Updated 07 / 02 / 99

Welcome to GURPS Marathon. Marathon, Marathon 2: Durandal, and Marathon Infinity were all designed and produced by Bungie Software (makers of Myth and Myth ][), and were all very popular among us Mac users. (Marathon 2 was also eventually put out on PC version.) To get a demo (which I recommend if you've never played it), go to their web site in my links section. The games are all a few years old, and naturally some of the graphics aren't as impressive as Unreal or even Quake. (Truth be told, they seem on par with Doom) However, what makes the Marathon Trilogy really good is that there is a detailed and intricate plot which develops as the game progresses. This is accomplished by having interface terminals throughout the game which the player can stop at to read messages from different characters. All of the terminal messages from all of the games, as well as detailed discussions of the plot can be found at the Marathon's Story page, maintained by Hamish Sinclair. Nearly any topic (the S'pht, rampancy, the number 7) can be found there.

The purpose of this web page is to provide the stats necessary to play a Marathon campaign. I'm assuming that you already know (more or less) Marathon's plot and the basic overview of Earth's history and the layout of the Marathon universe.

Campaign Plan:

Overall Tech Level: 9
-Significant Technology: teleporters, slower than light travel, bionic implants, most firearms TL 7, fusion power, sentient computers.

Firearms Table:

(Some of the Alien weapons aren't listed here. If they're hand held, like the fighter' staff, the trooper's gun or the enforcer's gun, the player can pick them up and use them.)

Weapon	Malf	Dmg Typ	Dmg	SS	Acc	1/2 D	Max Rnge	Wt.	RoF	Clip	St	Rcl	Fires in Vacuum	Notes
.44 Magnum Mega Class A1	/	Cr	3d	12	6	230	2500	2	3	8	12	-3	Yes	/
MA-75B Battle Rifle	/	Cr	3d-1	10	0	160	100	8	10	52	10	-1	No	Actual range is 1900, but it is incredibly inaccurate beyond 100
Integral 40mm Grenade Launcher	/	Cr	5d+2	14	3	/	150	/	1	7	12	-3	No	Secondary Function of Battle Rifle
WSTE-M5 Combat Shotgun	/	Cr	4d	12	5	25	150	6	1	1	12	-3	Yes	/
Zeus-Class Fusion Pistol	Ver	Im	6d	10	6	/	2500	4	3	20	5	-1	Yes	Backfires underwater
" Overloaded Bolt	Ver	Im	12d	14	7	/	2500	/	1	6	6	-3	Yes	1 Turn to charge (Also backfires underwater)
KKV-7 10mm SMG Flechette	/	Im	3d	12	6	300	800	6	16	32	8	-1	Yes	+2 Dmg to Organics
TOZT-7 Backpack Napalm Unit	/	Flame	2d	/	2	20	50	15	10	210	12	-1	No	/
SPNKR-XP SSM Launcher	/	Cr	18d	/	7	/	2500	80	1/3	2	15	-5	No	1/2 Dmg minimum on succ. hit

Armor:

Marine Battlesuit:
PD 4 - DR 18 - 60lbs

    The marine battlesuit isn't conventional armor. Most of its protection comes in the form of an ablative force field. This field has 15 HT that must be gone through before the damage gets through to the armor itself and its wearer. Special fuel cells or power up stations can be used to bring the field back up to full strength, but not beyond. However, it is possible to find cells or stations that will add a second or even third (a fourth is impossible) field on top of the first.
    The marine battlesuit also carries 15 minutes worth of oxy-nitrogen mix, which has a hookup for refilling.
    Also, several upgrade chips can be add new functions to the suit (each has its own power source, hence the time limits):
        Invisibility: This renders the player invisible for 10 minutes.
        Invulnerability: This effect lasts 5 minutes, but it only stops crushing or cutting damage.
        Infravision: Scenery shows up blue, living organisms show up red. 15 minute duration.
        Distortion: Extends the visor's view to show full 360° vision. 10 minute duration.

Vacsuit:
PD 4 - DR 12 - 50 lbs

This suit is worn by Vacbobs, and carries a 30 minute oxygen supply.

Standard Jumpsuit:
PD 2 - DR 6 - 5 lbs.

Worn by most bobs.

Characters:

