With GURPS, you can play in any world that you want... and it isn't hard.

[@MysterySemicolon]

The main thing I do for my players when they are new to the system, is ask them what they want their character to do before ever sitting down to create the characters. GURPS character generation is far easier when you don't sit down looking for ideas, but already have them.

[@chrisnormand]

So true, and thank you... I will include this in the character creation video.

[@emrek99205]

I haven't tried this in the new programs, but in MakeChar I could design a character from start to finish including equipment in less than an hour. It would be unique and playable with some sort of theme or storyline. Of course the background story would take a little longer to write, but by that time I already had an idea of what had happened to them before the adventure started. I came up with some rather intricate characters too. Stuff that I look at today and don't know how it took me less than an hour. Good to make up a few of these in case someone new comes in but doesn't want to spend all day trying to figure out what they want to play.

[@chrisnormand]

I highly recommend GCS for one big reason... it is still being actively supported. I took a look at MakeChar's website, and it looks good... but it is old. GCS is constantly being updated with new features and new Libraries (as SJG publishes new material). Also, GCS has a huge fan/support base. If you are having issues/questions on how to do something, you can ask anyone on the GCS Discord discord.gg/SxuvXVh or the GURPS Discord discord.com/invite/hWHbuvF If you want to see GCS in action, watch this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZfIdqWegdp6mbM

[@thomashiggins9320]

This is the key idea, and it helps if the GM and players sit down in "Session Zero" and have a frank discussion about what the campaign is about, who the characters should be and what they'll do. So, when I put together my "Facets," campaign, I clearly stated that every character should be a resident of a world that resembled our own world, in almost every respect, in the year 2015. Moreover, the story would start in Moab, Utah -- an area famous for beautiful landscapes and extreme outdoor sports -- and the characters would all be people who lived in or near that town. Additionally, each character would have volunteered to work for a well-funded Search & Rescue organization -- and, as such, would have at least some level of altruism (or, at least, a need for affordable health insurance purchased through the Utah State government). The characters should already know and trust each other as they'd worked together, in the past, to save lives. I set the point total for starting characters at 125 (in GURPS 4e, 125-150 points is about equivalent to a character in the pilot of an action/adventure TV show...), but told the players I'd drop at least one new advantage on each of the characters, in either the first or second session of play. I then walked through what it meant to have a "professional" level of skills for normal people (a score of 13 or 14), and that their characters should have those in the skills associated with their "day jobs." I then suggested other skills appropriate for rescue volunteers and first responders, in a rugged alpine and desert environment. Once we'd walked through any questions they had, I had everybody come up with a character concept that fit within the setting we'd clearly defined, and *only then* did we start crunching numbers while putting pencil to paper.

[@TheLegendsmith]

This is exactly what I do too!

[@Bearthedancingman]

I love that you describe GURPS as a 'tool chest'. I have been explaining GURPS to my friends as "A TTRPG game engine. The same way Unreal Engine or Unity are a video game engines." It's a tool to BUILD your own game. And has tools you may never need.

[@chrisnormand]

So very true... and that can be a hard thing for new players to understand. I can remember reading all of the AD&D rules, and following them "to the letter", because it was all new, weird, and exciting. GURPS is a hard concept to grasp, if you have never played a TTRPG before. BUT! Once you have... and you start "homebrewing" some rules, etc. then you are ready for GURPS. It is the ultimate homebrewer's kit.

[@pimpa1]

I´ve heard of a character that was a very powerful psychic, but was still a fetus. They controlled their mother's mind - so basically she was their mecha. That's an example of how far you can go with GURPS.

[@devinward461]

I would love to see that statblock, that sounds like a fascinating build

[@emrek99205]

Would they have any points for skills? Power doesn't mean you know what to do with it. Interesting idea, but unless some things are changed (eg. skill points = 2xAge) it would be very difficult.

[@devinward461]

@@emrek99205 The skill point age limit only applies to 3e and earlier, 4e got rid of it

[@emrek99205]

@@devinward461 That would make sense then. However, the GM could still just say it didn't apply. The 2x may or may not be the right number, but the concept of it makes sense to me. I can't see an embryo knowing how to cook, or perform complex mathematics, or with a detailed knowledge of local heraldry. Idiot savants happen for a couple skills, but usually would need an unusual background or be greatly limited in what other common skills they could ever possess.

[@StinkerTheFirst]

That's amazing. Also, it reminds me of an anime. SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT That is almost Attack on Titan.

[@GeneralSturnn]

I used to HATE GURPS, because I like many found it daunting due to all of the rulebooks, but a good person sat me down, talked to me for an hour, and helped me understand that GURPS is just, amazing! I'm always learning something new but I love GURPS.

[@chrisnormand]

That is the best scenario. My videos were designed for people who didn't have a good friend nearby. I know it is a distant second to in-person learning. And like you, every time I hear about someone else's GURPS game, I usually learn something new ;-)

[@amphetamink]

With the DnD controversy currently going on with their open gaming licence, this video should be getting a lot more views soon.

[@chrisnormand]

yeah, I thought of that... It will be interesting to see what happens.

[@Samuitsuki]

I've played GURPS for years now, but I really like your introduction and explanation of the system. I'll be sure to keep your channel in mind if I happen to pick up any players new to the system.

[@thePIPEisright]

Excellent video. If you were doing this for D&D you’d have 100k followers in no time. Your presentation ability is AWESOME. I look forward to what’s coming.

[@chrisnormand]

Wow, thank you! But I will settle for my loyal GURPS friends ;-)

[@snapeinvader]

@@chrisnormand It looks like more people are opening up to alternative RPG systems. I'd promote it while people are actively looking!

[@chrisnormand]

@@snapeinvader I’m a-trying!

[@TheRyujinLP]

Good to see more GURPS content out there (and glad that the algorithm gods finally decided to recommend me this video.... though I guess I can't really complain, it usually takes 3+ years heh). Especially one that goes after the biggest misconception of GURPS over how complex it is. Honestly, the only thing that can really be called a hard part for a new GURPS player is if you're a GM and just getting over the learning curve enough so that you know when to cut the wheat from the chaff in terms of what rules you want or need to use.

[@chrisnormand]

Exactly why I wanted to create these videos. I have heard, SO MANY TIMES, that "GURPS is too complex"... and that is the reason people don't play it. And I really want to show that that is not the case... and maybe help people figure out how to get into GURPS.

[@TheRyujinLP]

@@chrisnormand Keep at it man. This is something I've wanted to do, just didn't have the time (or mental energy, my job is very, very stressful and tends to eat up most of my time) to commit to it so it's good to see someone else who can had a similar idea. Hopeful this year I can get back to doing some GURPS stuff (god I haven't touched my blog in almost a year >.>).

