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淘豆网网友近日为您收集整理了关于GURPS - 4th Edition - Transhuman Space - Changing Times的文档，希望对您的工作和学习有所帮助。以下是文档介绍：GURPS - 4th Edition - Transhuman Space - Changing Times Written by PHIL MASTERSEdited by THOMAS WEIGELAdditional Material, Consultancy, and Template Assistance by DAVID PULVERAdditional Material by DAVID MORGAN-MARArt by PAUL DALY, JESSE DEGRAFF, MATT KRESGE, RAMN PREZ,CHRISTOPHER SHY, DAN SMITH, and BRIAN TARSISAn e23 Sourcebook for GURPSSTEVE JACKSON GAMESStock #37-6701 Version 1.0 – December 4, 20062 CONTENTSGURPS, Warehouse 23, and the all-seeing pyramid are registered trademarks of Steve Ja(来源：淘豆网[/p-4840147.html])ckson Games Incorporated. Pyramid,Changing Times, e23, and the names of all products published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are registered trademarks or trademarks ofSteve Jackson Games Incorporated, or used under license. Some art copyright
2006 JupiterImages. GURPS Changing Times is copyright 2006 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved.The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this material via the
or via any other me(来源：淘豆网[/p-4840147.html])ans without the permission of the publisher is illegal,and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy ofcopyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.Lead Playtester: Jeff WilsonPlaytesters: Frederick Brackin, Roger Burton West, Ze’Manel Cunha, Eric Funk, Anthony Jackson, Rev. Pee Kitty,Jonathan Lang, Brett Pasinella, Bill Seney, Ant(来源：淘豆网[/p-4840147.html])oni TenA Summary for New Players . . . . 4INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . 5ABOUT THE AUTHOR . . . . . . . . . . . . 5ABOUT GURPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51. TRANSHUMAN SPACECAMPAIGNS. . . . . . . . . . . . 6CONCEPTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6The Baseline Wave. . . . . . . . . . . . 6Waves and 4e Tech Levels. . . . . . . 6Crossing Waves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Less Advantages at Home. . . . . . . 8Campaign Focus . . .(来源：淘豆网[/p-4840147.html]) . . . . . . . . . . 9Campaign Moods: Excitementand Terror. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Campaign Moods: edy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Gritty vs. Cinematic . . . . . . . . . . 13APPROPRIATE CHARACTERS . . . . . 14Mandatory Features. . . . . . . . . . 14Character Legality . . . . . . . . . . . 14Team Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Weird Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15RUNNING GAMES . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15“Our Servants Will Do(来源：淘豆网[/p-4840147.html])That For Us”. . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Gathering Information . . . . . . . bat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Adventures in(Relative) Safety?. . . . . . . . . . 16Exceptional Wealth . . . . . . . . . . 16Tracking CharacterCapabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Mutable Point Totals. . . . . . . . . . 172. A GM’S VIEWOF 2100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY . . . . 18The Waves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . puting(来源：淘豆网[/p-4840147.html]) . . . . . . . 19Microbots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Nanotech. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19A Game of Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Biotech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Artificial Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Memetics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20THE STATE OF EARTH . . . . . . . . . 21The Power Blocs . . . . . . . . . . . . 21GURPS System Design
STEVE JACKSONGURPS Line Editor
SEAN PUNCHIndex(来源：淘豆网[/p-4840147.html])er
THOMAS WEIGELPage Design
PHIL REED and ––––JUSTIN DE WITTProduction Manager
MONICA STEPHENSArt Director
WILL SCHOONOVERProduction Artist
ALEX FERNANDEZPrint Buyer
MONICA STEPHENSMarketing Director
PAUL CHAPMANSales Manager
ROSS JEPSONErrata Coordinator
ANDY VETROMILEGURPS FAQ Maintainer
–––––––STPHANE THRIAULTCONTENTSCONTENTS 3Memes at War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Reasons to Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . 22LIFE OFF EARTH . . . . .(来源：淘豆网[/p-4840147.html]) . . . . . . . . . 23The Practicalities ofSpace Flight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Opportunities in Orbit. . . . . . . . 24Mars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24The Olympus Project. . . . . . . . . . 24Mercury and Venus . . . . . . . . . . 25The Outer System . . . . . . . . . . . 25EMPLOYERS ANDEMPLOYMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Law Enforcement . . . . . . . . . . . 26Private Investigations . . . . . . . . . 26Intelligence Work. . .(来源：淘豆网[/p-4840147.html]) . . . . . . . . . 27Software Agents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Dangerous Masters . . . . . . . . . . . anizations . . . . . . . 29Working for Industry. . . . . . . . . 29Conspiracy 2100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Enforcing IntellectualProperty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30CAMPAIGN IDEAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30African Hearts,Transhuman Minds . . . . . . . 30Orbital Storm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Bringer of War . . . . . . . .(来源：淘豆网[/p-4840147.html]) . . . . . . 31Ts and Cs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Time Travel to 2100. . . . . . . . . . . 32Caught in munal Web . . . . . . . . . . 