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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sir Brennen" data-source="post: 8640657" data-attributes="member: 553">Disclaimer: I've only perused the MS Player's Guide, so might be missing some of the implied setting. I do own the Death in Space book and have read it cover to cover a few obsessive times.Other than the words "space" and "horror", I think Mothership and Death in Space fall into their own niches in the sci-fi TTRPG spectrum. DiS has more of a day-to-day survival aspect to it. Like, can we find parts for our constantly degrading spaceship to reach the next planet, more than can we escape this alien infested base before the reactor goes critical (though you can absolutely do that too with DiS.)One simple sentence in the intro really sums it up: "Nothing is new." Known space is just a post-war junkyard where very little new technology is being manufactured, and things are constantly falling apart and in need of repair. So, you could add Mad Max to the list of influences for DiS, which I don't think applies to Mothership. Even your weapons and electronics can degrade and break after an intense scene in the game.The other main distinguishing factor of Death in Space for me is the Void. The game is set in a (abnormally?) collapsing universe, and behind that is something that is caused by or caused it: the Void. It's possible to become corrupted by the Void or gain supernatural abilities (cosmic mutations) from it. Bizarre creatures can spawn from it. Cults worship it. It's what whispers behind your ship's radio receiver static as you drift through deep space.The coolest thing mechanically, which the review above skipped over, are Void Points. If you fail a roll, you get a Void point, up to four. You can then spend Void points to give yourself advantage (roll 2d20 and take highest) on a roll or activate a cosmic mutation. However, if you fail your advantaged roll, you then check to see if you gain a Void Corruption: take a d6 and roll higher than your remaining Void points or else roll on the Void Corruption table.The intro adventure really highlights the philosophy in the game as well. The players start by arriving on a space station* to collect a ship they just bought, but it's currently inoperable and in need of repair, out of fuel and won't be released to them until they pay the docking fees it's accumulated. The station is full of interesting NPCs, including two factions in a stalemate with each other, and a third on its way to kick everyone's butt due to the stalemate. That's it. No planned encounters, no overall plot. Just a situation the PCs have to engage with and decide on their own resolution. It might be purely social deal making, or devolve into combat, both or something else.I really hope future content embraces this sort of adventure design and avoids an endless parade of alien infestation/reactor's going to blow scenarios, which I have a feeling Mothership is going to be rife with.The two games are also vastly different mechanically. DiS is a very rules-light d20 game, where Mothership is a d100 roll-under game that is absolutely crunchy in comparison.*The space station is actually part of the Iron Ring, a collection of thousands of ships and stations, mostly derelict, orbiting the planet where the "Gems" that kicked off the war were mined. You could potentially set an entire campaign on the Ring, similar to a Bablyon 5/Deep Space 9 setting.</blockquote>

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