List of GURPS books explained

This is a listing of the publications from Steve Jackson Games and other licensed publishers for the GURPS role-playing game.

Fourth edition

Core books

These are the books necessary to play, with the core rules used in all settings (GURPS Basic Set: Characters and Campaigns), plus basic accessories.

GURPS Basic Set: Characters[1]
GURPS Basic Set: Campaigns[2]
GURPS GM's Screen[3]

Free core books

GURPS Lite[4]
  • A 32-page introduction to the rules of GURPS based on the core rules in the GURPS 4e Basic Set (mainly Characters). It includes basic character creation with advantages, disadvantages, skills and equipment, as well as some rules for playing. It is freely available, as a PDF from the Steve Jackson Games website Warehouse 23.[5] It is a supplement to some GURPS books.
  • Unlike the 3E version of GURPS Lite, this did not include Magery or any spells, but does include the new "Jumper" Advantage.
    GURPS Ultra-Lite[6]
  • Core GURPS rules condensed to a single page. Freely available as a PDF from the Steve Jackson Games website Warehouse 23.[7]
    GURPS Update[8] [9]
  • The official conversion guide from 3rd to 4th edition, released as a free PDF file. It is also included in the purchaseable GM's screen.

    Rules supplements

    These books detail general rules not used in all possible campaign, such as rules for magic spells, for superpowers and for martial arts, and also state-based treatments of cities, military units and other organizations.

    GURPS Boardroom and Curia (PDF) by Matt Rigsby
    GURPS City Stats (PDF) by William H. Stoddard
    GURPS Gun Fu (PDF) by S. A. Fisher, Sean Punch, and Hans-Christian Vortisch
    GURPS Magic[10]
  • Magic rules from the Basic set are expanded, detailing a large number of spells, and rules for alternative magic systems, magic item creation, alchemy etc.[11]
    GURPS Martial Arts[12] by Peter Dell'Orto
  • Includes new perks, skills, techniques, styles, weapons, and extended combat and injury rules, as well as history on the martial arts, pregenerated NPCs, and ideas for martial-arts campaigns.
    GURPS Mass Combat[13] [14] (PDF), by David Pulver
  • Gives rules for large-scale battles between military units, as well as allowing for the actions of player characters.
    GURPS Powers[15] by Sean Punch
  • Extends the basic character creation rules to better handle high powered characters, and allow highly detailed customization of powers in which each power consists of a range of abilities (ie, advantages) and a talent, with a "source" and a "focus", adding color and helping to tie together the abilities, and an additional "power modifier" that acts like an enhancement (rare) or limitation to the power as a whole.[16]
    GURPS Realm Management (PDF) by Christopher R. Rice
    GURPS Social Engineering (PDF) by William H. Stoddard
  • GURPS Social Engineering: Back to School (PDF) by William H. Stoddard
  • GURPS Social Engineering: Pulling Rank (PDF) by Sean Punch
  • GURPS Social Engineering: Keeping in Contact (PDF) by Kelly Pedersen
    GURPS Tactical Shooting by Hans-Christian Vortisch
    GURPS Thaumatology[17] by Phil Masters Extends further the rules about magic, adding ceremonial, spirit, runic, freeform, material (alchemy, herbalism), and real-world-inspired magic.
  • GURPS Thaumatology: Chinese Elemental Powers (PDF) by William H. Stoddard
  • GURPS Thaumatology: Magical Styles (PDF) by Sean Punch
  • GURPS Magical Styles: Dungeon Magic (PDF) by Sean Punch
  • GURPS Magical Styles: Horror Magic (PDF) by Sean Punch
  • GURPS Thaumatology: Ritual Path Magic (PDF) by Jason "PK" Levine
  • GURPS Thaumatology: Sorcery (PDF) by Jason "PK" Levine
  • GURPS Sorcery: Sound Spells (PDF)
  • GURPS Thaumatology: Urban Magics (PDF) by William H. Stoddard

    Power-Ups

    These supplements add a small set of new abilities for characters.

    Creatures

    Aliens

    Creatures of the Night

    These handbooks describe monsters and creatures. All volumes are written by Jason "PK" Levine and Scott Paul Maykrantz; volumes 1-4 illustrated by Scott Paul Maykrantz.

    Dragons

    Fantasy Folk

    Technology and equipment

    These handbooks describe the data, in terms of GURPS, of specific objects, gadgets and vehicles, and how to construct new ones.

