GURPS For Dummies [Paperback]

After having read the lackluster reviews of D&D for Dummies, I was a bit hesitant to purchase this title sans any exisiting reviews, however, I took the leap anyway, and was not dissapointed.

The first thing you notice when you open the book is the great three-panel double sided pullout cheat sheet containing a ton of information that is invaluable to have at your fingertips during play! This alone is worth almost the cost of the book, and for new players gives them their options in a succint little package.

The book basically appeals to two audiences: Players and Game Masters and the six sections of the book are divided amongst the two.

PART ONE introduces GURPS and gives a player tips on how to come up with the foundation of a character, that is the concept and role the character will play in the story. This information is applicable to any role playing game, and the advice is clear and uncomplicated. This section continues on to describe how to use the GURPS rules as the building blocks of the character, not by teaching the rules or by repeating the rules (you need the GURPS books for that) but by telling you how the different elements work in the game and interact together. In other words, they tell you how to use the game mechanics to recreate what is in your imagination. Its almost like having an experienced player actually helping you through the process step by step, explaining what each thing in the rulebook REALLY MEANS and how it will REALLY WORK (or not work). You are told how high is high, and how low is low.

PART TWO builds on Part One by going into more detail on magic, powers, technology, and non-humans. This section is basically a much deeper exploration of all the different ways the elements of the game (advantages, perks, talents, skills, etc) can be put together, and how each one works. The authors also provide insight on how to use the different game mechanics to achieve the vision you have for your character, and the possible ways to get there (as there is usually more than one).

PART THREE gives solid advice on role playing, again, relevant to any RPG. Combat is explained, with very detailed information given to how different elements works together in combat and how combat flows in GURPS (which can be much different than other RPG's). I would have liked to have seen more information regarding the various reach ranges, because they can have a major affect on swords and sorcery type games. The combat chapter teaches you how to choose armor, what choices there are in combat and more importantly, why you would want to choose certain options, when and how to defend yourself, and how to make wise weapon choices. In fact, there is an excellent chart describing what the solid weapopn choices are for each character strength level. This is perfect for those countless times I have heard players say "What weapon should I choose?". There is a great section on how to solve common combat problems (too many opponents, can't penetrate armor, etc) and a section on how best to use healing magic. This section also describes good ways to keep track of all the information used in GURPS.

PART FOUR is where the Game Mastering (GMing) section begins. This section and the next should be read by every GM, no matter what the game they run. I've been GMing and playing for almost 30 years, and I found the advice in this section and the next to be invaluable. Part Four describes how to be a GM, gives an EXCELLENT chapter on how to design an adventure with an example of how that would play out.

PART FIVE describes how to build the campaign, that is the world, or epic, or whatever that will be the focus of why the story is, what the story is, and why are the players even creating characters to begin with. The advice is once again solid, and while there are references on how to use GURPS, as in Part Four, the information is applicable to any Role Playing Game/GM.

PART SIX are three short chapters containing the authors' preferences for spending points, their top ten favorite advantages, and top ten favorite disadvantages. There was to be a chapter on the "10 skills no PC should be without" but it was apparently cut. Seeing the chapter released in electronic format would be a great addition to the book.

Overall, this book is a "must have" for anyone even contemplating playing or running a GURPS game. New players will find the answers and help they need to bring their imagination to life, and old veterans will find an angle they hadn't thought of. The GMing section really could have been "Game Mastering for Dummies", because the tips and advice here go beyond what do do in GURPS. I wish I had seen this advice when I first started GMing oh-so-long-ago. This book should be considered the third of the core books (Characters and Campaigns being the first two) and is a book no gaming library should be without.

GURPS is already a great system, but the massive volume of data can easily overwhelm someone, especially if this is their first RPG. GURPS for Dummies provides the perspective needed to digest and begin taking advantage of this great system. Be aware that several important source books have been released since the publication of GURPS for Dummies, but the consistency of the GURPS rules don't significantly impact its effectiveness.

Do you enjoy good quality science-fiction? Or even bad quality such as Plan 9 From Outer Space? Maybe you love Zombie movies? Or perhaps you're a fan of H.P.Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos? whatever flips your switch as far as fantasy, science fiction, crime, drama, comedy or whatever, you can turn it into a game where you & friends can pretend to play in it!

Originally I gravitated to this system from the complex Dungeons & Dragons system which was aimed primarily at fantasy war gaming because I wanted to play X-Files with some friends. At the time, there was nothing out there on how to do that so I bought the original GURPS book & a few suplements.

At that time, I WISH I'd had THIS book!

Why? Because it would have saved me a LOT of time trying to figure out the GURPS system.

This book is a terrific aid for those of you who are new to the Generic Universal Role Playing System (GURPS) created by Steve Jackson Games (SJG). It spells it all out for you in an easy to read & understand format.

The combat system of GURPS tends to be different than other role playing games (RPG's) in that you don't just block an incoming strike from an enemy, rather you have to role to make sure you did an effective job blocking it. This is often a bone of contention with many of the role players out there but it's something this book helps to explain & more importantly why it's done.

what makes this book helpful is that it's laid out in the Dummies style of books with the nifty fold out cheat card in the beginning of the book just after the front cover. Then of course you get the Fifth Element's humorous cartoons giving you an idea of what's to come inside. And the Part of Tens at the end of the book. In their part of Tends, the authors give you their ten choices in three sections including Spending Points, Advantages We Like & Disadvantages We Like.

This is an all-in-one type of book about GURPS so you get 'How to Build Your Character' then 'How to Build An Adventure' under one cover. The D&D system is more difficult & theirs is divided into TWO of these Dummies books. Not so here! You as a GM (Game Master) learn how to run a campaign from start to finish. You get ideas on how to map, plan & plot adventures (a series of these make up a campaign) as well as how to create memorable NPC's (Non-Player Characters - or characters that the GM gets to act out).

If you're not interested in trying to use the D&D system & convert it to a non-fantasy storyline, then GURPS is for you and this book will help you (and your players) learn it.

Five stars for completeness & succinct instructions for an otherwise difficult & complex system.