A GURPS Fantasy setting

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by (E)

Here is a question to consider what makes a fantasy setting work well in GURPS specifically?

In my opinion, GURPS works well for a fantasy setting that lets you both follow the expectations as well as put your own spin to various aspects of it.

For instance, GURPS doesn't pigeon-hole a setting to one kind of magic. GURPS can handle fantasy settings with the PCs having little to no magic (Princess Bride, original Beastmaster, Ladyhawke), subtle time-consuming Path/Book or RPM magic, or flash-bang Hogwart's magic. That you can craft a setting with both of the latter and have them not only work in conjunction and not step on each other's niches helps.

Likewise, GURPS doesn't say, "This is an Elf. Elves always have these traits, regardless of world setting." Instead, it lets you say, "This is this world's Elf, and that is that world's Elf. The two may meet, but they may not," with subtle differences between Elves. One Elf package may be 25 points, another 75. Contrast with, say, D&D where a Greyhawk Elf is the same as a Forgotten Realms Elf is the same as a Spelljammer Elf is the same as a Dragonstar Elf is the same as an Eberron Elf is the same as every other D&D setting's Elf, as far as the racial packages are concerned. GURPS let's you say, "A Norse Elf is not the same as a Dungeon Fantasy Elf, and neither is the same as a Potter-verse Elf."

[robertsconley]

Originally Posted by (E)

Here is a question to consider what makes a fantasy setting work well in GURPS specifically?

Nothing specific because GURPS has so many dials you can adjust it pretty much how you want.

The trick is how do you get the average gamer who likely to have started roleplaying with Dungeon & Dragon up to speed to run his own GURPS campaign. IMO my view is to have a worked examples of a distilled set of GURPS rules (which are getting), adventures using the GURPS rules(we are also getting this), and a small setting that show how D&D fantasy tropes works with GURPS on a larger scale.

[Jürgen Hubert]

Originally Posted by (E)

Here is a question to consider what makes a fantasy setting work well in GURPS specifically?

GURPS can do all sorts of settings, but IMO where it really shines is when the setting allows for wildly disparate character options. Again, consider D&D or Pathfinder, and consider how they struggle with player character races of very different power levels, or how they try to fit everything in the level/class system. If someone wants to play a vampire, a drgaon, or something else out of the norm it will require a lot of GM fudging. In GURPS the only relevant questions are:

- Are there sufficient character points available for this option?

and

- Does this option actually fit the campaign?

[dcarson]

I played in a campaign where the hobbits dominated organized crime since they were outsiders in the cities and physically couldn't compete for many of the low end muscle jobs.