In the dimensions where Morty’s the genius and Rick’s the idiot, everything’s flipped.
Morty calls himself Mort, and he calls the dumb versions of Rick Ricky.
Mort and Ricky.
Anyway, here’s a dumb idea for a dumb idea — run The Morrow Project RPG as the setting, but use GURPS rules and make Templates and Lenses.
Basic MP Recon Template [25 points]
For a 25 point game you’re already dead and don’t know it, your GM is a sadist or it’s a horror theme, or both. At least pick your 5 Quirks and make the character interesting.
In a higher point game for any sort of longevity consider improving your combat abilities, or be a fantastic archeologist who is a wine connoisseur or whatever you’d like.
Primary Attributes [40]
ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 10 [0]; HT 14 [40]
Secondary Attributes [-10]
FP 10 [-12]; HP 11 [2]
Advantages [0]
Perks [1]
Walking Armory [1]
Disadvantages [-50]
Extremely Hazardous Duty [-20], Sense of Duty (Squad) [-5], Weirdness Magnet [-15];
Pick 10 points from:
Callous [-5], Chummy [-5], Code of Honor (Soldiers) [-10], Compulsive Carousing [-5], Compulsive Generosity [-5], Curious [-5], Easy to Read [-10], Honesty [-10], Impulsiveness [-10], Incurious [-5], Overconfidence [-10], Skinny [-5], Stubbornness [-5], Truthfulness [-5], or Workaholic [-5].
Quirks [0]
Skills [44]
Basic: 31 points
Guns (Rifle) (DX/E)+3 [8]-13;
Guns (Pistol) (Default+1) [1]-12;
Hiking (HT/A)-1 [1]-13;
Soldier (IQ/A)+2 [8]-12;
Brawling, Knife, both (DX/E)+1 [2]-11;
Camouflage, First Aid, (IQ/E) [1]-10;
Gunner (Machine Gun) (DX/E) [1]-10;
Climbing, Spear, Stealth, Throwing, all (DX/A)-1 [1]-9;
Traps (IQ/A) IQ-1 [1]-9.
Secondary: 9 points
Swimming (HT/E) [1]-14;
Scrounging (Per/E) [1]-10;
Survival (any) (Per/A)-1 [1]-9;
NBC Suit (DX/A)-1 [1]-9;
Armory (Small Arms), Explosives (Demolition), Navigation (Land), all (IQ/A)-1 [1]-9;
Hazardous Materials (Nuclear), Mathematics (Applied), both (IQ/H)-2 [1]-8.
Optional: Spend 4 points on any of
Bicycling, Guns (Grenade Launcher, Shotgun, or LMG) (all DX/E);
Boating, Driving (Any), Gunner (Cannon or Mortar), or Riding (Horse) (all DX/A);
Carousing, or Singing (both HT/E);
Skiing (HT/H);
Area Knowledge (any), Savoir-Faire (Military), or Telegraphy (all IQ/E);
Administration, Animal Handling (Equine), Cooking, Electronics Operation (Comm), Elec. Repair (Comm), Farming, Fast-Talk, Forward Observer, Freight Handling, Gambling, Interrogation, Intimidation, Leadership, Lockpicking, Mechanic (Any), Public Speaking, Scuba, Streetwise, Teaching, or Teamster (all IQ/A);
Engineer (Combat), Diplomacy, Intelligence Analysis, Strategy (Land), or Tactics (IQ/H).
MP Recon Template [50 points]
The difference between this one and the 25 point template is that the character is decent at the basic Morrow Project skills, and has some medical training, but is a bit slower.
In a higher point game for any sort of longevity consider improving your combat abilities, or make an acrobatic cat burglar that paints perfect art forgeries or whatever you’d like.
Primary Attributes [120]
ST 10 [0]; DX 12 [40]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 14 [40]
Secondary Attributes [-50]
Damage 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.
