What A GM Needs To Start A GURPS Adventure

[@eleventhrealm]

Watching this 10 years later from you posting it. Fantastic videos, super helpful for a new GM. Come back Brad!!

[@inflatus1]

It has been a while. I do toy with the idea of doing more videos. Just finding the time is the issue. Roll low! Cheers

[@Nolinquisitor]

Great insights on your style. What not to love. :) For more advanced gm's I recommand a book called Never Unprepared. This book can help you gain speed in your gm prep.

[@inflatus1]

This is video about creating an adventure from my view using GURPS. Some of the information can be used with any RPG but I do cover mechanics and use GURPS for that section. I wanted to show others how I prepare for a game. I hope this helps someone.

[@jrs2949]

I really appreciate all your GURPS videos, gives me some direction.

[@inflatus1]

Glad you like them!

[@CatMunroe71]

As a GM, I usually only limit points and let them know what tech level. When we get into the game I ask the players where they are to start and then pull them together. I like to find out how someone justifies an Elf in a tech level 8 world, and I have fun with seeing where they choose to go.

[@michaelwolf8690]

We had a game where our GM wanted to keep the story a secret so the theme was deliberately left very vague. The GM did very little limiting. We had a spoiled teenage equestrian competitor, a bodybuilder with a masters in theoretical math, a modern-day samurai with paladin-like abilities to detect and smite evil, and an artifact smuggler with delusions of Indianna Jones. We ended up on a lost island ruled by a powerful sorceress. It was a fun game but none of us ever felt like we were in the theme and we spent a lot of the game trying to justify how we would us esoteric defaults to accomplish basic survival skills for the setting.

[@justosoler8408]

dude i just bought gurps basic books and gurps for dummies and just order gurps zombies, and gurps horror and next month ill order gurps mysteries and gurps supers i just love gurps so much i have never master it but ill start soon, i like your video dude

[@inflatus1]

I'm glad you liked the video. You are off to a great start with the books. Horror is an awesome book. I love Ken Hite's books. You'll have to let me know how everything goes with gaming. I hope you and your group have fun. Cheers.

[@justosoler8408]

Bradley Harvey thanks Bradley, sure Ill tell you how everything is going with gaming, i will see your videos they are really helpful as soon as I master something I will tell you how everything is going the good the bad and ugly things, my problems as a gm sure you can give me a piece of advice

[@inflatus1]

You will find GMing in GURPS is not much different than in another RPG. You can still keep your style and pace that you have in the other systems. Now GMing from GURPS Lite may present somewhat of a challenge. The best advice is to keep it simple with the players and the adventure. If the players want to do something do your best to allow it with some type of roll. Find the closest skill for what they are trying to achieve and have them roll against that. Just keep the adventure flowing.

[@bobfitzpatrick8952]

I found these helpful, as there are things that I haven't learned yet. GURPS has been a lot of fun over the years.

[@inflatus1]

Glad you liked them. Enjoy your future games and roll low.

[@hashtagsareuseless]

Very helpful! Am used to played the d20 system but was looking into a more open and faster system for beginner players to get a hold of. Especially for the setting for my adventure. Heists, vehicles, guns and things like that set today or the very near future. Hacking puzzles would be cool.

[@inflatus1]

You touch on one of the benefits to GURPS. The ability to play any genre with one set of rules. Good luck with your players and adventure.

[@inflatus1]

Thanks Séb! That Never Unprepared book is a great resource. It is on DriveThruRPG for those reading this.

[@whiteowl1415]

My son is about to turn 13. He is finally interested in RPGs (that arn't on a computer) To make the campaign interesting for him and easier to picture, I am running GURPS (World of Warcraft)

[@CatMunroe71]

No, because I read over their characters and customize the game to accommodate them. We usually have characters from very different backgrounds working together. It causes them to get creative with their characters in ways they never thought of. Most will ask me what type of adventure we will be doing, but that just give them an idea of where to start on their character and not on how the game will play out.

[@inflatus1]

That sounds cool. Do whatever you can to make it interesting and familiar. That does help when learning. Hopefully he will see the greatness of tabletop RPG's over MMO's.

[@bopaintsminis]

More GURPS content please. Thank you.

[@inflatus1]

Haven't been able to set aside time to do any more content. Roll low! Cheers

[@Cyberpuppy63]

I borrowed a pre-made adventure ("Caravan...); wrote up a basic Intro, about 2 Paragraphs long. Then broke the pre-written adventure into sections, and "copied" the approximate word count. For major NPC's, I used equivalent point valued templates [ 150 or 200 points ] and mixed in a few [ 70 point ] trouble makers, and wanna bee's. I assigned 1 major town, as the starting location for the campaign - and made a rough map, given to the players. Nothing was pre-labeled, as none of the PC's took area knowledge. I'm not the kind of GM to fork over inside information - and none of the PC's took a Patron (even to help out with a local guide). Very poorly done player characters, imo.

[@inflatus1]

Players can be a bit slow on the uptake. Even if the players make PCs that do not fit your adventure you can still nudge them in the correct direction. They may not have understood where you were going with the adventure. I have seen that. At times I think I am explaining it the way it is in my head but it is coming out wrong. Anyway, you may want to ask them what they thought of the adventure and how it could have went better. I find a lot of times they have insights that make it more fun. That is why we game. Roll low! Cheers

[@cwkiller1998]

Very helpful, i'm trying to create a campaign for some friends of mine who havent played as much (if at all).... Thank you sir, you've helped me out with some new ideas about it

[@inflatus1]

Civil Madman glad it helped. Hope your adventures go well. Roll low!

