GURPS Combat

The GURPS for Dummies book is still one of the best casual references to the rules ever written. It strips down the complexity of the rules and makes much of the game more accessible and easier to think about. After reading this book, superpowers and other special abilities became much easier to use in the game. I gave this book to a friend, and the game became clearer for her, creating excitement for playing the game.

After she had read the character creation chapters, she was not intimidated by character creation and started coming up with great ideas for the characters. Yes, you can do that in GURPS. In 5E, there is at least sixty dollars for that one character option you want in a 300-page hardcover. After she read GURPS, she shared my opinion that the entire D&D market is a rip-off designed to pull thousands of dollars out of each player. GURPS is a bargain compared to a 5E habit; you can do much more with it, and it is a far better game for creative types.

That won't sit well with her D&D group, but at least she is out of Plato's Cave.

This is the best book to give to borderline GURPS players who are interested but sit in the "where do I start?" camp. She wants to get her own copy. The book lightly touches on many areas, so it is not an in-depth replacement for the core books, but it touches on the best places in each chapter and gets you interested in exploring more.

If there were ever a second revision, I would love a section in each chapter telling you "where to look for more" and giving an overview of advanced options, including links to other books in the series.

Combat is also an area this book covers well and demystifies. One key omission is the shock rule (B381), which you must use if you are into moderately advanced combat. It is mentioned in the section on disadvantages, but not in the combat chapter under damage. Pencil that in!

GURPS combat is better than Rolemaster's. Once you play with all the advanced wounding rules, crippling, knockdown, stun, shock, damage modifiers, blunt trauma, injury levels, wounds, unliving modifiers (zombies, golems, etc.), and critical hits - you have a game that can produce all of Rolemaster's chart results without the charts. If you want to be extra descriptive, buy an anatomy book and know when a femur or scapula can be broken. It takes a little extra effort when a target takes damage, but I would rather have a system that can recreate those results without needing charts and works for any target type.

You can also play with basic combat: hit plus damage. Rolemaster does not scale or simplify as well, and if all you want to play is "roll to-hits and do damage" - just like in any d20 game - that is an option. It is nice to have a combat system where you can shift from "it doesn't matter, handle it quickly" to "full bore wounding and realism" in the drop of a hat.

GURPS has an internal rules flexibility that most other games dream they could have.

Want to say "a month goes by, give me a skill roll for constructing the cabin" to "every second matters, your life depends on it?" GURPS does that seamlessly, and with as many levels of detail as you want.

The Universal Size, Speed, and Range Table

GURPS Lite, p28

Many games in the GURPS era quantify the physical properties of the real world in one universal chart expressing the natural world through a numeric modifier. Champions, Mayfair's DC Heroes game, and a few others do this (Ascendant, a newer superhero game today, also does this).

You will always stay on this chart when playing GURPS, and you need to become proficient in it to make the game work correctly. Sometimes, it becomes a real pain (space combat), but you don't want to break one part of the game to make another run smoother.

The chart doubles every two points, so a -12/+12 is 200 yards, and -11 is the mid-point.

Speed and range are added together to create the modifier. This can make a pretty tricky modifier, so if your "18-minus" archers get bored because they hit all the time, take another look at this chart.

A 1-yard tall goblin (-2 to hit), moving at a crossing speed of 5 at 10 yards (5 + 10 = 15, a -5 modifier) gives a total of a -7 to hit. This is like a goblin rubbing across a hallway ahead of the characters, and suddenly, that "sure thing" 18-minus shot becomes an 11-minus. It takes a skilled archer to pull off a quick crossing shot of a small goblin that is only visible for a short moment, and your fighter who just has a 12-minus skill is going to be in awe of your 18-minus elf ranger pretty quick if the shot hits.

If the elf sights in on the area and aims for three seconds with a longbow, they get a +5 to-hit, and the possibility of a called shot returns, or a sure thing if the elf wants it.

Moving targets are more challenging to hit! This chart separates the low-skill characters from the high ones and allows the characters with higher skill levels to shine. Also, faithfully applying ranged attack modifiers buffs melee characters and makes them viable. How?

