A Few Changes to the Rules

 Please keep in mind that the restrictions given here are not absolute. I've changed things for a reason and if you want to know why or have a better idea, please let me know. You should also expect things to change during the campaign if we find that something isn't working. You'll be involved in any discussion and I won't say "Oh, I changed that so your plans aren't any good."

Skills, Perks & Talents

Skills
Analyze Does not exist. Use an appropriate Profession or Knowledge Skill instead.
Autofire Skills Requires GM permission, in the rare instance you find an autofire weapon.
Defense Maneuver Requires GM permission.
Investigation The ability to get information. This is actually three related skills, each purchased separately. They cost 3 points, +1 per 2 points.
Detective Work: The ability to get information from a room, place or object. This includes aspects of Concealment, Criminology, Deduction and Tracking. INT-based.
Research: The ability to get information from libraries, archives and other impersonal sources. This includes aspects of Bureaucratics and Cryptography, as well as a lot of general knowledge. Requires literacy. INT-based.
Streetwise: The ability to get information from people on the seamier side of life and the black market. This includes aspects of Bribery, Bureaucratics, Conversation, Intimidation and Pursuasion, as well a number of low-level contacts and informants. PRE-based.
Languages Literacy is not standard, and you must pay the 1 point to be able to read & write a language. Language familiarity is not in effect.
Martial Arts Requires GM permission. General combat proficiency can be represented by a few dice of Hand Attack and some Combat Skill Levels. Talk to me if you want to run a martial arts-themed character.
Profession This is a blanket skill that lets you make a roll on anything related to your profession. It includes the appropriate Professional, Knowledge and Science Skills. This costs 5 points for an 11- roll, +1 per 2 points.
Rapid Attack Requires GM permission.
Riding This should be more accurately named "Combat Riding," as the ability to stay mounted under normal circumstances is bought as a 1-point Transport Familiarity.
Skill Levels When you create your character you may buy 2 skill levels of any type, with Overall Levels requiring GM permission. Additional skill levels may be purchased with experience, GM permission and in-game training opportunities/practice. You may have one Overall Level for each full 50 points in your character. This is a good way to judge an NPC's approximate power level: "He puts his 6 Overall Levels into OCV..."
Skill levels only help when you have time to think about what you're doing. You may not add levels to instantaneous actions or perception rolls. Unless you're expecting combat your combat skill levels aren't active. When we go on the Speed Chart your levels will default into DCV as soon as you start your first Phase.
Teamwork This is an INT-based skill.
Skill Enhancers These must be bought at character creation.
Perks
Costs The following Perks require GM permission, and are free if you get it: Access, Anonymity, Deep Cover, Favor, Follower, Vehicles & Bases. In general, if it's appropriate for your character and fits into the campaign, you don't have to pay points for it and I feel no guilt when I take it away. Reputations also cost no points - they are earned, not bought.
Computer Link Does not exist.
Contacts You do not have to pay character points for Contacts before the game starts. Instead you can write up an outline of who the person is, how you met them and what your relationship is. Half a page will give you an 8- roll, a full page an 11- roll. I must approve all such free Contacts before the game.
On the other hand, if you choose to spend points for a Contact before the game starts, it does not need to be defined when you pay for it. In the course of an adventure when you need a contact in such-and-such city or profession, you can ask if one of your undefined contacts can fit the bill. If I approve, the contact is defined from then on. You may buy undefined contacts with experience.
In addition, you will gain Contacts simply by adventuring and role-playing. You do not spend any points for these, either - just keep track of the people you've met that might be willing to help you.
Money Not allowed. Characters are not inherently rich or poor - their fortunes will rise and fall over the course of the campaign.
Talents
Costs The following Talents cost 2 points each if they fit your concept: Absolute Range/Time Sense, Ambidexterity, Bump of Direction, Double Jointed, Lightning Calculator, Lightsleep, Perfect Pitch, Speed Reading. This requires GM permission.
Combat Luck Requires GM permission.
Combat & Danger Sense Requires GM permission. These will also have some way that they can be negated; what it is will depend on your special effect. If your combat sense works by listening to the heartbeats or breathing of your opponents, then darkness to hearing will counteract it. If your danger sense is psychic, then invisibility to mental group will block it, and so on. This will not happen often, but it is possible.
Universal Translator Does not exist except as a spell.

