Starship Commandos is a rules lite, storytelling RPG by Sword's Edge Publishing. It's likely a lot to do with the title, but after clicking past the table of contents on the PDF, I'm immediately asking: "Would this RPG scratch that alien(s), survive the evil xenomorph, itch?" Let's get into it.
The elements required to play Starship Commandos is best emphasized with character creation. Player Characters will create a squad of Marine Special Armor and Tactics commandos, or MARSAT. With creation, players assign a die type or Rank, among three Traits, and specify a die type or Rank for a handful of skills (from a total of 21). Each character will also select a specialized armor or Tactical Support Harness, which also provides a specific type of bump, depending on the armor selected from a list of nine types. Narrative-inspired mechanical elements include creating a character Concept, Flaw(s) and a Pivot, the last of which is an optional element, which the player is encouraged to insert and create a character narrative (goals, beliefs, or dreams) as part of the story.
Besides a flicker, Starship Commandos doesn't deliver a setting. The design is minimalistic, or what I like to call a "micro RPG;" but more specifically this RPG is a set of mechanics, with an emphasis on story. This leaves players to riff on the fandom of their favorite media franchise. Since deference on the title page is directed at late great Robert Heinlein, science fiction writer and creator of Starship Troopers, and James Cameron, the director of Aliens. Need I say anything more? The setting is an oblique futuristic theater of the GM's & player's preference.
Rolls function on a descending rank. A lower die total is desirable. One of the more interesting features is that the specific die rank/type associated with a Trait, affects initiative, based on the type of (Test) encounter. A Test (or check, in other systems) is any dynamic or action in which the rules dictate that dice are rolled to determine an outcome. With a few GM caveats, this is pretty basic RPG 101 stuff, and even with mechanics, Starship Commandos encourages a light approach.
The PDF is formatted without hyperlinks, but at 50 pages this is very minor inconvenience. The text is in single column format, and utilizes a handful of smartly placed tables to help players visualize how specific mechanics function. The layout is functional. Digital Illustrations (photo realistic) are full color and nothing short of wonderful.
Starship Commandos is a concisely designed storyteller RPG. What's the answer to the above question? For this reviewer, it's a no. It isn't a stretch to imagine that this RPG might have some appeal, if you're savvy with more narratively-oriented game systems. Without any emphasis on a setting elements, and only one type of (though admittedly, it's slightly modifiable) character, the game can be too vanilla in its approach. This RPG certainly has potential, but given the scope, I'd preferred to see something with more grit.
Disclosures: This review uses affiliate links. Starship Commandos was provided free of charge for the purpose of this review.
contributed by Jeff Duncan
The elements required to play Starship Commandos is best emphasized with character creation. Player Characters will create a squad of Marine Special Armor and Tactics commandos, or MARSAT. With creation, players assign a die type or Rank, among three Traits, and specify a die type or Rank for a handful of skills (from a total of 21). Each character will also select a specialized armor or Tactical Support Harness, which also provides a specific type of bump, depending on the armor selected from a list of nine types. Narrative-inspired mechanical elements include creating a character Concept, Flaw(s) and a Pivot, the last of which is an optional element, which the player is encouraged to insert and create a character narrative (goals, beliefs, or dreams) as part of the story.
Besides a flicker, Starship Commandos doesn't deliver a setting. The design is minimalistic, or what I like to call a "micro RPG;" but more specifically this RPG is a set of mechanics, with an emphasis on story. This leaves players to riff on the fandom of their favorite media franchise. Since deference on the title page is directed at late great Robert Heinlein, science fiction writer and creator of Starship Troopers, and James Cameron, the director of Aliens. Need I say anything more? The setting is an oblique futuristic theater of the GM's & player's preference.
Rolls function on a descending rank. A lower die total is desirable. One of the more interesting features is that the specific die rank/type associated with a Trait, affects initiative, based on the type of (Test) encounter. A Test (or check, in other systems) is any dynamic or action in which the rules dictate that dice are rolled to determine an outcome. With a few GM caveats, this is pretty basic RPG 101 stuff, and even with mechanics, Starship Commandos encourages a light approach.
The PDF is formatted without hyperlinks, but at 50 pages this is very minor inconvenience. The text is in single column format, and utilizes a handful of smartly placed tables to help players visualize how specific mechanics function. The layout is functional. Digital Illustrations (photo realistic) are full color and nothing short of wonderful.
Starship Commandos is a concisely designed storyteller RPG. What's the answer to the above question? For this reviewer, it's a no. It isn't a stretch to imagine that this RPG might have some appeal, if you're savvy with more narratively-oriented game systems. Without any emphasis on a setting elements, and only one type of (though admittedly, it's slightly modifiable) character, the game can be too vanilla in its approach. This RPG certainly has potential, but given the scope, I'd preferred to see something with more grit.
Disclosures: This review uses affiliate links. Starship Commandos was provided free of charge for the purpose of this review.
contributed by Jeff Duncan
