GURPS Who's Who 1 : 52 of History's Most Interesting Characters

by Masters, Phil

• ISBN13: 9781556343674
• ISBN10: 1556343671
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-05-01
• Publisher: Psi

Summary

-- Complete descriptions and character stats for 52 of the most intriguing people in history!
-- Well-researched and clearly written...a crossover for history buffs.
-- A fine demonstration of the educational value of roleplaying.

Table of Contents

Introduction	3	(1)
About the Compiler	3	(1)
About GURPS	3	(1)
Birth, Luck, and Genius	4	(8)
Kings, Saints, Generals, and Poets	5	(4)
Historical Impact	5	(1)
Selection Criteria	5	(1)
Great Men as NPCs	6	(1)
104 Most Important People in History	6	(1)
Great Men as PCs	7	(2)
Playing Variations: Changing History	9	(3)
Assassination	9	(1)
Malleability Rating and the Great	9	(1)
Great Men or Irresistible Forces	10	(1)
Saving Lives and Extending Lifespans	10	(1)
Diversions and Distractions	10	(1)
Dropping Hints	11	(1)
The Ancient World and Dark Ages	12	(26)
Who Might Have Been?	13	(1)
Akhenaten (c. 1388 B.C.-1362 B.C.) Heretic pharaoh, dedicated monotheist	14	(2)
David ben-Jesse (c. 1040 B.C.-968 B.C.) Shepherd, warrior, bandit, king, and psalmist	16	(2)
Cyrus the Great (6th century B.C.) Founder of Persia, dedicated unifier	18	(2)
Xenophon (431 B.C.-c.351 B.C.) Soldier, writer, and leader of the Ten Thousand	20	(2)
Aristotle (384 B.C.-322 B.C.) ``The master of those who know''	22	(2)
Alexander the Great (356 B.C.-323 B.C.) Empire-builder and greatest of generals	24	(2)
Ch'in Shih Huang Ti (259 B.C.-210 B.C.) Paranoid book-burner, and unifier of China	26	(2)
Julius Caesar (102 B.C.-44 B.C.) First of the Caesars, conqueror and politician	28	(2)
Boudica (c. A.D. 25-60) Warrior-queen, leader of the British revolt against Rome	30	(2)
Constantine the Great (c.274-337) First Christian Roman Emperor	32	(2)
Justinian I (482-565) Law-giving emperor, shaper of Byzantium	34	(2)
Theodora (497-548) Actress risen to empress, and Justinian's formidable wife	36	(2)
The Middle Ages	38	(20)
Who Might Have Been?	39	(1)
Sei Shonagon (966-1013) Courtly Japanese writer of exquisite sensitivity	40	(2)
Leif Eriksson (970-1020) ``Leif the Lucky,'' Norse discoverer of America	42	(2)
Harald Hardradi (1015-1066) Mercenary, wanderer, poet, king - the last Viking	44	(2)
Alexius I (1056-1118) The Byzantine emperor who started the Crusades	46	(2)
William Marshal (1144-1219) Knight, tournament champion, regent of England	48	(2)
Ibn Battuta (1304-1368) 75,000 miles traveled - in the Middle Ages	50	(2)
Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1342-1400) Courtier, poet, and observer of his world	52	(2)
Joan of Arc (1412-1431) The teen-age saint and martyr	54	(2)
Vlad Tepes (1431-1476) The original Dracula - more terrifying than any vampire	56	(2)
The High Renaissance	58	(28)
Who Might Have Been?	59	(1)
Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519) Renaissance genius	60	(2)
Hernan Cortes (1485-1547) Conqueror of Mexico	62	(2)
Paracelsus (1493-1541) Doctor, alchemist, and larger-than-life	64	(2)
Catherine di Medici (1519-1589) Consummate politician and power behind the French throne	66	(2)
John Dee (1527-1608) Scholar, Magus, Con-Man, Victim	68	(2)
Elizabeth I (1533-1603) The Queen who gave England greatness	70	(2)
Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616) Unifier of Japan	72	(2)
Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) Genius astronomer, noble, and eccentric	74	(2)
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) The greatest playwright in history?	76	(2)
Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642) The ultimate manipulator, true ruler of France	78	(2)
Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) Puritan revolutionary, Lord Protector of England	80	(2)
Peter the Great (1672-1725) The unstoppable Tsar who turned Russia westwards	82	(2)
Bartholomew Roberts (c. 1682-1722) The real Dread Pirate Roberts	84	(2)
From Enlightenment to Modernity	86	(38)
Who Might Have Been?	87	(1)
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) Scientist, writer, and emissary of the American Revolution	88	(2)
Robert Clive (Clive of India) (1725-1774) Founder of British ascendancy in India	90	(2)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Possibly the greatest composer in history	92	(2)
Aaron Burr, Jr. (1756-1836) Politician, duelist - and plotter	94	(2)
Shaka Zulu (c.1787-1828) Conquering Zulu king	96	(2)
Lord Byron (1788-1824) A poet dangerous - but irresistible - to know	98	(2)
Charles Darwin (1809-1882) Brilliant naturalist and Theorist of Evolution	100	(2)
Emperor Norton (1818-1880) The first and last Emperor of the United States	102	(2)
Lola Montez (1820-1861) Dancer, courtesan, and professional celebrity	104	(2)
Harriet Tubman (c. 1820-1913) ``Moses of her people,'' slave, slave-rescuer, and spy	106	(2)
Sir Richard Burton (1821-1890) Traveler, linguist, soldier, spy, writer	108	(2)
Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) Inventor-scientist with his own unique vision	110	(2)
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) The voice of the British Empire	112	(2)
Alberto Santos Dumont (1873-1932) A pioneer aviator from Brazil	114	(2)
Mata Hari (1876-1917) Lived by her looks, died as a spy, left her name to the world	116	(2)
Albert Einstein (1879-1955) The famed father of relativity	118	(2)
``Two-Gun'' Cohen (1887-1970) London street-kid turned bodyguard-fixer - in China	120	(2)
Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) Visionary teller of Weird Tales	122	(2)
Appendices	124	(4)
A: Other Significant Figures	124	(1)
B: Games Mechanics & the Great	125	(3)
Attributes and Aptitudes	125	(1)
Other Features	125	(3)
Index	128