Doug McCrae Posted March 3, 2003 Report Share Posted March 3, 2003 GURPS books I rate include, in order: Suppressed Transmission 1&2 (dunno if these count) Illuminati Time Travel Reign of Steel Warehouse 23 Middle Ages Ultra-Tech 1 Bio-tech wasn't so good, kinda dull. Lots of stuff about catmen, birdmen, fishmen, etc. I can easily imagine catmen myself - I'm loking for something a bit more unusual. Alternate Earths disappointed me too. What if the Romans conquered the world? The Japanese? The Russians? Their just empires with different hats. Illuminati University was one of my least favourite things ever. I spit upon it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted March 3, 2003 Report Share Posted March 3, 2003 GURPS Conan is excellent. Not sure if it's still in print though. I got mine used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterVimes Posted March 3, 2003 Report Share Posted March 3, 2003 Originally posted by Old Man GURPS Conan is excellent. Not sure if it's still in print though. I got mine used. For those that love low fantasy and Conan in specific, that IS a great resource... I see them on E-bay occassionally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fitz Posted March 3, 2003 Report Share Posted March 3, 2003 Re: Book of New Sun and Horseclans Originally posted by allen I had heard/read that GURPS had sourcebooks for Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun and Rober Adams' Horseclans. Does anyone have these, and if so, any thoughts/impressions? I have a copy of GURPS New Sun that I was given it by a friend who was on the playtesting panel. I have read the books a long time ago, but I'm not familiar enough with the series to be able to tell how accurate it is. It looks pretty good from the little I remember. The main chapter headings are: (1) The Posthistory of Urth * the Age of Myth * the Age of the Monarch * the Age of the Autarch (2) The New Sun * Precis of the books (3) Urth in the Age of the Autarch * The Commonwealth * Commonwealth Geography * Ascia (4) Nessus, the Eternal City (5) Urth religion * The Church of the Conciliator * Yesod, the Higher Universe (6) Space and Time * The Universe * The Starship Tzadkiel * Local Stars * Time Dilation * Time (7) Commonwealth Characters * Tech levels etc. * Advantages, Disadvantages and Skills * Character and Racial templates (8) The Arsenal of the Autarch * Weapons and Equipment (9) Thaumaturgy (10) Urth Bestiary (11) Campaigns * Balancing the Epic Setting * Exploring Urth * Campaigning in Different Eras * Mass Combat (12) Appendices * The Urth Cycle * The Incas * Onomastics: the Study of Names * Commonwealth Glossary * English/Commonwealth Glossary (13) Index The layout and graphics are adequate to the task, though not particularly inspiring (features which seems to be common to most GURPS sourcebooks). In places graphics appear to be used for no purpose except to fill up space, and some graphics are repeated elesewhere through the book. Maps, where they are used, appear to be Campaign Cartographer generated. If I were interested in running a game in the New Sun setting, I'd say the book would be very useful. There's enough information given about the milieu that it's not strictly necessary to have read the original books to be able run an effective campaign, though of course it would be a good idea to do so if only to get some of the ambience which tends to be lacking from sourcebooks like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MPT Posted March 4, 2003 Report Share Posted March 4, 2003 I find that the Historical GURPS books are extremely useful. GURPS Japan and Arabian Knights are the two that I have used most but I have also used Rome, Russia etc. What I like most about these is that they present a lot of detail in a form that naturally leads to adventure ideas. The sidebars are especially useful in this respect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NuSoardGraphite Posted March 4, 2003 Report Share Posted March 4, 2003 Heck yeah! I've found the GURPS Space Atlas books to be of invaluable help in creating my Space Opera campaign setting....over 140 planets spread over 4 books....thats 140+ planets that I don't have to write up myself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just A Guy Name Posted March 5, 2003 Report Share Posted March 5, 2003 Originally posted by keithcurtis I forgot about GURPS IST. Great sourcebook, though I would place it second to Strike Force. Keith "Allston fan" Curtis Ooh, does anyone have the characters from Strike Force converted to 5E? BTW, if you like GURPS:IST, you might like IST:Kingston also. It was not from SJG, but I cannot remember the publisher of the top of my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Joe Posted March 7, 2003 Report Share Posted March 7, 2003 1930's In another thread, I asked about resources that would be useful in a 1930's Europe game (somewhere in the netherrealms between realistic, pulp, and horror). This seems like a good place to ask about any GURPS books that might help me. High-Tech has been slightly useful to me. In