32Peruvian Gothic . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323. GURPS 4E UPDATE:CHARACTERS . . . . . . . . . 33CHARACTER DESIGN . . . . . . . . . . . 33Attributes and SecondaryCharacteristics . . . . . . . . . . . 33Vehicle ST and OtherAttributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Cultural Backgrounds . . . . . . . . 34Disadvantage Limits. . . . . . . . . . 34Character Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Wealth, Status, andCost of Living . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Fifth Wave Characters. . . . . . . . . 36Transhuman SpaceStatus Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37What Cost of LivingGets You in 2100. . . . . . . . . . 38Advantages and Perks . . . . . . . . 38“Vessel” Cybershells. . . . . . . . . . . 39Talents for 2100. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Perks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Disadvantages and Quirks . . . . 41Bioroid Social Stigmasand Wealth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Meta-Traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44New Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Brain Hacking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . puter Intrusion Under 4e. . . 46Memetics as a Wildcard Skill . . . 46Memetic Operations . . . . . . . . . . 47Memetics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47TEMPLATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Humans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Human ic Upgrades. . . . . 48Parahumans and Bioroids . . . . 48Uplifted Animals . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Infomorphs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50IQ 0 in GURPS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Indomitable Ais and“Machine Empathy”. . . . . . . 52Terminology: Sapience . . . . . . . . 52Cybershells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53Bioshells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59CONVERTING EXISTINGCAMPAIGNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 594. GURPS 4E UPDATE:TECHNOLOGY . . . . . . . . 60WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT . . . . . 60Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . munications Implants . . . . 61Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Weaponry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Weapon Tables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Medical Treatments. . . . . . . . . . 64VEHICLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67Bioship Templates. . . . . . . . . . . . 67APPENDIX: OFF-THE-SHELFALLIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 714 TRANSHUMAN SPACE: A SUMMARY FOR NEW PLAYERSTranshuman Space: A Summary for New PlayersThe year is 2100; the future is in the balance. TranshumanSpace takes, broadly speaking, an optimistic view. There has beenno global nuclear war,
pollution and globalwarming, while by no means ended, have been more or less
resources mostly meet needs.But this isn’t a utopia either. There are still wars, tyrannies, andgross inequalities, and privacy is hard to find. Indeed, new scienceshave created new evils.BiotechnologyMost people, in advanced areas at least, have had all clear -ic problems eliminated in the womb, and many are enhanced, someto the point where they are no longer strictly Homo sapiens.Advanced medical treatments can largely eliminate disease (for aprice), and lifespans are growing longer – though true immortalityremains a dream.Bioroids are synthetic beings, mostly created as servants andlacking some plexity – but they still think and feel.Biotechnology can also “uplift” other species to near-human intelli-gence, create exotic farm animals and pets, and synthesize drugswhich can modify the human mind to order.puters in 2100 are powerful and cheap, though not super- processors are embedded in almost every piece of technol-ogy. They are controlled by infomorphs, most of which are artificialintelligences ranging from nonsapient “NAIs”– clever talking userinterfaces – through low-sapient “LAIs”– versatile, self-motivated,but not-quite-human minds – to fully sapient “SAIs.” It’s also possi-ble to scan a human brain to create a ghost, an apparently perfectinfomorph model, but as this destroys the brain, opinions are divid-ed over whether it’s a path to immortality or an expensive form ofsuicide. Cybershells, the machine bodies which infomorphs inhabitand control, range from industrial machinery and weapon systems,through beautiful “cyberdolls,” to “wearables” and even implantswithin human bodies.Nanotechnology (micro-scale engineering) is currently limited to“wet nano”– pseudo-biological creations which anicprocesses.” Dry nano,” capable of manipulating any matter on anatomic scale, is a hopeful research topic. Portable 3D printers plex objects to order, while microbots are insect-sized robots which work in collaborative swarms.SpaceFusion-powered ships can cross the solar system in a fewmonths. Indeed, fusion power is one key to humanity’s wealth, but itdepends on helium-3, a rare isotope which must be mined from thesurface of the moon or the atmosphere of Saturn. This is one of themajor reasons for the growth of space flight. Meanwhile, a Chinese-dominated colony on Mars is terraforming the
