Gurps 4th is a leaner meaner version of the game system built around a toolkit of powers and advantages and enhancements and limitations that make the game more flexible and more universal than ever.
Post originally by kommisar at 2004-11-22 11:30:05
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Hi-
One major change that wasn't mentioned in this review is when spell casting takes place during combat. In 4e, the spell is cast during the turn of the final concentrate manuever. In 3e, the spell was cast at the beginnig of the next turn after the final concentrate manuever. Since the majority of spells take only 1 concentrate manuever, a mage can concentrate and cast them in a single turn. This means an opponent must take a wait manuever in order to interrupt such spells.
Post originally by kommisar at 2004-11-22 11:39:49
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Hi-
The review does not mention several differences in success rolls chapter compared to 3e.
First, contests of skills are modified for abilities greater than 20. Instead of subtracting the same quantity from both abilities, both scores are multiplied by the same fraction. This rationlizes contests where really big values are involved.
Second, extra effort rules have been simplified and there are optional extra effort rules for use in combat.
Finally, there are new rules allowing a player to modify the results of a success roll by expending character points.
Post originally by kommisar at 2004-11-22 11:55:17
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Hi-
There are several additional changes to combat in GURPS 4e that the review does not mention.
First, a combatant can "rapid strike" without having to all out attack by taking substantial penalty to attack skill.
Second, a melee fighter can use an evaluate manuever a foe and gain benefits analogous to an aim manuever for ranged weapons.
Third, a ranged weapon user can "all out attack" and gain a +1 to hit.
Fourth, a melee fighter can initiate a "deceptive attack" and take a penalty to attack skill, a fraction of which is applied to the target's defense roll.
Fifth, unbalanced weapons can't attack and parry during the same turn but they don't have to be readied after attacking or parrying.
Sixth, melee fighters now get more than one parry per turn, with a cumulative penalty.
Seventh, player cannot parry during a move and attack manuever.
Eighth, all out defense (dodging) manever allows combatant to move a half move.
Ninth, retreat option to an active defense adds a variable amount to active defense depending on which skill defender is using.
Tenth, the shock penalty from damage is now capped.
Post originally by NPC Brown Cow at 2004-11-23 09:39:55
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I?m still reading both books, but several things have gone missing or have been severely nurfed. Also, rules seem to be more spread through out the book [sorta D&D like, with little rules and exceptions everywhere] rather than being concentrated in their respective chapters.
Most notable on my list of things that are gone is two of the cinematic combat options from Compendium II, Chambara [sp?] combat and what we refer to as the rule of 8 [for every 8 effective ranks a skill has you get another attack].
We used these to death in 3rd edition. And they are completely gone in 4th.
Also Weapon Master has been nurfed to almost uselessness, for low ST characters anyway. It now gives a bonus to damage based on the number of dice you already do and your relative skill. It now heavily favors characters with a high ST. In 3rd, we used it to narrow the gap between our characters with low ST and the high ST bruisers of the group. So no one was totally ineffective damage wise.
I guess with PD gone they had to find a way to reduce damage. >shrug<
There may be more that I missed, but with all the changes to GURPS I may just switch to HERO. It would be easier for me to learn a new system then to try to *retcon my way of thinking of how things work in GURPS.
Post originally by David Stroup at 2004-11-23 10:58:30
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Re: cinematic combat in G4.
I'm running two GURPS 4 campaigns, and we don't miss the old options. With "Rapid Strike" a character can attack twice at -6 to each attack -- or at -3 if he has Weapon Master. A high-skill Weapon Master can attack effectively twice as often as someone who spent his points on Strength... we've found that this makes for very effective skillful cinematic characters -- and it's integrated into the core rules much more smoothly than the various old rules for multiple attacks.
Post originally by Odwyn Blood at 2004-11-26 16:00:41
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As I recall, Kromm ruled on the SJG board that "extra attack" could be used on a Weapon Master's weapon to simulate multiple attacks by a cinematic warrior. Thus a character could make three attacks a turn, dual attacking at -3 and a normal skill attack for the Extra Attack advantage.
But no more 5 digit number of attacks per second for guys who take Ally Group and Absorb DX to put 1000 extra DX into their stats, +250 to dodge and move etc and +200 damage (take the number of extra attacks a skill of 1020 gives you then multply it by the number of full actions a character gets using an optional rule that gives a full action for every 6 pts of basic speed.
Post originally by LateCustomer at 2004-12-01 14:30:03
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Don't under-estimate the player who favors flash and skill.
Take a healthy skill to start with. 15 is favorite. (var.)
Either take Ambidexterity or 4 lvls of Off-Hand Training. (5pts)
Buy 4 lvls of Dual-Weapon attack. (5pts)
Now, as it stands this fighter could get 3 attacks off on 1 target at -3/-3/0 penalty, if said fighter burns up an FP.
If the campaign allows Weapon Master, then the penalty is a static -3/-3/0 without using stamina, or a -2/-2/0 (-1/-1/0 if the GM is a kind one) if you do use an FP.
If Extra Attack is also bought, then the fighter now has 4 attacks, with the static Penalty now being -3/-3/0/0.
Also, don't forget that the game now allows one to parry any number of times per turn PER WEAPON (this is Key), provided your Parry level can handle a -4 penalty per parry after the 1st in any given turn.
Anyway, there's so much more that you can add to further the abilities of a fast and skillful character that more than makes up for any lack of ST that might have been given up... but I'm sure y'all get the idea.
Post originally by stumanusa at 2005-05-25 11:40:22
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Hi Thank you for summarizing these. I was very pleased to see the change to readying unbalanced weapons after attack. In my fantasy campaign no one wanted to used axes because swords could attack every round.
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