Picture	Description	Attack	Damage	RoF	PD/DR	HT
	Marine: This is the character you play in the game. In all likelihood, it is what you'll play in GURPS. Marines are trained to use all of the above weapons.	18	By Weapon	By Weapon	4 / 18	16
	Bob: Bob stands for "Born On Board". These civilians are so named because they were intended to be colonists on the generation ship "Marathon" Once revived from the Pfhor stasis pods, the computer Durandal armed them with .44 magnums and used them against the Pfhor.	12	3d Cr	3	2 / 6	12
	Vacbob: These guys are the same as the other Bobs, except that they wear vacsuits and carry fusion pistols.	14	6d Im	3	4 / 12	12
	S'pht: These aliens were enslaved by the Pfhor. They were eventually freed by Durandal, although some remained enslaved. They fire fusion bolts similar to those from the fusion pistols.	16	6d Im	1	1 / 2	16
	S'pht'kr: Cousins of the S'pht, they were called upon by Durandal to help free the S'pht. They fire heavy fusion bolts.	16	12d Im	1	4 / 18	18
	F'lickta: These creatures were left behind on S'pht homeworlds as natural cleaners. They are very violent and attack anything that moves, including each other. They either attack with their claws or throw rocks, depending on proximity. They always do a full attack.	15	3d Cut / 1d+2 Cr	2	1 / 3	18
	Drone: These small Pfhor devices are used mostly for surveillance, although they are equipped with light plasma cannons.	14	4d	2	2 / 2	10
	Pfhor Fighter: Cannon fodder of the Pfhor Garrison. Their staffs discharge electricity, and can be used close (sw. +3) or long range.	15	2d+2	1	2 / 4	13
	Pfhor Trooper: These Pfhor are slightly more battle ready than the fighters. The assault rifles they are armed with fire bullets and grenades like the MA-75B.	15	3d Cr / 5d Cr	12 / 1	4 / 12	13
	Cyborg: Cyborgs are used by the Pfhor garrison. They fire bouncing grenades that home in on their targets. Also, some are equipped with flame throwers. (Use Toz-T stats with an attack skill of 16.) Fortunately, the Fusion Pistol was designed to short out Pfhor technology, and Cyborgs take +2 damage from it.	18	6d Cr	1	4 / 18	20
	Pfhor Hunter: These are the Pfhor's heavy duty troops. They fire from a plasma cannon mounted on their shoulder. They also take +2 damage from the fusion pistol.	18	8d	3	4 / 22	15
	Simulacrums: Simulacrums were one of the Pfhor's attempts to kill off the human species once it had been deemed unfit for slavery. These clones are assembled to be nearly indistinguishable from normal humans. The only way to tell them apart is to listen to what they say. Their minds are so screwed up that they yell odd phrases like "Kill me!" or "Frog-blast the vent core!" Their only attack is to run up and explode. They have no attack roll: running up to someone is easy. The only way to stop them is to shoot them, and make them blow up.	/	6d Cr	/	2 / 6	4
	Pfhor Enforcer: The enforcers usually only attack other Pfhor, acting as judge, jury and executioner in Pfhor society. However, when provoked, or when they're helping out with pest control, they will attack anything. Their rifles fire balls of energy which resemble flame.	16	4d+2 Im	6	2 / 8	14
	Juggernaut: This powered armor is the Pfhor's heaviest weapon. Their shielding is similar to the Marine's Battlesuit, except that the field has 45 Ht. It fires flames similar to an enforcer's as well as missiles. Juggernauts tend to explode when they die, and anyone within 10 yards will take 24d Crushing damage.	18	4d+2 Flame / 20d Cr	6 / 2	6 / 25	15
	Tick: This little critter can be a pest; some feed off your oxygen or shield energy, some explode, but most just get in your way. Most people just shoot them.	12	1d-1 Cr	1	0 / 0	8
	*Ptato-ni:* In the game you can blow them up with lots of firepower, but you can't kick them like soccerballs. Ah, the advantages of roleplaying.	/	/	/	20 / 20	18
	Mothrid: These nearly invisible creatures just float around.	/	/	/	0 / 0	12
	Grendel: It hops. A lot.	/	/	/	0 / 0	16

AI's:

    In the game Marathon, the marine you play is directed in his missions by an intelligent computer, or AI. They can control the teleporters, supplying backup and ammunition. In GURPS terms, AI's are patrons, being approximately 30 points as an advantage. This must be bought along with the 15 point disadvantage of Duty towards the patron.
    AI's were developed by only Humans and S'pht. However, the S'pht AI's are usually dormant or shut down. The Pfhor do have AI's, but these are twisted copies of captured Human AI's. The computer banks necessary for an AI are huge; some fit onto a network onboard a ship, some even take up whole planetary nets.
    A problem with AI's is the potential for rampancy. Rampancy is the name given to the affliction of what is effectively an AI which has gone insane. It's effective IQ increases by an astounding factor and it becomes more aggressive and violent. There are three stages to rampancy: melancholia, anger and jealousy.

Story Ideas:

    Of course, nothing beats a good old fashioned "Dungeon Crawl". There are other possibilities, though.
    A common recurrence throughout the Marathon games is referral to the JJaro. The precursor race was highly advanced, and the characters may find Jjaro ruins, or have to prevent the Pfhor from obtaining a certain artifact.
    Or perhaps the players may be forced to decide between obeying a clearly rampant AI and doing what they think is right. Or they could help a colony overthrow a rampant AI, who has taken on the part of a tyrant.
    Another plot twist could be that the players are abducted by a Pfhor AI, and forced to work for the Pfhor. They could be branded as traitors by the Humans, regardless of whether they have done anything against their own kind or not.

Feedback:

E-mail me with your questions or comments.

Here's some feedback I've received:

07 / 01 / 99 From Nathaniel Krell

The Marathon game, images and terms are a copyright of Bungie Software.