GURPS Bio-Tech

[voodoo54]

One of the few GURPS books I do not own is Bio-Tech. I'm considering purchasing a copy of it. My question is who has found it useful in there campaigns and how has it helped them? I am currently running a walking dead type campaign and thought it might help. Any thoughts out there?

[Sam Baughn]

Originally Posted by voodoo54

One of the few GURPS books I do not own is Bio-Tech. I'm considering purchasing a copy of it. My question is who has found it useful in there campaigns and how has it helped them? I am currently running a walking dead type campaign and thought it might help. Any thoughts out there?

Really, the only chapter I've found myself using a lot is the one of medical technology. It's a tiny fraction of the content, but really useful. That seems like it would be useful in a post-apocalypse setting.

The rest doesn't seem that helpful for what you want. There are some disease rules and a few character templates, but it's mostly more aimed at cyberpunk style body modification and so on.

[Kelly Pedersen]

I'd say Bio-Tech is most useful in games where actual genetic modification is available. As Sam Baughn says, the medical technology chapter is a bit more generally useful, though it doesn't really devote much space to medical tech below about TL 7 or 8. However, for games where bio-tech is a thing, I feel it's very useful. If your zombie apocalypse is powered by bio-tech gone mad, and you want to include bio-tech that the characters can use, rather than leaving it strictly as a justification for zombies, I'd suggest getting it.

[Gollum]

I suppose you already have them but, just in case, for a Walking Dead campaign, I would rather use High-Tech, Zombies, and After the End 1 and 2.

I don't have Bio-Tech either and also have one question about it. So, since it is subject of that thread ... does Bio-Tech speak about poisons, animal poisons to be more precise?

In the third edition, there were described in Bestiary. But there is no 4th edition Bestiary. So, I didn't succeed to find where they are now?

[khorboth]

I used it in my TL10 super-soldiers game. There were useful package advantages in there. Also, some good ideas for any kind of bio-manipulation. I've referred to it a handful of other times, but not a whole lot.

[voodoo54]

Sounds like BT is more useful in a cyberpunk type campaign. I have High-Tech and Zombies and refer to them regularly. My walking dead campaign is a ZA so I probably need to buy ATE before BT. Thanks for the responses!

[hal]

Originally Posted by voodoo54

Sounds like BT is more useful in a cyberpunk type campaign. I have High-Tech and Zombies and refer to them regularly. My walking dead campaign is a ZA so I probably need to buy ATE before BT. Thanks for the responses!

If it helps to confirm your thoughts - that's what I use BIOTECH for most - my cyberpunk games as well as near future games.

The biggest chuckle I got as far as GURPS BIOTECH came when I watched THE BLACKLIST. There, they had a DNA specific attack virus that only affected the individual it was tailored for. Sound familiar?


For the most part, I try not to let too much of the TL 10 stuff get into my games, keeping it largely a function of OTL 8 through 9 or NTL 9 (Old Tech level from GURPS 3e vs New Tech level from GURPS 4e).

If I do permit things to cross tech levels - it is largely either to keep true to a TV series or concept, or it is to mildly disagree with where it was placed overall - much as certain OTL 9 items were appearing at the OTL late 7 history.

The crystal ball for predicting the future is often cracked. Want to have some material to snicker over? Take a hard look at the CYBERPUNK 2020 Chrome books. Stuff for the near future where technology not only surpassed it, but showed up with things not even remotely imagined.

So, predicting the future is a thankless task to be sure. But, if nothing else, the material for the near future is useful...