Fantasy Setting for GURPS

[David L Pulver]

Originally Posted by whswhs

I've actually seen several different types of book that could be called a "setting":
A detailed guide to a smaller setting, with a whole series of built-in possible plot threads, predesigned character writeups, significant locations, and connections among them, so that you have a bunch of encounters waiting to happen, any one of which could turn into an adventure

What it doesn't have is an example of the third or fourth.

Bill Stoddard

GURPS Abydos would seem to be an example of this.

It has character writeups, significant locations, connections among the characters, a setting, and built-in plot threads and adventure seeds.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by David L Pulver

GURPS Abydos would seem to be an example of this.

It has character writeups, significant locations, connections among the characters, a setting, and built-in plot threads and adventure seeds.

That does sound like the third case, yes. I'm not a big fan of Yrth, so I haven't actually looked at it; my current fantasy campaign is set in the astral plane of GURPS Cabal, which gives you an idea of my tastes. But it does seem as if it ought to meet the needs of people who want a certain kind of readymade fantasy setting.

Bill Stoddard

[trooper6]

Originally Posted by David L Pulver

GURPS Abydos would seem to be an example of this.

It has character writeups, significant locations, connections among the characters, a setting, and built-in plot threads and adventure seeds.

Of course the people who are wanting adventures don't seem to want adventure seeds. They want fully finished with all the maps and all the stats and the boxes you read to your players, no prep for the GM adventures. GURPS has adventure seeds a plenty.

[b-dog]

Originally Posted by trooper6

Of course the people who are wanting adventures don't seem to want adventure seeds. They want fully finished with all the maps and all the stats and the boxes you read to your players, no prep for the GM adventures. GURPS has adventure seeds a plenty.

You are very, very correct. I want adventures I can run easily not just here is idea x and here is idea y. Of course at the end of the adventure it is ok to have other ideas for further adventures. The biggest problem for me is time. Also, a completed adventure is actually more inspiring for other adventures than just a basic list of ideas for adventures for me.

[Stormcrow]

The answer is simple. Someone has to create an online magazine dedicated to fully fleshed-out adventures for GURPS. This someone must coordinate volunteers to write the adventures and a website to host the adventures.

So, who's going to volunteer? No, you may not volunteer only to host a website—that's easy. The someone who runs it will have to stick to it, and persuade, cajole, and nag adventure-writers constantly. He must answer complaints that the site does not have the adventure someone wants. He must make sure the adventures are edited and vetted before publishing.

Who is ready to take on this time-consuming, thankless job? Hm?

[cmdicely]

Originally Posted by pawsplay

GURPS Fantasy is a great book, but unless you actually plan on running a game in Roma, you are still left with the task of creating a world before you can have your first adventure.

Why? I'm gearing up to run a GURPS Fantasy campaign right now. I'm writing an adventure and have given the players some very broad ideas about the TL and general type of setting, but I'm not going to build any part of the world that isn't needed for my concept of the immediate adventure or to answer questions the players have in the course of putting their characters together beyond that before we start play.

Making a whole world before running an adventure may be rewarding if you have the time and are really into worldbuilding, but its not essential.

[Pomphis]

A GM can also outsource lots of worldbuilding to players. "You are a centaur ? Very good. How about telling us something about where the centaurs live, their neighbors and your culture ?" And this doesn´t have to happen at start, the centur may simply tell bits during the course of the game.

[TheQuestionMan]

Personally I would like to see more supplements like GURPS Abydos.

GURPS Tredroy: City of Three Kingdoms
GURPS Megalos: Capital of the Empire
GURPS Castle Defiant: City Under Siege
GURPS Geb Al-Din: The Holy City
GURPS Sauvons: Swashbucklers & Buccaneers
GURPS Grinnel: Lost City of the Dwarves
GURPS Bilit Isle: Aztec Empire of Yrth
GURPS Kinkaku: City of Heaven
GURPS Heolford: Last Outpost of the Empire
GURPS Lorian: Barony of the Elves


Cheers


QM

[Collective_Restraint]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow

So, who's going to volunteer?

I volunteer to host the website !

Originally Posted by Stormcrow

No, you may not volunteer only to host a website—that's easy.

Dammit !

[Mysterious Dark Lord v3.2]

Originally Posted by TheQuestionMan

Personally I would like to see more supplements like GURPS Abydos.

GURPS Tredroy: City of Three Kingdoms
GURPS Megalos: Capital of the Empire
GURPS Castle Defiant: City Under Siege
GURPS Geb Al-Din: The Holy City
GURPS Sauvons: Swashbucklers & Buccaneers
GURPS Grinnel: Lost City of the Dwarves
GURPS Bilit Isle: Aztec Empire of Yrth
GURPS Kinkaku: City of Heaven
GURPS Heolford: Last Outpost of the Empire
GURPS Lorian: Barony of the Elves
QM

Hmmm ...

Abydos filled in a blank spot on the map. But these would fill in a lot of detail. Perhaps too much detail.

One of my complaints with oWoD was that there was so much detail that there was no room for GM originality. What you propose with these supplements sounds like a step in that direction. If I want that level of detail I can design it myself - which would have the added benefits of making it a mystery to the players (since they can't buy the supplements) and allowing them to be surprised all over again if a future GM decides to set a game in the same regions.

Besides which, if we overwork the guys at SJG producing these sorts of supplements, they won't be able to do other stuff (like more Spaceships and DF supplements, new original game worlds, etc.)

I'm all for filling in the blank spots, but Banestorm has sufficient detail. If I want more, I can work it out myself.