I suppose some genres lend more to having mobile bases than others. I've had a sailing ship in a Pirates and Zombies game, an airship in a Space 1889 game, and various space transports in Star Wars games. It'd be cool to have a sort of tinker's wagon to ride around in, similar to the witch's cart in Stardust.

I've used portable homes and pocket dimensions in Elder Scrolls games, and you're right, having a portable bolthole takes some of the challenge out of fighting and looting.

Oh hells yes, there is the whole "Traveling Adventures" genre, and yeah, I've enjoyed games where the PCs have a Conestoga or vardo or barque or 10 mile long spacecraft carrier* or railroad† or small group of individual transports (like a Mad Max convoy or Battlestar Galactica ragtag fleet)...  but those campaigns are usually "go place, disembark, travel a distance away from Mobile Base and then adventure", sometimes "Adventure from within Mobile Base" by repelling raiders, or parking right on top of the adventure, but generally the Traveling Adventure/Mobile Base genre doesn't have the same logistical challenges... though you can make it have it if done right.


* In that case a good portion of the adventure was unlocking various parts of the ship and exploring the "old ghost ship" which was basically a super-sized SDF-1 Macross, figuring out why it was random jumping around the galaxy, cleaning it out of the raiders that had taken up within it (and other elements), repairing it, and gaining control of the greatest super weapon in the galaxy...

† A literal Railroad campaign I ran after my Players complained they wanted less "sandbox more railroad".  It was a mash-up of Galaxy Express 999 and the idea of "differenet port each episode" from old Star treks and original Battlestar (basically what Stargate Universe tried to do) where a posse of Texas Marshalls and cowboys chased three small bandits (who turned out to be Greys) onto a speeding train and were trapped when it went "galaxy" mode.  The rest of the campaign was them scrounging for supplies at the "random" stops, trying to learn the language of the Conductor and "robotic" engineers, and generally figuring out how to survive on the 'train' that wasn't exactly inhospitable, but wasn't designed for human comforts... and trying to figure out how or if they even could ever go home.  I ran this back when I still thought "surprise twists" were a really good idea.  I wouldn't run it that way today.

This was an example of inverting the logistics issues though, as the PCs were constantly running out of stuff and had no "safe place" to just store goods for a long time despite being on "their mobile base", so they had to carry everything or risk their stashes getting "raided" (cleaned out, moved, etc by Train staff or other passengers) until they learned how to "get by" on the Train and pay for secure berths.



Yeah, if your running a Traveling Game, or Mobile Base game it can work fine, but if you want to do "Back To The Dungeon" or "Orc and Pie" it strips a lot of that genre's charms away.  Even "too many" bags of holding can do that (as I discovered in one D&D game where my Character was all about getting as many bags of holding as possible).

Heya all,

I recently rediscovered my childhood love for pro wrestling, and that's polluted pretty much all the other games I play in to the point that I'm starting to seriously consider just putting together some sort of rasslin' Martial Arts campaign. You guys, I seriously wrapped up a year-long Curse of Strahd campaign last weekend playing a nameless maniac known only as "the Ultimate Fighter" and you bet your ass my battleax was named "DESTRUCITY".

Anyhow, I've been away from the GM seat and from GURPS for awhile, and I'm thinking there's no way I'm the first person to have this idea. So, with that in mind, I figured I'd check among the locals.

GURPS Action and Martial Arts (and their offspring) are the obvious places to start, but I'd appreciate any suggestions or ideas anyone has before I really start tackling this thing. Have any of you folks participated in a similar campaign, either as player or GM? Any thoughts, resources, opinions, hot-takes, dire warnings, early criticisms, cheap tickets, or whatever you'd like to offer?

I saw this linked on Reddit, but Christopher R. Rice posted these variations for Weirdness Magnet on his blog, Ravens N' Pennies: https://www.ravensnpennies.com...s-magnet-variations/

I particularly like the Mystery Magnet variation, though that seems like it would be taxing for a GM. Why do all those people keep dying around Jessica Fletcher?

I still don't think the GM is getting the points worth out of it.

Frex:

That version is just "points for playing in the game where the theme is "people die and the PCs solve the mystery'".  In what way would that be imparting 15 points worht trouble or setback on Ms. Fletcher?

No, I far prefer Charles Saeger's take on his blog:
https://gurpshexytime.blogspot...ur-points-worth.html


Except I pump the reaction penalty up everyone (I mean everyone), and use Kromm's "weird things get a +5 to sense you" ruling.

Bundle of Holding this month is offering a number of GURPS pdfs. If you're in the Community Lounge, you probably already have these already, but if you're just starting out, the bundle gives you some really useful books.

The CORE Collection includes the Basic Set and some GM tools. An optional add-on includes 6 GURPS Tech supplements and Mass Combat.

It's too bad they didn't also include a set with Fantasy, Magic, and Powers.

https://bundleofholding.com/presents/GURPS4Essentials

Maybe if this is successful SJG will try more.

Apparently it has been! There's one for Fantasy up now: https://bundleofholding.com/presents/GURPS4Fantasy

This one includes Fantasy, Magic, and Banestorm, along with a Thaumatology addon.

I wonder if they're going to do a Dungeon Fantasy bundle at some point.

