GMing DragonStar

[Reynard]

Howdy all. I am seriously considering running a DragonStar game for my next 3e campaign. I love the setting and can think of a million and one adventures for it. However, I have little practical experience (one very un-"D&D in SPace" campaign that was quickly aborted) with running DragonSTar. I am a pretty experienced 3e DM however.

So, I am asking for inofrmation on things I might want to watch for or otherwise consider when running DragonStar -- things like the power of firearms and how they affect play, the availability of tech, adjusting CRs, all that good stuff. If you have run a DragonStar campaign, I would greatly appreciate any experience and wisdom you might pass on.

Thanks.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Well, I based my current setting on Dragonstar material, but I changed very much.
Especially weapon damage has been significantly reduced.

The Galaxy Guide gives suggestions on how to change the Challenge Rating of creatures based on their "tech level". I didn`t like the idea that equipment changes the CR, but probably its the only way to do it...

If you don`t change the rules, consider giving every character a Trauma Symbionte. Without it, the game might become much more lethal than usual.

But on the other hand, do not overestimate ranged weapons. If someone in the group concentrates on melee (like the Monk in my group), he can severely threaten the NPCs and might make their weapon use impossible. (Think of Sundering, Disarming, Attack of Oppertunities, Pressing Attack). Be sure to have some enemies that prefer melee or at least can stand their ground their.
Your players will also look... surprised if some of their opponents enters melee while they are directing an Assault Laser Rifle at him, and if the negates their 5 foot steps via Pressing Attack.

For availability of tech:
Think of what is available on the free/black marked, and decide why it is impossible for characters to sell a captured ship and become instant rich.
I had the situation occur in the last session I mastered - the group was (against my efforts) able to capture a ship, and now I have to decide why they don`t get 3.000.000 credits for the Explorer.

I decided that they can sell the ship, but they won`t earn full money (as usual), and not everything at once.
The people with the money for buying a ship at once won`t buy a used ship (with possibly doubtful origin). (this people are governments and trade organizations)
The people who would like the ship can`t afford it, but they are willing to pay monthly dues until they covered the full price.
So, I assume the group will get some buyers, and get 4 to 5.000 credits per month over 2 or 3 years. This doesn`t put me in problems with "over the top" equipment, and it doesn`t pose a problem for them to reason why they are still adventurers and not buying a house on a nice planet.

You might consider removing and recombining some skills (Crytography/Decipher Script, Use Rope?, Navigate/Intuit Direction), since the skill list for everyone becomes bigger and the skill points didn`t change...

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[Brutorz Bill]

I love Dragonstar, if you do wind up running it I heartily recommend you picking up Arsenal from Perpetrated Press. It is PERFECT for a Dragonstar Campaign, it's not just a weapon book it has all kinds of nifty tips for handling firearms and such. Factory (also by Perpetrated Press) just came out as well, it is cool! Robots, Computers and Dweoware rules. All excellent for DS.
(and no I don't work for Perpetrated Press) : )

 

[Salcor]

Dragonstar is an excellent settling, I have run it for a little while. There are a few important things to remember about it. First combat can be more lethal with the ranged weapons. It is amazing how quickly character become reliant on modern weapons. Most DnD players I have found don't know how many modern combat tactics, so you may need to tell them a little about how modern combat works. Also magic takes a new slant in Dragonstar as opposed to DnD. In DnD magic tends to be your artillery but with the advent of modern weapons the firepower of magic tends to be requlated to the back, since a fighter can easily changes clips, but a mage cannot. Magic becomes useful for all the utility spells that are available, but no one seems to take.
A recommendation is the run Raw Recruits, by Mystic Eye games. It is a great adventure and is actually pretty balanced for first level encounters. Well have fun.

Salcor

 

[Kesh]

I'm working out a campaign idea based on Dragonstar, but using the d20 Modern rules. I think the combat rules from d20M fit Dragonstar much better than straight D&D.

That does involve some work, however. I'll need to work out the feat differences, adjust pricing to Purchase DCs (which do make more sense to me for a modern-style game), and change the Dragonstar weapon damage closer to d20M damage codes (which fits the lower Massive Damage threshhold).

I'll probably leave the standard D&D classes in place, while offering d20M's advanced classes as Prestige Classes.

Might also translate some ships and equipment from Star Wars d20, and of course I'll be taking advantage of Ultramodern Firearms.

The best part is (with the exception of SWd20), I can take the d20M SRD, and the open content from Dragonstar & UM Firearms, and write up a campaign bible with all the appropriate classes/rules. I love the Open Gaming Liscence.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

2Kesh: I guess you are already done, but if you (or anybody else) still needs some guidelines, here is what I would do:
(Unfortunately, D20 Modern came out after my campaign and the rule changes came, and I don`t want to change it again, especially since it seems to work. Anyway, the basic thoughts for redesigning were the same).
Blaster Weapons deal more damage than Pistols and Lasers, so use the Pistol statistics from D20 Modern and up the dice by one category (2d6 becomes 2d8 and so on) and change damage type to electricity. You might consider (if the damage seems to high) to reduce the range a bit (10 to 20%)
Laser Pistols might be more accurate than Standard Pistols (the laser generates a straight line, not a ballistic curve), so increase range (between 10 to 50 percent) and change damage type to fire.
Sonic Weapons deal sonic damage. Nothing else changes, though you might add a special property like "deafens for 1 round unless Fortitude Saving Throw DC 15 succeeds", or increased range underwater. (And Sonic Weapons don`t deal damage to most modern metallic or plastic structures like you find them aboard space ships. Consider reducing damage to a quarter of usual or double effective hardness. Special effects on stone or crystalline objects still applies...)
The only weapons that can be silenced are pistols. Blaster, Laser and Screamer cause noise due to ionization effects and the generator for the energy effects or due to obvious reasons (Screamer)