    Spaceships

    These handbooks give a streamlined method for spacecraft construction and combat. Volumes 1 through 8 written by David Pulver.

    Genre toolkits

    These books describe how to design and play campaigns in a particular genre, such as fantasy, science fiction or detective fiction.

    These genre sourcebooks are all written by Phil Masters:

    Hot Spots and Locations

    Hot Spots

    These largely generic historical setting books are written by Matt Riggsby. The Sriwijaya supplement was written by Randy Huegele.

    Locations

    Gurps Locations is a series of 5 sourcebooks:[20]

    1. Hellsgate[21]
    2. Metro of Madness[22]
    3. St. George's Cathedral[23]
    4. The Tower of Octavius[24]
    5. Worminghall[25]

    Original fictional settings

    These supplements details how to design and play campaigns set in particular fictional settings, either specific to GURPS (such as "Banestorm", a fantasy setting, or "Infinite Worlds", about exploration of parallel universes) or independent of it (such as ;the Star Trek universe).

    Infinite Worlds

    Winner of the 2005 Origins Award for Best Roleplaying Supplement.[26]

    Transhuman Space

    Other original settings

    Licensed fictional settings

    One of the incarnations of the Prime Directive role-playing game, set in the Star Trek-derived Star Fleet Universe, together with its sourcebooks:

    Describes a period of the history of the science fiction Traveller setting, early in its history; includes rules for generating characters for the setting, starship design, interstellar trade, exploration, and ship-to-ship combat.

    the sourcebook of Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga.

    Action

    These supplements describe how to reduce GURPS to the essential abilities and rules you need to play in games inspired by action movies of the 1980s and beyond.

    Monster Hunters

    These handbooks describe how to reduce GURPS Fourth Edition to the essential abilities and rules needed to play in a typical modern "Monster Hunting" type of game. Example settings include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Charles Stross's The Laundry series.

    Dungeon Fantasy

    Steve Jackson Games produces two Dungeon Fantasy lines: GURPS Dungeon Fantasy uses the full GURPS system while the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game Powered by GURPS uses a modified subset of GURPS rules.[34]

    Dungeon Fantasy series

    These handbooks describe how to reduce the system to the essential abilities and rules needed to play a typical Medieval Fantasy "dungeon crawl" style game.

    Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game

    Norðlond Sagas

    A Viking-inspired setting produced by Gaming Ballistic LLC for the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game.

    Other free books for 4th Edition

    There is a total of 28 free GURPS products given out as no-cost PDFs,[37] in addition to the three above and one below, this includes:

    1. Infinite Worlds I.S.T.[38]
    2. Magic Spell Charts[39] released 15 February 2006[40]
    3. Range Ruler[41]
    4. Skill Categories[42] released 24 June 2005[43]
    5. Alphabet Arcane: Lost Serifs[44]
    6. Combat Cards[45]
    7. Lite Chinese[46]
    8. Lite Interlingua[47]
    9. Lite Italian[48]
    10. Lite Korean[49]
    11. Lite Lithuanian[50]
    12. Lite Portuguese[51]
    13. Martial Arts Techniques Cheat Sheet[52]
    14. Space: Planetary Record and Worksheet[53]
    15. Caravan to Ein Arris[54]
    16. Caravan to Ein Arris 4th[55]
    17. Transhuman Space: Teralogos News - 2100, Fourth Quarter[56]
    18. Transhuman Space: Teralogos News - 2101, First Quarter[57]
    19. Transhuman Space: Teralogos News - 2101, Second Quarter[58]
    20. Transhuman Space: Teralogos News - 2101, Third Quarter[59]
    21. Traveller: Flare Star[60]
    22. In Nomine: A Very Nybbas Christmas[61]
    23. Traveller Interstellar Wars Combat Counters[62]
    24. Temple of the Lost Gods PDQ Conversion[63]
    25. Advantages: A Compendium of Pregenerated Abilities (A PDF of Player Generated Advantages)

    Third edition

    Core books

    Rules supplements

    Characters and antagonists

    Creatures

    Technology and equipment

    Genre toolkits

    History and culture

    World War II

    Original fictional Settings

    Fantasy

    Horror

    Space

    Supers

    Transhuman Space

    Other original fictional settings

    Licensed fictional settings

    Television adaptations

    Book adaptations

    The following fictional settings are adaptations of preceding fictional works originating in novels:

    Video game adaptations

    Traveller

    SGG published a set of books designed to allow game play in an alternate timeline of Traveller's Third Imperium science-fiction setting using the GURPS rule system.

