GURPS LITE To Roleplaying - Steve Jackson Games
GURPS LITEF O RW W I IAn Introductionto RoleplayingSTEVEJACKSONGAMESWhat is GURPS?GURPS stands for “Generic Universal RolePlaying System,”the RPG from which these rules are condensed. Why is it calledthat? Well . . .“Generic.” GURPS starts with simple rules, and builds up toas much optional detail as you like. This abridged version presents the “core rules” that most GMs start with.“Universal.” The basic rules system is designed to emphasizerealism; therefore, it can fit any situation – fantasy or historical;past, present, or future.“RolePlaying.” This is not just a “hack-and-slash” game. Therules are written to make true roleplaying possible – and to encourage it. GURPS is a game in which you take on the persona ofanother character and pretend, for a little while, to be that person.“System.” Over 150 different books have been published forGURPS, in eight different languages (so far). It is one of the recognized standards for roleplaying, worldwide.About GURPS LiteThis is the boiled-down “essence” of GURPS: all the fundamental rules, but not the options and embellishments that oftenconfuse new players. Once you’re comfortable with these rules,you can pick up the GURPS Basic Set and jump right into theaction. Experienced GMs will, we hope, find this a valuable toolfor introducing new players to the game.Materials Needed for PlayTo play, you will need these rules, three six-sided dice, pencils, and scratch paper.GLOSSARYLike any hobby, gaming has a jargon. To help you understandthe concepts and terms used in GURPS and other roleplayinggames, we’ll start with a few definitions:Roleplaying Game (RPG): A game in which a Game Masterguides several players through an adventure in which they playthe parts of imaginary individuals, or characters, in a fictional orhistorical game world. GURPS is a roleplaying game.Game Master (GM): The referee, who chooses the adventure,talks the players through it, and judges the results.Character: Any being (person, animal, whatever) played bythe GM or a player in a RPG.Non-player Character (NPC): Any character played by theGM. The GM may control many characters, major and minor.Player Character (PC): Any character played by one of theplayers. Typically, each player controls a single character.174GURPS RULES STEVE JACKSONGURPS LITE ABRIDGED RULES SEAN PUNCHEDITING STEVE JACKSON AND THE GURPS BRAIN TRUSTILLUSTRATION AND DESIGN GENE SEABOLTStatistics (Stats): Numbers rating a character’s abilities, usedto determine what each one can and cannot do. See p. 177.Party: A group of PCs taking part in an adventure.Game World: A background for play and setting for an adventure – for example, Earth during World War II.Adventure: The basic “unit” of play in a RPG, sometimescalled a scenario. A RPG is never over until the players want toend it, but a single adventure will have a beginning and an end.It may last through several sessions of play, or be done in a single evening.Encounter: One “scene” of an adventure; a meeting betweenthe PCs and one or more NPCs.Campaign: A continuing series of adventures. A campaignwill usually have a continuing cast of PCs, and the same GM (orteam of GMs).GURPS LITE FOR WWII
BASIC TRAININGGURPS uses six-sided dice only. To figure combat damage(and several other things), the “dice adds” system is used. If aweapon does “7d 1” damage, this is shorthand for “roll sevendice and add 1 to the total.” Likewise, “3d-1” means “roll threedice and subtract 1 from the total.” If you see just “6d,” that means“roll six dice.” For really huge numbers, dice can be multiplied;for instance, “6d 2” means “roll six dice and multiply by 2.”GURPS Lite has only three basic “game mechanics”: successrolls, reaction rolls, and damage rolls.SUCCESS ROLLSA “success roll” is a die roll made when you need to “test” oneof your skills or abilities. Sometimes you roll; sometimes the GMrolls for you. For instance, you might test, or roll against, yourStrength (ST) to stop a heavy door from closing.Roll 3 dice and add them together for a success roll. If yourroll is less than or equal to the skill or ability you are testing, yousucceeded. Otherwise, you failed. For example, if you are rollingagainst Strength, and your ST level is 12, a roll of 12 or less succeeds. Thus, the higher the stat you are rolling against, the easierit is to make the roll.When the GM RollsNormally, the player rolls dice for his own character. Thereare two exceptions:1. In a situation in which the character shouldn’t be able to tellwhether he has succeeded – especially