Fallout's creator reveals you could have played as a snoring cow hater who believes in UFOs, had Black Isle stuck with its original licensed roleplaying system
Fallout's original character system was based on the licensed GURPS tabletop ruleset before being replaced by the in-house SPECIAL system due to concerns over the game's violence. Creator Tim Cain recently uncovered notes detailing the GURPS attributes, advantages, and disadvantages that would have shaped player characters. This early version included quirky traits like snoring, cow hatred, and UFO belief, offering a very different roleplaying experience.
- ▪Fallout was originally built using the GURPS tabletop roleplaying system before switching to SPECIAL.
- ▪GURPS creator Steve Jackson objected to Fallout's violent content, leading to the system's removal in 1997.
- ▪Tim Cain rediscovered handwritten notes detailing GURPS-specific traits like 'hates cows' and 'believes in UFOs.'
- ▪The GURPS version used advantages, disadvantages, and quirks instead of SPECIAL's perk system.
- ▪Traits in GURPS Fallout included 'hideous' appearance, 'acute hearing,' and 'habitually picks nose.'
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Games RPG Fallout Fallout's creator reveals you could have played as a snoring cow hater who believes in UFOs, had Black Isle stuck with its original licensed roleplaying system News By Rick Lane published 16 May 2026 Tim Cain spills the tea on "GURPS Fallout". When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Bethesda) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The character system used in Fallout is famously based upon its roleplaying system called SPECIAL. But this wasn't always the case.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at PC Gamer.
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