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Message: <blockquote data-quote="robertsconley" data-source="post: 9786595" data-attributes="member: 13383">It’s for much the same reason GURPS drew many of us in during the late 1980s, completely customizable characters with mechanics that made sense both in terms of how life works and, in some cases, how fiction works.Starting with AD&D 2e’s Skills & Powers and really hitting stride with D&D 3.0, D&D “fixed” the issue of character customization, and that approach continues through 5e. But D&D still sits firmly on the fantastic side of fantasy. Some folks prefer a system that offers the same range of options but within a more grounded framework.Because GURPS is a toolkit, you can dial the fantastic elements back in when you want them, but in a measured way that stays consistent with the tone or realism your group is after.(shrug) GURPS never really excelled at original settings, in my opinion. Banestorm was fine, but just fine. Infinite Worlds felt too heavy-handed, leaning too much on the “mission of the session” concept, and it didn’t get enough support from freelancers to make it truly come alive.For my part, I used GURPS to run my Majestic Wilderlands, based on Judges Guild’s Wilderlands of High Fantasy and City State of the Invincible Overlord. I had a lot of memorable campaigns that really developed my setting. GURPS worked great not only for traditional adventuring parties, but also for campaigns centered on mages, city guards, the criminal underworld, or residents of a single neighborhood.One of my favorites involved just two players, one was an agent of the Black Lotus (the Overlord’s secret police), the other a blacksmith. They were sent to investigate strange goings-on in a rebellious duchy. The blacksmith was there because the rebel Duke was hiring an unusual number of smiths, so his expertise mattered. GURPS allowed both characters to be fully realized people, not just adventurers defined by combat abilities.The problem with SJ Games is that their long-standing resistance to independent third-party publishing has stifled much of GURPS’s potential. At the end of the day, they’re still one company with limited resources and time, especially for a product that, while profitable, doesn’t pay the bills.On the other hand, these days, with GURPS Lite, Dungeon Fantasy, extensive use of templates, and the few 3PP products out there like Delver to Grow from Gaming Ballistic, it’s far easier to get started than it used to be.</blockquote>

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