GURPS Cyberpunk
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| GURPS Cyberpunk | |
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 Cover of GURPS Cyberpunk |
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| Designer(s) | Loyd Blankenship |
| Publisher(s) | Steve Jackson Games |
| Publication date | 1990 |
| Genre(s) | Cyberpunk |
| System | GURPS 3 |
GURPS Cyberpunk (ISBN 1-55634-168-7) is a sourcebook for a cyberpunk-themed role-playing game based in a fictional, near-future dystopia, such as that envisioned by William Gibson in his influential novel Neuromancer. Written by Loyd Blankenship and published by Steve Jackson Games in 1990, it is a part of the extensive (3rd-edition) GURPS "generic" roleplaying system.
In 1993, GURPS Cyberpunk Adventures — a collection of three RPG scenarios based on GURPS Cyberpunk — won the Origins Award for Best Roleplaying Adventure of 1992.
[edit] Contents of the book
Besides the main chapters detailed below, GURPS Cyberpunk contains a 1-page glossary of common 'cyberpunk terms', an index, and a 2-page bibliography listing relevant books, short stories, comic books, graphic novels, magazines, electronic newsletters, movies and television titles.
- Characters
- This chapter describes some of the most common character types (netrunner, corp(orate), cop, celebrity, to name a few) and their typical skills, advantages, and disadvantages. It also provides a guideline about how much money a given job might bring or cost.
- Cyberwear
- Rules for and descriptions of bionic enhancements such as cyberlimbs, weapon implants, biomonitors, gills, various sense organs, mental implants, or neural-interface implants.
- Technology & Equipment
- lists many sorts of (slightly) futuristic gadgets such as power cells, weapons, armor, communicators, vehicles, tools, security systems, medical science, drugs, and others.
- Netrunning
- This chapter is the longest in the book. It details rules for realistic computer networks as well as fantastic cyberspaces accessible only through a neural interface. It describes what types of system can be found in the Net and how the characters can act (and fight) there.
- World Design
- gives guidelines for designing your own cyberpunk world.
- Campaigning
- at last, helps the gamemaster running a longer series of adventures.
[edit] “The book that was seized by the U.S. Secret Service”
GURPS Cyberpunk received notoriety when the Austin headquarters of Steve Jackson Games was raided by the U.S. Secret Service in 1990. The authorities seized the manuscript for the sourcebook, which was under development at the time, asserting that it was a "handbook for computer crime". This raid is often attributed to Operation Sundevil, a nation-wide crackdown on ‘illegal computer hacking activities’, although SJ Games and the EFF claim otherwise.
[edit] External links
- Official GURPS Cyberpunk page on the SJ Games website
- SJ Games vs. the Secret Service from Steve Jackson Games website
- EFF: Steve Jackson Games v. Secret Service Case Archive
- Steve Jackson Games case decision
- On-line and Out-of-Bounds
- Bruce Sterling. GURPS' labour lost
