GURPS - a matter of style and setting.

[bret]

Strange that no one has suggested it yet, but I think that Technomancer is one of the more interesting settings. This assumes you want some sort of setting rather than just ideas of how to mix different genres.

The setting is modern world with magic, Missles and Magic. This allows your players to deal with modern (well, actually a few decades ago) situations yet still encounter magic. The history diverges from our history with the first A-bomb test, which makes it a little easier.


Before you go too far with GURPS, I would suggest you try a few mock combats and situations. Get a reasonable handle on the rules before diving heavily into a campaign. This allows you and your players to try a few different character designs before starting the 'real' campaign.

 

[mmadsen]

Before you go too far with GURPS, I would suggest you try a few mock combats and situations. Get a reasonable handle on the rules before diving heavily into a campaign. This allows you and your players to try a few different character designs before starting the 'real' campaign.

And if you're coming from D&D, don't assume all the "neat" advanced rules are necessary...then complain that combat is slow and complicated.

 

[Sigmund]

Forget GURPS.......go with Deadlands (the original, not d20), or wierd wars (the d20 was a blast for this one)

 

[Tonguez]

Also get GURPS-lite (free pdf from SJGames website) and use it for a test run before you decide.

 

[arcseed]

Something I've thought of doing for a 'take a break' campaign is a modern GURPS political campaign. Have your DM read All the King's Men, Primary Colors, and Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72, roll up some political advisors and maybe a thug type, maybe/maybe not have the cadidate himself a PC, start half a year before the primaries, and go to it.

Oh, and way too much West Wing can't hurt either.

Or maybe I'm just brain-damaged from growing up in Washigton.

 

[bret]

Something I've thought of doing for a 'take a break' campaign is a modern GURPS political campaign. Have your DM read All the King's Men, Primary Colors, and Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72, roll up some political advisors and maybe a thug type, maybe/maybe not have the cadidate himself a PC, start half a year before the primaries, and go to it.

Oh, and way too much West Wing can't hurt either.

Or maybe I'm just brain-damaged from growing up in Washigton.

In GURPS, you don't want to roll up characters.

The random generation system really doesn't work very well, and I would recommend people ignore it's existence. Design the characters, don't roll them up.

 

[Darkness]

I would recommend, in order from best to whatever, the following:

• GURPS Cabal (Supernatural occult conspiracy)
• GURPS WWII (Military realism. The best book for portraying the war)
• GURPS Voodoo (A shadow war fought by rival sects of magi for the salvation of mankind)
• GURPS Black Ops (Think Men in Black)
• GURPS Horror (Definitive in the genre, has several optional settings)
• GURPS Steampunk (thorough treatment, several optional settings, very Jules Verne)
• GURPS Illuminati (General conspiracy theory. Great for everything from comedy to X Files)

From best to whatever? Meaning that the first book on your list is the best one in your opinion? Damn; GURPS Cabal is the one book on the list that I don't have!
(My Horror book is quite old, but I'll get the new one in the next couple days...)

 

[Darkness]

... go with Deadlands (the original, not d20), ...

Better yet, get GURPS Deadlands!

 

[The Cardinal]

GURPS - great choice!

nice campaigns:

1. conspiracy/illuminati/horror - GURPS Horror 3e, Illuminati, Warehouse 23, Cabal

2. GURPS Swashbuckler 2e

3. GURPS Steampunk & Steam-Tech

4. GURPS Conspiracy X

5. GURPS Cthulhupunk

6. GURPS Transhuman Space


....and get a Pyramid subscribtion!

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

If you liked the idea of throwing characters from different times and universes together in any kind of setting, they might or might not belong to (originally), and you like movies, you have two other options besides GURPS:
Torg. Unfortunately, it will become difficult to get the books for it (and you need several of them. Look at old WEG Sites, or internet auctions. Maybe you will still find some copies)
Or Feng Shu (I only read the "core book", but it sounds nice), but this is very "hong kong action" focused. (Not that that would be bad. But, compared to Torg, where you can use any typical movie setting - from cyberpunk to film noir to indiano jones style and contemporary - it is a narrow focus)

Mustrum Ridcully