[@Kmeetza]

I always love seeing GURPS content. Especially good quality GURPS content. Keep up the good work, and keep spreading the word of GURPS :)

[@chrisnormand]

Thanks! Will do! I just finished recording the raw footage for the next video... so after some editing and error correcting, I will publish it (hopefully this week).

[@dukeskunk]

I have played GURPS a few times Once back in 2nd Edition twice in 4th edition and am preparing to run my first GURPS campaign. I figured watching this playlist would be a good way to make sure I am thinking of all the things I need to.

[@alanjackson3297]

I like this explanation as someone who didn't grow up playing

[@shanethefox]

I LOVE GURPS! It's my favorite role-playing system and it is near impossible to convince me to play anything else! I love this introduction video, it's short sweet and to the point! :)

[@chrisnormand]

Glad you enjoyed it! I'm like you, it's GURPS or nothing. If I am going to learn a rule system, I would prefer to learn just one, and then spend my time on Playing!

[@FlatlandsSurvivor]

I have literally been playing Gurps almost my whole life, with my dad as gm. If I can handle playing orc slayer at 5 years old then Gurps cant be too hard on the player.

[@chrisnormand]

I may have to use this quote in my next video ;-)

[@yugiohboyfriendappreciator7739]

Maybe you're just a really smart child idk

[@azTarks]

Foundry module development and vids helping people getting into GURPS.... what a glorious human being you are ! ! !

[@phonetheory7056]

Oh thank goodness. An easy way for me to get into GURPS. Thank you for making this series, sir.

[@chrisnormand]

You are very welcome... and good luck! If you have questions, the SJG forums or the GURPS Discord is a great place to ask.

[@pimpa1]

Really nice, Chris! I think you just highlighted the most important thing: DON'T USE ALL THE RULES! Just because it's written, doesn't mean you have to use it. Since GURPS is a toolkit and not a game per se, you can pick the rules you like and ignore those that could spoil the fun for you and your group. It's not D&D in the sense that if you tweak some rules you might break the game altogether. Great work, keep it up! (Pimpão)

[@chrisnormand]

Then you will love my next video!

[@alanramiresbr]

and then a veteran enter in your table and knows more GURPS than you = he decides do to a psy mage with clerical investiture and you goes - wtf those rules are?

[@Shishnut]

Great intro! I have sent this to my players (I'm running a peculiar Cyberpunk campaign) so that they can follow and learn a bit more of the system as we go

[@mdb62vids]

Very well put. I played many of the Metagaming modules in the late 70's in HS; and was using Melee, Wizard, and ITL in the early 80's in college. So I knew who Steve Jackson was. I played and ran games in the 90's using ITL and 3rd Edition books that fell apart from usage. GURPS always just made sense, and it adapts to ANY concept a GM dreams up. And NOTHING defines who your character truly is like GURPS can. Getting back into it now as a player, with 4th Edition, Foundry; and ye old GCS. It is exciting to see how technology is being utilized to enhance today's RPG experience.

[@chrisnormand]

Wow, thanks! And I am "almost" down editing my first "GURPS Newbies OneShot, session 1'. I am running my nephews through a OneShot... and it is going great!

[@viclapira]

Excellent introduction! Looking forward to more in the series.

[@chrisnormand]

As always... my most faithful commenter. I appreciate your support!

[@Meeeeeeeestery]

Hi Chris, I'm liking very much your channel. Your contents give GURPS the tone and modularity that many (this includes me) didn't find within the manuals. The original diy spirit of rpging emerges. Modularity is an intrinsic quality of the hobby but certain game books seem to convey the notion that their games would only work played raw by failing in presenting their material modularly. This is where your videos succeed. Also, among Mook's downloads page I've found lots of useful stuff to get started: his starting character sheets with his simplified version of character creation sequence is killer.

[@chrisnormand]

I couldn't have said it better myself! And thank you!

[@RolandOttl]

Loved the whole playlist (the others, too). Thanks a lot for all the effort.

[@chrisnormand]

Glad you like them!

[@ithinkitsaurus]

Just started looking into furious and this was just posted. Was this made for me? Continue series asap please! Looking forward to it.

[@JoeBurkeZerk]

You have a way with Words and a High Command of your Game Knowledge, really helpful for a Newby GURPS-er!

[@chrisnormand]

Funny thing is, I am a new GURPS player myself... compared to my friends. But that is just the thing, you can still play GURPS even if you are not a rules wizard.

[@taj2196]

So awesome!! I haven't played in years and have missed playing. Keep up the content and hopefully more will watch and get into RPG.

[@chrisnormand]

I know what you mean... getting out and finding a group gets harder and harder...and so, my RPG-ing got less and less. I tried some of the other VTTs and they just didn't "do" GURPS well enough for me. When I found out about Foundry, I thought I would give it another try. The environment was so powerful, that it was pretty easy for me to get a prototype working... and then it sort of steamrolled. Now, more than a year later, we have such a great Game Aid to play GURPS online (IMHO), that I am reaching out to distant friends and family, and inviting them to VTT games (using Discord for voice). It has breathed new life into my RPG-ing.

[@Aardvark892]

Never been a super fan of GURPS, but this video is definitely making me want to take another look. Thanks for posting this! Liked and Subbed.

[@StrangeGamer859]

Really nice introduction! I hope more people see it and pick up the system.

[@chrisnormand]

Me too!

[@CefasHeliSathler]

EXCELENT !!!!

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Very happy to have come across your video here. Just bought some GURPS books, but I have been eyeing them since the early 90’s in some form. I probably will never even get my small group to try them, but love the idea and would definitely give it a go if I had the people!

[@chrisnormand]

The thing is, if you go really rules light, then GURPS is pretty easy to understand (for your players). At least, that is what happened with our group. And over time, we got more and more complex. BTW, I also co-write the GURPS Game Aid for the Foundry VTT... so if you are thinking of playing remotely, I highly recommend it! foundryvtt.com/packages/gurps

[@alignmentunknown3156]

I'm starting a GURPs campaign on Dec the 4th. Hope you get some videos out before then. 😆

[@chrisnormand]

Working on it now! And good luck!

[@chrisnormand]

The second video is out.. working on the third.

[@TheJDough1]

This is a great video sir! Well done

[@chrisnormand]

Thank you, your Grace. And if you liked that one... there are 15 (soon to be 16) more in the playlist! ;-)

[@brentcaldwell7485]

Excellent. Thank you.

[@chrisnormand]

You are welcome!

[@extraordinarywizard5561]

looking forward to the series

[@lbobby6116]

WOTC fucking around with DnD, 'bout time I joined GURPS anyways.

[@chrisnormand]

Lol. Yeah, that has come up a few times in recent days. Well, welcome to the club!

