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Old 07-22-2009, 08:05 PM   #1
Jasper
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Default Discworld RPG - which GURPS?

I am considering (trying to) pick up a copy of Discworld RPG (when I have the money that is.

Now, as a group that has absolutely no experience with GURPS, I wonder what version of GURPS you would advise using.

Is it better to use 3rd edition, and be able to play everything as in the books? Or is fourth edition so much better, yet so little different that it is better to look if there are any big problems first thing, and work anything else out as we go along?

Using fourth edition does have an advantage for us as a group if we decide afterwards to play more GURPS that we will know the most current version.

What would you advise me to do? For what reason? (Did I guess the most important reasons for either correctly?)
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Old 07-22-2009, 08:23 PM   #2
isf
 
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Default Re: Discworld RPG - which GURPS?

I'd use 4th edition. The templates should convert pretty easily; though the point costs may differ.
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Old 07-23-2009, 08:26 AM   #3
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Default Re: Discworld RPG - which GURPS?

The Discworld RPG includes a copy of GURPS Lite (3rd ed.)-It's intended as an introductory, stand-alone game. Playing it will teach you the basic GURPS concepts. If you decide to move to 4th ed., it's not that hard to convert, but converting from 3rd to 4th without having actually played either first is just a set-up for frustration and confusion.
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Old 07-30-2009, 03:29 AM   #4
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Default Re: Discworld RPG - which GURPS?

Just stick with the "GURPS Lite" Appendix in the Discworld Book.
Discworld should be played lightweight on rules, an more narrative.

GURPS Lite really is a stripped down GURPS.
The "real GURPS" gives you a more advanced Combat System, more Skills, Advanges, Disadvatages, Spells, more Everything. The Charactersheet, the Skill roles, and all the basic stuff is the same.

The advanced Combat is not suitable for Discworld, and 200 pages full of yummy things your character could have on your sheet often leads to undecided players.

GURPS 4th Edition is also very simmilar to the 3rd Edition. If you start to like GURPS, you can buy the 4th Edition Books and play some other campaigns with your friends. Converting 3rd Edition characters to 4th is an easy Task, as soon as you are used to the 4th Edition.
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Old 07-30-2009, 10:47 AM   #5
Jasper
 
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Default Re: Discworld RPG - which GURPS?

isf, Rendu and xeniac, thanks for your suggestions and your thoughts.

I think I will be using 3rd edition, as two of you suggested.
However, I think I'll see if I can use bits and pieces of the "real GURPS" on top of GURPS lite. Most importantly, I like to work with grids for combat. Secondly, when a player asks "can I invest points in property x", then it's good if you can look up property x in a book written to balance it (and everything else). I hope nobody would advise against this...

Once again, many thanks for your insights.

Last edited by Jasper; 07-30-2009 at 11:12 AM. Reason: missed the again there at the end - makes for a very strange sentence...
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Old 07-31-2009, 03:59 AM   #6
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Default Re: Discworld RPG - which GURPS?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jasper View Post
I think I will be using 3rd edition, as two of you suggested.
However, I think I'll see if I can use bits and pieces of the "real GURPS" on top of GURPS lite.
I suppose you already read the included GURPS Lite rules for 3e?
If you already want to buy a Basic Set for more features, than I'd recommend the 4h edition because the "conversion-changes" for Discworld are next to nothing (at least if you're using a quick&dirty-approach which is suitable for this IMO) and you have the advantage of being able to play other current expansions in the future.

You should take a look at the update-guide for 3rd to 4th ed. characters to get an impression of the changes, for Discworld you can basically keep most things as they were in 3rd:
http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/resources/4eupdate.pdf

Quote:
Most importantly, I like to work with grids for combat.
Talk with your players and ask what they expect from the campaign. For a comedy game like Discworld it is usually the best to concentrate on the funny details of the world and the narration in general rather than on rules for tactical combat or things like that. In this genre as a GM I'd be generous with my interpretations of the rules and allow a lot of interesting player ideas, bending the rules for more fun in the scenes.

Quote:
Secondly, when a player asks "can I invest points in property x", then it's good if you can look up property x in a book written to balance it (and everything else). I hope nobody would advise against this...
As I said, I'd advise you to have a look a the 4e-update guide first to see that needed conversion-changes are really small. Also if you would start building your Discworld-Characters with 4th ed. then all further point investments would be matching with the belonging Basic Set of course.
Probably you should also take a look on the Lite-Rules of 4e and you'll notice that there are just minimal changes on this level. The more important internal changes in 4e only show if you would get deeper in the system in following campaigns.

Though if you don't think of using 4th ed.-expansions in the future and / or you like to stay with 3rd ed. books and expansions this is of course no problem! It is the easiest way and the 3rd ed. was pretty good, too.
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Old 08-06-2009, 09:47 PM   #7
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Default Re: Discworld RPG - which GURPS?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jasper View Post
I think I will be using 3rd edition, as two of you suggested.
However, I think I'll see if I can use bits and pieces of the "real GURPS" on top of GURPS lite.
I wouldn't expect you to have much difficulty doing that. Some people around here run 3rd edition with just the parts of 4th edition that they like added to it.
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