Gurps Low-tech Pdf Page
The book rigorously defines the differences between technological stages:
This focuses on social structures. Want to run a campaign where the players are merchant princes in Venice or slaves in a Roman latifundium? This PDF contains rules for Status, Wealth, Rank, and the cost of maintaining a noble household. It also includes the "Biorhythms" rules for pre-modern medicine.
GURPS Low-Tech (4th Edition) is a comprehensive 160-page PDF and print sourcebook detailing technology from the Stone Age through the Age of Sail. It serves as an essential reference for historical, fantasy, or post-apocalyptic campaigns. Key Features 🛡️ Core Content & Equipment
Era Coverage: Details Technology Levels TL0 (Stone Age) through TL4 (Age of Sail/Renaissance).
Weaponry: Extensive lists including stone axes, steel blades, early muskets, and heavy siege engines like catapults and cannons. gurps low-tech pdf
Armor System: Introduces detailed piecemeal armor rules, allowing players to mix materials (like jade, bronze, or steel) and calculate specific protection for different body parts.
Transportation: Stats for everything from skis and dogsleds to war wagons, triremes, and early submarines. 🛠️ Specialized Rules
Non-Combat Tools: Includes gear for communications, measurement, recordkeeping, and theft.
Medical Technology: Covers historical treatments like herbalism, acupuncture, and early surgery. It is unmatched in accuracy
Daily Life: Rules for foundational technologies such as pottery, fibers, and the seven classical metals.
Historical Accuracy: Replaces or revises equipment stats from the GURPS Basic Set to better reflect archaeological and historical research. 📚 Expansion Series The core PDF is supported by three "Companion" supplements: Gurps Low-Tech (Steve Jackson Games) - Amazon.com
It is unmatched in accuracy. If a GM is running a game set in the Crusades or the Roman Empire, the PDF provides the precise weight of a Roman scutum or the cost of a Viking longship. It eliminates the need for external historical research during game prep.
Instead of just a list of items, it explains why and how things work. For games like GURPS After the End ,
GURPS Low-Tech is widely considered one of the most essential and high-quality supplements in the GURPS 4th Edition lineup. It serves as a comprehensive historical technology tree, covering human innovation from the Stone Age (TL0) through the Middle Ages (TL3), up to the cusp of the Age of Gunpowder (TL4).
Unlike fantasy sourcebooks that invent new worlds, Low-Tech grounds the Game Master (GM) in historical reality. It explains not just what equipment existed, but how it was made, who made it, and the societal implications of its use. For any campaign set before the industrial revolution—be it historical, fantasy, or post-apocalyptic—this PDF is regarded as a foundational resource.
For games like GURPS After the End, where society has collapsed, Low-Tech serves as a reference for scavengers. It explains how to use primitive tools to survive when modern tech runs out.