Stargate SG-13: Halfway Station Presents
Stargate SG-13: Halfway Station Presents
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Stargate SG-13
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A GURPS Lite Campaign Set In The World of the TV Show Stargate SG-1
July 2001 Edition
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Stargate SG-13
A GURPS Lite Campaign Set In The World of the TV Show Stargate SG-1
July 2001 Edition
Introduction
Chevron four encoded...
Deep under a mountain in Colorado, the US Air Force has a big secret: A portal for travelling to other worlds, left here by a vanished alien race - the Stargate.
Chevron five encoded...
The player characters are present-day soldiers, explorers and scientists, members of the teams who travel through the Stargate in search of knowledge and resources.
Chevron six encoded...
Along the way, they will meet primitive humans transplanted by aliens centuries ago, enigmas left behind by vanished races - and the Goauld, parasitic aliens who want to take over their bodies and destroy the Earth.
Chevron seven locked... Youre clear to go, SG-13. Good luck.
Original material Andy Slack 2001. GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, and is used by permission under their online policy. All rights reserved. Stargate, Stargate SG-1, and all associated characters and devices are TM & 2000 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. All Rights Reserved. Their use in this document should not be construed as a challenge to MGMs copyrights, nor does it imply any endorsement by MGM. Think of the document as another kind of fanfiction.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction .........................................................................................................................2 Timeline..................................................................................................................... 4 Stargate Command ............................................................................................................6 SG Teams ................................................................................................................. 6 Organisations ............................................................................................................ 6 Life in Cheyenne Mountain ....................................................................................... 7 Transport ................................................................................................................... 8 Wealth ....................................................................................................................... 8 Prices ........................................................................................................................ 9 Jobs and Income....................................................................................................... 9 Gazetteer............................................................................................................................10 Classifying Worlds................................................................................................... 10 Major Worlds ........................................................................................................... 10 Minor Worlds ........................................................................................................... 11 Characters .........................................................................................................................15 Major Species ......................................................................................................... 15 Minor Species ......................................................................................................... 20 Advantages, Disadvantages and Skills................................................................... 20 Templates ............................................................................................................... 24 Equipment ............................................................................................................... 30 The Stargate ......................................................................................................................37 Peculiarities............................................................................................................. 37 Defensive Measures ............................................................................................... 37 Spacecraft..........................................................................................................................39 Sample Spacecraft.................................................................................................. 39 Space Combat ........................................................................................................ 39 7: Campaigns and Adventures ......................................................................................40 Appendix A: Dramatis Personae ...................................................................................41
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Stargate Command ................................................................................................. 41 SG-1 ........................................................................................................................ 41 SG-13 ...................................................................................................................... 44 Sekhmet and Ptah................................................................................................... 44 Appendix B: Resources ..................................................................................................45 On the Web ............................................................................................................. 45 Movies and TV ........................................................................................................ 45 Books ...................................................................................................................... 45
Timeline
This history is in step with UK terrestrial TV broadcasts of Stargate SG-1 , currently between Series 2 and 3. If you live in the US or have satellite TV, youre at least a season ahead of us, you lucky dogs.
Long Ago
The dates and sequence of events in this period arent entirely clear, especially for the earlier events. ??: The Ancients build the Stargate network. At least two Stargates are placed on Earth, one in present-day Egypt and one in Antarctica. ??: The Goauld infiltrate the Stargate network, and use it to travel throughout the galaxy in search of host bodies. ??: The Galactic Alliance, consisting of the Ancients, the Asgard, the Furlings, and the Noxx, is formed. One of its purposes is to counter the Goauld threat. c. 5,000 BC?: The Goauld discover Earth, travelling there via the Egyptian Stargate. Finding that humans make perfect hosts, they conquer the planet and establish themselves as gods. c. 4,000 BC : Egyptians overthrow Goauld and bury the Stargate, rendering it unusable. They are possibly assisted in their revolt by the amphibious Omoroca (Fire and Water, Series 1), and possibily taking advantage of a civil war amongst the Goauld System Lords (Serpents Song , Series 2).
In Living Memory
These are the major events this century, assuming that the movie and TV show chronicle events in the years they were made. Spoiler warning! Read no further unless you are up to date with Stargate SG-1 ! 1928: Archaeologists (including Catherine Langford) digging in Egypt rediscover the Stargate. (Stargate, the movie) 1945: US scientists discover how to energise the Stargate; several expeditions are made through it, but after the failure of the Stargate maroons Professor Ernest Littlefield,
Catherine Langfords fiancee, on an alien world research is halted. (The Torment of Tantalus, Series 1). 1969: The Stargate is in storage in an armoury in Washington, DC. Shortly afterwards, Catherine Langford begins her research into its use. ( 1969, Series 2). At some time between 1969 and 1994, the Stargate is moved to the NORAD complex under Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado. 1994: Stargate, the movie. Research into the Stargate resumes. Colonel ONeill and Dr Jackson visit Abydos and encounter the Goauld Ra and his subjects. Ra is killed and ONeill returns to Earth, but Jackson remains on Abydos with his native wife, Share. The Stargate project is shut down. 1997: The Stargate spontaneously reactivates. The Goauld Apophis and his guards enter Cheyenne Mountain unannounced, killing or capturing several USAF personnel. In a related incident, Jacksons wife is kidnapped by Apophis. The Stargate project is reactivated, and SGC is formed, with the objectives of defending Earth against the Goauld threat, and exploring worlds through the Stargate, primarily to scout Goauld positions and find ways of countering their advanced technology. (Stargate SG-1 pilot Children of the Gods .) 1997: Series 1 of the TV show - Children of the Gods to Within the Serpents Grasp . SGC learns of the existence of the Galactic Alliance; the Asgard learn of Earth; Goauld despatch an invasion fleet to Earth. 1998: Series 2 of the TV show - Serpents Lair to Out of Mind. Goauld invasion fleet destroyed by SG-1; SGC learns of the Tokra and attempts to ally with them; SG-1 establishes contact with the Asgard. 1999: Series 3 of the TV show - Into the Fire to Nemesis. Earth is granted Protected Planet status. 2000: Series 4. Not yet shown on UK terrestrial TV, so left out to avoid spoilers.
Dating Systems
Humanity uses 'real-world' dating systems. The calendars of other races have yet to be discussed in the series.
Stargate Command
Stargate Command (SGC) is part of the US Air Force, in charge of exploiting the Stargate. The commander of SGC, Major-General George Hammond, has regular access to the US President, and may report directly to him. The Stargate itself is kept in Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, in the lowest levels of the NORAD complex.
SG Teams
Each SGC team is designated by the SG code followed by a number; the highest number so far mentioned is 23, and a team typically has four members, so the total SG team strength appears to be just less than 100. Teams include: SG-1: An exploratory team, the main focus of the TV show. SG-3: Marine combat team, led by Colonel Makepeace. SG-5: Marine combat team. SG-7: Scientific team. SG-8: Medical team, usually accompanied and defended by SG-3. SG-9: Diplomatic team, led by attorney Major Stan Kovachek. (The former commander, Captain Hanson, was consumed by megalomania and eventually died on P3X513.) SG-10: Exploration team, led by Major Henry Boyd. Missing in action, presumed dead. ( A Matter of Time, Series 2.) SG-11: Engineering team, led by Captain Conner. SG-13: Unlucky for some. The players team, consisting of any or all of the following, depending on who turns up and who acts as GM: Major Jane Katras, USAF (Giulia) - Special Forces officer Dr Nathan Matthews (Anna) - archaeologist and anthropologist Topah the Tokra (Esther) - expendable Tokra liaison SSgt Lucky Stoner, USAF (Andy) - Pararescueman Captain Nia Sian, USAF (Jenny) - Special Forces officer with a Dark Secret.
Organisations
There are several other organisations an SG team might encounter.
The largest and most significant group of Go'auld system states is the System Lords Collective; other coalitions exist, but these are small and weak by comparison.