when he is trying to getinformation. The GM rolls in secret. If the roll succeeds, the GMgives the player true information. If the roll fails, the GM lies orgives no information at all.2. In a situation in which the player simply shouldn’t knowwhat’s going on. This includes most Sense rolls (see pp. 196197). The GM should simply roll in secret and inform the playerof any consequences of which his character would be aware.Modifiers and Effective SkillSometimes you will have modifiers (bonuses or penalties) to aroll. For instance, if you were trying to stop a very heavy door fromclosing, you might have to roll against Strength at a penalty of -2(or ST-2, for short) because the door is heavy. In that case, with aStrength of 12, you would need to roll a 10 or less to succeed.Likewise, for an especially easy task, you would get a bonusto your attempt. You might roll “Animal Handling 4” to makefriends with a very friendly dog. If your skill were 12, a roll of 16or less would succeed.Your effective skill for a given task is your basic skill (youractual level in that skill) plus or minus any appropriate modifiers.In the example above, your basic skill is 12 but your effectiveskill is 16. You may not attempt to roll if your effective skill is lessthan 3, unless you are attempting a defense roll (see p. 199).Critical Success and FailureA critical success is an especially good result on a skill roll; acritical hit is a critical success scored on an attack (see p. 199).You score a critical success as follows:filA roll of 3 or 4 is always a critical success.filA roll of 5 is a critical success if your effective skill is 15 .filA roll of 6 is a critical success if your effective skill is 16 .The GM determines what happens when you roll a criticalsuccess. This is always something good; the better the roll, thebetter the “bonus” he gives you.A critical failure is an especially bad result on a skill roll. Youscore a critical failure as follows:filA roll of 18 is always a critical failure.filA roll of 17 is an ordinary failure if your effective skill is16 or better, and a critical failure if your effective skill is under 16.filAny roll of 10 greater than your effective skill is a criticalfailure. That is, 16 on a skill of 6, 15 on a skill of 5, and so on.The GM determines what happens on a critical failure. It’salways something bad; the worse the roll, the worse the result.Automatic SuccessSome things are totally trivial. No roll is required when common sense says that both failure and critical success are impossible; however, if there is any chance of failure, a roll is required.Finding your corner store requires no roll. Hitting a target atpoint-blank range, even for an experienced soldier, does – afterall, even the most meticulously maintained rifle can misfire dueto bad ammunition or bad luck.Repeated AttemptsSometimes, you have only one chance to do something; othertimes, you can try over and over until you succeed. Occasionally, you will not know whether you succeeded or failed until it’stoo late to try again. Finally, there will be times when you areinjured by failure but can afford to fail a few times. The GM canuse common sense to distinguish among these, according to thesituation in which the characters find themselves, but as a rule:filIf the first failure kills them (or destroys the object of theattempt), that’s that.filIf a failure causes damage of some kind, assess the damage and let them try again after a “reasonable” time passes.filIf a failure causes no damage, let them try again after areasonable time, at a -1 penalty for each attempt after the first.Contests of SkillAt times, two characters will need to compare their relativeskills to settle a competition. A Contest of Skill is a quick way toresolve the situation without playing it out in detail. When a Contest of Skill is called for, both characters make their success rolls inthe appropriate skill. Any appropriate modifiers are used.There are two types of Contest:A Quick Contest is usually over in a second; e.g., two peoplegrabbing for the same weapon. Each character makes his skillroll. If one succeeds and the other fails, the winner is obvious. Ifboth succeed (or fail), the winner is the one who succeeded by themost, or failed by the least. A tie means nobody won.A Regular Contest may take some time; e.g., arm wrestling.Each character tries his skill roll. If one succeeds and the otherfails, the winner is obvious. If both succeed or both fail, the characters’ relative positions are unchanged and they may try again.GURPS LITE FOR WWII175