[@RoninCatholic]

Doing the math of building a GURPS character by hand is part of the fun for me. I've made about 50% of my characters in college ruled notebooks or index cards and 50% in Notepad on my PC as well as making monster stat blocks on the fly. If I did a lot of things like Supers, I might want a computer to help keep track of Modifiers and to consolidate the notes on complicated power builds.

[@chrisnormand]

And I know a lot of people who can (and do) build their character manually. But for the new-to-GURPS player... the math is one thing they don't have to learn (since there is so much else they do have to learn). But YMMV. I just offer it as a tool for someone who isn't big on math.

[@AndrewBrownK]

very compelling sales pitch, sounds exactly like what I'm looking for after disappointments from character building in 5e

[@THEEJONESY]

Tim Cain making his videos on how GURPS inspired the creation of the Fallout games has me hungry for knowledge on how to play. Ive always wanted to get into table top, but never have been able to. Now i think i can!

[@chrisnormand]

Fantastic! GURPS is a deep ocean, so there is always something to learn, but you don't need to know it all (or even a lot of it), to get a lot out of it. GURPS is the ultimate homebrew toolkit for making your own world. Good luck!

[@THEEJONESY]

​@@chrisnormand thank you for still reaching out and responding to comments. Table top doesn't exist without people like you!

[@chrisnormand]

@@THEEJONESY Or you! ;-)

[@noahtipton7302]

These are a great breakdown of the core stuff.

[@chrisnormand]

Thanks!

[@KieranFarnes]

Excellent explanation, thank you! I started off some time ago reading through GURPS Lite, and then tried to go through the Basic Set, thinking I'd be as faithful to the rules as possible. I eventually realised that wasn't the way to go, and I should just use what I want or need. I wish I had seen your video then and saved myself some time lol I'm just about to GM my first campaign with some friends. I've asked them to think about what they want their characters to be like, and we'll spend the first session actually creating them. Your series has come just at the right time, so thank you, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes.

[@chrisnormand]

Sorry it has taken so long... but I finally published the "Combat" video. Hopefully that will be useful.

[@zedoniusrulerofflame4675]

Awesome video, bravo!

[@chrisnormand]

Thank you very much!

[@c.d.dailey8013]

Oh. This is so cool. What stands out to me is the modular nature of GURPs. The best example of modular gaming is the grid and minitures in Dungeons and Dragons. This may apply to other TTRPGS as well. The stereotypical image of a DND game session is one where it looks like a minitures game. It makes sense given the wargaming roots of DND. However that isn't mandatory. It blew my mind when I learned about this. It is possible to play DND without the grid and minis. This is theater of the mind. Players still have thier character sheets and thier fancy dice. Either method of play can work. It depends on the preferences of the players and DM. I really dived into ideas of modular play. There can be so many optional systems to play with. A major optional system I have is spell cards. DND has spell slots as a magic reasource. This is a bad system because it is needlessly complex. The Vancian flavor is cool though. I use mana pools as a magic resource instead. In a basic system, spells would just be writtin in a list. A player can use them at will as long as they can pay the mana. Spell cards can provide an alternative. They are like spell cards in Magic the Gathering, particularly the noncreature kind. This may apply to other TCGs. Spells are represented by a deck of spell cards instead of a list. The players draw cards, cast spells and discard cards. I think of it as Vancian magic that has better mechanics than spell slots. Using a deck leads one to deal with cards as a reasource and deal with card advantage. A spell deck is like a grid with minitures in that it is an optional feature in a modular system. It makes the game more complex. This may or may not be appealing depending on the player. Personally I am for both features. I can get into a lot of fun shenanigans with messing with features. There are special kinds of spells called menuvers. They move characters all around the board. One can get real tactical. There are also spells that deal with cards. Maybe I can call them Vancian spells, or something. There are effects like draw, discard and mill. That is its own fun thing. In Magic the Gathering, I love playing nlue. I have even played Dimir. So I delight in messing with card reasources. Gurps seems cool with the modular system. I would like to see how that works. This video gave both pros and cons. However the cons may as well not be there, due to all the reassurance. The beauty of a modular system is that it can adjust to skill levels. Just use the basic system for a group of beginners. Reducing this to one sheet of paper is impressive. It is like a rules lite system. I love to homebrew DND. I go so far that it starts to resemble designing an origional game. I think of rules as suggestions and not demands. I have my own collection of TTRPG books. There are some chonky ones like Pathfinder and Dungeon Crawl Classics. I don't get intimidated by such books, because I can take it a little bit at a time. I wonder how far modular system can go. Maybe it can range from being very rules lite to being very crunchy.

[@viniciusmachadomiguel7498]

I'd say that GURPS have complex parts in the learning curve. I believe one of the most interesting parts of GURPS is powers, and the hability to create every single power you can imagine in game (or most of them). After that, you're not limited to anything, you just do things the best you can do and they're ballanced. The same goes for some aspects of tactical combat. They're detalailed and if you don't know some stuff you can die pretty soon. But it's not bad complexity, is just that takes a little time and a little reading.

[@chrisnormand]

You are right... but I don't want to tell people that, yet ;-) I'm trying to get new people interesting in GURPS, and show them how they can slowly move into it, without becoming overwhelmed. But yes, I will talk about "Powers" in the Character Creation video.

[@viniciusmachadomiguel7498]

@@chrisnormand you keep doing them I keep watching them.

[@bendrix1932]

Man I miss playing GURPS. THIS REALLY MAKES ME MISS PLAYING! Great video. I wish there was a easy way to meet up virtually with other players. I’ve tried looking, but don’t know where to start.

[@chrisnormand]

You can join the GURPS Discord: discord.com/invite/hWHbuvF They have a "Looking for Group" channel that might help. Also, if you play online, I highly recommend Foundry VTT... since it has the GURPS Game Aid (which I co-author :-) )... but objectively, it is a great way to play GURPS online.

[@bendrix1932]

@@chrisnormand Thanks for the reply. I’ll check out the Discord!

[@zombielols1895]

Nice

[@chrisnormand]

Thank you... and this is just the first in the series. If you have the time, and are interested in learning GURPS, the rest of the series might be very useful. Or so I hope ;-)

[@WanderingMendicant-qd7mv]

I've never played gurps but I'll upvote any quality video that's about a tabletop game that isn't d20 based.

[@chrisnormand]

Thank you for the upvote (and for describing this as a quality video). It was my first... and it still works. ;-)

[@bopaintsminis]

Thank you for this. I have so many ideas for gaming, but no stand-alone system I have found is a good fit. I have wanted to run gurps for a while, but reading through those two tomes seems daunting. Good luck in future videos.

[@darthbrooks4933]

I’ve found GURPS to be the best all around for the system. Don’t care for his “homeline” setting but that’s the beauty of it. It works anywhere.

