 GURPS Space (4th edition) cover | |
| Designers | Steve Jackson, William A. Barton, David Pulver |
|---|---|
| Publishers | Steve Jackson Games |
| Publication | Sept. 13, 1999 (3rd edition) |
| Genres | Science fiction |
| Systems | GURPS 4th edition |
GURPS Space is a sourcebook published by Steve Jackson Games (SJG) for use with GURPS (Generic Universal Role-Playing System), published in four editions from 1988 to 2006.
GURPS Space is a toolkit that enables gamemasters to create science fiction role-playing campaigns using the GURPS rules. Guidelines are provided for designing games using science fantasy, space opera, or hard science fiction genres, by creating worlds, planets and alien races.
GURPS Space was one of the broad genre books that was published after the 1986 GURPS Basic Set . [1] : 107 GURPS Space was designed by Steve Jackson and William Barton, and published by Steve Jackson Games as a 128-page book. [2] The book features additional material by W. G. Armintrout, Stephen Beeman, Ben Ellinger, John M. Ford, Don Gallagher, J. David George, Mike Hurst, David Ladyman, and Mike Moe, with a cover illustration by Michael Goodwin. [2]
This first-tier genre book is supported by several second-tier sourcebooks that helped expand the GURPS Space universe, including several GURPS Space Atlases (1988-1991), Unnight (1988), GURPS Space Bestiary (1990) and GURPS Aliens (1990). [1] : 107
Following the release of a third edition of GURPS, a second edition of GURPS Space was published in 1990 to conform with the new ruleset. [3]
The Third Edition includes a reprint of some of the GURPS Vehicles rules and some high-tech weaponry.
The fourth edition of GURPS Space was released in 2006, and covered the creation of star systems, worlds and alien races, either completely randomly or with any amount of gamemaster intervention during the process. Advice is also provided on planning campaigns and other related material.
Coverage of spacecraft is aimed at setting level issues such as choosing the technology used by spacecraft in the game. This section does not worry about game mechanics issues, but rather helps players and gamemasters determine the broad capabilities of the vessel in question.
In the January 1989 edition of Dragon (Issue #141), Jim Bambra commented, "Even if you never intend to play the GURPS game, the GURPS Space game is worth picking up on the basis of its ideas alone. For GMs who enjoy designing unique backgrounds for their players, and for GURPS players everywhere, this book is well worth getting." [2]
In the January 1989 edition of Games International (Issue 2), James Wallis was impressed by the breadth of coverage, noting that this book "covers everything from planetary system design [...] to lists of equipment." Wallis felt that the only significant item missing was robots. He concluded by giving this a perfect rating of 5 out of 5, saying, "GURPS Space is ideal for any referee who isn't satisfied with existing SF systems and wants to design their own or to convert a favourite book into a rolegaming environment [...] Every SF referee should have one." [4]
At the 1989 Origins Awards, the first edition of GURPS Space won Best Roleplaying Supplement of 1988. [5]
GURPS Supers is a superhero roleplaying game written by Loyd Blankenship and published by Steve Jackson Games. The first edition was published in 1989.
2300 AD, originally titled Traveller: 2300, is a tabletop science fiction role-playing game created by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) and first published in 1986.
GURPS Cyberpunk is a genre toolkit for cyberpunk-themed role-playing games set in a near-future dystopia, such as that envisioned by William Gibson in his influential novel Neuromancer. It was published in 1990 after a significant delay caused by the original draft being a primary piece of evidence in Steve Jackson Games, Inc. v. United States Secret Service.
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 Ice Age is a genre sourcebook published by Steve Jackson Games in 1989 using the rules of GURPS.
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 Riverworld is a sourcebook for the GURPS role-playing game.
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 Fantasy is a Genre Toolkit source book which was first designed by Steve Jackson and published by Steve Jackson Games in 1986 for the GURPS role-playing game. It presented a magic system for the game as well as background information for the fantasy campaign world of Yrth. A second edition by new writers was published in 1990 as GURPS Fantasy: The Magical World of Yrth. These two editions received mixed reviews in game periodicals including Dragon, Space Gamer/Fantasy Gamer, and Games International. The fourth edition of GURPS separates the fantasy parts into fantasy and a setting book called GURPS Banestorm.
GURPS High-Tech is a sourcebook published by Steve Jackson Games (SJG) in 1988 for GURPS.
GURPS Bestiary is a source book for the GURPS role-playing game system containing information and statistics of animals. It also contains information animal player character templates, and tips for fitting animals into adventures. The first edition was published in 1988.
GURPS Swashbucklers is a sourcebook by Steffan O'Sullivan, published by Steve Jackson Games in 1988 to provide a swashbuckling setting for GURPS.
The AADA Road Atlas and Survival Guide was a series of supplements for GURPS and Car Wars published between 1987 and 1989 by Steve Jackson Games.
Flight 13 is an adventure published by Steve Jackson Games in 1989 for either the horror role-playing game GURPS Horror or the science fiction role-playing game GURPS Space.
GURPS Fantasy Folk is a supplement published by Steve Jackson Games in 1990 for the GURPS role-playing system.
GURPS Space Adventures is an adventure published by Steve Jackson Games (SJG) in 1991 for the role-playing system GURPS, and more specifically, for the science-fiction setting provided by the previously published GURPS Space.
GURPS Update is a supplement published by Steve Jackson Games in 1989 for the GURPS role-playing system.
Harkwood was published by Steve Jackson Games (SJG) in 1988 for the GURPS rules. Written by Aaron Allston and J. David George, the supplement was designed for the setting of Yrth introduced in the first edition of GURPS Fantasy.
GURPS Space Atlas is a supplement published by Steve Jackson Games (SJG) in 1988 for the science fiction role-playing game GURPS Space, which uses the rules of GURPS.
Kafer Sourcebook is a supplement published by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) in 1988 for the hard science fiction role-playing game 2300 AD.