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In terms of the GURPS part, assuming this is not for sale and just posted publicly on the Web, your use would be dictated by the Steve Jackson Games Online Policy. This allows you to make adventures and stuff but not things that require a restatement of the GURPS rules - so you'd want to be careful that your "fan book" doesn't do that. In addition, the ...

Start by talking about the characters as people, not as game pieces. Use the background of the game appropriately to give you ways to find out about them beyond game stats. Here are some examples of what I'm talking about: In modern games, I have given players job application forms to fill out for their characters (we were playing a superheroes-for-hire ...

On the one hand, the standard races work because they resonate with historical myths and the seminal works of the fantasy genre. They're also a convenient set of tropes and stereotypes; when you say "dwarven city", players immediately know what you're talking about and how it likely differs from a human city. Thus, they're useful for efficiently ...

TL3 combat usually takes time because attacks are relatively easy to defend against, and attacks are often not particularly deadly. Also, there is a lot of options, as usual. I would advise against making attacks more deadly, so let's take a look at other options. At TL3, both active and passive defenses are attainable and effective, but this might be tuned ...

The reasons you list are all valid. There are additional real world/setting reasons people carry a pistol as opposed to a long gun. Legality: In some situations it (some concealed carry laws in the US) is legal to carry a pistol, while it would be illegal to carry a rifle or shotgun. Appearances: Even when carrying openly it sends a completely different ...

This is answered in the Official GURPS 4th FAQ 3.4.1.11.. A cloak is used like a shield – as implied by both the Cloak skill write-up and the cloak's listing under Shields (p. B287). It gives DB only when partly wrapped around one arm or held in one hand, and then used to brush incoming weapons aside (either on its own or by padding the hand enough to ...

I focused on copyright and cyberlaw when I obtained my JD, but I never took the bar because I knew I didn't want to practice law. So this is backround material, not legal advice, and I am not a lawyer. There are two legal areas to pay attention to here: trademark and copyright. Trademark was created to protect businesses from fraudsters trying to masquerade ...

Edit: I've been informed that High Tech goes up to TL8, and Ultra Tech starts at TL9... I assume that the 4e version differs from the 3e version in that respect. Modern technology is Tech Level 7; near-future would be TL8 technology. If you want a very-near-future campaign, you might mix TL7 technology with elements from TL8 (organ transplant, bionic ...

You and @C.Ross make some very good points about why to use a pistol over a rifle. One additional reason is the capability to use Dual-Weapon Attack - B230 in Characters mentions that Dual-Weapon Attack (Guns (Pistol)) is learnable even in a realistic campaign (i.e. not cinematic). From personal experience (as a PC in 3-4 TL7 or TL8 GURPS 4E games), I ...

You may want to check out the Transhuman Space books. Very different feel from the Ultra-Tech / Space. Although some of the pieces of technology are high-tech, it feels a lot more realistic than the Space / Ultra-tech options. As far as I know, Transhuman Space is 3e.

I been playing GURPS since 1987 and the basic combat of attack, defend, damage can indeed bog down for even moderately skilled players. In reality people have options to get around the defenses of a skilled opponent and for some added complexity GURPS can emulates these options. First off the players should not pair off with their opponents but should at ...

If you want your NPCs to get busy dying, make liberal use of All-Out Attacks (both to make them more immediately threatening to the players and to avoid those pesky defense rolls) and fiat that unimportant NPCs will automatically fail rolls to stay conscious so they should drop once their turn comes up and they're at 0 hp or fewer. I'd also recommend just ...

Start with templates. It's OK, really. Even coming from a class-race system they will still expect a lot of options at character creation and as their characters progress, and that's when they will start dipping their toes into the deep waters of GURPS' point-buy possibilities. The key is that they will be able to engage with the range of possibilities free ...

In general, high skill reductions of FP costs of spells are taken off the total cost of the spell. Meaning you'd evaluate all costs of the spell first, then reduce it based on high skill from the end cost - as you suspected, you'd have the 2FP waived at skill 20 for your first example, and reduced to 1FP in your second. The "minimum costs" are the minimum ...

Using only Basic, the only combat reasons I can come across are: The ability to use two pistols at the same time, The ability to draw another pistol instead of reloading, and The penalty in the form of bulk in CQB (B391) With Gunslinger, you get the ACC bonus of 1H weapons without the need to aim (B58) Depending on situation and campaign, pistol ammo can ...

