GURPS

Overview

GURPS (Generic Universal RolePlaying System) is a tabletop role-playing game designed by Steve Jackson and published by Steve Jackson Games. Initially released in 1986, with its current Fourth Edition published in 2004, it provides a universal ruleset built to accommodate any conceivable genre, setting, or power level. The system is recognized for its high degree of modularity and its strict reliance on point-based character creation rather than traditional classes or experience levels.

Description

In GURPS, players construct characters by allocating a predetermined pool of Character Points. These points are spent to acquire core attributes, specific skills, and advantages. Players can also elect to take disadvantages, such as physical limitations, phobias, or social stigmas, to gain additional points during the creation process. The game functions primarily as a mechanical toolkit rather than a fixed set of rules. Game Masters are instructed to select only the specific mechanics, combat modules, and magic systems from the core rulebooks and supplemental materials that fit the intended tone and setting of their campaign.

System Overview & Key Features

3d6 Task Resolution The system exclusively uses a pool of three six-sided dice (3d6) for action resolution. To succeed at a task, a player must roll a total equal to or lower than their character's modified skill or attribute target number. The use of three dice generates a bell curve probability distribution, which makes average outcomes statistically common and extreme successes or failures mathematically rare.
Point-Buy Character Creation Character generation is entirely point-based. The Game Master assigns a starting total of Character Points (CP) to dictate the overall power level of the campaign. Every element of a character, including the four basic attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Health), specialized skills, wealth, and social status, is purchased using these points.
Universal Modularity GURPS is structurally designed for adaptation. The core rulebooks provide the foundational mechanics, while hundreds of supplemental books offer optional, granular rules for specific settings, such as cybernetics, realistic martial arts, space travel, or varied magic systems. The ruleset is intended to be heavily customized and scaled in complexity by the Game Master.
Tactical Combat and Damage Resistance Combat encounters operate on one-second turns, creating a highly detailed and tactical framework. The system incorporates rules for hit locations, weapon reach, bleeding, and shock penalties. In combat, armor functions as Damage Resistance (DR); it directly subtracts from the numerical damage inflicted by an attack rather than making the target more difficult to hit.
Skill Defaults When a character attempts an action for which they do not possess the specific trained skill, the system utilizes a "default" mechanic. The player may roll against a closely related skill or a foundational attribute, applying a predetermined numerical penalty. This mechanic simulates a character attempting an unfamiliar task using their general knowledge or raw physical capabilities.

Additional links

sjgames.com/gurps https://sjgames.com/gurps - Official Steve Jackson Games publisher website and digital storefront gurps.fandom.com https://gurps.fandom.com - Extensive fan-curated wiki for rules, settings, and sourcebook references

Active games and players

GURPS
GURPS
Online
Campaign
Very Hostile Work Environments
Players
4/6
GM
1/1
GURPS
en English

