Bulk

Both HP and ST scale with size. As a result, both (particularly HP) are used in GURPS to represent overall mass when dealing with slams, collisions, falls, and the like. However, tough things have more HP than their size would suggest, and fragile things less. To get an attribute that represents mass in game terms, I introduce Bulk.

Bulk is not worth any points. It is directly determined by the character's mass. If someone wants to have a large Bulk, he will have to weigh a lot. The table below gives the relationship between Bulk and mass. For most living things, Bulk is closely related to SM, since most living things are about the same density. This does not hold true for many non-living objects; those made out of something dense like stone or solid metal will have a lower SM than what is listed, those made out of something tenuous like feathers, foam, or gas will have a higher SM. On the table below, the character or object's listed mass is the minimum for that Bulk, it can be higher, up to the amount given by the next higher Bulk score.

Bulk Mass (kg) SM

Bulk Mass (kg) SM

Bulk Mass (kg) SM

Bulk Mass (kg) SM

1 0.05 -5 or less
2 0.5 -4
3 1.5 -3
4 3.5 -3
5 7 -2
6 12 -2
7 20 -1
8 30 -1
9 40 0
10 55 0
11 75 0
12 100 0
13 125 0
14 160 1
15 190 1
16 230 1
17 280 1
18 330 1
19 390 1
20 450 2

21 525 2
22 600 2
23 690 2
24 790 2
25 890 2
26 1000 2
27 1100 2
28 1250 3
29 1400 3
30 1500 3
31 1700 3
32 1850 3
33 2000 3
34 2250 3
35 2400 3
36 2650 3
37 2900 3
38 3100 3
39 3400 3
40 3650 3

41 3900 3
42 4200 4
43 4500 4
44 4850 4
45 5200 4
46 5500 4
47 5900 4
48 6300 4
49 6700 4
50 7100 4
51 7500 4
52 8000 4
53 8500 4
54 9000 4
55 9500 4
56 10000 4
57 10500 4
58 11100 4
59 11700 4
60 12300 4

61 13000 5
62 13500 5
63 14250 5
64 14900 5
65 15600 5
66 16300 5
67 17100 5
68 17900 5
69 18900 5
70 19500 5
71 20400 5
72 21200 5
73 22100 5
74 23000 5
75 24000 5
76 25000 5
77 26000 5
78 27000 5
79 28000 5
80 29100 5

Bulk Mass (kg) SM

Bulk Mass (kg) SM

Bulk Mass (kg) SM

Bulk Mass (kg) SM

81 30200 5
82 31400 5
83 32500 5
84 33700 5
85 35000 5
86 36200 5
87 37500 5
88 38800 5
89 40100 6
90 41500 6
91 42900 6
92 44300 6
93 45800 6
94 47300 6
95 48800 6
96 50300 6
97 52000 6
98 53500 6
99 55200 6
100 56900 6

101 58600 6
102 60400 6
103 62200 6
104 64000 6
105 65800 6
106 67800 6
107 69700 6
108 71700 6
109 73700 6
110 75700 6
111 77800 6
112 80000 6
113 82100 6
114 84300 6
115 86500 6
116 88800 6
117 91100 6
118 93500 6
119 95900 6
120 98300 6

121 101000 6
122 103000 6
123 106000 6
124 108000 6
125 111000 6
126 114000 6
127 117000 6
128 119000 6
129 122000 6
130 125000 7
131 128000 7
132 131000 7
133 134000 7
134 137000 7
135 139000 7
136 143000 7
137 146000 7
138 150000 7
139 153000 7
140 156000 7

141 159000 7
142 163000 7
143 166000 7
144 170000 7
145 173000 7
146 177000 7
147 181000 7
148 184000 7
149 188000 7
150 192000 7
151 196000 7
152 200000 7
153 204000 7
154 208000 7
155 212000 7
156 216000 7
157 220000 7
158 224000 7
159 229000 7
160 233000 7

For objects with a mass greater than that given on the table, Bulk can be calculated as cube root(mass in kg) × 2.6, dropping fractions.

Back to GURPS House Rules