D&D 5E Compare Spell Jammer to Starfinder

[Paul Farquhar]

What problem? This is an irrational train of thought. Spelljammer isn't even an RPG system, it's a setting. What does this even mean?

I believe the "problem" refered too is Star Finder is Star Wars with the numbers filed off. And there are already several excellent official Star Wars RPGs.

Spelljammer, on the other hand, is nothing like Star Wars.

 

[Derren]

Ignore both and look for a different system.
Spelljammer as it pointed out is just sailing ships in space. Starfinder looks like a scifi, but in the end its just a fantasy dungeon crawl game as it makes no use of its scifi parts. Starships are integrated very badly into the game, all societies in the setting look more medieval than futuristic, modern technologies are mostly ignored and nearly all adventures published consist out of dungeon crawls far away from civilization which is also what the rules are geared towards.

 

[Staffan]

I believe the "problem" refered too is Star Finder is Star Wars with the numbers filed off. And there are already several excellent official Star Wars RPGs.

I think the closest media comparison to Starfinder isn't so much Star Wars as it is Guardians of the Galaxy (plus magic). I mean, you can even play a racoon ratfolk who's all about mucking around with tech and building huge guns.

 

[Mecheon]

Don't forget the Elven Guyvers

I'm not sure where in the sci-fi end of things they push things, but, well, its certainly a thing that exists

 

[Parmandur]

I think the closest media comparison to Starfinder isn't so much Star Wars as it is Guardians of the Galaxy (plus magic). I mean, you can even play a racoon ratfolk who's all about mucking around with tech and building huge guns.

I mean, Guardians of the Galaxy in the movie incarnation is pretty Star Wars, too.

 

[Parmandur]

I believe the "problem" refered too is Star Finder is Star Wars with the numbers filed off. And there are already several excellent official Star Wars RPGs.

Spelljammer, on the other hand, is nothing like Star Wars.

Off-brand Star Wars using off-brand D&D rules, meh.

Giant space hamsters and Jingoistic Victorian-esque Hippo space mercenaries on magic sailing ships floating between Neo-Platonist(ish) Crystal Spheres? Sign me up.

 

[plisnithus8]

So what I think I'm hearing is that SJ and SF are really nothing alike.
SJ is a trippy 5e setting while SF is a heavily re-skinned PF with lasers and ship skirmishes.
Does that sound accurate?

I hope I have time for both in my life.

 

[NaturalZero]

Those claiming that Spelljammer is just sailing ships in space are missing the fundamental aspect of the setting: the universe works on fantasy rules instead of physics. What makes the setting unique is all of the phlogiston and crystal spheres stuff. It challenges the idea that you even need technology to explore outer space as an assumption of the genre and that's about as pure "fantasy" as you can get.

 

[Derren]

So what I think I'm hearing is that SJ and SF are really nothing alike.
SJ is a trippy 5e setting while SF is a heavily re-skinned PF with lasers and ship skirmishes.
Does that sound accurate?

I hope I have time for both in my life.

Pretty much.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Those claiming that Spelljammer is just sailing ships in space are missing the fundamental aspect of the setting: the universe works on fantasy rules instead of physics. What makes the setting unique is all of the phlogiston and crystal spheres stuff. It challenges the idea that you even need technology to explore outer space as an assumption of the genre and that's about as pure "fantasy" as you can get.

Yup. Starfinder is Science Fantasy. Spelljammer is Fantasy Fantasy, only in spaaaace.