The Tok'ra
These are a group of renegade Goa'uld, originally united by their greater respect for their hosts and hatred of Ra. They eke out a precarious existence on the run.
History
1956: General Earle E Partridge selects Cheyenne Mountain as the site for a new underground combat operations centre. 1958: USA and Canada sign the NORAD agreement, a framework for cooperative defence planning. 1961: Excavation of Cheyenne Mountain centre begins. 1966: Centre attains full operational capability.
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1979: USAF establishes Space Defence Operations Centre in Cheyenne Mountain complex. 1997: Stargate relocated to Cheyenne Mountain and activated. First mission to Abydos.
Current Missions
The Stargate (and possibly other programmes) are black operations, unknown to the public; the complex has six openly acknowledged missions: The Command Centre monitors potential threats to the USA and its allies, notably those in the air and in space. The NORAD Battle Management Centre controls the North American air surveillance and air defence network, and tracks anything entering US or Canadian airspace. This includes a Missile Warning Centre which watches for missile attacks - the Mountains original purpose. The Space Control Centre catalogues all man-made objects in space, down to lost gloves and cameras. It plots their orbits, and warns of impending re-entry or collision with orbiting spacecraft. On a typical day there are 8,000 objects on the catalogue. The Combined Intelligence Watch Centre monitors worldwide air and space activity, as well as political unrest which could threaten US or allied assets. Primarily, it provides intelligence information to the other centres. The Systems Centre maintains the 100+ computer systems and 600+ communications circuits in the Mountain, as well as the life support systems. The Weather Support Unit, actually located at Peterson Air Force Base, provides weather reports to the Mountain.
Transport
SGC and the Goa'uld System Lords do most of their travelling by Stargate. SGC has no other options for interstellar travel; the Goa'uld have starships, but these are large motherships, costly to produce and most often needed at home to defend the Lord's fief. The Asgard have equally large and powerful ships, which they use in preference to Stargates.
Communications
Radio and gravity waves can pass in both directions through an open Stargate; practical communications for SGC involve normal radios. The Goa'uld use more advanced communicators.
Wealth
Characters enter the game with $15,000; however, they only have $3,000 to spend on equipment - the remainder is tied up in one way or another; heirlooms, car, CD collection or whatever. SGC will provide them with the Basic Load free of charge; anything else must be paid for out of the characters own pocket, or negotiated with tightfisted SGC quartermasters.
Cost of Living
The monthly cost of living depends on your Status: Status -1 or less: $300 per month. Status 0 (most PCs): $600 per month. Status 1 or more: $1,200 per month at Status 1, roughly doubling for every additional level of Status
Money
On Earth, the characters use "real-world" currency. On other worlds, barter appears the norm.
Prices
Anything a player can find for sale on Earth, his character can find for sale at the same price. However, you are encouraged to develop your character rather than collect cool gadgets.
Best PR - 2
-2i, 4d/8d
Best PR 2
-2i, 4d/8d
Worst PR
-2i, 2d
Gazetteer
The majority of worlds accessible through the Stargate are Earthlike; the reason for this is unknown. Most are inhabited by humans or humanoids; the reason for this is better understood following their unfortunate experience in Egypt, the Goauld sought to establish breeding stocks of humans on many other worlds, to provide them with a source of host bodies. These were taken from Earth between about 4,000 BC and 800 AD or so, and so are descendants of ancient historical cultures. On worlds still regularly visited by the Goauld, technologial progress is suppressed - to make the inhabitants easier to control - and TL ranges from 1 to 3. Those worlds without Goauld intervention have advanced to higher levels, usually 10 or so; there seem to be no other human cultures at TLs 4-9. The Gazetteer lists worlds visited so far by SGC, in the movie, the TV show, or our game. Unless otherwise specified, all planets are Earthlike.
Classifying Worlds
The Stargate universe is well-suited to GURPS Lite, because almost all planets reachable by Stargate are Earthlike - the only game statistic needed is the Tech Level of any local inhabitants. Where more detail is needed, worlds are classified using the rules of GURPS Space .
Chulak
Chulak is ruled by the Goauld Apophis and inhabited by humans of African descent, who provide Apophis with hosts and Jaffa serpent guards. The humans regard Apophis as their god, and have a priesthood devoted to him; being chosen to carry a Goauld larva is considered a high honour. Featured in: Children of the Gods , Series 1; Bloodlines, Series 1; Family, Series 2.
Cimmeria
Cimmeria is home to a TL 2 human culture descended from the ancient Norse. They worship Thor as their protector, and indeed he has declared Cimmeria off-limits to Goauld, enforcing this with a device which identifies incoming Goauld and transports them to an underground labyrinth, whose only exit projects a field which kills Goauld. SG-1 disabled this device on
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their first visit, which opened the way for a Goauld invasion later. However, they were able to summon Thor, Admiral of the Asgard Fleet, to drive out the Goauld and restore his protection to the planet. Featured in: Thors Hammer, Series 1; Thors Chariot, Series 2.
Earth
Its Earth as you know it, except for the Stargate. A balkanised TL 7-8 planet. Key locations are Cheyenne Mountain, where the Stargate is operated by SGC, and Area 51, headquarters of Colonel Maybornes operation. In early 1999 (Series 3), the Asgard facilitated a treaty with the Goa'uld System Lords Collective which granted Earth the status of a Protected Planet - essentially, the Goa'uld agreed not to attack Earth directly for fear of Asgard reprisals, on condition that Earth voluntarily cease research into any technology the Goa'uld deem threatening. (Originally they demanded that Earth's Stargates be surrendered to them as well, but this was conceded during negotiations.) However, while Earth humans (known to the Goa'uld as Tau'ri) are safe on Earth, they are fair game if encountered on any other planet. Featured in: Every episode, even if only the Gate Room.
Memphis
The homeworld of the PCs recurring foes, Ptah and Sekhmet.
BP6-3Q1
The human population of this world has been wiped out by giant insects, whose venom genetically transforms anyone they sting into their offspring. The vanished culture appears to have reached at least TL 6. ( Bane, Series 2.)
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Ernests World
Named for Professor Ernest Littlefield, who was marooned here in 1945. The Stargate on this planet is in an ancient castle, apparently a former meeting place of the Galactic Alliance. A broken DHD and marine erosion threatening to collapse the rocks on which the castle stands render this an unsavoury destination at best. There are no known inhabitants since SG-1 rescued Professor Littlefield.
Handante
A penal planet used by the mysterious Taldor to incarcerate all criminals for life, with no hope of parole. The world's surface may be uninhabitable; only the underground prison caverns, a TL 0 society with no law other than the survival of the strongest, have been seen. (Prisoners, Series 2.)
Madrona
Madrona is home to a TL 1 human culture, and would be completely uninhabitable were it not for the Touchstone, an alien artifact manipulated by the high priest to control the weather. (Touchstone, Series 2.)
Nasya
Nasya is inhabited by a TL 2-3 human culture, largely destroyed by the Goauld. SG-1 rescued some of the survivors and relocated them to another world. ( In the Line of Duty , Series 2.)
P3R233
This world was devastated by the Goauld, and is primarily of note for the mirror-like device discovered by SG-1, which transports anyone touching it to an alternate reality in which the Goauld have conquered 20th century Earth. ( There But For The Grace Of God , Series 1).
P34-353J
A desert world, formerly a base of the Tok'ra until it had to be abandoned following a Goauld assault. (The Tokra, Series 2.)
P3R636
P3R636 is inhabited by a TL 1 human culture. The old king, Pyrus the Godslayer, managed to kill the local Goauld some 700 years ago, and until recently continued to send Naquada shipments through the Stargate so that other Goauld wouldnt realise what had happened. He survived all these centuries by using a Goauld Sarcophagus on a regular basis. He is succeeded by his daughter Queen Shyla, whom SG-1 persuaded to destroy the Sarcophagus. (Need, Series 2.)
P3X451
A planet chiefly notable for the nearby black hole, which is presumed to have consumed it. (A Matter of Time, Series 2.)
