Particle_Man
Explorer
One word of warning, Gurps Powers is a more flexible way to do magic than Gurps Magic, which is surprisingly restrictive for a universal system.
What is GURPS?
- Thread starter Knightlord
- Start date
Ashrem Bayle
Explorer
Particle_Man said:
Agreed. However, GURPS: Thaumatology is coming out in August (hopefully) and it's supposed to offer all kinds of ways to tweak the basic magic system.
I'm waiting on that book to see if I want to use the basic spell system or use Powers for something more flexible.
Jürgen Hubert
First Post
Particle_Man said:
The system in GURPS Magic is pretty much a huge list of "standard spells" (about 700-800 or so). It works well enough for many fantasy campaigns, but it doesn't really go into much detail about fiddling around with the base assumptions of the spell system. You'll need the upcoming GURPS Thaumatology for that.
On the other hand, GURPS Powers is awesome. It's not really a typical "book with all the rules we forgot to put into the Basic Set" like you might think from reading the book description alone - instead, it's a book full of suggestions and ideas about what you can do with the Basic Set (I hope this makes sense,,,). And that's a lot more than you might have imagined.
With the suggestions in this book, and a basic familiarity of the advantages in the Basic Set, you will be able to come up with a whole subsystem for a type of supernatural powers. Want to be a sun priest who can manipulate light, but only while the sun is in the sky? A demonologist who can summon demonic allies through blood sacrifice? Someone who can control the elements, but becomes fatigued every time he uses his powers? A hermit who can command plants and animals - but only as long as he stays away from cities?
All are not only doable with GURPS Powers, but easily doable - and all are already balanced within the context of the GURPS rules.
Ashrem Bayle
Explorer
Jürgen Hubert said:The system in GURPS Magic is pretty much a huge list of "standard spells" (about 700-800 or so). It works well enough for many fantasy campaigns, but it doesn't really go into much detail about fiddling around with the base assumptions of the spell system. You'll need the upcoming GURPS Thaumatology for that.
On the other hand, GURPS Powers is awesome. It's not really a typical "book with all the rules we forgot to put into the Basic Set" like you might think from reading the book description alone - instead, it's a book full of suggestions and ideas about what you can do with the Basic Set (I hope this makes sense,,,). And that's a lot more than you might have imagined.
With the suggestions in this book, and a basic familiarity of the advantages in the Basic Set, you will be able to come up with a whole subsystem for a type of supernatural powers. Want to be a sun priest who can manipulate light, but only while the sun is in the sky? A demonologist who can summon demonic allies through blood sacrifice? Someone who can control the elements, but becomes fatigued every time he uses his powers? A hermit who can command plants and animals - but only as long as he stays away from cities?
All are not only doable with GURPS Powers, but easily doable - and all are already balanced within the context of the GURPS rules.
In my current campaign, we have a "druid" who gets more powerful the farther away from civilization he becomes. In a city, he's pretty much a normal dude.
But as he gets out into the wilds, he starts getting bigger, more muscular, hairier, and more feral looking. It also gets harder for him to control his temper and he becomes prone to falling into berserk rages. In addition to that, he heals faster, his skin toughens, his senses get more acute, he gets faster, and he gains the ability to sprout claws that are nearly a foot long.
robconley
Hero
Jürgen Hubert said:
I was trying to convince a friend to try GURPS 4th edition. We played together for 10 years in NERO live action roleplaying . NERO uses boffer combat and packets for spells. You say the incant "I call forth a magic missile" and throw the packet. If it hits the spell does damage and/or takes effect.
I was able to replicate the system using GURPS Powers. Not only replicate the effect but the feel of saying the incant and throwing the packet. Because GURPS is grounded in realism it was easy to simulate the physical limitation of a person throwing a bean bag with all it's limitations yet increase the magical effects that occured.
Playing NERO for 10 years has left us with a good sense of how a combat encounter should go. When we playtested it, it was eerie how accurately GURPS replicated the situations and choices we had to make.
Sure it wasn't perfect. Some of the point values caused things to be valued way differently but still it is a testament to the quality design of the system that it could come close.
Knightlord said:
GURPS is most certainly NOT anything like CARPS (Crappy Azz Roleplaying System), otherwise known as Wildside Fantasy Role-playing System.
Humor aside, GURPS is a great game if you like doing a LOT of prep-work. For that, it's awesome. If time constrains you (as it does me), I recommend 4E. 4E is also eminently more "kewl," which I enjoy. GURPS takes a lot of work to be "kewl," and still usually doesn't feel "kewl" even then.
I like it for "gritty," but I'm sick of gritty right now.
Jürgen Hubert
First Post
Note: Most of the prep work for GURPS is only relevant for player characters. After all, character points are an accounting device for player characters only, so there's no reason to calculate them for NPCs.
Here, for example, is a Generic Guard:
ST 11, DX 10, IQ 10, HT 11
Skills: Broadsword-12, Shield-12
Weapons: Broadsword, 1d+2 cut
Armor: Leather Armor, DR 2, Medium Shield
Defenses: Dodge 10, Parry 11, Block 11
I just made those stats up, which really didn't take up a lot of time.
Here, for example, is a Generic Guard:
ST 11, DX 10, IQ 10, HT 11
Skills: Broadsword-12, Shield-12
Weapons: Broadsword, 1d+2 cut
Armor: Leather Armor, DR 2, Medium Shield
Defenses: Dodge 10, Parry 11, Block 11
I just made those stats up, which really didn't take up a lot of time.
pawsplay
Hero
pawsplay said:
HUMAN SORCERER
ST 9 [-10]
DX 12 [40]
IQ 10
HT 11 [10]
Will 13 [15], Perception 11 [5], HP 12 [15]
Advantages: Charisma 2 [10], Magery 2 [25], Sorcery Energy Reserve FP 4 [20]
Skills: Thaumatology IQ+2 - 12 [16]
Expert Creatures of Magic IQ+2 - 12 [8]
Meditation IQ+2 - 12 [12]
Knife DX -12 [1]
Staff DX - 11 [1]
Axe/Axe 11 [1]
Thrown Knife DX - 12 [1]
Sorcery Power
Power modifier: Magic -10%
Light: Perk, magical "candle" [1]
Ghost Sound: Perk, magical sound [1]
Magic Missile: Innate Attack, 2d pi, Accurate 5 (+25%), Armor Divisor (5) (+150%), Sorcery (-10%), Costs Fatigue (-5%) [26]
Sleep: Affliction 2, Unconscious (150%), Malediction (150%) , Area Effect, radius 3 (100%), Sorcery (-10%), Costs Fatigue (-5%) [97]
Total: 295 points (maybe, check my math)
I chose the example using the TK rules specifically because of a heroic-level (not superheroic) campaign in which we were using psionics- my PC had to spend a great deal of build points to be strong enough to lift a bowling ball (literally, 16lbs, as I recall). There were other splatbooks in the GM's possession (that I don't own and that he chose not to use) in which the same amount of power points spent on TK would have given the PC TK strength orders of magnitude better. He barely had enough points left over to be a competent PI.
(I know comparing across systems is at best fraught with danger, but by way of contrast, a HERO version of the same PC in a heroic level campaign could be designed as a competent PI and could telekinetically exert full human strength, lifting about 200lbs.)
