Fantastic Steampunk

[Miles Pilitus]

My group decided that we wanted to try playing a Steam-Punk game, where the conflict being played is the power of nature, the ancient world and magic against the march of technology. The general idea is to include some Dresden Files-like elements of the incompatibility of magic with technology.

The problem I have is that I'm playing the mad scientist of the group. I need a source to pull from that actually has some fantastic tech. I took a look at Deadlands D20 and the tech that they show isn't really fantastic. I'm looking for something other then just Current tech+x years for crazy inventions. I'm looking for Wild, Wild West level of tech. The Will Smith one.

My current idea is to go Smart/Techie, but I need to find a decent place to pull rules up so we have guidlines.

 

[I'm A Banana]

There's a few really awesome pdf's or pod files for this. For instance:

This thing

It might be all you really need.

 

[Hairball]

The OGL steampunk book (by MGP) has a good set of rules for doing tech. Don't think it has a lot of examples.

First and foremost, check out the Arcanum video game:

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/arcanumofsteamworksamo/

It has everything from alchemical potions to electric lights to powered armor and axes. If you can find the hintbook on eBay or somewhere that would be the best. Even without that there should be plenty of online resources for it. It was a very good game. Lots of cool guns and gear like clockwork spiders and such. The theme of the game was also magic vs. technology, which should help as well.

Hope that helps.

 

[Slife]

I think somebody has a final fantasy d20 rules set floating around...

 

[Aeric]

Iron Kingdom's Lieber Mechanika has some neat stuff in it.

 

[papastebu]

The OGL steampunk book (by MGP) has a good set of rules for doing tech. Don't think it has a lot of examples.

First and foremost, check out the Arcanum video game:

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/arcanumofsteamworksamo/

It has everything from alchemical potions to electric lights to powered armor and axes. If you can find the hintbook on eBay or somewhere that would be the best. Even without that there should be plenty of online resources for it. It was a very good game. Lots of cool guns and gear like clockwork spiders and such. The theme of the game was also magic vs. technology, which should help as well.

Hope that helps.

Do you know where someone might acquire a copy of the Arcanum game? I don't know if it would play on my computer, as old as it is, but I'd like to find out.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Check out:

Space: 1889
Etherscope
Amazing Engine: For Farie, Queen & Country
Deadlands D20
Iron Kingdoms
Northern Crown

for actual RPGs with magitech of some kind.

Non-game sources:

Adventures of Briscoe County Junior (esp. The Orb)
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Girl Genius (Phil Foglio)
The Difference Engine (William Gibson)

 

[sjmiller]

First off, check out GURPS Steampunk and GURPS Steamtech. This should give you more stuff to work with than you can think of on your own. Then, go check out Forgotten Futures. It is a combination of RPG and resource for all things funky and steampunk. Plus there's lots of articles in the Forgotten Futures stuff that talk about real stuff. Sometimes history is better than fantasy.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

I'm very fond of the steamtech rules in Goodman Games' 'DragonMech' campaign setting.

 

[William drake]

My group decided that we wanted to try playing a Steam-Punk game, where the conflict being played is the power of nature, the ancient world and magic against the march of technology. The general idea is to include some Dresden Files-like elements of the incompatibility of magic with technology.

The problem I have is that I'm playing the mad scientist of the group. I need a source to pull from that actually has some fantastic tech. I took a look at Deadlands D20 and the tech that they show isn't really fantastic. I'm looking for something other then just Current tech+x years for crazy inventions. I'm looking for Wild, Wild West level of tech. The Will Smith one.

My current idea is to go Smart/Techie, but I need to find a decent place to pull rules up so we have guidlines.

Go to the D&D website, look up 2D0Modern...in there, I think, is also a list of differnt ages of tec...you can get so far that it's beyond Star Treck...there are different levels of tec. Enjoy.


Another option, its not D&D but look up the Tecnocracy for Mage the Ascension. They have alot of cyber-type weapons and alot of other fun toys.

Game On