What are Advantages and how on Earth do you select them for your campaign?

In this podcast episode, Pat and Che discuss the different types of Advantages in the game system, categorised as mental, physical, and social, with further classifications as mundane, exotic, or supernatural. They review specific examples including Absolute Timing, Acute Senses, Affliction, Allies, and supernatural abilities like Blessed and Psychometry, explaining how these function in gameplay and how frequency roles determine how often social advantages like allies appear in long-form campaigns.

The hosts also address listener questions about character advantages/disadvantages, recommending collaborative character creation focused on concept-appropriate traits rather than overwhelming players with all available options. Pat explains that in a mundane spy campaign like "Sandbaggers," characters should focus on social advantages and realistic human attributes rather than exotic or supernatural abilities.

Big thanks to Ty for the call-in!

GOT A QUESTION?

Ask us via voice message:

speakpipe.com/gurpstalk

Ask us via an email:

gurpstalk@pm.me

THANKS:

Jon from Tale of the Manticore for the music:

https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Logo by MJ Hiblen:

https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/

DISCLAIMER & NOTICE:

The material presented here is our original creation, intended for use with the GURPS system from Steve Jackson Games. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Steve Jackson Games.

GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games, and any GURPS art here is copyrighted by Steve Jackson Games. All rights are reserved by SJ Games. This material is used here in accordance with the SJ Games online policy.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's all this stuff about social background at the beginning of the Basic Set rulebook?

In this episode, Pat and Che discuss approaches to starting and maintaining roleplaying campaigns in GURPS, emphasizing the importance of establishing setting context, social backgrounds, and character goals before gameplay begins.

They explore how often overlooked elements like status, wealth, cultural familiarity, and language skills can enrich the gaming experience and help players create grounded characters with meaningful connections to the game world. The hosts also address listener questions about adventure preparation.

Big thanks to Andrew for the call-in!

GOT A QUESTION?

Ask us via voice message:

speakpipe.com/gurpstalk

Ask us via an email:

gurpstalk@pm.me

THANKS:

Jon from Tale of the Manticore for the music:

https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Logo by MJ Hiblen:

https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/

DISCLAIMER & NOTICE:

The material presented here is our original creation, intended for use with the GURPS system from Steve Jackson Games. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Steve Jackson Games.

GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games, and any GURPS art here is copyrighted by Steve Jackson Games. All rights are reserved by SJ Games. This material is used here in accordance with the SJ Games online policy.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Co-hosts Che Webster (Roleplay Rescue) and Patrick Mullen (Cry Havoc T2K) discuss today's topic:

What are Character Points and what can I spend them on? What's the point of these points?

Pat and Che discuss the mechanics of character creation in GURPS, focusing on point allocation for attributes, advantages, and disadvantages. They explored different campaign settings and power levels, comparing their experiences with GURPS's character level descriptions.

We talk about the point-based character creation system in GURPS, explaining how players can allocate points to attributes like strength, dexterity, IQ, and health. They described the costs associated with increasing these attributes and the concept of secondary attributes derived from primary ones.

Pat emphasizes that GURPS assumes characters start with average (10) attributes and explained how players can spend points on advantages, disadvantages, and skills. We also touch on the importance of fatigue points and health points in the game.

Che explains his low fantasy campaign's power level of 75 points with 25 disadvantages, reasoning it was appropriate for new players and fit the campaign's setting. Pat shared his Twilight 2000 campaign's 140 base points and 35 disadvantages, emphasizing personal disadvantages and roleplay impact.

Pat and Che discuss the allocation of skill points in role-playing games, particularly focusing on how technology levels affect point distribution. They agreed that low-tech campaigns require more points for combat skills, while higher technology levels allow for more dispersed skills.

GOT A QUESTION?

Ask us via voice message:

speakpipe.com/gurpstalk

Ask us via an email:

gurpstalk@pm.me

THANKS:

Jon from Tale of the Manticore for the music:

https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Logo by MJ Hiblen:

https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/

DISCLAIMER & NOTICE:

The material presented here is our original creation, intended for use with the GURPS system from Steve Jackson Games. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Steve Jackson Games.

GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games, and any GURPS art here is copyrighted by Steve Jackson Games. All rights are reserved by SJ Games. This material is used here in accordance with the SJ Games online policy.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Co-hosts Che Webster (Roleplay Rescue) and Patrick Mullen (Cry Havoc T2K) discuss today's topic:

Isn't the GURPS combat system fiddley and difficult? Isn't it really complicated to run fights?

We discuss the combat system in GURPS, emphasizing its simplicity and effectiveness.

Pat explains the simplicity and ease of use of the GURPS combat system, highlighting its one-second round concept. He emphasized that while GURPS is often perceived as a reality simulator, it is actually a fictional system designed to simplify combat actions into basic, simple tasks.

We highlight the system's simplicity and speed compared to other role-playing games. They emphasized that actions in combat are resolved quickly, with players declaring what they intend to do, and the GM determining the outcome.

We discuss the mechanics of damage and hit points in a role-playing game, comparing the damage resistance of different characters and scenarios.

Pat and Che discuss the deadly nature of combat in their GURPS games, particularly focusing on the impact of modern weapons and hit locations. They agreed that the system's realism, appropriate for the TW2000 setting, adds tension and requires careful planning from players.

GOT A QUESTION?

