Designers | Steve Jackson, David Pulver, David Morgan-Mar |
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Publishers | Steve Jackson Games |
Publication | 1997 (1st edition) October, 2006 (2nd edition) |
Genres | Science fiction |
Systems | GURPS 4th edition |
GURPS Bio-Tech is a GURPS, the Generic Universal Role Playing Game, sourcebook [1] that covers the implementation of biotechnology in the game. The first edition of the book was written for GURPS Third Edition, [2] while the second edition of GURPS Bio-Tech [3] was written for GURPS Fourth Edition. Both editions of the game are primarily focused on providing supplemental rules, campaign material, and examples of the uses of biotechnology for the players and game-master alike. The second edition contains two outlines for campaign settings (Alexander Athanatos and Draconis) but is primarily focused on providing rules and examples of devices that Game Masters could adapt for use in their own campaigns.
GURPS is a game where players and game-masters can, and are encouraged to, create whatever characters and settings they choose. The GURPS Bio-Tech sourcebook gives them a resource to use should they wish to incorporate elements of biotechnology into their games. The books contain rules and advice for creating a wide variety of possible characters, scenarios, storylines, and campaigns that are influenced by either real-world theories and practices of biotechnology, or the science fiction of advanced genetic alteration, enhancement, and augmentation.
The first edition of GURPS Bio-Tech was written by David L. Pulver. The second edition was written by both Pulver and David Morgan-Mar. David Pulver has written a number of books for GURPS in both its third and fourth editions. Morgan-Mar is a regular contributor to Pyramid Magazine, Steve Jackson Games' online game and hobby magazine, and has co-written several books for GURPS Fourth Edition.
GURPS Bio-Tech includes a detailed introduction into biotechnology, speaking about both its practices in a real-world sense, and its applications in science fiction and fantasy. In addition to new and supplemental rules for the game, the book goes into great detail discussing what the world would (potentially) be like if biotechnology were to continue to advance. Anti-aging treatments, human (and nonhuman) augmentation and enhancement, chemical warfare, cloning, and many other subjects are detailed, along with advice for game-masters should they wish to implement such things into their games. Because GURPS is meant to be open-ended for the game-master to develop their own setting, many possibilities are left open for their interpretation, such as potential social and political ramifications of these advancements. How does the general public react to extreme modification? What religious concerns does it bring up? How does humanity deal with the population increase caused by anti-aging treatments? GURPS Bio-Tech leaves the answers to these questions up to the game-masters, allowing them to weave such elements into their stories as much or as little as they desire. This is also the first 4th edition book to make significant changes to the page layout introduced with the 4th edition, most noticeably with a return to a two column layout.
GURPS Bio-Tech draws inspiration from a varied collection of sources.
The first edition of GURPS Bio-Tech was written by David Pulver, and published by Steve Jackson Games as a 144-page book. [1] The first edition of GURPS Bio-Tech was written in 1997, and published by Steve Jackson Games, the creators of GURPS, the Munchkin card game, and many others.
A new GURPS Bio-Tech (2006) was one of several technology-focused books published for GURPS fourth edition. [4] The second edition, published in 2006, was also produced by Steve Jackson Games. The first edition had two print runs, which the second edition is still on its first.
Joe Kushner reviewed the first GURPS Bio-Tech in Shadis #48. [1] Kushner comments: "Overall the book is very clear and easy to use. The majority of the text has comments by various individuals which make it easier to read. The art is all done by Dan Smith, so even if you don't like his art, it still has a uniform feel to it." [1]
It was an Origins Award nominee as Best Roleplaying Game Supplement in 2007. [5]
Transhuman Space (THS) is a role-playing game by David Pulver, published by Steve Jackson Games as part of the "Powered by GURPS" line. Set in the year 2100, humanity has begun to colonize the Solar System. The pursuit of transhumanism is now in full swing, as more and more people reach fully posthuman states.
GURPS Technomancer is a techno-magic campaign setting by David Pulver, published in 1998 by Steve Jackson Games as for the GURPS role-playing game system.
GURPS Basic Set is a role playing game publication written by Steve Jackson, Sean M. Punch, and David L. Pulver. The first edition GURPS Basic Set box was published in 1986, a standalone third edition book in 1988, and a hardcover, two-volume fourth edition in 2004.
GURPS Autoduel is the GURPS genre toolkit book which details the post-apocalyptic world of one of SJG's other popular games, Car Wars. The initial publication was in 1986.
GURPS Magic is a source book for the GURPS role-playing game from Steve Jackson Games that provides in depth coverage of magic in the context of GURPS. The first edition was published in 1989. The book expands on the material outlined in the Basic Set, provides alternative forms of magic for gamemasters to use, and contains much more material. A second edition of the book was published in 1994, and a third edition for the fourth edition of GURPS was published in 2004. The first two editions received positive reviews in game periodicals including Games International, Dragon, and White Wolf.
GURPS Discworld and the related supplements are role-playing game sourcebooks set in Terry Pratchett's Discworld fantasy universe using the GURPS role-playing game system. GURPS Discworld was designed by Phil Masters and first published in 1998.
Conspiracy X is a role-playing game (RPG) originally released by New Millennium Entertainment in 1996, and since revised and released by several publishers including Steve Jackson Games and Eden Studios, Inc. In all versions, the setting posits that aliens are insiduously taking over the world, reminiscent of The X-Files.
David L. Pulver is a Canadian freelance writer and game designer, author of more than fifty role-playing game rulebooks and supplements, including the award-winning Transhuman Space.
Sean Punch is a Canadian writer and game designer. He is the author of the fourth edition of the GURPS role-playing game. Before he turned to writing he was a student of particle physics.
GURPS Vehicles is a sourcebook for GURPS by David Pulver. The first edition was published in 1993.
GURPS Ultra-Tech is a sourcebook published by Steve Jackson Games (SJG) in 1989 for science fiction role-playing games using third edition GURPS rules.
GURPS Aliens is a sourcebook for GURPS published in 1990.
Steven Marsh is a game designer who has worked for Steve Jackson Games.
GURPS Steampunk is a role-playing game sourcebook written by William H. Stoddard and published by Steve Jackson Games in 2000. The supplement facilitates play in the steampunk genre using the GURPS system. Upon publication, the book won the Origins Award for "Best Roleplaying Supplement". As the most detailed definition of the genre at the time, it was also credited with reifying the attributes of steampunk. GURPS Steampunk was accompanied by licensed publications in the world of Castle Falkenstein and followed by supplements by Jo Ramsay and Phil Masters. Since 2016, SJG has published additional releases in the genre, compatible with GURPS Fourth Edition.
GURPS Vampire: The Masquerade is a licensed adaptation of White Wolf Publishing's horror role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade, written by Jeff Koke and published by Steve Jackson Games in 1993 for the third edition of their GURPS rules.
GURPS Mecha is a supplement by David Pulver, published by Steve Jackson Games (SJG) in 1997 for GURPS.
GURPS Psionics is a supplement by David Pulver, published by Steve Jackson Games in 1991 for GURPS.
GURPS Robots is a supplement for GURPS. Written by David Pulver, it was published by Steve Jackson Games in 1995.
GURPS Space Atlas 4 is a science fiction supplement written by David Pulver and Stephen Dedman published by Steve Jackson Games in 1991 for GURPS Space.