There's also a GURPS bundle for sci-fi: https://bundleofholding.com/presents/GURPS4Space

This was a very good haul for me whose brand new to GURPS. Now I just don't know where to start! I want to try and run a short campaign (4-5 sessions), but I just have so many options on what to run with all the different books from the 3 bundles.

Any suggestions? Was thinking either Urban Fantasy or MiB style investigating aliens, but I wonder if the books I've got are suitable for that.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:04, Mon 04 July 2022.

If you got the Fantasy bonus pack, Thaumatology: Urban Magics is perfect for Urban Fantasy.  Of course, as is usual for GURPS, there are other books that would be useful.  ;-)

In reply to Bornite (msg # 261):

That is perfect, thanks! There are just so many books to read now, time to start working through them!

These will be forever available at DriveThruRPG.com if you do it? With updates, etc?
This message was last edited by the player at 07:16, Sat 09 July 2022.

Yes, they should remain in your library at DriveThruRPG. I’m not sure about updates, though. I don’t know how often (if ever) the PDFs get updated.

Edit: I’d assume so, though. If one pdf is updated, you should be able to download the updated pdf. That’s how it works on Warehouse 23, anyway.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:22, Sat 09 July 2022.

Hi folks!

I don't know if I've posted here before, but I have kind of a fun one...

So one of my characters is exploring a dungeon, and has successfully snuck up on a few (large) rats in a room.

Moving back down the hallway, he got out his fishing pole, baited the hook and cast into the room in hopes of catching a rat.

And I wouldn't be doing my duty as GM if I said that didn't work...

So now he has a very large, and very confused rat on the line.

I'm curious as to how you guys would make this an interesting/fun little (or serious) encounter.

A few ST or DX checks between the "combatants"? Fishing skill for the character (in which he has a 17)? Just get it over with using one quick-contest?

I'm very much a new GM and I just want to hear some words of advice from people who are better at this than I am.

Thanks in advance!

And how strong is the Fishing Line? Likely not designed for the task at hand.

He went into the dungeon directly off the coast of the ocean.

So I told him the line was strong enough to handle a good amount of stress.

Sounds like a Trained (Fishing) ST Weapon Grapple to to me...  yeah, it's Trained ST vs ST to 'reel' the rat in, though it may decide to lunge at him... rats aren't exactly "a fish out water" in this situation.  ;)

If he has the Lasso, whip, or Kusari skill I'd even allow him to make a "loop it around it's neck" attack... or one at default if they don't have those skills.

In reply to evileeyore (msg # 268):

Funny you mention that. The... "plan"... is to kick the rat in the head when it gets close enough. So a sudden lunge toward the aggressor is certainly a possibility. Heh.

A Weapon Grapple. I am going to go digging for that. I hope it's not an ID10T. But if it means something like he has to make some rolls to hang onto the pole... I'm in.

Also, just out of curiosity mind you, are there rules for getting tangled in stuff? Say... thin, strong line of some kind? Strictly hypothetical mind you.



He has a hammock...

I wish I could tell you I was making this shit up. But that would be taking too much credit.

Weapon Grapples are in Martial Arts.  But it's just "use your weapon skill at -2 if it's not designed for this" (he's already hooked, so skip that) and then if it's a ST test part of a grapple it's "float your weapon skill to ST".  Nothing really complicated beyond the grappling rules in Basic.

If you do have Martial Arts though, whole new vistas open up...


Not really...  you could make what I call a "Cosmic Reaction Roll", basically roll 3d6 on the Reaction Table, the results are "how does this effect the PC", so on a Good maybe the rat gets a bit tangled in the line and suffers a -1 to it's rolls, or on a Bad result, the the PC loses some line out as slack and takes a -1 on his rolls.  I go Good ±1, Very Good ±2, Excellent ±3 to the PCs benefit and the opposite on Bad, Very Bad, and Disastrous rolls.

Or, like I said, have the PC make a Lasso skill roll at default (DX-5) to try to get the rat deliberately tangled.  Now if it were a net we'd have some rules...


He sounds prepared... to take a nap.

In reply to Mad Mick (msg # 264):

I pulled the trigger on all 3 tonight. Just as you said, all the files were instantly available in DriveThru. Pretty good deal.

Back on RPoL after a long absence. Is anybody recruiting for GURPS games, or starting something new soon?

Welcome back Plonk! If you like smarty pants Clerics and can tolerate my hybrid Gurps/D&D system and a once per day (during the week) posting rate, pop by Tomb of Horrors.

I've got Myranti Vishara, Cleric of Aereon I'd love you to dive into...


link to another game

Thank you for the invitation, but I'm not looking to take on an abandoned character at this time. Or to jump feetfirst into Tomb of Horror, for that matter! :D

COWARD!  lol   :)

just kidding! Good luck finding a game.

If you're into solo games and can handle an all action all the time, fast posting rate game, let me know. I like fast moving games that challenge my Gurps knowledge and posting / writing ability.

But if you are squeamish to let someone with two X chromosomes run your game, I getcha! :)

:) Your genetics are irrelevant!

Right now I'm looking for something a little slower paced - or at least, with deeper lulls between bouts of action.