BESM vs GURPS
Compare BESM and GURPS side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| BESM | GURPS | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Universal |
| Play Style | Character Building, Cinematic, Heroic, Pulp Action, Anime | Crunchy, Simulation, Sandbox, Character Building, Tactical, Realistic, Grid-Based |
| Core Mechanic | Tri-Stat System: three Stats (Body, Mind, Soul) plus point-buy Attributes, Defects, and Skills built from a Character Point budget. Roll 2d6 + relevant Stat or Combat Value vs. a Target Number. Edges and Obstacles add or remove dice. Eight power levels scale from Sub-Human to Godlike. | Roll 3d6 under target number. Advantage/disadvantage system via character traits. |
| Dice | 2d6 | 3d6 |
| Complexity | Medium | Very High |
| Accessibility | Medium | High |
| Community | Medium | Medium |
| License | Proprietary (Tri-Stat) | SJ Games Online Policy |
| Cost | $$ | Free (Lite) / $$$ |
| Publisher | Dyskami Publishing | Steve Jackson Games |
| Year | 2019 | 2004 |
| Best For | Groups who want to play anime and manga-inspired adventures in any genre — from magical girls and mecha pilots to demon hunters and high school detectives. | Groups who want a single system for every genre with granular simulation and deep customization. |
| Highlights | Highly flexible point-buy system can model any anime concept, free primer available, decades of community support since 1997, scalable power levels from slice-of-life to cosmic | Highly customizable point-buy system, simulation-focused, one system for any genre |
| Considerations | Point-buy character creation can overwhelm newcomers, balance depends heavily on GM oversight, anime-focused tone may not suit all groups, dense attribute list requires bookkeeping | Character creation requires significant point-budget planning, combat rules are granular with many modifiers to track, full system spans two 576-page core books plus supplements, GM prep is substantial for campaigns using multiple sourcebooks |