Re: (3439) Traveller to GURPS

Here are the conversion notes for Traveller to GURPS, for the archives.
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------

What follows are some fairly straightforward conversion rules for
basic Traveller (either books 1,2,3, or _The_Traveller_Book_) to GURPS,
mainly for characters:

Stats:
- ------

Strength = strength +3
Dexterity = dexterity +3
Intelligence = intelligence +3
Health = endurance +3

If you feel such numbers are too low, use either the stat +3 or (stat*1.5)
[rounded up], whichever is higher

see below for education and social standing

Skills:
- -------
Level zero gives the skill at whatever level a half point would give
Level one in a skill equals the skill at (stat)
Level two in a skill equals the skill at (stat) +1
Level three in a skill equals the skill at (stat) +2
and so on...

For Traveller skills that encompass multiple GURPS skills, each
skill is gained at the indicated level, with some exceptions.
Medical skill does not grant any other skills except first-aid
until it reaches level 3, when Diagnosis and Surgery become available
at two levels lower than the medical skill. Jack-of-all-trades gives
4 skill points per level to the character's education pool (see below),
or, optionally, it reduces all stat defaults by 1 (but no better than
a -2 penalty) per level of J-O-T. Most weapon skills are fairly
explanatory. However, revolver, auto-pistol, and body pistol are all
Guns(Pistol), rifle and carbine are Guns(Rifle), blade and dagger are
Knife, sword is Shortsword, cutlass is Broadsword, broadsword is
Two-Handed Sword, and foil is Fencing. A character with skill in the foil
who also has blade or dagger skill may take the Main Gauche skill
(see Swashbucklers or Martial Arts) rather than Knife. A character with
brawling may take the GURPS Brawling at the appropriate level, or take
either Judo or Karate at skill-2. For starship combat, the areas
within Gunnery skill are Lasers, Missiles, and Sandcasters. Ship's Boat
is Piloting(small craft or starfighter), and pilot is Piloting(starship).
Also, it is recommended that Piloting gets the same IQ bonuses as does Guns,
though this is optional. Electronics and Mechanical must be broken down
into specialities. Engineering includes Mechanic(Warp/Hyper/Jumpdrives),
Mechanic(Starship drives), and Mechanic (storage batteries/capacitors).
Liason is roughly the same as Savior-Faire.

Also, every character has a number of 'free' points equal to their
Traveller education to spend on skills. These points should be used on
general skills that Traveller does not include (Chemistry, Biology,
Area Knowledge, Cooking, etc) and that the character should logically
have. They may also be used to improve a character's intelligence
(see below for details).

Optionally (and especially if the character was made under the older
Traveller rules), you may want to allow the character to add 4 points
of skill for every term served. Unlike points from education, these
points may be used for any skill that the character could have reasonably
learned in their service. Also, they may be used to increase a character's
stats, but at a cost penalty of double normal cost (so going from IQ 10 to
11 would cost 20, not 10, points). Points gained from time in service may
also be used for Contacts, Allies, Patrons, or Favors.

Advantages and disadvantages:
- -----------------------------
Characters with a social standing over 7 recieve one level of
Status per two points over. A character with a SS of 5 or less has
Status -1. A SS of 3 or less also should have a Social Stigma.
Characters, regardless of the rank they may have achieved while in
a service, do not have to pay for the (Military) Rank, unless they
still hold such rank (such as being in the reserves, etc).
Characters who get a ship as a mustering out benefit must pay for
a 10 point Unusual Background or (in the case of scouts) as the
IISS as a patron (though the scout does own them a small duty).
The Traveller Aid Society counts as a 10 point Patron (of sorts).
A character that failed his survival roll may take an appropriate
disadvantage (one arm, one eye, severe phobia, etc.). Reputation,
good or bad, may be assigned as needs be. Enemies and allies
depend on the character's prior play (if any). If such allies or
reputation was gained while in service, it must be purchased with the
points from terms served.

