Do you mix high fantasy and sci-fi?

[Crothian]

Yes, I am after all running Star Wars.

 

[+5 Keyboard!]

BTW, I really enjoyed Gallery of Evil.

Thanks, Shroomy!

 

[FireLance]

I'm just wondering what causes people to classify certain game elements as either fantasy or science fiction. Is there really much distinction between bracers of armor and a belt that generates a personal force field? If you have a piece of equipment that fires bolts of energy, does it matter whether it's shaped like a rifle, a crossbow, or a staff? How different is fighting insectoid aliens from fighting thri-kreen?

Of course, some elements would be more common in fantasy and others would be more common in science fiction. Fantasy has more swords, science fiction has more lasers. But apart from how frequently you would expect to encounter them, is there anything that makes a game element distinctively fantasy or science fiction?

 

[Thurbane]

In general, no, but modules like ETBP and When a Comet Falls are both hella fun! I just wouldn't use them as anything other than one-shots. The thought of laser weapons becoming a fixture in a long term campaign gives me the heebie-geebies.

 

[drothgery]

Yes, I am after all running Star Wars.

It seems a lot more common to have a some fantasy in a nominally sci-fi setting (whether psuedo-magic like psi powers or 'the Force' or tech which is completely impossible by any understanding of science as we know it like faster than light travel or Star Trek-esque transporters) than to drop some sci-fi into a nominally fantasy setting. The biggest counterexample I can think of there is the Final Fantasy video games, which have almost all dropped some psuedo-high-tech into a psuedo-fantasy universe.

 

[Doug McCrae]

I'm just wondering what causes people to classify certain game elements as either fantasy or science fiction. Is there really much distinction between bracers of armor and a belt that generates a personal force field? If you have a piece of equipment that fires bolts of energy, does it matter whether it's shaped like a rifle, a crossbow, or a staff? How different is fighting insectoid aliens from fighting thri-kreen?

It's all about the language you use to describe it. Roleplaying games are composed of almost nothing but words after all.

Force field = sci-fi
Enchanted bracers = fantasy

Keycard, robot, laser = sci-fi
Tablet of opening, steel golem, wand of invisible doom = fantasy

Doesn't really matter if the power is ultimately magic or scientific. All that matters is what you call it. Or in other words, the HERO system rocks.

 

[Thurbane]

I'm just wondering what causes people to classify certain game elements as either fantasy or science fiction. Is there really much distinction between bracers of armor and a belt that generates a personal force field? If you have a piece of equipment that fires bolts of energy, does it matter whether it's shaped like a rifle, a crossbow, or a staff? How different is fighting insectoid aliens from fighting thri-kreen?

Of course, some elements would be more common in fantasy and others would be more common in science fiction. Fantasy has more swords, science fiction has more lasers. But apart from how frequently you would expect to encounter them, is there anything that makes a game element distinctively fantasy or science fiction?

Any sufficiently advanced technology would appear as magic to a less advanced society. Or something like that.

Some of the staples of D&D straddle this line: both Ioun Stones and the Apparatus of Kwalish are a lot more sci-fi than fantasy. Well, technically, I suppose the Apparatus is more "steampunk", but in the true tradition of Jack Vance, Ioun Stones should only be able to be created from matter off the surface of a dying planet or star...

 

[Gentlegamer]

Expedition gets it badly wrong. The tech is far too blatant for the world of Greyhawk as it had been presented up to that point. Despite the kitchen sink quality of D&D, it was kitchen sink fantasy, not unlimited kitchen sink. Expedition jarred, like a crashed spaceship in Middle-Earth.

That campaign also had characters take a side trip to adventure in the Boot Hill universe (with one character returning with a pair of pistols) as well as travel to Barsoom to learn how to dual-wield long swords, among other things.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I have no problem with fantasy and sci-fi elements mixed together in a setting. However, I'm leery of previously purely fantasy settings throwing some sci-fi in. So, if I've been playing in a LotR-esque game for a while, having a lazer pistol show up would be jarring. However, having a Thundarr-like setting would be a lot of fun. Or perhaps something Changeling-like.

 

[Psion]

Depends on the campaign.

In Dragonstar or Second World games... part & parcel.

In my traditional fantasy games, I keep it a bit more straight... no blasters or stun grenades.

I don't consider psionics sci-fi for this purpose. They are just a flavor of magic. If anything, they belong in fantasy more than SF.