[@chrisnormand]

We are on the same wavelength. GURPS is adaptable to any setting. I think it frees up the GM to dream big.

[@wichhouse]

Great video.

[@chrisnormand]

Thank you!

[@awfrailey]

I'd like to see a Vtt session with the system in action.

[@chrisnormand]

Coming soon!

[@ryanparker260]

I guess I should've dug deeper before trying to design my own TTRPG. I was inspired by a book I read that talked about how D&D 5e was originally meant to be modular, and I was struck with serious passion to build a system that has a very basic starting system, and then modules for crunchier rules and settings, not knowing GURPS existed. I'll have to look over GURPS and see if it matches my vision.

[@chrisnormand]

I know the feeling... which is how I found GURPS. I wanted to find a system that would allow people to create balanced* characters, since I felt that rolling attributes was always so unfair (to someone). Fortunately, I didn't go too deep down that rabbit hole before I found GURPS. *Balanced in terms of "fun", not combat. Everyone has the same number of points to spend to buy whatever they want.

[@StinkerTheFirst]

That's fascinating. D&D 5E come in two flavors - core rules and optional rules (in the DMG). Of course, DMs may drop official rules or add house rules, but choosing which rules you want to use? That's fascinating.

[@chrisnormand]

It really is. I started with knowing very few rules... and just adjudicated on the fly (the "wing it" rule). And then added more rules as I learned them... even years later.

[@Katie-hj5eb]

Amazinh video! GURPS is very misunderstood as many don't understand that its more like an ttrpg construction set rather than an ttrpg. I've played games where we didn't even use character sheets. The player would just describe their characters, id make a few notes about their potential abilities and just make up a story. When it came to doing 3d6 success rolls I'd come up with a number that seemed to best represent the characters ability to do the task and have them roll against that. That's the flexibility everyone seems to miss out on.

[@chrisnormand]

Exactly! You do GURPS right!

[@alanramiresbr]

best way to play gurps without math :D

[@SiriusJazz]

You can always ask your GM to create a character for you with some base grounds, or even roll Total Amnesia and have fun figuring out what you are.

[@chrisnormand]

Oh, I love the "Total Amnesia" idea... hmmm... could I run a one-shot from that I wonder.

[@nighteye4042]

Im about to do a fallout campaign using gurps, I'm excited to see how well I can manage it

[@chrisnormand]

Good luck!!

[@shotwaffel2642]

2024!!

[@chrisnormand]

Tru dat! 2024 will be an interesting year, me thinks.

[@samurdyne1461]

Hey, Nose could you do a video on Gurps Vehicles? I have the old book. I love listing to you. I would love hereing about some excamples.

[@chrisnormand]

Actually, I have never worked with vehicles... but that sounds like a good idea for a video! Thank you.

[@alexplaysgames_2]

Would love to make my own GURPS setting. 😃.

[@chrisnormand]

That is exactly the point... there are SO MANY people out there that want to create their own twist on a setting. And GURPS allows you to do that... without having to homebrew.

[@social_redd_]

Lead the way.

[@chrisnormand]

Will do!

[@karlosopher]

Thank you for this! Btw you have similar voice and cadence as Chef John from FoodWishes 👍

[@chrisnormand]

I love Chef John! Although he has an odd uplift to his voice, it is still fun to listen to. Hopefully these videos will be as useful as Chef John’s :-)

[@karlosopher]

Yes! I mentioned it because you’re easy to understand and have an uplifting way of speaking. 👍 👍 👍

[@julians.2597]

5:10 a bardbarian. thats what the world truly needs

[@chrisnormand]

Ha! But what instrument would they use? Only drums? ;-)

[@DanateDMC]

The longer I play the more I yearn for a classless system where I have all the control over my character skills and I don't mind the crunch, the difficulty or even how long the character creation takes

[@Nefandi007]

You and Diceyed should combine efforts to keep creating GURPS content. Thank you for a very nice video.

[@chrisnormand]

Interesting that you mention that. I had been thinking about this video series for a long time (6 months maybe?) and could never carve out enough time to start. Then, I got covid, and sat in my basement for 10 days. I had nothing to do (I could only binge watch Netflix so much), so I started dictating video scripts using my Iphone and Siri. I recorded 5 different scripts (or script ideas). So when I was "released" from "covid jail", I started work on the videos. As I was editing the first video, Diceyed released his first. I thought I had "missed the boat", and people wouldn't need mine anymore. But his videos had a different focus. They were definitely more flashy, but ultimately, didn't cover the issues that I wanted to cover. So I published my video on Reddit, and apologized to Diceyed, saying that "great minds think alike". I got great responses and decided to continue. I published my second video (Game Mechanics) and was working on my 3rd, when Diceyed publish his second video. And again, it was very nicely done, but did not cover the concepts that I wanted to cover. My videos are pretty simple (visually... and the first 2 were downright ugly), I am basically a "talking head". But I am trying to get out a lot of information, in as little time as possible (people don't like to watch long videos), so the "talking hard" format seemed best.

[@Nefandi007]

@@chrisnormand You videos are really good and I do appreciate the effort. Keep them coming. I will ask some friends to subscribe

[@Buzzu78]

I bought GURPS when I was a teenager, and after that, I couldn't play any other game system without a feeling of limit to what I could do with my character. More than this, I couldn't stand on level progression systems. Gurps has a LOT of rules but once you really understand you can tailor your favorite ones you go for miles. I think it requires a consistent work for the GM in terms of things to do/think before a campaign, but it's really easy to approach for newborn players because, if supported by the GM in the creation, they can build up literally everything they want, and enjoy it. I gave very funny moments to my sisters, cousins, and friends (much of them females!) by playing GURPS. Just a CON to suggest you regarding character creation: there is the risk to build up too much funny characters, that will result annoying as the game goes by. Always keep an eye on how much disadvantages the player would like to play.

[@chrisnormand]

To me... the hardest part of GMing GURPS is coming up with the story ideas. The system is easy (for me), even though I don't know a lot of it. I'm not creative by nature, so I steal most of my GMing ideas from old books/movies, etc. and adapt them to GURPS. And I don't get too deep in the mechanics, because my players don't care for that. But the beauty of GURPS is that if your group LOVES gritty reality, then GURPS can do that. But if your group doesn't, then GURPS can do that too.

[@glad777]

I first played it in 1986. I own 1st ed to 4th ed and basically the vast majority of the supplements. It is the best game ever in my opinion. I play 5e and Savage Worlds now. I would rather be playing GURPS but my gaming group has moved on for good. It is sad.

