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GURPStalk
Shenanigans
Can you run an open table in a long-form manner with a consistent, grounded campaign world? And what about mysteries: can you run an investigative game in an open world style?
Pat and Che discuss the challenges of running an open table while maintaining a consistent, grounded campaign world. Pat argues that open tables inherently conflict with world consistency due to the transient nature of players, while Che defends the concept by referencing the West Marches movement and Justin Alexander's Open Table Manifesto.
Pat discusses the challenges of running open and emergent investigations, noting that it requires a group of seasoned TTRPG players who are interested in the long game rather than quick successes. Pat suggests that GMs need to be willing to throw away prep work and be committed to the ongoing narrative to fully enjoy such campaigns.
Thanks for listening to and supporting the show.
Pat mentions the 1ShotAdventures guy:
Complete List of Adventures (GURPS 4th Edition) - 1Shot Adventures
OR 1shotadventures.com/1shot-adventures-gurps/
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PAT'S BLOG:
Processing GURPS – Enabling Longform, Immersive TTRPG play using GURPS
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THANKS:
Jon from Tale of the Manticore for the music:
https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/
Logo by MJ Hiblen:
https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/
DISCLAIMER & NOTICE:
The material presented here is our original creation, intended for use with the GURPS system from Steve Jackson Games. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Steve Jackson Games.
GURPS is a registered trademark of Steve Jackson Games, and any GURPS art here is copyrighted by Steve Jackson Games. All rights are reserved by SJ Games. This material is used here in accordance with the SJ Games online policy.
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35. CUFOS
01:22:33||Season 1, Ep. 35How do you manage factions in GURPS without all the bookkeeping?Pat Mullen and Che Webster dive into CUFOS (Campaign Unified Faction Operating System)—a framework for managing organizations in GURPS campaigns. Pat breaks down how CUFOS pulls together tools from Boardroom and Curia, Realm Management, and Mass Combat into one unified system. They get into using LLMs to auto-generate organisation stats and NPC profiles, keeping things mechanically consistent while freeing the GM to focus on the emergent story. And Pat shows it all in action with his Star Trek campaign, where CUFOS juggles multiple factions and serves up real player hooks.Thanks for listening to and supporting the show.GOT A QUESTION?Ask us via voice message:speakpipe.com/gurpstalkAsk us via an email:gurpstalk@pm.mePAT'S BLOG:Processing GURPS – Enabling Longform, Immersive TTRPG play using GURPSORhttps://processinggurps.com/RPR PATREON: patreon.com/rpgrescueTHANKS:Jon from Tale of the Manticore for the music:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/Logo by MJ Hiblen:https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/
34. Making New Powers (Ode To Steven)
01:18:49||Season 1, Ep. 34How do you make new custom powers for your GURPS games?Che and Pat discuss creating and evolving custom powers in GURPS, using examples from Pat’s campaigns. They review how to design abilities based on player concepts, such as “Visual Spatial Savant” for Steven’s Star Trek character and new psychic powers for his Dire Passages character, focusing on limitations, accessibility, and pricing. They also talk about the importance of immersive play, player agency, and how custom powers should enhance roleplaying rather than just add modifiers.Thanks to Steven for creating characters that inspire his GM.Thanks for listening to and supporting the show.GOT A QUESTION?Ask us via voice message:speakpipe.com/gurpstalkAsk us via an email:gurpstalk@pm.mePAT'S BLOG:Processing GURPS – Enabling Longform, Immersive TTRPG play using GURPSORhttps://processinggurps.com/RPR PATREON: patreon.com/rpgrescueTHANKS:Jon from Tale of the Manticore for the music:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/Logo by MJ Hiblen:https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/
