GURPS Villains [Paperback]

James Lowder (Compiler)

Book Description

Series: GURPS: Generic Universal Role Playing System | Publication Date: January 1, 2000

A pirate said to Alexander the Great, "Because I have only one ship, I am called a pirate. Because you have a great navy, you are called an Emperor."

Villains. Where would the heroes be without them?

Probably unemployed.

The hero may be the star of his story, but it takes a prize villain to bring out the best in him! GURPS Villains is a compilation of dastardly foes from all ages, genres, and backgrounds. Crackpot spy-movie masterminds, backstabbing patricians, grim undead overlords, hard-bitten crime bosses . . . they're all here! Each villain is described both biographically and in game terms, and is accompanied by "bits" like fiendish plots, evil henchmen, devious deathtraps, and secret strongholds. GURPS Villains also includes a GM's guide to dramatic villain design and use. After all, everybody loves a "good" bad guy!

GMs can use this book for instant opponents, or choose a villain they like and build a whole campaign around him! There are over 50 villains (and villainous groups) with complete stats and writeups, including details of their "evil plans," in this survey of fiends and foes from all times and climes.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Steve Jackson Games (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556344147
• ISBN-13: 978-1556344145
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,565,340 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James Lowder has worked extensively on both sides of the editorial blotter. His credits include the bestselling novels Prince of Lies and Knight of the Black Rose, short fiction for such anthologies as Truth Until Paradox and Shadows Over Baker Street, and comic book scripts for DC, Devil's Due, Moonstone, and the city of Boston's First Night celebration. His work has been translated into more than ten languages, including Hungarian, Yiddish, and Russian. He's written hundreds of feature articles and book, film, and game reviews for such diverse publications as Dragon, Amazing Stories, Sci-Fi Universe, Milwaukee Magazine, and The New England Journal of History, and published role-playing game material for Dungeons & Dragons, Call of Cthulhu, Marvel Super Heroes, and various other systems. As an editor, he's directed book lines or series for TSR, Green Knight, and CDS Books, and has helmed a dozen critically acclaimed anthologies, including The Book of All Flesh, Hobby Games: The 100 Best, and Worlds of Their Own. He's been a finalist for the International Horror Guild Award and the Stoker Award, and has won five Origins Awards and a silver ENnie Award.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I really love this book! Yet it's still lacking..., June 28, 2001

By 

R. Kummel "bct" (Brasilia, DF Brazil) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: GURPS Villains (Paperback)

When I got this book, I was expecting an average "use this in your campaign and shut up" resource book. But what I got was an extremely flexible campaign saver. Are your villains more stupid than evil? Are the suspense parts not really suspense, but boredom? Use these great examples in this book. They can be adjusted perfectly for your camapaign and setting (some seamlessly, some... eh... not quite) Every villain has an "alternate-setting" version, and a couple of adventures that could spawn off him. This book includes everything, since the "low-key" thug that appears in every adventure to "evil syndicates" that span all over the globe. Very handy.

The illustrations in this book are one of the greatest in any RPG book you'll ever find. There are many variations, and it has to be seen to be believed. Every chapter has it's own mini-covers with various photographs in it. They really add to the theme of the book. Great job. I look forward to seeing this style in more Gurps books.

However, the only flaw I could find here is that there aren't enough tips on how to make your OWN villain. Sure, there are two pages or so every chapter, but quite honestly, that's not enough. And there are some worlds that aren't covered either by the "alternate-setting" section or the main settings. Sure, some of the more "obscure" settings are covered (Bunnies and burrows, etc...) but many rather interesting books aren't (Russia, Aztecs, etc...)

So all that I want to say is that if there is one thing would radically improve this book, is increasing it's size, putting more villains and more details into making your very own.

Highly reccomended. If you like rpgs, or you're the kind that always roots for the bad guys, get this book. It's definately worth it.

4.0 out of 5 stars Wide variety of genres offered, April 17, 2011

By 

RodFive - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: GURPS Villains (Paperback)

This is 3rd edition so they will need upgrading. The book offers chapters of villain categories.
1) Sneaks & Weasels 2) Monomaniacs 3) Reasonable Madmen 4) Forces of Chaos
5) Noble Thieves & Ignoble Cops 6) Jekyll & Hides 7) Masterminds 8) Groups
Each category offers samples for various game genres. From fantasy to Traveller. More than a brief list of stats. Each villain is shown with the expected strength through quirks and skills. Also included are character descriptions. Both appearance and psychological as well as history. What motivates the bad-guy? Who are his or her followers? (Yes, "her." Female villains as well!) You might find yourself sympathizing with a villain's cause. Try to save a planet species that is threatened because of valuable minerals available. (An earlier version of the, "Avatar," storyline.)
More than a list of villains, this book motivates the imagination. Creating a good villain requires more than numbers and skills. This book offers excellent examples of what else is required. Bwa-ha-ha.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not a book for the creative...., October 30, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: GURPS Villains (Paperback)

If you're the typical GM who creates and populates his own world, then this book is not for you. It does a wonderful job of listing pre-made villians, but presents very little to help you make your own. So, if you're only interested in cut-and-paste villians, this is perfectly fine, but if you like to create and flesh out your own villians, don't even bother with this one.