while modify-ing humanity to live there, and space navies, criminals, and bizarreideologies are expanding through the void. Earth orbit is downrightcrowded, and may grow even more so when the space elevator cur-rently under construction plete.MemeticsMemetics is a young science of the mind. It sees “memes”(ideasand thought-patterns) as propagating like genes, using minds astheir hosts, mutating and adapting as they go. Some people dismissmemetics as either seriously unreliable or, worse, deeply amoral andmanipulative. Memetics isn’ rather, it raisesthe ancient arts of propaganda, rhetoric, and teaching to newheights. Populations are increasingly seen as a memetic battle-ground for radicals, politicians, and pranksters.The World PowersThere are several Great Powers. China is the largest, thoughmore advanced in so the E.U. (EuropeanUnion), a loose but expanding confederation, is perhaps the mostadvanced. The USA is still a force to be reckoned with, controllinghelium mining on Saturn, but increasingly divided socially.The TSA (Transpacific Socialist Alliance) is a relatively weakconfederation driven by a “nanosocialist” ideology which promotesthe redistribution of information. It is a major concern in world pol-itics, having fought a war with China in the 2080s and triggered theformation of the PRA (Pacific Rim Alliance) as a counterbalance.India also has the power to make itself heard, as does the aliphate, a high-minded theocratic alliance.The WavesTechnology determines much about the state of human society.The first great “wave” was defined by agriculture, and the second bythe Industrial R by the end of the 20th century, humanitywas riding the third, powered by puting. In the 21st cen-tury, most of the world experienced a Fourth Wave, based on - now, it seems, a Fifth Wave is rising, based on -bination of nanotechnology, memetics, and artificial intelligence.”Fifth Wave” societies are the wealthiest on the , but no onecan be quite sure where they are heading.This supplement is designed to help you run games in theTranshuman Space setting. It consists of a guide to GMingand playing in the setting, and an extensive set of notes onupdating Transhuman Space material to GURPS, FourthEdition.While this book might be considered a “GM’s Guide toTranshuman Space,” there is little or nothing here that willhave to be kept from players. Instead, it answers the question,“What do I do with this setting?”Read on, and find out.ABOUT THE AUTHORPhil Masters is a British games writer, previously responsi-ble for a number of GURPS and other RPG supplements,including Personnel Files and a chapter of High Frontier forTranshuman S he was also co-author of GURPSBanestorm and GURPS Powers for GURPS 4e, andmany other books. He’s trying to change with the timeshimself, but not always eeding. His website is at.co.uk.A face-to-face meeting with Gao Yanghou isnever fortable experience. It doesn’t helpthat you can never know whether it’s reallyhim or just one of the Swarm – his sculptedhatchet-men. Though it probably doesn’t actu-ally make much difference, especially if therumors are true about the shadows running intheir implants.This time, I was meeting – whoever it wasI was meeting – in a warehouse on the edge ofthe Anglo quarter of New Shanghai. Thechoice of venue might have been his idea of ajoke, but I try not to assume too much aboutthe sense of humor of the man who runs theTriads in the capital of Rust China.He stood five meters away from me, andhanded a package to one of his lesser flunkies.The man scurried over and handed it to me. Itwas a blank in augmented reality, no ID chips,but when I opened it up, my wearable decidedthat the logos and canister design gave it an80%-plus chance of being genuine. I gave it100%; Gao doesn’t play stupid games.“From the Belt?” I asked.“Fresh down the elevator this morning,” hesaid.“The latest Omokage refinement.” I won-dered if this meant that Gao had settled his dif-ferences with Xie Feng out on Hesheng – butthat was another subject not to be discussed.“Your price?” I asked.“You know of the bioroid known as SallyXan?” he replied, and my wearable woke up.“Not a good job to take,” it murmured tome, “Xan’s a Triad-made bioroid, butAmerica/Mars got hold of her. She’s aCommonwealth agent these days.”I tried not to smile. Things were suddenlyturning interesting.About GURPSSteve Jackson Games mitted to full support of GURPS play-ers. Our address is SJ Games, P.O. Box 18957, Austin, TX 78760. Pleaseinclude a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) any time you writeus! We can also be reached by e-mail: info@. Resourcesinclude:Pyramid (amid/). Our online magazineincludes new GURPS rules and articles. It also covers the d20 system,Ars Magica, BESM, Call of Cthulhu, and many more top games – andother Steve Jackson Games releases like Illuminati, Car Wars,Transhuman Space, and more. Pyramid subscribers also get opportu-nities to playtest new GURPS books!New supplements and adventures. GURPS continues to grow, andwe’ll be happy to let you know what’s new. For a current catalog, sendus a legal-sized SASE, or just visit . Our e-publishing division offers GURPS adventures, play aids,and support not available anywhere else! Just head over toe23..Errata. Everyone makes mistakes, including us – but we do our bestto fix our errors. Up-to-date errata sheets for all GURPS releases,including this book, are available on our website – see below.. Visit us on the World Wide Web at
