GURPS vs Lancer
Compare GURPS and Lancer side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| GURPS | Lancer | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Sci-Fi |
| Tags | Crunchy, Simulation, Character Building, Classless, Skill-Based, Modular, Toolkit, Tactical, Grid-Based, Strong GM Support | Mecha, Tactical, Grid-Based, Combat-Heavy, Crunchy, Character Building, Mission-Based, Strong GM Support, Lore-Heavy, Heroic |
| Core Mechanic | Roll 3d6 at or below a modified attribute or skill to succeed. Quick contests compare margins of success or failure. | Skill checks, attacks, and saves roll a d20 plus at most one stat bonus, such as a pilot trigger, a mech skill, or GRIT. Skill checks normally succeed on 10 or more, while attacks must meet the target's defense and saves must meet the attacker's save target. Accuracy and Difficulty cancel one for one. Each remaining point rolls a d6, and only the highest die is added or subtracted. |
| Dice | 3d6 | d20 + d6 |
| Complexity | Very High | High |
| Availability | Free quickstart | Free quickstart |
| Runnability | 5 of 5 book tools | 5 of 5 book tools |
| License | SJ Games Online Policy | Lancer Third Party License |
| Third-Party Publishing | Noncommercial only — SJ Games Online Policy | Commercial publishing allowed — Publisher third-party license |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | Steve Jackson Games | Massif Press |
| Year | 2004 | 2019 |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese | English, Italian, Portuguese |
| Best For | Groups who want detailed character customization and consistent simulation across different genres. | Groups who want deep tactical mech combat and build customization, with lighter narrative play and downtime between missions. |
| Highlights | Point budgets let players build characters around chosen strengths and limitations. Optional rules let the GM tune the level of detail for a campaign. Maneuver choices give combatants trade-offs between attacking, moving and defending. | Licenses unlock gear from five manufacturers, and unlocked weapons and systems can be mixed onto any licensed frame within its mounts and system points. Combat during narrative play resolves through ordinary skill checks, so a fight without mechs can end in a few rolls without a battle map. Player mechs degrade in stages: each lost point of structure or stress triggers an increasingly dangerous structure or overheating check. |
| Considerations | Selecting and modifying character traits takes time during character creation. Detailed combat can require several rolls to resolve one attack. The GM must establish which abilities and optional rules fit the campaign. | Build choices are dense, since licenses, talents, and core bonuses interact across 29 frames. Narrative play outside combat is a lean layer of skill checks and downtime actions next to the mech combat rules. Mech combat is slow enough that the book expects one or two fights per session, usually just one. |