[@chrisnormand]

Yeah, it happens. I try to convince people that GURPS combat is better (if you like combat), and more configurable (see the combat video in the series). Also, I introduce magic that is different from what they are used to. Longtime players already know the D&D spells and what they do... but when you are building each spell yourself (as the GM)... they have no idea ;-) Basically, I try to show off the stuff that GURPS can do, that other systems can't (or require a bunch of homebrewing to make work). Like introducing technology... if that is your thing. In any case, thanks for the comment, and I hope you can get back to GURPS one day!

[@King.Leonidas]

dunno if you're interested still but if you wanna GM and we are at a decent time zone i could play and find players

[@scoticvs]

Chris any thoughts on the GURPS 5th edition TikTok tease?

[@chrisnormand]

I’m taking a “wait and see” approach. I like the game as it is… what I don’t like is the haphazard nature of their source books. And I had to create this whole “Learning GURPS” series because their books didn’t help new players… they seemed designed for die hard gamers… willing to read 500+ pages of rules before starting. If GURPS 5 is the same game, with minor tweaks (like the slam damage tweak of the DFRPG) and a much more friendly starting book, I would be very happy.

[@guyman1570]

Fate is just as adaptable and yet isn't overcomplicated.

[@chrisnormand]

Fate is a great system, I agree. But for people that would like a bit more to their RPG, then GURPS is a good fit, because you CAN play it very rules lite, and then add complexity in the areas that you want. Each to their own, but I’m just trying to show that GURPS does not have to be “crunchy”, and can be used with new players very successfully.

[@tinmen5943]

The post apocalypse

[@chrisnormand]

That is a fantastic setting to run in GURPS. You can be as hyper realistic as you want, while still adding exotic or supernatural elements.

[@scoticvs]

Chris, don't you have to know all the rules to know which rules to use?

[@chrisnormand]

Actually no. Watch the “Mechanics” video and the “Wing It!” Rule. Or the “Gameplay” video to see how I used the “Wing It!” Rule instead of looking up the GURPS rule.

[@OrmylLP]

Also do some research, there's Genre Guides out there that list recommended Splats, Specific rules and Pyramid Articles.

[@chrisnormand]

@@OrmylLP So usually I suggest that people not worry about the research at first. Use the "Wing It" rule to get into the system. It is fast and easy... and once they feel comfortable, look into specific rules for the situations that they care about. In the Gameplay video, I talk about a climbing roll, and yes, GURPS has specific rules for climbing, but since the characters didn't climb that often (if ever), I didn't feel the need to know (or use) the official RAW (rules as written). But in other situations, we DID want to use the very detailed GURPS rules. You get to decide.

[@mr19delta]

Sorry to ask this here but since I am not sure how else to ask, here it will be. Can you possibly make a video on how to utilize the 1/5 cost rule into sorcerous abilities. also as I understand it (maybe I am mistaken), the basic rule of full cost for most expensive ability doesnt seem to apply to sorcery Sorcerous Spells Every sorcerer has a collection of known spells, the magical tricks that he can rely upon in any situation. Each one is an advantage (or set of advantages) plus modifiers - what GURPS Powers calls an “ability.” See Chapter 2 for many examples. Each of these spells is bought as an alternative ability to Sorcerous Empowerment. Put simply, this means: • The full cost of the spell cannot exceed the cost of the caster’s Sorcerous Empowerment. For example, because No-Smell (p. 13) has a full cost of 63 points, only sorcerers who’ve spent 63+ points on Sorcerous Empowerment can learn it, whether that means unmodified Sorcerous Empowerment 6 [70] or higher, Sorcerous Empowerment 7 (Limited Colleges, Air, Water, and Weather, -20%) [64] or higher, or some other configuration. • The sorcerer pays only 1/5 of the full cost shown for that spell, rounded up. For example, although No-Smell has a full cost of 63 points, that the sorcerer actually pays just 63/5 = 13 points to learn it I am hoping you may be able to enlighten me Thank in advance

[@chrisnormand]

I will do what I can, but you might consider posting on the SJG GURPS forums forums.sjgames.com/forumdisplay.php?f=13 1st, Sorcery is a specialized application of the “alternate ability” advantage. And the primary, most expensive power is the Sorcerous Empowerment (or whatever it is called… I’m not at my computer atm). You pay full price for that “power” and then all of the powers (spells) associated with it are at 1/5 cost. This is why you cannot buy a spell that’s total cost is greater than your Sorcery power (since it is the primary power for the Alternate abilities power). Does that help?

[@justinsellers3794]

I use GCA instead of GCS, and recommend it as an alternative.

[@chrisnormand]

I understand. I have used both GCA4 & GCA5. I promote GCS because it is free, but both are fantastic at character creation.

[@JAy3JeE]

It's not that GURPS as a system is complex (as DM/GM's are at liberty to simplify things to avoid bogging down the game). It's just that Steve Jackson wrote the books in a specific variant of English that, when compared to a more mainstream system like 5E D&D, feels more like learning a programming language than learning a Tabletop d6 roll & role playing system. I thankfully had friends that were able to translate alot of the book's jargon into layman's terms and help me learn the system, but none of them are younger than 30, and no one touches it at my town's game store. That is the core reason why a lot of people struggle with Gurps. The language of the books' grammar is fundamentally different, and isn't noticable until you have to read a wall of text just to figure out what you need to roll against, and then you find out you've been running an entire core part of the game wrong. Also, there's information that's way too easy to miss or misunderstand, and then develop an impression based off that misunderstanding. GURPS is a system that in concept, is a dreamlike system where you can run anything. In practice however, it's a system that very few GMs can make work and requires alot of wisdom (and possibly a 4-year degree in English and English grammar). I don't hate GURPS. Just frustrated with alot of how Steve Jackson worded things in the book when he could've just said "YOU'RE TARGET NUMBER IS YOUR DEX, -4, PLUS YOUR SKILL. ROLL THAT OR LOWER!!" Instead, I'm bouncing around different books on the same topic like I'm Indiana Jones piecing together a puzzle. Th;dr gurps CAN be good, but it's best told and explained by means that AREN'T the book itself, as it's written in such a way that feels more like jargon flavored as English, rather than actual English. (Again, I come from 5e D&D, where the rules are streamlined, blunt, and easy to understand in comparison) Again, I don't hate gurps. Just frustrated at how it's written.

[@chrisnormand]

Oh, I agree, the books are bad. Or, as I like to say, they "could have been written better" ;-) Which is why I started this video series. if someone is interested in learning GURPS, this video series can help guide you through the land mines.. or that is my hope, at least.

[@StormWildSpace]

My first character 29 years ago was a pyromaniac pyromancer ... THAT was a fun character to play.

[@chrisnormand]

See, this is the kind of stuff that I love about GURPS... actually being able to create a complex character.

