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e23 Wish List for GURPS- Updated August 9, 2007 -Are you a writer or an aspiring writer who is familiar with GURPS Fourth Edition? Are you interested in creating short (16- to 64-page) GURPS items for digital publication? Are you confident that, handed the seed of an idea, you could grow it into a quality product on a deadline? If you answered "yes" to all three questions, then you're the kind of writer we're counting on to help us meet our commitment to support GURPS on e23. Read on . . . The wish list below describes a number of preapproved product ideas. These are items that we definitely want to publish and for which we're seeking proposals. This doesn't mean that we'll accept the first proposal that comes our way. We might act immediately if we really like a proposal - but then again, we might wait until we have several proposals and then pick the best one. All we're promising is that we'll read your proposal . . . and if your proposal looks good, we might have something to talk about! We appreciate your understanding in this matter. There are four steps to the proposal process:
Good luck! Titles and SpecificationsBelow is a list of titles that we want at this time. All of these items, in addition to the project-specific specs, must follow some general specs:
See any recent print book for examples of all of the above. Don't forget to allocate space for these things in your outline! Also remember that art specs are a vital part of any writing project. Be prepared to describe the general theme of the art, any specific diagram or illustration indicated in the capsule description, and at least one additional piece of art per 4,000-5,000 words. Without further ado, here are the titles . . . Adventures (Series)GURPS is famous as a tool-kit RPG that can handle any kind of game in any genre . . . if the GM has the time to prepare. Unfortunately, not every GM has that kind of time! The goal of these adventures is to help GMs enjoy their gaming time as playing time instead of using it all up as preparation time. Each will describe an interesting plot or set of plots, supported by lovingly crafted locations, events, and NPCs. Rounding it out will be a summary of important elements and notes on adapting the adventure to different power levels and styles of play. For complete details, see the outline linked below. Would-be writers should be aware that the goal of these adventures is to provide complete, ready-to-go scenarios that can be dropped into ongoing campaigns as side-quests or diversions. They should have enough detail to work as one-shot games, but they shouldn't depend strongly on history or locale (with the exception of Banestorm Adventures, Transhuman Space Adventures, and Traveller Adventures which we definitely do want), or generate far-reaching outcomes that could ruin an existing campaign. It's also important to us that each adventure uses GURPS as written, showing off (not hiding!) how it works and demonstrating how a game that's often perceived as "complex" can be a load of fun. Finally, be warned that we're not looking for anything self-consciously clever or cute - just meaty challenges, mysteries, and quests that puzzle-solvers and tacticians can get into! Word Count: 13,500 words. Agencies (Series)This series will describe real-world intelligence, law-enforcement, and security services (not military units) of the 20th and 21st centuries. Each installment will select one such organization and provide all the details the GM needs to use it in his campaign, be that as an employer for the PCs, a friendly rival, a background element, a shadowy cipher, or an out-and-out enemy. Important contents will include:
Note that the value of this series resides almost entirely in the quality of the research. Prospective authors should be ready with a bibliography and be prepared to defend their knowledge of the subject matter. Sample Titles: Banestorm (Series)We are seeking supplements that support GURPS Banestorm with creatures, guilds, knightly orders, plots, towns, and just about anything else specific to the world of Yrth. These must obey the specifications for Adventures, Bestiary, Encounters, Foes, Locations, Martial Arts, or Supporting Cast - as applicable - but be specific to the world of Yrth. Where Yrth canon and these other specifications don't quite line up, canon takes precedence. When in doubt, ask SJ Games. Banestorm titles that depart from canon without explicit permission from SJ Games are subject to summary rejection. Word Count: 13,500 to 27,000 words. Bestiary (Series)The Bestiary series will provide Fourth Edition stats for groups of creatures related closely by genes, habitat, and/or dramatic purpose; see below for some suggested titles. Each supplement will start with the Third Edition versions of the relevant beasts and convert the stats to Fourth Edition while keeping the descriptive text intact. New entries are definitely desirable, and should be carefully balanced against the converted ones. The primary goal here is to