I’m doing a GURPS conversion of Morrowind. I’ve poached a lot of ideas from a TES GURPS conversion and some threads on the SJ Gmsa forum.
TESIII books describe people learning to move more easily while wearing different types of armor. It’s not realistic, but I’m trying to keep that Morrowind flavor. A few NPCs will also have various levels of these abilities. I’m aiming for four advantages based on armor type familiarities (Unarmored, Light, Medium, and Heavy).
So here, for instance, is the Medium Armor advantage:
Medium Armor [18/level]
Training that allows the user to learn to evade attacks more easily, take less damage, bear weight more easily, and move further when wearing medium armor. 1 level may be bought at character creation, and up to 2 more levels may be learned from a trainer.
Enhanced Dodge 1, Extra Move 1, DR 1 (-30%, medium armor)
The idea is while wearing medium-class armor, someone trained in familiarity with medium armor will have extra levels of Enhanced Dodge, Extra Move, and DR. However, it doesn’t make sense that they would potentially have greater Move while In medium armor than they would out of it. The advantage also seems really expensive.
I’m taking these ideas primarily from two books. The first is
Cherim's Heart of Anequina:
quote:
“We had to get rid of all the heavy armor they brought to us and find enough traditional medium armor our troops felt comfortable wearing. Obviously, the principle advantage of the medium armor was that we could move easily in it, as you can see from the natural stances of the soldiers in the tapestry.”
"Now if you look at this poor perforated Cathay-raht who just keeps battling on in the bottom background, you see the other advantage. It seems strange to say, but one of the best features of medium armor is that an arrow will either deflect completely or pass all the way through. An arrow head is like a hook, made to stick where it strikes if it doesn't pass through. A soldier in medium armor will find himself with a hole in his body and the bolt on the other side. Our healers can fix such a wound easily if it isn't fatal, but if the arrow still remains in the armor, as it does with heavier armor, the wound will be reopened every time the fellow moves. Unless the Khajiit strips off the armor and pulls out the arrow, which is what we had to do at the Battle of Zelinin. A difficult and time-consuming process in the heat of battle, to say the least."
And from
Bone, Part One:
quote:
The armorer had already considered that and taken stock of the materials available. He had thought about doing something with stone or wood, but there were practical problems with demolishing more of the stronghold. The next most prevalent stuff present in the stronghold was skinned dead bodies, hunks of muscle, fat, blood, and bone. For six hours, he toiled relentlessly until he produced eighteen suits of bonemold, the first ones ever created. Arslic Oan was somewhat dubious at the sight (and smell) but he was very thirsty, and willing to sacrifice another eighteen slaves if necessary.
"Might I suggest," Gorklith queried tremulously, "Having the slaves practice moving about in the armor, here in the courtyard, before sending them to face the Nords?"
Arslic Oan coolly allowed it, and for a few hours, the slaves wandered about the stronghold courtyard in their suits of bonemold. They grew used to the give of the joints, the rigidity of the backplate, the weight pushed onto their shoulders and hips. They discovered how to plant their feet slightly askew to keep their balance steady; how to quickly turn, pivoting without falling down; how to break into a run and stop quickly. By the time they were sent out of the castle gates, they were easily very nearly almost amateurs in the use of their medium weight armor.
Seventeen of them were killed and eaten, but one made it back with a jar of water.