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P3X562
The Stargate on this world is in a desert region, with bright yellow sand and a nearby valley full of broken yellow crystals. The crystals contain energy beings, who originally mistook humans for servants of the Goauld (which is reasonable, since many of them are). The energy beings are able to communicate via telepathy and create doppelgangers of human beings; however, they cannot survive in Earths intense magnetic field. (Cold Lazarus, Series 1).
P3X797
While Earthlike, P3X797 appears tidally locked to its primary, and has a perpetually dark side and a permanently light one. How the weather patterns remain clement is unknown. The light side is inhabited by the Untouched, a race of TL 1 humans probably descended from ancient Minoans. However, the planet is home to a virulent disease; those infected develop beetling brows and behaviour of animal brutality; these are known as the Touched. The disease can be controlled or even reversed by using antihistamines. (The Broca Divide, Series 1).
P7J989
The inhabitants of this world were a TL 10 human culture who retreated into a virtual reality when their planet faced ecological collapse. Since SG-1 persuaded them that the ecology had recovered during their long VR game, the residents have emerged again. See GURPS Ultra Tech 2 for suitable VR devices. ( The Gamekeeper, Series 2.)
PJ2445
This world is notable for a TL 0 humanoid culture whose members have a symbiotic relationship with local plant life. The plants emit a low-frequency noise, inaudible to most humans, which causes irritability, nausea, and eventual collapse. (One False Step , Series 2).
P8X987
Formerly home to a TL 3 human culture and an SGC astronomical observatory watching a nearby black hole, this planet is now deserted after an unknown disease wiped out all the inhabitants (Singularity, Series 1).
PX3989
The Stargate on this world emerges into an underground complex, which amongst other things contains machinery capable of creating robot duplicates of human beings and transferring their consciousness into the robots. Currently inhabited by Harlan, the last survivor of the (apparently human) race which built the complex, and duplicates of SG-1. The worlds surface is thought to be desolate and unfit for life. (Tin Man, Series 1).
PXY 887
This planet is home to two cultures; a TL 1 tribe descended from Coast Salish indians, and an advanced humanoid race which the Salish know as the spirits. The world is rich in Trinium, a metal 100 times lighter and stronger than steel. (Spirits, Series 2.)
Simarka
Simarka is not currently troubled by Goauld visits, and is inhabited by the Shavadai, TL 2 humans apparently descended from ancient Earth Mongols. Skilled horsemen and warriors, they consider women valuable property, which can cause trouble for female SG team members. (Emancipation , Series 1.)
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Tollan
Once home to a TL 10 human culture, the Tollans, this world is now deserted after a spate of volcanic eruptions and other natural disasters rendered it uninhabitable. (Enigma, Series 1).
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Characters
It's assumed that the typical group will be a SGC team like SG-1, consisting of four or so people, of whom at least half will be members of the USAF or US Marines. The military personnel may well be bolstered by scientists specialising in fields the Air Force doesn't deal with much - SG-1 has an Egyptologist, for example. Characters with any attribute below 8 are unlikely, as are ones with serious physical or mental disadvantages - characters with these would fail either the physical or the background security checks, and so not be authorised to join a team. It is conceivable that a civilian expert might be allowed some leeway on this ruling, but he or she would have to earn it by demonstrating truly outstanding skills or knowledge vital to the mission.
Special Forces
Officially, the USAF does not have Special Forces troops, at least not in the sense that gamers normally use the term. Mind you, officially it doesn't have a Stargate either. "Special Forces" in the USAF means security troops, dog handlers, and so on - these are special in the sense that they are not directly involved with operating aircraft. However, there are Special Tactics units, which are deployed in support of Army Rangers, Navy SEALs, and so on, and are sufficiently well-trained not to embarrass themselves in such company.
Nationality
In the movie and the TV series, almost all the characters are American, and the majority work for the USAF. For reasons of national security, it is unlikely that the USA would reveal the existence of the Stargate to foreign powers. However, the GM may rule that people from other countries are recruited into SGC. Given the special relationship between the USA and UK, and particularly the historic links between the two countries Special Forces units, British characters are the most likely outsiders. Next most likely would be citizens of other nations on the UN Security Council, namely France, Russia and China, as if the USA has decided to reveal the Goauld threat to other countries, these are the most likely ones.
Aliens
The world of Stargate has numerous alien races, including many human cultures relocated to other worlds by the Goauld to provide them with a pool of hosts. The advanced races (Ancients, Asgard, Nox and some humans) are at TL 10 (starfaring) and up, and generally dont want to get involved with Earth humans for one reason or another (in game terms, this is because they would need too many levels of the High Technology advantage, although each race explains it differently). The Ancients, thought to have created the Stargate network, left this region of the galaxy some time ago, at least according to the Asgard. Most of the transplanted human cultures are at TL 1 (ancient Greece) to TL 3 (Mediaeval) the Goauld suppress technological progress because they dont want the competition.
Major Species
As a general rule, these are the starfaring races. They are also characterised by repeated appearances in numerous episodes.
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Furlings (TL ?)
All that is known of this race so far is that they were allies of the Ancients, Asgard and Nox, and enemies of the Goauld.
Once the Goauld has entered a host body, attempts to remove it by force kill both parties. The Asgard are known to have a mechanism which can remove a Goauld from its host; this process is risky, immensely painful for the host, and fatal to the Goauld. A bioweapon with similar effects is also known to exist. The Goauld can voluntarily move from one host to another; this is usually fatal for the host it leaves. If the Goa'uld dies while inside the host, its body dissolves and is absorbed. However, it leaves a distinctive protein signature behind. A dead Tok'ra may leave some knowledge behind for its host; allow such a character to use Goa'uld technology at default skill levels. To create a Goauld or Tokra character, build a PC with Split Personality [-10 or -15], using two character sheets. One of the personalities is the Goauld symbiont (use the adult Goauld racial template below), which may have any TL 13 Mental skills. The other is the host (use the Host template below), which may have any skill appropriate to its cultural TL (usually TL 3), and any TL 13 Physical skill. The two personalities must average 100 points, but need not both be 100 point characters. Each of the two must pay the appropriate cost for Split Personality. The glowing eyes are a special effect, not worth any points.
Split Personality [-10 or -15]
Normal Goauld living in a host body have this at the -15 point level, as their personalities are largely unaware of each other. Tokra, who live in harmony with their hosts, have the -10 point version. Under stress, the controlling personality must roll against IQ to avoid switching control to the other one. Should the Goauld transfer itself to a new host, it takes only the TL 13 Mental skills with it - the other skills belong to the host, and stay with the host body.
Adult Goauld [17/22/32 Points]
The adult Goauld is a parasitic worm some 18 long. Simulating a Goauld requires a number of advantages and disadvantages from Compendium I . A generic Goauld without a host is ST 2, DX 11, IQ 10, HT 15/2, Speed 2. Attributes: ST -8 [-70], DX +1 [10], IQ +0 [0], HT +5 [60], Reduced Hit Points 13 [-65]. High Technology +3 [100]: Goauld operate at TL 13, or +3 TLs above the campaign norm. Immunity to Disease [10]: As per GURPS Lite. Transference [52]: The basic 40 point cost is reduced by 20%, as the Goauld has to move a large worm into the new host, not just some bodily fluids; it is also enhanced by 50% as the Goauld can access the hosts memories (but not skills) at will. A Goauld entering a new host brings his own IQ, mental (dis)advantages and skills, but gains the hosts ST, DX, HT and physical (dis)advantages. Unaging [15]: Adult Goauld simply do not age. When the host body wears out, they move on to a new one. Dependency [-15]: The Goauld depends on the weak electrical currents generated by a host body; they can live for one day without the electric field without ill effects, but then lose one point of HT per hour. No Manipulators [-50]: A Goauld outside its host body has no limbs.
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Parasite [-15]: Goauld depend on host races for survival, and cannot survive long without a host. Humans are preferred, but just about any warm-blooded vertebrate will do at a pinch.