Very Hostile Work Environments

Newbie friendly
New players are welcome, and nobody expects you to know the rules beforehand.
NSFW
Not safe for work - the content or theme may not suit minors, so the site asks you to confirm your age first.
Hi.  I run a game on Discord, Tuesday nights, 7 PM Eastern.  It’s a fantasy game…sometimes.  It’s sci-fi set in Shanghai…well, maybe next week.  It was a western a week ago, I think, or was that gothic horror? The game has you as a special agent, traveling to alternate histories for a massive, multi-reality travel agency.  Because all possibilities are possible, you can be whatever you want (within reason, about as powerful as an X-Man/Teen Titan and you must appear as human or at least as something that’s common in reality like a squirrel or something).  Our group has a Fae cowboy, and a dieselpunk femme fatale.  In the past we've had robots, intelligent sand, hive-mind insect swarms and so on.  You come up with the concept and we’ll make it happen.  We prefer your character appear human-like or at least be something one would see in reality (a cat or at least something that could wear a holo projector to appear human). The game uses GURPS – a very old, crunchy and confusing game engine.  However, you will not have to do anything, just tell me what you want & I do the numbers.  I (the GM) am so backwards that we do not use AI or software.  I use a paper map and puppets. A bit about the group.  We may have one person, maybe more, leaving and we need a replacement.  This is not set in stone & cannot guarantee this will happen.  The group is mostly younger (20’s-30’s) & mostly women.  Therefore, I would prefer anyone joining to be a woman or at the very least not be weird about it.  This will get you immediately banned.  Please be nice and professional. We’re looking for the following: Foremost is a good personality and a sense of humor (not “my friends think I’m funny"), like actually funny and personality means to have one.  You can be shy and awkward, but don’t bring the mood down.  Next is consistency.  We’d prefer someone that can show up.  We play once per week, and you will need to consider that if you feel it will be an issue.  Finally, we are Newb friendly and pro LGBT.  All we ask that you don’t be a jerk.   We do sometimes say naughty words and drink adult beverages.  Well, at least I do.  This is actually a very special thing we have going on so please take that in consideration.   It's not your average game.   I'd suggest listening in first & you can make up your mind from there.  I’d suggest filling out the questionnaire or you can reach out to me directly at @yeroldpalwill. Thanks.  I do hope to hear from someone.   Hope its you.  Like,  seriously.  Please reach out.   If this is of any interest to you at all, please message me.  I'm probably not going to.   Let destiny happen.

Read more

Save to favorites
GURPS
GURPS
Online
Campaign
Lunch and Learn and OH MY GOD!!!
Players
5/6
GM
1/1
GURPS
en English

Lunch and Learn and OH MY GOD!!!

Newbie friendly
New players are welcome, and nobody expects you to know the rules beforehand.
LGBTQ+ friendly
The table is openly welcoming to LGBTQ+ players.
Hi.  I run a game on Wednesdays. Eastern time zone on Discord that I feel needs one additional player.   It's a young group (20's, 30's) and have been around for a few years.   There are 5 players.  The game itself has the players with corporate security jobs defending against alternate realities/histories.   So, extreme violence but with the occasional HR training module about problemsolving skills. Yes,  the worst of two worlds. Because it's alternate reality fighting alternate realities, the player can be whatever they want, quite literally anything.  GURPS allows the players to create whatever comes to your imagination,  but we'll worry about that later.  The tricky part isn't what we do but how.  The group does try to outdo each other in weirdness.   It's not murderhobo, but a new unprecedented thing.   So, you will have to keep that in mind.   This is not for the humorless or overly moral or easily uncomfortable. Think of this as a means to lead you down a new path,  one where you learn about a you that you have never met but has always known was there or you get your money back,  no questions asked.  Feel free to message me or DM on discord - yeroldpalwill.  Seriously, they're a nice group of people and you'll have fun.   Having a sense of humor & a personality is a huge plus.  Thank for reading this far.  If you're a newbie  don't worry,  I'll help with the character.   Just combine your two favorite movie, literature, or anime genres together.  Also, Wednesdays,  7 PM eastern.