errata, updates, Q&A, and much more. To discuss GURPSwith SJ Games staff and fellow gamers, come to our forums atforums.. The GURPS Changing Times web page can befound at ps/books/changingtimes/.Bibliographies. Many of our books have extensive bibliographies, andwe’re putting them online – with links to let you buy the books thatinterest you! Go to the book’s web page and look for the “Bibliography”link.Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for the GURPS BasicSet, Fourth Edition. Page references that begin with B refer to that book,not this one.INTRODUCTION 5INTRODUCTION“You don’t look like the usual contractors I carry.” The humanpilot was making casual conversation as the OTV coasted.“No, we’re just out here for a short while.” The passengerwho’d spoken fidgeted in his cramped couch.“Phew – expensive day trip you’re on.”“Seems like we’re needed.”A second passenger switched out of his briefing display witha mand, hoping that a quick answer would stopthe pilot from chattering any more. “We’re cops,” he said flatly,“ic Regulatory Agency.”Transhuman Space is a setting – a panoramic view of adiverse solar system. A Transhuman Space campaign requiressom a subset of the locations available inthat system, some things for PCs to do, a guiding theme oridea. This chapter is about campaign design – about movingfrom the panoramic to the specific.Choosing appropriate locations and things to do demandssome decisions. Given all the possible directions of the game,the GM has to nail the basics down from the beginning.THE BASELINE WAVEOther sourcebooks have discussed the “waves” whichdefine the technological and social state of things in variousparts of the world of 2100. (See especially Fifth Wave, p. 7.)The wave which the PCs are riding will define their likely levelof wealth and resources, as well as fort with the mostadvanced technology and its personal consequences – which inturn has a major effect on the feel and style of the campaign.Third WaveA Third Wave setting places the PCs at the margins of theTranshuman Space world, in a situation not too differentfrom the early 21st century. Third Wave characters see bioroidsas strange, alien creatures – perhaps as “vat-grown soldiers”employed by their foreign-backed government, or as “synthet-ic servants” in images of the luxurious lives of the super-rich.While cybershells are a straightforward enough idea – ThirdWavers know all about machines – true artificial intelligence isanother extraordinary concept, and the idea of ing superior to humanity in any way should worry mostof them. Actual encounters with such things will be rare andchallenging.Third Wave PCs are stuck out on the margins, struggling tomake their way in the world, even though they may have asecure place in their own local societies. The problem with thissituation is that it downplays much that is interesting aboutTranshuman Space – it precludes playing any really haracter types, traveling into space, or helping determine thecourse of human evolution. Still, it enables players who areunfamiliar with the setting material to ease their way into itgently, with less initial “future shock,” perhaps moving to moreadvanced areas later as they gain familiarity with the world.The idea may also have a certain “cyberpunk” appeal for some.The less-advanced regions of 2100, and the way things tend tohappen there, are discussed in detail in Broken Dreams.Remember that areas like these are poor and backward, and thatthere are usually reasons why places get in such a state.Sometimes it’s a misfortune of past history, and local society maybe working to catch up with t the governmentmay be petently promoting development. In that case,game plots can revolve around efforts to acquire and exploitadvanced resources on the cheap, whether by legitimate trade(with the PCs perhaps working as or for brokers, acting as body-guards and guides to foreign visitors, or investigating criminal or6 TRANSHUMAN SPACE CAMPAIGNSCHAPTER ONETRANSHUMANSPACE CAMPAIGNSCONCEPTSWaves and4e Tech LevelsThe Transhuman Space waves correspond fairlywell to GURPS 4 Third Wave is TL8,Fourth Wave is TL9, and Fifth Wave is TL10. B the world is Fifth Wave, and the world isglobalized. The future shocks from the Fourth andThird Waves are all now, onlythe economic distinctions really remain, and fewpeople are shocked by anything but the Fifth Wavecutting edge. A poorly-educated character from abackwards area might have a level or two of the LowTL disadvantage, but most people, even in such set-tings, can have picked up any TL10 skills and famil-iarities they need through Web access and use ofcheap but adequate imported gadgets.dubious projects), or by illegal means (with the PCs as crooks orcops). Examples in 2100 include Armenia, Ghana, andCameroon.In other cases, such as Kyrgyzstan, South Sudan, orCambodia, development may be stymied, as political or cul-tural deadlocks prevent the area from advancing. In that casethe setting will tend to feel backwards and corrupt, or at leastc ambitious individuals will dream of get-ting away to somewhere better, or, if they’re idealists, ofchanging the local system. Scenarios can still involveattempts to improve things, but they’ll feel much harder, per-haps even fruitless.Lastly, some Third Wave areas such as Haut-Zaire andAfghanistan are outright hell-holes, held back by -plete failure of civil order and social cohesion. These placesare likely to be violent and dangerous, possibly being used asproxy battlefields by more advanced powers, petentPCs will be forced to take sides in fights, even if they dreamof getting out or somehow resolving the place’s many prob-lems. Scenarios in such a setting are likely to be military orpa potentially exciting, but maybe rathernihilistic.Fourth WaveIn a typical Fourth Wave game, the PCs are still out on themargins of advanced society. They are unlikely to have info-morphs to perform the wide range of tasks routinely