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The in Generic Universal Role Playing System (Gurps) is a Roleplay published by Steve Jackson (SJGames), undertaken based with Austin, Texas (the United States). The first edition goes back to 1986. GURPS in is today with its fourth edition, only available in English language. The site e23 proposes official supplements (in English) downloadable (but paying) which are not available in printed form.

In French, Siroz/Asmodée ensured the translation of the book of the rules of the third edition and certain French supplements. It is not unfortunately any more the case today…

This play is, as its name indicates it (it means “system of universal and generic roleplay”), likely to be used in all the universes. GURPS is composed of a book of basic rules and a crowd of supplements of which some know a long career.

Each supplement details a world and adds rules adapted to the universe of play. Certain supplements, like GURPS Spaces ( in GURPS Space ), are more of the guides of construction of universe than of the universes done everything to play. Others such in GURPS Ultratech propose lists of equipment independently of precise universe; in GURPS Vehicules proposes a complete system of rules to build the vehicle of its choice, barrow with the spaceship.

in GURPS Infinite Worlds is regarded by the fourth edition as the world by defect for GURPS, even if its use by the leader is perfectly optional.

The rules function around 3 dice with 6 faces with a system of characteristic / competences , advantages ''/'' defects .

From the point of view of the rules, there are few differences between the third and the fourth edition. The fourth editions propose more advantages ''/'' defects , like more competences . On the other hand, the system making it possible to manage the capacities psionic was largely worked over again.

The system of play

Creation of the character

A character is defined by

four characteristic (attributes) which defines the being of the character, his innate and his general development: force ( Strength , ST), dexterity ( Dexterity , DX), intelligence ( Intelligence , IQ) and health ( Health , HT);
the 4th edition added characteristic derived: points of life (hit points) , will (will) , perception (perception) and points of energy (tiredness points) ;
of the advantages ( advantages ) and of the defects ( disadvantages ), such as for example “vision”, “ambidextrie”, “good reputation”, “richness”, “combined” for the advantages, or “bad habits”, “daltonism”, “phobia”, “alcoholism”, “bad reputation” or “enemies” for the defects;
of the competences (skills) which are its specializations, its experiments, its studies, its profession, for example “combat with the sword”, “shooting with the gun”, “climbing”, “mathematics”, “diplomacy”…

A player has a certain number (often 100) of points of character to distribute to create the character. He can spend them in:

increasing the characteristics;
taking advantages;
increasing competences.

He can increase his capital of points of character in:

decreasing by the characteristics;
taking disadvantages.

Resolution of the actions

Competences are no-claims bonus or maluses being added to the score of a characteristic. Physical competences are in general based on Dexterity (DX), sometimes on the Force (ST) or Health (HT); mental competences are based on the Intelligence (IQ).

The jets of action (success roll) are played with three dice with six faces (3d6); an action succeeds if

3d6 ≤ score of competence + no-claims bonus/malus

the no-claims bonus/malus marking the difficulty of the action and the conditions (lighting, quietude, meteorology…).

When two characters are opposed, the action is in general solved with a fast duel (quick contest) of competence or characteristic (called “capacity hereafter” in a generic way): each player makes a jet under the capacity concerned,

if the attacker makes a success of its jet and that the defender fails, the action succeeds; the margin of success (difference between the capacity and the jet of die) determines the quality of the success;
if both make a success of the jet, the attack succeeds if the margin of the attacker is higher than the margin of the defender; in this case, quality is determined by the difference of the margins;
if the attacker fails and that the defender succeeds, the action fails;
if both fail, it is in general the status quo ; possibly, the character having the smallest absolute margin gains the duel.

Health

Health is represented by the characteristic Santé (HT). When a character is wounded, sick, poisoned… it loses points of health (in the fourth edition, it loses points of life). Arrived at zero, it can fall into the coma, and when it arrives at a negative total equal to its initial score of Health, can die.

