New to GURPS and concerned about combat

[Kuroshima]

There is one truism that remember, GURPS is like a cow, you don't try to eat the whole thing at once. GURPS is also front loaded, in that you do most of the work during character creation.

Given that you come from a D&D background, I recommend that you pick at least Dungeon Fantasy 1 and 2. You will both see how to adapt GURPS to a familiar genre (including what options to use and what options to discard), you will also get a set of templates to help you with character creation.

On using psi instead of magic, just as with everything in GURPS, you have multiple options. The basic set version of psionics is more or less the starting point of all of them. GURPS Psionic Powers expands it in one direction, GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 14: Psi goes in another. Both are ready to use with minimal assembly required. GURPS Powers gives you more tools to tinker with them. Still the basic magic system might suit you too.

Oh and something that you might not realize right away, on top of the books with GURPS in their title, the Pyramid magazine is another source of materials for your game, as official as any other.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Arith Winterfell

I've noticed that about the pi- pi pi+ and pi++ (if I'm not mis-remembering the classifications) that many of those involved guns.

P is for Piercing and almost all of the weapons assigned this damage class are guns. There are only a few exceptions.

For low tech weapons it will usually be Crushing, Cutting or Impaling. Basically mace-like, axe-like or spear-like with some weapons like swords that can either Thrust for Impaling or be swung for Cutting.

Get the hand of these 3 damage types and the options for Thrust and Swung and then Hit Locations and you'll have the most important thigns in Low Tech combat.

It might seem a little complicated but it does away with a lot of things in D20 that are Class Powers or Feats.

For example, Want to "Backstab" a sentry? Tell your GM you want to sneak up on the guy (Roll v. stealth Skill). After you do that successfully Tell the GM I Attack with my dagger (Thrust/Impale) aimed at the Vitals Hit Location. Not being aware of your attack the sentry will get no Defence Roll.

Then you get to the part where Impaling attacks to the Vital organs get 3x base damage. Unless the sentry has some really good armor he's in trouble. It may not be an immediate "Kill" but it will seldom be ignored as if he was a D20 guy with 50 hit pts.

If this was an "average" sort of guy he probably is out of action and you didn't need to join a "Rogue" class or choose a "Feat". You just bought 2 good multipurpose skills (Stealth and Knife) and told your GM what you wanted to do.

[Captain Joy]

Originally Posted by Arith Winterfell

The general gist of the combat system I understand at the moment is:

1. Attacker uses relevant skill to make attack, if rolled under skill, continue
2. Defender rolls defense roll of (Dodge, Parry, or Shield), if failed, continue.
3. Roll damage, see how much damage and how much damage is "absorbed/taken" by DR to see how much gets through. Apply damage.

That's the bare bones I'm grasping right now, though I'm unsure if it is "enough" for running a game.

I'd not worry about Step 4 starting out, but add it when your group wants the extra detail. This might occur soon into your first gaming session; you might be satisfied with only Steps 1-3 for months.

I think you'll enjoy adding (again, only when you're ready and want to) Hit Locations when the time comes. Extra Effort In Combat [B357] also provides a lot of gaming-fun: worth the additional rules-learning/FP-tracking, IMHO.

For what it's worth, I try to maintain a collection of fan made combat cheat sheets and stuff.

Also, you might not have realized it, but Kromm is the GURPS line editor. That's right, your post was given personal attention by a primary author of GURPS! How cool is that?

[Arith Winterfell]

Thanks for the continued help.

"Also, you might not have realized it, but Kromm is the GURPS line editor. That's right, your post was given personal attention by a primary author of GURPS! How cool is that? "

I did notice that. I find that pretty awesome! It's really great to see such a community connection between those who write and create the game, and those who play (even those just starting out in the community!!!)

[chimchim]

Arith Winterfell some time ago I ran a series of combat demos using gurps 4th and a vtt. It might be possible for me to do the same for you and your players. So where are you in the world (for time zone issues lol).
Do you all have internet access? Reasonably upto date computers?