Found a good solution from the GURPS forums (thanks trooper6!). I'm accepting DuckTapeal's answer since he pointed me there. B120, Secret Disadvantages: You may give your character a disadvantage unknown to both him and to you. Choose a point value and tell the GM. The GM will select a disadvantage and give you its value plus an additional -5 points ...

I've looked through the relevant rules and the official GURPS forums, and I can't find anything that's clear in either direction on this ruling. Here's what I would suggest: Take the standard x1 modifier for intent and frequency, as your GM suggests, and ask that if the enemy ends up being worth more, that your GM gives you advantages in play to make up for ...

How hit locations are determined is covered in detail on pages 398–401, "Hit Location". To summarise: Every controlled attack must be aimed at a hit location, with a default of the torso if no declaration is made. Hit locations aren't optional rules – Rule Zero notwithstanding of course. Every hit location carries a penalty to hit, although the default ...

You want to use the Ritual Magic system found on page 200 of GURPS Magic. The features of the system are There is a base skill for example Thamuatology Each college of GURPS Magic is a IQ/VH skill defaulting off of the base skill. A college skill can't be raised higher than the base skill. Individual spells default off the college skill at a default ...

Have each combatant have a favored active defense noted, and then roll the attack roll, damage roll and active defense roll all together (using three separate styles (color/size) of six-side dice). You can have the players make all the rolls for combats with them, or you can have the attackers make all rolls.

Cross-posted to here: http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=97336 Two options: Affliction (Warp) (1) (Based on Pickpocket; Accessibility (Cannot be performed on held item) (+2); Advantage (Warp, Exoteleport only) (+50); Malediction (Receives -1/yd range); No Signature; Psionic; Reduced Range (x1/2); Resistible (Per) (Per)) [65] Affliction 1 (Per vs ...

Normal people do not wear armour and a pistol is enough to take some one down. People walking around in armour, if they are either not in a war zone or police etc tend to create a lot of attention quickly. The same point is true in any background, in real life most knights did not wear plate all the time, plate was for battle wearing it around town would ...

Another options is the GURPS: Cyberpunk book. I don't remember if there is one in print for 4th edition yet, but the 3rd edition one has a large set of technology (some of it much more commonplace now than it was when the book was written). Also, some of this depends on how near future we are talking - are we talking 10 years? 50? 100? What type of feel ...

Draw up a list of sentients and their biomes and standard economic relations. Look down the list of biomes and relations, if there are missing biomes (swamps) or economics (not even Elves have clan based independent villages ala Balkan highlands) add the missing ones. Randomise. Humans are swamp dwellers known for their iron working and craftsmanship. ...

I think it's good you are questioning this, Asherion. I've seen several variations on "races" in original, fantasy campaign settings. I think one of the biggest issues for me has been distinguishing species from race. I don't think there's a perfect setting but I'll tell you my personal preference, because it looks like that is what you're after. 1) ...

Templates isn't a bad starting point. As long as you expect that they will be able to deviate from the class (either by their own cognizance or by a bit of encouragement), it should be fine. I'd probably be prepared to sit down with the player (and probably have GCA or GCS at hand, to help with some of the mechanical tedium) and help them. Maybe start with ...

It seems this is an valid interpretation of the rule as written. But it worth noting that this is an option, which is specifically an example for GMs wanting to give casters a way to use excess energy. All of the options and suggestions in Thaumatology should be considered carefully by the GM before including them in his or her game, and this is mentioned ...

For GURPS 4th edition, see Thaumatology p. 179 for syntactic magic and p.188 for Realms, which would cover a broad area of expertise like Earth. It's not a default, per se, nor is it exactly collegiate magic, but I think it expresses the intention of what you are after pretty well.

My simple advice is to contact SJG and ask them, they're likely to have a lot more experience in this area than you are and if you get an all clear from them then it very much simplifies your life. One thing to keep in mind is that it's not just SJG that you have to be happy with but also the copyright holders for the two licenses (WB 3 and HoM&M). If ...

Start with Story Ultimately templates, classes, and even races are about a hard-coded approaches to character concepts. Rather than diving straight into the math and many choice gurps offers characters (especially when you get to adding points to their total to spend by adding disadvantages), start your players with crafting the backstory, personality and ...