New to GURPS my head hurts

[harliquin76]

So I am trying to run a Fallout type game. I have never used GURPS before and have been reading the character basic book all day. My head hurts. I have looked at the conversion for Fallout but it seems to set the game up I need to go through all the basic books and some addtional books and select which skills/traits/advantages my players can use. Does this sound about right? also any tips on how to build a better game?

[nanoboy]

First, take a deep breath. Relax. The first rule for people new to GURPS is that you don't have to use everything. Start with the simple stuff. Remember that GURPS is a very big tool box, and right now, you just need to learn how to use a hammer and a wrench. Socket sets and rotary tools can wait.

I'm not familiar with the Fallout setting or the conversion stuff, but I would imagine any fan-based adaptation of Fallout (or readaptation? I understand that the game was originally built on the GURPS engine...) would include a bunch of books. You won't need them to have a good time, and trying to include them at this point will only leave you more frustrated. Also note that any conversion or whatever may be based on GURPS 3rd Edition, and if you're reading GURPS Characters, then you're looking at 4th Edition. Just check and make sure, since there are some important changes between editions.

So, where do you start? Folks more familiar with Fallout can probably give you more specific tips, but generally, you should write down all of the advantages, disadvantages, and skills that would be applicable to your game. Eliminate any that you don't understand and think will never come up. You would be surprised at how many you don't write down. Stat out a few example characters for yourself to learn how character building works. When you play, just keep the combat system simple at first. Don't use hit locations or anything else like that, until and unless you are ready for them. A new GM for GURPS should start simple and gradually add optional rules until they feel that the balance is right for them.

[Gollum]

The hint I wanted to give you have already been given, but I would like to emphasize it: begin with GURPS Lite and add other rules as you really become comfortable with GURPS Lite rules.

GURPS Lite is not really an "Introduction to roleplaying", because, for a true newcomer, it is hard to learn what a role playing game is just with it. But it is an outstanding introduction to GURPS! All the important rules in only 32 pages... And these are not simplified rules. These are the true rules. Once you will begin to use the Basic Set, you won't have to change anyhting: your players' characters and your habits will remain exactly the same.

Fallout is a very good setting to start. No magic and no psionic are required. So, almost everything you need is in GURPS Lite.

Thus, don't use anything else... Except the lists of equipment which are in Basic Set, Characters (at the end of the book), to have enough weapons and armors to offer to your players. And, maybe, the rules about Rapid Fire (Basic Set, Campaigns, page 373) if you want to give your players weapons that can fire in bursts. Add to that the rules about Explosion (Basic Set, Campaigns, pages 414-415). And you will have everything you need. Really.

The rest is just detail to add fun to the game (hit locations, bleeding, etc.). But you don't need it to start. And your players don't need it too. Too much detail could confuse them!

Originally Posted by nanoboy

First, take a deep breath. Relax. The first rule for people new to GURPS is that you don't have to use everything. Start with the simple stuff. Remember that GURPS is a very big tool box, and right now, you just need to learn how to use a hammer and a wrench. Socket sets and rotary tools can wait.

Exactly! GURPS is a toolkit. It is so true that even the most experienced game masters don't use all the rules. This is even impossible! Some optional rules are incompatible with others: some are designed for harshly realistic games (bleeding, for example) why some are made for heroic or super-heroic campaigns. So, don't be afraid by the thickness of the books. Rules are not at all designed to be used all at the same time. They are made to be used only when you want it. Almost everything is optional!

Oh... I also had to tell you... If you are used to an other role playing game (D&D, Call of Cthulhu...) the combat turn is very different in GURPS - which is not always easy to understand.

1) It is much shorter: only 1 second.
2) There is no generic turn. Each turn is the turn of one character. So, the turns of the different characters do overlap.

With a classic role playing game, it gives this...

Turn 1
-- Character 1
-- Character 2
-- Character 3
-- ...
Turn 2
-- Character 1
-- Character 2
-- Character 3
-- ...
Turn 3
-- Character 1
-- Character 2
-- Character 3
-- ...

With GURPS, it gives this...


Character 1, turn 1
-- Character 2, turn 1
----- Character 3, turn 1
-------- ...
----------- Character 1, turn 2
-------------- Character 2, turn 2
----------------- Character 3, turn 2
-------------------- ...
----------------------- Character 1, turn 3
-------------------------- Character 2, turn 3
----------------------------- Character 3, turn 3
-------------------------------- ...

