GURPS Reign of Steel
(Reprint)
It is 2046 A.D. The robot revolt is over, and the machines have won.
Ruthless Artificial Intelligences have exterminated most of humanity, while the survivors are hunted like animals, or face slow death in the robots' brutal labor camps. But a lucky few have escaped death or enslavement. While most of mankind has succumbed to despair, some refuse to give up hope. Around the world small groups of dedicated survivors are forming, preparing to oppose the robot overlords and fight to free mankind.
A worldbook for GURPS, Reign of Steel details mankind's struggle against his metal masters in a dark future. GURPS Reign of Steel utilizes the sleek rules from GURPS Robots, although you do not need Robots to play. Take on the role of the oppressed masses, and teach the robot overlords that technology can be made obsolete.
128 pages.
Stock #6079,
ISBN 1-55634-330-2.
$22.95.
Transhuman Space: Deep Beyond
The Deep Beyond is the solar system's final frontier. A vast zone stretching from the asteroid belt to the edge of interstellar space, its siren call has drawn researchers, pioneers, visionaries -- and outlaws. Transhuman Space: Deep Beyond includes:
160 pages.
Stock #6703,
ISBN 1-55634-586-0.
$26.95.
GURPS WWII: Dogfaces
They were the Greatest Generation. When the world itself was in danger, they manned the front lines, drove the tanks, landed on the beachheads . . .
They were the dogfaces.
GURPS WWII: Dogfaces is the definitive roleplaying sourcebook for U.S. ground forces in World War II. Storming the beaches of Normandy, outdueling German tanks in the Ardennes, or retaking the Pacific island by island . . . the infantry, armor, and artillerymen of the U.S. Army and Marines were the backbone of the Allied war effort. With the attention to detail and historical accuracy that GURPS is known for, GURPS WWII: Dogfaces gives you everything you need to save the world from the Axis.
128 pages.
Stock #8005,
ISBN 1-55634-636-0.
$22.95.
Pokéthulhu Miniatures
Hellishly cute eldritch horrors . . . eating human souls and strawberry ice cream with equal glee . . . Pikathulhu and his friends! Based on the John Kovalic cartoons from Dork Storm Press' Pokéthulhu RPG, sculpted by Richard Kerr, this parody set is . . . insanely funny. You get a giant Pikathulhu, a small Pikathulhu, four additional small thulhus, and their trainer!
Boxed set.
Stock #14-0101,
ISBN 1-55634-526-7.
$24.95.
Give the gift of divine retribution. Since the wrath of the gods is terrible to behold, Products of the Apocalypse offers it in an easy-to-digest snowglobe format.
-- Suggested by William Thrasher
And I'll be running a big Ogre Miniatures game Friday, and Andrew Hackard and I will give a talk Sunday morning. I'll do a sneak preview of at least one upcoming game that afternoon. Richard Garriott is the other guest of Honor, and he's speaking on Sunday too.
They have a very complete website -- check it out, and if you've got the weekend free, come see us!
A couple of months ago our shrinkwrapper died for the last time. I shall not burden you with the story . . . with any of the stories . . . of the living hell that we went through to get the replacement delivered or properly installed, or the Sisyphean efforts of the guys down in Traffic to feed the insatiable maw of worldwide Munchkin fandom with only the small shrinkwrap system kindly loaned by Phil Reed.But it wasn't pretty.
However, it is, finally, working, and THAT is very pretty indeed. It's highly automated. You put boxes in one side, and they move quickly through, and the bar comes down by itself and the boxes come out the other side. Much faster and more efficient. Here's John Northrup feeding it stacks of Munchkin.
-- Steve Jackson
This is a good time to take a glance at the NetReps page and add your name to this Roll of Honor. We are seeking an Online Assistant Editor for the GURPS line. Please email [email protected] to confirm that:
It starts off funny, but the overall mood is nothing like the original. Lots of excellent photos. It's interesting how a change in context has turned a dance mix into a high-tech battle anthem! This is something that the troops themselves will enjoy -- let's hope there are enough wide Internet pipes to the Middle East that it gets there soon.
