Summary A detailed conversion of a FASA Star Trek character to GURPS 4e, including some of the pitfalls and problems that may arrise durring the conversion process.

ATTRIBUTES

STRENGTH (ST)

FASA's STR score indicates a character's ability to deal physical damage, as well as wield physical force to affect objects with actions such as lifting, carrying, dragging and so forth. This attribute is the equivalents of GURPS ST score.

The way FASA and GURPS track strength, though expressed differently, are surprisingly similar. In FASA characters can carry without exerting themselves approximately their STRENGTH, in pounds, for extended periods. In GURPS, a character has a Basic Lift of (STR * STR)/5. That is, he or she can lift that mount, in pounds, in one second. To convert most characters strength from FASA to GURPS simply divide their raw FASA score in half and determine what minimum strength score would be necessary to grant them such a Basic Lift score.

For characters that have been genetically augmented, or have some other good reason to have Strength well above average, simply divide their Strength score by 5and record the result. Such character's should probably also gain Unusual Background to explain this.

DEXTERITY (DX)

Dexterity maps directly from the FASA attribute of the same name. For an individual whom one might consider average for such abilities, take 10. Consider the character's nature, if he's an above average good marksman, fast pilot, or otherwise light on his feet, increase his Dexterity perhaps to 12. If he's truly exceptional at things that require speed, agility, or grace increase this score to, perhaps 15 or 16. As always, use common sense as a guide.

INTELLIGENCE (IQ)

Intelligence is a measure of a character's ability to accept and process information, as well as to learn and adapt. IQ maps directly from FASA's Intellect attribute. If your character is conceptualized as a cerebral Vulcan, or in the sciences or engineering divisions it would be good to take higher than the default, using common sense as a guide.

HEALTH (HT)

GURPS 4e Health has no direct equivalent in FASA, as it is no longer the determining factor in a character's Hit Points. The issue of HP aside, Endurance is still the best candidate, though the final determination of hit-points might require some finesse later. In general, if your character worked in security, the or the marine division gravitate to a higher Health score. This will ensure your character can still hold his own in an extended fight without becoming fatigued. Otherwise a lower scores might be appropriate.

SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES

Hit Points (HP)

In FASA Endurance, which otherwise most closely matches Health in GURPS, serves the same function as HP. However, in GURPS 4th edition, unlike previous editions, Strength is the determining factor. There are a few ways to determine a FASA character's hit points, use whichever makes the most sense:

1. Use your new GURPS Strength score, as your hit point score, without modification. This is the simplest, no nonsense way to make the conversion. But, if the FASA character had a significant gap between his Strength and his Endurance scores, it may not be the most faithful way to do it.

2. Average your character's FASA Strength and Endurance to determine your GURPS hit point score:

A. Divide your FASA Strength by 5, record the result as A.
B. Divide your FASA Endurance by 5, record the result as B.
C. Add the A result and the B result together, and divide by 2 and truncate fractions.
D. Alter your hit point total to conform to this number paying for, or receiving character points as normal.

This is probably the most conservative approach to calculating a characters hit points. It may cost a few points, or it may give a few points back, but it dose not produce unacceptably large or small hit point values. Also this helps characters make the conversion that have significant differences in their Strength and Endurance scores without producing questionable results.

3. Use your old Endurance score, as your new hit point total.

A. Divide your FASA Endurance score by 5, truncate fractions.
B. Buy or surrender enough hit points to conform to this value.

Though this could be seen as the most direct conversion possible, it tends to yield extreme values in one direction or the other. Also, it fails to consider the differences between the way damage is tracked in FASA and the way it is tracked in GURPS.

Will

If your character works for an intelligence agency, or has resisted interrogation in the past, a few extra points of Will might be in order. Psionic characters will also enjoy a nice boost with a few extra Will points, most others should take the default.

Perception (Per)

Characters with a background in Investigation should take a few extra points of Perception, along with those for whom missing something may mean death. Everybody else should take the defaults.

Fatigue Points (FP)

Characters that see regular combat should take a few extra points. NPC's such as "Red Shirts" should probably take less. Everybody else should have no problem taking the defaults.

Basic Speed

Take the defaults, or adjust this to taste.

Basic Move

Take the defaults, or adjust this to taste.

FASA ATTRIBUTES WITHOUT GURPS 4e EQUIVELENTS

Though GURPS lacks attributes that match the following FASA attributes, they are covered by GURPS Advantages and Disadvantages really well, however.

CHARISMA (CHA)

Though you may wish to buy more, or fewer levels of Charisma than the math might suggest. A good starting point is to follow these steps:

A. Divide your FASA Charisma score by 5, and truncate fractions.
B. Subtract your character's GURPS IQ from this number.
C. Add levels of the Charisma Advantage equal to this number. You may take levels on Appearance, or Voice; Taking a talent such as "Smooth Operator" might also work well. Above all, use whatever works best, and most faithfully preserves the character being converted.
D. If the Charisma value is negative, take an Odious Personal habit (using your character's personality and background as a guide) with a penalty closest to this number.

LUCK (LUC)

In FASA Luck is a "ketch all" attribute for handling situations of pure chance. In GURPS 4e, it's an advantage. Admittedly this is another one of those times where arithmetic must take a back-seat to character background and in-game history. Generally, if a Lucky brake had some bearing on the characters back-story, give him at least one level of Luck. If the character had a Luck attribute above 50 or so percent it might be worthwhile to give him this advantage as well. If the character's luck was in the 90+ percentile range, extraordinary luck is probably called for. It is probably not wise to give a character more luck than this, as it may unbalance the game. Conversely, characters with less than 20 points of Luck, or who have some dramatic incidents of "bad luck" in their back-story, should probably gain the disadvantage. Everybody else should probably not bother with these advantages and disadvantages.

