Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

This is our official unofficial guide for this new campaign. I'm with a new set of folks (well, mostly) too. I'm used to high-fantasy low-tech with fighters and wizards and swords.

Where do I start? I'm really nervous about taking High-Tech stuff on. Guns and their rules scare me a little. Also, where can I find books about this kind of stuff? I'm willing to put down quite a bit of dough for these guys because I love GURPS with such a burning passion. Who has easy rules? Who has ideas? Who knows what books I should touch on?

The whole idea is that this campaign is set in the near future, and is very likely to at least start in Japan. They want something action-y and gritty, but they also ask for good story, plot, etc. They're looking at a yummy plot full of corrupt government and underdogs rising from the dirt to take them on! They'll each have weird (probably psionics) powers or special access to military tech or something to help even out the playing field. Code Geass might be a really good example for something like this especially because I freaking love that show! It's got mechas, and weird powers, and corrupt government, and underdogs, and Japan!

I'm willing to do what it takes to make this thing a success. I've just never played with modern stuff in GURPS so this is a big change for me! Buildings, vehicles, guns... How do I do it? I'm really mostly scared about guns... I'm used to bows!

As for the tech... I'm not too concrete on it yet. I'm thinking just about anything you see in that first video. Nothing is too fancy-schmancy and I don't think that we've quite perfected warp drives yet. Although, I do think I want some alien stuff in there. Not quite to a Star Trek level though. I don't think we really plan to spend too much time on spaceships. Plus, it should be darker and grittier.

Honestly, I'm just super nervous... Anything helps!

Thanks a million!

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

Okay, let's back up, here, a bit. If you jump in to the details of the gear, without any framework, you'll have no criteria by which to start making decisions about how to get to the campaign you want.

Firstly, remember that GURPS skews toward the realistic, in most situations. Based on what I saw in that video, the word "realistic" doesn't belong in the same room as the write-up you do for a campaign that emulates that setting. You could probably create the opponents of "Purple Hair Protagonist" (PHP) with Ultra-Tech and/or Transhuman Space, but there's no way PHP fits into a realistic sci-fi setting. He's a superhero in a sci-fi setting, and that's all there is to that.

So, it looks like the gear mostly fits in with GURPS TL 10 -- battle-suit exoskeletons with integrated Command-and-Control hardware (HUDS, communications, mature "Future Force Warrior" systems, etc.) and big honkin-guns. The air-craft and the scorpion robot could come straight out of "Reign of Steel." (The cannon in its tail could be a TL10 Blaster Cannon, Ultra-Tech, p. 123. Everything else could easily be TL 10 high-powered lasers and missiles of various sizes.)

However, PHP guy does stuff that no battle-suit could protect someone against. He's got Enhanced Time Sense (Basic p. 52) and huge amounts of Super Jump (Basic p. 89), at the least, as well as a personal force-field that nobody else does, a high strength stat, and melee weapon that has a crap-ton of armor divisors. He's basically a fast combat brick with blasters and a fancy sword. That all says "Supers," to me.

So, basically, your campaign setting is, "Superheroes in a TL10 world" -- which describes a lot of anime, pretty well, actually.

(Alternatively, PHP could be a cyborg with TL 11 super-science against TL 10 straight-science mooks, but that could be even tougher to explain....)

At this point, you can start your campaign design. Why do supers exist, in this world? Where do they come from? What are their practical limits (character-point budget)? What sorts of powers do they have? Are they all variations on a theme (which may imply a "design" of some sort, and thus a "designer"), or are they as varied as the characters in Marvel or DC? How long have they been around? How long have regular humans known about them? How do regular people react to the presence of such beings?

The answers to those questions force you to flesh out the rest of the world. You'll probably have a wide variety of attitudes about the supers, based on the societies in which they're found. Since you're new to this sort of thing, you may want to base the campaign on Earth, about 150 years (or so) in the future, and put together a timeline of how you think things will go. Figure out when the supers show up (and why), and determine how they impact the future.

At that point, you have a solid framework, and you can start making decisions about gear that fits with your setting. You'll know what's available and what isn't, and most importantly you'll know why. That, in turn, helps you map out the types of characters you want to see, and that guides your players.

