Introductory GURPS Game: Players Wanted

[Humabout]

I am looking to run another introductory GURPS game for anyone interested.  It will be a simple fantasy game that serves to introduce new players to the system in a way that is eases them in gently.  To that end, I propose to use a streamlined ruleset designed for cinematic action, adventure, and dungeon crawling.

I would like to run this game via the IRC chat, but if we can't manage to all be online at the same time, I will give a Play by Post format a shot while maintaining IRC hours in case anyone has questions or just wants to hang out.

For those interested, you will find GURPS Lite a good (and free) resource full of introductory materials.  I strongly recommend downloading it and perusing it at some point (or at least referencing it during the game).

With regard to character generation, post a concept and begin thinking about what degree of competency your character would have in different skillsets (no training, dabbling, professional, expert, master, best ever, etc.).

[Seraph]

I will check out those rules tomorrow (when my internet usage resets).  In the mean time, I will consider character options, as I'd like to try being a part of this.

[Humabout]

Sure thing man.  Seriously, any concept will do.  Even if you want to go all crazy asian wuxia and stuff.  It's not meant to be a super serious game for now (who knows how it will develop!), so make sure you pick something you want to play.  :)

[Seraph]

OH!  I think I know:  a kind of "Inquisitor" character.  Basically, an ecclesiastical "field agent" and "Van Helsing" type, focusing on dangerous spellcasters, witches, heretics, that kind of thing.  Totally willing to go after monsters too, though.  Basically anything the god(s) of his religion hate.

So high in investigative skills, as well as those related to knowledge of his religion, and of the kinds of people and creatures he hunts.  Decent-to-good in survival techniques and combat.  Probably not great at charming people or lying, though. 

[Numinous]

I've had GURPS on the back burner for a while now.  I would totally be down to participate in these shenanigans!

[Humabout]

Sweet Numinous!  Welcome to the shenanigans!  Same thing I said to SH:  start thinking of a concept and then consider what he's good at and just how good.  That's always a solid starting point before you crack the ginormous tome of options present in gurps.

SH:  Nice concept.  I think we can definitely work with that.

[Numinous]

Alexander Maximilian Blackwell: Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Alexander found himself more interested in the wondrous world of words than his family's fortune.  It was quite a surprise for him then, upon his father's death to discover that his inheritance had been squandered on a colorful menagerie of debauchery and vice, leaving him with only a paltry portfolio of properties.  In order to restore his family's wealth and public image, he must undertake a quest the likes of which he has only read about.  Luckily, he is armed with an excellent memory of exotic flora, fauna, and history.  Additionally, his skills as a musical prodigy will surely come in handy while collecting the treasure his peons shall deliver to him, where his entirely theatrical combat skills might fail.

Skills, from most competent to least - I can add more or less depending upon the specificity/power level we're looking at here.

• Pointless Skill: Give him an instrument, and you might as give him your heart, because Alexander can wring tears out of even the most jaded of veterans with just a minute of playing most instruments.
• Knowledge: A childhood of free time has given Alexander an encyclopedic knowledge of many subjects, especially history, geography, and mythology.  How much this corresponds to the actual state of the world is up to the DM, I look forward to being hilariously wrong.
• Wealthy: Alexander comes from money, and thinks little of spending it.  However, it should be mostly for show, I don't care if it gives any significant advantage.
• Charisma: Being raised for the public sphere, Alexander knows how to shake hands and be a pretty face.  He won't persuade everyone, but he knows enough not to make a faux pas in public.
• Combat: While he owns a sword and knows which end is sharp, Alexander's skills are almost entirely for show.  Not that it matters, because he doesn't intend to get his hands dirty anyway.

[Humabout]

Nice stuff Numinous.

Any other takers?  I'd be willing to run up to four people in the game.  I'm not against people with a little or even a lot of gurps experience, as long as they don't mind helping with teaching.

[EDIT]
Scratch PMing people.  I'll do it all here.  Expect another post soon.