Being a Goauld worm on its own is a 32 point advantage, but you wont live long without finding a host. Being a normal Goauld symbiont who treats host bodies as a vehicle is a 22 point advantage. Being a Tokra symbiont who respects the hosts rights is a 17 point advantage.
Goauld Larva
A larval Goauld is like an adult, except that it has IQ 3 [-60]; about the same as a reptile. The larva matures at age 108 or so, which would be equivalent to five levels of Extended Lifespan except that once adult it acquires Unaging, which is much better; so the late maturation is treated as a special effect worth no points.
Goauld Host [10/15/25 points]
This represents a human acting as a host for a Goauld. A device known as a pouching tool creates a flapped abdominal pouch for the Goauld; the process destroys the hosts immune system, as this might try to reject the worm. There are three types of host: Normal hosts use this template, and also have Split Personality [-15]. Their personality is suppressed by the Goauld symbiont, and only emerges when the worm is under great stress or incapacitated. Being a normal host is thus a 10 point advantage, but you wont get to play much. Tokra hosts use this template, and also have Split Personality [-10], as the host and the symbiont are aware of each other and share the body willingly. Being a Tokra host is a 15 point advantage. Jaffa use this template, but do not have a Split Personality - the immature larva is not capable of taking control of the host body. Being a Jaffa is a 25 point advantage.
Hosts have the following advantages and disadvantages: Enhanced Lifespan +5 [25]: A host doesnt start to age until 300 years old, and with reasonable luck can expect to live to over 400. High Technology +3 [50]: The normal cost is halved, because Jaffa are raised in TL 1-3 societies, and so can only learn Physical skills for TL 13 equipment (e.g. firing staff weapons or flying death gliders). Immunity to Disease [5or 10]: The point cost for this is halved for Jaffa, as it requires at least an hours preparatory meditation to repel infection. ( Holiday, Series 2). If for any reason the character does not know how to prepare, he cannot claim the benefits of the advantage. Tokra hosts must pay the full 10 points. Rapid Healing [5]: The larva can assist the bodys natural healing. Dependency [-60]: If the larva is removed for any reason, the hosts immune system shuts down entirely. Larvae cannot be bought - they must be found (usually on an adventure), and the host loses one HT per 6 hours once the larva has been absent for at least a week. (Note: For dramatic effect, various episodes in the series show this deterioration occurring at different rates. These values were picked for playability - Your Mileage May Vary.)
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These are the humans of Earth. You want to know more? Look around you
Tollans (TL 10)
The Tollans refuse to share their technology with Earth because of a bad experience with another primitive race; on that occasion the Tollans did share their knowledge, but this resulted in a war which destroyed the more primitive world and destabilised Tollan, rendering it uninhabitable.
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Dying Race [-10 points]: The Retou death rate exceeds their birth rate, mainly because the Goauld System Lords are trying to wipe them out.
On at least one occasion, Retou have used their genetic engineering skills to clone a modified human being who could perceive them. Some Goa'uld are experimenting with transphase technology to help in their fight against the Retou (Fair Game, Series 3); they may have access to small devices which shift their phase, rendering them and Retou mutually visible while making them invisible to others.
Minor Species
Minor races are those which play only "walk-on" parts in the campaign - they appear in one scenario and then fade into the background. Normally, they are primitive races, unable to build their own spacecraft and restricted to their own homeworld. Just as TV shows create a minor race with a wrinkly forehead and a funny hat, the campaign addresses minor races by making them essentially like humans, but with a slightly different appearance which has no game effects. Minor races have little or no impact on events in the campaign, and the GM will add them at whim as befits the scenario.
The base TL for the campaign is TL 10, but all human characters from Earth (including most PCs) have two levels of the Primitive disadvantage [-10 points], as they operate at TL 8.
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This is balanced by SGC acting as a Patron: Reasonably powerful organisation, supplies useful equipment, appears on 6 or less [10 points]. Neither of these counts against characters points costs; they are waived as part of the base cost for the campaign.
Advantages
Both Military Rank and Reputation can be bought in play, but at double the normal cost (increasing your Rank by one level costs 10 points, for example).
Military Rank
Rank 0: Enlisted man or very junior NCO, probably in his late teens or early twenties. Rank 1: Junior NCO - commands 4-15 people, depending on branch of service, probably in his mid-twenties to early thirties; if he is older, this usually means he was demoted for some offence - this is almost expected of aggressive troops, and is unlikely to damage his career unless he makes a habit of it. Rank 2: Senior NCO - the backbone of the professional military, the ones who know how everything works and hand that knowledge on to the next generation of soldiers. They advise and train officers, and run units on a day to day basis. They are in their mid-twenties to late forties. Rank 3: Lieutenant. The most junior grade of officer, commanding 10-50 people or holding a junior staff post; probably in his twenties. Rank 4: Captain or Major. In charge of 50-300 people or having a responsible staff job, probably in his twenties or thirties. SG team leaders are usually Rank 4 - the teams are smaller than normal, but the responsibilities higher than average for a four-man team. This is the highest rank permitted for a beginning character without special arrangement with the GM.
Reputation
Medals are a physical manifestation of military Reputation, and if worn will be recognised by other military types and those who work with them. Your Reputation modifier is taken from the highest award you have - they dont stack. However, if you want another medal, you will have to pay for the full Reaction modifier, even if you already have a medal-based Reputation; and all the character points you use to do so must come from a single adventure, though not necessarily a single game session. This is to prevent parties suddenly sprouting four Medal of Honor recipients. Relevant US medals are: Combat Infantry Badge : +1 Reaction, 5 points. You have fought in an infantry action. Fairly rare for USAF personnel. Bronze Star with V: +1 Reaction, 5 points. Awarded for valour in combat. (Can be awarded without the V for exceptional service, but so many people get these that they dont rate a Reaction modifier.) Silver Star: +2 Reaction, 10 points. Awarded for valour in combat. If you are Rank 4 or less you did something quite special to get this; if you are more senior, you might have received it for other reasons. Air Force Cross: +3 Reaction, 15 points. Awarded for valour in combat - Samantha Carter ostensibly received one for work on remote sensing, but this was an obvious cover story.
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Medal of Honor : +4 Reaction, 20 points. Awarded for exceptional bravery, often posthumously; carefully investigated.
Disadvantages
Taboo Disadvantages
"We will not lie, steal, or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does." - USAF officer cadet honour code. Serious physical disadvantages would rule a character out of the military altogether - Lame, Mute or One Eye, for instance. A scholar might still join the team, but the more serious the disadvantage, the more highly skilled he would need to be to justify being included. Serious mental disadvantages such as Delusions, Kleptomania or Paranoia would be flushed out during the background checks for the characters security clearance; he would fail to get clearance, and thus never be eligible to join SGC.
Desirable Disadvantages
"Integrity first. Service before self. Excellence in all we do." - USAF core values. Superstitious quirks are common in the military. Compulsive Behaviour (Carousing, Gambling, and so forth) is usually tolerated so long as it does not interfere with the mission or jeopardise security. The training and selection process for pilots or elite troops makes it easy for them to acquire Overconfidence or Stubbornness. Most PCs behave as if they Code of Honour (Pirates) [-5], Overconfidence [-10], and Sense of Duty (Companions) [-5]; you may as well get the points for them! Goa'uld hosts are likely to have a Delusion ("My Goa'uld master is a god.")
Codes of Honour
Academics Code of Honour (-5 Points): Always acknowledge others work; always defend your own legitimate claims to credit; never destroy source material or falsify evidence. Hippocratic Oath (-15 points) : Do no harm; be just and generous to other doctors; do everything you can to heal the sick; avoid vice and corruption; never use your art for criminal purposes; keep your patients secrets. Soldiers Code of Honour (-10 Points) : Be ready to fight or die for your country; obey orders; look out for your team mates; keep yourself and your equipment in good shape; treat honourable enemies with respect; wear your uniform with pride. Officers Code of Honour (-10 Points): Be tough but fair; bring honour to your unit; obey orders; look out for your subordinates; lead from the front; obey the rules of war; wear your uniform with pride.