handledby software in Fifth Wave settings, although puterresources can still be quite respectable. They should, however,be familiar with advanced biotechnology, including bioroids.Fourth Wave locations can be quite prosperous. Theyinclude less advanced areas of major global powers such asChina and the USA, as well as “second-line” nations such asKenya and many outlying members of the European Union.Conversely, there is nothing to stop them Transhumanist biotechnology is driving social unrestin Nigeria, Ecuador faces threats to its borders fromTRANSHUMAN SPACE CAMPAIGNS 7Sometimes, PCs from a given background will ventureinto areas where the general level of technology and relat-ed social assumptions – the “wave”– differ from whatthey’re accustomed to. These incidents should be treatedas interesting roleplaying opportunities, as the charactersfind that crucial assumptions are unreliable and -plexity of the transhumanist world is brought home tothem.“Visiting Up”Characters visiting a higher-wave region than they’ustomed to should be prone to confusion, practicalproblems, and probably emotional responses – classic“future shock.”(See also “Social Transition StressDisorder,” Broken Dreams, p. 55.) A lot of this should bereflected in practical ways, such as PCs finding that theydon’t have the virtual interfaces and augmented realitygear that they need to operate in society, shortages offunds, or lack of nanomod treatments to protect themagainst hostile nano or zero-G. The game rules express thisidea with TL penalties, but enthusiastic roleplayers cantake the opportunity to play
achance to respond honestly to the radical nature of theTranshuman Space world, as their characters suffer thesame confusion that they might feel themselves. The PCsmight feel jealous of or inspired by the greater technologi-cal power of the advanced world, but they might also dis-approve, seeing transhuman technologies as dehumaniz-ing, new social models as amoral, and Fifth Wave peopleas smug and exploitative.“Visiting Down”Characters based in a higher-wave region who visit lessadvanced areas will also be disadvantaged and disoriented,especially if they can’ their advancedtechnology relies on continually available puter access is harder is lower-wave regions – systemscan’t always access the Web, and even if they can, connec-tions may be slow and unreliable. The lack of augmentedreality or fast search tools may be frustrating and evenconfusing. Likewise, power and fuel supplies, ammuni-tion, and so on, may be hard to obtain.Some PCs visiting lower-Wave environments may bearrogant, some may be sympathetic, and some may takethe opportunity to promote their own pet ideologies – toplant their personal memes in potentially fertile soil. Asidefrom what it says about them as people, such behavior canhave repercussions, especially if the PCs turn out to needlocal help later.The Technological EdgeAlternatively, characters based in a lower-wave area canhave personal access to higher-wave technology, givingthem an advantage over less sophisticated or wealthylocals. Many Third Wave power elites have Fourth or FifthW it’s just that the masses around them don’t.A single tech level can make a big difference in technol-ogy. Weapons have better range, accuracy, and hittingpower, while armor is likewise improved. A high-Waveadventurer may also have infomorph or cybershell supportthat enables him to effectively handle several tasks at once,or to work from a safe position while his opponents areexposed to danger.This sort of advantage can lead to arrogance -placency. Low-tech doesn’t mean stupid, though, and evena Third Wave opponent will have some access to the Web,which can provide information on high-tech gear’s limita-tions and vulnerabilities. Still, advanced equipment usedwith ruthless subtlety can produc seethe description of Alma-Ata in Broken Dreams . . .Crossing Wavesnanosocialist neighbors, and even Kenya is suffering plications caused by the Olympus Project (p. 24).Fourth Wave regions don’t necessarily see themselves as pooror backward, although the inhabitants will be aware that tech-nology and lifestyles have developed further in other parts ofthe world. They may be working to catch up, with a fair chanceof doing so in the fairly near future, or the local culture may berelatively cautious, unwilling to accept the radical technology-driven changes that progression to the Fifth Wave demands.PCs may e actively involved in the “drive forprogress,” importing and implementing Fifth Wave technolo-gies, or they may work for a cause with plicatedideals. They may also have to deal with the machinations ofFifth Wave agencies who see Fourth Wave nations as profitabletargets for exploitation or manipulation – especially whensomething like the Olympus Project draws their attention tothese areas.A Fourth Wave setting is different enough from today for thegame to feel rich and strange, but not so exotic as to confuse theplayers to the point where they can’t roleplay their charactersproperly. The PCs will have to rely on their own skills andresources rather than on software to perform many tasks – butthese personal abilities can be varied and interesting. On theother hand, such settings may feel like too much of pro-mise, lacking the bleeding-edge excitement of the Fifth Waveand the street-level satisfaction-in-survival of the Third.Fifth WaveMany game groups will want to play in the Fifth Wave, thestate of the art of the Transhuman Space setting. In the greatcities and technological enclaves of North America, westernEurope, South Africa, and southern China, businessmen,secret agents, politicians, law enforcers, and memetic engi-neers struggle with everything that’s special and dazzling aboutthe setting, sometimes shaping the future but often simplystruggling to discern that shape before it engulfs them.Fifth Wave areas are wealthy, as stable as their own tech-nological advance permits, and have well-established govern-ments. Interpersonal violence isn’t impossible, but it’s seen asboth highly objectionable and