Will 10 [-10]; Fright Check 10 [0]
Per 12 [0]; Vision 12 [0]; Hearing 12 [0];
Taste & Smell 12 [0]; Touch 11 [-2]
Basic Speed 5 [-30]; Basic Move 5 [0]
FP 10 [-12]; HP 12 [4]
Advantages [0]
Perks [1]
Walking Armory [1]
Languages [0]
English (Native) [0]
Disadvantages [-50]
Extremely Hazardous Duty [-20], Sense of Duty (Squad) [-5], Weirdness Magnet [-15];
Pick 10 points from:
Callous [-5], Chummy [-5], Code of Honor (Soldiers) [-10], Compulsive Carousing [-5], Compulsive Generosity [-5], Curious [-5], Easy to Read [-10], Honesty [-10], Impulsiveness [-10], Incurious [-5], Overconfidence [-10], Skinny [-5], Stubbornness [-5], Truthfulness [-5], or Workaholic [-5].
Quirks [0]
Skills [29]
Swimming HT [1]-14;
Guns (Rifle) DX+1 [2]-13;
Soldier IQ [2]-12;
Physician (IQ/H) [4]-12;
Savoir-Faire (Military) IQ [1]-12;
Brawling, Knife, both DX [1]-12;
Survival (Arctic) Per-1 [1]-11;
Armory (Small Arms), Electronics Op. (Comm), Leadership, Navigation (Land), Teaching, and Traps all IQ-1 [1]-11;
Climbing, Driving (Automobile), NBC Suit, Spear, Stealth, Throwing, all DX-1 [1]-11;
Engineer (Combat), Mathematics (Applied), Hazardous Materials (Nuclear), IQ-2 [1]-10.
Pick 1 of the following
Animal Handling (Equine), Cooking, Elec. Repair (Comm), Farming, Fast-Talk, Forward Observer, Freight Handling, Gambling, Interrogation, Intimidation, Lockpicking, Mechanic (Any), Public Speaking, Scuba, Streetwise, or Teamster (all IQ/A);, all IQ-1 [1]-11
Lenses for the 25 point Template
Picking a Lens is a quick and easy way to get started. If you have the time and interest spend the points yourself, maybe just cherry pick things you like from different templates, whatever you want to do. Both are at least mildly entertaining, a good fighter and a leader who stares at you all night.
Shooting and Stabbing and Stuff
125 Point Lens
Attributes
Add 4 to DX (80 points), subtract 1 from Speed (-20 points)
Advantages
Spend 30 points on Advantages
Ambidexterity [5] and Extra Attack 1 [25]
Skills
add 4 more points to Guns (Rifle) DX+4 [12]-18
Spend 8 points on Broadsword DX+2 [8]-16
Drop First Aid and make it Physician IQ [4]-10 instead
Techniques
spend 20 points on
Dual-Weapon Attack (Knife) Default+4 [5]-16
Dual-Weapon Attack (Broadsword) Default+4 [5]-16
Targeted Attack (Rifle/Eye) (H) [6]-14
Targeted Attack (Broadsword/Neck) (H) [4]-14
*Don’t forget to raise all your DX skills by 4
By This Axe I Rule
125 Point Lens
Attributes
Add 3 to ST (30 points)
Advantages
Spend 50 points on Advantages
Born War Leader 2 [10], High Pain Threshold [10], Less Sleep 4 [8], Night Vision 8 [8], Reduced Consumption 1 [2], Stalker 2 [10], Temperature Tolerance 2 [2]
Skills
Spend 16 points on Two-Handed Axe/Mace DX+4 [16]-14
Spend 12 points for a small boost to fighting skills
Guns [16]-15, Brawling and Knife, both [4]-12
Put 13 points in various Skills that are affected by your Talents (Stalker and Born War Leader) and they'll look like this
Camouflage [1]-12, Hiking [1]-16, Intelligence Analysis [2]-11, Leadership [2]-12, Navigation (Land) [2]-12, Savoir-Faire (Military) [1]-12, Stealth [2]-12, Strategy (Land) [2]-11, Tactics [2]-11, Tracking [2]-12
Techniques
spend 4 points on
Targeted Attack (Two-Handed Axe/Neck) (H) [4]-12
What is GURPS?