The time each attempt takes will depend on the activity, andis up to the GM to determine. In a combat situation, each attempttakes one second. In a library-research scenario, with the fate ofthe world hanging on who finds a certain obscure reference first,each attempt could represent days of time.If both characters have a very high skill, the Contest could goon indefinitely. Therefore, shorten it as follows: if both skills areover 14, reduce the higher one to 14, and subtract the sameamount from the lower one.Eventually, one character will make his roll and the other onewill miss. At this point, the one who made his roll is the winnerof the Contest.REACTION ROLLSA “reaction roll” is a roll made by the GM to determine howhis NPCs react to the PCs. This roll is always optional, and theGM may predetermine reactions instead; however, it’s oftenmore fun to let the dice control the reactions.To check reactions, the GM rolls 3 dice and consults the Reaction Table (below). The higher his roll, the better the NPCs willreact, and the better treatment they will give the PCs.Reaction rolls are typically made in potential combat situations, during commercial transactions, in response to requests foraid or information, and to determine the attitude and loyalty ofNPC hirelings.Reaction ModifiersA reaction bonus is a factor that makes the NPCs more friendly; a reaction penalty is something that will make them lessfriendly. There are several types of reaction modifiers:First, many PCs will have personal modifiers for appearance,social standing, etc. that add to (or subtract from) reaction rolls.As well, the situation can result in a reaction modifier. Offering someone a bad business deal, or trying to convince someonenot to attack you when you’re badly outnumbered, might giveyou a penalty. Offering a good deal, or dealing with an old andtrusted hireling, could give a bonus. This is left up to the GM.Finally, appropriate behavior by the players should alwaysinfluence reaction rolls. A good approach should be worth a 1modifier – or more! – while a wholly inappropriate approachmight give a -1 or -2 penalty on the reaction roll.Reaction TableRoll 3 dice and apply any reaction modifiers.0 or less: Disastrous. The NPC hates the characters and will actin their worst interest. Nothing is out of the question: assault,betrayal, and ignoring a life-or-death plea are all possible.1 to 3: Very Bad. The NPC dislikes the characters and will actagainst them if it’s convenient to do so: attacking, offering grossly unfair terms in a transaction, and so on.4 to 6: Bad. The NPC cares nothing for the characters and willact against them (as above), if he can profit by doing so.7 to 9: Poor. The NPC is unimpressed. He may make threats,demand a huge bribe before offering aid, or something similar.10 to 12: Neutral. The NPC ignores the characters as much aspossible. He is totally uninterested. Transactions will go smoothly and routinely, as long as protocol is observed.13 to 15: Good. The NPC likes the characters and will be helpful within everyday limits. Reasonable requests will be granted.16 to 18: Very Good. The NPC thinks highly of the charactersand will be quite helpful and friendly, freely offering aid andfavorable terms in most things.19 or better: Excellent. The NPC is extremely impressed bythe characters, and will act in their best interests at all times, within the limits of his own ability – perhaps even risking his life,wealth, or reputation.DAMAGE ROLLSA “damage roll” is a roll made in a fight to see how muchharm you did to your foe. Many things can affect the final damage done by an injury: armor protects the wearer, certainweapons can do extra damage if they get through the armor, andsome “critical hits” bypass the damage roll altogether. All ofthese things are explained under Combat (see pp. 198-203).CHARACTERSCreating a character is the first part of the game, and one ofthe most important. The whole idea of roleplaying is to take thepart of another person – a “character” that you create.GURPS lets you decide exactly what kind of hero that youwill become.The usual way to create a character is to design him, just asthough he were a character in a story you were writing. Start bydeciding what type of person you want to be. You can take yourinspiration from a fictional hero or heroine – or create your new“self” from the ground up. Once you have some idea what sort ofperson you want to play, it’s time to bring him to life!Character Stories: A “character story” is the history of a gamecharacter, written by the person who plays that character. This