October 31, 2011: Overcome Any Social Anxiety!

The one-sentence pitch for the just-released GURPS Social Engineering is straightforward: "More rules and guidelines for social interactions in GURPS!" What does that really mean?

Let's look at an analogy. You know how the GURPS Basic Set has rules for combat, right? Well, gamers who love combat options have helped make GURPS Martial Arts, GURPS Tactical Shooting, and GURPS Gun Fu some of our most popular releases. Each one of those supplements augments the core combat systems with expanded info and new possibilities.

GURPS Social Engineering works the same way, adding options and rule systems for various interpersonal interactions. Think of it as "Martial Arts for the social arts."

Just flipping through this tome sparks ideas. Are you looking for rules for seducing someone over the phone? Building trust in a potential ally? Finding investors for some grand scheme? Starting a propaganda campaign? It's all in here.

In an RPG, you don't need to know how to hold a sword in the real world to play a master swordsman -- and now it's easier than ever to have the fun of portraying a diplomat or Casanova without being one.

So next time you want to know your options as a smooth-tongued hero, you'd better check out the possibilities from GURPS Social Engineering or I'll kill this bunny.

Wait; I accidentally started using the rules for intimidation via text. I meant to keep relying on the options for commercial transactions. Ummm . . . How's this for a conclusion? "Don't be anti-social; get GURPS Social Engineering today!" [rolls dice]

-- Steven Marsh