Generic Universal RolePlaying System
GURPS is a roleplaying game that actually has a tiny bit of combat realism. Basically, if you get shot in the head with a rifle or take a solid hit in the neck with a two-handed sword, your character is dead.
To do stuff, you roll below your skill on 3d6 — that’s the GURPS core mechanic.
The campaigns are all different but share the same core system. The idea is that you can use one set of rules for whatever genre you want to play. You can grab a pre-made setting, mash two together, or just pick the rules you like that focus on what you want — more magic, more detailed combat, insanity, high tech, psionics, whatever.
You could run a game where the PCs are demi-gods in ancient Greece, or set it in Star Wars, Star Trek, or Mad Max. You could even combine settings and play a cowboy wizard in space. Hell, you could run a Morrow Project game crossed with Rick and Morty and have everyone make 150-point characters.
Honestly, my temptation is to lay out all my GURPS books and roll 3d6 a few times to see which ones I’ll use in the next campaign. One for character creation, one or two for the setting, and one for the twist.
(The dice know best.)
Roll 3d6 for a Book
3 Black Ops
4 Powers
5 Biotech
6 Space
7 SEALs in Vietnam
8 Fantasy
9 Martial Arts
10 Horror
11 Ice Age
12 Psionics
13 Low-Tech
14 Special Ops
15 Voodoo
16 Supers
17 Ultra-Tech
18 Vampire: The Masquerade / Werewolf: The Apocalypse
And there are many more. There’s Screampunk, Illuminati, Cyberpunk, Steampunk, Reign of Steel, Magic, After the End, Dungeon Fantasy, Gun Fu, Lands Out of Time, and about fifty others.
There are already crossover settings like Infinite Worlds, Cthulhupunk, and Banestorm — but why stop there? Just use all of them and call it GURPS: RIFTS!
Many of the older GURPS books from 2nd or 3rd edition — the ones that are story-heavy and rules-light — like China, Russia, Celtic Myth, Vikings, and many more still hold up great for lore and world-building and story ideas.
So yeah. You’re probably either totally excited right now or completely overwhelmed and confused.
Either way — welcome to GURPS. ENJOY!
Anyway, here’s a dumb idea for a dumb idea — run The Morrow Project RPG as the setting, but use GURPS rules and make Templates and Lenses.
What is the Morrow Project?
Morrow Project
In 1962 a mysterious man known by the name of Bruce Edward Morrow seemed to have possessed the ability to transport himself and some small amount of matter into the future and back. He had discovered that World War III will occur in 1989 and every effort taken to avert it resulted in a different cause for the war. Finally realizing he could not prevent it, he formed a different strategy, rebuilding after the inevitable nuclear war. Convincing a handful of major industrialists, he formed an organization known as the Council of Tomorrow, a group dedicated to the survival of the human race and rebuilding civilization.
This organization brought forth the concept of the Morrow Project. Volunteers are cryogenically frozen in hidden bunkers to be awakened 3 to 5 years after the war ends and the nuclear fallout diminishes. The teams are provided with survival training and supplies to help rebuild civilization.
Recon teams are to reconnoiter the countryside, report on local conditions and provide advice on which teams should be awakened next and where they are needed.
MARS teams are the military branch of the Morrow Project.
Science teams are scientific and technical units broadly cross-trained from medical aid to dealing with chemical, biological, and radioactive hazards to dangerous creatures.
_____________________________
You were recruited at the end of your tour of duty in Vietnam to be part of a six man Morrow Project Recon team. Each team member was selected because he has no family, and is a combat veteran.
Your Recon team is expected to identify friendly survivors and then provide them with support, protection and training. And at the same time gather intelligence on where to best deploy MARS and Science teams.
Standard training for civilian survivors is broken up into four parts:
1. First aid, water purification and hygiene.
2. Basic combat training and fortification.
3. Farming and sniper/counter-sniper tactics.
4. Long range patrols and establishing contact and trade with other survivors.
If the Recon team is expecting to be in the area for an extended duration they are also to start basic education (literacy, math, etc.) for the young until a Science team arrives.
The team should also identify enemy supplies and activity and carry out offensive operations against strategically important targets until a MARS team arrives.