Generic Space Opera Supplements
- Thread starter tbug
- Start date
Psion
Adventurer
The Traveller's Handbook (AKA Traveller d20 or T20) is about as close as you are going to get. It has sparse setting materials and is primarily mechanical support for space empire type settings. Some assumptions (such as drive technology) spring from the Traveller setting, but for the most part the book is generic.
Nothing at all?
So, nobody has come out with generic d20 aliens? No new planets? No space ships, or adventures, or stations, or cybernetics, or anything?
I think it's cool that we have Traveller and Star Wars and Dragonstar and Farscape, but whether we're using one of those or something else we could still use some generic stuff. I guess I'm just surprised that nobody at all is doing third-party support.
Thanks for your response, Psion.
So, nobody has come out with generic d20 aliens? No new planets? No space ships, or adventures, or stations, or cybernetics, or anything?
I think it's cool that we have Traveller and Star Wars and Dragonstar and Farscape, but whether we're using one of those or something else we could still use some generic stuff. I guess I'm just surprised that nobody at all is doing third-party support.
Thanks for your response, Psion.
Tyler Do'Urden
Soap Maker
You forgot Fading Suns d20 in your lineup. We have five sci-fi RPG settings- with another one that I know of in the works. (Identity: Transhuman). Don't expect to see any material for I:T until some time late next year though, from what I've been told.
Thanks, Tyler. I didn't know about those. Is I:T related to Transhuman Space?
But this just makes me more incredulous that there's nothing else out there. If there are five (soon to be six) space opera settings then surely there's enough support for some generic supplementary material. Or am I missing something obvious?
But this just makes me more incredulous that there's nothing else out there. If there are five (soon to be six) space opera settings then surely there's enough support for some generic supplementary material. Or am I missing something obvious?
ColonelHardisson
What? Me Worry?
I would be interested in seeing a d20 Scifi book, along the lines of d20 Modern.
Out of curiosity, what is the nature of the OGC stuff in d20 Traveller? I'm sure they didn't include the starship combat/construction systems, if they are as similar to the original Traveller rules as I've read they are.
Out of curiosity, what is the nature of the OGC stuff in d20 Traveller? I'm sure they didn't include the starship combat/construction systems, if they are as similar to the original Traveller rules as I've read they are.
EricNoah
Adventurer
We don't have a "generic" one-size-fits all D20 Space ruleset, do we? Star Wars would be close, I guess, but don't all of the sci-fi D20 games or supplements make up their own rules? It would be hard to produce something "generic" yet make it useable in FFG's Dragonstar, Star Wars D20, Fading Suns, etc.
Maybe D20 Future is needed?
Maybe D20 Future is needed?
It depends how you did it, I suppose.
For instance, you could create a star system with an inhabited planet and a bunch of miners in the asteroid field. You'd describe the planet without using much in the way of d20, but the alien race would have a standard racial template. You could write scenarios taking place in various places, using monsters and NPCs with standard d20 classes.
It's true that not all of the space opera settings use the Fighter class, but they all have something similar enough that if your NPCs used the class they could get dropped into the game with little or no conversion.
Stuff like DCs for skill checks could be defined by the author. Firearms could follow the DMG rules even though everyone seems to use a custom system; they could probably be converted fairly simply. Once the d20 modern rules are released those could be used instead (assuming they're different from the DMG firearms rules).
If you wanted to start small you could publish a scenario that takes place, for instance, in a derelict space ship. You don't even really need rules for space ships if it's already disabled.
I guess I agree that there isn't a truly standardized system, but for the purposes of a generic d20 supplement I'm not sure that it should matter.
For instance, you could create a star system with an inhabited planet and a bunch of miners in the asteroid field. You'd describe the planet without using much in the way of d20, but the alien race would have a standard racial template. You could write scenarios taking place in various places, using monsters and NPCs with standard d20 classes.
It's true that not all of the space opera settings use the Fighter class, but they all have something similar enough that if your NPCs used the class they could get dropped into the game with little or no conversion.
Stuff like DCs for skill checks could be defined by the author. Firearms could follow the DMG rules even though everyone seems to use a custom system; they could probably be converted fairly simply. Once the d20 modern rules are released those could be used instead (assuming they're different from the DMG firearms rules).
If you wanted to start small you could publish a scenario that takes place, for instance, in a derelict space ship. You don't even really need rules for space ships if it's already disabled.
I guess I agree that there isn't a truly standardized system, but for the purposes of a generic d20 supplement I'm not sure that it should matter.
EricNoah said:
This is pretty much what the main T20 book was intended to do. It is VERY light on campaign setting and includes pretty much everything you need to run most any type of science-fiction campaign using the d20 rules.
d20 Future
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