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[Voneth]

Think of what is available on the free/black marked, and decide why it is impossible for characters to sell a captured ship and become instant rich.
I had the situation occur in the last session I mastered - the group was (against my efforts) able to capture a ship, and now I have to decide why they don`t get 3.000.000 credits for the Explorer.

I decided that they can sell the ship, but they won`t earn full money (as usual), and not everything at once.
The people with the money for buying a ship at once won`t buy a used ship (with possibly doubtful origin). (this people are governments and trade organizations)
The people who would like the ship can`t afford it, but they are willing to pay monthly dues until they covered the full price.
So, I assume the group will get some buyers, and get 4 to 5.000 credits per month over 2 or 3 years. This doesn`t put me in problems with "over the top" equipment, and it doesn`t pose a problem for them to reason why they are still adventurers and not buying a house on a nice planet.

Mustrum Ridcully

LOL! Welcome to your first SF game with varible tech limits.

My suggestion is to relax, if you think it through you will find that such problems will easily answer themeselves if you don't mind improving.

Things are much eaiser if the ship is stolen, if it is rightful salavage, that's doable too. Either way, the PC handed you several adventure hooks. You shouldn't have to come up with a new adventure of the next two weeks.

If it is stolen or has a hint of being stolen, no bank will float the NPC's loan to buy it. ... And someone will be looking for the ship, who?

Hmmm, the previous owners might have still had their own loan unpaid and the bank want's their collateral back. If the ship is paid for, then things get personal as the owning merchant family wants the ship back.

And you can decide, if the old crew was honest, then some sort of law enforcement is looking for the ship as stolen good, other wise the mob might want thier ship back.

And most minor dicatorships that would buy stolen goods don't mind stealing what has been stolen in their first place, double cross. The nasty thing about goverment that double cross you, it means jail time ... in their jails. And a guild house that buys the ship, may not have a jail, but they could double cross you into debt.

With rightful salvage, you can still get rich, but the payout is much lower since you have used, damaged goods. Has the party thought about going into business themselves? If you play it right, some players may think you planned to have the ship fall into their hands so that they had their own ship and yet another adventure hook (we need EVEN more money to keep her fuel cells full, sir!)

And even if you make the guys rich, there is always bigger payout for more risks later. The guys have a rep now, people will come to their office (instead of meeting clients at bars.) And they can get bigger weapons and bigger ships, which cost more to maintain.

Don't forget in a tech setting, it's not the strongest arm, but the quickest trigger finger and smartest brain that wins the day. By evoltuion, Rogues rule. Even better, they don't need to pick pockets anymore, not when keyboard, contracts and forged signatures can net you millions off some stumblebums who happened to sell off a ship instead of going into business themselves.

That is the problem with merc PCs, it's easy to motivate them when they are poor. But a PC who motivated by ideas or thrills can be hooked no matter what his paycheck is.

Someday, I may just make a bunch of mercs hit the motherload and let them play around being rich for two game sessions. Then I'll retire the game and say "now make some PCs who think beyond money."

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Voneth: I think the problem is mainly because of Dragonstar includes high level magic equipment that really enhances the capabilities of characters (think of the wealth guide lines). Though I must admit, the problems will probably be reduced thanks to the fact that I limited the free market availability of magical items. We (or at least I) will see...

Maybe I could use it as an adventure hook, but actually, I do not need any adventure hooks for this campaign - I have several adventures already more or less planned, they just need to be filled with life, and then I am ready to master it.

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[Yeoman]

I've played Dragonstar on and off since it came out and here are some things I've learned...

1. Cover is your friend. Modern tactics are the way to go in Dragonstar games.

2. My DM found that when using monsters, she usually had to treat us as 1-3 levels higher than we generally were, due to our weaponry. Against NPC opponents the CR's were fine.

3. We've found that death comes early and often, due to the high damages dealt by weaponry. While this is fine for our group, other groups we've played with have not enjoyed the higher death rate. So YGMMV.

Just my 2 cents

 

[Garmorn]

I have ran a Dragonstar campain for a few months. Some observations.

1 - The increased amount of varity of equipment needed for survivial means that less then normal amount of money spent on any one item. For example by 5th level most D&D characters will have a magical armor and weapon. In Dragonstar they might have picked up a more expensive weapon, space suite, personnel comunicator, and other high tech items and not have any magical items. This is a major balance area to watch.

2 - Insure that any one playing a mage knows that fireball and other similar spells are of low power compared to a grenade or to that blaster rifle that he can get and use. Support spells become even more important do to how they increase the effectiveness of already powerfull fighter and rogue types and their hightech weapons.

3 - Healing is even more important in battle then in standard D&D.

4 - They must learn new tatics and act wisely in combat or they will lose.