provide GMs with ready-to-use monsters and animals (intelligent races are more topical for Fantasy Folk), but anything that's likely to see use as an Ally or an Alternate Form should receive a complete template, with point costs. Sample Titles: Disasters (Series)The Disasters series will cover horrible events ranging from local catastrophes (meltdowns, quakes, tornadoes, volcanoes, even severe industrial fires and spills) to global apocalypses (meteor strikes, pandemics, global freezing or warming, etc.). Each volume will give the GM everything he needs to know to use a particular disastrous occurrence as a mere obstacle . . . as an adventure to shake up an existing campaign . . . or even as the basis of an entire "rescue" or "survivors" campaign! Content will include:
A Disasters supplement will give the GM the information he needs to toss a disaster into his campaign and get a fair idea of what it would do to the setting, the PCs, and the current adventure. The rules and guidelines won't assume a particular time or place, but will address TL differences, since low-tech societies will have less warning and often less understanding of disasters, technology can mitigate disasters and speed recovery, and some disasters are completely TL-dependent (e.g., a continental EMP simply won't affect a medieval culture!). And because there's no denying that most disaster movies are set in the modern world, the work will briefly explore the disaster in the specific context of 20th- or 21st-century Earth, examining real-world areas that are especially at risk and recommending equipment and vehicles of special value to modern-day survivors. Sample Titles: Encounters (Series)Encounters are short adventures designed to be dropped into ongoing scenarios and existing campaigns. Examples include a battle in an unusual tactical situation, a broken-down vehicle with interesting passengers, a chance meeting with a powerful supernatural being who poses riddles and grants minor wishes, an opportunity to win or lose money in a contest or a bet, and a roadside market with colorful merchants and goods. The specifications are broadly identical to those for Adventures - so be sure to read those notes! - but the number of events, locations, and NPCs will be smaller. Some Encounters won't need all of those elements, of course. All Encounters will include one extra section: advice on how to recycle and reuse the encounter again and again without it being (too) obvious to the players. Word Count: 6,000 to 7,000 words. Fantasy Folk (Series)The Fantasy Folk series will provide detailed information on individual fantasy races. Some titles will start with the racial descriptions in GURPS Fantasy Folk for Third Edition and update the stats, while others will describe all-new races . . . but all will go far beyond the two- to four-page entries seen in earlier GURPS products. A Fantasy Folk supplement should leave players dying to play a member of the featured race and GMs with all kinds of thoughts on how to use NPCs of that race as friends, neutrals, and foes. Each installment will describe:
Note that for races found on Yrth, the material in GURPS Banestorm is considered canonical. The same goes for material in GURPS Fantasy Folk where Third Edition races are concerned. It's possible for both conditions to apply! Sample Titles: Foes (Series)Every game needs bad guys. Mad scientists and ninja clans are fun, but modern-day cops, soldiers, and spies often face more down-to-earth enemies. However, while it's acceptable to name the agencies to which law and security officers belong (see Agencies) - they're funded by tax dollars, after all - it's a touchier proposition to single out less-than-legal groups as villains. For one thing, "terrorist" vs. "freedom fighter" and "cult" vs. "faithful" often comes down to point of view. For another, most such groups don't appreciate the attention! The goal of Foes is to file off the serial numbers and describe broad categories of dangerous organizations that the GM can use in his campaign. Each volume will look at one class of baddies and offer:
Note that the value of this series resides almost entirely in the quality of the research. Prospective authors should be ready with a bibliography and be prepared to defend their knowledge of the subject matter. Sample Titles: FurriesAnthropomorphic animals (and zoomorphic people!) - often known as furries - play a major role in anime, comics, speculative fiction, and mythology. From the animal-headed gods of ancient Egypt to the "apes" of Planet of the Apes, from the original Minotaur to futuristic bioengineered beast-men, these creatures are a central feature of many genres, yet GURPS books have largely treated them as a sideshow act. Furries is intended to correct that oversight. It will give roughly equal attention to the following elements:
