''GURPS Cyberpunk Adventures'' is a trio of near-future
cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting said to focus on a combination of "low-life and high tech". It features futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cyberwa ...
role-playing adventures 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 1992 for the third edition of ''
GURPS
The ''Generic Universal Role Playing System'', or ''GURPS'', is a tabletop role-playing game system published by Steve Jackson Games. The system is designed to run any genre using the same core mechanics. The core rules were first written by St ...
'' (''Generic Universal Role-Playing System'').
Contents
This book contains three role-playing adventures using the third edition ''GURPS'' rules. All three adventures evoke the cyberpunk genre:
* "The Medusa Sanction": The characters are hired to recover a package, and soon find themselves involved in industrial espionage and biological warfare.
* "Jericho Blackout": Acting as mercenaries, the characters confront a gang of cybernetic street gangs in Montana.
* "Jigsaw Incomplete": The characters must deal with reality-altering technology that is not working in the way it was intended.
Publication history
''GURPS Cyberpunk Adventures'' is a 128-page softcover book written by
Loyd Blankenship
Loyd Blankenship, better known by his pseudonym The Mentor, is an American 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
...
, Tim Keating,
Jak Koke, and
David L. Pulver, with artwork by Carl Anderson, Michael Barrett, Guy Burchack, Dan Carroll, C. Bradford Gorby, Rick Harris, Darrell Midgette, Paul Mounts, Rob Prior, Dan Smith, Jeffrey K. Starling, Ruth Thompson, and Gary Washington. It was published by Steve Jackson Games in 1992.
Reception
In the December 1993 edition of ''
Dragon
A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...
'' (Issue #200),
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' ...
called the book "three solidly plotted scenarios drenched in high-tech grunge." While Swan thought that "All three boast smart premises and breakneck pacing", he criticized the authors for too many instances of ''
deus ex machina
''Deus ex machina'' ( ; ; plural: ''dei ex machina''; 'God from the machine') is a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is suddenly or abruptly resolved by an unexpected and unlikely occurrence. Its function is general ...
'', saying, "the designers struggle with methods for feeding information to the PCs, relying on such hokey devices as a fortuitous computer printout (some 700 words long) and a tape-recorded confession." He also was not impressed with the artwork, commenting that "The pedestrian illustrations and dull maps pale before those of, say,
FASA
FASA Corporation was an American publisher of role-playing games, wargaming, wargames and board games between 1980 and 2001, after which they closed publishing operations for several years, becoming an IP holding company under the name FASA In ...
's ''
Shadowrun
''Shadowrun'' is a science fantasy tabletop role-playing game set in an alternate future in which cybernetics, magic in fiction, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist. It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy, and crime fiction, crime, wit ...
'' game supplements." Swan concluded with a swipe at the book's Origin Award, saying, "One of 1992's best? No question. ''The'' best? Nahh..."
Awards
At the 1993
Origins Awards
The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the gaming industry. They are presented by the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for games released in the preceding year. For example, t ...
, ''GURPS Cyberpunk Adventures'' won ''Best Roleplaying Adventure of 1992''.
Other reviews
* ''The Scroll'' #10 (Sept 1992, "Creative Justive - Game Reviews"
* ''The Last Province'' #2 (Dec 1992, "Pandora's Box")
References
{{reflist
Cyberpunk Adventures
Origins Award winners
Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1992
Science fiction role-playing game adventures