Compulsive GURPS-conversion

[Pragmatic]

I often find ideas I like in D&D, and wonder how to transfer over their essence (without adding too much complexity).

For instance, I'm considering how to make "mage studies spells every morning" over to RPM, and still be worthwhile. And I think I have an idea of how to phrase it--but of course, only the vaguest idea how to translate the phrase into GURPS. ("Five rituals lumped together, get Ritual Mastery for a day, requires preparation.")

The trouble I see with conversions is figuring out what to convert (e.g., Dark Sun defiling--I finally decided that the landscape turning into ash was a feature, rather than something that had to be put into mechanics), and how to convert it (GURPS is a toolkit, so every time I've asked "how do I do this," it's been a multi-page thread with a half-dozen different options--great that I get all that support, but leaving me confused as to how to do stuff in GURPS...). Not to mention that stuff changes value depending on genre/setting, so you have to readjust point costs to their new values (e.g., supernatural powers in settings where gear can replicate those powers--money replaces character points).

Being able to put stuff into relatively-balanced numbers appeals to me. There's a lot of fluff in D&D (and other RPG supplements) that I like, but I prefer my crunch in GURPS. (Which is why most of my RPG collection is GURPS.)

[The Wrathchild]

I am one of those, though I at least try to con myself that I might actually get to use the stuff in a game ;-).

I also do it for the exercise of using the rules, though, on purpose. It often pays off in the games that I do run in some form.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

Damn. When did I go through apotheosis and why didn't anyone tell me?

*high-five!*

[Anders]

I am no writer, as Ghostdancer is,
But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man
That love my games.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

*high-five!*

Slap hands!

Originally Posted by Anders

I am no writer, as Ghostdancer is,
But, as you know me all, a plain blunt man
That love my games.

You don't need to be a writer to be a GM and have fun. It's useful, but sure ain't required. :-)

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

You don't need to be a writer to be a GM and have fun. It's useful, but sure ain't required. :-)

If it was, then I was doing it wrong :| ;)

[Dwarf99]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

You might want to check this, this, and this out. And also stay tuned because I'm going to be Diablorising the Witch Doctor next - this time with Sorcery spells.

Awesome! Actually the more that can be done with sorcery the better. I'll have to decide on RPM though. It does seem rather slower than what I'm looking for and at the moment, powers aren't out of the question, but if it's cheap enough to be fast, neither is RPM.

Note that doesn't mean I won't be using the necromancer for something, RPM is awesome for its own reasons, I just think Diablo maybe a bit faster paced personally.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

If it was, then I was doing it wrong :| ;)

Hehe!

Originally Posted by Dwarf99

Awesome! Actually the more that can be done with sorcery the better. I'll have to decide on RPM though. It does seem rather slower than what I'm looking for and at the moment, powers aren't out of the question, but if it's cheap enough to be fast, neither is RPM.

Note that doesn't mean I won't be using the necromancer for something, RPM is awesome for its own reasons, I just think Diablo maybe a bit faster paced personally.

Well, the RPMing of Diablo came when my brother wanted to learn the system and I put it in familiar terms so he could see how to build stuff. It mostly worked out and I figured I'd reuse it for my blog.

[The Horn'd One]

Has anyone done a GURPS take on BattleZone? The video game version I mean, is the one from 1998 for the PC, which is now available on Steam as "BattleZone 98 Redux." (This also includes the expansions The Red Odyssey, BattleZone II Combat Commander, ect.)

[Vaevictis Asmadi]

I don't know anything about that game, sorry.


I also spend a fair amount of free-time trying to represent my favorite fiction in GURPS. I don't even have a group to roleplay with (or time to do it) so this is really as close as I can get to RPing in my favorite settings. Which I would love to actually do, if I got the chance. Being able to hand a rulebook to the GM might even make it slightly more likely... if I had the discipline and time and patience to finish any of them. ;)

Nonetheless, without a group, I have bought several GURPS books, basically solely to do this with them.

I would probably never admit this to non-gamers. Glad to see it isn't just me, though.


I also wanted to tell the person converting Star*Drive that there's a 3E Pyramid article with a short conversion (see my sig) but I'm rather late to that part of the conversation.