We shouldn't have to say this, but we will: we aren't interested in anything that veers in the "yiffy" or "furvert" direction . . . even a little. Potential authors who don't know what that means aren't at any disadvantage. Word Count: 27,000 to 40,000 words. High-Tech (Series)GURPS High-Tech is a huge book, jam-packed with gear . . . but human ingenuity, especially in modern times, could fill an entire library! Each volume in the High-Tech series will select a field of endeavor and then expand the narrow selection of relevant hardware from GURPS High-Tech (which will be considered canonical, and reproduced in the relevant High-Tech supplements for completeness' sake) into a detailed catalog of tools for pros who work in the chosen field. It might even include a vehicle or two, presented according to the instructions under Vehicles. The aim is to give specialist PCs all the kit they need to do their jobs properly - and of course to help GMs run campaigns that focus on such PCs. Note that the value of this series resides almost entirely in the quality of the research. "Make stuff up" won't be acceptable, and would-be authors who have extensive real-life experience with the subject matter will get preferential treatment. We just might ask for a resume! Sample Titles: Hot Spots (Series)The Hot Spots series will look at Earth's history up to the present day through the eyes of both the opportunists who seek to benefit from political or social upheaval (black marketeers, bounty hunters, grifters, kingmakers, mercenaries, etc.) and the individuals tasked to keep order. Each Hot Spots supplement will visit a specific locale - which might be a city, a nation, or a general geographical region - that has major criminal, espionage, guerrilla, and/or military activity that stops short of open warfare. If the hot spot is a city, even wartime is fine, provided the focus is on city life rather than the battle at the city walls. Important elements will include:
The goal is to set up the hot spot as a major destination for adventure or even as the backdrop for an extended campaign, so the focus will be on plots and events, not game mechanics. Hot Spots volumes will remain extremely rules-light, leaving armaments, character sheets, and the like to other works. Thus, they're a good choice for experienced writers with limited GURPS rules experience. Sample Titles: Infinite Worlds (Series)The world we know today is the product of pivotal events in the past . . . but what if the outcomes of some of those events had been different? What would the world look like now? That's what the Infinite Worlds series aims to find out! Each installment will visit a parallel Earth where history took a different turn at a crucial "decision point" in the past and present it as a timeline for use with the GURPS Infinite Worlds setting. Contents will include:
If the setting requires maps, then the author must provide these as well. Note that everything in GURPS Infinite Worlds is considered canon. Infinite Worlds titles that depart from canon without explicit permission from SJ Games are subject to summary rejection. Word Count: 13,500 to 54,000 words. Loadouts (Series)Specialist PCs often need a lot of gear . . . but knowing what's required, and where to find it, can be tricky. Loadouts supplements will do for equipping characters what character templates do for creating them: make the exercise a simple matter of picking items off a list and writing them down on the character sheet. A Loadouts catalog will provide several sets of carefully cost- and weight-checked equipment for members of closely related professions, with "lenses" for different budgets and a variety of situations. Each will include armor, clothing, tools, weapons, and all the accessories - down to the smallest battery and last round of ammo - along with holsters, load-bearing gear, and packs to carry it all. Items will have default locations ("on belt," "in vest pocket," "in pack," etc., and even "in vehicle" and "in camp"), and the weight of common configurations will be worked out for instant access when using the encumbrance rules. Note that the value of Low-Tech Loadouts and High-Tech Loadouts titles resides almost entirely in the quality of the research. Prospective authors should be ready with a bibliography and be prepared to defend their knowledge of the subject matter. Sample Titles: Locations (Series)It never fails . . . if the GM has plans for Mr. X's secret hideout, the Wombat Liberation Army training compound, and the Dungeons of Doom, then the players will steer the action toward the local bus station, golf course, or blacksmith's shop. Locations aims to solve this problem by providing "generic" ready-to-use buildings and outdoor scenes that are likely to come up in play. Each installment will include:
We're also interesting in battlefields, which would be treated in much the same way but with more focus on tactical considerations such as concealment, cover, elevation, and obstacles. Whatever the nature of your location, be sure to identify the broad era and/or setting for which it's intended when you propose it: ancient Rome, generic modern day, medieval Europe, Old West, Prohibition-era America, Renaissance Europe, Tokugawa-era Japan, WWI, WWII, etc. Sample Titles: Magic Items (Series)The Third Edition supplements GURPS Magic Items 1, GURPS Magic Items 2, and GURPS Magic Items 3 were chock-full of wondrous wizardly widgets and empowering enchanted elixirs for fantasy campaigns. While it might be traditional for such artifacts to vanish from human memory, we would rather not see that happen to our magical inventory! To this end, the goal of the Magic Items project is to group items from the three Third Edition catalogs by type, update their stats, and release a series of themed item compilations for Fourth Edition. Note that the Magic Items supplements will be more about revision and reorganization than about creating new material. Good organizational skills and thorough familiarity with GURPS Magic are crucial. Applicants with past experience as freelance GURPS editors will therefore get preferential treatment. Sample Titles: Martial Arts (Series)GURPS Martial Arts builds extensively on the combat rules in the GURPS Basic Set. Perhaps more importantly, though, it introduces the concept of fighting styles, which bring roleplaying to the battlefield by giving warriors distinctive moves, tactics, and weapon preferences. The Martial Arts series will take this idea and run with it, describing additional styles for interesting fighters, exploring the culture behind them, and examining the honor codes and lifestyles of the fighting men themselves. Each supplement will include:
Note that we're looking for both real and invented styles. Martial Arts titles that feature real-world martial arts will be held to high standards of research. Prospective authors should be ready with a bibliography and be prepared to defend their knowledge of the subject matter. Sample Titles: Modern World (Series)The world we live in is an extremely complicated place. Adventurers must not only deal with a bewildering number of often-dangerous people (see Agencies and Foes), places (see Hot Spots and Locations), and things (see High-Tech and Loadouts) - they frequently have to engage in or prevent high-risk activities. The objective of the Modern World series is to look at these deeds in detail, thereby providing the final element needed to describe the modern world as a campaign setting. Each title will choose an interesting civil, corporate, criminal, military, scientific, or security activity and provide:
Note that the value of this series resides almost entirely in the quality of the research. Prospective authors should be ready with a bibliography and be prepared to defend their knowledge of the subject matter. Sample Titles: More (Series)Fourth Edition introduces several powerful user-defined traits: Talents, perks, Expert Skills, and wildcard skills. Some gamers like to dream up these things . . . but not everybody has the time or the inclination to do so. Each More supplement will do exactly what the title implies and offer more of these items, collecting together all the examples in print in the GURPS Basic Set and other Fourth Edition books, and then adding vast numbers of new ones. While many such things can be found online, everything in this series will be "official" and playtested, and treated as canon in future supplements. Sample Titles: Powers (Series)GURPS Powers generalizes the rules for psionics in the GURPS Basic Set to cover any kind of superhuman power imaginable. It's a powerful tool kit . . . but it requires a significant time investment to learn and use. Sometimes, the GM just needs a ready-made power with fully worked-out abilities - especially at character creation, when the lack of a canonical set of abilities can frustrate new players while giving munchkins too much freedom. The Powers series will meet this need by describing sets of related powers in extreme detail. Each supplement will include:
Rules geeks only, please! Sample Titles: Space Atlas (Series)One of the key elements of memorable space fiction - and one of the most important elements of a good space campaign - is the presence of interesting star systems for the heroes to visit as scouts, explorers, ambassadors, tourists, merchants, spies, and conquerors. Unfortunately, it's a lot of work to create a fully realized solar system with all of its planets and moons . . . the civilizations on those worlds . . . the fleets and outposts of those civilizations . . . and so on. That's where the Space Atlas series steps in! Each volume will describe a star system in enough detail that the GM could set a campaign there, yet not lose sight of the fact that in an interstellar campaign, the PCs might merely drop by from time to time. Contents will include:
We might eventually coordinate these by placing them on a star map, but this isn't an immediate priority. Watch this space for future developments! Word Count: 13,500 to 54,000 words. Supporting Cast (Series)Named villains and large organizations (see Agencies and Foes) are great . . . but sometimes, the GM needs a small- to medium-sized group that's a bit more like a party of PCs. This can be challenging and time-consuming to pull together, because while hordes are easy - create one NPC and clone as necessary - teams require the careful crafting of very different individuals with particular roles and abilities. The Supporting Cast series assists the GM by describing generic teams that are likely to show up during adventures. Each supplement will include:
