Gurps? Where do I start?

[Sir Brennen]

One thing to note, the design philosophy behind 4E is that no new rules (or only an absolute minimum) will be introduced in books beyond the core. Powers, for example, is really more like an exhaustive guide of what you can do with the core rules to create specific superhuman or supernatural abilities.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

(^_^) It sound almost like Powers is "Gurps: Hero system".

Well, not quite - there aren't actually all that many genuinely new rules in GURPS Powers.

The approach of the book is more like:

"You can create any character you want with GURPS. Here, let us show you precisely what that means!"

 

[Kafkonia]

(^_^) It sound almost like Powers is "Gurps: Hero system".

In a way, it almost is. It's basically an expansion of what you get in Characters (there are only four or five new "powers", and two or three of those are just genericized versions of existing advantages, which then show how you can reverse-engineer those advantages by applying modifiers to the generic version.)

It is primarily devoted to being a toolkit to build powers from the existing advantages, and has some insight into different campaigns that may use powers (horror, psionics, sci-fi, wuxia, fantasy, supers, and so on.) You could definitely use it to build a magic system completely different from that presented in Characters and Magic.

As someone pointed out, though, there are no new rules, just implementations of existing ones.

 

[DungeonMaester]

So, I an having a hard time swallowing the rules for combat. That means, accepting it as anything then math bloated rules. Thus far I am using half 4e rules (Using all the 4th combat rules in every for, form weapon damage to manuvers) and half 3rd ed rules (All the character customization rules.) with the 4th ed stat and taking it kill cost.

I think I will end up buying 4th, since it will have all the 3rd stuff with all the cleaned up 4th rules. The Tug of War between editions is make for me to understand the rules.

---Rusty

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

So, I an having a hard time swallowing the rules for combat. That means, accepting it as anything then math bloated rules. Thus far I am using half 4e rules (Using all the 4th combat rules in every for, form weapon damage to manuvers) and half 3rd ed rules (All the character customization rules.) with the 4th ed stat and taking it kill cost.

I think I will end up buying 4th, since it will have all the 3rd stuff with all the cleaned up 4th rules. The Tug of War between editions is make for me to understand the rules.

---Rusty

I'm sure it does. My advice is to forget 3e ever happened and focus on 4e.
Once you have a real good grasp of 4e, maybe then you can look back at all the tons of 3e source material.

But really, for a fantasy game...

GURPS 4th Edition Basic Set Characters
GURPS 4th Edition Basic Set Campaigns
GURPS 4th Edition Powers
GURPS 4th Edition Magic

...these are about the only books you'll ever need to buy. Ever...

 

[Eltharon]

Ashram speaketh the truth. Fantasy you can pick up only if you need help making the setting itself.

 

[TGryph]

And Powers isn't really even necessary, especially if you run a more low-magic, gritty campaign such as I do. I have had Powers since it came out, read it once, and never even used it yet..and my campaign is going on its third year.

TGryph

BTW...Did you get the books I sent yet?

 

[RFisher]

"You can create any character you want with GURPS. Here, let us show you precisely what that means!"

As someone pointed out, though, there are no new rules, just implementations of existing ones.

Stop that! You guys are going to make me go buy 4/e, & I don't have time in my gaming schedule for that. (^_^)

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Stop that! You guys are going to make me go buy 4/e, & I don't have time in my gaming schedule for that. (^_^)

Oh, give up already. You know you want to.

I'll sum some of it up for you. Here is a list of the "sample power" writeups in GURPS Powers:

Air, Animal Control, Anti-Magic, Anti-Psi, Anti-Super, Astral Projection, Bioenergy, Body Alteration, Body Control, Chaos, Cold/Ice, Cosmic, Darkness, Death, Dimension Travel, Divine, Earth, Electricity, Electrokinesis, ESP, Evil, Force Constructs, Good, Gravity, Healing, Heat/Fate, Illusion, Kinetic Energy, Life, Light, Machine Telepathy, Magic, Magnetism, Matter Control, Order, Plant Control, Probability Alteration, Psychokinesis, Radiation, Sound/Vibration, Spirit Control, Telepathy, Teleportation, Time Mastery, Vampirism, Water, and Weather Control.


Each of these powers lists all standard GURPS advantages that conceivably fall under this focus - usually quite a few, including some of which might be surprising if you haven't thought about them. Using these as an example, you can easily create new powers, as long as you have a clear idea of the overall theme (such as "Love" or "Souls"). And unlike with, for example, creating new types of supernatural powers for D&D, you don't need to worry about balancing these powers - fundamentally they consist of the standard GURPS advantages, which basically already are point-balanced!

Each power also has a certain "Talent" associated with it - an advantage usually costing 5 points per level which gives a bonus to all skill or attribute rolls used for the advantages within that power.

Finally, each power lists possible appropriate "Power Modifiers". These are essentially Limitations (something that adds some sort of drawback to the advantage but also gives a point break) which each advantage within the power has to take, and they represent the source of the power. Example power modifiers are "Magic" and "Divine". Both are -10% limitations, but the former represents that the power is dependant on the ambient mana level in the location (if there is no magical power around, the ability won't work) and can be blocked by anti-magical countermeasures, while the later represents that the character has to obey certain behavioral strictures imposed on him by his divine patron. Most powers have multiple possible power modifiers - both a priest and a mage could conceivably take the "Air" power, but the former would take the Divine modifier, while the latter the Magic one.

And the book explains in detail how to construct such power modifiers - and since they are essentially standard GURPS limitations, you can easily come up with your own. Whether the power is always fatiguing (or even causing internal injuries), requires arcane gestures, or that the user take certain drugs for it to work - as long as you can come up with it, you can stat it!


The whole process is both simple and ingenious. If you are familiar with the advantages of GURPS, you can come up with an entirely new power in 15 minutes or so... and it will be immediately ready to play, without worrying about its balance versus other powers!


Well, are you convinced now?

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

I knew I had stumbled upon a winner when I created a goblin druid who could animate vegetation around him, essentially giving him telekinesis as long as plants were around. But instead of an invisible force, the grass and trees served as his "invisible" hands.

Imagine running up on a goblin in the forest who turns on you, snarls, raises his hands, and brings them down violently. To your horror you discover that the goblin isn't striking anything himself, but the trees around you are imitation his movements. You realize this as a great oak slams you into the ground, where the thick grass holds you, keeping you from escaping while the massive tree pummels you to death and the goblin laughs maniacally.

This comes from Powers (the Plant sample power) and is a basically the Telekinesis advantage with the "requires plant life" limitation. Very simple rule. Very cool result.