Once you've gone through that process, you'll have a much better handle on how things are supposed to work, because you've already looked into them as part of the decisions you had to make. After that, it's a matter of running a few combats, in some "dry run" scenarios, until you and your players get a handle on how sci-fi combat works -- and what you have to do tweak it to make it less realistic, so you can have the sort of action seen in that video.

(Hint: In realistic future military combat, anything that gets spotted pretty much dies instantly, at ranges measured in miles. If you want the sort of melee combat seen in most anime -- including the type portrayed in the example video -- you need to dial the "realism" level way, way down. That's why I thought of supers.)

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

You absolutely rocked my world! I don't think that I've ever received better starting advice, and I agree with you wholeheartedly. And, yes, there will be some Supers about this whole thing. Actually, I had a small conversation with the guys about it. They wanted to be "normal" and I told them the same thing: they will die that way. So we all agreed on weird powers or higher-tech stuff for the PCs.

Your insight into the whole Supers thing is really invaluable. I need to give them origin, purpose, etc. and that is something that I hadn't even thought of. I'm going to say that they are either psionics, alien-based, or implants. I think bio-engineering could be cool, right? Let's make the super-soldiers!

On that same note... I really feel like this fits well. Plus, the name matches up. Cyberpunk 2077. I'm aiming for some sweet TL 10 Cyberpunk High-Tech Supers action!

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

Yeah, from watching that video what you are looking at is a Supers Game dressed up as Anime Cyberpunk.

Think of it like this: That guy in the video would probably kick Spider-Man's ass, and my write up for Spider-Man was over 1500 pts.

I'd recommend something like a 500 point Super-type game, but where their "powers" come from things you've defined in the game. Psionics, Power Armor, Cyberware, etc.

As for equipment, make it easy on yourself. For games like this what I do is tell the players that it's a standard TL 8 or 9 game, but that higher tech stuff is out there. If the players want it, they have to pay points for it.

So I let players buy standard stuff, but if they want a plasma pistol, combat armor, or something like that sword in the video, it's prototype equipment and they have to build it with character points as an advantage.

That's how I'd do it anyway.

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

Yeah, you could go with a bio-engineering origin that inadvertently unlocked super powers, all of which are psionically-based. The super soldiers were used in some nasty war, or other, that resulted in a dystopian high-tech setting. However, after the war, those who created them tried to terminate the soldiers as so powerful they threatened the new order of things. So, the few surviving super-soldiers are constantly hunted, and must fight to survive.

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

If your players want to be normal, they can still live.

One book you should really have a look at is tactical shooting.

It is like martial arts for guns. Also gives lots of tips and pointers for players on how to stay alive and gm's to make things both syrvivable and realistic (like pointing out in police shoot outs over 70% (can't remember exact number, may be higher) miss.

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

OK - now I want to run a PsychoSquad game.

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

Is this really supposed to be run in GURPS at all? It gives off all the vibes of some sort of supers system (MHRP?) that whswhs is actively discussing in the other subforum.

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

I am absolutely certain that I want to run it with GURPS. There isn't a shred of doubt in my mind. It's what we all have experience in, and we all decided that it could be done through GURPS.

On another note, I really just need help with guns. How can I teach myself how to play with them? Where are the best, clearest, easiest or whatever rules? I do like the sound of that Tactical Shooting book though.

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

No, get Gun Fu instead.

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

Gun Fu is for cinematic gun play.
Tactical Shooting is for more realistic campaigns.

Guns are pretty similar to bows. They both hurt things from a distance, guns are much better at it though.
What are the problems you are envisioning?

Hmm...guns do a lot of damage, multiple hits quickly rack up damage. I have seen diffuse demon monsters be shredded disturbingly fast by hands guns loaded with duplex ammunition.
Aimed full auto assault rifles can decimate almost anything I have come up with in my Monster Hunters game that is not specifically not taking damage for some reason.

Aiming is important, part of the awesome of guns is how far they can reach and aiming is what lets that happen without incredibly high skill.

Move and attack becomes for acceptable at -bulk or -2 whichever is more, instead of the -4 and capped at 9 for melee.

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

The gun rules can get complicated because there are lots of different ways to shoot different sorts of things at stuff.

But in a nutshell they are pretty much just like using a Bow and Arrow. Here is the basic differences:

Guns usually let you shoot more than once per round. Roll your attack and if you make it, you hit with one bullet. Look at how well you made you attack roll, divide this by the RCL of your weapon and that's how many extra bullets, up to the amount fired, that you hit with.

