Space Travel?

Bill Zebub · Sunday at 8:09 PM

I was just looking at this (free) map from Free League for their Coriolis game (found here):

My slim experience with space RPGs is limited to:

Played original Traveler in the early 80s
Backed Alien (1st edition) on KS but have never actually played it
Observed a single session of Scum & Villainy

My question is: what sci-fi RPGs have interesting/good/rich rules for space travel, that isn't just "it takes X amount of fuel to get there"?

I'm envisioning some richness around "hyperspace routes"...which the map above evokes for me...and their exploration/discovery/risks/secrecy.

Anything like that?

Tonguez · Sunday at 8:28 PM

Diaspora (FATE-based Hardish Sci-Fi) divides space into clusters with set nodes linking clusters. Pcs use required skills to navigate know routes between nodes, they cant just jump anywhere.

Stars Without Number has jumpgates navigation too, with only high level.navigators able to discover new routes - I havent actually played it though

Micah Sweet · Sunday at 9:03 PM

The current Star Wars RPG has information about hyperspace routes and navigation, and the Voidrunner's Codex for Level Up has some good info about space travel as well.

The Soloist · Sunday at 10:52 PM

If you look at the Coriolis rules (and The Expanse AGE RPG), you will find random tables for event during travel. These events can be ship technical difficulties, a problem (physical or mental) with a crew member or a passenger, a collision with an asteroid, a pirate ship set on getting the cargo, etc. etc. They spice up the space travel. Unknown to the players you can insert foreshadowing of future events in your campaign.

The new book has a solo section. You should look to that section for travel events, and impromptu adventure events for your group. Solo rules are great for group play.

Bill Zebub · Sunday at 11:01 PM

Yeah I'm reading up on Coriolis. It looks pretty interesting. Thanks!

Breaking Star Games · Monday at 1:57 PM

Probably the best I've seen (for me) is Starforged. It uses a jump drive so you can explore. I think what makes it and it's predecessor, Ironsworn, good for travel is the huge amount of tools to generate the world and events to interact with. I like this focus on these random events as what makes travel interesting.

GMMichael · 2025-12-09T15:14:50+0000

Bill Zebub said:
I was just looking at this (free) map from Free League for their Coriolis game

Free is good. I'm not sure how to feel about a "river" being on the map. Or "the Empty." It looks like it's due for a three-body problem.

The Soloist said:
If you look at the Coriolis rules (and The Expanse AGE RPG), you will find random tables for event during travel. These events can be ship technical difficulties, a problem (physical or mental) with a crew member or a passenger, a collision with an asteroid, a pirate ship set on getting the cargo, etc. etc. They spice up the space travel. Unknown to the players you can insert foreshadowing of future events in your campaign.

So my thoughts went to, "how are space events different from earthbound events?" If they're not, Bill could just re-flavor typical RPG traveling events. Just winging it, space encounters should have greater consideration of three (four) dimensions. Being forced off-course seems more likely. And maybe . . . encounters are more likely to happen onboard your ship than outside? Because out there is just, well, space. And radiation.

Breaking Star Games said:
Probably the best I've seen (for me) is Starforged. It uses a jump drive so you can explore.

I'm reminded of Buckaroo Banzai. That movie's jump drive puts the traveler in an alternate dimension. Warp travel is more interesting when you can get slimed while doing it. Or worse than slimed . . .

Bill Zebub · 2025-12-09T15:51:40+0000

I guess I was thinking less about what sort of random events could happen while traveling, and more if interstellar navigation itself could be a player-facing challenge. So a sub-system more like combat where the RNG can be heavily influenced by player choices.

The Soloist · 2025-12-09T16:52:06+0000

Bill Zebub said:
I guess I was thinking less about what sort of random events could happen while traveling, and more if interstellar navigation itself could be a player-facing challenge. So a sub-system more like combat where the RNG can be heavily influenced by player choices.

It can be.

1) Usually, one player, usually the nagivator, has other make a roll, that influences how long the trip takes. Great rolls shorten time, while bad rolls lengthen it. (Sulu, Tchekov)

2) Another player is responsible for sensors, trying to detect anomalies, enemy ships, etc, with deep space scans, before it's too late. (Spok, Uhura)

3) Long trip are a good time to repair some internal systems. You can have the engineer do a challenging multiple roll repair test. (Scotty)

But if the trip takes two weeks, being on edge all the time wouldn't be fun. IF D&D PCs hire a ship to cross the ocean, there will be some encounters but 80% it will be wait time and relaxation until they approach the coast.

Morrus · 2025-12-09T17:03:34+0000

Voidrunner's Codex (or more precisely the Star Captain's Manual, which is part of that box set) has space exploration challenges, different types of regions of space, journey activities, space scenery, social encounters, etc. Like the travel rules in the Level Up Adventurer's Guide, it makes the journey much more interesting.

Journey activities include things like mine, repair, R&R, research, etc.
Regions include Treacherous Asteroids, Deep Void, Luminous Nebula, etc.
Social encounters like the only survivor of a space pirate crew, floating in an escape pod, a pod of astral whales excited to share gossip, or more exotic things like a message from the voidrunners one week in the future.
Exploration challenges like asteroid barrages, black holes, gravity maze, infectious outbreak, psychic field, and a ton more.

It accomodates different levels of sci-fi travel technology (interplanetary, interstellar, intergalactic--which are kinda The Expanse, Star Trek, and Star Wars respectively), rules for technobabble, stuff for all tiers of play. We think it's really very good!

It's the same system as used in Trials & Treasures for fantasy adventures in Level Up: A5E, but translated over to the sci-fi genre.

Space Travel?

Bill Zebub

“It’s probably Matt Mercer’s fault.”

Tonguez

A suffusion of yellow

Micah Sweet

Level Up & OSR Enthusiast

The Soloist

Hero

Bill Zebub

“It’s probably Matt Mercer’s fault.”

Breaking Star Games

Explorer

GMMichael

Guide of Modos

Bill Zebub

“It’s probably Matt Mercer’s fault.”

The Soloist

Hero

Morrus

Well, that was fun

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