Powers

Fantasy campaigns are primarily skill-oriented, so instead of detailing which Powers, Advantages & Limitations are ok and which aren't, I'll just take a look at each character and see what you've come up with. Most powers should be simulated by magic, which is rather different than the Fantasy Hero rules in any case. See the magic page for details. I'll try and be consistant, but may change my opinions over time so you may have to remind me of what I've allowed in the past.

Aid Requires GM permission. I do not want instantaneous healing spells or items, as that eliminates dramatic death scenes: "gasp...the killer was...gurgle" POOF YOU'RE CURED! "You were saying?" Spells that take time to start and potions that must be drunk are ok as NPCs can still die dramaticly.
Armor Armor is purchased as normal, but it is considered to be visible/obvious, and clear to an observer that a character with “Armor” has some kind of tough, resistant covering (skin, scales, plates, whatever).
Armor Piercing Armor Piercing works as follows: Subtract 1 per Damage Class of the AP attack from the non-Hardened defenses of the target. Crossbows are AP at short range, which (combined with the minimal training required) is why knights often had them banned. AP melee weapons may get stuck if you make your attack roll exactly (1-in-6 chance, STR roll to disloge).
Dispel Ignore the rule of Dispel breaking foci. It shuts the Power off as normal, but it can be turned back on if the focus is built to function that way.
Lack of Weakness Not allowed. Be afraid of Find Weakness.
Foci If a focus is Obvious, you will be able to tell if it is Accessible or Inaccessible by looking at it. Accessible foci are always susceptable to Disarm and Grab, even if they're not being used at the time.
Force Field May only be bought as PD and/or ED.
Independent Does not exist.
Mental Break-Out When a mental attack like Mind Control or Mental Illusions is successful, there is always one round of positive effects before the target gets a breakout roll.
Power Frameworks Not allowed.
Telekinesis TK is an attack power like any other, and has no built in “indirect” advantage. It is blocked by barriers including ones where LOS is possible (i.e. a window).

Disadvantages

I will enforce the sentence, "A Disadvantage that isn't a Disadvantage isn't worth any points." If it doesn't restrict your actions, cause problems or otherwise annoy the hell out of you, it's not worth any points.

Accidental Change Not allowed unless you have a really good background.
Berserk Not recommended.
Dependence Not recommended.
Hunted Not allowed at greater than an 8- level. These will be rolled for every game, and keep in mind that any overly powerful hunter (such as the Assassin's Guild) would already have gotten you.
Illiteracy This is the default, so you don't get any points for it.
Normal Characteristic Maxima This is the default, so you don't get any points for it.
Psychological Limitation You should take Psych Lims that are based on your character’s personality and will cause your character to behave in ways in which you as a player might rather not. Stay away from Psych Lims that are overly vague ("Tries to do good things"), or are things you’d want to do anyway ("Tries not to get himself killed"). Keep in mind that 20-point psych lims are major obsessions, override your everyday common sense and will be apparent to anyone you spend more than five or ten mninutes with.
Unluck This will come into play in a lot of little ways, not just when things are going well. You'll suffer lost horseshoes, pickpockets, missed messages, false clues, mistaken identities, and random occurrences on a routine basis.
Cursed This is like Unluck, but worse. It's worth 40 points and works just like the GURPS disadvantage. If anything bad happens to the party, it happens to you, first and worst. If anything good happens, it misses you. And any time the GM feels like hosing you he can, and you have no complaint coming because you are cursed. You also can't buy this off just by spending points - you have to determine what cursed you and deal with it, then spend the points.
Susceptibility & Vulnerability Not allowed.