Look at D&D in the above example. The goblin, AC 15, is the same target number for that 10-yard crossing shot as it is versus a fighter in melee combat. Both have to roll a d20, apply a similar +3 to +6 modifier, and have around a 50-50 chance to hit (or better). In GURPS, the character with the ranged attack has a more challenging time hitting at range than the melee character does up close.

Melee characters are at the most risk in GURPS, but since they are close, this is where the hitting and bloodshed happen. This is true in real life and should be in a fantasy game.

It seems strange to point this out, but this is how it is in reality. Look at gunfight statistics in the real world, and you will see most shots are misses. Guns need a lot of rounds because 90% of shots will be missed in a typical firefight. The more ammo you have, the more effective the weapon is in defense.

D&D gives ranged characters the same chance to hit as melee characters, a gross oversimplification that makes both attack types identical. This gives ranged combat a considerable power buff and weakens melee characters to uselessness. D&D needs to "invent" abilities for fighters to provide them with parity when, in GURPS, parity is built into the rules.

But our longbow user is not helpless. Aiming helps. Holding shots for a sure thing is what happens in real life. That goblin may not want to run up a hall with an archer looking down it to engage our fighter, and that could force a morale roll - monsters are not stupid and "run into fire" like they do in D&D. If the goblin tries to advance up the hall using a shield for cover, they won't be able to run, so the archer can have time to aim.

There is a game of tactics here, and the Size/Speed/Range Table plays into that.

Magic spells (DF Spells, p13-14) are subject to these same modifiers when making ranged attacks. There is a roll to "charge" the spell, which does not use the modifiers, and then the roll to make the ranged attack happens as usual (within 3 seconds). What is the moral of the story? You don't "really" have a magic missile spell if you buy it at an 11 or 13-minus since you won't be able to hit anything with it all that well.

Again, what is D&D? Magic missiles consistently hit, which is a massive buff to caster power, which is more than they already need. D&D casters have always felt that they were "too good to be here" and never had to consider tactics, aiming, setting up traps, and firing from cover.

In GURPS, casters need to know ranged combat tactics, and they need to play smart. You are likely more vulnerable to melee and a target of ranged fire (same modifiers as above). You can't just be a mage and ignore tactics like you are above them; you are a combat mage and need to get in the dungeon and play dirty. Playing a mage in GURPS is fun because you can't float above the fray like a superhero and feel immortal. You need to think, and you need to play for keeps.

Oh, and have fighters in the party; you will need them if your ranged attacks suck. In most cases, you just NEED them, and more fighters are always better.

There is a massive difference between GURPS games that use this table faithfully versus those that do not. If you do not apply these modifiers, the game gets too easy, and characters with 24-minus skills will aim at the vitals every shot and do maximum damage. That -7 penalty in the first example lowers our chance to a 17-minus, which is still near-guaranteed. But if we put a vitals shot on it, that becomes a 14-minus roll. A few levels of darkness may take another two points off that roll.

Suddenly, the "I am bored" player with the 21-minus vital shot per turn makes a 12-minus near 50-50 roll for that same vital shot at that goblin. If that shot hits, it is likely a kill shot. But in that situation, an archer as skilled as that can attempt these types of shots, where your average 13-minus "I just got the skill" character is still fumbling around with the arrow in a quiver (and a 4-minus chance to pull off the same shot).

You may feel bad applying heavy modifiers to starting characters, but applying them and sticking to the rules will improve your high-level play. You will realize why you fought so hard to become a specialist when you get there. I feel people soften the rules to make things easier on beginners, and this sabotages the high-level game when the modifiers are not applied faithfully "because we never really used them." Players whose character gets a 20-minus or higher skill get bored and quit.

The Size/Speed/Range Table is the heart of GURPS. It defines melee, ranged, and caster balance. It sets a contrast between high and low skill. This makes "low-level" characters hurt and "high-level" characters shine. Make sure all players have a copy at the table.

