GURPS FALLOUT: Advice

[Tough_Tonka]

I'm planning on running a fallout campaign for gurps (4e). I've only played 3 but I've looked up a bunch of stuff on 1 and 2. Does anyone have some useful advice for running fallout in gurps.

[Deth Muncher]

I'm planning on running a fallout campaign for gurps (4e). I've only played 3 but I've looked up a bunch of stuff on 1 and 2. Does anyone have some useful advice for running fallout in gurps.

I think there's a supplement somewhere on the Interwebs for GURPS to play Fallout. It's my understanding VATS is actually based on something in GURPS.

[Broccoli21]

Woot! GURPS ftw!

anyways, 4e is pretty similar to 3e. i would suggest having ultratech and/or high tech for the game (they are great soucebooks in general anyways). When running a sandbox-type game like fallout, my only advice would be to keep a lot of random encounters and plot hooks in hand, and flesh out the main/interesting locations well. Also i have noticed that a good cast of NPCs is very vital in a sandbox. Just try to keep things fresh and you should be fine.

gotta love them sandboxes

[Dragonmuncher]

Fallout 1 and 2 definitely have a bit of a different "feel" than Fallout 3. It's not huge- Fallout 3 was OK- but it's there.

How to describe it... I'm kind of at a loss, to be honest.

[Axolotl]

I think there's a supplement somewhere on the Interwebs for GURPS to play Fallout. It's my understanding VATS is actually based on something in GURPS.

VATS was based on Fallout 1/2 which were originally designed to use the GURPS system (the lisencing deal eventually fell through forcing them to use SPECIAL instead).

I think that copies of various PnP attempts at Fallout are on the web somewhere. There are also lots of design documents for the first 2 games and Van Buren which are well worth checking out if your runnig a game in the world.

[JohnnyCancer]

The first Fallout game was going to be GURPS based, but Steve Jackson and Interplay had some differences so they ended up making up their own system for it which ended up being used in Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics, and Lionheart.

[Satyr]

I think that Gurps and Fallout is a solid combination. You only need to set the parameters for the campaign - how gritty or cinematic you want to make the game, and how much points you grant your players.
That really depends on the kind of campaign you want to play.

If I remember correctly, the original Fallout games (I and II) were supposedly based on some 1950s pulp novels, and that is not a bad place to start. So I would probably recommend around 200ish starting CP, and at least some of the "let's reduce lethality" cinematic rules and advantages. Gadgeteering works very well with this, at least for characters who like to improvise loads of cool stuff.
Helpful sourcebooks are obviously the techline, especially High Tech, and if you don't mind the PDFs, Action Heroes is probably a good guideline for characters.

[Tough_Tonka]

I have 2 big problems.

1. What should the tech level be. Its not quite 10 in a lot of ways, I'm thinking of calling it 8+ kinda like in GURPS steampunk.

2. How should I handle wealth levels. No matter what it seems like the PCs start off with a lot, and I'm not sure about steady jobs existing in fallout.

[Satyr]

1. What should the tech level be. Its not quite 10 in a lot of ways, I'm thinking of calling it 8+ kinda like in GURPS steampunk.

6+3. There are certainly places with higher tech, but overtly, the tech level is a bit shizoid, and in its foundations it is industrial to modern, but high tech isn't that common.

2. How should I handle wealth levels. No matter what it seems like the PCs start off with a lot, and I'm not sure about steady jobs existing in fallout.

Sure there are regular jobs. There are shop owners, grocers and barkeeps (who you regularly meet in the games). There are farmers, hunters, gatherers. And then there are mercenaries and treasure hunters like the PCs who don't need a job template (except for fast forward months in the campaign).
And you can set the starting wealth basd on what you consider to be adequate. Characters can still get more money or more and better equipment through advantages, after all.