Characters may take additional advantages or disadvantages, but the total
value of these should not be higher than 0. Also, such advantages and
disadvantages should be appropriate to the character, his/her background,
and race (for example, a droyne would have Winged Flight (30pts) and Night
Vision (10pts), but it also has Hollow Bones (-20pts)), though *racial*
advantages and disadvantages do not have to balance (GM's call).

If you use J-O-T to reduce stat defaults, count it as a 5 point advantage
per level.

Weapons:
- --------
Most firearms convert over fairly easily. In general, use an appropriate
weapon from GURPS for the Traveller weapon (though remember that lasers
use bulky power packs). Some guidelines (using those in _The_Traveller_
Book_) using weapons in GURPS Basic Set, 3rd edition:
	body pistol: walther ppk *	automatic pistol: browning HP
	revolver: s&w m10 .38-cal	carbine: semi-auto m-16
	rifle: semi-auto FN-FAL		auto rifle: fully-auto FN-FAL
	shotgun: rem m870 (10 shot)	blade: large knife
	dagger: small knife		foil: rapier
	cutlass: broadsword		sword: short sword
	broadsword: two-handed sword	bayonet: small knife/spear
	cudgel: club
	laser rifle: as listed, but 4d dam, and shots 100 from 10lb pack
	laser carbine: as laser rifle, but 3d dam, 2/3 range, and 50 shots
		from a 5lb powerpack
	* -- this version is almost entirely made of plastic, including
	the ammunition; range and damage are 1/2 normal

Those intrested in converting weapons from Book 4: Mercenary will
need to do their own work. GURPS High-Tech and Ultra-Tech (tech levels
6-9) would be very useful. I also have a file of near-future, SF, and
historic weapons for use in GURPS (TL5-8, numbering about 30) if you may
be intrested ([email removed]).

Armor:
- ------
The following PD and DR should be used:
	jack: PD 2 DR 2		mesh: PD 3 DR 4 (PD 0 DR 1 vs impailing)
	cloth: PD 4 DR 12	reflect: none (PD 6 vs lasers)
	ablat: PD 2 DR 3 (PD 5 vs lasers)
	vacc suit: PD 4 DR 12
	combat armor/battle dress: PD 6 DR 30


Starting Money:
- ---------------
Because of the extremes that a character can start with, this is
difficult to evaluate. Basically, consider an average wealth level
to be Cr 4000. This may be upped or lowered as the GM sees fit.
Any Wealth advantage or disadvantage should be based off this value.

Character Points:
- -----------------
In general, do not try to force characters into point totals. If, after
converting characters, there is a large difference in point totals (and
at the GM's option) characters more than 50 points under the highest
totalled character may be given points to get them up to within 50 points.
Distribution of points is up to the GM, and should not be used for stats
or skills.

General Tech Level:
- -------------------
If bringing Traveller characters into a GURPS Space campaign, consider
skills to be Tech Level 9-10. If you are converting a Traveller campaign
to GURPS rules, it is strongly advised that you keep the Traveller tech
levels as-is. Up to TL7, both scales are similar. After that, every two
Traveller tech levels ups the GURPS tech level by one (ex. Traveller TL15
is roughly GURPS TL11).

Starships:
- ----------
In a Traveller universe, I would recommend keeping Traveller ships as-is,
unless you really feel like trying to rebuild every ship. If the Traveller
characters are being transplanted into another universe (ie, different
campaign background), use the GURPS Space rules.

Starship Combat:
- ----------------
If you use Traveller ships, and want to use the fast starship combat
system in GURPS Space:
	(1) Traveller ships have an armor DF of 0; every 3% of the hull
	dedicated to armor gives DF 1 (or divide High Guard armor value by 3)
	(2) Multiply the ships's tonnage by 13.5 to get its cubic yard
	displacement (it isn't exact, but...).
	(3) Traveller lasers are considered heavy lasers and the missiles
	are heavy missiles
	(4) Sandcasters are used in defensive fire; they are treated like
	anti-missile lasers versus missiles; against lasers, roll to-hit --
	for each point gunner skill is made by, reduce the incoming laser
	firepower by 10%, plus 10% (but never to less than 10%, unless a
	critical success is rolled).