[Humabout]

First off, I'm going to need some more information about your PCs' personalities.  Also, I've compiled a sketch of useful skills and traits from what you've written so far.  I'd love for ya'll to cull the list a bit, make suggestions, ask questions and so on.  These are

only suggestions, so feel free to completely ignore them.  This is just intended as guidance.

[spoiler=Seraphine_Harmonium]
For Advantages, I really only have Combat Reflexes as a must.  I'd need to know more about your character concept in general to see if others are fitting.  As for skills....

Investigative Skills (Pick the ones you are good at)

• Body Language
  
• Detect Lies
  
• Intelligence Analysis
  
• Interrogation
  
• Intimidation
  
• Lip Reading
  
• Observation
  
• Psychology (Applied)
  
• Research
  
• Search
  
• Shadowing
  
• Streetwise
  
• Tracking
  

Monster/Occult Knowledge Skills

• Alchemy
  
• Hidden Lore (Need to specialize in one or two of these:  Angels, Beasts, Demons, Ghosts, Magical, Spirits, Undead)
  
• Occultism
  
• Thaumatology
  
• Theology (Druidic, Dwarvish, Elvish, Human, Shamanic, etc.)
  

Combat Skills  (Choose one or two of the following styles):

• Alistama (Police martial arts centered on subduing rather than killing)
  
• All-In Fighting (Combat wrestling)
  
• Axe Fighting
  
• Bare-Knuckle Boxing (Civilian martial art)
  
• Carmacil (Civilian civil fencing style)
  
• Dagger Fighting
  
• Fencing (Civilian fencing that uses a lot of "dirty fighting")
  
• Foot Archery
  
• Glaive Fighting
  
• Horkona (Martial art of the military)
  
• Longsword Fighting (Two-Handed Sword Ho!)
  
• Quarterstaff
  
• Savate (Civilian kickboxing common to sailors....also needs an in-setting name)
  
• Shortsword Fighting
  
• Spear Fighting
  
• Sword-and-Buckler Play (Nobleman's self defense, also a good backup for when your shield breaks)
  
• Sword-and-Shield Fighting
  
• Swordstaff Fighting (Think elvish naginata adopted by humans after the Elf Wars)
  

Survival Skills (Please narrow this down to what you're good at)

• Camouflage
  
• Climbing
  
• Fishing
  
• Hiking
  
• Naturalist (classic ranger/druid skill)
  
• Stealth
  
• Survival (Need to specialize:  Coastal, Mountains, or Woodlands)
  
• Swimming
  
• Traps (in this instance, for setting them to catch animals, but useable to disarm them, too)
  

Background Skills (Pick a few that suit your background or suggest others)

• Area Knowledge
  
• Boating (Sailboat or Unpowered)
  
• Carousing
  
• Current Affairs (Regional)
  
• Dancing
  
• First Aid
  
• Gesture
  
• Heraldry
  
• Jumping
  
• Running
  
• Savoir-Faire (Any)
  
• Sex Appeal
  
• Throwing
  

[/spoiler]
[Spoiler=Numinous]
These advantages represent your position within society (Social Status and Legal Immunity, which lets you get away with minor offenses and exempts you from torture and such), and your current fiscal state (you make enough off of those properties still retained to live like an average freeman, but you certainly can't afford to live like a noblemen, which occcassionally affects your ability to interact wtih other nobles or be recognized as being a nobleman).
Advantages:  Independent Income 15 ($600 per month); Legal Immunity; Musical Ability 4; Status 2; Wealth (Comfortable).

These disadvantages represent your lakc of worldly knowledge (Dillusion) and your tendency to spend like you're still rich (Compulsive Spending).
Disadvantages:  Compulsive Spending; Delusion (Thinks he knows about the world and how it works).

This quirk makes you suck at Streetwise and prevents you from increasing your skill at it without first buying off this quirk.
Quirks:  Incompetence (Streetwise).

And, now some skill suggestions....

Musical Skills

• Group Performance (Conducting)
  
• Musical Composition
  
• Musical Influence
  
• Musical Instrument (Choose an instrument!)
  