Note that each Supporting Cast team is a lot like a party of PCs, and could even be used as pregenerated PCs in a demo or a convention game. As such, the NPCs should be reasonably efficient, interesting characters with no abilities that would be completely unsuitable for PCs. Sample Titles: Transhuman Space (Series)We are seeking supplements that support Transhuman Space with corporations, research teams, splinter factions, bioroids, parahumans, interesting locations, and just about anything else that fits the setting. These must obey the specifications for Adventures, Agencies, Encounters, Foes, Hot Spots, Locations, Supporting Cast, or Vehicles - as applicable - but be specific to the Transhuman Space setting. Where Transhuman Space canon and these other specifications don't quite agree, canon takes precedence. When in doubt, ask SJ Games. Transhuman Space titles that depart from canon without explicit permission from SJ Games are subject to summary rejection. Word Count: 13,500 to 27,000 words. TrapsConan, the Gray Mouser, Indiana Jones . . . virtually every hero of adventure fiction has had to face fiendish traps at some point in his career. Well-designed pitfalls and cunning puzzles certainly bring an evil gleam to many a GM's eye. And for good reason! An adversary NPC can fall to an unfortunate critical hit, but a truly clever trap simply can't be defeated by luck. Traps aren't just for GMs, either. Players can look to them for inspiration - perhaps to dispatch their PCs' foes in the spirit of Dutch in Predator and Rambo in First Blood. Traps will describe dozens of devious devices for every tech level and mana level, from simple Stone Age snares to ultra-tech gadgetry. The emphasis will be on brief, stats-centered entries that the GM can easily use at a glance or copy from his PDF. Important details will include:
Finally, since low-tech traps often stay in use at high TLs, each entry will be careful not to assume too much about the person setting the trap or his intended victim! Word Count: 27,000 words. TravellerWe are seeking supplements that support Traveller with plots, cargoes, starports, and just about anything else that fits the setting. These must obey the specifications for Adventures, Agencies, Encounters, Foes, Hot Spots, Locations, Space Atlases, Supporting Cast, or Vehicles - as applicable - but be specific to the Traveller setting. Where Traveller canon and these other specifications don't quite agree, canon takes precedence. When in doubt, ask SJ Games. Traveller titles that depart from canon without explicit permission from SJ Games are subject to summary rejection. We will be accepting submissions based on the OGL Traveller rules from Mongoose. Word Count: 13,500 to 27,000 words. Vehicles (Series)Without vehicles, how could adventurers and their foes chase each other along roads and cross-country . . . over and under water . . . through the sky . . . and out into space? Vehicles are a vital part of adventure fiction! The Vehicles series will deliver the goods. Each supplement will describe 7-15 closely related vehicles of a particular era, nation, and/or class (preferably all three). Vehicle format will be identical to that used for vehicles in GURPS High-Tech and GURPS Ultra-Tech. Stats will be assigned in line with real-world stats and with the vehicles in print books (mainly the aforementioned tech books and the GURPS Basic Set) - not calculated using GURPS Vehicle Design. Contents will include:
For real-world vehicles, the author should also attempt to locate public-domain photos to illustrate the work. If the vehicles are fantastic or futuristic, the author will instead have to provide detailed art specs, and be willing and able to work closely with an artist. Sample Titles: Who's Who (Series)History's movers and shakers make great NPCs for both real-world and parallel-history campaigns. The Who's Who series will continue the tradition started by the Third Edition sourcebooks GURPS Who's Who 1 and GURPS Who's Who 2. Each Who's Who supplement will provide descriptions, character sheets (consistent with the guidelines established in the original Who's Who books, suitably updated to Fourth Edition), brief biographies, adventure seeds, and "what-ifs" (e.g., "What if they saved Hitler's brain?") for seven historical figures connected by deeds, events, locale, profession . . . and preferably several of these things. Good candidates include artists, generals, inventors, reformers, scientists, spiritual leaders, and statesmen, but there are dozens of other possibilities! Note that the value of this series resides almost entirely in the quality of the research. Prospective authors should be ready with a bibliography and be prepared to defend their knowledge of the subject matter. Sample Titles: |