    Steve Jackson Games also published the Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society, the official magazine of Traveller.[82]

    Other RPG system conversions

    Adventures

    First and second editions

    Core books

    Rules supplements

    Creatures

    Technology and equipment

    Genre toolkits

    History and culture

    Original settings

    Licensed settings

    Adventures

    Japanese products

    Several books were produced in Japanese, mostly by the Japanese company Group SNE, and published by various publishers.

    Korean products

    The Korean publisher Dayspring Games published the Korean translation of GURPS and at least an original supplement, GURPS Sylfiena, a fantasy setting.[88]

    Brazilian Portuguese products

    One of the first translations of GURPS was published in 1991 by the Brazilian publisher . The company produced four editions of GURPS, keeping pace with revisions of the U.S. editions, but errors in the revised fourth edition released in 2015 led to the book being pulled from shelves.[89] In 2017, Devir confirmed it would no longer publish GURPS products in Portuguese.[90]

    Beyond the core game, Devir published translations of a number of GURPS sourcebooks and adventures:

    Devir also produced a series of original adventures and sourcebooks branded as "Mini GURPS".

    German products

    In Germany, published a German-language translation of the GURPS core rules, along with translations of several sourcebooks and adventures.

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Book: Jackson . Steve . GURPS Basic Set: Characters . GURPS 4e Basic Set . Punch . Sean M. . Pulver . David L. . Steve Jackson Games . 2004 . 1-55634-729-4 . GURPS 4E . Austin, Tex. . SJ01-0001 . Steve Jackson (US game designer) . Sean Punch . David Pulver.
    2. Book: Jackson . Steve . GURPS Basic Set: Campaigns . GURPS 4e Basic Set . Punch . Sean M. . Pulver . David L. . Steve Jackson Games . 2004 . 978-1-55634-730-6 . GURPS 4E . Austin, Tex. . SJ01-0002 . Steve Jackson (US game designer) . Sean Punch . David Pulver.
    3. Web site: GURPS GM's Screen . www.sjgames.com.
    4. Book: Haring . Scott . GURPS Lite . Punch . Sean . August 2004 . GURPS 4E . SJ01-1004 . Sean Punch.
    5. Web site: Warehouse 23 - GURPS Lite (Fourth Edition) . www.warehouse23.com.
    6. Book: Punch, Sean . Ultra-Lite . January 2009 . GURPS 4E . 37-0032 . Sean Punch.
    7. Web site: Warehouse 23 - GURPS Ultra-Lite . www.warehouse23.com.
    8. Web site: 4eupdate.pdf . 24-page 338KB version
    9. Web site: GURPS_Update.pdf . 26-page 321KB version
    10. Book: Jackson . Steve . GURPS Magic . Ross . S. John . Thibault . Daniel U. . Steve Jackson Games . 2006 . 1-55634-733-2 . GURPS 4E . SJG01-0101 . Steve Jackson (US game designer) . S. John Ross (writer).
    11. Web site: March 24, 2006 . Review of GURPS Magic . 2008-12-25 . RPGnet.
    12. Book: Punch . Sean . GURPS Martial Arts . Dell'Orto . Peter . Steve Jackson Games . 2008 . 978-1-55634-762-7 . GURPS 4E . SJG01-0105 . Sean Punch.
    13. Book: Pulver, David . Mass Combat . GURPS 4E.
    14. Web site: Errata for GURPS Mass Combat . www.sjgames.com.
    15. Book: Punch . Sean . GURPS Powers . Masters . Phil . Steve Jackson Games . 2007 . 978-1-55634-742-9 . GURPS 4E . Austin, Tex. . SJG01-0102 . Sean Punch.
    16. Web site: Review of GURPS Powers - RPGnet RPG Game Index . www.rpg.net.
    17. Book: Masters, Phil . GURPS Thaumatology . Steve Jackson Games . 2008 . 978-1-55634-758-0 . GURPS 4E . SJG01-0107.
    18. Web site: Origins Awards 2005 Announcement . 2007-08-24.
    19. Web site: Review of GURPS Mysteries . Review at ENWorld; Web site: Christmas Gift Guide 2005. Brief review at OgreCave.com