Skills
"Mandatory" Skills
You can create a character which lacks these, but NPCs will think he/she is incompetent or weird. Your call... It's difficult to imagine a late 20th century PC without some skill in Area Knowledge and Driving, although Costanza says I'm one of them. Any character can take these as Background skills.
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All military or ex-military characters must have at least half a point in each of First Aid, Guns (Light Automatic), and Savoir-Faire; this is what they teach you in basic training. Serving or former officers must also have at least two points in Leadership and half a point in Tactics, as well as an extra half point in Savoir-Faire. Exception: Medical doctors are commissioned officers, but need not have skill in Guns or Tactics - these skills are difficult to reconcile with the Hippocratic Oath.
Training Courses of Interest
Almost any military character might have had one or more of these, so they should be considered Background skills for any military template. A six-week course would give you 1.5 character points to split between the skills listed for each course. Language schools teach a specific foreign language, usually for one of your country's allies or enemies. SERE training teaches one how to avoid capture if marooned behind enemy lines, and how to resist interrogation if captured. In game terms, the courses cover Acting, Camouflage, Escape, First Aid, Interrogation, Navigation, Stealth, Tracking and Traps. Survival schools teach Navigation, Tracking and any one of Survival (Arctic), Survival (Desert), Survival (Jungle), or Survival (Mountain). It's possible to take several courses and so gain multiple Survival skills.
Notes on Specific Skills
Diagnosis (M/H) and Physician (M/H): PCs with at least 6 points in each of these skills can claim to be licensed medical doctors. For a typical IQ 14 doctor that gives skill level 15 in both. First Aid (M/E): Characters with at least 4 points in First Aid and one point in Diagnosis may claim to have an EMT-Paramedic certificate. For the average IQ 10 character, this translates to First Aid-12 and Diagnosis-8. Guns (P/E): There are several different Guns skills, written as - for example - "Guns (Pistol)". The main ones you might need are: Grenade Launcher: Firing grenades from guns, or - more commonly - launchers attached to guns (e.g. the M-203). LAW: Light Antitank Weapon - shoulder-fired antitank rockets. Light Automatic: Firing bursts from a stocked, automatic weapon (e.g. M-16 assault rifle, MP-10 submachinegun or M-60 light machine gun). Pistol: Firing single shots from a handgun (e.g. M-9 automatic pistol). Rifle: Firing single shots from a rifled, stocked weapon (e.g. M-16 assault rifle). Shotgun: Firing single shots from a smoothbore, stocked weapon (e.g. a 12-gauge shotgun).
Characters with skill level 14 or more in a Guns skill can add the notation expert for that weapon to their service record (written as - for example - Expert pistol.) Savoir-Faire (M/E): For military characters, this includes knowledge of such things as your unit's history, when to salute, which side of a superior officer you can walk on, and so forth.
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Survival (M/A): The campaign allows two new specialisations of Survival, which are skills in their own right in full GURPS: NBC, which covers survival in areas contaminated by various man-made toxins, and Vacuum, which covers using a spacesuit.
New Skills
The campaign was originally intended to use GURPS Lite only, but some of the templates make no sense without the following additional skills: Forward Observer (M/A): Roll to direct artillery fire or strike aircraft onto a target; failures mean they miss the target, critical failures do something dangerous, such as dropping the ordnance on you. Parachuting (P/E): Roll to survive each jump; failures mean you drift off-course, critical failures mean your 'chute didn't open. In bad conditions, roll again to escape injury on landing. Military characters with at least one character point in Parachuting may wear the coveted parachutists wings. Scuba (M/A): Roll on entering the water, and every 30 minutes thereafter, to avoid inhaling water.
Languages
Many cultures encountered by SG teams are descendants of humans relocated by the Goauld, so ancient languages are useful - Egyptian, Greek, Latin etc. Over the generations these diverge from the source tongue, so there is a penalty of -2 to -6 to skill level at the GMs discretion. The Goauld, despite their fragmented feudal culture, appear to have a universal language, known to Jaffas (such as Tealc) and the Tokra. Goauld is M/H and has no default to any human language. The more advanced cultures, such as the Asgard, may learn English in negligible amounts of time if they want to communicate with the team.
Templates
A template is a collection of complementary attributes, advantages, disadvantages and skills with a total point cost. It speeds up creating a specific character type by reducing the choices you need to make. You don't have to use a template; they're optional. If you do use one, you can customise it by spending enough points to take you up to the campaign's limit. You can freely add, delete or change items - the worst that will happen is that other characters of the same type will think you're incompetent, or possibly just weird. The GM may also use templates as 'instant' NPCs. Templates consist of: Attributes: Where possible these are based on actual entry requirements for the real world career. As GURPS IQ includes education, I assume high school equates to IQ 1011, university to IQ 12-13, doctorates to IQ 14+; Your Mileage May Vary. Advantages and Disadvantages: Some of these are mandatory, others are ones that fit the archetype the template emulates.
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Primary Skills: The ones you have to have to be this kind of character. Secondary Skills: Not absolutely essential, but so useful it's hard to imagine the character not knowing them. Background Skills: These are "chrome" - included more to flesh out the character than for utility.
Skills are listed in the format: Skill name (Type) Attribute [character points]-level.
Primary Skills: Brawling (P/E) DX+1 [2]-12, Guns (Grenade Launcher) (P/E) DX+1 [1]12*, Guns (Light Automatic) (P/E) DX+3 [4]-14*, Navigation (M/H) IQ-1 [2]-9, Savoir-Faire (M/E) IQ+1 [2]-11, Tactics (M/H) IQ+2 [8]-12, Throwing (P/H) DX-1 [2]-10. * Includes +1 for IQ 10. Secondary Skills: Boating (P/A) DX-2 [0.5]-9, Demolition (M/A) IQ-2 [0.5]-8, Electronics Operation (M/A) IQ-2 [0.5]-8, First Aid (M/E) IQ [1]-10, Photography (M/A) IQ-2 [0.5]-8, Spear (P/A) DX-1 [1]-10, Swimming (P/E) DX [1]-11. Background Skills: A total of four points in: Armoury (M/A), Artist (M/A), Camouflage (M/E), Climbing (P/A), Knife (P/E), Intimidation (M/A), Leadership (M/A), Staff (P/H), Stealth (P/A), Survival (Any) (M/A), Tracking (M/A), Traps (M/A). Customisation Notes: This template represents a Marine who has successfully completed Boot Camp, the School of Infantry, and Amphibious Reconnaissance School. He would hold the 0321 MOS - Recon Man. Spear skill is used for fixed bayonets; Artist is used to draw maps of landing beaches. Officers should back up their Military Rank 3+ by spending at least 2 points on Leadership; since the USMC maintains its own private air force, Piloting is conceivable as a background skill.
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Customisation Notes: This template represents an officer fresh out of "type training", with perhaps two years' service. A more experienced character would have higher levels in the primary skills.
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Primary Skills: Escape (P/H) DX-1 [2]-10, Guns (Light Automatic) (P/E) DX+3 [4]-14*, Holdout (M/A) IQ-2 [0.5]-9, Interrogation (M/A) IQ-1 [1]-10, Savoir-Faire (M/E) IQ+1 [2]12, Tactics (M/H) IQ+1 [6]-12. * Includes +1 for IQ 11. Secondary Skills: Electronics Operation (M/A) IQ-2 [0.5]-9, First Aid (M/E) IQ-1 [0.5]-10, Guns (Grenade Launcher) (P/E) DX [0.5]-11*, Guns (Pistol) (P/E) DX [0.5]-11*, Navigation (M/H) IQ-2 [1]-9, Throwing (P/H) DX-3 [0.5]-8. Background Skills: 6 points divided among any primary or secondary skills, Animal Handling (M/H), Camouflage (M/E), Climbing (P/A), Leadership (M/A), Survival (any) (M/A). Customisation Notes: This template is a seasoned Security Forces trooper; one fresh out of the Security Apprentice course at Lackland AFB would have one character point in Guns (Light Automatic), and half a point in each of First Aid, Savoir-Faire, Tactics, and any one of the other skills. My personal theory is that the "Special Ops" units in the TV show are highlytrained Security Forces personnel. The Escape and Holdout skills cover training in searching and restraining suspects. I haven't granted these characters Legal Enforcement Powers because I believe their jurisdiction is limited to Air Force personnel and people on Air Force property. The Animal Empathy and Animal Handling options are for those who want to be dog handlers.