On the other hand, if your reaction to the war has been to go lie down in a street somewhere, this will just make you grumpier. I predict it will not make the top 40 in Paris and Moscow, but it got a grin out of me . . .
-- Steve Jackson
Postscript - I seem to have committed a limerick upon reading the news:
There once was a man named Saddam
Who waved at the crowds with
aplomb
"There aren't any tanks
There are no Brits or Yanks
And there is
no 2,000-pound . . ."
We playtested Munchkin Fu for the first time on Saturday afternoon. It went well. I didn't win, but I got to set up SUCH an abusive card combo that actual winning hardly mattered . . .As you might gather, this game is a Munchkin variant that sends the players into a Hong Kong action movie, with random bits of anime and Japanese monster flicks. The players become ninja, samurai, yakuza, and monks. Instead of races, they have martial arts Styles . . . there are 12 different, unique Style cards, plus modifiers. It's a stand-alone game, but CAN be combined with Munchkin.
This will be the first Munchkin game not illustrated by John Kovalic. He's just got too much on his plate. So . . . we have recruited Greg "Lethargic Lad" Hyland for this one. As you see from the cover art here, Greg has the Munchkin nature. We like what we've seen from him, and you will, too.
Some people have asked if Munchkin Fu has replaced Munchkin 3: Clerical Errors on the schedule. No . . . both of them are coming, but Munchkin Fu will appear first; it's scheduled for a July ship. We leaked the word about Clerical Errors sooner because the cards were all written and I wanted to demo it at Ubercon, but all we have decided about its release date is "Fall sometime, probably."
A frequently asked question at GAMA was "Will there be a supplement for Star Munchkin?" The answer is . . . it's not scheduled or written, but if the fans are interested, I'm game to write it. And John Kovalic has already said he will FIND time to draw the cards!
-- Steve Jackson
Voting will be open through June 1, 2003, and is open both to Academy members and the general public. Winners will be announced at the annual Origins Awards Ceremony at Origins in Columbus, Ohio on Friday, June 27, 2003.
Ah, for the good old days when innovation required nothing more than a willing spirit and American can-do. And a length of pipe. And a steam engine. And a few miles of copper wire. And...well, the other stuff at The Musuem of RetroTechnology.
-- Suggested by Richard Guy
GURPS Fantasy Bestiary
(Reprint)
Long out of print, GURPS Fantasy Bestiary is back by popular demand! This extensively researched book, based on authentic folklore and legends from all over the world, is a perfect resource for the GM of any fantasy campaign. It includes more than 250 fantasy animals and plants -- everything from interesting nuisances to terrible foes.
GURPS Fantasy Bestiary also has a special chapter on Dragons, a complete list of spells used by the magical creatures in the book, and many more details every fantasy roleplayer will love!
128 pages.
Stock #6504,
ISBN 1-55634-184-9.
$22.95.
Steve Jackson Games announces the following products for July 2003 release:
Strange Synergy
Strange Synergy is built around 100 different Power Cards . . . superpowers, mutations, skills, gadgets. Each warrior starts with three different powers. You choose the combination! Can you create the unbeatable team? Can you win against superior powers?
Developed by Steve Jackson and illustrated by Phil Foglio (Girl Genius, GURPS IOU, XXXenophile), this game will be as much fun to watch as it is to play. No two games are the same. How many ways can you make four different teams of three warriors, out of 100 powers? The mind boggles, and the fun never ends!
Boxed game with 112 cards, rules, warrior stand-ups and bases, game map, counters, and one die.
Stock #1360,
ISBN 1-55634-707-3.
$29.95.
Munchkin Fu
If you loved Munchkin . . . look out. Here they come again.
"I'm a Ninja with the Dragon Claw Katana!"
"I'm a Monk with the Honorable Iron Pipe of Skull-Cracking. Fear my Drunken Monkey Kung Fu!"
"I'm a Yakuza with a gun. Run away!"
