GURPS pitch to d20 players

[maximara]

Originally Posted by corwyn

Not the best one, IMO, GCA, but it's cheap at $15 with no further cost to support virtually every book published.

If you have a Mac (like I do) GCS is better. It currently supports 38 "sets" (a book or series of books). For example, the Dungeon Fantasy set is 14 books and 4 other "parts" (including races) which is separate from the Dungeon Fantasy RPG set which has 7 components

Originally Posted by corwyn

If you have players who like classes like the Battlemaster fighter, I would target them. I think GURPS has the finest tactical combat system I have ever seen in an RPG. Very few options for weapon combat are hidden by a "paywall" of feats or levels. If you have sufficient skill, you can choose between multiple attacks, hit location, deceptive attacks, or all at the same time. You can Feint, just defend, etc.

I've won over some D&D players that way. Players of non- and semi-casters have a lot to gain from DF.

I agree regarding the Tactical System - it is reasonably fast and you can change the level of detail. There is even a cinematic combat option (which D&D uses by default at higher levels)

[corwyn]

Originally Posted by DangerousThing

There are also quick contests, which are less tightly tied to skills. For example, magic and psionic rolls use the Rule of 16 (by default).

And reaction rolls, which players may not make, but they need to understand them, at least generally, for character creation.

[Flyndaran]

I literally just put down my D20 Stargate book to look at this thread.
As much as my personal RPG experiences involved D&D, there is one way Gurps simply shines at, IMO.
I can start with the character I want, not an intern incompetent version that may one day rise to said character. But will also automatically gain abilities that really never fit my initial idea.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

This is an excellent pitch for GURPS. I would caution though that the front-loading is a mixed blessing: some new GURPS players find character creation daunting, even with templates, and I would make sure you have pregens available (without making them mandatory) for the sake of players who feel that way.

Heck, I've been playing GURPS for 30 years or so and I still find chargen daunting at times.

I would not mention min-maxing at all.

Definitely. In a way, this ties in with the earlier verisimilitude point - real people are not min-maxed either. Except Chuck Norris.

[dcarson]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

Definitely. In a way, this ties in with the earlier verisimilitude point - real people are not min-maxed either. Except Chuck Norris.

And what is he mined at.

[seycyrus]

Originally Posted by dcarson

And what is he mined at.

Doesn't understand failure.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by dcarson

And what is he mined at.

FEAR. HE HAS NONE.

[brianfb]

Simpler? Lolz. That is not GURPS selling point. Complexity is a drawback

[brianfb]

A selling point is that it’s level based. Progression is steady instead of periodic big jumps. Also you can’t fall off a 30 story building and survive based on lots of hit points.

[Mister Negative]

One thing I love about GURPS is that, GM willing, players can have a lot of narrative control. Of course, a good GM can enable that in any system, but GURPS has so much of it 'baked in'.

You can have enemies and allies, contacts and patrons. You can have luck, common sense, serendipity, and destiny. You can have wealth, and resources, and unusual backgrounds and signature gear.

So many things that can be a real, important part of WHO a character is are quantified in GURPS.

(And I know that with your DM's cooperation, you can have all those things in D&D, too, but I like that GURPS quantifies them, so that the player who runs the unreasonably lucky noob is roughly on the same playing field as the player running the grizzled veteran who can't catch a break.)