Can someone recommend a good sci-fi or modern based RPG?

[qstor]

I'll vote for Traveller. d20 Traveller and GURPS Traveller are the ones being supported now. As mentioned Far Future is reprinting all of the original rules.
If your players are familiar with D&D d20 is perhaps the way to go.

Mike

 

[Aloïsius]

Cops http://www.siroz.com/jeux_de_roles/cops/cops.html
Retro-futur http://www.retrofutur-rpg.com/

Oops, it's in french.

 

[Oni]

I got to play a game recently from Green Ronin, that I enjoyed greatly. Spaceship Zero. It is just incredible cool if you like pulpy/campy scifi. Archetypes range from robot to space pirate to intelligent animals.

 

[redknight]

Lightspeed

It is a pdf game that has one of the broadest settings I have seen. It incorporates almost everything you can imagine from all different sources. From Trek to Predator to Aliens to Starwars to Cyberpunk style Core World.

The game uses the Fuzion system (cross between hero and interlock)

I have run two short campaigns with it already and it has yet to dissapoint.

 

[Plane Sailing]

If you are prepared to check out some things that are a little more off the beaten track, you could check out Starguild - a free RPG which I host on my website (and it is free for ever).

It isn't d20, but the system is (dare I say) simple and smooth. I've had satisfied reports from people who have used it, and I've run a couple of campaigns with it myself.

You can find it here

http://www.starguild.freeserve.co.uk/starguild/

Cheers

 

[Quixon]

I can agree with whoever said it above-if you want complete flexability for a Sci-Fi - Get Hero System and Star Hero, 5th edition just came out, and if you go to there website they have tons of support products coming out for it, along with lots of web support.

Star Hero will let YOU decide how you want to play.

Besides Star Hero, I can recommend SpaceMaster from Iron Crown Enterprises, very good Sci-fi, didn't have alot support in recent years but now they have put out a new edition and have been putting out new products.

 

[Synicism]

There are lots, depending on what you want.

Shadowrun (cyber-fantasy)

HERO (aka Champion)

Any number of GURPS supplements (including an implementation of Traveller far superior to the T20 version, IMO)... Traveller is its own campaign setting. There are an awful lot of GURPS Traveller supplements out there.

Call of Cthulhu

Nobilis (sort of)

Little Fears (if you are into it)

I mean - what kind of game are you looking for?

 

[Shadowdancer]

Does Traveller have its own campaign world? If so, can I buy d20 Traveller products that enhance this world? I have neither the time, nor inclination to make my own campaign world and I dont want to download some fanboy's silly campaign world either.

Yes, all official Traveller products are set in the same campaign world. One huge, galaxy spanning campaign world that includes hundreds of thousands of star systems. All of the campaign world or setting materials from past versions of the game are usable with T20; background detail is background detail. The only thing that is different is the game rule mechanics: character creation, combat, etc. The concepts behind the rules are still the same, it's just a different way of achieving the desired results, to make it compatible with d20.

There are some campaign setting supplements available for free on the Traveller RPG website. This is for a small cluster of worlds in a part of the Official Traveller Universe known as the Gateway Domain. This is enough to get a new campaign started. There is a complete Gateway Domain sourcebook being made just for T20; it will be coming out soon. Other T20 setting products will concentrate on the Gateway Domain, focusing on in-depth information about areas of this Domain.

Most of the campaign setting information available on the Internet is not "some fanboy's silly campaign world," as you put it. Most of it is the Official Traveller Universe information from past supplements long out-of-print. Some of it has been expanded upon by individuals, but that is part of the Traveller system. The game gives you maps of space, basically where all the star systems are located. And it gives you a profile of that world, sort of a basic stat block for it. The details for many of the systems are left for each Game Master to develop as he or she wishes. Just as part of the D&D game worlds are left open for DM's to design as they wish.

Some star systems have been detailed by the game designers. That information is available in various products, some of which are out-of-print, but the info is available on the Internet.

Most of the Internet Traveller sites out there which contain original material contain things like spaceship designs and deck plans, new equipment and weapons, new alien races, flora and fauna. You can use this or not, it's up to you.

 

[MGibster]

I haven't played it but you might want to check out Blue Planet from Fantasy Flight Games. Check out www.fantasyflightgames.com for more information on Blue Planet.

Marc

 

[Kenpo Wolf]

For a 'hard' scifi campaign, I suggest Spycraft and Traveller. These are the main core books, along with Modern and Star Wars, that I'm using in my Star Gate campaign. T20, being a new book, may not have many supplements out now but give it time. They're working on a couple of supplements for it but I don't know any details on them

As for the Modern fans who say that Spycraft won't last, that's highly doubtfull. AEG, the publishers of Spycraft, has several planned releases on the way for Spycraft within the next year. I wish WOTC can say the same. Modern is a great book but it needs some in-house support