In fact, in lower part of 0 HT, a character must make a success of each turn a jet under its original health or fall unconscious. In lower part of the negative one of its initial score of health, a failure means death, but if it succeeds, the character continues to live (and if it has makes a success of all his jets up to now, it is still conscious); with much of chance, it can thus fall to -5 times its score initial (a character with 10 in HT can box 60 points of damage)!

Let us note however that a fatal blow can always be carried with an unconscious character (for example to cut the throat of), therefore the survival of the unconscious character holds only with the abandonment of its attackers…

When a character loses a given number of points of health (HT), its jets are affected of a malus equal to this loss for the following turn (to some extent, the character is sounded for a turn).

Tiredness results in a loss of points of force (ST) - or points of energy (tiredness points), in the fourth edition - which goes up with the rest.

Resolution of the engagements

GURPS envisages modular rules of combat. To a basic system ( BASIC fights system ) are added optional rules, being able even to be used like… of the rules of combat with figurine (wargame) ! The basic system is the following.

The combat is cut out out of turns (turns) one second each one, corresponding to an attack and a parade by character. The initiative is by chance (the most score with 3d6 gains), or given by order of the score Design speed (Mvmt - BASIC speed) .

In a turn, a character cannot carry that only one attack, except if it decides to attack with excess (alout attack) in which case it can strike twice. The character can dodge (dodge) as much of time than he wants, but he cannot avoid that a blow with a weapon (thus two blows per turn if he has a weapon in each hand) and he cannot block that an attack with a shield (block) by turn, except if he chooses desperate defense (alout defense) in which case he can avoid twice by weapon, and block two blows with a shield.

The attack is a jet under the competence of weapon. A jet of 3 or 4 is a critical success: the defender cannot avoid and the damage is doubled. For the weapons at distances, if the attacker does not aim, it has a malus of instinctive shooting of -4. If it passes a turn to be aimed, it does not have a malus, if it passes four from there, it has a no-claims bonus of +1.

The chances of parade to a weapon are obtained by dividing the competence of the weapon by two. The chances of dodging are given by the characteristic Mouvement (Move) . The chances to block an attack with a shield are obtained by dividing Bouclier competence by two.

An armor has two scores: the Civil Defense ( passivates defense , PD), which is added to the chances of active defense (no-claims bonus with dodging, the parade or with blocking), and Resistance to the Damage ( ramming resistance , DR.), which is deduced from the received damage.

At the beginning of turn, each player announces the action which it intends to undertake, there exists ten possibilities:

To attack (attack) : it is the normal action, which consists in carrying a blow to a person while having her normal capacities of defense (parade, dodging, to block with a shield);
To prepare a weapon (ready) : a weapon can strike or avoid only if it is ready. For the small weapons balanced well like the swords, the preparation consists in decladding at the beginning of combat (one thus needs a turn to declad). The heavy weapons or badly balanced, like the large axes, must be repréparées after each blow or each parade, i.e. it is necessary to bring back them in a position making it possible to strike or to avoid; one cannot thus strike with but the one turn out of two. The arcs, crossbows and firearms must be reloaded, that can take several turns.
Feinter (pretends) : this operation consists in making pretense attack to create an opening at the adversary; one does not carry the blow (the attack “is lost”), but that gives a no-claims bonus to the touch the following blow. The pretense is exploited a fast duel arms attacking against weapon or competence shield or DX defender; if the attacker succeeds, its margin of success is the no-claims bonus of the following blow.
Attack with excess (alout attack) : the character gives up defending himself (not parade, of blocking to the shield nor of dodging) but can carry two attacks in the turn, or a pretense and an attack, or only one attack with a no-claims bonus with the touch or the damage.
desperate Defense (alout defense) : the character gives up any attack but if a defense fails, it can try a second of it on this same attack (for example to dodge if the parade fails); only one weapon can make only two parades per turn, a shield can block only two blows.
To aim (aim) : the player gives up any action, that gives him a no-claims bonus to the touch with the remote weapons (launched knife, arc, crossbow, rifle…) ; the benefit is lost if it must be defended (to avoid with its remote weapon, to dodge) or if it is wounded and fails a jet of concentration (IQ).