Read more

Save to favorites
en English
GURPS
GURPS
...
Rutherford
Online
Will
The storyteller Morally grey
A fascinating, handsome, strapping and simply wonderful man.  I am not a greasy nerd who absolutely does not smell like old Domino's.  I am clean and very organized. I do not inspire chaos in others and trap players in inescapable situations they put themselves in.  As a GM, my games are predictable and stories consistent. I do not use voices, props and wear silly hats. I am a serious, professional gamer and absolutely NOT a trainwreck.
Save to favorites
en English
DND5E
Dungeons & Dragons 5E
DND3E
Dungeons & Dragons 3.5
...
Online
SCARYWIZARD
Interested in asynchronous text games only.  Dungeons & Dragons v3.5, Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, Old School Renaissance... Those kindsa games! PLAY-BY-POST ONLY; ANYONE OFFERING VOICE GAMES SHALL BE BLOCKED.
Save to favorites
en English de German
Shadowdark
Shadowdark
...
Mainz
Online
Frank Black
Hi folks. My name is Frank from germany and I am born in 1978. I started playing TTRPGs in the late 80s/early 90s (don't remember exactly) and had a hiatus between 2008 and 2016. In the early and mid 2000s I participated in the organization for a local convention of the german TTRPG Midgard. Most of my life I was the GM and to be honest I really liked it (probably more than beeing a player). At the moment I play in 2 local monthly goups (no GMing). I am not sure if I have to quit one of the groups I am currently playing in because I really dislike the system we are playing (Warhammer Fantasy 4E) and the group is not willing to change that in the near future. Besides of that I am more than curious to try out online gaming although I never did before. So please be patient with me. Old man incoming ;-) Today I enjoy OSR-games the most (Fantasy, SciFi and all other genres). The simplicity of it is just something I really embrace. I dislike extensive backstories for my PCs. I am convinced that it is more natural to build their personality as I play. I don't need characters that have already achieved everything in their backstories. Besides of that I am a gamer not a novelist ;-) I like my characters to go down in a big blow. They should not die of old age. The most memorable PCs I had are all dead :-) The worst thing that could happen to me as a player is if I recognize that the GM cheats just to safe me from certain death. DON'T DO THAT ;-) As a GM I roll openly and take the results as they roll. I don't balance encounters but I consider myself "fair" in regards of worldbuilding and player choices. I like when players don't optimize and just play without searching the solution on their character sheet. I will kill your character if they make bad choices or if fate demands it. I am not into voice acting or such things and I hate it to waste precious game time on playing out every-day-life of characters. The tavern evening with just talking, the 2 hour shopping tour with the local merchants, the chillout session in the public bath I've seen it all and I hated every single minute of it. Bring on the action, the adventure, thats the reason I play. As you may have noticed english is not my mothertounge. Especially my spoken english is probably not the best. But I think I could manage to be in an english speaking group. At least I would try it. I would love to find a group where I could try out online gaming as a player. I think I would not start online gaming as a GM right away but would love to evolve into that. I really don't care how to play online: VTT, Discord, Teams whatever. I really don't care at this point in time.
Save to favorites
en English
PATH2E
Pathfinder 2E
PATH1E
Pathfinder 1
...
Online
Chris
So, about me, been playing for 11-12 years, started out GMing and probably on the whole find that the more rewarding part of the hobby, but I enjoy playing as well. Played quite a range of systems by this point; did my mandatory few years of D&D and Pathfinder, actually started with Dark Heresy. But I've run Shadowrun briefly, Mutants and Masterminds, dipped my toes in World of Darkness.  I think a benefit of my time behind the screen is that I'm relatively flexible in what I enjoy. I can go for deep and character driven games, but I also appreciate the fun of a good dungeoncrawl or epic combat. I'm absolutely a sucker for intrigue, but I'm not above playing characters dumb as a brick. I'm perhaps overly comfortable playing morally grey grand bastards, but when I think of my favourite recent characters, the Lawful Good Rogue probably ranks as the most compelling.  I'll admit, though I'm by no means someone who can only enjoy hyper-simulationist games, I do occasionally tend to press up against overly artificial system restrictions. In Starfinder, my character did over time trend towards 'why don't we vent the airlock before we go in... soften them up.', and in general, I see a balanced encounter and will often think 'how can rig the deck a bit more in my favour'. Also not a big fan of 'Narrative' games, like Powered by the Apocalypse. For whatever reason, they are the one genre I've never quite meshed with.  But yeah, I am generally open to try different systems, and flexible about my exact role in whatever party I join.
Save to favorites

Videos

Reviews

Sorted by:

No reviews yet.

Login to leave a review.

