Should I Get The GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition Revised?

We'd love to see every GURPS player buy the GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition Revised. We'd be thrilled if people who've never played GURPS – or any RPG! – grabbed it. But GURPS prides itself on reality-checking, so let's look at realistic reasons to take the leap.

If you play GURPS, the top attraction may be 27 pages of additional rules. Before concluding, "That's expensive for 27 pages," consider that if those rules are all you need, this option is cheaper and more convenient than buying the supplements they're from and searching them for what you want. Speaking of searching, there are also the benefits of a unified book with a two-column layout – no more swapping between Characters and Campaigns, no more hard-to-scan three-column layout. Edits to fix errata, and tips and clarifications that replace many filler quotes, can spare you headaches (and sticky notes), too. Finally, if you're looking to replace a threadbare Basic Set, you can get everything in both volumes, and more, for a killer price: $79.95 for 592 pages ($49 if you just want the PDF). Oh, and it's all back-compatible!

If you've always avoided GURPS, this revision may address your doubts: If the barrier was two expensive books, you can get the basic rules in one place, at a lower price. If it was needing all kinds of supplements, we've included rules from many of those to lighten the load. If it was dated, insensitive language, we've fixed that (full disclosure: time and wordcount reasons prevented us from replacing "he," "him," and "his" with "they," "them," "their," and "theirs"). And if it was because you didn't like how it looked, look again – we've changed the cover, the layout, and much of the interior art.

And if you're still unsure, the GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition Revised FAQ might help you decide.

-- Sean Punch