GURPS 4th edition. Space

Table of Contents Introduction Publication History 1. Space Space and Space Fiction A Little Literary History Why Space Travel? Designing the Space Campaign Hard and Soft Science Fiction Scale and Scope Ships and Outposts Tone Escalating Scale Campaign Types Strange New Worlds Realism The High Frontier Alien Archaeology Planetary Romance Military Campaigns Mercenaries The Marines Stope in the Name of the Law The Rangers The Rebellion Bounty Hunters Media and Politics Space Pirates Working Stiffs Heroic Bureaucrats? Heroic Engineering The Absurdist Campaign Who Needs Starships? Aliens Alone in the Cosmos The Galactic Club Aliens Everywhere! Societies Anarchy The Alliance The Federation The Corporate State The Empire Alien Governments Adventures Beyong Society Interstellar Organizations Government Organizations Private Organizations Planets and Places 2. Space Travel A Taxonomy of Miracles No Miracles One Miracle: Space Flight More Miracles? Space Flight and Story Requirements Maneuver Drives Reaction Drives The Rocket Equation Sample Delta-V Requirements Sails Catapults and Tethers Bussard Ramjets Cycler Stations Reactionless Drives Relativity Effects Generation Ships Star Drives Hyperdrive Jump Drive Warp Drive Designing a Stardrive Navigation Errors Shipboard Systems Control Systems Life Support Gravity Weapons Defenses Sensors Communications Teleporters Power Laboratories Bandwidth Infrastructure Small Craft Man the Life Pods! 3. Technology Adding Miracles Several Miracles Everything a Miracle Technology Areas Biotechnology Suspended Animation Bioships Computers and Communications The Transparent Society Nanotechnology Swarms and Goo Transportation Power Generation Weapons and Defenses The Swashbuckler Option 4. Basic Worldbuilding Using Worlds Dramatic Roles Common Origins, Common Cause Depth of Detail Depth of Realism Mapping the Galaxy Astronomical Features Distances and Scales The Frequency of Worlds Choosing a Preferred Scale World Design Sequence Overview Step 1: Concept Step 2: World Type Why World Types? Tweaking the World Type Table Step 3: Atmosphere Marginal Atmospheres What Makes the Air? Step 4: Hydrographic Coverage Step 5: Climate Step 6: World Size Turning Up the Heat Worlds Big and Little Step 7: Resources and Habitability Habitability for Aliens Social Parameters Step 8: Settlement Type Step 9: Technology Level Step 10: Population Step 11: Society Type Altering the Colony Population Table Step 12: Control Rating Step 13: Economics Step 14: Bases and Installations 5. Advanced Worldbuilding Generating Star Systems Step 15: Number of Stars Step 16: Star Masses Step 17: Star System Age Step 18: Stellar Characteristics Step 19: Companion Star Orbits Step 20: Locate Orbital Zones Step 21: Placing First Planets Step 22: Place Planetary Orbits Step 23: Place Worlds Step 24: Place Moons Generating World Details Step 25: World Types Step 26: Atmosphere Step 27: Hydrographics Step 28: Climate Step 29: World Sizes Step 30: Dynamic Parameters Step 31: Geologic Activity Step 32: Resources and Habitability Step 33: Settlement Type Step 34: Technology Level Step 35: Population Step 36: Society Type Step 37: Control Rating Step 38: Economics Step 39: Bases and Installations The Solar System Special Cases Gas Giant Moons Tide-Locked Worlds Massive Stars Red Dwarf Stars Brown Dwarf Stars Rogue Worlds Terraformed Worlds Other Objects Asteroids and Comets Artificial Structures Who Needs Planets, Anyway? Megastructures 6. Alien Life and Alien Minds Aliens in the Campaign People Beasts Things Monsters Working Backward Some Common Aliens Life Life as We Know It Clashing Definitions Alternate DNA Other Chemistries Non-Chemical Life Alien Creation I Artificial Life Ecologies and Niches Energy Flow Alien Creation II Autotrophs and Decomposers Herbivores Carnivores Parasites and Symbionts Alien Anatomy Mobility Size Alien Creation III Body Plan Alien Creation IV Metamorphosis Alien Creation V Skin, Hide, and Alternatives Metabolism Alien Creation VI Reproduction Lifespan Alien Creation VII Senses Communication Alien Creation VIII Special Abilities Moving in Clades Alien Minds Brains Nature: The Influence of Biology Nurture: The Influence of Society Alien Creation IX Alien Creation X 7. Future and Alien Civilizations Story Concerns Society in the Story Control and Intrusiveness Avenues to Power Corruptibility Society and Biology Biological Constraints Psychological Constraints Oxygen-Breathers Unite! Society and Technology Technology and Daily Life Controlling Technology Losing Technology Economics Economic Output Unobtainium Economic Distribution Money The Leisure Society Law and Justice Sources of Law Resolving Disputes Criminal Detection Punishment Military Forces Military Types Military Units Alternate Armies How Much Military Rank? Interstellar Governments Anarchy Alliance Macro-Life Federation The United Galaxy Corporate State The Free Enterprise Society Empire Why People Support Rotten Empires Alternate Empires Alien Governments Alternate Names Planetary Governments History and Government Organizations Government Organizations Private Organizations Startown 8. Adventures The Default Adventure The Hook Metaplot Goals Types of Goals Obstacles Puzzles and Mysteries Adversaries Alien Psychology Adventure Seeds 9. Characters Group Structures Military Team Spaceship Crew Exploration Team The Professionals Niche Protection Character Concepts Astronauts Space Knights Tramp Freighters and Merchant Princes Modified Humans Uplifted Animals Psionic Mutants Robots and AIs Aliens Advantages, Disadvantages, and Skills Advantages Disadvantages Skills Alien Psychology Modifiers Planet Types Revisited Character Templates Bibliography Index The Future Is Yours! Now updated for GURPS Fourth Edition, this is the ultimate toolkit for any campaign between the stars. Explore options for space travel and technology, from the realistic to the miraculous. Design alien races and monsters. Create campaigns of every style, from science fantasy to space opera to star merchants. Build worlds, from asteroids to Dyson spheres. With this book, you can create anything from a single alien beast to a whole galaxy of civilizations and star systems... quickly and randomly, or with a detailed step-by-step process that's true to biology and astrophysics as we understand them today.