Will I Ever Get Into GURPS?

[gilbertocarlos]

You don't need to know all the rules, just the basic ones, take one template, like a soldier(Basic Set) or knight(Banestorm), read his main advantages, disadvantages, and skills, read the rules in GURPS lite that seems to be needed for the character and you're more than ready to play one, or even GM to one.

[ClayDowling]

I've read maybe two gaming books straight through. Transhuman Space, because it was all unfamiliar territory, and Sorcerer, because it's written more as a book than a reference document.

I didn't read GURPS all the way through, and I think there are sections I haven't read in the three or four years I've been running the game. I read the parts that were relevant to what I was doing. I most definitely didn't read all of the advantages, disadvantages and skills. I've browsed through the lists casually, read items which were interesting, but definitely not read it cover to cover.

[Ts_]

As others have said: Reading the books cover to cover is unnecessary and can be very tedious. It's better to realize what is in there and to look it up when you need it and only read the parts that interest you most (say, combat or magic or the GM advice). This might prompt you to read other bits (say combat skills or weapons, when you read about combat), but if it doesn't, it's fine as well.

But reading the books without having a game on the horizon is probably a big demotivator, too. You really should try to get a group together for a quick game. Convert newbies if you don't know any roleplayers. Surprisingly many people are willing to play RPGs if you present your hobby as a quick and fun game about solving mysteries or defeating evil (rather than some huge collection of complex and sometimes non-intuitive rules).

Gurps Lite is useful for that, and with premade characters the players usually don't even need to know much more than "one page Gurps". Google this, it's really just 1 page trying to explain the character sheets and the basic rules. (Forum member ericbsmith made it.)

When you have players, go back to read the book in more details. Then it might actually be fun again. If it's not fun, don't try to read them.

Oh, I also found the forums quite a good inspiration. If you see some thread on how to do X in Gurps, where X is something you're interested in, such a thread can be a good shortcut to some interesting bits of Gurps lore.

Have fun!
Ts

[Jeffr0]

My suggestions:

1) Just run games. Any kind of games! Even if you're playing board games like Settlers and Carcassonne, the skills of getting people together, explaining rules, and making sure everyone is having fun are invaluable.

2) Play games with kids. If you have children (or neices and nephews), see if you can get them to let you run a game for them. It gets a lot easier to run things for adults if you've already busted the rpg out for some kids first and kids are generally more forgiving.

3) Run a game by forum post. You'll have plenty of time to look up the rules before you make a new post.

4) Go to conventions and sign up to run games. You'll not only get in for free, but you'll have a table full of players ready to get into it. You'll also learn that the average person doesn't require you to know as much about the rules as you'd think, even if they are familiar with GURPS!

[whswhs]

As a further note to what people are saying, I've run a lot of different games with different rules; since I stopped doing homebrews, I've run RuneQuest, 2300 A.D., Champions, GURPS, DC Heroes, Space 1889, Call of Cthulhu, Toon, Mage: The Ascension, Amber Diceless, Godlike, FUDGE, Big Eyes Small Mouth, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and In Nomine, and I've played in a couple more. When I get interested in a game, my way of finding out more about it and learning how it works is to come up with a campaign to run using it. I never know everything about a rules system when I start using it! Of course I run more GURPS than anything else (eleven campaigns so far), but I'm still learning things about GURPS. . . .

Bill Stoddard

[William]

What got me started in GURPS was settings: In Nomine and IOU looked like fun, and the version of In Nomine I had happened to pick up was the GURPS version. My gaming group got in to GURPS to play that. Some, maybe most GURPS GMs prefer homebrew settings, but for an early player/GM, having a setting do all the work of constructing cool bits for you can (a) serve as examples of how it's done, and (b) give you some fun to aim at, IMO.

[griffin]

Originally Posted by Mulsiphix

I have owned GURPS for over four years now. I have purchased many books for it but every single time I have made a real effort and reading the basic set I get discouraged along the way and move onto another project. I'm beginning to think that I will never find a way to ease into GURPS. So my question is, how unlikely is it that I might find someone or a group online that will be willing to teach me the game as we play? I'm aware a great deal of the Basic Set: Characters is nothing but lists of Advantages, Disadvantages, Technology, etc... but as a future GM I still have to at least be familiar with all of the choices.

You've already gotten quite a bit of good advice. I'll echo some of it and add on things that I think will help.