in anycase, advanced weaponry makes it very dangerous for every-one involved, and advanced forensic enforcement technologymakes it hard to avoid the consequences of breaking the law.(All this is one reason why, as for the past two or three cen-turies, the most advanced nations have been prone to resolvingtheir differences with proxy wars in less wealthy regions.)On the other hand, PCs prepared to use the memetics rulesas freely as bat system, to track faction wars and politi-cal subtleties, and to exploit the full range of Fifth Waveresources – and to respond when their opponents do the same –should find that a Fifth Wave campaign is a unique experience.Off EarthLife off Earth has challenges of its own. The technology andresources are necessarily quite advanced, but much of it is ded-icated simply to keeping everyone alive. Characters are often along way from some things which the typical citizen of 2100takes for granted, and may occasionally be disconcerted by thelack of “standard” facilities.The Web is more diffuse, and – away from Earth orbit –slightly prehensive. Even a small spacecraft will havevast quantities of data available for casual reference, but veryobscure or recent information may be absent. Augmented real-ity, monplace, serves practical purposes, such asassisting sp tags may have a distinctlybusinesslike look. PCs in near-ary space can accesswider information sources, but may be disconcerted to noticea significant signal delay, and all spacers are dependent on thegoodwill of whoever or whatever is running the works.Signal lag munication bottlenecks also preventspace travelers from using teleoperation of rented or borrowedcybershells as heavily as many ground-dwellers, and ess to the countless live slogs and other real-time interac-tive sources that define Fifth Wave society. The ground-dwe the space traveler is limited to being, at best, awatcher. In deep space, such interactions are strictly local.Basic day-to-day survival is a serious consideration inspace, but shouldn’t usually be an overwhelming concernin games. Transhuman Space assumes that Fourth andFifth Wave technologies can adapt equipment (and, whennecessary, people) to extreme environments. With smartmaterials and extensive AI oversight of every aspect of the8 TRANSHUMAN SPACE CAMPAIGNSLess Advantagedat HomeOne way to set up a “high wave” game withoutgiving the PCs huge resources or confusing the play-ers with too many options is to make the charactersmembers of a highly advanced society who don’t, forone reason or another, have full access to all that itoffers. A PC group might include a rich adolescentslumming it, his trusted but increasingly rickety panion, a neighbor’s bioroid servant,and the ghost of his grandfather, running on a main-frame but teleoperating a lot of buzzbots and striv-ing to stave off boredom.The obvious problem here is that people withouta lot of social clout or resources aren’t supposed e involved in significant events. But it canhappen anyway. A group of kids may have “youngdetectives” adventures, while slightly older adoles-cents or plain impoverished folks can eagents in street-level conflicts. “Indentured” AIs orbioroids can be assigned important missions, and soon.Many of these characters will have significantPatrons (parents, employers, owners, etc.) This givesGM a way to connect them to other events and fac-tions, and a way of recovering the situation if thePCs get into trouble over their heads. The problemis that the players e to rely on this aid, or tofeel that their actions are mostly irrelevant when setalongside the patrons’ wealth and influence. Makesure that not too many points go into the Patronadvantage at the start, and then emphasize the lim-itations and restrictions. A Patron should be a help,but not a deus ex machina.technology, routine space flight is remarkably safe and evenstraightforward. Still, it isn’ spacecraft arecramped, travel times are long, and your life depends on a lotof AIs watching over you, though they are generally very politeand discreet about it.While there are many large bases, and multiple stations arein munication in some areas, some groups may bemillions of miles from anywhere, isolated from broader socie-ty and from the instantaneous information flows of the Web,and everyone on the same small ship really has to get alongwith everyone else. When things do go wrong, they go wrongdramatically. Space isn’t a natural environment for unmodifiedhumans, and atmosphere mixtures, pressure levels, radiation,plex medical and psychological effects can all con-spire against space travelers in dramatic or insidious ways.Life on Mars is slightly different, at least in the larger set-tlements. While the natural environment is hostile, most peo-ple live in substantial quasi-munities. The Web isstill less extensive than Earth’s, but is more than adequate foralmost any purpose, and augmented reality and teleoperationmay be used for relatively frivolous purposes. Still, life on Marsremains something of a “frontier” existence, with pioneers,prospectors, and explorers developing a new land. It involvesboth