Pyramid, edited by Steven Marsh, is the monthly GURPS supplement
containing short articles with a loose linking theme. This time it's
the Action series, a set of rules for streamlining GURPS to fit the
sort of story one finds in action films.
More Skill Sets for Specialists (Christopher R. Rice) expands
on the hidden gem that is Action 4: Specialists, a compromise between
the quick but restrictive templates of the Action series and
full-complexity GURPS character generation. It presents 34 modular
skill sets, including animal handlers, various sorts of celebrity, and
priests of the boring old non-supernatural sort; it also brings in
magical and psionic skill packages, which I don't think really fit
well with Action, and some ultra-tech ones which do. Definitely worth
using.
The Thrill of the Chase (Kelly Pedersen) expands on the chase
mechanics from Action 2, adding modifiers for different sorts of
terrain (mostly in terms of how easy it is to manoeuvre in it), and
random events such as obstacles and innocent bystanders. I like this a
great deal, and I'm likely to use the chase rules more as a result of
having this available.
Eidetic Memory: Black Gemini (David L. Pulver) is an adventure that
sees the PCs (some sort of government-funded covert operators)
tracking down an antiquity looted from a war zone… but things rapidly
escalate. The plot looks suitably twisty, but is actually
straightforward: a neat trick that's very much in-genre.
The Football (Jason Brick) looks at adding secondary consequences to
fights: yes, the PCs are going to win, but will the hostage or
artefact be saved? It's setting goals in a fight that go beyond just
killing or neutralising the enemy; basic, perhaps, but written
interestingly.
The Grinder (Andy Vetromile) is an adventure location: a chop-shop
for cars, organised by someone who's given some thought to his
defences and methods of operation. It's a good setup, and interfering
with it will be hard work for PCs.
Random Thought Table: Focusing on the What and the Now (Steven
Marsh) looks at two aspects of campaigns: making sure everyone's on
the same page with regard to styles of action, and being willing to
drop campaign elements that haven't worked (perhaps literally, using
index cards).
There's good solid stuff here, and I'll use several of these articles
next time I'm running an action game. Pyramid 112 is available from
Warehouse 23.
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