• Performance
  

Knowledge (These represent accurate knowledge.  Please narrow this list down!)

• Archaeology
  
• Architecture
  
• Astronomy (Observational)
  
• Cartography
  
• Expert Skill (Natural Philosophy)
  
• Geography (Regional)
  
• Hidden Lore (Need to specialize in one or two of these:  Angels, Beasts, Demons, Ghosts, Magical, Spirits, Undead)
  
• History (Need to specify:  Regional or a Specific Era...or both)
  
• Literature
  
• Mathematics (Pure)
  
• Occultism (What is commonly believed about supernatural subjects; not necessarily accurate)
  
• Philosophy (Any)
  
• Research
  
• Speed-Reading
  
• Thaumatology
  
• Theology (Specify:  Druidic, Shamanic, Standard)
  

Combat (Choose a fighting style)

• Carmacil (Civilian fencing)
  
• Fencing (Civilian fencing, but with a lot of "dirty fighting")
  
• Longsword Fighting (Two-Handed Sword)
  
• Shortsword Fighting (Sometimes associated with thugs and scum, but employed militarily, too)
  
• Sword-and-Buckler Play (Popular self defense among the nobility and sometimes a backup to Sword-and-Shield Fighting)
  
• Sword-and-Shield Fighting (Standard sword-and-board)
  

Social Skills (These would all fit your idea of a socialite with little real ability to manipulate people)

• Carousing
  
• Current Affairs (High Culture, People, Regional)
  
• Dancing
  
• Heraldry
  
• Savoir-Faire (High Society)
  
• Sex Appeal
  

Background Skills (These are just general skills that would be appropriate to have a little knowledge of, given your background and the location)

•   Accounting
•   Administration
•   Animal Handling (Canines or Raptors)
•   Area Knowledge
•   Boating (Sailboat or Unpowered)
•   Connoisseur (Choose a specialty)
•   Falconry
•   Finance
•   Leadership
•   Riding (Equines)
•   Swimming

[/spoiler]

[Numinous]

Alexander's Adjectives: Aloof, Spoiled, Sexy, Shallow, Intelligent, Unmotivated, Pretentious, Cultured, Gossip, Irreverent, Vain.
[spoiler=Crunch]I really liked your suggested Advantages, Disadvantages, and quirks.  Below are the skills that I found most in line with my character concept.
Skills: Music

• Musical Instrument: Violin (Does this mean I own it?)
• Musical Instrument: Concert Piano
• Performance

Skills: Knowledge

• Geography (political esp. or regional)
• Hidden Lore - Ghosts, Spirits, and Magical (Going for a Crowley or Spiritualist thing here)
• History: Political (Can I do world?  Not specifics)
• Occultism
• Research
• Speed-Reading
• Theology: Standard

Skills: Combat

• Sword and Buckler Play

Skills: Social

• Carousing
• Current Affairs - People
• Savoir-Faire
• Sex Appeal

Skills: Background

• Animal Handling (Canines, Equines, Raptors)
• Conoisseur - Music
• Falconry
• Riding (Equines)

[/spoiler]

[Humabout]

Continuing with those adjectives....
Advantages:  Appearance (Attractive); Fashion Sense; Literate.
Disadvantages:  Lazy; Odious Personal Habit -2 (Spoiled, Pretentious Brat).
Quirks: Consumate Gossip; Shallow; Uncongenial.

We'll make sure he has above average Intelligence, too.  How high, we'll see what fits in the budget.

[Seraph]

First off, I'm going to need some more information about your PCs' personalities.  Also, I've compiled a sketch of useful skills and traits from what you've written so far.  I'd love for ya'll to cull the list a bit, make suggestions, ask questions and so on.  These are only suggestions, so feel free to completely ignore them.  This is just intended as guidance.

[spoiler=Seraphine_Harmonium]
For Advantages, I really only have Combat Reflexes as a must.  I'd need to know more about your character concept in general to see if others are fitting.  As for skills....