Ask us via voice message:

speakpipe.com/gurpstalk

Ask us via an email:

gurpstalk@pm.me

THANKS:

Jon from Tale of the Manticore for the music:

https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Logo by MJ Hiblen:

https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/

DISCLAIMER & NOTICE:

The material presented here is our original creation, intended for use with the GURPS system from Steve Jackson Games. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Steve Jackson Games.

GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games, and any GURPS art here is copyrighted by Steve Jackson Games. All rights are reserved by SJ Games. This material is used here in accordance with the SJ Games online policy.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Co-hosts Che Webster (Roleplay Rescue) and Patrick Mullen (Cry Havoc T2K) discuss today's topic:

What's is it with GURPS and the 3d6 roll low mechanism? Isn't that complicated and fiddley to deal with?

We discuss the mechanics and simplicity of the GURPS (Generic Universal Role-Playing System) dice rolling system, particularly the 3D6 method. We emphasize that the system's bell curve nature mirrors real-world statistics and is intuitive once understood. Che highlights that while GURPS might seem complex due to its many options, it's actually straightforward, requiring only basic math skills.

Using a practical example, Pat discusses a combat scenario in a Twilight 2000 scenario powered by GURPS, where a character with a base skill of 14 attempted to snipe an enemy on a roof. Talking through how this played out hopefully illustrates that GURPS isn't, at heart, difficult to play.

GOT A QUESTION?

Ask us via voice message:

speakpipe.com/gurpstalk

Ask us via an email:

gurpstalk@pm.me

THANKS:

Jon from Tale of the Manticore for the music:

https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Logo by MJ Hiblen:

https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/

DISCLAIMER & NOTICE:

The material presented here is our original creation, intended for use with the GURPS system from Steve Jackson Games. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Steve Jackson Games.

GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games, and any GURPS art here is copyrighted by Steve Jackson Games. All rights are reserved by SJ Games. This material is used here in accordance with the SJ Games online policy.

DISCLAIMER & NOTICE:

The material presented here is our original creation, intended for use with the GURPS system from Steve Jackson Games. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Steve Jackson Games.

GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games, and any GURPS art here is copyrighted by Steve Jackson Games. All rights are reserved by SJ Games. This material is used here in accordance with the SJ Games online policy.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Co-hosts Che Webster (Roleplay Rescue) and Patrick Mullen (Cry Havoc T2K) discuss today's topic:

We're going to run our long-form game using the GURPS Fourth Edition rules. How do we get started setting up a campaign?

We discuss the challenges and joys of adapting existing game settings to GURPS for long-form play, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the system's strengths while acknowledging time and work constraints.

We discuss setting up a long-form campaign, focusing on the basic interrogatives of "who," "what," "when," "where," and "why." We emphasize the importance of having a clear theme or "glue" that holds the game together, such as a shared goal or faction.

Pat shares his experience of running a low-magic ancient Rome campaign, explaining how he and his players chose the setting during a session 0. Pat emphasizes the importance of giving players choices about the campaign's timing and setting to ensure long-term engagement and to reduce GM workload.

Big thanks to Andrew for calling in!

GOT A QUESTION?

Ask us via voice message:

speakpipe.com/gurpstalk

Ask us via an email:

gurpstalk@pm.me

THANKS:

Jon from Tale of the Manticore for the music:

https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Logo by MJ Hiblen:

https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/

DISCLAIMER & NOTICE:

The material presented here is our original creation, intended for use with the GURPS system from Steve Jackson Games. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Steve Jackson Games.

GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games, and any GURPS art here is copyrighted by Steve Jackson Games. All rights are reserved by SJ Games. This material is used here in accordance with the SJ Games online policy.

DISCLAIMER & NOTICE:

The material presented here is our original creation, intended for use with the GURPS system from Steve Jackson Games. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Steve Jackson Games.

GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games, and any GURPS art here is copyrighted by Steve Jackson Games. All rights are reserved by SJ Games. This material is used here in accordance with the SJ Games online policy.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're here to talk about GURPS - the Generic Universal Role-Playing System published by Steve Jackson Games - and using it to run long-form roleplaying campaigns. Co-hosts Che Webster (Roleplay Rescue) and Patrick Mullen (Cry Havoc T2K) discuss topics arising from using the game system. The show is aimed at intermediate users of the rules who wish to progress towards deeper and more immersive role-play in whatever fictional worlds they imagine.

This episode we deconstruct the name: GURPS. Is it really Generic and Universal? What about Role-Playing? Is is a System?

CONTACTS:

Send us a voice message:

speakpipe.com/gurpstalk

Send us an email:

gurpstalk@pm.me

THANKS:

Jon from Tale of the Manticore for the music:

https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/

Logo by MJ Hiblen:

https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/

DISCLAIMER & NOTICE:

The material presented here is our original creation, intended for use with the GURPS system from Steve Jackson Games. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Steve Jackson Games.

GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games, and any GURPS art here is copyrighted by Steve Jackson Games. All rights are reserved by SJ Games. This material is used here in accordance with the SJ Games online policy.

DISCLAIMER & NOTICE:

The material presented here is our original creation, intended for use with the GURPS system from Steve Jackson Games. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Steve Jackson Games.

GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games, and any GURPS art here is copyrighted by Steve Jackson Games. All rights are reserved by SJ Games. This material is used here in accordance with the SJ Games online policy.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.