GURPS Basic Set: Characters (Fourth Edition)

GURPS stands for “Generic Universal RolePlaying System.” It was originally a joke... a code word to describe the game while we looked for a “real” name. Years went by – literally! – as the game developed. We never found a better name, and now that the Fourth Edition is in your hands, the name is more appropriate than ever.  “Generic.” Some people like quick, fast-moving games, where the referee makes lots of decisions to keep things moving. Others want ultimate detail, with rules for every contingency. Most of us fall somewhere in between. GURPS starts with simple rules, and – especially in the combat system – builds up to as much optional detail as you like. But it’s still the same game. You may all use it differently, but your campaigns will all be compatible.
“Universal.” I’ve always thought it was silly for game companies to publish one set of rules for fantasy, another one for Old West, another one for science fiction, and another one for super powers. GURPS is one set of rules that’s comprehensive enough to let you use any background. There are worldbooks and supplements that “fine-tune” the generic system for any game world you want. But they are still compatible. If you want to take your Wild West gunslinger and your WWII commando fortune hunting in Renaissance Italy... go for it! And because that’s exactly the kind of game that so many of our fans play, the Fourth Edition adds an over-
arching background created to support just such campaigns.