General RPG DiscussionDiscussion of all RPGs and non-system-specific topics. DM/GM/player issues, settings, etc. Rules discussion belongs in one the forums below.
Hey everyone. I've been reading some sci-fi space operas as of late, and it's really whet my appetite to run a space RPG. Only problem is, I don't know of any great space RPGs. I own the Star Wars books, but that's definitely not what I'm looking for. The Battlestar Galactica and Firefly RPGs aren't very interesting to me, either. I even own the Star Trek RPG books, but to be honest, I haven't checked them out too much - the theme seems to be heavily integrated with the system, and I'm not going for a Star Trek theme. I just got GURPS Space and HERO Space, and I'm checking those out.
Thus, I pose the question to the powerful minds on these forums: what Space RPG do you recommend?
I've played a lot of space RPGs looking for one that could do it all and do it all well. Traveller still fills the void better than any other, IME.
Star HERO and GURPS Space were too devoid of flavor due to their generic nature — or too crunchy — depending upon my players.
Manhunter was too clunky and, for some, too thick with 'furry' races.
Speaking of 'furry' issues, Albedo and Justifiers also failed this test for most of my play groups over the years.
Star Wars (d6) was actually my favorite RPG ever, but trying to find D6 players now is like trying to find life on Mars.
Cosmic Enforcers wasn't really a space RPG, but a superhero RPG set in space.
Big Robots in anything are a little too anime-fetish for most of the folks whom I play with.
I could go on, but the point is that Traveller manages to do space adventure better than other games for me and most of the folks whom I have played with over the years.
"I am he who rules the world, don't you know? One little piece at a time. I am the stuff of Riordan Parnell's most outrageous songs, and I am a confused memory for those whose lives I've entered and departed." -- Jarlaxle, Road of the Patriarch
I'd recommend Traveller from Mongoose Publishing. Very nice system and setting.
Oh, yeah, I should have mentioned that I have traded up from past editions of Traveller to the new Mongoose version. Mongoose Traveller boasts better production values than Classic Traveller, while offering the same setting and a more refined, more elegant, system.
The only space rpg I've played was a few sessions of Spaceship Zero. I'm not a huge space sci-fi fan but I enjoyed it a fair bit. It's not terribly generic though kind of pulpy 50's sci-fi, with classes like slave girl, space pirate and what I played, robot.
__________________ Oni
"Each man, one way.
Each horse, one stance.
Each church, one buddha.
Each master to his own technique."
Traveller is still one of the best and GURPS Traveller is probably the best package you could get it in, simply because all the universe info is in that book.
GURPS Transhuman Space is one of the most unique future settings out there.
Location: Toledo, OH; formerly Louisville, KY; formerly Somerset, KY
Posts: 444
I've liked what I have seen of Dawning Star, yet to actually play it though. I also like the Mechwarrior RPG, but it has the same problem you mentioned with Star Trek (the setting and the system are quite integrated, especially in terms of character creation).
Location: Toledo, OH; formerly Louisville, KY; formerly Somerset, KY
Posts: 444
I also liked WOTCs Alternity quite a lot, especially the Star Drive Setting. The Dark Matter book is excellent, though it's a far cry from space opera.
Location: “Over the Hills and Far Away” - (TDY in Florida - "Home" is Michigan)
Posts: 1,547
My favorite was the Star*Drive campaign setting. It was originally made for the Alternity system and then the D20 Future system. I didn't like the Alternity system, or the D20 Future classes, but if you use Star Wars SAGA rules and classes (Star*Drive classes can match up pretty well) it works really well. The best campaign setting book for Star*Drive is still the one written for the Alternity system (not the material in the D20 Future book), and it's still available as a pdf download (on ENWorld store/publishing or RPGNow). The book is mostly fluff, with very little crunch, so it's really good for describing the setting without a lot of system mechanics you won't use. The setting is really awesome.
Mankind has spread out into space, colonizing an area 1,000 light years across. We have found numerous aliens, most non-sentient or borderline sentient, but a few are sentient and have become allies and members of this spacefaring society. Mankind is divided up into Stellar Nations, some politically and socially centered, others based on corporate run nations, but all encompassing hundreds of worlds. These nations have just come to peace after a hundred years of war. The setting is mostly centerd in an area called The Verge, a partially explored and colonized area of space about 100 light years from civilized space. A part of space cut off from civilized space for the majority of the last war. Mankinds explorations in the Verge are beginning to bring them into conflict with an unknown alien threat.
It's a very well fleshed out setting with good (and relatively realistic) treatments of future technology, and in depth descriptions of each Stellar Nation, their histories, and how they interact with eachother. It didn't seem to get much traction when it was first released, but I think that was mostly due to the Alternity system itself not garnering a large following (although there are people who still use the Alternity system and it's settings Star*Drive and Dark*Matter, with a few fan sites on the internet with supplemental material and support). For some extra flavor, there were a few novels written for the setting which were pretty good.