PSIONIC POTENTIAL (PSI)

If a character has no history of Psionic ability its probably best to forget this attribute ever existed. However, if a character is Vulcan, or some other race that has learned to harness its own Psionic potential, rebuild that characters abilities using the Psionics rules (B Ch6).

SKILLS

FASA Skills

20 points or less, except the GURPS 4e default for your skill, given your character's attributes.

30 points dump a moderate number of skill points into the skill, enough to make the character reasonably competent.

50+ Dump quite a few points into the skill, the character is an expert with this skill.

75+ If a character coming over from FASA to GURPS 4e has a FASA score in this range they probably deserve a talent in the area this skill represents.

Skills Conversion Chart

FASA Skill	GURPS 4e Skill
Administration	Administration
Artistic Expression	Singing, Musical Instrument, Writing, Poetry, Performance
Carousing	Carousing
Communication Systems Operations	Electronics Operation (Communications)/TL12
Communications Systems Technology	Electronics Operation (Communications)/TL12
Computer Operation	Computer Operation/TL12, Computer Programming/TL12, or Computer Hacking/TL12
Damage Control Procedures	Professional Skill (Damage Control)/TL12
Deflector Shield Operation	Electronics Operation (Shields)/TL 12
Deflector Shield Technology	Electronics Operation (Shields)/TL 12
Electronics Technology	Electronics/TL 12
Environmental Suit Operations	Vacc Suit/TL 12
Gaming	Gambling or Hobby, i.e. Hobby (3D Chess)
Instruction	Teaching
Language	Add Languages as appropriate
Leadership	Leadership
Life Sciences	Any Biological skill at TL/12 such as Exobotany/TL 12
Life Support Systems Technology	Electronics Operation (Medical)/TL 12
Marksmanship, Archaic	Any non-beam ranged weapon skill
Marksmanship, Modern	Beam weapons/TL 12
Mechanical Engineering	Engineer (Mechanical)/TL12
Medical Sciences	Genetics, Pharmacy, Surgery etc. at TL 12
Negotiation/Diplomacy	Diplomacy, Fast Talk
Personal Combat, Armed	Any primitive weapons skill TL/4 and below
Personal Combat, Unarmed	Judo, Karate, or Brawling; Also see GURPS Martial Arts
Personal Weapons Technology	Armoury (beam weapon)/TL 12
Physical Sciences	Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, etc. at /TL 12
Planetary Sciences	Planetology or a specific skill: Geology, Meteorology, Hydrology, Ecology etc at TL/12
Planetary Survival	Survival, (specify)
Security Procedures	Electronics Operation (Security)/TL12
Shuttlecraft Pilot	Pilot (Shuttlecraft)/TL12
Shuttlecraft Systems Technology	Mechanic (Shuttlecraft)/TL 12
Small Equip Syst. Operation	n/a*
Small Equip Syst. Technology	n/a*
Small Unit Tactics	Tactics (Ground)
Social Sciences	Any social science
Federation Culture/Hist	History (UFP)
Federation Law	Law (UFP)
Space Sciences	Astronomy or Astrophysics/TL12
Astronautics	Mechanic (Starship) or Engineer (Starship)/TL 12
Astrogation	Astrogation, Warp/TL 12
Sports	Sports (specify)
Starship Combat/Stratagy Tactics	Strategy or Tactics (Space)
Starship Helm Operation	Pilot (Starship)/TL 12
Starship Sensors	Electronics Operation (Sensors)/TL 12
Starship Weaponry Operation	Gunnery (Phaser, Disruptor)/TL 12 Artillery (Some Torpedos, Missles)**
Starship Weaponry Technology	Armoury, (Photon, for example)/TL 12
Streetwise	Streetwise
Transporter Operation	Electronics Operation (Matter Transmitter)/TL 12
Trivia	Hobby, (specify)
Vehicle Operation	Pilot (Anti-Grav Car)/TL 12
Warp Drive Technology	Engineer (Warp)/TL 12
Zero-G Operations	Free Fall
Bribery	Merchant
Cryptology	Intelligence Analysis
Clandestine Operation	Stealth, Shadowing or Holdout
Demolitions	Demolitions/TL 12
Intelligence Procedure	Professional skill or Intelligence Analysis
Small Vessel Pilot	Pilot (specify)/TL 12
Surveillance	Shadowing, Sensors, or Photography TL/12
Stealth	Shadowing, Stealth, Tracking, Holdout
Trade & Commerce	Merchant
Value Estimation	Merchant

* Small Equipment Systems Operations and Technology are too generalized to convert to GURPS well. Ignore these skills, simply use whatever Electronics Operation skill required to fill any obvious void.

** For direct fire weapons, such as beam weapons, Gunnery is the correct skill to take. But indirect fire weapons, such as some torpedos need the Artillery skill instead. Players should talk with their GM before making assumptions on what skill to take.

Rank and Position

Links

Nothing is an island unto itself, these conversion rules included. The conversion rules presented where strongly influenced by the following sources. Infact the rules here are largly an update, and a fleshing-out of conversion rules presented by others who came before:

A Common Sense Conversion from FASA ST:RPG to GURPS http://www.weirdrealm.com/gurps/FasaGURPS.html

Adventures in the Star Trek Universe http://www.coldnorth.com/owen/game/startrek/universe/convert.htm

GURPS 4th Edition Update http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/resources/4eupdate.pdf