GURPS For Dummies

GURPS For Dummies
	About the Author
	Dedication
	Contents at a Glance
	Table of Contents
	Introduction
		About This Book
		Why You Need This Book
		How to Use This Book
		How This Book Is Organized
		Icons Used in This Book
		Where to Go from Here
	Part I: Getting Started with GURPS
		Chapter 1: Introducing GURPS — The Generic Universal RolePlaying System
			Who Is Involved
			When and Where: The Game World Defines the Game
			What You Need
			How the Game Is Played
		Chapter 2: Determining Your Role
			Identifying the Character Framework
			Determining Competencies and Personality
			Outlining Your Character
		Chapter 3: Laying the Attribute Foundation
			Selecting the Right Attributes for Your Role
			Understanding Social Standing
		Chapter 4: Taking Advantages
			Spending Points for Advantages
			Improving Your Survival Chances
			Getting More from Your Environment
			Increasing Your Skill
			Bettering Your Social Standing
		Chapter 5: Finding Your Hero’s Flaws
			Getting the Point of Disadvantages
			Embracing Human Nature
			Limiting Your Mental Abilities
			Tackling Physical Disadvantages
			Fighting a Losing Battle
			Worsening Your Social Standing
		Chapter 6: Finalizing Your Character with Skills
			Deciding Which Skills to Take
			Calculating Skill Levels
			Adjusting Your Character Points
	Part II: Enhancing Your Character
		Chapter 7: So You Want to Be a Wizard — Magic
			Using Magic in GURPS
			Deciding Your Magical Focus
			Extending Magic with Magical Items
			Creating Potions with Alchemy
		Chapter 8: Powering Your Character
			Understanding the Types of Abilities
			Calculating an Ability
			Combining Abilities into Powers
		Chapter 9: Tackling Tech Level
			Understanding Tech Levels
			Mixing Magic and Technology
			Purchasing Equipment
			Creating Gizmos and Gadgets
		Chapter 10: Playing Races Outside the Norm
			Understanding Racial Templates
			Reviving the Undead
			Shapeshifting
			Drifting Away from Human
	Part III: Playing with Your Character
		Chapter 11: Doing Unto Others: Combat
			Selecting Combat Skills
			Doing Damage
			Preparing Your Defense
			Understanding Combat Flow
			Supplementing Your Character’s Combat Skills
			Cinematic Martial Arts
			Overcoming Common Combat Problems
		Chapter 12: Tracking the Details
			Creating a Character Sheet
			Writing a Character Background
			Logging the Adventure
			Managing Your Points
			What GMs Want from Their Players
		Chapter 13: Playing the Role
			Sharing the Storytelling
			Acting Out Social Interactions
			What to Do between Fights
	Part IV: Running Your Own Adventure
		Chapter 14: Playing the GM
			Introducing the Campaign
			No, Your Wizard Can’t Have a Machine Gun — Reviewing Characters
			The GM Cheat Sheet
			Keeping Your Players Honest (Or Dishonest)
			Making and Breaking the Rules
			Managing the Flow of Combat
		Chapter 15: Building a Simple Adventure
			Covering the Basics
			Adjusting the Level of Might of Your Campaign
			Providing Starting Information
			Preparing for the Session
		Chapter 16: Motivating Players
			Understanding Your Players
			Rewarding Your Players: Scrooge or Monty Hall?
	Part V: Building Your Own World
		Chapter 17: Creating a Complete Campaign
			Finding Inspiration — Worldviews and Plot Seeds
			Deciding on the Type of Campaign
			Establishing and Maintaining Game Balance
		Chapter 18: Setting the Stage for Your World
			Deciding on Deity
			Pondering the Perils of Powers
			Tackling the Terrors of Technology
			Considering Culture
		Chapter 19: Mapping, Planning, and Plotting
			Developing and Managing a Plotline
			Keeping the Party on Track
			Puzzling Your Parties
			The Ins and Outs of Architecture
			Basic Cartography
		Chapter 20: Creating Memorable NPCs
			Getting Good Mileage out of Your Bad Guys — Adversaries
			Making the Most out of the Good Guys — The Cronies
			Leading the Party by the Nose — Dependable Dependents
			Encountering the Outré — NPCs Who Really Stand Out
			Providing Background Texture — Extras and Walk-ons
		Chapter 21: Flavoring Your Campaign
			Setting the Mood
			Creating Your Own Skills, Advantages, and Disadvantages
			Creating Your Own Character Templates
			Creating Your Own Races
			Ad-libbing
			Goofing Up
	Part VI: The Part of Tens
		Chapter 22: Ten Rules for Spending Points
			Have a Character Focus
			Raise Attributes Rather Than Skills
			Increase Your Basic Speed to a Whole Number
			Consider Splitting Your Stats
			Always Take All Your Quirks
			Usually Take Maximum Disadvantages
			Defer Purchasing Advantages
			Make Sure You Can Attack in Combat
			Make Sure You Can Defend Yourself
			Use Talents
		Chapter 23: Ten Advantages We Like
			Combat Reflexes (15)
			Damage Resistance (5 per level)
			Extra Attack (25) or Weapon Master (25)
			Flight (40)
			Gadgeteer (50)/Gizmos (5)
			High Manual Dexterity (5 per level)
			Intuition (15)
			Luck (15)
			Magery (5 + 10 per level)
			Rapid Healing (5)/Very Rapid Healing (15)
			Talent (5, 10, 15, or 20 per level)
		Chapter 24: Ten Disadvantages That Aren’t Too Painful
			Appearance (Variable)
			Charitable (–15 SCM)
			Curious (–5 SCM)/Incurious (–5 SCM)
			Colorblindness (–10)
			Duty (Variable)
			Impulsiveness (–10 SCM)
			Odious Personal Habits (–5/–10/–15)
			Pacifism (–5/–10/–15)
			Phobias (Variable SCM)
			Weirdness Magnet (–15)
	Glossary
	Index