    20. Web site: GURPS Locations . www.sjgames.com.
    21. Web site: GURPS Locations: Hellsgate . www.sjgames.com.
    22. Web site: GURPS Locations: Metro of Madness . www.sjgames.com.
    23. Web site: GURPS Locations: St. George's Cathedral . www.sjgames.com.
    24. Web site: GURPS Locations: The Tower of Octavius . www.sjgames.com.
    25. Web site: GURPS Locations: Worminghall . www.sjgames.com.
    26. Web site: 2005 List of Winners . https://web.archive.org/web/20070830114324/http://www.originsgames.com/awards/2005 . 2007-08-30.
    27. Web site: Review of GURPS Banestorm . Comprehensive review at RPGnet
    28. Web site: GURPS Zombies . www.sjgames.com.
    29. Web site: GURPS Post-Apocalypse Worldbooks . www.sjgames.com.
    30. http://www.warehouse23.com/media/SJG31-1004_preview.pdf
    31. Web site: GURPS Zombies: Day One . www.sjgames.com.
    32. http://www.warehouse23.com/media/SJG37-1683_preview.pdf
    33. Web site: The Girl Genius RPG . www.sjgames.com.
    34. Web site: July 21, 2019 . DFRPG or GURPS DF? . February 1, 2021 . UbiquitousRat.net.
    35. http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/pyramiddungeoncollection/
    36. http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/dungeonfantasycollected/
    37. Web site: Warehouse 23 - Warehouse 23 . www.warehouse23.com.
    38. Web site: Warehouse 23 - GURPS Infinite Worlds: I.S.T. . www.warehouse23.com.
    39. Web site: Warehouse 23 - GURPS Magic Spell Charts . www.warehouse23.com.
    40. Web site: Spell Charts 4e Magic - Steve Jackson Games . https://web.archive.org/web/20051018023615/http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/downloads/GURPS_Magic_Spell_Charts.pdf . 18 October 2005.
    41. Web site: Warehouse 23 - GURPS Range Ruler . www.warehouse23.com.
    42. Web site: Warehouse 23 - GURPS Skill Categories . www.warehouse23.com.
    43. Web site: GURPS Skill Categories.pdf . https://web.archive.org/web/20060105102702/http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/downloads/GURPS_Skill_Categories.pdf . 5 January 2006.
    44. Web site: Warehouse 23 - GURPS Alphabet Arcane: Lost Serifs . www.warehouse23.com.
    45. Web site: Warehouse 23 - GURPS Fourth Edition Combat Cards . www.warehouse23.com.
    46. Web site: Warehouse 23 - GURPS Lite (Chinese Fourth Edition) . www.warehouse23.com.
    47. Web site: Warehouse 23 - GURPS Lite (Interlingua Fourth Edition) . www.warehouse23.com.
    48. Web site: Warehouse 23 - GURPS Lite (Italian Fourth Edition) . www.warehouse23.com.
    49. Web site: Warehouse 23 - GURPS Lite (Korean Fourth Edition) . www.warehouse23.com.
    50. Web site: Warehouse 23 - GURPS Lite (Lithuanian Fourth Edition) . www.warehouse23.com.
    51. Web site: Warehouse 23 - GURPS Lite (Portuguese Fourth Edition) . www.warehouse23.com.
    52. Web site: Warehouse 23 - GURPS Martial Arts Techniques Cheat-Sheet . www.warehouse23.com.
    53. Web site: Warehouse 23 - GURPS Space: Planetary Record and Worksheet . www.warehouse23.com.
    54. Web site: Warehouse 23 - Caravan to Ein Arris . www.warehouse23.com.
    55. Web site: Warehouse 23 - Caravan to Ein Arris (GURPS Fourth Edition) . www.warehouse23.com.
    56. Web site: Warehouse 23 - Transhuman Space: Teralogos News - 2100, Fourth Quarter . www.warehouse23.com.
    57. Web site: Warehouse 23 - Transhuman Space: Teralogos News - 2101, First Quarter . www.warehouse23.com.
    58. Web site: Warehouse 23 - Transhuman Space: Teralogos News - 2101, Second Quarter . www.warehouse23.com.
    59. Web site: Warehouse 23 - Transhuman Space: Teralogos News - 2101, Third Quarter . www.warehouse23.com.
    60. Web site: Warehouse 23 - GURPS Traveller: Flare Star . www.warehouse23.com.
