d20 Fading Suns

[Skywalker]

I like d20 Fading Suns and I would like to pick up a few books to cover the core of the setting in a balanced way.

I have the d20 FS book. I intend to grab (when then are released):

1. the d20 FS Companion and
2. the Worlds of the Realm (covering all the planets and being a compliation of the fief books).

What other books do people recommend? The three main factions appear to be covered in:

1. Lords & Priests and
2. Merchants of the Jumpweb.

So I will probably go for those two.

I am unsure about the following:

1. Legions of the Empire. This isn't quite a faction and appears useful to mainly military style games.

2. Aliens and Deviltry. This tempts me as it covers the two main alien species and antinomists who appear to be a common antagonist.

Other than those most of the other books seem to have specific application.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Cheerio]

Hello.

I think I have complete collection of FS products (original rule system), so I can give you some advice.

The faction books - Merchants of the Jumbweb and Lords & Priests (or the earlier, separate Lords of the Known Worlds and Priests of the Celestial Sun) are great. IMHO, you need these. The bad news is that the current books are not d20. The good news is that they contain few rules anyway.

Aliens and Deviltry. Get this one. First, it's d20, second it contains Dark between the Stars, which is my favourite FS book. Second, you get two alien races (Ur-Ukar and the other Ur... damn my memory) described in the Children of the Gods which is the second book contained in AandD. Third, you get some nice background into the Annunnaki (sp?), alien races home worlds, demons, heretical cults, banned technology, strange monsters...

IMHO, Legions of the Empire is the dullest of FS books. It's not d20 either. It has nice history part, but the description of the military is quite dull. Some nice equipment is described, however, and some nice details about Symbiots.

Don't know anything about FSd20 Companion. Probably it fills in the info lacking from the FSd20 - prestige classes etc. Yup, this is given in the Holistic's web page: "A grab-bag of all sorts of Fading Suns setting material for d20 games, including alien races, prestige classes, occult powers, cybernetics and the mutated Changed."

Haven't seen anything official, but I think that Worlds of the Realm is only compilation of planets described in the fief books. Therefore, Imperial worlds, alien Worlds and Church worlds are not described there. To get info about these, check the following:
* Byzantium Secundus - describes this planet in detail
* Aliens & Deviltry / Children of the Gods - details the homeworlds of the two Ur races
* Vorox - details the home world of these beasts
* The adventure trilogy Lifeweb, Vau, upcoming Annunnaki details worlds of the Symbiots, Vau and whoknowswhat
* Lost Worlds and Star Cusade describes worlds outside Known Worlds (Lost Worlds, planets of the Kurga Caliphate and Vuldrok Star-Nation etc.)
* Don't have my books here, but I think that Priests of the Celestial Sun (included in the Lords & Priests) described at least de Moley and some other homes of the various priest sects.

Note that the details given about the world varies:
1 - very detailed: Byzantium Secundus (whole book)
2 - some details: fief books, rulebook + game shield - Pandemonium, adventure modules
3 - brief: other books

Check Holistic Design's web page for details about these volumes.

Additionally, I'd recommend getting the Heretics & Outsiders and Soies & Revolutionaries. There are zillions of plot hooks in those books. The first one is d20 compliant.

Also, the short adventure collections are quite nice - Wierd Places and Into the Dark, but they are both for the original rule system. Somebody just claimed on the FS mailing list that he is doing a conversion for some of the adventures.

That's about it.

Cheers.

 

[JoeGKushner]

They have a monster book coming out soon too. That looks fun.

 

[jaults]

    I am looking into running a Fading Suns d20 game, but before I run out and buy stuff, there's a few things I'd like a little more info about... I have read the reviews (here and at RPG.net) but some things are less than well discussed.
    1) How exactly does magic work? I read the explanations by trancejeremy and Picolo, but I am still not clear. Also, does psionics work the same way, but with different "spells" or does it use a different system?
    2) How much is technology discussed? It sounds like the reviewers thought the tech chapter was lite on details.

Thanks,
    Jason

 

[The Black Kestrel]

Jaults,

In many ways the magic (Theurgy)/ psionic (Psi) system is a hybrid of Star Wars style Force skills and normal spell casting. Your character gains acces to various Paths (Psi) or Cannons (Theurgy) as they advance in level. Paths and Cannons are a grouping of thematically related skills called Powers (Psi) or Rites (Theurgy). Most Paths/ Cannons have 3 Powers/ Rites. All Powers/ Rites are powered by Wyrd (magic points basically).

You gain skills in order of precedence i.e. you can't learn the 2nd degree Power/ Rite in your Path/ Cannon until you learn the 1st degree rite. Each Power/ Rite in a Path/ Cannon is developed as a seperate skill with DC's determining the exact effect of the Power/ Rite. Each Power/ Rite costs a number of Wyrd points equal to its degree to activate/ use, so a 3rd degree rite costs 3 Wyrd points to activate.

In addition your Psycic characters can enhance their Powers with Meta-Psi feats increasing the range, duration, and/ or number of individuals affected.

One thing to keep in mind when discussing technology and Fading Suns is that the setting is a medieval Space Fantasy, therefore don't expect cool and semi-realistic devices based on scientific principle.

With that being said the Equipment chapter covers melee and ranged weapons both modern and primitive (note that most of the modern weapons in FS D20 have damage comparable to that of melee weapons), special ammunition types, scopes, armor, special material types (like hephaestium or ceramasteel), energy shields, computers (definitely a weak section), cybernetics (very short) and alien/ Annunaki atifacts