''GURPS Middle Ages I'' is a

sourcebook A sourcebook is a collection of writings on a subject that is intended to be a basic introduction to the topic presented. Academic use In American universities, a sourcebook, either a standard one or a custom collection, may function as a supplem ...

for running a

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

themed ''

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 ...

'' campaign. It is a part of the extensive ''

'' "generic" roleplaying system.

''GURPS Middle Ages I'' covers English history from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance, and addresses such topics as the development of Saxon law, the influence of the Celtic church, and the ramifications of the Hundred Years' War. A chapter on spellcasting provides simple rules for rune magic and Hellenistic charms. The "Medieval Bestiary" compiles background notes and ''GURPS'' statistics for mythological creatures relevant to the era.

Publication history

''GURPS Middle Ages I'' was designed by Graeme Davis and Michael Hurst, and edited by Steve Jackson, and

published Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, new ...

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 c ...

as a 128-page softcover book. Illustrations are by Ruth Thompson, Carl Anderson,

Thomas Baxa Thomas M. Baxa is an artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games. Biography Tom Baxa grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. He enrolled at Northern Illinois University, where he studied under comic and fantasy artist Mark Nelson. Works To ...

, Angela Bostick, Dan Carroll,

Evan Dorkin Evan Dorkin (born April 20, 1965) is an American comics artist and cartoonist. His best known works are the comic books ''Milk and Cheese'' and ''Dork''. His comics often poke fun at fandom, even while making it clear that Dorkin is a fan himse ...

, Rick Lowry, and Rob Prior, with a cover by

Rowena Rowena in the Matter of Britain was the daughter of the purported Anglo-Saxon chief Hengist and wife of Vortigern, "King of the Britons". Presented as a beautiful '' femme fatale'', she won her people the Kingdom of Kent through her treacherous ...

. After the

Secret Service A secret service is a government agency, intelligence agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. For ...

raid on SJG, the company stopped printing adventures for financial reasons, and as a result put out standalone ''GURPS'' books; this included more historical subgenre books such as ''GURPS Middle Ages I'', a genre that had been notably missing before that point. As of 2002 it is in its second edition.

Reception

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 Pr ...

reviewed ''GURPS Middle Ages I'' for '' Dragon'' magazine #190 (February 1993). He notes that although "the fantasy elements are well-chosen, the straight history makes for the most provocative reading" but concludes that "despite the meticulous research, the book's lack of focus often makes for a tough ride. In most cases, the material is assigned to neat, discrete compartments. History goes over here, fantasy stays over there, and rarely do the designers make an effort to show how the two complement each other. The perfunctory campaigning chapter provides broad suggestions for designing adventures but few usable specifics. Though the book presents a river of information, it's up to the referee to sift the gold from the silt."

References

External links

IN GENRE: Epic Fantasy
RPG.net article with suggestions for running an Epic Fantasy campaign, including ''GURPS'' and other systems 2002 books Middle Ages I Historical role-playing games Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1992 {{rpg-stub

Contents

Publication history

Reception

References

External links