Judgement Calls & Rules Lawyering

Before Combat (p227)
Perception Rolls A basic PER Roll is a half-Phase action and you have your full DCV, but you may only use one sense (usually sight or hearing) and only for a limited area (your front arc or close sounds). If you spend a full phase you may use all your senses and have all-around / normal range.
Entering Combat (p232)
Actions From time to time I may restrict the Zero-Phase and Free actions you can perform, but I will always have an in-game reason.
Multiple-Power Attacks Not allowed.
Holding An Action You need to state what you're waiting for, and if something unexpected happens you will lose your held action. If you have a held action and want to interrupt someone you need to win a contested DEX roll with a +2 bonus. It'll usually be apparent you're holding an action and what the general action you're set to do (attack, dodge, etc). In order to conceal what you're about to do takes an Acting, Concealment, Sleight of Hand or other appropriate skill roll.
Aborting An Action This is never a sure thing, and you must win a contested DEX roll if you want to interrupt someone.
Non-Combat Movement You may never use non-combat multiples in combat. If we're using the speed chart the answer is "No."
Fighting (p243)
Area Effect & Autofire I'll be drawing out the battlefields and placing normals in the area, and from time to time I'll see where the misses from your arrow shots and lightning bolts go. Keep in mind that all misses go somewhere, but I'll usually ignore them unless it's a dramatic moment.
Encumbrance I'm going to ignore this unless you get ridiculous. Non-combat movement penalties can generally be ignored, and in emergency situations you'll probably be dropping the extra weight anyhow. Special cases (such as making it through a closing portal while carrying the princess) will require characteristic rolls.
Spreading An Attack Weapon attacks may not be spread, and most spells may not be spread without GM permission.
Combat Maneuvers (p253)
Blazing Away Not allowed.
Club Weapon Most killing attacks may be used to do normal damage. There is a -1 OCV penalty for every 3 Damage Classes you want to do. If you make your attack roll exactly you will inflict normal killing damage. You may use both the Club Weapon and Pulling A Punch maneuvers.
Hipshot & Hurry Requires GM permission on a per-use basis.
Move Through If a Move-Through is done on a target that suffers no Knockback (a dense character or the earth itself) or the attacker doesn’t break through the object (super-hard force wall or bank vault door) then the attacker takes full damage, not just the normal ½. A Move-By maneuver takes 2/3 damage instead of ½.
Presence Attacks Presence Attacks can have significant affect on combats and scenarios, therefore they are considered to be a ½ phase action as any other attack (GM's discretion). The difference is that other actions (moving, attacking, using a power) can be done at the same time, separate from or influencing the Presence Attack.
Rapid Fire Requires GM permission and an superarcher-themed character.
Roll With Punch Does not work against Killing Damage.
Suppression Fire Not allowed. There are no non-magical autofire weapons.
Determining Damage (p269)
Defenses Defensive powers can provide other defenses, depending on the special effect of the attack and defense. If it would make sense that the character would be defended against an attack, the character will receive the defense even if he technically shouldn't. For example, Force Walls that are opaque to a sense will provide Flash Defense (to that sense) equal to the Wall's DEF.
Recovery in Combat When you recover you have your full DCV and may spend END to maintain minimum power levels (such as hovering).
STUN I do not plan on keeping track of STUN totals for the majority of the nameless horde NPCs, only BODY damage. Named characters will have a STUN total, as will PCs and enemies you're attacking with non-Killing attacks (i.e. if you're trying to not kill your opponent). This should hasten combat and remove the necessity to go around and coup-de-gras unconsious enemies.

It is quite possible to stun an enemy, however. If your attack does more STUN than a reasonable CON (10 for a farmer, 13 for an Ork, etc) then he's stunned and must recover as normal.

We'll see how this goes, and if there are objections I'll go back to keeping track of all combatant's STUN and BODY.

1-For-20 For every full 20 STUN a character takes after defenses, that character takes one point of BODY damage that can’t be reduced or negated by any defenses.
Knockout While combat is in progress, a character who is at -11 or lower STUN may attempt a CON roll on each of their Phases and at post-segment-12 in order to take a recovery. This roll is at -1 per 5 STUN under zero and each time the roll is failed add +1 to the next roll. Once you make the roll, take a recovery and start over.

If you receive a blow that would be sufficient to stun you before your Phase, you don't get to roll on that Phase.

This rule is meant to make sure no character is considered totally out of a fight, and to give the PC's a slight edge. At -20 or more I usually will not keep trying to recover for the NPCs, but PCs may get back into a fight from much larger deficits. It also simulates the heroic ideal that a battered and bruised hero can get back into it, but a villain will generally stay defeated.

