Quote:
Originally Posted by Micahel Silverbane
What sort of advice do you have for a long-time gaming group that is new to GURPS?
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Start slow and simple. Do
not acquire an armload of books and charge headlong into a campaign using all the options. At first, the
Basic Set (
Characters and
Campaigns) will have enough. You might not think so, but trust me, it does. Use the basic combat rules. Flip only the cinematic switches you truly need. Make do with the basic magic chapter and/or the basic psionics chapter. There are
so many options available to you in the
Basic Set that it alone can overwhelm you and your group if you bite off more than you can chew. Better to err from too little than too much.
Once you are thoroughly familiar the system,
then start expanding your library and putting additional material into use.
Martial Arts will give you plenty of extra combat options.
Magic will give you plenty of extra spells.
Thaumatology will give you plenty of alternative magic systems if the GURPS default of "spells as skills" doesn't satisfy you.
Powers will give you plenty of extra options for building pretty much whatever fantastic ability you imagine (and
Power-Ups 1: Imbuements patches the only hole in that boat, not that it was ever in any danger of sinking).
Note that "are thoroughly familiar" doesn't mean "have memorized it such that you can quote page references for every rule no matter how obscure." It just means that you've played with just the
Basic Set enough that you need it during play to look up
only the obscure stuff, not the stuff that sees use in three out of five play sessions. It will not only be easier on your head(s), it will be easier on your bank account(s) to build up your library(s) slowly and add complexity to your gaming in manageable chunks. Think of GURPS as a multi-course meal. Don't rush through it to get to dessert!
Welcome to the family.
Hope your GURPS experience is a fun experience.
This forum is full of friendly people willing to help you if you have any problems. :)