[@inflatus1]

I am in a holding pattern right now. I will be back. The videos have been well received and I want to make more. I have a lot more to cover in the system. Thanks. I'm glad you liked them.

[@whiteowl1415]

He seems to be...atm his go to move is a slam attack the second an NPC takes a concentrate manuver lol

[@evilkoolade]

Very helpful thanks. any tips on creating a campain where powers are introduced as it goes along. What I want to do is have them make just normal everyday human characters and then they get powers do to this explosion or something and no one that's what their power is going to be so that's not taking into account when they created characters how do I go about doing that oh and everybody gets a different power

[@inflatus1]

Glad you liked the video. Having the players not know their powers in the beginning is a great idea. If it were my adventure, I would pick the powers myself for the PC's. So if you planned on running a 400 point Supers campaign, tell the players to make regular characters at the 200 or 250 point level. You may not even want to tell them that it's going to be a Supers campaign. Have them make extraordinary "normals". Before you start the adventure come up with the catalyst that will gradually give them the powers. You can even the powers manifest themselves at an inopportune time. Stagger the rate in which they get their powers. The next few adventures can focus on them learning how to use their powers. It sounds like the beginning of a long campaign. Good luck. Cheers

[@evilkoolade]

I was thinking about coming up with the powers but having the players draw numbers for them so its random who get who and they still don't know which power they have till it manifests.

[@scottmarlow6018]

evilkoolade I believe Supers discusses latent powers.

[@b1gje55e]

Are you not making videos any longer? I've enjoyed the ones I've watched.

[@danielzigger591]

I'm planning a semi-realistic fantasy game with magic and has technology in the modern age. What would the TL be?

[@inflatus1]

TL 3 is the Medieval Period (Magic) and TL 8 is Now. You'll have to decide what technology is going to be the vast majority of your world. You can run a game where there are small numbers of people who have TL 8 knowledge. That would be a TL 3 game. Now if it is going to be a world where magic is possible in a modern setting keep it at the modern tech level. The key is to make sure the players know exactly what is possible for their PC's. Otherwise you'll break your world.

[@inflatus1]

Do you ever feel like the players have very different ideas about the adventure when you only limit point and set a TL? I ask because it seems that they could come up with very different characters that would make interactions between them difficult. Cheers.

[@pauldemelto6650]

I know this video is 5 years old, so you won't likely see this message, but I have noticed that you wear an Indians hat.... any chance you are in Cleveland??? I live in Berea, and am looking to start with GURPS 4th ed. I have gaming experience, and have owned GURPS and fiddled with the rules for a while, but never run it. I am wondering if you live in my area... maybe we could grab a cup of joe and talk the ins and outs of GURPS sometime? Anyhow, I appreciate your videos and your GURPS expertise.

[@inflatus1]

Nope not in Cleveland. Have been an Indians, Browns and Cavs fan for many years. Remember going to the Jake. Am glad you like the videos. Roll low! Cheers.

[@pauldemelto6650]

@@inflatus1 do you still play GURPS??

[@inflatus1]

@@pauldemelto6650 haven't played in long time. Still have what I need to play and GM. Read through the books every once in a while. Mostly to reminisce about the old days. Have you been playing or are you not able to find a group?

[@gothraidh]

Something I like more than a composition book is an app I got for my phone called Evernote. I downloaded the app on my computer also and they sync very quickly. I always have my phone on me and can easily take a text, photo, or audio note. It works great for making lists with check boxes or bullets too, my wife actually sends my grocery store lists with it so I can check things off as i get them.

[@inflatus1]

I know gamers and GM's that use Evernote and other apps. It is cool to have everything in one place, portable and multi use. It is great to see how others prep for games.

[@ampethosguy]

So im getting ready to gm a high tech campaign but its a total custom campaign enemies gear classes etc. on top of that ive neither played a gurps session nor gm before any tips?

[@inflatus1]

ampethosguy If you have never played or GM'd before you may want to keep it a bit simple. Don't go overboard with the adventure. You want to make sure the players are having fun and will play again. Another thing to remember is to not get caught up in the rules. Just continue playing and address the rules later if you make a mistake. Have fun and roll low!

[@ampethosguy]

alright thanks for the advice my friend and I are going through and doing a simplified version.

[@DietMountain]

Am I able to use source books for all editions, or are they specific to a particular edition?

[@inflatus1]

You can most certainly use the other sourcebooks. I actually encourage that route. You will notice some differences in the rules. There is a PDF that shows the differences in the editions. You don't have to use that unless you're trying to convert the rules. More than likely you want the fluff in the books. In that case, but as many as you can.

[@renardleblanc5556]

Something I think rookie GURPS GMs often forget: NPC point totals don't matter: all that matters is their skill/attribute levels and significant advantages... as long as their DR reasonably matches the party damage output and vice versa, and the NPC skill levels challenge the PC skill levels, everything's gravy. Dithering over the NPCs points is... well, pointless. X3

[@inflatus1]

True they do not really matter. It is nice for the GM to be able to create an NPC as if it were a PC or even go into more detail. Sometimes the NPC creation can lead to more adventure hooks.

[@inflatus1]

That is awesome! Signature move.

[@wolflahti412]

Buy a new hat. Please.

[@inflatus1]

I lost that hat a couple years ago! Sad days.

[@Stat1onary]

This could be 15 mins shorter. Sperg...

[@inflatus1]

:)