• Finding a GM running a campaign would probably be your best bet
• However, try checking out a local convention or game shop event - a one shot GURPS adventure will give you the basics of the game system
• Download and read GURPS Lite cover to cover - it's short and easy to read.
• Don't read GURPS Basic cover to cover (ee below for details)
• Read GURPS Basic as follows:
  • Contents - read
  • Index - scan
  • Introduction - read
  • Read the GMing sections CH 18 and 19 in Campaigns (as much as you can)
  • Everything else - scan until you decide on what genre to run
• Take a look through your other GURPS books - what type of game do you want to run?
• Most GURPS books (not Basic) start the chapter with a vignette. These are fun to read and inspirational.

I just cannot seem to make this commitment even though learning this All-In-One gaming tool set is one of my biggest gaming dreams. If I could take the plunge and finally commit I know it would bring me a great deal of happiness.

• First remember perfection is NOT realistic
• Concentrate on making the first adventure fun, easy to run, easy to play
• Limit the options to what you are comfortable GMing, when in doubt simplify

I'm just looking for some advice on how to go about breaking this horrible cycle. To date I have attempted to read GURPS six times. I think the farthest I ever got was page (somewhere in the 50's). Any ideas, feedback, suggestions, or references to resources that might inspire would be so very appreciated.

Check out the GURPS FAQ.
This will help resolve issues others have run into in the past.

You might want to state what type of campaign you'd want to run and what other GURPS books you already own. That would provide useful info for giving advice.

[Gollum]

Originally Posted by griffin

• Download and read GURPS Lite cover to cover - it's short and easy to read. NOTE: It *is* missing rules for handling ranged combat

Note really. They are very simplified, right, but they are still described: in the Aim maneuver (page 25-26), In the Ranged Attacks paragraph (page 27), the Ranged Attack Modifiers one (page 27) and the Size and Speed/Range Table one (page 27-28). This table is summarized, a lot, but with the Basic Set, it is not really a problem: you've got the integral table.

GURPS Lite really allow you to play GURPS in only 32 pages.

Some other things are still missing: Magic, Psionics and other world-specific topics...

[griffin]

Originally Posted by Gollum

Note really. They are very simplified, right, but they are still described: in the Aim maneuver (page 25-26), In the Ranged Attacks paragraph (page 27), the Ranged Attack Modifiers one (page 27) and the Size and Speed/Range Table one (page 27-28). This table is summarized, a lot, but with the Basic Set, it is not really a problem: you've got the integral table.

GURPS Lite really allow you to play GURPS in only 32 pages.

Some other things are still missing: Magic, Psionics and other world-specific topics...

OK, I stand corrected. I overlooked the simplified Speed/Range table. I've removed the comment from my previous post.

Thanks.

[Dutch_Wolf]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

Just to echo everyone else, GURPS is more like an encyclopedia than a novel. You're not really meant to read it from cover-to-cover, but rather to look up the things you need.

I used to be nervous about the game, but then I just jumped in with both feet and things have worked out surprisingly well. I've seen someone else jump in with both feet and end up with disastrous results, but those were as much about the group he was playing with and his own inexperience with GMing than anything else... and even he learned a lot and stuck with the game and ended up with a great story to tell people (it's one of my favorite gaming anecdotes!)

If you're nervous that your lack of knowledge will hinder the game, use one of the pre-made genre books, like Monster Hunters, DF or Action. The fellow I mentioned above switched to DF and all of his problems vanished. These books will ensure that your PCs have the most important traits and will highlight the important rules in bite-size pieces. As for the rest, whenever you come across a problem in the game, research it in the books and/or on the forum, and you'll find your answer.

Honestly, that's how I learned the system: templates and research.

Can't stress the above enough because if I am right he is talking about one of my earlier experiences GMing. Yes it was a 'disaster' although in the end it the players did enjoy it and I learned a lot of it. And this makes actually my first point most of the time people can learn more from their mistakes then anything else, so even if things don't go well just keep trying.

Also the thing I learned mostly from DF is that I can't run straight Dungeons Fantasy anyway, but that the templates are still very useful. For example I studied the templates in DF and Action to make my own templates for 'Project Wolf' (setting/game where players play wolf characters see sig for link to my website for more info)

As people above have recommended GURPS light is an excellent product although personally I mostly use it in conjunction with the GM screen as a reference at the table and do not allow me to use any other references during play (this speeds up play dramatically) if there is something you don't know just just make a call and look it up after play.