Perception Check; PCs for a GURPS RP (Interest Re-Call, 07/26)

[WhiteFox]

So, I've had an itch to run a GURPS game.

"GURPS" is short for "Generic Universal Role Playing System." It's very flexible, and the mechanics are incredibly well thought out. It's a point buy system, which means you're not limited specific classes or races. It supports role-playing as much as combat, so social and intelligence skills are as significant as the combat abilities.

The major downside is that character creation is... well, a bit laborious. Once all the setup is taken care of, however, the gameplay is very quick, simple, and fun (I can help with the character creation, too).

There is a free GURPS Lite [edit: registering is optional.] source book that outlines all the rules and mechanics you need to play the game. I have access to a number of the books, so I can expand on the available source material (LOTS more Dis/Advantages, Skills, and magic).

I'm thinking of running a DMFA based RP for a party of creature characters. I know this is probably the most common theme/setting for RPs on the board, but GURPS presents a uniquely ideal rule set for such PCs.

In breif; a Chat based, 3-4 players, medium-high powered campaign, involving a balanced mix of combat, investigation, and socializing. Preferably once a week (hence the low number of players. Fewer people means easier scheduling).

Given the amount of setup it will take to build racial templates, and that I'll probably have to learn how to use MapTools, I'd like to know if there's sufficient interest for a game before doing too much prep work.

So, how about it?

(Note: if anyone just wants to learn about the system, I wouldn't mind helping with that)



For a quick overview of how teh point-buy system in GURPS works:

There are no classes, character levels, or pre-made races in GURPS. The GM picks a character point value the characters start with, and a maximum number of disadvantage points.

Taking Advantages, above average Attributes (IQ, Strength, etc.), and Skills raise the point value of a character. Taking below average Attributes and Disadvantages lower the characters point value. (Kind of like the value of a house. If it has good insulation, it's worth more. If it has leaky plumbing, it's worth less.)

Racial templates are made by the GM as a group package of Attributes and Dis/Advantages common to all members of that race.

The GM awards CP during the course of the game, much like XP. Unlike XP, however, the player can spend their CP to improve their characters whenever they have enough points for what they want, once the opportunity presents itself in game (Using the house metaphor, you could get the plumbing fixed or put in bathroom tile. Or build an addition. The value of your house goes up).

What makes GURPS truly awesome is that you can do almost anything in it. When they say Generic Universal Role Playing System, they aren't kidding. [EDIT: correction] Generic means that the rules are simple and standardized. Universal means that it will fit any setting, realistically.[/correction] If you want to play a wizard in a high tech setting, you can do that without breaking the game, and the GM doesn't have to improvise, fudge, or bend the rules.

GURPS also covers things that most RP systems are soft on. If you want to, say, command a horde of minions, have legal or diplomatic authority, be an inventor or enchanter (or both), the rules support it fully. The sorts of things that are normally reserved for NPCs, or monsters, are available to PCs (as long as you have the points for it).

In short, the players can have what they want, and the GM can stay on top of everything with a minimum of stress. Fun all around.

[Chairtastic]

I hereby express interest in this!    But I'm a roleplay whore, so that's to be expected.

So is it a strictly-Creature roleplay, or is it just healthier for the characters to be Creatures?

[WhiteFox]

Well, racial templates cost CP. An average hero, with no racial template (IE; a default human or Being), just starting out, is about 100 CP and up to 25 points in disadvantages.

The template for a Demon character, by comparison, is probably in the three to four hundred point range, including racial disadvantages like a weakness to light magic and social stigmas. And that's just the racial stuff. One would have to buy things like magic spells and weapon skills on top of that.

If someone didn't buy a racial template, they would have a hugenumber of points to spend. I mean, absurdiculous.

I would be willing to allow a PC to be a Being, if their character concept required a tremendous number of skills and/or monetary resources. Being the king of a small country, or a master-class enchanter, for example. If you want to be a badass warrior or a combat mage, though, you're better off with picking a race with appropriate abilities.

So playing a Being is within reason, and viable, but GM approval would be required.

[Mechanisto]

Totally. In.

Dibs on the grizzled, bitter mercenary.