[@hedrixthehumble5316]

And most importantly, many of the rules are only optional. You can play anything from a rough estimation of the real world all the way up to a simulation if you wanted. You don't *have* to use all the math for calculating collisions, it just makes it more immersive when you want it. Keep it as simple as you like. I think a lot of the confusion comes from how the information if formatted, not necessarily the information itself. It all comes down to what you want out of it. GURPS doesn't only have "universality" when it comes to genre, but also complexity.

[@chrisnormand]

I agree completely! That is what the second video (Game Mechanics kzbin.info/www/bejne/oH7OkJuYidmIZqs) is all about.

[@Webshooters1]

Question, GURPS seems interesting to me but in my mind, simple is better both rules and design-wise. It's better not to get bogged down in the details of things because while I would want to accurately model the world I'm playing in (in my case Star Wars or Kingdom Hearts) I'm not above letting that go for the sake of being more cinematic and just let players do cool things. That primer out of the way: Should I attempt getting GURPS or go for other systems like Savage Worlds which seems at least to me to be sort-of a middle ground? I apologize if this isn't in your wheelhouse of expertise.

[@chrisnormand]

Early in my RPG career, I played lots of different systems. I liked different genres and would occasionally try to mix them... with limited success. And then I found GURPS. GURPS isn't perfect, but is has an internally consistent model, so it can reliably mix fantasy with modern with superhero with futuristic, and they can all work together. The biggest problem with GURPS is that the authors didn't explain it well enough. GURPS can be incredibly rules-light. And in my first few adventures, that is exactly how we played. If you watch the next video (on game mechanics), you will see the "wing it" rule... and that is what we did. But as the years passed, we looked deeper into GURPS. We wanted to make our combat more interesting, so we started incorporating rules from the Martial Arts supplement. And then we wanted to try a different magic system, so we started playing with Sorcery, etc. And that is the process I am trying to teach. Start small... if you don't know a specific rule, then make one up (wing it) based on a skill or attribute that seems appropriate. If you expect to be using that action more and more in the future, you might decide to investigate further to see if the GURPS authors already worked up some rules concerning that action.... or not. You can just as easily make your "wing it" rule the standard. But as I said, GURPS isn't perfect. But it is very configurable... just about every GURPS GM becomes their own mini-game designer, so I include various home rules to make my GURPS more to my liking... and there is no better game to modify than GURPS. It is made to be "modded". I hope that helps.

[@Webshooters1]

​@@chrisnormand It does actually. The only question is do I NEED the sourcebooks and supplements or can I manage with the core set? Cause the GURPS I imagine myself going with is either science-fiction (Star Wars/Trek), superheroes (Marvel/DC/Image) or games like Kingdom Hearts which involve magic, the power of friendship, etc. I only ask because looking them up, they're each $35 which really adds up in addition to the core set which is $55 so naturally I have to pick and choose what I want to get.

[@chrisnormand]

@@Webshooters1 No, you DO NOT need to get any more source books. Using the "Wing it" rule, you can decide ANY outcome for ANY genre. The Basic Set gives you a great starting point to build really fantastic worlds. If, after you have played a while, you decide that you would like to make combat a bit more interesting, then yes, you might consider getting Martial Arts (or Tactical Combat if you are playing in a modern setting). If you want a fully fleshed out magic system for your fantasy world, you might consider getting the Magic supplement. If you wanted to expand on your superhero world, you might consider getting Powers (not Supers). But again, these are all optional. We played for years just using the Basic Set, and inventing anything we thought was missing. Although, looking back, I wish I had gotten Martials Arts sooner... since I like the fantasy genre and tactical combat. It really adds a lot of cool things.

[@Webshooters1]

​@@chrisnormand Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and I will check out your series to learn more! Cause I was thinking of just getting the basic set and taking what you said in mind, mostly stick to that unless I want to dig deeper into a genre or setting. I like to keep things rules-lite, easy to understand, and I want my games be a fusion of GURPS and FATE.

[@wingedpanther73]

I think the game I just finished running is a good example of the Universal. All characters were built as modern-day characters in the real world. A boyscout, a nerdy high school girl, a delusional sociopath (yes, there are rules to support this!), and a kleptomaniac (yes, also supported). They got summoned to a fantasy world to "defeat the demon king!" It was possible to give them "classes" and "levels" by torturing the rules slightly. They succeeded, went back home, then got kidnapped into a futuristic setting as human test subjects for a biomedical company that turned one character into a cat girl while the others fought their way down the tower to escape and expose the company. I can only think of one other system that can do this (HERO system), and it works almost exactly the same way.

[@chrisnormand]

OMG, that is FANTASTIC!

[@alanramiresbr]

Hope you cover magic and psy, one of the most complex things to understand and a major arguing i heard. Also the weapon master advantage and where the hack long sword skills goes? Gurps math in character creations srill scare most of my friends away and its not as fast to make a paladin in three clicks as in dnd beyond are. You can say templates helps but if you take dx+1 in the template list you have to redo all the math. Create an array of power or apply a len in martial arts is another pain that slow the hype. Too complex to learn and teach players how to make a turtle ninja Michaelangelo with 2 nunchucks combo dealer. Why style cost 1 anyway? And blunt trauma? How to make an elf quickly? Thats and tons of during game question makes gurps complex. 3d6 sucess is easy to learn but the rest aren't

[@chrisnormand]

I may be able to get to that someday. My first goal, was to get people into GURPS in the first place... and hopefully, they will be able to see that GURPS offers so much, and decide to stay. But yes, I have a "magic" video planned, at least.

[@hansbrackhaus8017]

I've seen people use the 'you can choose to ignore rules' thing to sarcastically dismiss GURPS as a whole. "I thought I hated GURPS, but then I was told that I could just ignore the parts I don't like, so I ignored the whole thing wholesale. Guess I like the system after all!" Can't win with some people.

[@Gworeldoreriverpass]

which edition r u explaining? I got 3e for a steal, now i to want how to play it:-)

[@chrisnormand]

4th Edition, published in 2004. This might help you understand the differences: www.sjgames.com/gurps/resources/4eupdate.pdf

[@kainlockley]

In your prelude detailing where we might have heard of G.U.R.P.S./why we clicked this video, you left out the "owns more than 20 G.U.R.P.S. books, but needs brushing up" catagorie (lol).

[@chrisnormand]

Ahhh... good point. And thank you for watching... I hope it was enjoyable and you were able to "brush up" ;-)

[@kainlockley]

@chrisnormand lol. I LOVED it! I liked, subbed, & am glad you're here! 😀

[@gabrielanschau3864]

bro you're hilarius

[@chrisnormand]

Is that good? ;-)

[@orionar2461]

How does one level up/gain more. Character points

[@chrisnormand]

Character Points are given to the players by the GM, just like experience points. Some GMs like to give out 1 or 2 points per session, others like to give out a larger amount at the end of the adventure.