The other guy can usually only dodge, and he's at -1 per extra bullet that hit.

You can also get tricky and try to hit more than one target. If you have a rate of fire of 10, you can divide those shots between more than one target.

So you could shoot 3 bullets at one guy, 3 and another, and 4 at the last guy. You add +1 to the RCL for each target after the first though and you roll separately for each target. You lose 1 bullet per 1 yard between targets.

So to hit three guys with a ROF 10 weapon like above, you'd roll 3 times. The first guy will probably be RCL 2, then 2nd guy RCL 3, and the last RCL 4.

To hit the first guy with all 3 bullets you'd need to make your roll by 6. Meaning, if you had a 16 skill you'd need to roll a 10 or less. To hit the 2nd guy with all 3 bullets you'd need to make the roll by 9. Finally, to hit the last guy with all 4 bullets, you'd need to make the roll by 16.

There are lots of other rules that can come into play, but those are the stripped down basics.

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

Thanks! That was a lot of help! What about hitting a moving target? I've always been shaky on those rules, but they're definitely extra important this time around.

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

Bringing Tactical Shooting to the Gun Fu fight is a good way to get killed. He needs less realism, not more. Use Gun Fu in this campaign.

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

If Move is less than 10 just ignore the Speed Modifier (B373), otherwise add the Range and Speed together and then look up the sum on the Size and Range/Speed Table (see B372 for this rule and an example; the table is B550).

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

For purchases, I would recommend Bio-Tech since you seem to be having a Cyberpunk vibe. Gun Fu as mentioned would also be great. Also think about the Psionic PDFs from e23 that takes what you need from GURPS Powers and turns into awesome stuff without your head exploding from trying to do so yourself. The Action series will also be useful, less for the genre, but more for the Dungeon Fantasy style modifications that I think would work better for what you are envisioning.

There are some nice Pyramid issues that would also help, including a easy Mecha building system, if you were going to go in that direction.

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

What's this about an easy Mecha building system? Where? Where?!

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

If you want a really easy system for building Mecha's, just make them as characters. If they are for PC's just use Alternate forms.

So you just build them like a normal character, with whatever DR, Strength, Hit points, etc you see them having.

Fair warning though, most Anime Mecha type builds are going to be thousands of points. To give you an idea, a Tank has something like 1200 DR on the front. If you want Mecha that are in that class, then right there that's at least 1200 points just for the DR, probably a lot more than that.

A mecha with 100 DR everywhere would get blown to bits by something like a tank shell, and you're looking at 500 points for the DR alone.

Could you give us an example of what kind of characters you'd want? Give us specifics.

Do you want your characters to be able to take on things like that big Scorpion Robot by themselves? Can each character take on a squad of guys in combat armor with chainguns? Do you want them to be able to dodge bullets, etc?

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

There are going to be around six characters-ish. While I don't think ONE of them should be able to take those obstacles out alone... I think three or four of them should be enough.

The characters aren't really specified yet... Although I do plan on having mechas somewhere in the mix. Who doesn't like them? Raise your hand, I dare you! If you really boil it down... You're either a psi, an alien, or have access to some very impressive technology. Either that or you're the damn best gunslinger around!

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

Pyramid 3/40, I believe.

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

It still feels like a straight port of Supers, reskinned and justified with TL^. Or maybe Exalted, in a way. (Haven't played Exalted, but the fanciness seems of the same level as in the interactive tutorial.)

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

Maybe the Biomecha article from Pyramid3 #24 could be mined for stats of suits like the Protagonist in the vid.

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

Or you have a big brain and the right kind of screwdriver.

(Two hearts, the ability to regenerate, and a time machine also help…)

Re: Starting a new campaign, setting, genre. I could use some major help!
 

The original vid looked amazing, by the way.

The battle with the entry guards (and the scorpion-mech, later) looked remarkably like PHD (purple-haired dude) was playing chess with the mechs. To simulate that in GURPS you might want to consider letting your warriors have Style Familiarity (Mecha) vs. the lower-level threats.

Plus, that would be a cheap way to "punch up" the tension a few games in--"They've rewritten their attack matrices!"--just as soon as the players get used to their bonuses.