The usual turn is held in the following way: two characters Albert and Bernard fight with the sword, they choose both to attack:

Albert on the initiative, it makes his jet of attack, it makes a success of its jet if

3d6 ≤ competence of weapon

the attack carries, Bernard chooses to avoid, it succeeds if

3d6 ≤ competence arme/2 + Civil Defense of the armor

if Bernard fails, it boxes damage of which it deduces Resistance to the Damage from his armor;
is with the turn of Bernard to attack…

Jet of reactions

The interactions with the characters not players (PNJ) are not completely in the hands of the leader of play. Indeed, the reactions of the PNJ are determined by jets of reactions: 3d6 with no-claims bonus/malus (according to certain advantages and disadvantages) of the characters players (PJ). The more the score approaches 18 (see more if no-claims bonus), plus the PNJ appreciates the PJ and accepts its requests. Bring an interesting constraint to the interpretation of the leader of play, which one does not find in other systems of rules of roleplay.

Publications

Basic system

French Edition: it is about the 2nd edition étatsunienne; published by Corrège (editor now missing) in 1991 then by Asmodée/Siroz in 1994
Third edition

GURPS BASIC Set (1988, 272 p): rules of creation of the characters, resolution of the actions, and some elements relative to worlds (rules of magic, vehicle driving…)
GURPS Compendium I (192 p): this compilation contains the rules added after the publication of the 3rd edition. These rules relate to the creation of the characters (new advantages and new competences, additional rules of creation)
GURPS Compendium II (192 p): compilation of complementary rules (combat of mass, fights space, diseases), list of material, council on the roleplay…

Fourth edition

GURPS BASIC Set (336 p): contains the rules of the 3rd edition of the BASIC Set and Compendium I ;
GURPS BASIC Set: Campaigns (240 p): gather the elements of countryside of the BASIC Set and the Compendium II of the 3rd edition.

GURPS Lite : version reduced of 32 p downloadable here.

Supplements for the 4th edition

GURPS Infinite Worlds presents a multiverse made up of an indefinite number of alternative size (potentially all the universes proposed by supplements for GURPS, other than the supplements of the type Space operated).

In the starting reality of the players, a scientist discovered about thirty year before a means of moving through the parallel universes. The characters players belong to the patrols Infinity, Infinity being a méga-corporation managing all that milked with transdimensionnelle technology. Generally, they interpret scouts (who explore the worlds recently discovered) or of the police officers (who take care that it has no transdimensionnelle contamination there).

Centrum is the large malicious one of GURPS Infinite Worlds . It is about an alternative reality which is devoted with the starting reality of the players to a trandimensionnelle war. Of other malicious considered are Reich (Nazis having gained the second world war in several parallel universes), as well as Cabal (organization of magi, vampires, liches, gods, etc).

GURPS Land Out Off Time : To play in Lost Worlds (populated dinosaurs, cave men and sauriens). Downloadable only in format .pdf on the site e23. The supplement proposes moreover the Burroughs-6 world within the framework of the multiverse of GURPS Infinite Worlds .

GURPS Changing Times : A supplement which, in addition to give councils for the Master of the Play of a campaign of Transhuman Space, gives the rules and modifications making it possible to pass to the Fourth Edition of GURPS for this universe.

Generic works (all confused editions)

GURPS Bestiary
GURPS Bio-Tech : description of the techniques and technologies in connection with biology or medicine: modification genetics, care,…
GURPS High Tech
GURPS Ultra Tech
GURPS Low Tech : basic universe technology, history (Antiquity, the Middle Ages, Rebirth) or fantastic
GURPS Vehicles (208 p): vehicles since the cart to the spaceship (specific creation and rules such as the combat); as the rules are particularly complex, there exists a version reduced of 64 p which comprises only the terrestrial current modern vehicles, GURPS Vehicles Lite , as well as extensions with done everything vehicles, GURPS Vehicles Expansion 1 and 2 . GURPS Vehicles is also published in the shape of CD containing a software, GURPS Vehicle Builder making it possible to build its vehicle with all the details by making the saving in interminable calculations.

