GURPS vs The Last Book
Compare GURPS and The Last Book side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| GURPS | The Last Book | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Universal | Fantasy |
| Tags | Crunchy, Simulation, Character Building, Classless, Skill-Based, Modular, Toolkit, Tactical, Grid-Based, Strong GM Support | Crunchy, Tactical, Simulation, Character Building, Classless, Deadly, Sword & Sorcery |
| Core Mechanic | Roll 3d6 at or below a modified attribute or skill to succeed. Quick contests compare margins of success or failure. | The Last Book uses two resolution systems. Skill and attribute checks roll d100 under a calculated success chance, and how far under the number sets the success margin. Combat is an opposed contest where each side rolls 2d6 and adds a maneuver rating, and the higher total wins the exchange. The margin of victory, called Strike Severity, is added as bonus damage. |
| Dice | 3d6 | d100, 2d6 |
| Complexity | Very High | High |
| Availability | Free quickstart | Free core rules |
| Runnability | 5 of 5 book tools | 3 of 5 book tools |
| License | SJ Games Online Policy | All Rights Reserved |
| Third-Party Publishing | Noncommercial only — SJ Games Online Policy | Not yet researched |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | Steve Jackson Games | Patrick White |
| Year | 2004 | 2026 |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese | English |
| Best For | Groups who want detailed character customization and consistent simulation across different genres. | Groups who enjoy 1980s-style point-buy character building and granular, location-based tactical combat, and want that level of crunch set in a violent sword and sorcery desert world. |
| 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. | The margin by which a 2d6 attack contest beats the defense becomes Strike Severity and is added to damage, so cleanly won exchanges hit harder rather than only landing. Attackers can aim for a specific body location such as the head or vitals, trading an accuracy penalty for effects like multiplied damage or a chance to cripple a limb. Esoteric Alchemy builds potions from five reagent types that each carry their own laws and effects, letting an alchemist mix custom concoctions instead of drawing from a fixed list. |
| 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. | The game runs on two separate resolution engines, a d100 roll-under for skills and a 2d6 opposed contest for combat, so players learn and switch between two different systems. Resolving one attack can involve wound level, strike location, vulnerability and status, encumbrance, and lighting at the same time, which keeps combat deliberate and slow. Character death is largely permanent and crippling injuries can persist well beyond a fight, so losing a heavily built character is a real risk. |