Gurps Goblins

Personally, I've never been able to get into the GURPS rules, but I have a pretty big GURPS collection for someone who doesn't use GURPS! "Goblins" is one of the jewels of that collection, and I'm already planning out a fantasy campaign (using a modified old GURPS Fantasy setting and the rules from Godlike), with the goblins from this supplement playing a big role.GURPS Goblins is surprisingly inexpensive for a book printed throughout on slick paper with (hilarious) full-color illustrations. The society and biology of the goblins (which are seamlessly tied together) are fascinating as well as funny--these may vaguely resemble the standard fantasy RPG goblins, but they stand out as one of the most unique races to be developed for any setting, fantasy or science fiction. The style of writing is less that of a game supplement and more of a travel guide to 1830s London--except there are no humans, just goblins! It's a very entertaining commentary on human nature, using the goblins to soften the blow a bit. And it's a game-within-a-game, as the whole point of goblin existence is to climb socially (due to their biology, virtually all goblins start in the gutter, no matter who their parents were), so there are very full setting-specific rules for social climbing that can be applied to other settings.

Summary: GURPS Goblins is an excellent, original, highly amusing but VERY 'off the wall' RPG. Firstly, it necessary to explain that Goblins is not a stand alone fiction or non-fiction book (although Goblins makes a good read even if you don't get a chance to play it). Goblins is a supplement to the GURPS role-playing game (RPG), so to play it you will first need to but the GURPS basic set (GURPS stand for Generic Universal Role Playing System). In RPG's, players create a character, and go on an adventure created for them by the 'Games Master'. Mostly, these would involve fighting mythical monsters, and finding treasures, in some mystical universe. However, in GURPS Goblins the universe is Georgian London. It's a hard unforgiving place; a world of grinding poverty, harsh laws, disease, superstition and snobbery. The monsters are other Goblins. Lies, trickery, violence and theft are the norm. Social climbing is the pre-occupation of every Goblin. Sadly, much of this world is a true reflection of the social conditions of the time. Goblins is extremely funny, in a very nasty sort of way, along the same lines as the RPG 'Paranoia'. But where Paranioa pokes fun at the evils of totalitarianism, the target of is the Dickensian class system. It is refreshingly rare for an RPG, to concentrate so much on the character's social context. You design your character, work out his deformities (due to mistreatment in childhood, school and apprenticeship), then bravely set out to climb up the social ladder, armed with only a half-eaten pork-pie and a sixpence between you and the workhouse. If you like 'quirky' role-playing games, then GURPS Goblins is a masterpiece. This is the most orginal, funny and evocative RPG I have bought for a very long time, but, if you like your RPG character to be a tough, dashing, honourable hero type; then but a more traditional RPG would be much more appropriate.