D&D Feats in GURPS

D&D Feats in GURPS

It is no surprise that GURPS allows much more freedom of choice in terms of actions and maneuvers when compared to D&D 3.5. The latter often either forbids some actions or heavily penalizes them, unless the character has a specific feat. And that's okay - different systems do things differently. In this post, I will go through the feats from the Player's Handbook and see how to represent them (if there's a need for that) in GURPS. Some feats will have analogues in form of techniques or skills, while some of them might make some nice power-ups for your characters.

Acrobatic

Just improve your Acrobatics and Jumping skills.

Agile

Judging by the description, this is the Flexibility advantage.

Alertness

Improve your Per.

Animal Affinity

This is the Animal Friend talent. Or Animal Empathy, but I'm leaning towards the former.

Armor Proficiency (Light, Medium, Heavy)

There's no such thing as armor proficiency in GURPS. However, the Armor Familiarity perk sounds like it could represent the benefits.

Athletic

Just improve your Climbing and Swimming skills.

Augment Summoning

Now this is trickier. Depending on how your GM treats summons, things can work differently. In my case, summoning spells are built as Allies, where your point value sets the cap on the point value of the summon. You can only summon a typical specimen of a creature and it will not always be exactly, for example, 50% of your point value. One option would be to add Adjustable, +25% to the Ally advantage, but even that seems to large of an enhancement for such a limited adjustment, especially since you probably will always choose to summon an augmented summon. So, let's create a perk!

    Augment Summoning [1]

   When using a summoning spell, you may spend an additional 1 FP to summon a version of the creature with a +2 bonus to ST and +1 bonus to HT, if this adjustment does not bring the summoned creature's point value over the maximum. You must specialize by spell.

Blind-Fight

Blind Fighting is a skill in GURPS.

Brew Potion

You can use the Alchemy or Herb Lore skills to brew potions. No need for any extra abilities.

Cleave

This is a tricky one. Cleave is important in D&D, because you can only attack once (at least at first) per 6 seconds, but in GURPS you can just launch two attack in a row. GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 11: Power-Ups has the Cleaving Strike power-up on page 10. If we disassemble the power-up, we can get the Cleaving Strike (H) technique that defaults to Melee Weapon skill-3 (if the game is cinematic) or Melee Weapon skill-9 (if the game is realistic).

Combat Casting

You cannot use Concentrate maneuvers when grappling (unless you're using Technical Grappling, of course). I suggest introducing the following perk.

    

    Combat Casting [1]

    You can cast spells and use other supernatural abilities when grappled (but not pinned) if you make a successful Will-4 roll.

Combat Expertise

Defensive Attack is an option available to everyone.

Combat Reflexes

While there is the eponymous advantage, it does not do the same thing. Attacks of opportunity are not a thing in GURPS either, but you can accomplish something similar with the Wait maneuver.

Craft Magic Arms and Armor/Craft Rod/Craft Staff/Craft Wand/Craft Wondrous Item/Forge Ring/Scribe Scroll

It all depends on what kind of enchantment system your game uses. If you're using sorcery, just take the Enchant spell to cover everything. If you want, you may specialize by applying an additional Accessibility, One item type, -20% to the spell, decreasing its full cost to 35 points. These two points actually matter even when taking Enchant as an alternative ability!

Deceitful

Just improve your Acting, Fast-Talk, and Forgery skills.

Deflect Arrows

GURPS has the Parry Missile Weapon skill. Some people turn it into a technique, which is understandable.

Deft Hands

Sounds like this is closer to the High Manual Dexterity advantage.

Diehard

This is the Hard to Subdue advantage.

Diligent

This sounds close to the Single-Minded advantage.

Dodge

Enhanced Dodge, obviously.

Empower Spell/Enlarge Spell/Eschew Materials/Extend Spell/Heighten Spell/Maximize Spell/Natural Spell/Quicken Spell/Silent Spell/Still Spell/Widen Spell

I discuss these in another post.

Endurance

Just buy extra FP.

Exotic Weapon Proficiency

This is the Exotic Weapon Training perk.

Extra Turning

If you have a turning ability, be it a spell or True Faith, with limited uses, just buy them off. Alternatively, if it requires FP to use, you may buy ER (Divine; One Ability, Turning, -80%) [0.6/level].

Far Shot

In GURPS, both range and damage for bows depend on ST. So, either improve your ST, buy the Strongbow perk, or, if you really want to just improve your range, then you may use the Far Shot imbuement. But that one has much more drastic effects.

Great Cleave

Just like for Cleave, we have the Greater Cleaving Strike power-up on page 20 of GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Denizens: Barbarians. We can disassemble the power-up to get the Greater Cleaving Strike  (H) technique that defaults to Melee Weapon skill-18.

Great Fortitude

Just buy up HT.

