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Old 12-27-2016, 07:36 PM   #1
Refplace
 
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Default GURPS Discworld - Reviews

Picked it up today and as has been said it i comfortably hefty. My hardback books are in storage but it feels taller and overall bigger than any other GURPS book.
I have not finished reading it all but wanted to hit a few highlights and thank Phil Masters for writing it.
Tone: Some nice humor sprinkled in here but not too much. it feels like a Discworld book.
Skills: I love the way many skills are organized into categories and feel this should be kept for any future GURPS editions. It helps people avoid overlooking certain skills and makes it easy to reference. I also feel like the wording is tighter but not too tight. If DFRPG and other projects going forward would use that category model I think it would be easier on newer players.
Advantages: Some nice new ones added here. Congregation bears looking at but I think it could be used for things like fan clubs and possibly other things a well. Mad Medicine is cool, maybe a limited version of Quick Gadgeteer? If not I am curious on the design. Magery very nice set of limited types. Patchwork Man, nice UB here. Speak With Animals includes useful examples for limited forms.
Unnoticed is kind of like Invisibility (Glamour) but written as its own thing so has good flavor and easy to understand.
We wrap up the Advantage call outs with Voice of Command which might be Mind Control with Sense Based and other modifers. Its a cool ability.
Magic: Still reading this section but I wanted to call out that I LOVE using Magic (Specialty) as the core skill instead of Thaumatology. That bugged me about RPM and variations because it took a Theory skill and made it an Applied one. I like Thaumatology being broad and useful for more than one system in a setting as well.
Magic system: Well described and with decent example this is a flexible system reminiscent of RPM and Path magic. You can do fireballs pretty easily as well as spell missiles and other effects are available. Your likely to run out of power to cast your spells fairly quickly compared to other systems. The spell design system is fairly simple but less detailed than RPM so may require more GM arbitration.
The highlight of the system for me is the dueling options. You can use an Active defense to counter spell or block missile spells and there are two systems for mages to use in dueling each other in a less lethal manner. One reminds me of the scene in The raven and various magical duels in fiction or Celtic lore. Both are small enough to fit in their own sidebar so elegant and easy to use.
Overall Opinion: The magic system alone was worth the price even though I never expect to run a Discworld campaign. The rest of the book is well written and humor is used well and not too much, especially for the source material. There are other items in here that make a good springboard for ideas for other settings and the book was tightly written and I hope to see other books use a lot of the organization options chosen here.

Note: Bloggers who have not bought this book may repost my review if they like. Those who have bought it, I look forward to your reviews.
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Last edited by Refplace; 12-28-2016 at 02:30 AM. Reason: review finished
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Old 12-27-2016, 07:48 PM   #2
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Default Re: GURPS Discworld - Reviews

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Originally Posted by Refplace View Post
Magic: Still reading this section but I wanted to call out that I LOVE using Magic (Specialty) as the core skill instead of Thaumatology. That bugged me about RPM and variations because it took a Theory skill and made it an Applied one. I like Thaumatology being broad and useful for more than one system in a setting as well.
This has bugged me for a while as well, what are they using instead?
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Old 12-27-2016, 08:01 PM   #3
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Default Re: GURPS Discworld - Reviews

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This has bugged me for a while as well, what are they using instead?
Glad I am not the only one!
Magic (IQ/VH) is a new skill and you must specilize with the main examples being Wizardry or Witchcraft from the source material.
Thaumatology is in the book but more like the Basic set write up and utility.
The magic section is about 7 pages in a Supernatural chapter
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Old 12-28-2016, 12:54 AM   #4
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Default Re: GURPS Discworld - Reviews

Whisper it; most of the "new" Advantages are actually worked-through applications of the enhancements and limitations system from Basic Set, given new names. Recreating the process in each case is left as an exercise for the GURPS geek... Okay, I've got a set of notes on this stuff that I'll put online shortly.
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Old 12-28-2016, 01:33 AM   #5
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Default Re: GURPS Discworld - Reviews

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Whisper it; most of the "new" Advantages are actually worked-through applications of the enhancements and limitations system from Basic Set, given new names. Recreating the process in each case is left as an exercise for the GURPS geek... Okay, I've got a set of notes on this stuff that I'll put online shortly.
I look forward to it. Most I can figure out, some approximately and I didnt really put much effort into that. The fluff was good and I thought several worth calling out.
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Old 12-28-2016, 01:51 AM   #6
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Default Re: GURPS Discworld - Reviews

Discworld magic
OK read the section and a few other bits scattered around the book.
Very nice system overall. It is a flexible system, similar to RPM or Path magic with a spell design system between the two.
It seems to me to be weaker than RPM and require more GM arbitration for new effects. However it is easier to do more minor effects and a solid system for allowing magic to be neat and useful yet not overpowering.
Though there are things like a powerful staff that can make a difference so I would have to see it in action to be sure on the power level.
The thing I liked the most though were the various mage duel features.
Easily the best countermagic and duelling of any GURPS system so far.
Blocking or counterspells as defensive actions.
Mage Duels which are extended contests of Will.
Flashy dueling which made me think of the wizard duel in The Raven and is not something I had previously considered that way. The first twoI have used variations of and seen others as well but it was nice to see and those sections were written up with very simple and easy to use rules.

I will take stuff from this and add it to my setting.
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Old 12-28-2016, 05:22 AM   #7
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Default Re: GURPS Discworld - Reviews

Okay, here's my notes on how things were put together:

https://www.philmasters.org.uk/RPGs/UnderTheBonnet.pdf
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Old 12-28-2016, 06:31 AM   #8
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Default Re: GURPS Discworld - Reviews

I am so jealous of you guys from over the pond. Thanks to Phil Masters for the book and the "Under the Bonnet" PDF!

Maybe SJGames can give us European gamers the excerpts at least?
http://www.sjgames.com/discworld/excerpts.html still produces "Not Found fnord" on my end. That's not very good publicity! I am aware that it's the holidays, but there was a DI about this and it shouldn't be that hard to upload the correct file.
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Old 12-28-2016, 07:05 AM   #9
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Default Re: GURPS Discworld - Reviews

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Originally Posted by Blind Mapmaker View Post
I am so jealous of you guys from over the pond. Thanks to Phil Masters for the book and the "Under the Bonnet" PDF!

Maybe SJGames can give us European gamers the excerpts at least?
http://www.sjgames.com/discworld/excerpts.html still produces "Not Found fnord" on my end. That's not very good publicity! I am aware that it's the holidays, but there was a DI about this and it shouldn't be that hard to upload the correct file.
Our staff handled as much as they could before the break. They focused on tasks that were absolutely vital, and I am sure that they will work on GURPS previews once they are back from their time off.
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Old 12-28-2016, 08:19 AM   #10
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Default Re: GURPS Discworld - Reviews

Are the Young Adult novels not part of the license or was it just your all's decision not to include them?
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