GURPS Essential core books
 

Which books would be the bare minimum needed to get the fullest experience with GURPS beyond the Basic Set? Just going by how much it gets referenced I'd guess GURPS: Martial Arts would be one of them. Are there any other recommendations?

Re: GURPS Essential core books
 

Powers is pretty much essential for anything except mundane humans, I consider it "core".

Re: GURPS Essential core books
 

To get the fullest experience, very nearly all the books and every issue of Pyramid. There are a few books you can leave out without missing anything not setting specific, but most of them work in a little bit of more broadly usable rules someplace.

For a pretty rich ruleset without adding much to Basic... I'd be very hesitant to ever do without material from Martial Arts unless there was to be absolutely no combat in the game. I'd definitely want Powers if there's any need to build exotic advantages, whether they're actually 'powers' or just properties of significantly non-human characters. However, if you only need to stat humans or very close humanoids without special abilities you don't need it. I'd also definitely want the TL-appropriate tech book (though Ultratech, I'd consider a time-saver rather than an essential resource.)

Honestly I'd want the Low Tech and High Tech information for a game at any TL, but I'd probably draw my parsimonious 'extended core' at Basic Set, Martial Arts, Powers (conditionally), X-tech.

Re: GURPS Essential core books
 

Whichever of Low-Tech, High-Tech and Ultra-Tech is appropriate to whatever you're playing.

Re: GURPS Essential core books
 

My answer would depend on how new to GURPS you are. If you and your group are new to GURPS, I would hesitate to say that you need to dive in to both MA and Powers to fully enjoy GURPS; both of those are rules dense, crunch-heavy books and could be overwhelming.

Any ideas what kind of setting you are going to be using GURPS for?

Re: GURPS Essential core books
 

I see Gurps books in five levels:

Basic Set: This is actually quite a lot, and is completely capable of giving you a full, rich experience.

Activity Crunch:Rules that expand the basic set in certain areas. You can do without them, but they tend to be absorbed into your game permenantly once you touch them. If you're not working in the area they're about though, you don't need them: Powers, Martial arts, Tactical Shooting, Mass Combat, Social Engineering. All can be applied most every where, but make a much larger difference in some campaigns. For a "full" experience where money isn't an object, get all of them, but you can get 95% of your bang with one or two, just know what you'll be doing.

Setting Crunch: Rules that get heavily used in certain types of settings: Magic, High, Low, Ultra and Bio-Tech, Thaumology, Psionic Powers, and perhaps Spaceships. These books tend to have lots of equipment and "magic systems" (yes, psi counts). You will want at least one of these. Ritual Path Magic will be a member of this list, but isn't out yet, forcing RPM users to pick up a MH book to go in this slot.

Fluff Books: Actually quite good, these books tell you how to build a genre: Fantasy, Space, Horror, Supers, and so forth. While not heavy on crunch, these books tend to be rich in templates, great ideas for building worlds, and lots of good warning signs. I'd suggest one of these, If only for the templates, but you can get the full experience without one.

Setting Books: Acutal settings: Banestorm, Infinite Worlds, Rome, Greece, Reign of Steel, and so on.

For a compiled version of setting and fluff, buy the DF or MH series instead.

Re: GURPS Essential core books
 

Id shake this mindset.

You can make excellent arguments for MA and Powers, and they are GREAT books, but consider instead what game you are going to use GURPS for. Let that guide your purchases.

For example, if your going to be playing Dungeon Fantasy, Id recommend at least the first 3 of those books as well as GURPS:Magic.

If your going to be running a modern spy game, then High Tech and Action! May be better purchases for you.

Supers Game? Powers is a must have and High tech and Ultra tech will matter as well I would think.


First Decide what you want to do with GURPS, then round out your toolkit to suit that project. This way, you'll get the most out of your gaming dollar, youll actually get something played, and hopefully, when the time comes to play again, you return to SJGames for more of the product that helped you have fun last time.

Nymdok

Re: GURPS Essential core books
 

I think it is very individual to the type of campaign you want to run. For example, some people think Powers is the third core book, but I never use it. I own it, but I never use it. Some people may find Martial Arts to be crucial (I actually use it a lot), but I could easily run games without it. Some people might think Social Engineering is the book to have...or Thaumatology...or Low Tech...or...etc.

All you *need* is the Basic Set. Where you go from there will depend on what campaign you are going to run next. I had great fun with just: Basic Set and Traveller: Interstellar Wars. I've had great fun with just: Basic Set & High Tech to do a bunch of modern things. Or Basic Set, Thaumatology, and Hot Spots: Renaissance Florence.

I'd say, start with what genre you want to play. Then look into things to support that. Then think about things that might support the style of play (combat heavy with really detailed combat? Martial Arts; social heavy with really detailed social interaction? Social Engineering; Powers heavy with really detailed powers? Powers; really detailed gun firing with detailed gun fighting rules? Tactical Shooting; etc)

But you don't *need* anything more than the basic set.

Re: GURPS Essential core books
 

Very much so. Furthermore, it is important to realise that GURPS is designed to offer a selection of different experiences by using different parts of it. Accumulating the full set of books doesn't give you the fullest GURPS experience, it gives you the widest choice of GURPS experiences.

More detail is not my cup of tea, so I recommend Low-Tech and High-Tech as the most generally useful, and I prefer Action (which simplifies GURPS) to Powers, Thaumatology, Martial Arts, and Tactical Shooting (which add detail to it).

My favourite GURPS book is Mysteries, but it is rather narrow in its focus.

Re: GURPS Essential core books
 

You can get by really with Basic Set

For fullest you definitely want everything

Books I use a lot? Hmmm
Basic Set
Low, High, Ultra Tech - Low Tech Companion 2 is also used a lot
MH1 Champions (for RPM)
Magic (less so for Magic now, but the Alchemy is vital)
Imbuements
Pyramid Magic on the Battlefield (defensive Imbuements)

So those would be votes toward the 'more essential' end I suppose