GURPS over D&D mechanics?

[Chambers]

I'm browsing through the Steve Jackson Games website and they've got a series of books called Dungeon Fantasy. Separate from their Fantasy & Magic books, the Dungeon Fantasy line is supposed to condense the information you need to run a dungeon crawl.

I don't really want to run a dungeon crawl but I am interested in another system that I can run Sword & Sorcery type D&D games with, without having to worry about the Wizard being unbalanced with the Fighter. Does anyone have experience with using GURPS as a D&D simulation?

[Kaldrin]

I don't really want to run a dungeon crawl but I am interested in another system that I can run Sword & Sorcery type D&D games with, without having to worry about the Wizard being unbalanced with the Fighter. Does anyone have experience with using GURPS as a D&D simulation?

The DF series is really a template list and optional rules to make the epic feel of D&D-like gaming. It's not as gritty and more survivable. The magic in GURPS is way underpowered compared to D&D, but still powerful and competitive with mundanes. With appropriate options you can have a weapon master who can attack several times, a wizard who can cast sizable spells and archer who can shoot enemies through the eye-slits in their helms.

You don't specifically have to use it in dungeon crawls either, but that's the genre the DF series was designed for.

[Chambers]

So what books would I need to run a GURPS fantasy D&D style game? I'm thinking GURPS Basic, Fantasy, & Magic. Maybe the Dungeon Fantasy book too.

Another idea I had was to use some of the GURPS Supers rules for a D&D simulation. They would have to be reflavored of course, but I think reflavored super powers would be an interesting way to replace the D&D mechanics of Magic, Incarnum, Maneuvers, Psionics, etc.

[Kaldrin]

So what books would I need to run a GURPS fantasy D&D style game? I'm thinking GURPS Basic, Fantasy, & Magic. Maybe the Dungeon Fantasy book too.

Fantasy is a very good book (I think it's one of the best they've ever put together), but it's a kit to build worlds. Don't know if that's what you want to use it for, but that's it's purpose. Magic is alright, but there's a lot of people on their forums who feel it's a throwback to the old editions. I don't mind it myself.

There's two different general classes of 'abilities' in GURPS: skills and powers. The magic book has the skill version of the magic.

Another idea I had was to use some of the GURPS Supers rules for a D&D simulation. They would have to be reflavored of course, but I think reflavored super powers would be an interesting way to replace the D&D mechanics of Magic, Incarnum, Maneuvers, Psionics, etc.

You would use Powers for building the power-based magic system. Supers is for genre specific comic book character types and is a supplement to Powers. It gives a few updates on four-colour comic rules and how to do certain things you see in comics.

I've had no problems running fantasy campaigns with Magic and DF uses it too. There's also no problem with running magic as Powers, but you have a lot of up front work putting a comprehensive list of 'spells' together.

If you plan on using Magic then Thaumatology is another supplement to that and gives a lot of options for how to use the magic skills in a campaign.


Edit: Forgot to answer your first question. If you wanted to save money, you could run a simple campaign with only GURPS Lite. I don't know if it has any spells in it, but it's $0, so the price is right for a lot of people.

If you had a few bucks to spend I would run it with Campaigns, Characters, Magic and Martial Arts. Martial Arts gives an update to let mundane types compete with higher point level magic guys. If you wanted to use powers as magic, then Powers would replace Magic. The DF series is supplemental for figuring out how to make it more epic. I think they're up to 6 or 7 booklets now.

[Ilmryn]

So what books would I need to run a GURPS fantasy D&D style game? I'm thinking GURPS Basic, Fantasy, & Magic. Maybe the Dungeon Fantasy book too.

Another idea I had was to use some of the GURPS Supers rules for a D&D simulation. They would have to be reflavored of course, but I think reflavored super powers would be an interesting way to replace the D&D mechanics of Magic, Incarnum, Maneuvers, Psionics, etc.

You have to be careful about allowing supers rules in a magic game. Powers, especially straight attack ones, are more powerful than most spells. The advantage of spells in gurps is flexibility, but powers are simply more powerful at doing one thing. At the very least, you should probably require that powers use fatigue.

[Kaldrin]

You have to be careful about allowing supers rules in a magic game. Powers, especially straight attack ones, are more powerful than most spells. The advantage of spells in gurps is flexibility, but powers are simply more powerful at doing one thing. At the very least, you should probably require that powers use fatigue.

That's in the GM's control entirely. You design the spell as a specific cost for a specific use. The player just can't buy up an innate attack because they feel like it. It would depend on how the power was designed. Most power-based spells I've seen are anywhere from 4-20 pts each... much more than 1 pt buy in for spells as skills.

[DukeofDellot]

So what books would I need to run a GURPS fantasy D&D style game?

I ran a couple using Basic Set, Magic, and Banestorm, and another using Basic, Magic, and Dungeon Fantasy. Having a character template list is much more important than any of the books let on, if you need to build the characters for the players that is... which I always end up having to do.

In my experience, Powers and Magic don't really mix that well, unless the players know what they're doing... or it's a Supers game and someone want's a Super Wizard character.