These will be the modifiers your characters will live and die by. This is like the "Shadowdark torch timer" that defines that game. How well you can play this chart will determine your character's fate in the game.

Print it out, laminate it, and take it everywhere you go.

It's Just Roll 3d6

Some people play GURPS by just "rolling 3d6." For example, in a d20 game where the group does not care about the rules, they ignore most of them and "just roll a d20." Character creation only exists to generate skill and ability levels, and 90% of the rules are ignored to just "roll 3d6" or less for things that come up during play.

This is the GURPS Lite model of play, where the Lite rules are just a system to generate skill levels, make rolls, and run a simple combat system. Most GURPS groups stay close to the Lite combat system and ignore most of the book's advanced (and optional) rules.

Attack with a sword? Roll 3d6. Did you hit? Damage minus armor, next player goes.

GURPS is as rules-light as you want it to be. You can get in groups and games that make you feel you need to follow every wounding rule, every by-the-book modifier, and every "how to play this right" sort of feeling coming at you - but in practice, you really don't need to live up to a "perfect play" standard in this game. This is an old-school game, and the rules are suggestions.

Is there always a by-the-book way? Yes. But, from the How to Be a GURPS GM book:

Everything in GURPS is optional – we say so all over the place. We specifically say things like “as long as the GM is fair and consistent, he can change any number, any cost, any rule,” “everyone must realize that an epic story is apt to transcend the rules,” “don’t let adherence to a formula spoil the game,” and “if there is only one ‘right’ answer to fit the plot of the adventure– then that’s the answer.” The rules are only there for when you need them to help advance the game. Most of the time, you should be doing that by talking and roleplaying and telling a story.

Make a ruling and move on. You, your group, and your game will be fine.

You will also find GURPS to be much more flexible than your average 5E game due to the above.

GURPS Lite is all about efficiency. It follows the same 'gameplay loop' as a d20 game but without many action types and bonus actions that can bog down a 5E turn and drag out combats. The one-second combat turn in GURPS Lite is a game-changer, allowing a single action to significantly accelerate gameplay. In contrast, games like Pathfinder 2 and DC20, with their three and four actions per turn per player, can lead to a sluggish pace as players strategize and execute combos and multi-attacks.

Consider this: in GURPS Lite, a simple action like 'I draw my sword' or 'quick draw skill roll and attack' can be executed in a single one-second turn. Compare this to the time-consuming process of planning movement, a spell, a few attacks, another action, or any combination of three or four actions during a turn.

The time taken during a turn in tabletop games is directly proportional to the number of actions allowed, squaring the time taken to the number of actions allowed. One action takes one unit of time, two actions take four units of time, three take nine units of time, and four take sixteen units of time. One-action and one-second turns are the peak of efficient game design.

When you determine that each monster has multiple actions during a turn, six goblins now have 18-24 actions for the GM to decide every turn (and roll for!). Where do people find the time to play these games? They sound great on paper, but I doubt these games can be played quickly. They make B/X and GURPS look like rules-light games during play, which, comparatively, they are.

Modern games love to "ignore the referee" regarding ease of play. While character creation is straightforward and fast in many d20 games, the time taken per turn is atrocious and a complete slog. People think GURPS is a slog during turns, but it isn't. Character creation is the slog, but this is why we love the game. No game gives you this much control and customization.

GURPS skill rolls and combat turns are no different than a B/X-style game. In most turns, you decide on an action; often, you don't need to roll for it - just say what you do.

Also, with a one-second turn, there may be long pauses between attacks. If you watch modern battlefield footage, count the seconds between shots soldiers take. In many cases, there is a 1-6 second delay between every shot (or even 2-12). Not every combat will be this "video game alpha attack," where an attack happens every second.

In many cases, "do nothing" is a valid turn action, especially for untrained fighters, and it is also pretty standard in real-life warfare.

If you are doing a "dungeon combat" and have a bunch of goblins, you could roll a d6 for each one of them and delay their actions, or a d3 if they are more skilled at battle. Goblins engaged in combat on the frontlines would attack every second, but the ones in the back would often delay actions randomly. Even an archer supporting the frontline troops will delay firing for the best possible shot and throw in an aim action or two as they wait for an opening.

