My birthday is approaching, I have some disposable income to blow on RPGs, but I don't want to get into new games, I have a fucking lot pending to be played.
But I want to buy some gaming stuff and then, via the last post in Flames Rising (http://www.flamesrising.com/gurps-world-of-horror-preview/), discussing a new cthulhoid product by Kenneth Hite, I thought:
"Oh my, I could buy some GURPS guides! They have an excellent reputation as resources regardless you ply GURPS or not. Also, I can get almost any of them in PDF, which suits me best."
But of course, there are just to fucking many of them. So here's my question: which are, in your opinion, the best GURPS product you can use as reference even if you do not play GURPS?
The historical books are awesome. Imperial Rome, Russia, Aztecs...they really can't be beat for the daily life of a culture.
For fourth edition, Infinite Worlds is pretty cool...and I have a soft spot for Banestorm, I think it's a really cool fantasy setting.
If you get one, get Goblins.
what kind of things are you looking for, specifically? Do you want older GURPS books to use as sourceguides for other games, or do you want to use GURPS as a toolkit for making campaigns? What kind of settings, stories, and media are you interested in?
Quote from: Yevla;470377what kind of things are you looking for, specifically? Do you want older GURPS books to use as sourceguides for other games, or do you want to use GURPS as a toolkit for making campaigns? What kind of settings, stories, and media are you interested in?
Well, I owned and run for some time several games of GURPS 3rd ed and, though it's a good game, it did not much for me. I'm not heavily into universal systems, with the exception of BRP. But I remember that the 3rd ed guides and sourcebooks were really good. I was impressed by Cthulhutech, some of the historical books and some others, and I've been told many times that GURPS sourcebooks are great as a reference.
So I would be looking for sourceguides for other games - not interested in the system - with no specific settings in mind. I'd just like everyone to give me their favourite books of the GURPS line, that can be adapted to other games.
Quote from: Imperator;470398Well, I owned and run for some time several games of GURPS 3rd ed and, though it's a good game, it did not much for me. I'm not heavily into universal systems, with the exception of BRP. But I remember that the 3rd ed guides and sourcebooks were really good. I was impressed by Cthulhutech, some of the historical books and some others, and I've been told many times that GURPS sourcebooks are great as a reference.
So I would be looking for sourceguides for other games - not interested in the system - with no specific settings in mind. I'd just like everyone to give me their favourite books of the GURPS line, that can be adapted to other games.
Well, in that case, I'll echo the Goblins suggestion from above. I'll also recommend Callahans Crosstime Saloon and Black Ops. All are excellent books that make great mining material for other games.
I have "Imperial Rome" and "New Sun" on my shelf and peruse them often.
"Goblins" is great as well....:)
Horror is my favorite non-specific GURPS book.
For historical books, I like Vikings, Middle Ages, Imperial Rome.
I also quite like Cabal for modern magic type stuff, but that's a little iffy on whether or not it fulfills your criteria.
I recommend:
any Historical (my faves are Vikings, Middle Ages I, and Russia)
Horror
Suppressed Transmissions
Discworld
World War II
Weird War II
Cthulhupunk
Faerie
Hellboy
Voodoo
Shapeshifters
Imperial Rome is utterly awesome.
RPGPundit
These are the exact suggestions I was looking for. Could you give me a bit more detail on why do you like those books, why they ar so useful or what parts are specially interesting?
I have the impression that there's a real wealth of usefulness there.
Arabian Nights
Aztecs
Old West
All of these for the fact that the wealth of historical/cultural information they give you is also actually useful in a RPG. Also, Aztecs is practically the only decent RPG source material available on the subject.
I hear Russia is good as well, but haven't found a print version of it yet.
GURPS Imperial Rome is simply the best single rpg sourcebook on Rome ever written. Its a great resource for any campaign set in Rome, or in a roman-like setting.
RPGPundit
Quote from: RPGPundit;470815GURPS Imperial Rome is simply the best single rpg sourcebook on Rome ever written. Its a great resource for any campaign set in Rome, or in a roman-like setting.
RPGPundit
Duly noted! Many thanks!
Quote from: Imperator;470532These are the exact suggestions I was looking for. Could you give me a bit more detail on why do you like those books, why they ar so useful or what parts are specially interesting?
I have the impression that there's a real wealth of usefulness there.
I like Horror because it's not just a list of monsters and rules. It's a thorough deconstruction of the various kinds of horror storytelling, how they work, and why they work -- and in detail that goes above and beyond the average "hey put this in your campaign" routine.
Quote from: Imperator;470532These are the exact suggestions I was looking for. Could you give me a bit more detail on why do you like those books, why they ar so useful or what parts are specially interesting?
I have the impression that there's a real wealth of usefulness there.
I'm late to the show, and I won't say anything that hasn't been said already, but I don't care.
Most GURPS historical supplements are excellent, I'm hard pressed to mention any GURPS historical supplement that is not at least good. What parts are specially interesting? The ideas for campaigns and adventures, they are excellent. Some examples:
GURPS Imperial Rome. Late Roman Empire. The PCs are slaves and servants in a country house. There are news of barbarians, pillage and loot. The
domina states she won't leave the land she inherited from her ancestors. What do you do?
GURPS Russia. Ivan the Terrible executes a boyar for treason in the presence of the PCs, and afterwards gives his lands to one of them (refusing Ivan the Terrible? not a great idea). The first thing they've got to do is evict his wife and his sons from his house. The boyar's neighbors respected him, and will resent the PCs, as they are clearly agents of the Czar.
GURPS Middle Ages. The PCs are Saxon nobles and warriors. The Normans invade. Have fun.
My favorite ones are GURPS Imperial Rome, GURPS Russia, GURPS Vikings, GURPS Middle Ages, GURPS Greece, GURPS Aztecs, all the historicals. I also found GURPS Infinite Worlds and GURPS Alternate Earths fascinating.
Quote from: RPGPundit;470815GURPS Imperial Rome is simply the best single rpg sourcebook on Rome ever written. Its a great resource for any campaign set in Rome, or in a roman-like setting.
RPGPundit
Although GURPS Imperial Rome is awesome, you should have a look at BRP Rome. It's one of the best historical supplements for an RPG.
If I had to choose which one is better, I wouldn't know what to say, it's like asking which of my kids I love more.
Quote from: HombreLoboDomesticado;470681Arabian Nights
Aztecs
Old West
All of these for the fact that the wealth of historical/cultural information they give you is also actually useful in a RPG. Also, Aztecs is practically the only decent RPG source material available on the subject.
Yes, the best part of GURPS Aztecs is that it is actually useful for gaming, specially the part about the pochteca (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pochteca).
QuoteI hear Russia is good as well, but haven't found a print version of it yet.
It is.