isa great aid to roleplaying. You might even want to write the storyfirst (or at least some of it), and then work out your character’sactual stats. A story can really help bring your character to life.You don’t have to do it – but it’s recommended.176If you write the story down, you should show it to the GM, butnot necessarily to the other players. After all, your character probably has some secrets, even from his friends.CHARACTER POINTSWhen you create a character, the GM will give you a certainnumber of character points to “spend” on your character’s abilities. See Starting Points (p. 62) for some recommended pointtotals. These rules assume heroic characters built with 100 points;most ordinary people have only 25 points.The following sections describe things you can spend yourcharacter points on. Positive traits (e.g., great strength, wealth,above-average appearance, and skills) cost points in proportionto their value. Negative traits (e.g., weakness, bad sight, poverty,and fear of heights) give you extra points that can be used to buymore positive traits.GURPS LITE FOR WWII
ATTRIBUTESFour numbers called “attributes” are used to define your basicabilities:Strength (ST), a measure of “brawn” or physical muscle.Dexterity (DX), a measure of agility and coordination.Intelligence (IQ), a measure of brainpower, alertness, adaptability, and general background experience.Health (HT), a measure of energy and vitality. HT also standsfor “hits” – the amount of physical damage a character can take.When you have taken “hits” equal to your Health score, you soonfall unconscious. Further injury can kill you.An attribute of 1 is the lowest score permitted for a human.There is no upper limit to any score. For each attribute, a score of10 represents the human average; anything from 8 to 12 is in therange considered “normal.” Scores above 16 are definitelyunusual; scores above 20 are superhuman!The four attributes are considered equally valuable. The pointcost for beginning attributes is given in the table, below. Note thata score of 10 in any attribute is free, since 10 is “average.” Scoresbelow 10 have a negative cost – in effect, they “give you back”some points!Character Point CostsLevel123456Point Cost-80-70-60-50-40-30IMAGELevel789101112ANDPoint Cost-20-15-1001020Level131415161718 1Charisma5 points/levelThis is the natural ability to impress and lead others. Anyone canacquire a semblance of charisma by good looks, good manners, andintelligence – but real charisma works independently of thesethings, and you either have it or you don’t. It affects all reaction rollsmade by humans (but not beasts). 5 points per 1 reaction bonus.HandednessNo point costDecide whether you are right- or left-handed. These rulesassume you are right-handed unless you decide otherwise or paythe points to be ambidextrous. If you decide to be left-handed, andcombat damage is rolled to your right hand, it happens to your leftinstead. There is no point bonus or penalty for being left-handed.Whenever you try to do anything significant (fire a pistol, forgea letter, etc.) with your “off” hand, you will be at a -4 penalty. Thisdoes not apply to things you normally do with your off hand.AmbidexterityPoint Cost30456080100125 25LOOKSThis section addresses your character’s intrinsic “social” traits:appearance, manner, and bearing. Traits with positive point values(e.g., above-average Appearance, Voice) are considered advantages (p. 182). Those with negative values (e.g., below-averageappearance, Odious Personal Habits) are treated as disadvantages(p. 183), and obey all the usual rules for disadvantages. Still others (e.g., height and weight, handedness) merely add “color.”AppearanceHandsome (or Beautiful) Appearance: You could enter beauty contests! 2 on reaction rolls made by the same sex; 4 onreaction rolls made by the opposite sex. 15 points.Very Handsome (or Beautiful) Appearance: You do enterbeauty contests, and you win. 2 on reaction rolls made by thesame sex; 6 (!) on reaction rolls by opposite sex. 25 points.VariableYou are free to set the physical appearance of your character inany way you like. However, outstanding good (or bad) looks areconsidered an advantage (or disadvantage). Good looks cost points;bad looks give you bonus points to spend elsewhere. Reaction-rollmodifiers due to Appearance apply only to people who can see you.Hideous Appearance: Any sort of disgusting looks you specify: hunchback, severe skin disease, wall-eye . . . preferably several things at once. -4 on reaction rolls. -20 points.Ugly Appearance: As above, but not so bad – maybe onlystringy hair and snaggle teeth. -2 on reaction rolls. -10 points.Unattractive Appearance: You just look vaguely unappealing.