Investigative Skills (Pick the ones you are good at)

• Body Language
  
• Detect Lies
  
• Intelligence Analysis
  
• Interrogation
  
• Intimidation
  
• Lip Reading
  
• Observation
  
• Psychology (Applied)
  
• Research
  
• Search
  
• Shadowing
  
• Streetwise
  
• Tracking
  

Monster/Occult Knowledge Skills

• Alchemy
  
• Hidden Lore (Need to specialize in one or two of these:  Angels, Beasts, Demons, Ghosts, Magical, Spirits, Undead)
  
• Occultism
  
• Thaumatology
  
• Theology (Druidic, Dwarvish, Elvish, Human, Shamanic, etc.)
  

Combat Skills  (Choose one or two of the following styles):

• Alistama (Police martial arts centered on subduing rather than killing)
  
• All-In Fighting (Combat wrestling)
  
• Axe Fighting
  
• Bare-Knuckle Boxing (Civilian martial art)
  
• Carmacil (Civilian civil fencing style)
  
• Dagger Fighting
  
• Fencing (Civilian fencing that uses a lot of "dirty fighting")
  
• Foot Archery
  
• Glaive Fighting
  
• Horkona (Martial art of the military)
  
• Longsword Fighting (Two-Handed Sword Ho!)
  
• Quarterstaff
  
• Savate (Civilian kickboxing common to sailors....also needs an in-setting name)
  
• Shortsword Fighting
  
• Spear Fighting
  
• Sword-and-Buckler Play (Nobleman's self defense, also a good backup for when your shield breaks)
  
• Sword-and-Shield Fighting
  
• Swordstaff Fighting (Think elvish naginata adopted by humans after the Elf Wars)
  

Survival Skills (Please narrow this down to what you're good at)

• Camouflage
  
• Climbing
  
• Fishing
  
• Hiking
  
• Naturalist (classic ranger/druid skill)
  
• Stealth
  
• Survival (Need to specialize:  Coastal, Mountains, or Woodlands)
  
• Swimming
  
• Traps (in this instance, for setting them to catch animals, but useable to disarm them, too)
  

Background Skills (Pick a few that suit your background or suggest others)

• Area Knowledge
  
• Boating (Sailboat or Unpowered)
  
• Carousing
  
• Current Affairs (Regional)
  
• Dancing
  
• First Aid
  
• Gesture
  
• Heraldry
  
• Jumping
  
• Running
  
• Savoir-Faire (Any)
  
• Sex Appeal
  
• Throwing
  

[/spoiler]

Malachi Jaegerfaust:  A hardened hunter, but not of animals; of witches, necromancers, and foul undead.  A bit of a loner.  Not averse to working with other people, but tends to think of them more as "cohorts" than friends, seeing them for their usefulness before anything else.  He values simplicity, and tends to be straightforward in his actions, though he is willing to take a more subtle approach when it seems necessary.  He is blunt in manner, and does not care who he offends.  He will press people and accuse them as a means of getting information.  If these accusations are proven false, he will not pursue them further, but on principle he never apologizes.  The only person he trusts completely is himself, and maybe his mentor: Ezekiel

[spoiler]Investigative skills

• Detect Lies
• Interrogate
• Intimidate
• Observation
• Searching
• Tracking
• Maybe also Shadowing

Monster/Occult Knowledge skills

• Hidden Lore: Magical and Undead
• Occultism
• Probably also Theology relating to his own religion

Combat skills

• I envision him fighting with a mace in melee.  What would you suggests as an appropriate combat style?
• What does "foot archery" refer to?  Does "foot" just mean "standing," or is it some weird "holding the bow with your feet" thing?  Also, would that apply to a crossbow?  Because I want him to have a crossbow.

Survival skills

• Climbing
• Hiking
• Survival: Mountains

[/spoiler]
For Background skills, I am not sure about any of those.  I figure this character would always have been religious, but would have at one point made a living as a bounty hunter.  I figure he took some freelance work from the church at first, and got progressively more involved.  He took vows to serve the church exclusively, and now uses his skills to track down the enemies of the church. 