it, there is a reference to a 1900-1930 price list in GURPS Horror. Has anyone seen this? How extensive is the list? Does it (or anything else in GURPS Horror) give much information about the kinds of everyday technology available in this era. I'm curious about nitty-gritty things like "when were lighters first commonly available?". Are there other GURPS books I should check out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thag13 Posted March 7, 2003 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2003 Check out Gurps Cliffhangers for someof this info. Also check out Call of Chtulu source books. Keeper companion comes to mind, but there are others. Justice Inc is a great Hero game thats long out of print but shows up on Ebay every now and then. Also check your local libaray for time year books and Sears Catalog reprints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CourtFool Posted March 10, 2003 Report Share Posted March 10, 2003 G.U.R.P.S. Horror Originally posted by Just Joe In another thread, I asked about resources that would be useful in a 1930's Europe game (somewhere in the netherrealms between realistic, pulp, and horror). This seems like a good place to ask about any GURPS books that might help me. High-Tech has been slightly useful to me. In it, there is a reference to a 1900-1930 price list in GURPS Horror. Has anyone seen this? How extensive is the list? G.U.R.P.S. Horror second addition has about 11 pages devoted to 'The Roaring Twenties'. It covers America in the 1920s, Politics and Government, Social Class and Daily Life and Horror in the Roaring 20's. The equipment list is about half a page not including weapons listed elsewhere with only a Tech Level giving indication when the particular weapon will be available. Llama does not think G.U.R.P.S. Horror will be particularly useful as a reference for the time period you are looking for. Llama agrees that G.U.R.P.S. Cliffhanger is probably a better resource, although llama does not have it and can not make a better judgement. Llama HTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 Re: Book of New Sun and Horseclans Originally posted by allen I had heard/read that GURPS had sourcebooks for Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun and Rober Adams' Horseclans. Does anyone have these, and if so, any thoughts/impressions? I used to have the Horseclans book. I want to believe I still have it hidden someplace, but I fear I may have lost it between houses. That would be a real shame. It was neat, you could play a Horse or a Cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterVimes Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 Re: G.U.R.P.S. Horror Originally posted by CourtFool Llama does not think G.U.R.P.S. Horror will be particularly useful as a reference for the time period you are looking for. Llama agrees that G.U.R.P.S. Cliffhanger is probably a better resource, although llama does not have it and can not make a better judgement. Mr. Vimes agrees with Llama, Mr. Vimes thinks... er... ahem... *I* think that Cliffhanger is the perfect resources for this sort of thing. If you can lay your hands on the old Call of Cthulhu boxed set, there is a really nice timeline/price list/sourcebook for the 20's and 30's... Llamas... they get me every time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 Re: Re: Book of New Sun and Horseclans Originally posted by Fitz If I were interested in running a game in the New Sun setting, I'd say the book would be very useful. There's enough information given about the milieu that it's not strictly necessary to have read the original books to be able run an effective campaign, though of course it would be a good idea to do so if only to get some of the ambience which tends to be lacking from sourcebooks like this. Which books would these be? I've never heard of them and I call my world Urth (coincidence). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterVimes Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 Originally posted by NuSoardGraphite Heck yeah! I've found the GURPS Space Atlas books to be of invaluable help in creating my Space Opera campaign setting....over 140 planets spread over 4 books....thats 140+ planets that I don't have to write up myself! Another good CHEAP resource is old FGU Space Opera atlases... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterVimes Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 Re: Re: Re: Book of New Sun and Horseclans Originally posted by Shadowpup Which books would these be? I've never heard of them and I call my world Urth (coincidence). The Books of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. Shadow of the Torturer/Claw of the Conciliator and The Sword of the Lictor/Citadel of the Autarch They are very detailed an rich story of a world so far in the future that it no longer resembles Earth. This review says it all: This is the first-person narrative of Severian, a lowly apprentice torturer blessed and cursed with a photographic memory, whose travels lead him through the marvels of far-future Urth, and who--as revealed