-1 on reaction rolls. -5 points.Average Appearance: No bonuses or penalties of any type;you can blend easily into a crowd. No point cost or bonus.Attractive Appearance: You may not enter beauty contests, butyou’re definitely good-looking. 1 on all reaction rolls. 5 points.10 pointsYou can use both hands with equal skill. You do not suffer the-4 penalty for using an “off hand” like most people do, and canfight (or act) with either hand (though not necessarily both atonce). Should some accident befall one of your arms or hands,assume it is the left one.Height and WeightNo point costPlayers are free to select height and weight for their characters, within reason. The table below can be used to determine“average” height and weight. Average height is based on your STscore. Weight, in turn, is based on your height. As much as 6”variation in height and 40 lbs. variation in weight is believable,but anyone with a better-than-average Appearance should have aweight within 20% of “average” for his height.Height and Weight TableST Height– 5’2” or �95’8”Weight120 lbs.130 lbs.130 lbs.135 lbs.135 lbs.140 lbs.145 lbs.ST10111213141516 ��6’3”Weight150 lbs.155 lbs.160 lbs.165 lbs.170 lbs.180 lbs.190 lbs.For each inch of height over 6’3”, add 10 lbs. to averageweight. This table assumes a male. For a female, subtract 2” fromaverage height and 10 lbs. from average weight. Weight is alwaysdetermined after height.Fat-5/-10/-20 pointsYou are unusually heavy.Overweight: D
The basic rules system is designed to emphasize realism; therefore, it can fit any situation – fantasy or historical; past, present, or future. “RolePlaying.” This is not just a “hack-and-slash” game. The rules are written to make true
GURPS Compendiumvolumes, developed GURPS Lite, wrote GURPS Wizardsand GURPS Undead,and edited or revised over 20 other titles. With David Pulver, he produced the GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition, in 2004. His latest creations include GURPS Powers(with Phil Masters), GURPS Martial Arts (with Peter Dell’Orto), and GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 1-4.
GURPS Compendiumvolumes, developed GURPS Lite, wrote GURPS Wizardsand GURPS Undead,and edited or revised over 20 other titles. With David Pulver, he produced the GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition, in 2004. His latest creations include GURPS Powers(with Phil Masters), GURPS Martial Arts (with Peter Dell’Orto), and GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 1-4.
the GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition with David Pulver. Since then, he has created GURPS Powers (with Phil Masters), GURPS Martial Arts (with Peter Dell’Orto), GURPS Zombies, and the GURPS Action, GURPS Dungeon Fantasy, and GURPS Power-Ups series . . . a
This book is fully self-contained; only the GURPS Basic Set is required to play. The GM may want to include additional gear, however, from GURPS Low-Tech, GURPS High-Tech, GURPS Bio-Tech, and GURPS Ultra-Tech. Groups wishing to add psi to their games will find GURPS Psionic Powers, GURPS Psis
particle physicist and ended up as the GURPS Line Editor. Since 1995, he has compiled the two GURPS Compendium volumes, written GURPS Wizards and GURPS Undead, edited or revised over 20 other GURPS books, and masterminded rules for dozens more. Most recently, he created the GURPS Basic Set
GURPS Dune Sean Ware Written: Chicago, Illinois. August, 1993 Converted to HTML: Chicago, Illinois. October 1995 Last Modified: March 11th, 1997 This is a preliminary draft of descriptions and rules alterations for a GURPS Space campaign balsed on the Dune series of novels by Frank Herbert. It incorporates elements from GURPS Cyberpunk, GURPS Martial Arts,GURPS Martial Arts Adventures
Powers, GURPS Power-Ups 4: Enhancements, and GURPS Power-Ups 8: Limitations. PUBLICATION HISTORY This is the first edition of GURPS Powers: The Weird. All but a few passages are original. ABOUT THE AUTHOR William H. Stoddard began playing roleplaying games in 1975, and published his first book, GURPS Steampunk, in 2000. He’s an active .
SJ GAMES -- January 1994 GURPS Magic (G-0368) #XXXX T HE very first roleplaying was fantasy roleplaying. No game system is complete without a good treatment of magic. That’s why GURPS Fantasy was our very first GURPS worldbook. That book presented both the magic system and a brief look at the world of Yrth, a magical game background.