The Munchkins are back! Now the game is chop-socky Hong Kong action. The characters are Samurai, Ninja, Yakuza, and Monks. The foes are mooks, demons, and assorted bad guys from all the worst martial arts films you've ever seen. Collect treasures and learn new styles to build up your character's powers. Kill the monsters, take their stuff, and be the first one to 10th level!
Created by Steve Jackson. Munchkin Fu is completely compatible with the original Munchkin (and with Star Munchkin, if you're really nuts).
Boxed game with 168 cards, rules, and die.
Stock #1412,
ISBN 1-55634-677-8.
$24.95.
GURPS Vehicle Builder
GURPS Vehicle Builder is the official vehicle-creation program for GURPS.
Like the GURPS Character Builder before it, GURPS Vehicle Builder lets you design, optimize, store, modify, and print out vehicles of all types, from an oxcart to a space station! All the system's features are supported, with complete vehicle creation rules from GURPS Vehicles, as well as GURPS Vehicles Expansion 1 and GURPS Vehicles Expansion 2.
Lots of extras, including a die roller, round out this package.
(For Windows only. Sorry, Mac fans.)
CD in DVD case.
Stock #5403,
ISBN 1-55634-699-9.
$24.95.
GURPS Shapeshifters
Shapeshifting . . . changing from one form to another . . . is a classic element of fantastic fiction. It might be caused by magic or by an alien biology . . . or by some wondrous gadget!
Here are complete rules for creating shapeshifter characters in GURPS, gathered and consolidated material from several previous books. Many examples are included, from powerful individuals to whole races of shapeshifters that are the stars (or the villains) of their own campaign settings.
Create shapeshifter heroes, or fight body-switching menaces. From the traditional werewolf to the modern anime "house pet that becomes an ATV," here are rules and creatures that every campaign can use.
128 pages
Stock #6533,
ISBN 1-55634-452-X.
$22.95.
GURPS Traveller: Starships
From launches to liners, from patrol boats to pirates, a starfaring
campaign requires ships. GURPS Traveller: Starships details
the "View from the Deck" . . . the experience of being aboard a starship.
Passengers and pursers, bridge crews and black gang, owners and deckhands .
. . they're all here. Charters and salvage operations are included, spiced
up with encounters, adventure seeds and a cast of NPC owners, masters and
crew.
Starships also features a much more detailed version of the starship design rules in GURPS Traveller (including components for TL7-9, TL11, and TL13 designs). It collects all previously published components in one volume and offers new accessories and design options, as well as descriptions of the technology.
It also includes complete designs for a selection of starships and smaller vessels -- the traders, lab ships, yachts and prospectors likely to be crewed by PCs. Each ship has its own detailed writeup and deck plans. These include:
144 pages.
Stock #6613,
ISBN 1-55634-475-9.
$24.95.
HeroQuest
256 pages.
Stock #ISS1001,
ISBN 1-929052-12-X.
$39.95.
"I have no fear about the direction Sean and David have taken the game," said GURPS creator and SJ Games President Steve Jackson. "They have really breathed new life into what was an increasingly creaky game, and I think this edition will revolutionize roleplaying for the next decade or more."
Punch adds, "Our mission statement is that there are no 'sacred cows' in GURPS. We re-examined everything about the game, and while we know that our new direction will be a shock to some fans, we think that once they give it a try, they'll be won over."
"We aren't ready to release full details of the new system yet," Jackson continues, "but I think we can safely let a few tidbits out of the bag. GURPS 4 will feature our new 'clicky-base' character design system, replacing the old point-buy-and-roll-3d6 system that has been holding GURPS back for so long. (Of course, those old rules will still be available as an option if you really want them!) Our miniatures department has been working overtime to produce these figures, and we think we've done it in a way that marries the long-term appeal of GURPS with the current hot miniatures combat system. Future GURPS 4 boosters will include GURPS Supers, Transhuman Stars, GURPS Survivor (by special arrangement with CBS), and of course GURPS Hot Lead. We expect booster sets to start appearing about three months after the core GURPS 4 game hits the market."
Watch this site for more information about the newest version of GURPS!
