Zone

Why the Well World?

In February 2005 I was rereading Jack L. Chalker's inventive Well World series when I heard that he had died. I was experimenting with the GURPS 4e rules at the time, creating racial templates from the books as an exercise; this was purely for my own benefit, but under the circumstances I have decided to put them up on my site as a small tribute to an author whose work I have enjoyed.

This is not a full conversion, as my (stalled) Sector General pages are supposed to be; just some notes.

Technology & Magic

Technological limits of the hexes are an aspect of the environment, not of the inhabitants. Individuals may or may not have Low TL (p.B22); it does not belong in any racial template (but see Glathriel). TL9 would be a good choice for the base TL of a campaign set on the Well World.

"Magic" on the Well World is simply a manifestation of Markovian-level technology, and manifests as special abilities of the inhabitants of certain hexes. These abilities are built into the racial templates.

Nontech Hexes

Certain chemical reactions are suppressed in these hexes, restricting technology to roughly TL3 with no firearms. Because high-tech knowledge circulates freely, ways have been found around some of the limitations; some hexes could be considered TL(3+1).

Semitech Hexes

Electrical power is not possible here, so technology is limited to roughly TL5; again, some are TL(5+1).

Hightech Hexes

There are no limits here, other than the absence of certain elements on the Well World making space flight impossible. Technology ranges up to TL9, but with transportation limited to TL6-7.

The Comworlds

Generally TL10 with TL11-12 power and weapons, and some common superscience - including FTL, contragravity, and possibly reactionless thrusters. The Weapons Lockers also contain several superscience weapons.

Markovian Tech

TL12 with all superscience options mentioned on p.B512, except for time machines and parachronic tech.

Southern Hexes

• Akkafia
• Czill
• Lata

Northern Hexes

None yet.