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* Includes +1 for IQ 11. Secondary Skills: Running (P/H) HT-3 [0.5]-10, Savoir-Faire (M/E) IQ-1 [0.5]-10, Scuba (M/A) IQ-1 [1]-10, Survival (any) (M/A) IQ-2 [0.5]-9, Swimming (P/E) DX-1 [0.5]-10, Tactics (M/H) IQ-1 [2]-10. Background Skills: A total of 5 points divided between any primary or secondary skill, Camouflage (M/E), Climbing (P/A), Guns (any) (P/E), Language (any) (usually M/A), Leadership (M/A), Piloting (P/A). Customisation Notes: This template represents a character fresh out of training; more experienced characters would have higher skill levels, or better attributes. As a member of a Special Forces unit, the character may take Extremely Hazardous Duty [-20]. Skills in italics are in full GURPS, but not GURPS Lite; see New Skills for details. CCT training is available to "rated personnel" (i.e., pilots), so Piloting is permitted as a background skill; PJs are used as aircrew, but mostly as observers or door gunners on rescue aircraft.
Equipment
In general, any item available in the real contemporary world is available to SG teams at the same price. All prices are in contemporary US dollars, for simplicity. The items listed here are those which appear regularly in the TV series; there are many artifacts with walk-on parts in a single episode, such as Machello's personality transfer machine in Holiday (series 2), but the GM should invent and use these as puzzles or McGuffins for individual scenarios, rather than simply making them available in an equipment list.
Tech Levels
SG teams are equipped to late TL 7 or early TL 8. The safety of the human race is on the line, so SGC is not overly concerned about cost; the limiting factors are weight and bulk. Goa'uld System Lords and their retinue seem to be equipped to TL 13 standards; whether they manufacture this equipment themselves, or simply steal it, is not clear. Their subject populations operate at TLs 1-3, and therefore regard the System Lords as gods.
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Subsistence Load: The heavy stuff - food, water, camping gear. This is in a backpack with quick-release straps so that you can drop it in a hurry.
A typical ST 10 character is unencumbered with just the survival load, in light encumbrance with the survival and combat loads (-1 to Move), and just barely in medium encumbrance with a small subsistence load as well (-2 to Move).
Survival Load (about 5 lbs, $70)
Fatigue uniform (weight and cost ignored): Baggy shirt and trousers covered in pockets, underwear, socks, boots, gloves, poncho, webbing (or in SG-1s case, those natty black waistcoats). Personal basics (weight negligible, $5): Toothbrush, soap, toilet paper, chewing gum, writing implements and notebook, etc. Survival basics (1.5 lbs, $40): Bayonet or large knife and assorted miniaturised survival gear - matches, fishing hooks and line, snare wire etc. Canteen with one quart of water (3 lbs, $10). Weighs 1 lb empty. Codebook and list of radio frequencies (weight negligible, not available on the open market). GDO (0.5 lbs, $20). Transmits a code alerting SGC to open the Stargate iris; at least one member of each team carries a GDO.
See the Armour and Weapons sections for more details. Armour vest and helmet - PD 2, DR 4, $220, 5 lbs. Personal weapon (M-16 or MP-10) with six magazines - damage 5d or 3d-1 cr, $340-540, 7-8 lbs. Grenades: Six fragmentation and two smoke. 9 lbs, not available on the open market. Walkie-talkie (range 2 miles): 3 lbs, $75. Officers (Military Rank 3 or 4) also receive a pistol (M-9) and three loaded magazines for it. Damage 2d+2, $400, 2.5 lbs.
Rucksack (4.5 lbs, $20). Can carry up to 60 lbs of gear. Shelter half (2.5 lbs, $25). A rubberised canvas sheet with tent pegs, cord etc. Two of these can be used to make a two-man tent. Gas mask (2.5 lbs, $150). Sleeping bag (7 lbs, $25). Flashlight (1 lb, $10). Personal medical kit (2 lbs, $30). Gives +1 to First Aid skill.
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Thermal fatigues (13.5 lbs, $100). Cold weather clothing. You can leave this behind if you expect it to stay warm. As much food and water as you expect to need, probably another canteen of water (3 lbs, $10) and rations (MRE - 3 lbs per day).
Weapons
One question remains unanswered: Was it a ladys gun, like this - Beng! Beng beng! - or a proper gun, like this? - Bad Bob, in Rex the Runt SGC troops use standard 20th century slugthrowers for the most part, while the starfaring races use blasters and other exotic weaponry. Since unarmoured people in the TV series are occasionally hit by blaster fire and survive, which is very unlikely in GURPS Lite, the standard energy weapon in this game universe is the tight-beam blaster (GURPS Space p. 82). Such weapons do 1/3 of the listed damage, but armour protects at 1/4 of normal DR - so blaster pistols do 2d(4) impaling damage, and blaster rifles do 4d(4) impaling.
SGC Weapons
The standard US assault rifle is the M-16. This is identical to the AR-15 of GURPS Lite, except that it has ROF 12*. The standard pistol issued to officers and vehicle crews is the M-9, essentially a rebadged Beretta 92S. This is almost identical to the Glock 17 in GURPS Lite. There have never been quite enough M-9s to replace the earlier M1911 Colt .45, and some people prefer that anyway, so it can still be found. The submachinegun used by SG-1 is the Heckler & Koch MP-10; well use the stats for the MP-5, which is close enough for our purposes. Damage: 3d-1 cr. SS: 10. Acc: 8. Wt: 7.25 lbs. ROF: 10*. Shots: 30. Min ST: 10. Cost: $340. TL: 7.
