The mixture of a fantasy world with real world cultures and religions certainly makes this #GURPS setting one of the more unique fantasy #ttrpg settings. Its design doesn't quite fit modern standards - for instance, the widespread sexism in human cultures is rather problematic in terms of inclusivity. Still, with the right group that wishes to engage with it, you could run some very rewarding campaigns in it.
@juergen_hubert Interesting! I've only used the GURPS Girl Genius sourcebook... which of course, uses the webcomic of the same name as its setting.
I know GURPS has been around forever, though...
@codefolio@ruby.social It's an extremely flexible, wide-encompassing system. It works best for (a) GMs who enjoy a certain level of crunch, and (b) know exactly what they want in a campaign.
At its simplest level, #GURPS is certainly easier than, say, #DnD 5E. However, it's also easier to overwhelm the game with all sorts of optional rules that can overwhelm everyone at the table if the GM isn't careful. Thus, it's best to start with some "prepackaged" setting like GURPS Girl Genius or the Dungeon Fantasy line - or, at most, one or two sources of "special powers" such as GURPS Magic. Once everyone at the table knows the basics, you can get really creative with characters and campaigns, and you can do things that most other RPGs except very "rules-lite" ones can't even begin to tackle.
That all makes sense. It's interesting because at least with Girl Genius, it's *mostly* as straightforward and usable as a crunchy modern game -- something like Call of Cthulhu, say. But every so often I stumble across rules that feel like 1e AD&D rules, such as the 5+ damage types, each with 3 different penetration multipliers by target.
But most of my *current* challenge is just that Girl-Genius-the-comic has an extremely rich, deep setting, but there are no easy sources of maps, etc. That is, most of my current challenge is writing a lot of fanfic for my players to wander through, fast.
@codefolio@ruby.social Yeah, I've been thinking of maybe running a sandbox campaign set in this world - I'd pick some obscure region, do some sandbox-type worldbuilding in the surrounding areas, start in the late period of Klaus Wulfenbach's reign, and have the PCs start as students and hangers-on at a local university. And then run them through subsequent events.
Thus, I could use the larger setting as a framework to develop my own campaign, without worrying too much about the "main story". I mean, even with the comics you get the impression that a thousand plots and stories are happening at the same time with other people, so that fits in perfectly well. ;)
@codefolio@ruby.social Well, the GURPS combat system was developed to be highly simulationist, and it still does that very well - better than AD&D ever did, to be sure. Different weapon types matter as much as they do in real life.
But that causes problems if you prefer to run a rules-lite system.
@juergen_hubert While we don't mind rules particularly, we find ourselves with a basically noncombat party. Lots of social and diplomatic skills, one Spark, nobody you'd call a warrior with a straight face. So not a lot of emphasis on the damage types or combat simulation.
