess I! “Sitcom” Campaign Ideas wc. i To BEAR IN MIND... 0... I! Million-to-One CHANCES cecccccccccesceesseees I! SCENARIO SEED: FULL CourRT PRESS... I! Dieter the POACHED «0... ..cceecccec cece enveceese l! The SF Option ..cccccccccccccecescseeeeeeeerers I Other GURPS Supplements .........00....: 24 SCENARIO SEED: PLUMBING THE DEPTHS... 2 Adventure Seed: Soldiers Eight (GDproxX.) ccccccccccees 2I Adventure Seed: Llicensed Reseller oo... ccccccccccceccenneee 2I\ APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY ............ I APPENDIX B: BIBLIOGRAPHY ..2: The Chronicles ....000..cccc eee eeeececeseeseeees 2I Reference .......ccccccccssceecccessecceseceecaneees 2 Spin-OPfS oo. eceeseesseereeereseeseerennerenees 2I By The Same Author ....... ee 2I Other Fantasies... eeeeeeeee 2I INDEX ooo ccccecccccccccceecceceeeeeeceeseteeeees mI GURPS LITE: COMPLETE ROLEPLAYING RULES.............. m CONTENTSAbout GURPS Steve Jackson Games is committed to full support of the GURPS system. Our address is SJ Games, Box 18957, Austin, TX 78760. Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) any time you write us! Resources now available include: Pyramid (www.sjgames.com/pyramid). Our online magazine includes new rules and articles for GURPS. It also covers all the hobby’s top games —- AD&D, Traveller, World of Darkness, Call of Cthuthu, Shadowrun and many more — and other SJ Games releases like In Nomine, INWO, Car Wars, Toon, Ogre Miniatures and more. And Pyramid subscribers also have access to playtest files online, to see (and comment on) new books before they’re released. New supplements and adventures. GURPS continues to grow, and we’ll be happy to let you know what’s new. A current catalog is available for an SASE. Or check out our Web site (below). Errata. Everyone makes mistakes, including us — but we do our best to fix our errors. Up-to-date errata sheets for all GURPS releases, including this book, are always available from SJ Games; be sure to include an SASE with your request. Or download them from the Web — see below. Q&A, We do our best to answer any game question accompanied by an SASE. Gamer input. We value your comments. We will consider them, not only for new products, but also when we update this book on later printings! Internet. Visit us on the World Wide Web at www.sjgames.com for an online cat- alog, errata and updates, and hundreds of pages of information. We also have confer- ences on Compuserve and America Online. GURPS has its own Usenet group, too: rec.games.frp.gurps. GURPSnet. Much of the online discus- sion of GURPS happens on this e-mail list. To join, send mail to majordomo @io.com with “subscribe GURPSnet-L” in the body, or point your World Wide Web browser to: www.io.com/~ftp/GURPSnet/www/, PAGE REFERENCES Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for the GURPS Lite rules, included herein (see p. 207) and, where they exceed the scope of the “lite” version of the rules, to GURPS Basic Set, Third Edition (Revised) and GURPS Compendium I. Any page reference that begins with a B refers to the GURPS Basic Set, while any that begin with a CI refer to the GURPS Compendium I —e.g., p. B102 means p. 102 of the GURPS Basic Set, while p. CI95 means p. 95 of the GURPS Compendium I. Other page references also follow the conventions given on p. CI181; AN refers to GURPS Arabian Nights, G refers to GURPS Grimoire, M refers to GURPS Magic. 4 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Somewhere... There is a flat, circular world which rests on the backs of four elephants, which in turn stand on the back of a giant turtle, which swims through space. Magic works here. Well, most of the time. Some of the time, anyway. There are gods and heroes. It is a fantasy world but with some haunting similarities to this one, and hence it makes a perfect setting for fantasy stories. Some of these stories have been told over the past fifteen years or so in a series of twenty-odd novels by Terry Pratchett. (For convenience, this body of stories is hereafter referred to as the chronicles.) Now you can create Discworld stories of your own, using this book, and some players. The Discworld is a comedy setting, but with room for occasional bits of tragic relief. Hence, this book is about running comedy games, and keeping the atmos- phere right. But these stories are also about people, and games played in this set- ting can be as complex and character-driven as any you can set anywhere else. So dive in. Don’t eat the meat pies, don’t frighten the swamp dragons, and be careful how you refer to the Librarian. WuaT Ese You WILL NEED Well, nothing, really, except pencils, paper, and three six-sided dice. Oh, yes, and some silly people to play with . . . 2 to 6 make a good group. All the game rules you’ll need are in the GURPS Lite rules, at the back of the book. TAKING IT FURTHER Should you decide that you want to take this roleplaying stuff a bit further, the GURPS Basic Set is the “long version” of the rules in this book, with lots more advantages, disadvantages, skills, and things to do with them. GURPS Compendium I contains still more character features and optional rules. GURPS Compendium H contains further optional rules, and many GMs find it useful, but it is less relevant for Discworld games. GURPS Magic and GURPS Grimoire contain many, many additional spells and more material for magic-wielders. As magic is common on the Discworld, these books are strongly recommended, especially if players want to play wiz- ards or witches. Other GURPS books may contain material of interest: see the sidebars on pp. 200-201 for some ideas. The Discworld Companion (by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs) is a fur- ther source of organised information on the Discworld, and so may be very use- ful to GMs. From the same authors, and perhaps even more useful, are The Streets of Ankh-Morpork (a map of the Disc’s greatest city) and The Discworld Mapp. SOME WARNINGS Spoiler Alert: This book is not written with the intention of giving away the plots of the chronicles. But it’s impossible to talk about the state of things on the Discworld without mentioning how things got that way, and how recent events turned out. In other words, read this book from cover to cover, and you may not get quite so many surprises if you read the novels later. ive