GURPS in low realism settings and genres

[Keiko]

I may have started a similar thread before and if so I apologize. I'm used to GURPS being in fairly "realistic' settings: Low fantasy, horror, modern covert ops and military campaigns, etc. So I wondering what others experiences have been with GURPS is less realistic settings like Four Color Superheroes, Anime/Video game martial arts and High Fantasy or any other highly fanciful, cinematic genres and settings?

[whswhs]

A couple of cycles ago, I used GURPS for two campaigns that fit your rubric: Sovereignty (player characters were high-end supers, built on 1500 points, recruited by an international organization to keep really high-end "sovereign" supers, each equivalent to a nation-state in power, from getting out of line) and The Foam of Perilous Seas (the officers of an Atlantean privateer ship sailing the Pearl Bright Ocean, built on 300 points, and including two exiled gods, a deified mortal, and a rakshasa). It worked fine. I don't think there's any inherent problem with that sort of thing.

I also had good luck, rather earlier, with Oak and Ash and Thorn, in which a group of present-day British teenagers, built I think on 50 points, strayed over the borders of Faerie one midsummer's eve.

Bill Stoddard

[DangerousThing]

I've run everything from fantasy to SF on GURPS. And I don't try for realism.

Of course, this was back when both GURPS and I were much younger. :)

[Sunrunners_Fire]

Originally Posted by Keiko

I may have started a similar thread before and if so I apologize. I'm used to GURPS being in fairly "realistic' settings: Low fantasy, horror, modern covert ops and military campaigns, etc. So I wondering what others experiences have been with GURPS is less realistic settings like Four Color Superheroes, Anime/Video game martial arts and High Fantasy or any other highly fanciful, cinematic genres and settings?

It works well enough that I continue to use it rather than start looking for a replacement, and its' not like I run anything that could be considered a low-powered game.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Keiko

I may have started a similar thread before and if so I apologize. I'm used to GURPS being in fairly "realistic' settings: Low fantasy, horror, modern covert ops and military campaigns, etc. So I wondering what others experiences have been with GURPS is less realistic settings like Four Color Superheroes, Anime/Video game martial arts and High Fantasy or any other highly fanciful, cinematic genres and settings?

My primary experience comes from first an unlimited cp dimension-hopping game in 3e. Characters were very diverse with multiple Supers, an Archmage, a mutant Dark Elf with Weapons Master, a Pixie, a talking dog, a Planewalker and a sort of demi-god with a confused backstory.

Then there was the World of D'y'r't, a High Fantasy (or at least very low realism) 4e game that started at 250 pts and went to about 2x that. Magery 10. ST22, more money and magic items than gawd. Oh, and a direct pipeline to Ra and an ostrich who shot laser beams from his eyes.

After that there were two versions of a Space game, that I ran for two different groups. Both started at 250pts and were no more than slightly gritty in a Firefly-like mode.

All suffered no particular game mechanical issues.

I've never run Gurps in one of the high realism modes you describe and can make you no promises based on my personal knowledge that it works for them.

If you wonder what attracts about Gurps to me and my group it isn't gritty realism it's the high potential level of detail in character design. That actually works better with more cp than less.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Then there was the World of D'y'r't, a High Fantasy (or at least very low realism) 4e game that started at 250 pts and went to about 2x that. Magery 10. ST22, more money and magic items than gawd. Oh, and a direct pipeline to Ra and an ostrich who shot laser beams from his eyes.

I second that this works. I've got a fantasy campaign that started at around 250 CP, is now around 1000-1200 CP and which has a Ra-analogue* fairly miffed at the characters. He's bound by rules** not to directly stomp the interfering mortals, but he's got a near-divine God-King of a 5 million strong theocracy and a clergy of multi-kilopoint miracle workers to take care of that for him.

There are flaming chariots, sunhawks which shoot frickin' laser beams from their eyes and larger-than-life heroes who can mow down lesser mortals in hordes with their bright and terrible swords.

There's also Combat Accounting and game sessions which center on managing the PCs' mercantile interests (and emerging military power). And the occasional fancy dress party.***

*A composite deity named Horus-Re.
**Or at least fairly strict guidelines.
***Scheming serpent-people optional.

[William]

The two longest campaigns I've GMed were the GURPS versions of In Nomine, one human-centered and one angel-centered, and both were quite fun -- this despite the fact that GIN is a conversion that shows its seams in a number of places.

Once you're over the realism hurdle the game can get mythic and nobody worries too much, in my experience. Of course, I also have a tendency not to kill characters.

[Dustin]

In my experience, it's necessary to spell out the specific ways in which realism is low, both 1) for player expectations and buy-in, and 2) to set any campaign-specific mechanics that you care to.

For example, in a four-color Supers game, you might declare that death only occurs at HPx-5, or that death can only occur when an attacker is specifically attacking to kill. You can also set covenants with players, like 'I will never screw you over for trying something ridiculous and awesome', like using a ladder as a melee weapon in a wuxia game.

Really, getting everyone at the table to be on the same page regarding the kind of game intended is the key bit.

The only other mechanical issue that can be a bit funny is the plethora of skills. Low-realism characters are often very widely competent. If that's something you have in mind, consider high levels of Talent and/or Wildcard skills to help get that feeling (and prevent character sheet bloat).