Fifth Age: A Hard Science Fiction conversion for 5e DnD

Capn Charlie · Sep 22, 2016

I have just uploaded Fifth Age: A Hard Science Fiction conversion for 5e DnD to the downloads area.

It is the dawn of the 24th century, and an interesting point in time for the human race. Fifth Age chronicles the dawn (perhaps more like early mid-morning) of humanity exploring the stars and getting into all manner of trouble, fraught with peril, excitement and drama. The science in this sci-fi is a little on the harder side than some might be used to and the adventure is a little pulpy, a perfect mix for the 5e DnD system.

This release contains:

New Races
New Classes
New and expanded backgrounds (with mechanical relevance!)
New Skills
New Feats (along with rebalancing)
New Weapons
New Armor
Hi-Tech Gadgets
Downtime Shenanigans
Investments, Trading and Retirement Rules (Contribute to your retirement fund, or wind up eating catfood!)
Spaceship Rules

Note that this is a work in progress, expect ongoing balance tweaks and new content.

You can find the file here in the downloads section. Please use this thread for comments.

Capn Charlie · Sep 22, 2016

View attachment Fifth Age (sep).pdf
View attachment fifth age char sheet.pdf
View attachment Fifth Age Spaceships.pdf
View attachment ship builder.xlsx
View attachment ship sheet.pdf
View attachment Hazard Handbook WIP.pdf

kalil · Sep 22, 2016

I haven't read it all yet, but what I have seen so far seems very solid. Nice work.

A few comments:

1) Hard SF is IMHO not a fitting description for your work. This leans more towards space opera than hard SF.
2) Ambidextrous is very OP combined with it's prereqs. Consider reworking or removing (I propose removing, you already have the two weapon fighting fighting style that "make you better at shooting two pistols").
3) I don't like that the soldiers fighting style is "just another feat". This takes away from the soldier class for no apparent reason.
4) When you state that "Fifth age add several feats", what do you actually mean? To the PHB list? If so can I still take the Magic Initiate and cast spells?

Capn Charlie · Sep 22, 2016

kalil said:
I haven't read it all yet, but what I have seen so far seems very solid. Nice work.

A few comments:

1) Hard SF is IMHO not a fitting description for your work. This leans more towards space opera than hard SF.
2) Ambidextrous is very OP combined with it's prereqs. Consider reworking or removing (I propose removing, you already have the two weapon fighting fighting style that "make you better at shooting two pistols").
3) I don't like that the soldiers fighting style is "just another feat". This takes away from the soldier class for no apparent reason.
4) When you state that "Fifth age add several feats", what do you actually mean? To the PHB list? If so can I still take the Magic Initiate and cast spells?

Thank you for the feedback, I am really quite fond of this project. To respond to your points...

1. Well, it's a lot harder than most, and not wholly fantastic like star wars. I was shooting for between a 3 and 4 on the mohs scale. I would like to do a 5, but feel like it is incompatible with rpgs in general. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness

2. Honestly, Ambidexterity is a holdover from early design and nobody has ever taken dual wield that far in testing to try it. So far it seems fine on paper, but I can understand your concerns. (A rifleman soldier at capstone deals 10 dice of damage plus dex*3, and a dual wielder deals 10 dice of damage plus dex*5, but with a higher SP investment, and no extra accuracy from long arm style)

3. I get your dislike of combat style just being a feat, and the soldier getting it as an ability. Frankly, soldier's layout was before I even added feats, so by the time I found a clear need for a feat based way to gain a combat style. I've toyed with action surge, but it just seems too good that early. I might just make it a bonus feat level in general. Consider it on my to do list.

4. I mean that there are feats there that are not in the phb. Now, that being said, it is really a general feat rebalancing, and I wouldn't allow most PHB feats with fifth age. That being said, ask your DM, I have one player with sentinel and another with durability.

kalil · Sep 22, 2016

Capn Charlie said:
Thank you for the feedback, I am really quite fond of this project. To respond to your points...

1. Well, it's a lot harder than most, and not wholly fantastic like star wars. I was shooting for between a 3 and 4 on the mohs scale. I would like to do a 5, but feel like it is incompatible with rpgs in general. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MohsScaleOfScienceFictionHardness

2. Honestly, Ambidexterity is a holdover from early design and nobody has ever taken dual wield that far in testing to try it. So far it seems fine on paper, but I can understand your concerns. (A rifleman soldier at capstone deals 10 dice of damage plus dex*3, and a dual wielder deals 10 dice of damage plus dex*5, but with a higher SP investment, and no extra accuracy from long arm style)

3. I get your dislike of combat style just being a feat, and the soldier getting it as an ability. Frankly, soldier's layout was before I even added feats, so by the time I found a clear need for a feat based way to gain a combat style. I've toyed with action surge, but it just seems too good that early. I might just make it a bonus feat level in general. Consider it on my to do list.

4. I mean that there are feats there that are not in the phb. Now, that being said, it is really a general feat rebalancing, and I wouldn't allow most PHB feats with fifth age. That being said, ask your DM, I have one player with sentinel and another with durability.

1. From leafing through the rules I get an impression of somewhere between 2 and 3. To get up to a 3 I would like to see some rules with basis in physics (such as starship maneuvering and such), zero G rules, exposure to vacuum etc.

2. Very few games run at max level. Do you comparisons at level 1, 3 and 5 instead. I think you will find that dual wielding pistols is a bit too much.

3. I suggest keeping the combat styule to the soldier but allow multiclassing. Want a combat style? Multiclass soldier.

4. I think you should start the feat section with a list of the feats in PHB that are allowed. I would strongly recommend not allowing Sharpshooter (in particular since your own Sharshooting feat is very similar and roughly 90% weaker). Basically I am unsure how many feats will actually fit. Maybe consider not actually using PHB feats at all?

plquattro · Oct 30, 2016

I can't seem to access the files. Any alternative site or solution?

Brendan Tuthill · Apr 19, 2018

Suggestion: Psionics

Have you considered adding a psion class to this conversion? You could make it sorcerer based, using metamagic and sorcerery points (psion points) with a modified spell list, focusing on illusion and enchantment spells with pyrokinesis in the form of fire-damage spells. You could limit the origins to things like storm, shadow, or even divine, to avoid non-psion like affects, i.e. wild magic table.

Pete B · Apr 4, 2019

Hi capn Charlie. I really like this conversion! Is there a way I can contact you? I wrote a short one - off adventure using this module. I've ran it a few times and everyone loves it.