''GURPS Old West'' is a supplement published by

Steve Jackson Games Steve Jackson Games (SJGames) is a game company, founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games, and (until 2019) the gaming magazine ''Pyramid''. History Founded in 1980, six years after the cr ...

in 1991 for ''

GURPS The ''Generic Universal RolePlaying System'', or ''GURPS'', is a tabletop role-playing game system designed to allow for play in any game setting. It was created by Steve Jackson Games and first published in 1986 at a time when most such systems w ...

'' (''Generic Universal Role-Playing System'').

Content

''GURPS Old West'' provides details of how to introduce a

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

setting to ''GURPS''. Details include various forms of transportation, and activities such as panning for gold, robbing trains or banks, and cattle drives. Some exploration of Southwest Amerindian culture is included, with suggestions on how native religion could be adapted for spellcasting. New rules around gunplay and spellcasting are also included.

Publication history

''GURPS Old West'' is a 128-page softcover book written by

Ann Dupuis Ann Dupuis is the owner of Grey Ghost Press and designer of a number of GURPS supplements. Career Dupuis began working as a game designer in 1991, first working on ''GURPS'' books for Steve Jackson Games. Dupuis also did some design work for ...

, Liz Tornabene, Robert E. Smith, and Lynda Manning Schwartz, with additional material by Mike Hurst, Steve Jackson, and

Loyd Blankenship Loyd Blankenship (born 1965), better known by his pseudonym The Mentor, is a computer hacker and writer. He has been active since the 1970s, when he was a member of the hacker groups Extasyy Elite and Legion of Doom. Writings Hacker Manifesto ...

. Interior art is by Topper Helmers and Carl Anderson, and cover art is by David Patrick Menahan. It was published by Steve Jackson Games in 1991. In the 2014 book ''Designers & Dragons: The '80s'', game historian Shannon Appelcline noted that Steve Jackson Games decided in the early 1990s to stop publishing adventures, and as a result "SJG was now putting out standalone ''GURPS'' books rather than the more complex tiered book lines. This included more historical subgenre books. Some, such as ''

GURPS Camelot ''GURPS Camelot'' is an Arthurian supplement published by Steve Jackson Games in 1991 for ''GURPS'' (''Generic Universal Role-Playing System''). Content ''GURPS Camelot'' details how Arthurian legend can be used as a setting for a medieval ''GUR ...

'' (1991) and ''GURPS China'' (1991), were clearly sub-subgenres, while others like ''GURPS Old West'' (1991) and ''

GURPS Middle Ages I ''GURPS Middle Ages I'' is a sourcebook for running a Middle Ages themed ''GURPS'' campaign. It is a part of the extensive ''GURPS'' "generic" roleplaying system. Contents ''GURPS Middle Ages I'' covers English history from the Dark Ages to the R ...

'' (1992) covered genres notably missing before this point."

Reception

In the February 1993 edition of ''

Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

'' (Issue #190),

Rick Swan Rick Swan is a game designer and author who worked for TSR. His work for TSR, mostly for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, appeared from 1989 to 1995. Swan also wrote ''The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games'' (1990), published by St. Martin's Pre ...

pointed out that "the emphasis here is on drama over dry facts. Wherever reality contradicts

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

movies, the designers aren't afraid to goose the truth a bit, and they encourage referees to do the same." Nonetheless, Swan found that "The book abounds with inviting activities for PCs to pursue, along with sound advice for staging memorable encounters." He concluded by giving the book an excellent rating of 4.5 out of 5, saying, "The combination of diligent research and imaginative embellishments makes for an unbeatable package — one that players and referees alike ought to relish. After reading from start to finish, I was hungry for more. And that’s about the best recommendation a sourcebook can get."

References

{{reflist

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

Historical role-playing games Historical Western role-playing games Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1991