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Old 05-14-2009, 10:38 AM   #1
vicky_molokh
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Default [FAQ] Section 0. Before you start using GURPS . . .

Greetings, all!

This should help clear some of the confusion, as well as help newbies understand what to expect, how to use the system. It is probably the only part of the FAQs intended for people who haven't even read GURPS Lite yet (though those who read the two Basic books and are now wondering what to do with them might find some useful info too).

GURPS is a toolkit
AKA Some assembly required

GURPS isn't intended to be used exactly 'as is' out of the box, unless you're using specific optimized packs such as Action, Dungeon Fantasy, Monster Hunters or some of the genrebooks and setting books. It is expected that you'll use the tools you need, and leave alone those you don't. For instance, choosing which (if any!) cinematic rules you use can create very different types of campaign - from realistic to silly; likewise, using optional detailed bleeding rules (or the even more optional bleeding and crippling rules from Martial Arts) can achieve a very gritty feel during games. The same thing applies to Advantages, Skills, Equipment etc. - you don't need supernatural Advantages in a historically accurate WWII game, nor do you need the Piloting and Driving skills in a generic fantasy world.

GURPS is flexible
Being a point-buy system with no separation between trait types (i.e. Character Points, 'CPs' are a universal 'currency' with which you can 'buy' any of: attributes, skills, advantages etc.), GURPS is very flexible. You can make almost any character in GURPS that you can imagine. But please be aware that many fictional characters (such as those from comic books and movies) are often portrayed inconsistently, and translating them into GURPS requires resolving these inconsistencies (just how strong is The Hulk? What can a Vulcan Mind Meld achieve, and what it can't?).
Also, always remember that you are limited by the GM's character-point budget allotment and list of allowed traits. ("No, you still can't play an ancient vampire in my gritty/realistic WWII game!" is an appropriate, if somewhat silly, quote.)

GURPS is modular
Yes, you can theoretically GM any campaign with just the Basic Set (some manage to run complex campaigns using only Lite, but that seems like too much work). However, the many supplements can be 'plugged in' to improve the experience, as well as to make GMing (and often playing) easier. They can be roughtly split into: genre books (how to GM in a given genre), crunchbooks (books full of new rules for a certain topic), techbooks (AKA gearbooks, dealing with the technology in a given field or era), settings, and ready-to-play packages (a collection of genre, tech, and crunchy information).
Notable examples:
  • Bio-Tech helps those who want detailed medicine and other biotechnologies, especially in science fiction.
  • Ultra-Tech is a crunchbook/techbook/gearbook, primarily concerning itself with the gear found in science fiction settings. But remember about the toolkit principle - as a GM, be sure to choose what gear can and what can't be found in your setting/world.
  • Space and Fantasy are genrebooks which assist worldbuilding - they contain hints (and some crunch) for GMs who want to create fantasy and science fiction worlds.
  • Powers and Martial Arts are crunchbooks dedicated to GMs who want to have detailed 'supernatural powers' (in very broad terms) and detailed combat. These books are intended to be read by both the GM and the players.
  • Dungeon Fantasy, Action and Monster Hunters are special products dedicated to GMing (and playing) in very specific styles - those of oldskool fantasy, hollywood action-movies, and monster hunts.

Just because it is listed in an official book doesn't mean you'll get it!
Players: don't expect to be allowed to use whatever you want, especially if it's unreasonable.
GMs: only allow stuff that is appropriate for your game's style, genre and setting.

Don't port over characters just because you can. Think of the consequences.
You can't expect to take a 250-point realistic/gritty Navy SEAL and put her into a campaign intended for 100-pt cinematic/silly Merry Men. The great flexibility of GURPS comes at the price of having to specify what traits a character should posses before participating in a campaign.
And this is for two reasons:
The simpler reason is that difference between high-power/low-power characters (which is probably well-known to most roleplayers anyway).
The more complicated one is the genre/style/setting dissonance: a character can be highly out of place due to different abilities, problems, or approach to life. A clairvoyant can 'break' many superspy games, while a callous soldier will 'break' a social high school politics game. Sure, sometimes mixing stuff can lead to fun - when done right. But often (especially when done carelessly) it just ruins the fun for everyone.
(But do note that rules-related portability is rather high, as long as the GM knows some finer nuances of the two campaigns - like various non-mechanical traits being grounds for also having Disadvantage (Social Stigma) [-10] in some settings and not an issue others. Just be sure you know what you're doing.)

GURPS front-loads calculations
GURPS chargen (the process of generating a character) can be intimidating, but this 'front-loading' is done to speed up the game after the character-generating process. For instance, Basic Lift - calculated as (ST²)×0.2, is a number that is used in many things - such as lifting and carrying stuff (including figuring cargo space in vehicles), digging holes, and even generating electric current (for electricity-manipulating superhumans).

Character point totals don't necessarily indicate combat power . . .
A 25-point gritty soldier will probably slaughter a 150-point dedicated librarian. Since GURPS doesn't have a direct link between point value and combat value (though point value mostly sets the upper limit for combat value), it is to be expected. Instead of judging by point values, try to compare skill levels, damage output, armor etc.
This doesn't concern only combat - the idea is portable to other activities as well.

. . . And so, NPCs don't necessarily need point values.
Since very often NPCs only show their most important sides (important for the plot/players), their true point value can be irrelevant for a game. Also, regarding balancing combat encounters: since a GM should learn to estimate combat value by effects alone, the point cost of an NPC's combat abilities can also be ignored as long as it is balanced for the intended purpose (remember, not all NPCs are created equal; some might be defeatable, some might be better avoided).

GM supervision required.
AKA GURPS is not a wargame!

