A Dungeoneering Fan, but a Total Gurps Newbie

[Hrothgar Rannúlfr]

Hello, everyone.

I've never played GURPS, before.

My RPG experience is limited to all of the versions of D&D from Mentzer Basic, to 3.5, Pathfinder, and 5th Edition; but not 4E D&D.

I've seen GURPS mentioned on the forums at Paizo and Enworld. Some say that it is more complicated than Pathfinder. So, my first question is, is GURPS really more complicated than Pathfinder?

I've read GURPS Light, but haven't totally understood it, but I think the 3d6 system appears to be somewhat more balanced than Pathfinder and other forms of D&D. Is it more balanced?

Also, Pathfinder has a lot of class options, however one of the drawbacks seems to be the class system, itself. I have players who take 3 or more classes just to realize a concept. Am I correct in thinking that GURPS makes it easier to realize a concept because it's not class and level based?

Also, I've read parts of the threads here about converting things like Rappan Athuk to GURPS and it sounds like those in the know find it somewhat easy to do. How long would it take to gain enough system mastery with GURPS to convert the Swords & Wizardry version of Rappan Athuk to GURPS?

I'm primarily interested in Dungeon Fantasy, but I can see my players eventually liking the idea of exploring other genres, which seems to be a strong point with GURPS. Having watched Pathfinder evolve into Starfinder and the subtle rules changes that were involved, I think I am in favor of a more stable system for all genres. GURPS seems like it will fit that bill. If I start with the GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Boxed Set will it provide the guidance I'd need to get used to the GURPS system, character generation, combat, exploration, etc... and prepare me to move to other genres using GURPS?

That said, there are a lot of supplements to GURPS. Am I right in guessing that these forums would be a great place to ask for guidance on which supplements are recommended for a given genre?

Thanks in advance.

Hrothgar