D20 Sci-Fi

[The_Universe]

I'd go with D20 Modern/Future/Apocalypse, and I'd probably also throw Darwin's World 2 in there. It's not going to be a ready-made campaign, but those books should give you the tools you'd need to make just about any sci fi that you'd want to game in.

 

[Turanil]

What is it like? What kinds of settings could it be used for?

Deadstars is before a ruleset. Everything is okay (and the alien races are really alien and well detailed) except for the classes which IMO are crap (although usable). There is no setting associated to it, but it would fit much better with a hard sci-fi campaign ala Traveller 20. I say: go and download it, it's free.

Here is my review of it.

 

[enworldatemylogin]

Well, it depends on what you want.


Dawning Star is a bit depressing (I thought), but is very well done and uses the d20 Modern rules. It's also close to being hard sci-fi.

I think Dawning Star is all about being upbeat, adventuring in the unknown, striving toward more and hope for the future. Sure, Earth is destroyed, but humanity lives on and isn't doing too shabby.

But to each their own.

 

[swrushing]

[/QUOTE]

But there is already a bad BAB progression. We have 1/2, 3/4 and 1 per level. That is sufficient.

sufficient for DND maybe, frankly i think its insufficient even there, but not IMo or IMX for scifi. The aging scientist expert on alien life forms should not have to be a better marksman than a young trained marine in order to have good enough skill at his specialty.

One of the drawbacks i found in Stargate D20 (while its a great game!) was the results of everyone having at least 1/2 BAB and other things resulted in things like the aging 60+ year old scientist (Ernie littlefield) being able to beat up major kowalski (marine in his prime) because of ernies higher level giving him so much BAB, hit points, saves and such.

having seen the show and the same characters, the notion that ernie could take out kowalski in a melee was laughable.

In DND this same sort of thing falls thru when you start looking at commoners and sages.

having more diversity in stat progressions allows for MORE diverse character options and for me T20's expanded diversity makes sense.

I played T20 for a session,

a WHOLE session?!?

Wow!

and I didn´t really like that, nor most of the rule changes they did.

While i did not like all of them, and definitely did not like some of what they kept, we disagree here.

If you don´t want combat an integral part of your game (and rules), don´t use D20.

"integral" does not equal "predominant". Almost all of my games have combat as an integral part, and some characters are usually bad at it. Then again, when the other integral parts of the game (like social challenges, scientific challenges and exploration and the like) get the spotlight, those combat oriented characters usually aren't very good at those either.

D20 is a lot more robust than just its combat system. heck, frankly, its combat system is one of the areas where i think the system rates weakest.

clearly you did not have a favorable experience with t20 in your one and only session... but from my experience, while its not just like DND but with space ships, the changes seemed to fit the setting and style quite well.

 

[Justin D. Jacobson]

Dawning Star is a bit depressing (I thought), but is very well done and uses the d20 Modern rules. It's also close to being hard sci-fi.

I'm surprised by this. As one of the other posters mentioned, one of the fundamental themes of the setting is humanity's will and ability to survive. Per our back cover: "The human spirit shines greatest during the darkest of times." It's about the hope that every new day brings, which is why I indulged myself by including a poem in the book:

Listen to the Exhortation of the Dawn!
Look to this Day!
For it is Life, the very Life of Life.
In its brief course lie all the
Verities and Realities of your Existence;
The Bliss of Growth,
The Glory of Action,
The Splendor of Beauty;
for Yesterday is but a Dream,
And Tomorrow is only a Vision:
But Today well lived makes
Every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness,
And every To-morrow a Vision of HOpe.
Look well therefore to this Day!
Such is the Salutation of the Dawn!

Anyway, I'm curious if there was something in particular that led to your assessment.

As for a link, click on the one in my sig to visit our dedicated website with tons of free downloads, including the entire first chapter that gives the background for the setting.

Bulldogs! is great for a campier (in a good way) campaign. It's more about stomping alien ass, collecting a ton of credits for your latest smuggling run, and finishing it up with some stout brew. It also has a metric buttload of equipment, which is usable in any d20 sci-fi setting.

 

[KaosDevice]

I'd like to add my voice to the few others here supporting Mongoose's Babylon 5 ruleset. COmbat can be way, way, way deadly though so if that is something you want to avoid they may not be the rules you are looking for. On the plus side, its' pretty well supported and the 2nd edition ruleset is going to be OGL instead of D20 license according to word on the street. That, to me, will be a big plus.

 

[Bront]

Well, my next question is, is there anyone here that knows where I could try a PbP of T20?

My lone traveler experience was with the old CRPGs from ages ago.

I don't think I've seen one pop up here lately.

I do appreciate all the input. T20 sounds like the most interesting beyond Fading suns, and I've always wanted to try traveler.

Feel free to keep giving more, I hope others see this thread and get info from it.

 

[Emiricol]

Not an issue for me, as I do have D20 modern, but I've not had a chance to actualy use it.

My GM has a soft spot for apocolyptic games. He likes Darwin's World, but hasn't been able to get a game off. The new upcoming D20 Apocolyps might help him out as well.

I'm looking more for ships, planetary travel, and not mecha. T20 and Fading Suns seem good, I'll have to try to get in a T20 game.

Any links to Bulldogs! 20 and Dawning Star?

I recomment at least evaluating Blood and Space, the D20Modern/Future supplements from RPG Objects. (The setting info is at http://www.rpgobjects.com/index.php?page=pro&product_id=59)

Not saying it will fill your needs, but it worked really well for me (for the brief time I was in a sci-fi game other than Darwin's World II). Check out their other Blood and Space products also.

 

[scourger]

I liked DragonStar so much that I bought 2 of the starfarer's (player's) handbooks. The GM's guide and Imperial Supply were less & less useful to me. I still dream of running the Raw Recruits adventure, though. Sadly, none of my players are much interested in "D&D in Space" (thought they sure turned Star Wars into "D&D in Space!).

I also really like Judge Dredd d20. It has enough sci-fi elements to be playable for the kind of game you want, I think. My advice to you on this game is to pick up the core book and the 4 published modules. The other books are nice to read, but I never used the game rules content. It's just too much. The core book presents enough options for a nice party of judges to play through those adventures.

If you change your mind about post-apoclayptic sci-fi, get Omega World d20. It was ont he Polyhedron side of Dungeon #94. You can get a back issue for $10 and launch a great game in the classic Gamma World style. I think it's one of the best (possibly the best) d20 games out there.

 

[HellHound]

I liked DragonStar so much that I bought 2 of the starfarer's (player's) handbooks. The GM's guide and Imperial Supply were less & less useful to me. I still dream of running the Raw Recruits adventure, though. Sadly, none of my players are much interested in "D&D in Space" (thought they sure turned Star Wars into "D&D in Space!).

I have a love for DragonStar too - although we ended up combining it with Rokugan to make a new setting with elements of both. Bummer you haven't managed to get together players who like it. I even ran Raw Recruits for my Rokugan Dragonstar game, and it was a hoot.

If you change your mind about post-apoclayptic sci-fi, get Omega World d20. It was ont he Polyhedron side of Dungeon #94. You can get a back issue for $10 and launch a great game in the classic Gamma World style. I think it's one of the best (possibly the best) d20 games out there.

Absolutely. It is a bit on the wild and wahoo side (okay, in our opinions as long time GW players & GMs, it's the -most- wild and wahoo version of the game yet published) - but that was the appeal to us.