Other entries

Threadfall
Tools & Platforms

Threadfall

English
Free
Subscription
Threadfall is a campaign management platform built for live tabletop role-playing games. It records the session, transcribes speech in real time with speaker diarization, and turns the resulting transcript into a recap, a running campaign codex, and a live screen for the table, so the Game Master can stop taking notes and focus on running the game. The product was built by a Game Master frustrated with the gap between what happened at the table and what survived to the next session. Notebooks, spreadsheets, and post-session memory dumps consistently failed to keep up with multi-session campaigns where NPCs accumulate, loose threads multiply, and the party's choices weeks ago suddenly matter again. Threadfall treats the session itself as the source of truth: whatever was said at the table becomes structured, searchable, and remembered. Description What it does at the table During a live session, Threadfall captures audio, transcribes it in real time using state-of-the-art automatic speech recognition, and identifies who is speaking. A live screen, designed for a second monitor, a tablet at the table, or a shared display, shows the unfolding session in a clean, distraction-free view. The Game Master sees recent dialogue, current scene context, and tracked entities without breaking flow. What it does between sessions When the session ends, Threadfall produces a recap that captures what actually happened, character actions, key dialogue, decisions, and consequences: drawn from the transcript rather than from the GM's memory. It updates the Living Codex: a structured repository of characters, locations, factions, items, and plot threads that grows automatically as the campaign progresses. Entities are extracted, relationships are mapped, and the codex is searchable from the next session onward. Who it's for Game Masters running ongoing campaigns, particularly online or hybrid groups using voice chat, but equally useful for in-person tables with a recording device. It's system-agnostic: nothing in the product assumes Dungeons & Dragons or any specific rule set. It's been built and tested against D&D 5e and 5.24, but works equally well for Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu, indie systems, and anything else where a group of people talks for hours and the GM has to remember it all. Free tier New users get two complete live sessions and recaps to try the product, with no credit card required. Founder rate Game Masters who subscribe during the launch window receive a Founder rate of $7.99/month for as long as they remain subscribed, including three campaigns, six AI sessions per month, the full Living Codex, and the live screen. Technical foundation Threadfall is built on real-time speech-to-text with speaker diarization, large-language-model summarization and entity extraction, and a knowledge-graph backend for the campaign codex. The infrastructure is designed for the unusual demands of multi-hour, multi-speaker, jargon-dense sessions where the participants invent proper nouns on the fly. Independent and actively developed Threadfall is built by an independent developer who is also an active Game Master and player. The product is shipped iteratively, with bug fixes and features released as feedback comes in from the founding group of Game Masters using it weekly.

Read more

Tabletop Empire
Actual Play & Podcasts

Tabletop Empire

English
Actual Play
A FFG Star Wars RPG Actual Play - Meet Kiinon, Shay, Mott, and Ragro as they begin their journey together through Coruscant’s underbelly, navigating savage pirates, an ancient relic, and lost secrets.  Campaigns DARK UNDERWORLD This Edge of the Empire story follows a Human, Twi’lek, Wookiee, and Toydarian navigating the criminal underworld of Coruscant in the aftermath of Return of the Jedi. It’s an anti-hero style adventure where the four chase clues of a mysterious artifact, fight for a seat of power against the other syndicates, and deal with the demons from their past that refuse to stay buried. THE UNNATURALS Our second campaign, THE UNNATURALS, will be a Force and Destiny story arriving August 2026. As Imperial rule across the galaxy begins to crumble, something long dormant awakens in the Outer Rim. A new threat rises from a self-imposed slumber. Will the players recognize their destiny and confront this rising threat, or will they allow the galaxy to fall into unnatural chaos?"

Read more

RPG Major
Actual Play & Podcasts

RPG Major

English
Actual Play
Genesys
RPG Major is an award-winning Musical Mystery Actual Play podcast with an Ennie-nominated cast. Each episode features original songs. Follow the adventures of two private eyes as they solve supernatural mysteries in a modern metropolis. Mara, Scion of Sirens, and Aubrey, Former Fairy Queen, help others as they search for their own place in the world. Each mystery spans 3-8 episodes. It's played mostly in the Genesys RPG, with forays into other systems as a little treat. The cast are professional comedians and stage actors who take storytelling seriously. Subscribe to RPG Major wherever you find podcasts or at RPGMajor.com

Read more

Looking for a group?

Find a tabletop group to join or players to invite. Groupfinder is a free looking-for-group platform. By players, for players.