Once combat is over this rule no longer applies and you recover as per the chart. Instead of using multiples of 10 to see when you're allowed to take Recoveries, I will use multiples of your REC or 10, whichever is better. Also, Regeneration will add one STUN (in addition to one BODY) no matter how unconsious you are. Going into a three-week coma will be reserved for dramatic effect and player vacations.

Death Player characters will die when they go beyond negative their BODY score, unless there are unusual circumstances (a 1d6 knife will cut the throat of a sleeping PC quite well). Monsters and unimportant bystanders will die when they go to any negative BODY. Important NPCs and DNPCs are treated as PCs unless there is a campaign motivation or dramatic potential for their deaths.
Optional Effects of Damage (p276)
Wounding Some damage will require you to make an EGO roll, such as poisons, acids, some spells and attacks done with a Surprise Move. If you fail the roll you will be at -1 per BODY taken, on every roll in your next Phase.
Hit Locations For the most part I will not be using the hit location chart, but I'll use it if someone wants to make a called shot. Armor that has an activation roll is defined as covering certain locations, and if you want I'll roll the location of an attack to see where it goes. Otherwise just roll the Activation. Impairing and Disabling will only be used in dramaticly appropriate moments.

If the hit location table is used, blowthrough will also come into play. The amount of damage a Killing Attack can do is limited by the amount of tissue there is to destroy. Your arms & legs can take [your starting BODY divided by 2], and your hands & feet can take [BODY divided by 3], before the location is crushed, mangled, severely burned or otherwise crippled. Further damage to that location will cause STUN but no additional BODY. It will take magic or a master healer to recover the use of a crippled limb.

Knockdown When an attack does (before defenses) more than half the character's starting BODY, the character must make a DEX roll at -1 per BODY over the limit. If the roll is passed the character is knocked back 1 hex (more for really big attacks). If the roll is failed the character is also knocked down and is at half DCV until he spends a half phase getting up.
Bleeding Only for plot purposes.
Knockback I'm using Knockdown, above.
Other Combat Effects (p283)
Grabs Once you hit with a grab make a contested STR vs. target's Casual STR roll. If the defender wins then your Grab has no effect whatsoever - the target just shook you off. If you keep the hold you can immediately (as part of the same action) throw, squeeze or hold. See below for throwing, squeezing does STR damage, holding means the target is at ½ DCV and can't use any Accessable foci.

On the target's Phase they can try to break out with a contested STR roll. This costs END and counts as a half-Phase action. As soon as they break out or you let go they regain full DCV.

Throws You can throw a thing straight down, in which case it lands in an adjacent hex and takes full STR damage plus damage from the knockback (unless the floor breaks). Unless they're CON-stunned they immediately get their full DCV back. Breakfall will not prevent this damage.

You can also throw something (or someone) away, using the throwing chart for distance. Whatever you threw takes damage as for knockback, generally 1d6 per 2" thrown. A successful Breakfall roll will negate this damage, and a second one will put you back on your feet.

Pushing (p287)
The following rules by Steve Otte will be used when you want to go above and beyond the normal limits of your powers. They are more appropriate to a superheroic campaign but work well, so I'll use them.
First the good news: Powers and characteristics may be pushed by up to 20 active points, at a cost of 1 END per point. There is no EGO roll, but the event must be of significant importance to your character.
Now the bad news: When pushing a power you must roll a certain number of dice.
  • If pushing by 5 active points, roll 1 die.
  • If pushing by 10 active points, roll 1+2 = 3 dice.
  • If pushing by 15 active points, roll 1+2+3 = 6 dice.
  • If pushing by 20 active points, roll 1+2+3+4 = 10 dice.
Count the number of ones on the dice. If there are any, you lose use of the power you pushed for a certain amount of time as follows:
  • One 1: Power is lost momentarily. The character gets his/her REC in active points back with every recovery, including post 12's.
  • Two 1's: Power is lost until the character gets a good rest. Generally this means it's lost until the next game session.
  • Three 1's: Power is lost for an extended time. It recovers active points as if it were BODY damage. (Regeneration does not help.)
  • Four or more 1's: Power is lost indefinitely, until some special cure is found (GM's option).
The loss of power represents some injury that happens because you overused the power. For example, pushing your running and rolling one 1 means you twisted your ankle. Two 1's would indicate a sprain, three 1's would mean a broken leg, and four would mean a crippling injury. Note that the power always works at the pushed level for the phase in which you pushed it. Any loss takes place in the next segment.

