A New GURPS Player

[Nemi3e]

Combat has so many different options. Keep it basic, don't use advanced things like shock, bleeding, etc until you are fluent and fluid with the system.

However, there is a sliiight exception. Keep Knockback rules on hand, even if you don't use them in usual combat. Someone is going to want to knock an enemy down eventually.

[Ed the Coastie]

I, too, endorse the recommendation that you do not yet acquire and read any of the additional books. The two books in the Basic Set are intended to be sufficient; anything more simply builds upon them.

When I am experimenting with a new game, one of the first things that I do is build a couple of characters and have them fight each other. Then, once i have a feel for the combat system, I build a few more and fight them in different combinations. Usually by the time I am done, I have about a dozen or so basic characters created...which generally become my first NPCs.

Then I am ready for my players, and guide them through the character generation process. 3-4 PCs is a good number (although most of my own games usually run up to twice that). If at all possible, I try to do one-on-one character generation with the players, so I can answer questions as they come up.

Once the PCs are created, I generally run a "tune-up" adventure that gives them a feel for the setting and a chance to experiment with particular rules. I tend to use an old guardhouse that I based off of a mini-adventure from an old D&D "red book" rules manual; over the years, I have infested that guardhouse with everything from bandits to skeletons to goblins to robots.

I started gaming in 1980, at the age of 14, playing AD&D with some friends from school. I discovered GURPS in 1990, and it quickly became my system of choice; I tend to adapt most of the materials I have from other games into it.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Ed the Coastie

Then I am ready for my players, and guide them through the character generation process. 3-4 PCs is a good number (although most of my own games usually run up to twice that). If at all possible, I try to do one-on-one character generation with the players, so I can answer questions as they come up.

I think most of this post is good advice, but I recommend a departure from this part of it. My experience has been that before players do full character design, it's extremely helpful—I would personally say vital!—to sit them all down together and talk with them about what character concepts they want. This both avoids their building characters who overlap too closely, and helps spot ways that characters can fit together (for example, in my current medieval fantasy campaign, two of the five PCs are magically talented cousins from Wales).

At the start of such a discussion, you can give them a brief overview of the world you'll be running, and either tell them the mission statement for their team—the thing they're meant to be doing together—or ask them to choose a mission statement. That way they can build characters who have a common goal (often enough for different reasons) and suitable minimal abilities to pursue it (for example, covert operatives all should have Stealth and Observation at a decent level).

Gaming is a social activity, where you spend hours talking with each other. You might as well talk with each other right at the start!

It's entirely possible that Ed does this, too, and just didn't think about mentioning it.

Bill Stoddard

[DanHoward]

I don't let new players generate characters at all. I have a selection of pre-generated characters that they can choose from and play through a few sessions. After they learn a little about the system and the current campaign, I give them the choice of either keeping their current character and modify it a little, or generate their own character from scratch. Instead of talking before the game starts and boring the other players who already know what they are doing, everyone can get stuck into playing straight away. I use "tune up" adventures like Ed does so the players can learn about the world and help them pin down a character concept. After a couple of sessions I let everyone make small changes to their characters if they want.

[Ulthar88]

I have to second Ed's suggestions -- nothing can spoil a campaign quicker than wrestling with a new rules set. Take a couple evenings to just run some random mini-games to test out everyone's reactions to the rules and your own GMing needs.

Grab a few quick characters and critters and run some combats, try out a few optional combat maneuvers... Run some awkward social encounters to get a feel for some of the non-combat advantages & disadvantages.

Then your players will have a MUCH better idea of how they want to build their characters and you will have a much better idea of what more information you might want for good GMing.

(But I will also plug the GCA -- GURPS Character Assistant program -- it has its own little quirks, but as a beginning GURPS GM I found it extremely helpful in getting a handle on all the permutations of character creation.)