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Author Topic: Generic Universal RolePlaying System. (GURPS)  (Read 1505 times)

aaron32

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Generic Universal RolePlaying System. (GURPS)
« on: June 15, 2012, 11:57:08 pm »

Generic Universal RolePlaying System (From now on called GURPS) is a Tabletop Roleplaying game designed for play in virtually any setting, from Cavemen times to a sci-fi setting.

Here's a quote from the Basic Set book 1 to describe it better than I can.

Quote
GURPS is the most flexible roleplaying system
ever created. With just this book, you can
adventure in any world you can imagine. Use all
types of weapons from clubs to lasers . . . magic
and martial arts . . . psionics and superpowers.

Create exactly the character you want to play
. . . your favorite fictional hero, or your own
invention. Choose from over 400 advantages
and disadvantages, over 350 skills, spells, and
techniques. Customize your character with
individual perks and quirks, and you’re ready
to go.

I'm also looking to play a game of it.  :P

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« Last Edit: June 16, 2012, 12:04:13 am by aaron32 »
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Cthulhu

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Re: Generic Universal RolePlaying System. (GURPS)
« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2012, 12:00:32 am »

I played a session or two a long time ago, but it died fast and I wasn't too taken with the system.  Waaaay too much work.
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Girlinhat

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Re: Generic Universal RolePlaying System. (GURPS)
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2012, 12:08:43 am »

I would take your thread more seriously if I didn't feel like I was trying to vomit every time I attempt to say the name.

Neonivek

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Re: Generic Universal RolePlaying System. (GURPS)
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2012, 12:22:16 am »

I played a session or two a long time ago, but it died fast and I wasn't too taken with the system.  Waaaay too much work.

The downside of many opencreation system games is simply the rate of advancement.

In order to get anything worthwhile in Gurps or Hero System you have to play for well over a month. It can be unnerving.
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nuker w

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Re: Generic Universal RolePlaying System. (GURPS)
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2012, 01:33:42 am »

This system has far too many rules and needed simulation information that needs to be made for a single session then is funny, personally.
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ConscriptFive

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Re: Generic Universal RolePlaying System. (GURPS)
« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2012, 02:47:01 am »

It's a fun system mainly if you have group of friends that like a variety of un-conventional settings and/or want to keep the same characters over many games.  Think Sliders, Quantum Leap, or a straight-forward Star Trek-style "planet of the week" running campaign.  For that reason, Steve Jackson Games wrote up gamebooks for some obscurely awesome settings like the old BBC series "The Prisoner."

The shitty part is that most game shops won't have some of the crazier settings though.  While I'd never advocate piracy, you'd be surprised what you can find on BitTorrent these days.

Fun Fact: Fallout was actually supposed to be a GURPS game.
Bonus Fun Fact: Because one prominent hacker was a GM for a GURPS campaign centered around hacking, Steve Jackson games famously got raided by the U.S. Secret Service in the 1990's.

Salabasama

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Re: Generic Universal RolePlaying System. (GURPS)
« Reply #6 on: June 16, 2012, 07:27:16 am »


I'm also looking to play a game of it.  :P

I'll see what I can do.
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Viken

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Re: Generic Universal RolePlaying System. (GURPS)
« Reply #7 on: June 16, 2012, 07:39:05 am »

GURPS is 'okay', as a roleplaying system, assuming you have a group likeminded enough to get over the horrible math, time, and effort that they have to devote to it.  I read through most of the core book one time, just to get a feel for it while another grouped played nearby, and I about went and burnt the darn book. Way too much math and figures and probabilities.  Bah.  Not worth the time it took out of my life.
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ank

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Re: Generic Universal RolePlaying System. (GURPS)
« Reply #8 on: June 16, 2012, 07:50:09 am »

I have around 20 GURPS books from the old system(before they made it way more streamlined).
I've played many a GURPS game(although not recently).

The upside is: there are rules for everything, and these rules makes sense within the physical realm. i dare you! make me any sort of weird scenario and i can find the rules.

Downside is: there are rules for everything! so much dice rolling and looking up tables and generally doing maths.

a good example, that both contains the strength and weakness of the system:
To shoot somebody with an arrow you have to either spend 2 turns drawing and knocking it, unless you make a quickdraw(arrow) roll.
Then you have to determin the range to the target, the speed of the target, your own speed and the size of your target, then subtract point for targeting specific body parts. Then you add accuracy bonus from the weapon.
now add all these modifiers to your Bow skill and roll 3 dice. If the roll is below or equal to your modified skill you succeed in shooting the guy.
now you gotta roll to see where you hit him(unless you were shooting fora specific body part)
Then you roll damage according to your str plus damage bonus from the bow(or magic bonus) and subtract Damage Resistance(armor)
Then you have to determine what Piercing(arrows are piercing) does to the bodypart hit, and how damaged the body part really is, is it still usable, badly damaged or do you get a blow-through.

now i'm getting tired of writing this, but there is a bunch of rolls to determine what happens to the guy if you hit.

I hope you get a sense of the game from this: it's an almost scientific approach to Roleplaying.
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