    61. Web site: Warehouse 23 - In Nomine: A Very Nybbas Christmas . www.warehouse23.com.
    62. Web site: Warehouse 23 - GURPS Traveller Interstellar Wars Combat Counters . www.warehouse23.com.
    63. Web site: Warehouse 23 - Temple of the Lost Gods PDQ Conversion . www.warehouse23.com.
    64. Web site: June 2003 . gurpslite.pdf . 32 pages 367 KB
    65. Web site: GURPS Lite . Third). 33 pages 468 KB
    66. Web site: GURPS Lite for Transhuman Space . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20040718183829/http://www.sjgames.com/transhuman/img/lite.pdf . 18 July 2004 . SJgames.com.
    67. Book: Schick, Lawrence . Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games . Prometheus Books . 1991 . 0-87975-653-5 . Buffalo, New York.
    68. Web site: SJG30-6086 preview.pdf . 5.19 MB
    69. Web site: undead.pdf . 541 K
    70. Web site: GURPS Atomic Horror 2nd Edition . RPGnet review
    71. Web site: 1992 List of Winners . https://web.archive.org/web/20070830114339/http://www.originsgames.com/awards/1992 . 2007-08-30.
    72. Lhomme . Tristan . July–August 1992 . Pour GURPS, en V.O. - GURPS Illuminati - Imperial Rome . Casus Belli . 70 . 18. Review
    73. Web site: 1988 List of Winners . https://web.archive.org/web/20070830114228/http://www.originsgames.com/awards/1988 . 2007-08-30.
    74. Web site: 2000 List of Winners . https://web.archive.org/web/20061221211951/http://www.originsgames.com/awards/2000 . 2006-12-21.
    75. Web site: 1991 List of Winners . https://web.archive.org/web/20070528183529/http://www.originsgames.com/awards/1991 . 2007-05-28.
    76. Book: Clute . John . The Encyclopedia of Fantasy . Grant, John . Macmillan . 1999 . 0-312-19869-8.
    77. Web site: Review:GURPS Alternate Earths . Fantasy Lounge review
    78. Web site: GURPS Black Ops . RPGnet review of GURPS Black Ops
    79. Web site: GURPS Reign of Steel . RPGnet review
    80. Syd . February 1990 . Wild Cards . GamesMaster Magazine . 2 . 6 . 25. Review
    81. Book: Stenros, Jaakko . Beyond Role and Play: Tools, Toys and Theory for Harnessing the Imagination . Ropecon ry . 2004 . 952-91-6843-8 . Markus Montola and Jaakko Stenros . Genre, Style, Method and Focus: Typologies for Role-Playing Games . 2008-08-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20050316010418/http://www.ropecon.fi/brap/ch15.pdf . 2005-03-16 .
    82. Web site: Journal of the Travellers' Aid Society .
    83. Web site: 1993 List of Winners . https://web.archive.org/web/20070830070842/http://www.originsgames.com/awards/1993 . 2007-08-30.
    84. Published in 1985, the year prior to GURPS Basic Set First Edition.http://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/45686/gurps-basic-set-first-editionhttp://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/50272/man-to-man
    85. Web site: GURPS Around The World . Runal Saga is a popular fantasy background. Damned Stalkers is a modern horror background, and Ring Dream is about modern female wrestling!.
    86. Web site: TRPG.NET Wiki for English - Chronological Table . https://archive.today/20120709135226/http://hiki.trpg.net/en/?Histrory . 2012-07-09.
    87. Web site: Search result of Runal Saga (ルナル・サーガ) in Amazon.co.jp . 2007-08-31.
    88. Web site: March 3, 2008 . Steve Jackson Games Daily Illuminator .
    89. Web site: Rodrigues . Daniel "Nerun" . October 1, 2016 . GURPS 4E revisada – o por quê foi recolhido . GURPS 4E Revised – Why it was recalled . December 27, 2020 . GURPZine . pt-br.
    90. Web site: Rodrigues . Daniel "Nerun" . January 25, 2017 . Devir nunca mais: GURPS deixa de ser publicado pela editora . Devir says no more: GURPS no longer published by the publisher . December 27, 2020 . GURPZine . pt-br.