Specific universes (all confused editions)

History and contemporary

Old GURPS off Napoleon
GURPS Arabian Nights : the Islamic world of Mahomet at the end of the 17th century
GURPS Aztecs : civilization précolombienne
GURPS Clouded : China of prehistory in Spring of Beijing
GURPS Cliffhangers : detectives of years 1930 in the United States
GURPS Cops : in the contemporary world
GURPS Egypt organizes: Ancient Egypt
GURPS Espionage : secret services in the contemporary world
GURPS Old Ice and GURPS Dinosaurs : prehistory
Imperial GURPS Rome : Ancient Rome
GURPS Japan ( GURPS Japan ): Medieval Japan (primarily the era Tokugawa)
GURPS Low Tech : basic universe technology (Antiquity, the Middle Ages)
GURPS Martial Arts : martial arts tendency cinema…
Middle-Old GURPS
GURPS Old West : conquest of the West of the United States at the 19th century
GURPS Robin Hood : Robin of Wood, but in a general way dispensers of justice at various times ( far west , Cyberpunk …)
GURPS Russia : Russia of the 6th century with Pierre Large the
Special GURPS Ops : military units of elite in the modern conflicts
GURPS Swashbucklers : pirates and flibustiers of the end of the
GURPS Viking
GURPS World War II

Fantastic

GURPS Atlantis
GURPS Cabal : fantastic contemporary around the Hermetic magic
GURPS Celtic Myth
GURPS Conan : universe of Conan the barbarian
GURPS Fantasy : medieval-fantastic universes ; the back issues consisted of the description of a universe, Yrth, this one will be described in GURPS Banestorm ; other supplements were designed for GURPS Fantasy :

of the fantastic descriptions of creatures: GURPS Fantasy Bestiary , GURPS Monsters , GURPS Spirit (phantom, djinns…), GURPS Fantasy Folk (Orc S, Elf S, dwarf S…)
GURPS Warriors and GURPS Wizard : dedicated to the warlike characters and to magi (prototypes facilitating the creation of characters)
GURPS Magic and GURPS Black book : complete rules of magic

GURPS Horror ( GURPS Horror ) and GURPS Undead : fantastic contemporary
GURPS In Nominates
GURPS Psionics : complete rules on the psychic capacities
GURPS Voodoo : rules of magic Voodoo
the World of darkness: GURPS Vampire: The Masquerade , GURPS Werewolf: The Apocalypse , GURPS Magus: The Rise

Science fiction

GURPS Infinity Worlds (4th edition)
GURPS Land Out Off Time (4th edition)
GURPS Autoduel : universe of Because Wars , near of Mad max ; the booklet is primarily a description of the world, the particular rules are approached in GURPS Vehicles ; the booklet is accompanied by the supplements AADA Road Atlas and Survival Guide
GURPS Atomic Horror : science fiction of films of Series B of the years 1950
GURPS Black Ops : secret combatant of extraterrestrial arranges hidden on Earth (way Men in Black and X-Files )
GURPS Cyberpunk 2020 : resumption of the play of the same name of R. Talsorian Ranges
GURPS It and GURPS IOU : hidden conspiracy, or if the compressed tablets told truth… (way Men in Black and X-Files )
GURPS Mecha
GURPS Ogre
GURPS Robot
Space operated

GURPS Espace ( GURPS Space )
GURPS Transhuman Space
GURPS Traveller : resumption of the of the same play name

GURPS Steampunk and GURPS Steam-Tech
GURPS Supers : Superman
GURPS Time Travel
GURPS Ultra-Tech
GURPS Y2K : post-apocalyptic, after the general failure of the computing systems on January 1st, 2000…

Scenarios

Caravan to Ein Arris (4th edition): A scenario of introduction to the system of rules GURPS which is within a framework of Bedouins. Downloadable free in format .pdf on the site e23.
ZombieTown the USA (3rd edition): A scenario with zombies in a small town of deep, playable America within the framework of GURPS Horror (contemporary period) or of GURPS Autoduel (future post-apocalyptic). Downloadable in format .pdf on the site e23.

External bond

the official site
e23

Simple: GURPS

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