Those delays also open up opportunities for players to roleplay. What do you do if the battle quiets a few turns while everyone repositions? Demand surrender? Surrender? Propose a truce? Disengage?  Refortify? Intimidate the enemy? Bring up a heavy weapon or call for help? Ask for help against a common enemy? Offer gold to stop fighting? Does the enemy make those offers? Combats may not last "until death," and in many real-world fights, this is true, too.

Also, the best possible action isn't always what happens. A few goblin archers may fire arrows down a hall to deter movement. They may shout insults, bang drums, or hide to wait for a better opportunity. They could throw food, rats, or chamber pots at the party. They could be arguing with each other. These "delays" are great roleplaying moments with a lot of personality. Not every enemy is this "programmed AI bot" that moves towards every enemy and attacks at the first chance like a computer controls them.

This happens with modern d20 games, where multiple actions encourage "micromanaging and optimizing turns." These games are based on card-game design, not reality. GURPS is reality-based, and the dis-optimization of player and enemy actions increases the game's realism. It feels incredibly counter-intuitive, but it makes sense when you step back and consider real-world battles and hand-to-hand fights.

Wake up from this modern d20 gaming "mind lock" of turn optimization and to-the-death battles.

Great Video: More GURPS 1s Combat

This is another great video today from EasyGURPS discussing the one-second combat round and how to keep combats from turning into silly slap fights.

Worth watching to make your combats more fluid and realistic!

Video: GURPS SuperLite Combat Example

Another great getting started video today, with a combat example using the GURPS Lite system. This is a pared-down version of the rules and is also "playing GURPS."

It is easier than B/X with all the optional rules stripped off the game, and in many ways, it is far more streamlined and internally consistent. The GURPS skill system back in the 1980s was far better than how B/X did things back then, and it still is today. I love B/X, but the only thing B/X got over those 40 years was nostalgia appeal, better presentation, and "the feels."

It brings back memories.

Back in the 1980s, as kids, we saw GURPS and the unified skill system as a massive improvement over B/X. And B/X could not decide if some skills were 1d6 versus percentage, and you could not raise the skills you wanted when you gained experience. These days in 5E and Pathfinder, skills are a d20 but are tied to classes, and improving skills feels very restricted and limited.

Each version of the game changes the skill system massively, and you just feel d20 struggles with skills and needs volumes of rules to handle the simplest things. In 3.5E, most of the game's rules are hidden in the skill descriptions. Or it swings the other way (4E) and is too simple to the point of, why bother?

It has been 40 years, and they still can't get the skill system right.

In GURPS, do you want to put all your XP into stealth? Go right ahead. You can be a "low-level" thief with the best stealth skill in the world. It is your choice. If you get discovered and can't fight, that is on you, but the freedom to do what you want and improve in any area you like destroys any version of B/X in character design and improvement.

Want your magic user to train in stealth?

Oops. Some games don't allow that. Why? Because it was easier to limit classes in Chainmail to a few standardized abilities, it made characters more like "wargame units" than "real people with a variety of experiences and backgrounds." Nobody at TSR wanted to change this because the game was popular, so they perpetuated a less-than-great skill system.

And we love it today because of nostalgia. And people today, not even alive at that time, love it because of the illusion of nostalgia they see on TV.

GURPS has aged far better since the system is based on the freedom to do what you want.

This corporate-fueled nostalgia was fueled by the OGL, all the D&D adjacent games, and Hollywood. Our eyes were opened when they took that away because of greed. The sad truth is the OGL helped 5E and One D&D more than it hurt by keeping the game relevant. Those D&D-like OSR games fed 5E's popularity and helped perpetuate the appeal of limited-focus class roles.

In 2023, the illusion is shattered.

And if you went back in time with all of today's B/X games to us in the 1980s, as kids, we would laugh and say, "What are you future people doing? There are better games than D&D to play!"

And GURPS would be one of them.