I don''t know much about the AD&D or the GURPS systems and I am looking for a bit more information on them as the more I search I am finding that quite a lot of RPGs out there have based their systems off of one of the above. I''m looking for a system myself and am caught between the gruelling task of designing one myself or licensing one already made. From what I have read, both AD&D and the GURPS systems deal primarily with lower numbers and lower character levels. I need a system that allows high level advancement (100 or so). I also read (here I think) that with the AD&D system, what weapon you are using doesn''t make much difference. Also, I''ve read that with the AD&D rules, armor and items are only allowed to give a certain max increase to any stat (I think 8 max?). This certainly doesn''t suit me as I am a larger number freak. I like the feeling of gaining 40-50 agility from a level 80 ranked breastplate or some similar freakiness So, I''m wondering how hard it would be to adapt an existing system to suit my needs instead of having to figure out all formulas for how many hitpoints do I gain from X amount of added stamina. How much harder do I hit with X more strength, How much mana do I have at level 15 etc. I can do it, but it seems like all of these calculations have been made way to many times in the past to justify doing it again. And I don''t want to copy the systems of other games because they all have quirks I don''t like. Like, Everquest, I don''t like how all stat numbers stay on the low side and adding 30 agility really doesn''t help a whole lot. I''m probably just in a lazy mood after pounding my brain for a system that works. How do the pros do this stuff other than simple trial and error? Webby

You can download GURPS lite from http://sjgames.com/gurps/lite/, which has all the basic rules for GURPS. It has a billion more optional rules (and alternate rules for a lot of things, like a whole other combat system that is ''more realistic'' without being too slow), but GURPS lite will have everything you need to get a feel for the system. I think that with a few changes (like making skills not depend on stats so much), that it would be a good system for having extremely powerfull characters. There is even a whole GURPS book on superhero-level abilities (called "GURPS Supers").

If I was making an RPG, I would probably use GURPS as a foundation and change it to fit my game (GURPS is very modular and fairly easy to change, because it was made to be a template for the rules rather than the exact rules themselves).