Gurps?

[Asahel24601]

I need a system that can support a magic-free rpg world, but I'm not sure where to start building one. Would GURPS work well for this?

[Grinner]

It can, but so can a bunch of other games.

Really, it's a question of what kind of game you want. Are you just looking for a system without magic rules? Do you want a fantasy game? A modern-era game? Sci-fi? Tactical combat? Narrative gameplay?

We need to know a little bit more about the game you're planning before we can make any real suggestions.

[Asahel24601]

The setting is dark age(ish) with the Saxons gone imperial (I'll post it when I finish.) I also don't have much of a budget (or, really, any of which to speak of), so any systems that I can get a free PDF for are best.

[Grinner]

Were you thinking of something like D&D, or maybe a bit lighter rules-wise?

[Asahel24601]

I wasn't sure how well dnd would work, with how much magic it has. Plus, I don't have access to the books. I like the amount of rules WotC puts into their games, which is even more noticeable after playing both Holy Lands and Decipher's Lotr. I just don't think I can make a working system without more holes than swiss cheese.:smallsmile:

[LtPowers]

GURPS works well for just about any era. The D20 Past supplement to D20 Modern might also work, since it's based on the D&D 3rd Edition rules. And the D20 Modern SRD is free at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/msrd

A document explaining the D20 system's Progress Levels is at http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/msrd/futureprogresslevels.rtf Technically, D20 Past only goes back to Progress Level 3 (Age of Reason, starting at the Renaissance), and you'd probably want Level 2 (Middle Ages), bu it might be a place to start.


Powers &8^]

[Grinner]

In that case, GURPS would probably work pretty well for you. Try GURPS Lite (http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=SJG31-0004).

[Mr Beer]

GURPS works well for most settings, as it should do, some people find it rules intensive though. I think it's great but YMMV.

[Asahel24601]

Thank you all. I'm not sure I'll do d20 Modern/Past, I don't like the class setup, but it would be closer to what some of my players know best. I did look. Into GURPS Lite, and I kinda like it. It's quick to learn and very customizable. I'll look into both, nothing I'm leaning towards GURPS.

[Rhynn]

Check out the free D&D retroclones in my sig - can't do any harm, and most of them can work with a low-magic or no-magic world.

GURPS will work, too, but GURPS is a very specific system.

There's also RuneQuest (latest edition is RuneQuest 6 (http://www.thedesignmechanism.com/runequest.php)) - magic is completely optional.