New to GURPS, is Old West compatible with 4e?

[xnery]

Hi. I have spent a good deal of time playing the Star Wars RPG by West End Games, Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 and 3.5, and am considering starting a GURPs group with some friends.

I would really like to try the newest edition and have interest in a wild west setting. Is the 'Old West' supplement from the earlier editions at all compatible with 4e? How smoothly would it work?

Thanks

[tshiggins]

Most of the stuff in the Old West sourcebook concerns the setting. There isn't a lot of content as far as character skills/ads/disads, or equipment, that doesn't exist in the 4e core books and G:High Tech. So, get it for the setting information -- that's some good stuff -- and use the 4e rules-as-written for the crunch.

[Trachmyr]

As the previous poster said... the setting material stays the same, and the Old West setting was one of the bests in 3e.

For the Crunch, particualry Guns, you'll need a copy of 4e High Tech... but other than that you'll be fine, as the ads/disads/skills cross-over fairly easily.

If you're going to use shamanistic magic, then I suppose you'll need a 4e book for that bit 'o crunch. But since I never used it's magic rules and most people don't, (& IIRC they were pretty weak) it's probably a non-issue.

[copeab]

Originally Posted by Trachmyr

For the Crunch, particualry Guns, you'll need a copy of 4e High Tech... but other than that you'll be fine, as the ads/disads/skills cross-over fairly easily.

I find it hard to believe that 3e and 4e gun stats differ so much that he must buy a $38 book he only needs a small part of rather than using someone's free conversion rules.

Additionally, he should be able to use the magic system in Old West (I presume 2e) without buying another GURPS book.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by xnery

Hi.

Hey.

Originally Posted by xnery

I have spent a good deal of time playing the Star Wars RPG by West End Games, Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 and 3.5, and am considering starting a GURPs group with some friends.

Congratulations!

Originally Posted by xnery

I would really like to try the newest edition and have interest in a wild west setting.

This thread may help.

[Trachmyr]

Originally Posted by copeab

I find it hard to believe that 3e and 4e gun stats differ so much that he must buy a $38 book he only needs a small part of rather than using someone's free conversion rules.

Hmmm... you might be right, I was thinking of how 'particular' my old west players get about their historically accurate guns....

If running with conversion stats and calling it a Peacemaker, Navy, Dragoon isn't a problem, then I would say High-Tech 4e is Highly recommended rather than required.

Additionally, he should be able to use the magic system in Old West (I presume 2e) without buying another GURPS book.

Yeah... probably. Like I said, the original's magic is so "thin" that I doubt you'd need to update... if you're using it at all.

[copeab]

Originally Posted by Trachmyr

Hmmm... you might be right, I was thinking of how 'particular' my old west players get about their historically accurate guns....

If running with conversion stats and calling it a Peacemaker, Navy, Dragoon isn't a problem, then I would say High-Tech 4e is Highly recommended rather than required.

Those more familiar with 4e should chime in, but as I see it:

Acc: Divide by two
Bulk: Probable converted from SS, no idea how
RoF: 4e probably as at least single-action revolver, double-action revolver, lever-action rifle and breech-loading rifle/shotgun to look at RoFs for, which covers the bulk of Old West firearms
Damage: Basic damage is probable similar and 4e should have enough example to add wounding modifiers

Yeah... probably. Like I said, the original's magic is so "thin" that I doubt you'd need to update... if you're using it at all.

The ritual magic in OW 2e is probably self-contained enough you can run it with the rules from Lite ...

[HANS]

As one of the authors of HIGH-TECH Fourth Edition , I'd say you could easily play OLD WEST with just the BASIC SET -- but you would miss out on a lot of extra fun.

HIGH-TECH Fourth Edition contains considerably more information than just some gun stats (which aren't actually so easy to come up with as suggested by the ill-informed).

It contains rather longer, more detailed, and much more accurate descriptions and notes regarding typical OLD WEST firearms.
It includes a lot of new rules on their use, including how to fan or thumb a revolver, how to improve firing from horseback, how to "cross the border" if using two guns, how to repeat a Winchester single-handed (think Marshall "Rooster" Cogburn), etc. These all work quite differently in Fourth Edition than before, if they were even possible at all.
It includes a LOT of non-firearms-related information, including about food, clothing, medicine, explosives, and other stuff that surely will come up in any TL5 campaign set in the OLD WEST.
Finally, it includes a complete writeup with stat line of a stagecoach.

Cheers

HANS

[ClayDowling]

Wow, sounds like it would be a really cool edition to an Old West game. My group likes a western setting, and sometimes grows tired of tentacles. GURPS Old West might be a fun thing to throw at them.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by ClayDowling

My group likes a western setting, and sometimes grows tired of tentacles. GURPS Old West might be a fun thing to throw at them.

My group has a higher-than-normal tolerance for realistic historical gaming with no monsters, superpowers, time travel, etc, and I'm a big fan of Deadwood and a few genre movies, so I've been kicking ideas for this one around for a while myself. I fall into the "GURPS Can Do Anything" crowd, but IMHO it would be especially good for this.