P.S.: Dark*Matter was a modern day setting with a premise made up of X-Files meets Call of Cthulu.
Gaahhh! Exile posted first while I was writing the above novel.
__________________ Mark "El Mahdi" Armstrong - Semper Operor Verus
". . . after all, that is why we're here. Kill the last bad guy and then there's cake." - Major General Jack O'Neal
"Don't Just Do It, Just Do It Right!"
"Right, without Reason, is unmitigated Foolishness."
"If you make a mistake, Acknowledge It, then make it Right."
P.S.: Dark*Matter was a modern day setting with a premise made up of X-Files meets Call of Cthulu.
I honestly think that DM has more in common with the new JJ Abrams series Fringe than with either X-Files or CoC. But, I digress. . . DM is a topic for another thread
I own the Star Wars books, but that's definitely not what I'm looking for.
Err... WEG d6, d20 Original, d20 Revised, or Saga (released last year)? If what you own is not Saga, I'd suggest taking another look. Saga -> Generic Sci-Fi (or generic fantasy, for that matter) works surprisingly well.
Location: “Over the Hills and Far Away” - (TDY in Florida - "Home" is Michigan)
Posts: 1,547
Quote:
Originally Posted by jdrakeh
I honestly think that DM has more in common with the new JJ Abrams series Fringe than with either X-Files or CoC. But, I digress. . . DM is a topic for another thread
Yeah it does, doesn't it. I really dig Fringe too. It's got potential. I guess Dark*Matter was ahead of it's time.
__________________ Mark "El Mahdi" Armstrong - Semper Operor Verus
". . . after all, that is why we're here. Kill the last bad guy and then there's cake." - Major General Jack O'Neal
"Don't Just Do It, Just Do It Right!"
"Right, without Reason, is unmitigated Foolishness."
"If you make a mistake, Acknowledge It, then make it Right."
Location: “Over the Hills and Far Away” - (TDY in Florida - "Home" is Michigan)
Posts: 1,547
Quote:
Originally Posted by drothgery
Saga -> Generic Sci-Fi (or generic fantasy, for that matter) works surprisingly well.
I agree 100%! Drop the Jedi and the classes work well for any modern or Sci-Fi type setting. Keep the Jedi and they even work for a Concord Administrator in Star*Drive (an uber-administrator - and lightsabers even cross to Alternity Star Swords). IMO SAGA even works better than D20 Modern/Future.
__________________ Mark "El Mahdi" Armstrong - Semper Operor Verus
". . . after all, that is why we're here. Kill the last bad guy and then there's cake." - Major General Jack O'Neal
"Don't Just Do It, Just Do It Right!"
"Right, without Reason, is unmitigated Foolishness."
"If you make a mistake, Acknowledge It, then make it Right."
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota (where I was born, not where I currently reside)
Posts: 163
Amazing Engine had Magitech. While not entirely a space exploration game, Venus and Mars are partially colonized and allows for exploration on three (this includes Earth) different planets (and more if you or the GM allows it).
Some folks have mentioned the new Traveller from Mongoose, Fading Suns, and Transhuman Space which I think are all excellent but I'll add two more:
Battlelords of the 23rd Century - This game is a blast. If your players like traveling to exotic, alien worlds and blowing stuff up, this is THE game. Twilight: 2000 in space.
Worlds Beyond - It's almost impossible to find and it's a vanity press book (you must be able to cope with some editing challenges) but it captured everything I looked for in a Traveller/Firefly type game with nice easy to use mechanics.
JoS.
__________________ GoSeeBananafish
"Apparently, getting our ass kicked is now part of this complete breakfast" - OotS #214
Yes, I'm single and yes, I'm a geek. But that just means I'm smart and available.
Battlelords of the 23rd Century - This game is a blast. If your players like traveling to exotic, alien worlds and blowing stuff up, this is THE game. Twilight: 2000 in space.
I haven't played Battlelords since it was with ODC, though I would second it, as well. That said, I wouldn't compare it to Twilight 2000, as that game is known for its brutal realism where Battlelords is simply known for being brutal
The ODC Battlelords system was actually very similar to AD&D mechanically, although it did have some advanced options bolted on (such as armor per hit location). So, if you have experience with AD&D, Battlelords might be an easy transition for you.
Also, thematically, Battlelords has a lot in common with the AD&D 2e "more is better" design mindset — there are dozens of possible PC races and classes in Battlelords, as well as rules for psionics, hundreds of different weapons, armor, ships, and so forth.
Now, if you're looking for something that is actually like Twilight 2000 in terms of plausible far future sci-fi adventure with an emphasis on verisimilitude, you may want to look at 2300 AD (which, despite initially being branded as Traveller, is actually the official future of the Twilight 2000 setting).
I really dig Fringe too. It's got potential. I guess Dark*Matter was ahead of it's time.
Linear Mode
And yet another word from our sponsors