Goauld Weapons
Ribbon Device (TL 13): A small jewel, worn on the palm and held in place by ribbons of precious metals winding up the forearm; often has metal "thimbles" for each finger, attached to the main device by short chains. There are several types; the one described here is a common self-defence and interrogation device worn by Goauld System Lords. A miniaturised tractor beam in the jewel allows the wearer to manipulate things up to 10 yards distant with ST 12, while a built-in pain inducer causes intense agony at ranges of a few inches; victims must save vs. HT-5 (with modifiers for Will allowed), or be paralysed by agony. The device has limited power (enough for slightly more than an hours operation), so most wearers to use it sparingly. This is a "combined gadget" incorporating a TL 13 neuroglove (p. UT2 64) and a TL 13 longarm glove (P. UT2 20), powered by a single B cell.$3,160, 0.5 lbs. Staff Weapon (TL 9): The staff weapon is a combined blaster pistol and quarterstaff, and may be used as either one; changing mode takes a Ready action. $2,008, 5.6 lbs. The System Lords possess far more powerful weapons, but see no need to risk issuing them to potentially treacherous troops when the staff weapon is more than adequate for dealing with TL 3 rioters. Transphase Eradication Rod (TL 13): A large hand weapon, combining a specially-enhanced radiation scanner able to illuminate Retou as if in torchlight, and a blaster pistol modified for maximum effect on that race (use normal GURPS Lite blaster pistol damage of 6d impaling
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against Retou only - they explode into clouds of green tomato paste when hit by a TER). $2,800, 2.8 lbs. Zatnktel (TL 13): Commonly known in SGC as the zat gun, this is a collapsible energy pistol in the shape of a striking cobra. SGC has a stock of these, captured on previous missions, which it sometimes issues to SG teams. The Zatnktels main peculiarity is that it has sequenced effects; the first time a person is hit by one, he suffers intense pain, which may make him pass out. The second hit kills him outright. The third hit disintegrates the body. Zat guns are favoured by Goauld for their handiness in field interrogations, and by SG teams for the ability to dispose of inconvenient bodies. In GURPS terms, the weapon is a combination electrolaser (Ultra Tech p. 52) and disintegrator pistol ( Ultra Tech p. 61). The stun and kill settings use electrical discharges, so the weapon works best in dry conditions, and metal armour actually attracts the charge. Unlike standard GURPS disintegrators, there is no heat or concussion damage from the third shot; the target simply vanishes. To keep track of whom it has shot before, the weapon has a tiny, dedicated targeting computer and a digital gun camera to record target images. Kindly GMs may wish to rule that the zatnktel forgets it has shot someone after a preset period, perhaps a week or a year, or when it runs out of memory space (first in, first out). The sequence of effects on a human or similar target is listed below; if fired at an inanimate object such as a crate, the zat gun automatically switches to third shot disintegrator mode to vapourise the target you cant stun crates. First Shot: Stun (electrolaser on stun setting). Roll damage (2d+1) normally, but instead of taking damage, the target must make a HT roll, minus half the damage that got through armour (rounded up). A failed roll means the victim is unconscious or incapacitated for 20 HT minutes. Second shot: Kill (electrolaser on kill setting). Roll and apply damage (2d+1) normally, but in addition, the target must make a HT roll, minus half the damage that got through armour (rounded up). A failed roll means his heart stops, killing him. Generous GMs might allow a successful Physician roll to restart the heart, saving the victim, but this has never happened in the show. Third shot: Disintegrate (disintegrator). Roll and apply damage (8d) normally, but ignore armour DR does not protect targets from disintegrators. A target reduced to HT or less is completely disintegrated.
Type: Spcl. Damage: 2d+1 (stun, kill) or 8d (disintegrate). SS: 10. Acc: 4. Wt: 5.3 lbs. RoF: 1. Shots: 6. Min. ST: -. Cost: $7,160. TL: 13.
Other Weapons
Primitive humans can be found using anything from the Ancient/Mediaeval Weapons Tables. Machello's Legacy (TL 10): Genetically-engineered wormlike creatures which pounce on any suitable Goa'uld host and burrow under the skin. They are usually held in stasis in a boobytrapped forgery of a Goa'uld item, for example a page-turner for Goa'uld handheld databases; when the item is used, the creatures are released and make their attack. If the victim is host to a Goa'uld, he or she falls into a coma; within hours or days, the Goa'uld is killed and the victim wakens, with an auditory hallucination of the Legacy's creator explaining that he has "delivered them from the vile Goa'uld." If the victim was once a Goa'uld host, but no longer is, there is no effect - the creatures can detect the protein signature left behind by a larva. In either case, once there is clearly no longer a parasite present, the creatures leave the victim via the ear canal and expire.
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If the victim has never been a Goa'uld host, he suffers hallucinations, which grow stronger and more frequent until he is incapacitated by them; it is not known if the creatures will eventually leave the victim's body, or simply lie in wait for a future attempt to infest him. Given a choice, the Legacy prefers to attack hosts with an active parasite, and will leave an uninfected body to enter an infected host.
Armour
SGC Armour
SGC uses the standard US issue Gentex vest and helmet, essentially Light Kevlar (PD 2, DR 4, $220, 5 lbs). These are designed to protect the wearer from shell fragments; with luck they will stop a pistol bullet, but don't offer much defence against heavier weapons. For this reason, SG teams often don't bother to take them.
Goauld Armour
Jaffa guards use helmets and suits equivalent to Light Body Armour (PD 4, DR 15, $270, 22 lbs). Ordinary Goauld minions have similar armour, but less ornate helmets. System Lords may be found wearing any armour or none. Goauld System Lords expecting trouble wear belt-mounted TL 13 Personal Force Screens: PD 0, DR 200, $5,000, 2 lbs. Since the screen has only enough power for 15 minutes of use, the System Lord will normally rely on other armour, guile, and bodyguards to survive the initial attack, only activating the screen when fired upon by sufficiently powerful weapons. The screens controls are normally worn on the offhand forearm. Note that the user can fire out without penalty, the shield is transparent to harmless light and sounds, and objects moving at walking speed or slower can pass through the shield. (You can reach in, or step in, but not shoot in.)
Personal Equipment
Communications/Information Equipment
Communications Orb (TL 13): These orbs vary from fist-sized to over a yard across, and are used as videophones by the Goa'uld to communicate instantaneously across interstellar distances. The other advanced races presumably have similar equipment; TL 10 cultures such as the Tollan have the small devices, but these are apparently only able to send an interstellar "signal flare" rather than the two-way video of the advanced units. Range, cost, and other statistics are unknown, so the GM is encouraged to make up whatever suits the needs of the scenario. Garage Door Opener (TL 7): The GDO is a small radio transmitter, commonly worn on one forearm by one member of each SG team. It transmits a coded signal through an open Stargate, indicating to SGC that the incoming travellers are friendly, and that the iris should be opened. 1/2 lb, $20. Scan Grenade (TL 11): Also called a multiscanner, this is the Goa'uld equivalent of the MALP: A silver ball about the size of a large apple, able to detect minerals, power sources, and the characteristic chemicals produced by organic life. It includes spectroscopic millimetric radar, a passive "biosniffer", assorted radiation detectors, a short range communicator, and a dedicated computer to analysze the results and compare them against an internal database. Effective detection range is 50 yards; communication range is 10 miles. $1,250, 1.25 lbs.
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Medical Equipment
Goauld Sarcophagus (TL 13): This is essentially a GURPS Ultra Tech Chrysalis Machine with a different shape. It can repair any injury, heal any disease, and even revive the dead, so long as the brain is intact. The Goauld sleep in their sarcophagi to get a daily whole body tune-up; however, this practice leads to a gradual accumulation of mental disadvantages selected by the GM at a rate of one point per use; if he gives up this habit, the new disadvantages wear off at one point per day. The disadvantages start as a Quirk, then gradually build up to more and more severe problems; for example, on the first use a PC might gain the Quirk Finishes others sentences for them; after five uses this might become an Odious Personal Habit (Impatience); after 10 uses, Overconfidence (the arrogant sort); after 15 uses, Fanaticism (for ones own cause, whatever that might be), adding Megalomania after a further 10 uses. It only gets worse from there... $150,000, 1,100 lbs.
Drugs
Nishta (TL 13): This is one of a group of tailored viruses used by Goa'uld System Lords to control humans and other slave species. They are delivered by sprays or other means, appearing as a greenish gas; victims may roll at HT-6 to resist infection, failure means that within 6 hours they suffer the effects of the virus. The game effects are essentially the same as Dominator Nano (UT2 p. 71); each type of virus inflicts a specific combination of mental disadvantages, which usually include a strong Sense of Duty to the Goa'uld administering the gas (if you have the GURPS Basic Set, use Fanaticism rather than a Sense of Duty). Each type has some means of reversing the effects; an electrical shock, for instance, might free the victim from his compulsion. As a general rule, once freed of a virus, a victim is immune to further doses of the same type. Cost: $2,000 times the total point cost of the disadvantages.
Teleporters
The Goa'uld and Asgard are both known to use teleporters; these appear two TLs early by GURPS standards, at TL 13. Goa'uld devices rely on the users standing in a specific location; a series of rings then appears around them, and disappears (taking the users with them) to reappear at the destination, another specific place. The rings then disappear again, leaving the travelers in the new location. Goa'uld teleporters can move six people or 250 cubic feet of cargo per transit. Asgard teleporters are more advanced, and need neither rings nor predefined locations to operate. They can also pick individuals from a crowd for transport.
Vehicles
Most travel in this game world is by stargate or teleporter; vehicles are rarely used, and consequently not detailed.