[@orionar2461]

@@chrisnormand that seems rather slow, given how much thing tend to cost.

[@chrisnormand]

@@orionar2461 As the GM, you can assign as few or as many points as you want. Increasing a skill level costs 1, 2 or 4 points. Increasing a character's Strength costs 10 points. So you decide. if you want to "power up" your characters fast, give more. If you want your players to be thrifty, give less. 2 points allows a player to buy two new skills, or increased two level 1 skills, or one level 2 skill... per session. If you play every week, that could be a good progression. But like all things GURPS, it is up to you. You minght consider starting slow, and then ramping up, as you and the players understand the system better.

[@ZelphTheWebmancer]

My biggest issue when I tried to enter GURPS was not as a player, but as a GM. There was so much rules to choose from and ways you can built stuff that I gave up after the 4th vampire racial template I made. I'm sure it can be fun if the ruleset is already chosen for you, but it just seems way too much work for the GM, imo.

[@chrisnormand]

Exactly! Please watch this video on rules: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oH7OkJuYidmIZqs

[@Comicsluvr]

My friends and I always loved GURPS when we played. We aren't fond of the 'I'm 15th level so it takes over a dozen arrows to kill me.' systems. Sadly, most players these days play D&D.

[@chrisnormand]

I have found that some players would love to get into the customization of character creation, if they only knew. These are the types of people that would love GURPS. And for others, I recommend Gaming Ballistic's "Delvers to Grow" which allows you to created Dungeon Fantasy characters quickly. gaming-ballistic.myshopify.com/collections/all-products/products/delvers-to-grow-core-book?_pos=6&_fid=8b763c185&_ss=c&variant=42552070865151

[@Wolfways]

It's as complicated as you want it to be.

[@chrisnormand]

So true! And hopefully these videos will help people go from “easy entry” to “complex as you want”.

[@Tampahop]

I never found it complex. I just don't like the mechanics, although I played a similar system, Hero system, as I played a Champions campaign for years. As I've gotten older though, I've opted for less number crunching. I've found that Fate Core fits my current needs perfectly. It has less of a game focus and more of a role playing focus. Oh yeah, I still bought GURPS stuff, much like I bought Palladium stuff, as I used the genre books as source material for other games I liked better.

[@chrisnormand]

I played Champions for a few years, and Fantasy Hero, but didn't like the fact that the systems weren't interchangeable. I understand the attraction of Fate Core, and it is definitely a good system. But for me, I like the fact that I can play a very rules-lite, very narrative version of GURPS with one group, and a very rules-heavy, tactical combat with another. And I only have to know the one system. But YMMV, and I am glad that you have found something that works for you! This series was designed more for people who are either brand new to GURPS, or people who have heard of it (or even tried it), and decided it was too hard/complex to learn.

[@Lucius_Chiaraviglio]

I never thought of GURPS as overly complicated -- just never had a chance to get introduced to it. On the other hand, I didn't find Champions or AD&D(*) daunting either, and more recently I didn't find Pathfinder 1st Edition daunting either. (*)What I did find daunting about AD&D was the unbelievably poor organization of the Dungeon Master's Guide, but that's another story.

[@chrisnormand]

Yeah, GURP's Basic Set is kind of like that. You dive in deep at the start... and have to read a lot of stuff to get some idea of what is going on. It really would have benefited from a "Getting Started" chapter. Hence, my videos ;-)

[@Silviremon]

How many points is Bugs Bunny

[@chrisnormand]

It all depends on the cartoon ;-) But GURPS can play any genre... so if you want to play Cowboy BeBop or Starwars... you can.

[@emrek99205]

I've found that the thing that turns most people away from GURPS isn't its complexity. But rather its default deadly realism. Two successful sword hits can take out the character you've been playing for years. Most players don't want real. They want to be the hero. Always. They want to be immune to things just because they are the hero and the story is about them. They want to wade into a group of 20 goblins by themselves and emerge out the other side in still a fairly good shape. The default system in gurps doesn't account for this very much. Yes, things can be added due to GURPS' modular design that make it more heroic, but most players don't see or realize this right away by reading the Basic Set.

[@chrisnormand]

Good point. I rank the reasons people don't play GURPS in this order: 1. People don't even try GURPS because they heard it was hard. 2. People try to make a character and quit because it is too hard. 3. People don't like the realism because it is too easy to die. So you have a good point... and I will make a video about this. Thank you! I had vague notions of making a "GM Hints" video... but this is a big point that I want to cover. For our group, we use "Fate Points" www.themook.net/gamegeekery/fate-points-in-gurps/ Mainly we use 1 pt to allow a player to re-roll 2 more times and pick the best roll, or 1 pt for a "Flesh Wounds" which allows the character to reduce all damage to 1 pt. Because it is a GAME, and we all want to have fun.

[@emrek99205]

@@chrisnormand Making a character does take some thought. Many players are used to other games that use classes so all they really have to do is pick a class, pick a name, roll some dice for stats, and then they're done. Not having designated classes means they have to think about the personality of the character. Surprisingly for a RolePlaying game, most players don't want to do that because their persona often is no more than "sword attached to human body". This works in D&D where every problem can be solved by attacking and killing someone (J6?) but doesn't work so much in a system like gurps where there are consequences. While I think it's kinda fun to make up new character ideas and imagine all the little parts that make up who they are, most getting into the game from other games just want to beat on something and feel superior while doing it.

[@chrisnormand]

I don't know about "most" people... but I do know that a lot of people have asked me about GURPS because they were tired of the same old, same old of D&D. And they were interested in the complex character creation of GURPS. That being said... there is NO ONE best game for everyone. My goal with these videos is to "lower the barrier of entry" into GURPS. So many people have told me that GURPS is too "complex", "crunchy", "fiddly"... and I want to show them how it doesn't have to be (it can, of course, be very complex, if you want it). But as I say in the video... "if you don't want to design a character, and instead would rather just roll some dice and go at it... then GURPS may not be for you". I wish I could convince these people otherwise... but in the end, it is a game, and maybe they wouldn't have fun in GURPS.

[@emrek99205]

@@chrisnormand there are far more numbery games than GURPS. Rolemaster comes immediately to mind although I'm sure there are others. First game I'd played where our first two play sessions were nothing more than making characters. The thing I like about gurps is what a lot of people don't like: it's lethality. Knowing that you could easily die from an outmatched fight makes you think of other ways of dealing with things. Also because you don't get awarded for kills allow characters to play other roles than murder-hobos. Given a task to stop a group of bandits from robbing a trade route, in D&D the solution is often to find the camp and invade to kill them all with weapons flailing and spells slinging. In Gurps that could be suicide. Instead, the players may frighten the bandits off with superstition and spooky noises. Or bribe/convince the bandits to set up somewhere else or to rob everyone but the traders. Could even sneak in and poison their water supply. Joining undercover to assassinate just the leader is also possible. Hell, could even join and take over the bandits cause it's a profitable gig. Far more options than the usual "kill 'em" plan. Always wonder why D&D characters never just kill the kings they work. They kill everything else.