Unlike its granddaddy (the system called Man to Man, for those interested in history), GURPS Fourth Edition isn't intended to be a wargame. You can certainly use GURPS' game engine and reassemble it into a wargame engine, similar to man-to-man, by defining which optinal rules are used and which aren't, creating strict limits in character generation etc. However, as of the time of writing this FAQ, no official supplement exists that would do it for you.
As a consequence, it is expected that a GM should revise all characters before the game starts to make sure there are no unwanted elements that would ruin the mood/setting/balance/etc. Same applies to spending earned character points.

Thoughts? Additions?
Thanks in advance!
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Last edited by vicky_molokh; 10-03-2019 at 02:37 AM.
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Old 05-14-2009, 11:00 AM   #2
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Default Re: [FAQ] Section 0. Before you start using GURPS . . .

Quote:
Originally Posted by Molokh
GURPS is a toolkit
GURPS isn't intended to be used exactly 'as is'
A silly assertion.
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Old 05-14-2009, 11:05 AM   #3
vicky_molokh
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Default Re: [FAQ] Section 0. Before you start using GURPS . . .

Quote:
Originally Posted by Almafeta
A silly assertion.
Why? You don't normally take all the RAW together and use all of it. You build your own set of the rules and other goodies that are available.
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Old 05-14-2009, 11:06 AM   #4
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Default Re: [FAQ] Section 0. Before you start using GURPS . . .

Seems like a very fair assesment. I certainly can't think of anything you need to add and appears to be clear enough.

Keep up the good work.
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Old 05-14-2009, 11:24 AM   #5
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Default Re: [FAQ] Section 0. Before you start using GURPS . . .

Quote:
Originally Posted by Molokh
Characters aren't portable!
You can't expect to take a 250-point realistic/gritty Navy SEAL and put her into a campaign intended for 100-pt cinematic/silly Merry Men. The great flexibility of GURPS comes at the price of having to specify what traits a character should posses before participating in a campaign.
Slight disagreement here, it's not that the actual characters aren't portable but rather that their concepts don't fit.
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Old 05-14-2009, 11:42 AM   #6
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Default Re: [FAQ] Section 0. Before you start using GURPS . . .

Quote:
Originally Posted by WingedKagouti
Slight disagreement here, it's not that the actual characters aren't portable but rather that their concepts don't fit.
This is an important point.

It's not like the old Vampire:tM/Werewolf:tA crossover problem, where Vampire disciplines would automatically work on creatures of your Generation or younger, but Werewolves don't even have a generation attribute (or a Humanity score, or various morality traits).

Characters are totally portable - you don't have problems like the above.

The IMPACT on the destination campaign setting, however, can be wildly out of proportion. Your example, of a high point value character in a low point value game, is as much a problem for the disparity in point value as for the genre clash, and I think noting both issues separately is important.

Folks coming from more genre-restricted systems are perfectly comfortable with the idea of "your character is too high level for my campaign" - I think a better comparison of the "your point value is not really your level" nature of GURPS would be a 250 Dungeon Fantasy character going into a modern era 250 point Action game about superspys, or a 150 point "heros of rock and roll" socially oriented game.

In the superspy game he could be anywhere from hopelessly out of his depth due to being TL3(^ for magic) to ridiculously overpowered if he has any divination or scrying or mind-control magic and nobody in the superspy game world has magical protections, depending on the situation. Even Communication and Empathy college could make him dangerous. His possible lack of social skills and probably lack of any appropriate languages and CFs are another potential handicap. Potentially being non-human of course just makes everything worse.

In the 150 point Rock and Roll game, the species, social, CF, and language problems are nigh fatal unless the character is a Bard. And even then, he's gonna have problems. It gets 10x worse if the game takes place in a highschool and the character is a grizzled, 180 year old dwarf.
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Old 05-14-2009, 11:50 AM   #7
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Default Re: [FAQ] Section 0. Before you start using GURPS . . .

Not certain if it should be in Section 0, but I've noticed a lot of instances on the forums where people have tried to stat out NPCs/creatures using GURPS Advantages. A mention that NPCs and creatures don't need a point value associated with them (unless they've been purchased as Allies, Dependants, Patrons, or Enemies) might save some people some time - after all, a point value hardly indicates how much of a challenge something will be (a 100-point beast could easily overwhelm a 300-point character if they aren't built explicitly for combat - and might still be able to even if they are).
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Old 05-14-2009, 11:51 AM   #8
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Default Re: [FAQ] Section 0. Before you start using GURPS . . .

I'm not sure who the target audience is, but there is some jargon/abbreviations that will be new to some:

CP, crunchbook vs genrebook, crunch, chargen.

(I had to look up chargen, never heard that before)

Whatever the specific language ends up being, some nod towards "GURPS-as-toolkit" I would agree is appropriate.

Looks good!
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Old 05-14-2009, 11:51 AM   #9
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Default Re: [FAQ] Section 0. Before you start using GURPS . . .

Slightly OT, but...

"Crunchbook"- Thank you! You have filled a significant hole in gaming's wordspace!

Back to the subject at hand:
This looks pretty good. There are way too many questions on this forum that require the answer, "Tell your player 'No!'". It's important to make that clear from the outset.

I do have to agree about the "Characters aren't portable" correction, though. The characters are portable- that's one of the points of GURPS- but characters built with widely-divergent assumptions will be hard to GM together. Again, something that needs to be made clear (especially to new GMs) from the outset.
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Old 05-14-2009, 12:03 PM   #10
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Default Re: [FAQ] Section 0. Before you start using GURPS . . .

Quote:
Originally Posted by Molokh
Why? You don't normally take all the RAW together and use all of it. You build your own set of the rules and other goodies that are available.
I'm pretty sure Almafeta was kidding.
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