Which means, for example, that Character 3 turn 1 is not over when character 1 turn 2 begins. Character 3 turn 1 will be over only when Character 3 turn 2 will begin.

[OldSam]

It's important to avoid reading too much (unnecessary) stuff in the beginning...
As others already said the essential stuff (ruleswise) is GURPS Lite, which can easily be expanded with more skills etc. from Basic, even without introducing new rules (you can do that little by little).

In the Basic:Characters I'd recommend concentrating on the Introduction and Chapter 1, only the first pages of Chapter 2,3,4 (just basics about Advantages, Disadvantages and Skills) and the complete Combat Lite (starts at p.324).
Reading all the details about Advantages, Disadvantages, Magic, PSI etc. is information overload for a Newbie, you really don't need this for a simple start. Using "only" the attributes and skills at first, already allows a lot of things in a GURPS-Game, e.g. kicking doors, perceiving traps and jumping over them, resisting injuries or poison, sneaking around and stealing stuff, solving scientific or technical tasks, fighting unarmed and with normal weapons etc.
If you go through the details of Advantages, Disadvantages, Skill-Descriptions etc. think of it as a shopping catalogue, look at the headlines and only read what is interesting and/or what is needed at the moment.

[benz72]

IF you are considering computer assisted character generation, I found out that GCA can be fairly easily edited to remove all the inappropriate equipment by TL and such. I've heard there is also an easy way to take out all the supers/mystic/cinematic stuff, but I haven't looked for it, so don't know where it is.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by benz72

IF you are considering computer assisted character generation, I found out that GCA can be fairly easily edited to remove all the inappropriate equipment by TL and such. I've heard there is also an easy way to take out all the supers/mystic/cinematic stuff, but I haven't looked for it, so don't know where it is.

GCA with one of the categorization additions-templates-thingies-whaever, that sorts the Advantages into categories, and also sorts the skills, can be a great help, both for someone new to GURPS, and to someone who understands it fairlywell. Mainly by speeding things up, and giving a clearer overview of what options are available within a given category or group of traits.


What about GURPS Action, though? It doesn't quite fit post-apocalyptic, but of the two "distillations" available, it is the least bad fit, so that might be a good place to start.

[swampthing]

Originally Posted by Gollum

2) There is no generic turn. Each turn is the turn of one character.

... which is basically what "turn" means to regular people, who understand playing games by taking turns.

D&D has a lot to answer for, having ever perversely used the word "turn" to indicate more than one person doing something.

But I digress.

[Opellulo]

Good luck with that! While Fallout is a setting i love the problem in a GURPS game is that you don't got any support matherial (Stats for Gear, NPC, Maps and the rest of "handy" stuff) and Fallout is a pretty "heavy" setting.

For the first sessions better to start with something more "vanilla" until you and your players can handle better the ruleset.

The first way to hate GURPS is to launch with it in the cliff of a tricky setting without an adequate support material parachute.

[Crakkerjakk]

Originally Posted by Opellulo

Good luck with that! While Fallout is a setting i love the problem in a GURPS game is that you don't got any support matherial (Stats for Gear, NPC, Maps and the rest of "handy" stuff) and Fallout is a pretty "heavy" setting.

For the first sessions better to start with something more "vanilla" until you and your players can handle better the ruleset.

The first way to hate GURPS is to launch with it in the cliff of a tricky setting without an adequate support material parachute.

Meh, I think it works fine. That Fallout conversion floating around on the web is pretty well done, though I'd drop the psychics and the direct conversion of video game stats to GURPS traits.

You have four "races" (human, ghoul, super-mutant, and robot), Tech Level from 0 (tribals) to 9 (BoS/Enclave/Vault), etc. There's a setting wiki that you can use to figure out what you need to convert. There's a lot of resources and nothing TOO crazy as far as powers.

[Woodman]

Originally Posted by Opellulo

Good luck with that! While Fallout is a setting i love the problem in a GURPS game is that you don't got any support matherial (Stats for Gear, NPC, Maps and the rest of "handy" stuff) and Fallout is a pretty "heavy" setting.

For the first sessions better to start with something more "vanilla" until you and your players can handle better the ruleset.

The first way to hate GURPS is to launch with it in the cliff of a tricky setting without an adequate support material parachute.

Actually there is a pdf flaoting around the net, Which provides a decent setting description and a lot of 4E stats for Fallout.