GURPS 4 Babylon 5
Character Creation: Rules

Game specific crunch

Campaign Rules

Generally, characters can be remarkable or highly trained but are otherwise ordinary and mundane. Psionic abilities or Luck are a few, notable exceptions. Campaign rules are shown below:-

• Starting point value is 160.
• Disadvantage limit is 50 points.
• Campaign tech level is 9 but Centauri and Minbari have personal TL 10.
• Consult primary, secondary, background, disadvantages and psionics rule tables.

Attributes and Physical Characteristics

• Basic attributes, Will and Perception (B14-17) must be within 7 and 15, though racial templates adjust these limits.
• Hit Points and Fatigue Points (B16) may only be altered by up to 4 for TL 9 characters or 5 for TL 10 characters.
• Basic Speed (B17) may only be altered by up to 2.0.
• Basic Move (B17) may only be rasied by up 3 yards/second.
• Appearance (B21) uses the Androgynous and Universal options, costing ±5 points per level.

Culture, Language and Social Characteristics

• Low TL (B22) is not recommended.
• As most Centauri and Minbari technology and tools are restricted, TL 10 skills aren't as useful as the TL 9 equivalents and High TL (B23) does not apply. Even TL 10 'tech head' characters can claim to have studied only 'obsolete' TL 9 technology and equipment. Those buying TL 10 skills or restricted equipment can use High TL Exile (Technician with few tools) or (Few tools) (see HR1.1).
• Each race has just one culture.
• Non-humans must buy Cultural Familiarity (Human) [2].
• Cultural Intuition (HR 2.3) is reduced to 10 points.
• Separate spoken and written language comprehension levels aren't allowed.
• Non-humans must buy English (Accented) [4] or English (Native) [6] as a language.
• Wealth other than Average is not recommended for plot reasons, PCs will acquire the wealth for their own spaceship and be given the CPs to gain the higher Wealth level from Average. Those with lower Wealth would have to pay additional CPs.
• Earth Alliance, Centauri Republic and Narn Regime counts as a large class of people (x1/2). Minbari Federation and each Non-aligned race counts as a small class due to isolationism or small size (x1/4).
• As PCs will appear to be free agents, Rank of any kind is generally not allowed.

Advantages and Disadvantages

• Only up to 3 Talents are allowed.
• Contact Group skill categories: Business, Humanities, Law and Political Affairs, Medical/TL9, Military, Police, Scientific/TL9, Street and Technical/TL9.
• The optional Area of Influence applies to the military and government departments not marked in World: Organisations.
• The Tough Skin limitation of Damage Resistance is reduced to -20%.

Skills

• No more than 16 points may be paid for a skill, resulting in maximum of attribute+5 for Easy skills to +2 for Very Hard skills. Talents and other advantages can still raise skill levels above this.
• The Blinded by Science, Globetrotting, Gun Fight, Personal Weapons and Reliable Machines skill amalgamations are in effect.

Character Concept

Only a few restrictions apply to character concepts

• Must appear to be a free agent with only loose allegiences to important organisations at best. Characters may have their own, secret loyalties but don't forget this a space opera and good guys can turn out to be bad guys.
• Must be more inclined towards idealism or altruism than selfishness or tribalism, even if only vaguely - B5 is a space opera, after all.
• Must be equal partners of a newly formed, private investigator business on Babylon 5 with the other PCs – employer PCs overruling employee PCs probably isn't fun when deciding which contracts to pick up or news items or rumours to follow.

A character's set of skills and abilities need not be explained with a backstory but must be plausible. However, almost anything is plausible. Conveniently possessing a set of skills suitable for the job of private investigator can be explained as military service, multiple career changes or private training towards this dream job.