Bestiary Index, A D&D Monster Reference Guide for GURPS 3rd Edition
While digging through my collection of GURPS books recently, I realized that a surprising number of those iconic D&D monsters already have official GURPS stats tucked away in the Bestiary and Fantasy Bestiary. Instead of reinventing the wheel every time I wanted to throw a giant rat or chimera at my players, I could just flip to the right page number and grab the pre-made stats.
That got me thinking about how much time this could save other GMs who are in the same boat. So I decided to do the legwork and create a cross reference guide. I went through the comprehensive monster list on the D&D Wiki and matched up as many creatures as possible with their GURPS counterparts, complete with page numbers for easy lookup.
The beauty of this approach is that it preserves the flavor of those classic adventures while giving you mechanically solid, playtested stats that fit seamlessly into GURPS. It's all right there in black and white, ready to drop into your game.
The GURPS Bestiary Index for D&D Monsters
B - Gurps Bestiary
FB - Gurps Fantasy Bestiary
Ant, Giant - B6
Ape, Gorilla - B17
Badger - B7
Barracuda - B8
Basilisk - FB11
Bears - B9
Beaver - B9
Boar, Giant - FB13
Beetle, Giant, Bombadier - FB13
Boar, Wild - B38
Buffalo - B47
Bull - B45
Camel - B45
Cat, Jaguar - B19
Cat, Leopard - b20
Cat, Lion - B21
Cat, Lion, Mountain(Puma) - B28
Cat, Lynx - B21
Cat, Tiger - B36
Cat, Tiger, Saber-Tooth (Smilodon) - B30
Catoblepas - FB15
Centipede, Giant - B11
Chimera - FB18
Cockatrice - FB19
Crab, Giant - FB20
Crocodile - B11
Crocodile, Giant - B12
Dog - B45
Eagle, Giant - FB22
Eel, Electric - B14
Goat - B46
Gryphon - FB28
Harpy - FB29
Hippogriff - FB30
Hippopotamus - B18
Horses - B46
Hydra - FB34
Hyena - B18
Irish Deer - B18
Jackal - B18
Lamia - FB18
Lamprey, Giant
Leech - B20
Mammoth - B21
Manticore - FB44
Mastodon - B22
Medusa - FB45
Mule - B47
Octopus, Giant - B25
Pegasus - FB52
Peryton - FB53
Rat, Giant (Sumatran) - B29
Rhinoceros - B29
Roc - FB60
Salamander - FB61
Scorpion, Giant - B30
Sharks - B31
Skunk - B31
Snakes - B32
Sphinx - FB70
Spider, Giant - B34
Unicorn - FB77
Wasp, Giant - B80
Weasel - FB81
Whale - B37
Wolf - B38
Wolf, Dire - B13
Wolverine - B39
Wyvern - FB94
Yeti - B39
There you have it, a comprehensive cross reference that should save you hours of prep time when converting those beloved classic adventures. Of course, this list isn't exhaustive, and there are plenty of unique monsters that don't have direct GURPS equivalents, but this should cover the vast majority of creatures you'll encounter in older modules.
The real magic happens when you realize how smoothly these conversions work in practice. GURPS stats tend to capture the essence of these creatures really well, and the combat flows naturally without losing any of the danger or excitement that made these monsters memorable in the first place.
I'm curious about your own experiences with system conversions. Have you tackled any major conversion projects? What monsters from classic D&D do you think translate best to other systems, and which ones always seem to lose something in the process?
Also, I'd love to hear about any creatures I might have missed in this reference guide. Are there any particular monsters you've been looking for GURPS stats for that didn't make it onto this list? And for those of you who've used both the GURPS Bestiary books, which one do you find more useful for fantasy gaming, and why?
Drop your thoughts in the comments below. Whether you're a conversion veteran or someone just getting started with adapting classic adventures, I'd love to hear about your experiences and maybe learn about some resources I haven't discovered yet!
Comments
Post a Comment