GURPS wild west game

[Borthos]

So i'm going to do something i've always wanted to do: a Wild West RPG campaign, and i'm going to use GURPS. I can understand the system easily, took me a bit to get it down, but I understand it.

But i have a few issues with beginning this campaign, not the least of which is the point allocation for the players. Here I am stuck in a rut, because I have little idea of what to go by. My players will encounter such historic figures as Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday, and the bunch, so i need them to be appropriately sized up for hero points, but I have no idea where to put the point values for character creation. They'll start out pretty much at level 1(I know there isn't a level system in gurps) as unknowns with crap guns and smart mouths and go from there. Any help would be greatly appreciated

Also, if anybody would be kind enough to guide me in the general direction for maps of the old west that would be helpful as well, as this is going be a vast scope from california to texas.

 

[coyote6]

If you want them to start small, then just use the standard starting point total for whichever edition you're using (100 for 3e, 150 for 4e, IIRC).

 

[ValhallaGH]

I'm going to raise a point that you didn't. I hope you'll see why in a second. I also hope that it helps you improve the game to make it very successful.

My players will encounter such historic figures as Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday, and the bunch, so i need them to be appropriately sized up for hero points, ...
Also, if anybody would be kind enough to guide me in the general direction for maps of the old west that would be helpful as well, as this is going be a vast scope from california to texas.

Something you need to decide right away is how "strict" are you planning to be. Will player choices and actions matter? Can the PCs kill Wyatt Earp three weeks before the showdown at the O.K. Corral? Can they chop off Doc Holiday's hands? Can they shoot Pat Garret and ride with Billy the Kid for six years? Can they rescue Morgan and get Wyatt killed? Can they invent a superior treatment for T.B. and extend Doc's life by 15 years? Can they participate in the Lincoln County War and kill an unknown gunman nicknamed "Kid"?

If the answer to the specifics is "yes" then all is well. You may want to look into the Deadlands setting (classic, reloaded, d20, or GURPS; it's an awesome setting no matter what rules you use, with great maps and excellent [western / horror] adventures easily adapted to any game). Regardless of what you do, Best of luck. You can skip the rest of this post.


If the answer to the specifics is "no" then the preceding question is also a "no". "No, player choices and actions won't matter." Most players will find this unfun, so I'd strongly advise you to reconsider. What's the point of the game if the characters, the protagonists by definition, can't do anything meaningful? Sure, they can do a bunch of small crap (catch rustlers, stop rapists, etc.) but they can't touch the big stuff no matter how skilled, clever, or well-connected they might get? Lame; lame enough that I and all the gamers I know would walk away and declare the West to be "stupid and boring."


Best of luck.