[Shachza]

Hmmm, I could bring back my Gurps recreation of an Eldar Falcon grav tank.  It was like 50 tons but could hover, could go about 390 mph, and only had enough fuel for half-an-hour of travel.   

[Drayco84]

Hmmm, I could bring back my Gurps recreation of an Eldar Falcon grav tank.  It was like 50 tons but could hover, could go about 390 mph, and only had enough fuel for half-an-hour of travel.   

Holy...
Freaking...
CRAP...

It'd be a recreation of "Those Who Hunt Elves"... But with a faster tank...

[Shachza]

Holy...
Freaking...
CRAP...

It'd be a recreation of "Those Who Hunt Elves"... But with a faster tank...

/wiki on
*lookes up "Those Who Hunt Elves"
/wiki off

Erm...  I'm not sure that fits, since Eldar are just space elves and they make the tanks themselves.

On another note, I wonder if I could do a Fire Prism...

[Mechanisto]

Holy...
Freaking...
CRAP...

It'd be a recreation of "Those Who Hunt Elves"... But with a faster tank...

I strongly suspect Whitefox was planning for a more serious campaign.

If not... I have been filled with the fear. 

[Lisky]

I'm interested, though inexperienced with GRUPS...   Suffice to say, if scheduling works out, i'd love to try

[Prof B Hunnydew]

So that is the point maximum for PC, you'll have to limit everyone to a number to start with.  300 point characters seem a bit HIGH.   And a standard 100 point of a being/human maybe too low for creatures.  

Maybe the spread should be 100 base, 100 race advantages/disadvantages, and 100 personal disadvantages.  Racial disadvantages can't be 'brought out' or a two CP of one racial CP.  Beings would have a 100 point extra to make their character above-average Beings to beat the Creatures at their own games.

PBH  

[WhiteFox]

So that is the point maximum for PC, you'll have to limit everyone to a number to start with.  300 point characters seem a bit HIGH.   And a standard 100 point of a being/human maybe too low for creatures.  

Maybe the spread should be 100 base, 100 race advantages/disadvantages, and 100 personal disadvantages.  Racial disadvantages can't be 'brought out' or a two CP of one racial CP.  Beings would have a 100 point extra to make their character above-average Beings to beat the Creatures at their own games.

PBH  

Most of the available creature racial templates will probably fall in at around 300 CP. As long as everyone takes a race, the party will stay balanced.

I'll probably pick a point total around 400 or so. If someone picks a cheaper race, they can put their points elsewhere. I will probably require that a minimum number of points be spent on non-combat elements (probably not more then 25 or so).

To clarify something about Races: most Racial Advantages cannot be bought after character creation, and very, very few racial Disadvantages can be bought off. Some Racial Advs. will be available to PCs that are not part of the standard templates, though. For example, Extra Legs is a racial advantage. If you're a Being, you can't buy them. The Mythos Racial template will have two extra legs as standard. If you want to play a 8 or 9 legged Mythos, you can buy more Extra Legs at character creation, but not after. Other Racial traits will be flexible: Dragons, for example, don't have to have fire breath. They could have Lightning Breath. Or Radiation. Cubi can have tentacles with or without heads. Some racials can be bought after character creation: a cubi could develop a new psionic ability or join a clan, for example.

I just realized... a PC can have more then one racial template. It'd be absurdly expensive, but a PC could be a half-breed of two creature races.
[EDIT:] I have been corrected: PC's cannot have more then one racial template. Thank you, Mech.

[Shachza]

Where is this game going to be played out?  Forum posts, irc, ... ?

[Chairtastic]

^ That.

AND! How are the dice rolls going to work?  Are you, WhiteFox, going to do all the rolling, or are the players going to do it?  Cause I can see some major potential abuse resulting from the latter.  Not that I would ever do such a thing, spineless coward that I am.

[WhiteFox]

Where is this game going to be played out?  Forum posts, irc, ... ?

IRC, or using MapTools (IRC plus a hexboard).

^ That.

See above.

AND! How are the dice rolls going to work?  Are you, Whitefox, going to do all the rolling, or are the players going to do it?  Cause I can see some major potential abuse resulting from the latter.