Improved Bull Rush

I guess this is HP (Accessibility, Only for slams, -80%) [0.4/level].

Improved Counterspell

Counterspelling works differently in GURPS.

Improved Critical

This exists as the Every One's a Critical power-up (GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Denizens: Swashbucklers, p. 26).

Improved Disarm

Disarming is an existing technique.

Improved Feint

Feint is an existing technique.

Improved Grapple

Just improve your grappling skills.

Improved Initiative

This is the Blinding Strike perk (GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Denizens: Swashbucklers, p. 22).

Improved Overrun

No idea. I guess it's the same as Improved Bull Rush.

Improved Shield Bash

There is no such penalty in GURPS.

Improved Sunder

The penalty to strike weapons can be bought off with the Targeted Attack technique.

Improved Trip

Buy up the Sweep technique.

Improved Turning

I think this is close to Will (Accessibility, Only for turning, -80%) [1/level].

Improved Unarmed Strike

Nothing. I guess just buy up Judo or Karate.

Investigator

Seems close to the Truth-Seeker talent.

Iron Will

Just buy up Will.

Leadership

Buy Allies.

Lightning Reflexes

Buy up Basic Speed.

Magical Aptitude

Sounds close to the Occultist talent.

Manyshot

This already exists as an option in GURPS Martial Arts with appropriate rules, skills, and techniques.

Martial Weapon Proficiency

No such thing in GURPS. Buy a skill.

Mobility

Judging by the description, this is closer to the Evade technique.

Mounted Archery

Mounted Shooting is an existing technique.

Mounted Combat

Combat Riding is an existing technique.

Negotiator

This is the Smooth Operator talent.

Nimble Fingers

Sounds close to the High Manual Dexterity advantage.

Persuasive

Again, this is all part of th Smooth Operator talent.

Point Blank Shot

Close Combat is an existing technique.

Power Attack

This is either Mighty Blows (extra effort in combat), All-Out Attack (Strong), or Committed Attack (Strong).

Precise Shot/Improved Precise Shot

It's time to create a technique!

    Precise Shot

                                        Hard

    Default: prerequisite skill-4.

    Preprequisite: Any ranged weapon skill; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

    If you make a ranged attack when the target is behind someone else, you take a -4 penalty per intervening figure. This technique lets you buy off up to -4 of this penalty.

Quick Draw

Fast-Draw is a skill in GURPS.

Rapid Reload

This is Fast-Draw (Arrow).

Rapid Shot

Again, quick-shooting is described in GURPS Martial Arts.

Ride-By Attack

That's how mounted combat works in GURPS, iirc.

Run

Increase Basic Move or buy up the Running skill.

Self-Sufficient

This is the Survivor talent.

Shield Proficiency

Buy the Shield skill.

Shot on the Run

You can do that in GURPS by default.

Simple Weapon Proficiency

Buy weapon skill.

Skill Focus

Buy up the skill in question.

Snatch Arrows

This is the Hand Catch (Parry Missile Weapon) technique.

Spell Focus/Greater Spell Focus

This is a limited magical talent. Or just improve your magic skill, if you have one.

Spell Mastery

It all depends on how your wizards work. For my wizards, that just means buying the spell as a known spell.

Spell Penetration/Greater Spell Penetration

This is the Rule of 17 perk (GURPS Thaumatology: Magical Styles, p. 29).

Spirited Charge

That's just a mounted All-Out Attack (Strong).

Spring Attack

That's how Move and Attack works by default.

Stealthy

Buy up the Stealth skill.

Stunning Fist

There's three ways to go about it. First, just target the face or jaw - it imposes a penalty on knockdown rolls. Second, use Pressure Point skill on the enemy's face. Third, build Stunning Fist as the following ability.

    Stunning Fist [8]

    By spending 2 FP, you may imbue your fist with chi to stun your target. If you hit, the victim must roll against (HT+DR) or be physically stunned. He gets one HT roll per second to recover after that, as usual.

    Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Chi, -10%; Costs Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%; Follow-Up, Punch, +0%) [8].

Toughness

Buy up extra HP.

Tower Shield Proficiency

This is the Shield-Wall Training perk.

Track

Tracking is a skill in GURPS.

Trample

Trampling works differently in GURPS.

Two-Weapon Defense

That sounds like Cross Parry.

Two-Weapon Fighting/Improved Two-Weapon Fighting/Greater Two-Weapon Fighting

Dual-Weapon Attack is an existing technique.

Weapon Finesse

To-hit rolls are based on DX in GURPS by default.

Weapon Focus/Greater Weapon Focus

Just improve your weapon skill.

Weapon Specialization/Greater Weapon Specialization

This is Striking ST (One Attack, Specific Weapon, -60%) [2/level].

Whirlwind Attack

It exists as an eponymous technique in GURPS.