What do I need to do to give GURPS a genre treatment?

Piestrio · June 04, 2012, 02:23:58 AM

Ala Dungeon Fantasy, Action, Monster Hunters, etc...

I have a golden age pulp Sci-fi setting I'm putting together (think Triplanetary and the Forbidden Planet).

System wise I want to do GURPS but with a tight focus.

So if I wanted to start with GURPS Lite and build a Genre treatment want work do I need to do?

Templets, lenses, (dis)advantages, gear...

What else?

nightwind1 · June 04, 2012, 02:41:37 AM

Just get the GURPS Lensman book. I'm sure you can find it cheap on the 'net. It's awesome for that Classic Space Opera stuff.

Piestrio · June 04, 2012, 03:21:33 AM

Quote from: nightwind1;545656Just get the GURPS Lensman book. I'm sure you can find it cheap on the 'net. It's awesome for that Classic Space Opera stuff.

I didn't know GURPS had a lensman book!

I assume it's 3rd editon though which still means I need to convert it to 4e (which I prefer).

Piestrio · June 04, 2012, 03:32:47 AM

Probably need a custom skill list too with liberal use of bang! skills.

Shawn Driscoll · June 04, 2012, 03:51:44 AM

I'm guessing you've read through the Lensman wiki? It will remind you of setting stuff you will need.

Piestrio · June 04, 2012, 06:49:29 AM

If I want a pulpy feel is 200pts about right?

I was planning on doing 100pt templates and 50 point lenses. To make sure characters are archetypical and to take chargen pressure off players.

EDIT: I'll be posting up about the setting soon once I get my notes together.

Drohem · June 04, 2012, 10:32:41 AM

yeah, I would definitely go with 200 pts.

Silverlion · June 04, 2012, 10:47:03 AM

I think Lensmen went back to 2E. It was a ways back and a short book. Dfidn't they also have a Triplanetary book?

I'd probably go with 250 points myself for 3E. Just my preference to get things done well that I see as "pulp-y."

Of course that puts it midway to Gurps low end Superheroes, so that feels about right all around.

SionEwig · June 04, 2012, 02:05:39 PM

There is an e23 publication for Gurps 4th ed called Tales of the Solar Patrol, which along with Lensmen might be what you want.

Piestrio · June 05, 2012, 08:59:45 AM

Quote from: SionEwig;545795There is an e23 publication for Gurps 4th ed called Tales of the Solar Patrol, which along with Lensmen might be what you want.

Pick it up, thanks!

Anyone know if GURPS Action would be worth it? I heard it has a new action system, might be useful?

Piestrio · June 05, 2012, 09:32:36 PM

I grabbed GURPS action, I'll definatly be using the BAD system to set the relative initial difficulty of planets the players encounter.

My next big decision point before I can start making templets and such is skills. I'm tempted to go with all Wildcard skills to make the game more pulpy but I'm not sure how that will work out in play.

Anyone have experience using only Wildcard skills?

The skill list would look something like this:

Science!
Computers!
Medicine!
Explore!
Pilot!
Psychology!
Encyclopedist!
Technician!
Leadership!
Guns!
Fisticuffs!

And probably a few more I can't think of right now.

Each character would probably only have 4-5 skills as opposed to the 20-30 I'd normally look at.