GURPS Classic: Mars

http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/mars/ Introduction 5 About the Author 5 1. Mars Observed 6 The Red Star 7 Early Theories and Observations 7 Percival Lowell: A Man, A Planet, A Canal 7 Naming Names 8 Gulliver’s Travels and the Moons of Mars 9 Men and Martians 10 The War(s) of the Worlds 10 Sword and Planet 11 Mars in Classic Science Fiction 11 Space Age Mars 12 Martians and Popular Fears 12 Mars Probes 13 2. Mars in Reality 14 Basic Physical Data 15 The Planet 15 Motion 15 Conditions 16 Time on Mars 16 What to Wear 16 Calling Home 16 Climate 17 Atmosphere 17 The Mean Datum 17 Soil 17 Water 17 Resources 18 Hazards 20 What Mars Doesn’t Have 20 Features 22 Uplands and Lowlands 22 Tharsis and Elysium 22 The Caverns of Mars? 22 Topographic Map of Mars in 2002 – Mercator Projection 23 Topographic Map of Mars in 2002 – Stereographic Projections 24 Martian Geography 25 Channels and Valleys 27 Crater Basins 28 The Polar Caps 28 Missions to the Moons 29 The Moons of Mars 29 Phobos 29 Deimos 30 Life on Mars? 30 Conditions in the Past 30 Where Life Might Survive 30 Looking for Life 31 Invaders from Earth 31 The Martian Meteorite 31 Getting to Mars 32 Mars Direct 32 The NASA Design Reference Mission 32 Trajectories 33 New Rocket Engines 34 Mars One-Way 34 Regular Service: The Mars Cycler 35 The Cycler Spacecraft 35 The Mars Lander 36 Getting Around on Mars 37 Mars 1956 38 3. Mars in Fiction and Myth 39 Dial M For Martian 40 Hard Science vs. Planetary Romance 40 Primitive vs. Advanced 40 Silly Mars 41 Three Little Men From Mars Are We 41 Dying World vs. New Frontier 42 Mystic Mars 42 Mars in Astronomy 43 Mars and the Cabal 44 The Mars Effect 44 Space Gods From Mars? 44 Mars in Alchemy 45 Worlds in Collision 45 Mars in Magic 45 Sailing Through the Crystal Spheres 46 Weird Mars 46 Pyramids of Mars? 46 Artificial Moons? 47 Fortean Mars 47 Velikovskian Mars 48 Capricorn One 48 Spiritualist Mars 49 Illuminated Mars 49 4. Domed Mars 51 Colonies on Mars 52 The First Base 52 Chryse Colony 2050 53 Chryse Planitia 2050 53 Other Colonies in 2050 54 Domed Colonies in 2050 – Western Hemisphere 55 Domed Colonies in 2050 – Eastern Hemisphere 55 Deimos Base 57 Life Under Glass 57 Somebody Else Is On Mars 58 Secret Colonies 59 Technology 59 Ground Vehicles 59 Mars Rover 59 Vehicle Statistics 60 Pressurized Rover 60 Power Unit Trailer 61 Aircraft 62 Mars Blimp 62 Robots 62 The Mars Launcher 62 Mars Pioneers 63 Administrator 63 Astronaut 63 Mars Suits 63 Colonist 63 Mission Specialist 64 Prospector 64 Rebel 64 Kids on Mars? 64 Scientist 65 Weapons 65 Technician 65 Vehicle Operator 65 Advantages, Disadvantages, and Skills 66 Advantages 66 Master Minds of Mars 66 Disadvantages 67 Skills 68 Campaigns and Adventures 68 Disaster! 68 Martian Gold Rush 69 Return of the Martians 69 Independence 70 Other GURPS Settings 70 Squatters 71 Martian Marshal 71 5. Terraformed Mars 72 Preserving the Old World 73 What if it Goes Wrong? 73 Terraforming 73 Why Terraform? 73 What Mars Needs 74 Big Jobs 74 Biology 76 Mars Needs . . . Um 76 The New World 76 Phase One 76 Phase Two 77 Phase Three 77 The New Landscape 77 Hydrographic Map of Terraformed Mars 78 Time Scale 79 Martian Organisms 80 Mars Colonists 80 Planet of Roofs 81 Moving Mars 81 Society on Terraformed Mars 81 Humans into Martians 82 The Skyhook 83 Elevator Car 83 Genetic Engineering Packages 84 Characters 85 Red Planet, Blue Sky 86 Pedal Ultralight (TL9) 86 Martian Prickly Pear 87 Advantages, Disadvantages, and Skills 87 Advantages 87 Disadvantages 88 Skills 88 Campaigns and Adventures 88 Greens vs. Reds 88 Other GURPS Books 89 Mars vs. Earth 91 Ski Olympus Mons! 91 6. Superscience Mars 92 Geography 93 The Martians 93 Other Kinds of Martians 93 Biology 93 History 94 Martian Psionics 94 Martian Society 94 Domed Cities 96 Martian Names 95 Martian Technology 97 Flying Saucers 97 Attack Saucer 97 Transport Saucer 98 The Tripod Expeditionary Force 98 Martian Tripod 98 Characters 99 Martian Character Types 99 Martian Mutants 101 Advantages 101 Disadvantages 102 Skills 102 Campaigns and Adventures 103 Invaders From Mars 103 Invaders From Earth 104 Other GURPS Settings 106 Rival Planets 105 The Solar Federation 105 The Martian Campaign 105 7. Dying Mars 107 The Landscape 108 How a Planet Dies 108 The Past – or the Future? 108 Canals and Territories of Dying Mars 109 Inhabitants 110 Cities and Kingdoms 112 The Marineris Cities 112 Map of Marineris Cities 112 The Underground Empire 113 Ruins and Lost Cities 113 The Acidalian Theocracy 114 The Hellan Empire 114 Pirates of Mars 114 Nomads of the Desert 115 Swords and Superscience 115 Ancient Wonders 115 High-Tech Transportation 116 Peroxide Pistol 117 Or Is It Magic? 117 Ceramic Guns and Glass Daggers 117 Martian Beasts 118 Sand-Sharks 118 Riding-Lizards 119 Night Horrors 119 Characters and Abilities 119 Character Templates 119 Advantages 121 Disadvantages 122 Skills 123 Campaigns and Adventures 123 Men From Earth 123 Other GURPS Settings 124 Sand Raiders of Mars 125 Merchants of Mars 125 The Last Engineers 125 Bibliography 126 Index 128 The Red Planet. To the ancients, it was the God of War. To early astronomers, it seemed to be a world much like ours. To today's space explorers, it's the next step after the Moon . . . a harsh world that we might someday bring to life. GURPS Mars describes Mars as it's been through the ages . . . as science now believes it really is . . . as it may be someday, mankind's first colony . . . and as the wild imaginations of science fiction writers have pictured it! Five different settings provide a Mars for every campaign, from hard science to "Attack of the Bug-Eyed Monsters."