SGC Vehicles
MALP: The Mobile Analytical Laboratory Probe resembles a bomb-disposal robot; it is radio-controlled, moves on tracks, and is used to assess whether or not it's safe to send an SG team through the Stargate to another world. Sensors include video, audio, temperature, atmospheric pressure and composition, an onboard lab for soil analysis, radio and radar sensors, and a Geiger counter. FRED: A six-wheeled cargo carrier, used for heavy supply loads. UAV: The Unmanned Airborne Vehicle is a small, remotely-piloted aircraft used to explore new worlds - essentially, a smaller, flying version of the MALP.
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HMMWV (TL 7): Also known as the Hummer or Humm-Vee, the HMMWV (High Mobility, Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) has replaced the jeep in US military service as a light utility vehicle; it has four-wheel drive and good off-road performance. Hummers are too big to go through the Stargate, but are available to SGC for missions on Earth. The vehicle can carry up to six people and just over a ton of cargo; there is a mount over the passenger seat for a machinegun or other light support weapon. While not an armoured vehicle as such, the Hummers metal bodywork gives it PD 2, DR 4 (much like a normal car). $20,000.
Goauld Vehicles
Death Glider (TL 13): A basic fighter craft, carrying one or two Jaffa; mainly used for air strikes on recalcitrant humans, and armed with two blaster cannon. Known to Goa'uld and Jaffas as udajeet. At least one experimental version with truncated wings was built, which a highly skilled pilot could fly through a Stargate wormhole.
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The Stargate
The Stargate is a round portal, which when energised with neutrinos creates an artificial wormhole between two points, allowing near-instantaneous travel between them. The destination is selected by dialling a seven-symbol code on the Stargate at the point of departure. Each Stargate has 39 symbols representing star constellations, and 9 chevrons. An address normally consists of six symbols specifying the destination, and one (unique to each Stargate) identifying the point of origin. On one occasion (in the episode The Fifth Race ) an eighth chevron was encoded, apparently to extend the Stargates range. The purpose of the ninth chevron remains unknown. The Stargate is made of a quarzite metal called Naquada, found on Abydos and several other planets, but not on Earth. This is the only material known which can absorb and be energised by neutrinos; it appears to be unaffected by anything else - radiation, heat, pressure, etc. It is not known who created the Stargate network, although in The Fifth Race the Asgard tell ONeill that a vanished race called the Ancients are responsible.
Peculiarities
Only radio waves can travel both ways through a Stargate. People or objects can only travel one way. This means that before an SG team can return, it must shut down the wormhole and dial home from its destination. Therefore, it is essential to identify the destination Stargates unique symbol before the team can go home. Stargates can be used to travel through time as well as space . (1969, Series 2.) SGC knows that a wormhole trajectory passing near the sun during a solar flare can move the travelers to another time instead of another world. During Series 2, this cannot be controlled, but there are hints that eventually SGC will come to understand how to use stargates in this way.
Defensive Measures
The SGC Stargate represents a great threat to Earth, as a variety of hostile aliens, diseases and so on can travel through it. SGC has layers of defences around the Stargate to minimise the risk.
The Iris
If a Stargate is buried under something substantial, it becomes unusable, as there must be a clear area in front of it for the wormhole to form. The USAF built a giant iris over the SGC Stargate, which is so close to the wormholes event horizon (less than 0.01 millimetres) that nothing can rematerialise on the Earth side of the gate unless the iris is first opened - anyone or anything trying while it is closed is destroyed. Originally the iris was of titanium, but after the events in the episode A Matter of Time (Series 2) it was replaced with a trinium-reinforced one. The SG teams carry a small transmitter capable of sending a coded signal through the gate, notifying the SGC which team would like the gate opened. This device is called a GDO ("Garage Door Opener"). Once this signal is sent from the GDO, it is safe to pass through the Stargate. The iris is then closed behind the traveler immediately upon their arrival on Earth.
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Spacecraft
The Asgard and Goa'uld make use of spacecraft; the Nox presumably could, but choose not to. So far as is known, all Goa'uld spacecraft are military; Asgard vessels are usually encountered on military missions, but may not necessarily be warships. Starships in the Stargate universe are "negligibly large" - so big and powerful that the actual statistics are irrelevant to the average adventuring party with hand weapons.
Space Combat
For the moment, if space combat occurs in the campaign, it will be resolved using the Compendium II Space Opera Combat System . Don't worry about it - the GM will tell the players what they need to know, when they need to know it.
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SG-13 are despatched to PX1437 to recover Senator Waite, a member of the Senate Oversight Committee for SGC, who became separated from SG-11 during a Goauld raid on a supposedly safe and uninhabited planet. (March 3, 2001).
When the Bough Breaks
Cassandra, the little girl Sam Carter rescued from P8X987, goes missing in suspicious circumstances, and SG-13 are sent to find her. (April 22, 2001)
Planet of the Apes
Goauld hosts dont have to be human, but theyre usually a lot like us. Theres an obvious source of strong, healthy humanoid stock without the technology to get uppity on a secondrate System Lord... (Next up)
Lebensraum, Parts 1-2
Somebody left a lot of Jaffa bodies scattered around the Beta Gate in Antarctica. The PCs find out who the culprits were - and dont like it one little bit...
Coming Forth By Day
(Thats part of the original title of the Book of the Dead. Its such a cool title it has to have a scenario behind it...)
Mata Nui
(Because Nicolas Slack, aged 5, is consumed by a passion for Lego Bionicle at the moment.)
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SG-1
These statistics represent SG-1 as they were in the early episodes of Series 3. Characters that have numerous romantic entanglements in the show have been rated as Attractive.
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SG-13
Only my PC is defined here at the moment; other players should give their permission before their characters are included. Especially if they have Secrets
Sekhmet
Sekhmet is the Egyptian goddess of war, usually represented as a lion-headed woman. She is an ally of Ra, fighting to destroy his enemies. She is noted for her savagery and uncontrollable rage.
Sekhmets Lion Guards
These are the cannon-fodder enemies most commonly encountered by the PCs. They carry staff weapons which inflict 2d(4) impaling damage, and wear light body armour (PD 4, DR 15). The typical Lion Guard is a 50 point character; lesser troops are 25 point characters without the Jaffa advantage and the groovy lions head helmets; elite guards are 75 point characters with better DX and IQ, and also know Piloting to operate Death Gliders. Attributes: ST 10, DX 11, IQ 10, HT 12.
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Advantages: Combat Reflexes, Jaffa. Disadvantages: Bully, Code of Honour (Soldiers). Skills: Area Knowledge (Memphis)-10, Beam Weapons-12, Brawling-11, First Aid (TL 3)10, Intimidation-9, Savoir-Faire-10, Staff-9, Stealth-10, Survival (Any)-9, Tracking-9.
Appendix B: Resources
On the Web
The official Stargate SG-1 website. (http://www.stargate-sg1.com/home.html) This link bypasses the Flash introduction and takes you straight to the index. Steve Jackson Games GURPS Site. (http://www,sjgames.com/gurps) Free GURPS Lite download. (http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/lite) The main USAF website. (http://www.af.mil) The USAF are technical advisers to Stargate. Many bases and units have their own sites, too; especially useful in researching the templates for this book were Militaryaviator.com (pilot training), http://www.sfteam9.com (Security Forces training) and Specialtactics.com (combat controllers and pararescuemen).
Movies and TV
Stargate the movie, and Stargate SG-1 the TV series. The Stargate SG-1 website lists when and where you can see the show; you can also rent most of the episodes on video. Movies with similar themes: Aliens, Congo, Sphere, The Abyss.
Books
How to Make War by James F Dunnigan. A wealth of information on how modern warfare works, presented without pro- or anti-military bias. GURPS Special Ops: More detail on Special Forces organisation, missions, etc; aimed at campaigns with 200-400 point PCs, which is higher than I like to go, but interesting nonetheless. Useful SF novels and technothrillers will be listed here after the players have gone through the scenarios based on them!
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