 Discworld Roleplaying Game rulebook cover, art byPaul Kidby | |
| Designers | Phil Masters |
|---|---|
| Publishers | Steve Jackson Games |
| Publication | 1998 (GURPS Discworld) 2002 (Discworld Role-Playing Game) |
| Genres | ComedicFantasy |
| Systems | GURPS Lite |
GURPS Discworld and the related supplements arerole-playing game sourcebooks set inTerry Pratchett'sDiscworldfantasy universe using theGURPSrole-playing game system. GURPS Discworld was designed byPhil Masters (in collaboration with Pratchett) and first published in 1998.
The game included a lot of detail aboutDiscworld, appealing to bothroleplaying andDiscworld fans.[2] It has also been attributed to introducing roleplayers to the series ofDiscworld books.[3][4][5]
GURPS Discworld was written by Phil Masters and Terry Pratchett; its cover and illustrations were done byPaul Kidby. It was published bySteve Jackson Games in 1998.[6]GURPS Discworld was the first book to include theGURPS Lite rules.[7] TheGURPS Lite rules were included as an appendix, meaning it was not necessary to purchaseGURPS Basic in order to play.[8]
In March 2001, Steve Jackson Games published a sequel under the titleGURPS Discworld Also.[9] It was written by Phil Masters, again with the assistance of Terry Pratchett. Cover and illustrations were done by Sean Murray.[10] The supplement covered recent events in the book series,[11] including details about theUnseen University.[12] Among the scenarios included isEckEckEcksEcksian Cart Wars, based on theMad Max parody segments ofThe Last Continent and Steve Jackson Games' ownCar Wars andGURPS Autoduel setting.[11] It also included the first detailed rules formechanical semaphore telegraphy, based on the "clacks" network in the books.[13]
The original book was republished in 2002 by Steve Jackson Games with theGURPS Lite rules integrated throughout the text. The title was changed fromGURPS Discworld toDiscworld Roleplaying Game to reinforce its stand-alone capabilities.[14] Illustrations were once again done by Paul Kidby.[14] Some subsequent publications, including the second edition ofDiscworld, were labelled "Powered byGURPS" rather than having the name "GURPS" in the book title, to make them easier to find at stores.[7]
A fourth edition adaptation of the Discworld was written, playtested, and laid out, but had trouble getting to market according to Steve Jackson Games' 2014 Stakeholder's Report.[15] It was finally released in December 2016.[16]