If using MapTools, most die rolls will be done by the players since that can be done in the chat. I will, however, still roll for the players when the situation requires it.

(I would roll for a player in cases where they would not know if there was something to roll for unless that roll was successful. For example, to detect an ambush or catch a lie.
Imagine the following scenario:
Me: Roll perception.
Player: *Rolls* I failed.
Me: Okay; you don't notice anything.
Player: )

If using a more conventional IRC client, I'd probably trust the players. If the players don't trust each other, I can do all the rolling. If the players don't trust me, well... the game is pretty well screwed from the outset, now isn't it?

[techmaster-glitch]

Just dropping by to say that I am often available to show anyone who needs it how to use MapTool and to get the right version (I actually need to tell to you about that first, Whitefox...)

[Keleth]

AND! How are the dice rolls going to work?  Are you, Whitefox, going to do all the rolling, or are the players going to do it?  Cause I can see some major potential abuse resulting from the latter.

If using MapTools, most die rolls will be done by the players since that can be done in the chat. I will, however, still roll for the players when the situation requires it.

(I would roll for a player in cases where they would not know if there was something to roll for unless that roll was successful. For example, to detect an ambush or catch a lie.
Imagine the following scenario:
Me: Roll perception.
Player: *Rolls* I failed.
Me: Okay; you don't notice anything.
Player: )
If using a more conventional IRC client, I'd probably trust the players. If the players don't trust each other, I can do all the rolling. If the players don't trust me, well... the game is pretty well screwed from the outset, now isn't it?

I actually had quite a few times where the GM would say "Okay, Roll your spot/Perception" And we'd roll. Most of the time we weren't sure if we actually failed or not. Because it'd range from "It's a bunny that lept from the bushes!"   'Yep. You sure notice this woods has a lot of old trees that are at least several millenia old'

We were never sure if there were ambushes or if he was just messing with us.

Though, yeah, a good number of times we got ambushed. When we thought it was just a rabbit 

[WhiteFox]

Alright... since I've only gotten two people confirmed, I'm going to put a hold on doing an RP.

I'll probably make another interest call after AC is over with, and see if there are more people are available then. I'll be working on GURPS source material for DMFA in that time, just for fun. Even if I don't get to run an RP, I might post the material for comment (or for other people to use).

I've got a few Creature race templates mostly compete as it is. They're pretty elaborate, but that's because I'm trying to get them as accurate to DMFA canon as possible ('Cubi are the worst, with all those shapeshifting and psionic abilities. They're nasty in a fight, though). Getting the templates done would be about 85% of the leg-work for character creation, tho.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Hrm. I've got to say, I'm curious as to just how badly I can screw with the setting. Taking a normal Being profile, and spending lots of points on "non-combat" abilities, only to use them in combat...


But that's just me all over. *cough* Buzz me sometime to chat about it, WF.

[Chairtastic]

Because the Fox says this interest call is open again, I hereby say I am so totally in. 

[Mechanisto]

I'm definitely in, if there's space.

Though, yeah, a good number of times we got ambushed. When we thought it was just a rabbit 

What happens if you get ambushed... by a rabbit?

[Chairtastic]

It's no ordinary rabbit...

[WhiteFox]

Guys. Seriously. I'm a big GM, I can post for myself.

But yes, the interest call for a GURPS RP is once again opened. I'm more then willing to teach the system to people, and help with character creation.

llearch: For the RP, I'm going for Creature races only. The Undead are fairly no frills, durable enough to hang with heavier races, and affordable. If someone really wants to go with a Being, they'd have to discuss it with me.

Feel free to drop me a PM. If you want to make a Being character just to play with the system, that's cool too.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

More the latter than the former. As I said - buzz me sometime when you've got some time free, and I can kick ideas around with you online. I probably odn't have the time to play, though. :-/

[Cogidubnus]

I'd be interested to learn the character creation system, at the very least.

[WhiteFox]

I'm perfectly willing to teach people the system, whether people want to join the RP or are just curious about it.

Cog+llearch: Grab me any time you see me on IM. If you have any preliminary ideas or concepts, PM them to me and I can tell you how they might work out.