[Humabout]

Okay, Seraphine, I'm seeing the following:
Disadvantages: Callous; Odious Personal Habit -1 (Blunt Asshole); Paranoia.
Quirks: Nosy and Accusative.

I included Paranoia, but that might be too extreme for you.  A quirk-level version might be more appropriate; I'm not sure just how untrusting he is.  Are we talking Conspiracy Theorist level or just "I'm the only one who will do things right" sort of deal?

With regard to skills, I'd strongly suggest Intelligence Analysis, which applies to putting together clues to solve mysteries, like "where is the demon hiding" or "what is the witch's plan."  To explain Shadowing, that is the skill of following someone in an urban environment without being noticed.  As I can see this taking place in a city as much as the wilderness, it's not a bad choice.

[EDIT]
Oh, Mace would probably work best with axe and shield fighting.  You just wont be able to hook weapons, shields, or clothing with a mace like you could do with an axe.  You will potentially inflict more damage, though.  Shall I mark you down for that?

[EDIT]
As for background skills, the ones listed are generally fitting for the region.  Anyone should have at least a little Area Knowledge covering where they live, unless they're a shutin.  The rest are either particular to the area (Boating, Climbing, Swimming, Fishing), typical of adventurers (Running, Jumping, First Aid, Gesture, Throwing), or just plain common of people (Area Knowledge, Carousing, Hiking, Heroldry, Current Affairs, Savoir-Faire, Sex Appeal).  Nothing you've mentioned really suggests specific skills or traits, though.

[Seraph]

I included Paranoia, but that might be too extreme for you.  A quirk-level version might be more appropriate; I'm not sure just how untrusting he is.  Are we talking Conspiracy Theorist level or just "I'm the only one who will do things right" sort of deal?

With regard to skills, I'd strongly suggest Intelligence Analysis, which applies to putting together clues to solve mysteries, like "where is the demon hiding" or "what is the witch's plan."  To explain Shadowing, that is the skill of following someone in an urban environment without being noticed.  As I can see this taking place in a city as much as the wilderness, it's not a bad choice.

I think the paranoia disadvantage is a bit more extreme than I had in mind.  Might consider it anyway though.  What I had in mind was not "conspiracy theory," but more "always aware of the possibility of betrayal."  It doesn't stop him from working with people, he is just cautious in his dealings with them. 

It didn't occur to me that "putting clues together" would require spending skill points on, but yes, that would definitely apply.

Oh, Mace would probably work best with axe and shield fighting.  You just wont be able to hook weapons, shields, or clothing with a mace like you could do with an axe.  You will potentially inflict more damage, though.  Shall I mark you down for that?

Hadn't initially thought he'd have a shield, but yeah, that could be good. 

So that, and whatever style would govern "Crossbow"

[Humabout]

"Always aware of the possibility of betrayal" isn't really a trait unless it benefits or restricts your options.  I could see it as a quirk, if you tend to be suspicious of people and don;t let them get close, know what's on your mind, understand your reasons, etc.

I mean, you can always use Intelligence Analysis at default from your Intelligence (abbreviated IQ), but that's not going to be nearly as reliable and fast as just learning how to put pieces together.  A detective would have Intel Analysis and understand how to assess clues and information to determine things.  A civilian defaults from IQ and requires a LOT more clues and information to reach the same conclusions (it can still be done, but it takes more work).

With reguard to a shield, they are immensely useful, especially when using a weapon that can't parry in the same second that it attacks.  Always remember that getting hurt in gurps sucks as much as in real life.

And for crossbow, just take the Crossbow skill.  There's no crossbow-specific style, since it's typicall a weapon whose primary advantage is its ease of use.  A bow takes years of training.  Any idiot can point a crossbow at something and squeeze the firing lever.  The drawback, of course, is a long reloading time, but hey, if it was fast, easy, and good, the brits would have abandoned the longbow in favor of it.