33. What Do You Prep?
01:26:17||Season 1, Ep. 33What specific details do you add to your prep notes?Pat and Che discuss their GURPS preparation workflow and campaign management techniques. Pat shares his detailed preparation process for his Dire Passages campaign, which involves maintaining a comprehensive and ever-growing document tracking past events, current status, and future timeline elements. He demonstrates how he uses this system to prepare for sessions by documenting narrative outcomes, tracking NPCs and their activities, and planning future events with specific dates and mechanics.Thanks for listening to and supporting the show.GOT A QUESTION?Ask us via voice message:speakpipe.com/gurpstalkAsk us via an email:gurpstalk@pm.mePAT'S BLOG:Processing GURPS – Enabling Longform, Immersive TTRPG play using GURPSORhttps://processinggurps.com/RPR PATREON: patreon.com/rpgrescueTHANKS:Jon from Tale of the Manticore for the music:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/Logo by MJ Hiblen:https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/
32. Prepare for Action
01:17:38||Season 1, Ep. 32What do you do with a split group when combat breaks out?Pat and Che discuss combat mechanics and pacing in role-playing games. Pat explains his approach to handling combat in his Star Trek campaign "Imminent Destinies," where he uses action time (one minute) rather than the traditional one-second combat system to allow multiple concurrent actions by different player characters. He details how he implements burst combat (3-second periods) and transitions between normal time, action time, and combat time to maintain momentum while enabling split-party scenarios.Thanks to Alex M for the call-in that inspired the episode.GOT A QUESTION?Ask us via voice message:speakpipe.com/gurpstalkAsk us via an email:gurpstalk@pm.mePAT'S BLOG:Processing GURPS – Enabling Longform, Immersive TTRPG play using GURPSORhttps://processinggurps.com/RPR PATREON: patreon.com/rpgrescueTHANKS:Jon from Tale of the Manticore for the music:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/Logo by MJ Hiblen:https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/
31. GURPSing Settings
01:17:21||Season 1, Ep. 31How do you GURPS up a setting like Star Trek?This episode of GURPStalk focuses on Pat and Che's ongoing project to create a Star Trek-inspired GURPS campaign set in 2225 in the Beta Quadrant near the He'shra (Orion Syndicate territory). Pat explains their approach to worldbuilding, including the development of cultural typologies for different species like Klingons, and details their system for handling cross-cultural interactions through cultural familiarity, status, and rank mechanics. GOT A QUESTION?Ask us via voice message:speakpipe.com/gurpstalkAsk us via an email:gurpstalk@pm.mePAT'S BLOG:Processing GURPS – Enabling Longform, Immersive TTRPG play using GURPSORhttps://processinggurps.com/RPR PATREON: patreon.com/rpgrescueTHANKS:Jon from Tale of the Manticore for the music:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/Logo by MJ Hiblen:https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/
30. Conceptual Betazoid Application
01:11:53||Season 1, Ep. 30How do we make Star Trek telepathy feel real?Pat and Che conduct a deep dive into GURPS mechanisms, specifically focusing on developing a Betazoid character concept for their upcoming Star Trek: Imminent Destinies campaign. Pat demonstrates his approach of prioritising concept over mechanisms, showing how he created a grounded, realistic portrayal of Betazoid telepathy that reflects the species' abilities as seen in the Star Trek series.GOT A QUESTION?Ask us via voice message:speakpipe.com/gurpstalkAsk us via an email:gurpstalk@pm.mePAT'S BLOG:Processing GURPS – Enabling Longform, Immersive TTRPG play using GURPSORhttps://processinggurps.com/RPR PATREON: patreon.com/rpgrescueTHANKS:Jon from Tale of the Manticore for the music:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/Logo by MJ Hiblen:https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/
29. Horse Hockey
01:45:07||Season 1, Ep. 29Can players get use from AI for their characters... and some other horse hockey...Pat and Che discuss the use of AI tools in tabletop role-playing games (RPGs), particularly focusing on GURPS. They addressed how players can use AI to assist with character creation while maintaining engagement with the game master (GM) and ensuring the process aligns with the game's priors, which emphasize long-form play, grounded otherworlds, and in-character agency. Thanks to Thorlik for the call-in.GOT A QUESTION?Ask us via voice message:speakpipe.com/gurpstalkAsk us via an email:gurpstalk@pm.mePAT'S BLOG:Processing GURPS – Enabling Longform, Immersive TTRPG play using GURPSORhttps://processinggurps.com/RPR PATREON: patreon.com/rpgrescueTHANKS:Jon from Tale of the Manticore for the music:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/Logo by MJ Hiblen:https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/
28. Dark Arts
01:11:41||Season 1, Ep. 28What use might so-called AI tools have for an RPG?Che and Pat recorded an episode of their podcast discussing the use of "dark arts" - specifically AI tools like NotebookLM, Lumo, and Gemini - in role-playing game preparation. They shared how these tools help with research, analysis, and creating game materials more efficiently, while acknowledging the importance of user expertise in managing the limitations of large language models. The conversation covered specific use cases including world-building, character development, and creating game mechanics, with both hosts emphasizing that these tools serve as research assistants rather than creative replacements. They also addressed common concerns about AI in gaming, including copyright issues and the distinction between AI tools and true artificial intelligence.And yes, an LLM created that blurb.GOT A QUESTION?Ask us via voice message:speakpipe.com/gurpstalkAsk us via an email:gurpstalk@pm.mePAT'S BLOG:Processing GURPS – Enabling Longform, Immersive TTRPG play using GURPSORhttps://processinggurps.com/RPR PATREON: patreon.com/rpgrescueTHANKS:Jon from Tale of the Manticore for the music:https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/Logo by MJ Hiblen:https://www.patreon.com/MJHiblenART/