[@dane3038]

GURPS is complex. Telling people what to roll and when is not teaching or learning the game. I promise that people are walking away from the Mooks game leaving assurances just to be polite and respectful to the effort. Just finding things on the character sheet is harder than any game I've played and that's a lot. And it's no more or less a toolkit than any other RPG mechanics wise. But GURPS is my favorite. It's more effort to get comfortable with than any other TRPG but it's so worth it. That should be the pitch.

[@chrisnormand]

Experiences vary. GURPS, as an RPG system is extremely simple. Roll 3d6 vs some number to determine success. Now how the GM uses that information, and which rules they want to apply can certainly increase the complexity of the game. But remember, you can play GURPS Ultralite with just 3d6 and some imagination. Combat, however, is a different matter... GURPS combat can be complex... depending on how many maneuvers you include. But the success or failure of any combat action is still determined by 3d6. And that is my point... people have heard that GURPS is complex... and it doesn't have to be. You are not required to include all of the complex modifiers and rules. But, if you want to, there are a TON of optional things you can add which will certainly make it more complex. And I completely agree with you, that in the end, it is so worth it... whether you decide to go rules-lite, or crunchy as heck. As to finding stuff on a character sheet, that varies based on the sheet. I am quite happy with GCS's default layout... but I can tweak it, if I felt the need. But I will say that one of the first things I do when introducing new players to GURPS, is give them a roadmap of the character sheet. ;-)

[@Owen-tl5tk]

i love you

[@chrisnormand]

You are welcome! ;-)

[@niklasneef1061]

I can't think of anything to play

[@chrisnormand]

Ha ha! Always the hardest decision.

[@fostena]

I have been a GURPS GM for at least 15 years. Once I discovered it I realized that it was my ideal TTRPG. Truly, it has been love at first sight. It's really universal, nothing compares. I played fantasy, sci-fi, western, horror, supers, victorian age, bronze age, martial arts...and I am not stopping! The only flaw I see is that the manuals aren't pretty. Compared to D&D (or most of the competition, really), the art inside the pages is ... bad. I can imagine that a random person that opens a GURPS manual for the first time would find it very unappealing. Instead of being transported into the "infinite worlds" one can find themselves drowned into a cold toolbox of rules. And the manuals, in general, are not beginner friendly (maybe Dungeon Fantasy? Maybe). You either are the right kind of RPG geek and can appreciate the system right away, or you need someone to introduce you. Otherwise you'll probably run away.

[@chrisnormand]

Exactly!!! They really need a "Getting Started with GURPS" book... and treat the Basic Set as a reference manual (at best). One of the main reasons I started creating these videos... to walk people through the system so they don't get bogged down in the manuals.

[@fostena]

@@chrisnormand You are doing a great job! I'd really love if one day this system gets the recognition it deserves. I've seen plenty of videos discussing home rules for D&D like "alternatives for armor class and hit points", "making combat more deadly", "improving customization" and so on and I just want to shout at my screen "JUST PLAY GURPS, dammit"

[@chrisnormand]

@@fostenaI think if we make enough noise... someone will hear ;-)

[@brunoqueiroz2759]

i created avatar the last airbender in GURPS and it really was not hard to make it way better than the "official" avatar last airbender. i created an awesome system.

[@chrisnormand]

Wow, that is FANTASTIC!

[@k.levirusco3834]

Lecheros drunken gun-slinging cleric? You mean Nicholas D. Wolfwood?

[@chrisnormand]

LOL. Sorry, I didn't know about Wolfwood. I will say this, Jake was a better healer than a gunfighter.

[@k.levirusco3834]

@@chrisnormand as soon as you said that I couldn't picture anything else than the man with the 7 for tall cross shaped gun filled with smaller guns.

[@David-db4cr]

YAWPPPPPPPPP

[@David-db4cr]

GURP GANG 🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🗣🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@chrisnormand]

Exactly!!!

[@javaguy418]

The big criticisms I've heard about gurps are that the rules are too complex, combat in particular is too complex, and the math is too complex. Aside from some VERY basic rules, the only rules a given player has to know are those pertaining specifically to his character. So find each skill/advantage/whatever your character has and read the brief section explaining how i works. If you play spiderman, then you need to know how your webs work but don't need to know how the terminator's night vision works. Only the GM needs to know a lot. You as a player need only read the sections pertaining to your character. Simple an easy. As someone who played 1st edition AD&D, gurps combat is way simpler than that was, and at the time I read that something like 3 million ppl played at least occasionally. The math in gurps is grade-school arithmetic, so if someone says it's too much, I definitely dodged a bullet by not having him at my table.

[@chrisnormand]

I agree with everything. But I will say that combat math can be a bit tiresome. Not everyone likes to calculate 6 - 3 * 1.5 = 4.5 (rounded down to 4). Which is why one of the best things about using the Foundry GURPS Game Aid is the damage calculator! Even though math isn't a problem for me... it definitely is quicker if something else calculates the final HP loss.

[@patrickbuckley7259]

Playing GRUPS is not complicated, building characters often is. While low point level characters can be fine easy enough, but it can often take hours to make a character, even when you know what you want. Then running GURPS can be a real hassle. As if you want a game with any kind of reasonable balance you have to hold your player's hands throughout the entire process. Why? Because the system is often FAR FAR to easy to break. You may give the players a 50 points, but they will look for ways to create the most busted shit possible. Tell them that you want them to make villagers from some poe dunk village, and they will bring you Lancelot with an 18 skill in Broadsword, and Weapon Master. This is fine for certain genre's, but if you want anything with solid progression GURPS can be a huge pain. All that being said GURPS IS a great system (Arguably the best on the Market depending on what genre you want to play) but it takes a lot more work on the GM's part to get it working as intended. This is made worse by it not really having ANY bestiaries from what I can tell. THE Basic Set has some animal stat blocks, and I think Nordland has a monster manual but it can be a real pain to find premade ready to use stat blocks. 9/10, Love the system, but saying it's not complex is just a lie.

[@chrisnormand]

Everything you say is correct. And that’s sort of what I’m trying to accomplish. I’d love to be there to help people navigate the pitfalls, because I think GURPS is a very wonderful and flexible system, for people who want that. I never try to say that GURPS is the “best“ system. I’m just trying to show people that maybe it isn’t as bad as they heard, and there are some really cool things about it.