If you push more than one power, add the dice together and apply the result to all powers.

These rules make pushing a power somewhat risky; something to do only when there is a real need, not just because you've got gargantuan amounts of END anyway and you wouldn't mind the extra dice. This might be characterized as "pushing your luck". Note that if you push by 2 damage classes, the maximum normally allowed push, there is no chance of losing the power indefinitely and only a small chance of losing it for an extended time.

Weapons & Armor (p327)
Costs Characters only pay for stuff that can't be taken away, like skills and spells. Magic items will be stolen, broken, run out of charges and become useless in other ways. I don't want worry about character points or have any guilt when I loot the party base camp.
Real Since you're not paying for any of it, it's all real and you need to take care of it. Weapon Familiarities and appropriate Professions include the knowledge of proper maintenance procedures. See the Standard Operating Procedures for a suggestion of how to handle this.
Weapon Length If players are interested I'll assign a reach characteristic to weapons, but if you're not I won't bother. Expect penalties when the environment would impede a weapon, however such as a twelve-foot pike in a ten-by-ten stone corridor.
Armor If your character is familiar with a suit of armor it won't slow him down or affect him in combat. New suits and unusual types of armor may give a penalty, but it'll go away after a few hours of practice. I'll use the Hit Location and Armor Coverage tables if you prefer, or you can just make an Activation roll.

Armor also hinders your movement and reduces your ability to maneuver. For every full 2 DEF that armor provides, you suffer a -1 to all DEX-based skills. This includes Riding, Breakfall, Dive for Cover and spells that require Gestures, but not your CV or combat skills - it's assumed you've trained to fight while wearing armor. Skill levels to offset this penalty cost 2 points each.

Armor also hinders spellcasting, with a -1 penalty to Spellcasting for each point of DEF. Skill levels to offset this penalty cost 2 points to negate -3 in penalties.

Lightning is innately Armor Piercing against metal armor. Magical metal armor suffers from this, but the only to the base metal - the magical enchantments are unaffected.

Shields Shields add their DCV bonus to your DEF as well. Here's why.

Types of Opponents

Some of the fights the party is likely to be getting into will involve dozens of warriors on each side, so in order to streamline combat I'm standardizing the majority of people you'll be fighting. I'm taking the term "Mook" from the game Feng Shui to indicate a minor character, someone who's above average but not dangerous enough to make the heroes do more than pause.

You'll generally be able to tell what catagory a person is. If you're not sure, a successful PER roll will tell you. The equipment catagory is not fixed, but merely an indication of what type of equipment can be expected. The EasyKill column shows what you need to inflict (before defenses) to remove them from combat in one shot.

Target Examples Speed, DEX & CV Equipment EasyKill
Incompetant Normal The very young, very old, fragile or clumsy, and people generally unsuited for physical activity. SPD 1-2, DEX 6-8, CV 2-3 A cane on the outside, and no armor. 9 BODY or 17 STUN.
Normal Most of the people out there. SPD 2, DEX 8-11, CV 3 Most people carry a knife, and everyone who works out of town carries an axe. Some clothes might count as DEF 1-2 armor, but that's it. 11 BODY or 22 STUN
Mook People with some combat training and experience - most soldiers, muggers, thugs and the brute squad. SPD 3, DEX 11-13, CV 4 Knife and a sword or club, plus a leather jerkin or light chain (DEF 2-4). 13 BODY or 27 STUN
Warrior Trained fighters with lots of experience. SPD 3, DEX 14-17, CV 5-6 Knife, favorite weapon, light to medium armor and perhaps a shield (DEF 4-6). 15 BODY or 32 STUN
Named NPC Knights, fellow adventurers and the PCs themselves. SPD 3-4, DEX 18+, CV 6+ Varies widely, depending on who you're facing. Assume good armor (DEF 5-9), magic weapons and high skill levels. These folks can't be one-punched in combat.