GURPS Greyhawk

For those who are curious about using the World of Greyhawk/Living Greyhawk with the GURPS rules, here are my thoughts:

Different Creatures

The gaming system for which Greyhawk is originally written is the Granddaddy of all RPG's - Dungeons and Dragons. The current edition of the game is actually the 4th edition/version (first came Dungeons and Dragons, then Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, then AD&D 2nd edition, and now we have Dungeons and Dragons, 3rd edition), and the current edition is a very nice game in the opinion of this author - much better than the earlier that made him run away screaming ;-). Such things are in the realm of personal taste, however, and I thoroughly applaud those who have enjoyed the D&D game throughout it's editions.

D&D and GURPS are very different game systems, however. D&D is a class-based system, and although the game is currently much more flexible than it used to be, the classes still very categorically define what the character can and cannot do. Some skills, especially the use of weapons, is treated broadly, as if each character trains equally with many different arms. The way things such as attack and defence and injuries are handeled virtually ensure that no character will be felled in one blow (when they get past 1st level that is ;-) and at higher levels the characters take on the proportions of four colour cinematic superheroes when the synergy of ever increasing attack values, damage potentials, defensive values and magic power make characters very, very powerful, only threatenable by godlike powers or deimgods as themselves. This makes the task of creating challenges for the characters difficult as time goes on, and the power of the challenges sometimes make you wonder why these powers have not toppled the world many times over already.

GURPS in it's basic form is different in that it strives for passable realism. While no system can claim to simulate the mechanics of the world in every detail, GURPS characters are a fragile lot when compared to their high-level D&D counterparts. As in real life, initiative is king, and characters - even high-point value ones - who are surprised are often very vulnerable, as well-placed strikes can fell even the mightiest if he's unprepared or unlucky. Furthermore, the system are based on skills, and it is only the actions of the character and the wishes of the player that dictate what the character learns. Only weapons trained with develops etc. This lends a feel of uncertainty to violent situations that are largely absent from D&D games. Some prefer this. I do for one :-).

What does it mean

The differences in the system used enables me to create a version of the Greyhawk world, that actually makes more sense to me. While Wizards are still powerful and great warriors can walk the land, we are not into demigod territory. The world becomes a shade darker, a bit more dangerous, and the realistic dynamics of the system transforms the feel to that of a mythic european medieval one where heroes are small specks, and ideas and thoughts and power of persuasion is a likely to win the day as violence and battle. No party will be able to stand against an army of attackers. The evil spirits from the outer planes can take a back seat instead of being needed every turn to provide challenges, and encounters with fiends will be memorable occations - for the survivors ...

And it promotes bravery. Bravery in the sense that sometimes characters will have to do thing when they cannot be certain of succes. Heroics are that much greater when true risk is involved.