overt – if mostly non-violent – conflict between severalpowers all staking out their claims on new territory, and thecamaraderie of people who have more mon with eachother than they have with the hierarchy “back home.”CAMPAIGN FOCUSTranshuman Space doesn’t mandate any particular plot orfocus for a campaign. Rather, it supports at least as many typesof game as present day Earth. As a GM, you can pick any storythat interests you in the present-day, then move it forward acentury and see how it changes. While this doesn’t necessarilybring out the full rich strangeness of the setting, it does giveplayers a reliable, familiar reference point at the start.InvestigationsInvestigation plots can work very well. They encourage theplayers to pit their wits plex puzzles and meet allsorts of unusual people. Pursuing a mystery through differentparts of a society and multiple locations can provide a broadintroduction to the setting as a whole, providing all sorts ofimportant details in a digestible form while giving the audi-ence every reason to pay attention to these facts.The PCs may be cops, private investigators, spies, newsreporters, or indeed interested amateurs of some sort. (See thenext chapter anizations that might want to employskilled investigators.) They may also be memeticists, munities and whole nations to monitor for memeticmanipulation (and if necessary to stop it).Transhuman Space investigative campaigns may beepisodic, with a different mystery each week, or there may besome grand overall puzzle to be solved in bite-sized pieces,with the big ing as a climax which ends the cam-paign or sends it off in pletely new direction. However,plexity and novelty of the setting can make them chal- the GM will have to plan fairly carefully so asto be able to respond to any given PC action. The mysteriesalso have to be designed so that they can’t be solved by puter resources at the problem, although AIsand the web can certainly provide a way to cut short dullresearch problems and feed new information to the PCs whenthe GM needs to give events a kick.GURPS Mysteries (which is available online ate23.) is prehensive guide to how to runmystery plots, and could be very useful here. All of the formatsdiscussed on pp. 9-11 of that book are possible in theTranshuman Space world. Thrillers are always popular, whilehard-boiled stories can be set, not only on the mean streets ofnumerous Earth cities, but on shabby L5 space stations or atthe foot of the Mars space elevator. It’s equally straightforwardto run slightly updated “cozy” plots, perhaps in genteel FifthWave munities, where the intellectual mystery of howanyone mit an undetected crime will be far morepressing than the rather limited options for violence.(“Investigative memetics” plots will often have a rather “cozy”atmosphere.) Procedural stories are more work, as the GM andplayers will have to determine what procedures and tech-niques are possible in the setting. Likewise, puzzle stories maybe hard to set up in the face of TL10 technology. Lastly,McGuffin plots are an option, especially if the McGuffin issome puter design, biotech sample, unique nanotechcreation, or rampant bat situations mon in 2100, and fairly dan-gerous. The PCs may be soldiers, wandering mercenaries, bat specialists such as a police SWAT team. Theiradversaries may be enemy soldiers, terrorists, violent crimi-nals, rogue infomorphs, or the bearers of radically divergentmemes in some lightly-policed area such as the Martian out-back or the Belt. Both sides can use a wide range of tech-nologies – not just powerful guns and exotic ammunition,though those are diverse enough, but also cybershells, cyber-swarms, and insidious nanotech. This means that, in all butthe most marginal conflicts, combatants must be techniciansas well as warriors.One way to make such a campaign less prone to PC casual-ties is to permit a lot of teleoperated technology. This maylower the sense of personal risk, but a police SWAT teamattempting plex hostage rescue in the face of desperateopposition should feel concern for the safety of the hostages,even if the cops themselves are safely in teleoperation booths amile from the scene – and, of course, the tactical challengeswill be no less interesting. Meanwhile, shrewd opponents willbe looking for ways to put the PCs personally at risk. Likewise,infomorphs (who actually form the majority of Fifth Wavearmed forces) can always be restored from backups, and cansometimes even escape from danger by downloading, whichmay make them more casual about danger – although that e expensive in cash and character points if the e too careless, and enemies who can locate a hero’sbackup can suddenly look terrifying.Armed forces are more socially inclusive in some respectsthan civilian society, and a soldier in 2100 may find that work-ing with a nonhuman partner is part of the job, even if thenation doesn’t class that being as a full citizen. He may evenhave to accept that the nonhuman takes a nominal “rank”above his own. (If an army trusts its AI strategists, for instance,it may decide that they should be empowered to issue orders.)TRANSHUMAN SPACE CAMPAIGNS 9Another factor to note is that conflicts in the TranshumanSpace world are almost invariably memetic as well as physical.An effective team may well have members dedicated to propa-ganda, counter-propaganda, and psychological operations,even at the squad level – and missions will often include a“hearts and minds” element. This can provide an extra dimen-sion to plans, problems when different objectives clash, or thepossibility of