near the beginning--eventually becomes his land's sole ruler or Autarch. On the surface it's a colorful story with all the classic ingredients: growing up, adventure, sex, betrayal, murder, exile, battle, monsters, and mysteries to be solved. (Only well into book 2 do we realize what saved Severian's life in chapter 1.) For lovers of literary allusions, they are plenty here: a Dickensian cemetery scene, a torture-engine from Kafka, a wonderful library out of Borges, and familiar fables changed by eons of retelling. Wolfe evokes a chilly sense of time's vastness, with an age-old, much-restored painting of a golden-visored "knight," really an astronaut standing on the moon, and an ancient citadel of metal towers, actually grounded spacecraft. Even the sun is senile and dying, and so Urth needs a new sun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peregrine Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 Originally posted by MisterVimes Another good CHEAP resource is old FGU Space Opera atlases... I'll second that one. FGU's Space Opera was chock-full of ideas, but lacked consistency - lots of depth in some areas, very little in others. And nigh-unplayable game mechanics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AGLAR Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 Originally posted by Peregrine I'll second that one. FGU's Space Opera was chock-full of ideas, but lacked consistency - lots of depth in some areas, very little in others. And nigh-unplayable game mechanics. The MEMORIES!!! Tried to run Space Opera - ONCE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterVimes Posted March 11, 2003 Report Share Posted March 11, 2003 Originally posted by Peregrine I'll second that one. FGU's Space Opera was chock-full of ideas, but lacked consistency - lots of depth in some areas, very little in others. And nigh-unplayable game mechanics. That's what FGU stood for: F^@king Games Unplayable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithcurtis Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 Originally posted by AGLAR The MEMORIES!!! Tried to run Space Opera - ONCE! I wrote a BASIC program to generate characters. Sheesh, in order to buy the ability to pilot a starship, you needed 60+ points worth of pre-req.s. And they weren't listed! You had to look up each individual pre-req to find its pre-req and so forth. I repeat: Sheesh! Keith "Not to mention the entire page of rules devoted to throwing an object from one character to another" Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterVimes Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 Originally posted by keithcurtis Keith "Not to mention the entire page of rules devoted to throwing an object from one character to another" Curtis In Space... no one can hear you play catch... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonHunter Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 older game background material There are dozens of older games (and heck modern ones) that have difficult game mechanics or are just nearly obsolete. We played a number of them using hero 4th edition, a few of them will adapt nicely to 5th edition. Star Trek (Fasa) Blue Planet (Modern, but the 2nd edition mechanics suck) Lace and Steel (so we did not have to use the cards) Cidri (Fantasy Trip's, GURPs precursor, game world) and the list goes on.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Celt Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 Originally posted by MisterVimes That's what FGU stood for: F^@king Games Unplayable Ah, FGU. Makers of the best RPGs nobody can play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peregrine Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 Re: older game background material Originally posted by MoonHunter There are dozens of older games (and heck modern ones) that have difficult game mechanics or are just nearly obsolete. We played a number of them using hero 4th edition, a few of them will adapt nicely to 5th edition. Star Trek (Fasa) Blue Planet (Modern, but the 2nd edition mechanics suck) Lace and Steel (so we did not have to use the cards) Cidri (Fantasy Trip's, GURPs precursor, game world) and the list goes on.... Ah... FASA Trek. Remains to this day my favorite incarnation of the Star Trek universe. FASA gave FGU a run for its money in the 'great setting/crappy mechanics' league. (Shadowrun, anyone?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Cadet Posted March 17, 2003 Report Share Posted March 17, 2003 Looking back on my list of GURPS books I use as reference material, I noticed that I'd left out one particular book: GURPS Mecha. Ooops! Space Cadet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Hiemforth Posted March 17, 2003 Report Share Posted March 17, 2003 Speaking of GURPS books, I happen to have a copy of the uber-rare GURPS The Prisoner up on Ebay at the moment if anyone's interested. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2547&item=3122361138&rd=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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