paranoia if memetic warfare specialists appear tobe applying their skills to the rest of the bat-oriented campaigns can also include a certainamount of “downtime” activity. However much discipline isdesigned to control such things, armed forces are often the set-ting for personal rivalries, driving ambition, and the odd emo-tional storm. These “home base scenarios” need n there are, for example, possibilities for illicit activ-ities or internal investigations into wrongdoing.There are several useful GURPS Third Edition referencesdealing with these subjects. GURPS Special Ops deals withthe kind of high-intensity small-unit military actions which aremost likely to a while the technology andconflicts both change radically by 2100, special forces stillexist, and the book provides a useful overview of tactical con-cerns and possible scenarios. Likewise, GURPS Covert Opsdescribes clandestine conflicts. Finally, GURPS SWAT dealsprimarily with police SWAT operations in the present day, butmany of the operational and tactical issues it covers will be justas valid in 2100, even if it’s manded cybershellsdoing the close assaults.Crime and the Streets“Streets” campaigns don’t have to involve professionalcriminal PCs, but they do imply a relaxed attitude to the letterof the law. In other words, this category doesn’t necessarilymean “playing thugs,” but it probably involves PCs who haveto break a few rules in order to survive. (It can draw fromNeuromancer or Casablanca – or it can take The Usual Suspectsas its inspiration.)Assuming that the players want to feel at least somewhatheroic, this in turn means choosing a setting where the rulesaren’t entirely fair – or just emphasizing the dubious side ofany given society. The Transhuman Space setting isn’tdystopian, but it has its share of corrupt states, run-downcities, and lawless outposts. Indeed, some players may haveenough doubts about the “runaway technology” and “radicalchange” aspects of the setting that they find the idea of play-ing rebels and outsiders entirely heroic. Broken Dreams pro-vides the most specific view of the dark side of the setting,although there are plenty of options for shady activitydescribed in Deep Beyond (with criminal factions operatingextensively in the belt) and In the Well (with Mars e populous and chaotic enough to support a thrivingunderworld).Such games are likely to be more about survival than aboutchanging the world, at least to begin with. Criminals tend tohave a hard time of it in the most advanced areas – forensictechnology is just too good, AIs are too pervasive – but thereare gaps and flaws in any system, and shrewd operators whodon’t actually break the law (much), or who do so with somediscretion and the best equipment, can go a long way.Memetics has opened up whole new areas for crime, with themanipulation of ideas and the fine-tuning of rumors offering10 TRANSHUMAN SPACE CAMPAIGNSCampaign Moods:Excitementand TerrorWhile the setting and practical focus of anycampaign is important, so is the mood. This canvary within a game – indeed, a “one-note” cam-paign is usually rather dull – but radical changesand no stability can feel very unsatisfactory.Thrillers work very well in the TranshumanSpace setting. The PCs are heroic, either as acareer choice or because ci action and adventure are expected. Actionheroes in 2100 need to be expert users of tech-nology, and will have impressive resources – butso do their opponents, so courage and dedicationstill provide an essential edge. Thriller plots canbe straightforward struggles between heroes andvillains, or shades-of-gray tales of betrayal andmoral ambiguity, with the PCs forced to decidehow far they’re prepared to go for a cause, or promise their ideals in the hope that they’lleventually turn out to have done the right thing.Horror games lack the underlying confidenceof the thriller. While this isn’t an explicitly darkworld, it has many problems and dangers.Advanced biotechnology and digital intelligencepermit many abuses which can affect players inan visceral way, from bioroids designed to wantsexual abuse to the editing of sapient personali-ties. Meanwhile, conflicts beneath the surface ofEuropa or on far-flung space colonies involve asmuch claustrophobia and isolation as any horrorfan could want. Transhuman Space ames are likely to focus on the dehumanizingeffects of runaway technology and the tendencyto treat sapient beings as objects to be manipu-lated.As a reasonably rigorous hard SF setting peting schools of thought not onlyclash, but take physical forms, TranshumanSpace provides an exceptional opportunity forgames of Philosophical Exploration, looking atquestions such as “What is Human?” and “Whatdefines Sapience, or Individuality?” Some PCsmay find themselves regarded as subhumanproperty, while radical factions argue whethergreat acts of terraforming and bioengineering arehumanity’s destiny or hubristic abuse. Whilesuch plots may involve a lot of sitting aroundtalking, they can also involve direct action, orattempts to propagandize – and in a worldwith sophisticated memetics, attempts to pro-mote ideas may themselves raise large ethicalquestions.播放器加载中，请稍候...
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GURPS - 4th Edition - Transhuman Space - Changing Times Written by PHIL MASTERSEdited by THOMAS WEIGELAdditional Material, Consultancy, and Template Assistance by DAVID PULVERAdditional Material by DAVID MORGAN-MARArt by PAUL DALY, JESSE DEGRAFF, MATT KRESGE, RAMN PREZ,CHRISTOPHER SHY, DAN SMITH, an...
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