Help me pick between 2 sci-fi games

[PosterBoy]

One last submission

Can I offer you one more opition, Blood and Space:

http://www.rpgobjects.com/index.php?page=pro&product_id=15&

It's NOT a setting. It's 100% rules for building your own space setting or adding on to another. It has rules for space opera or hard sci-fi.

You can get it in ebook or print depending on your funds.

There's at least 5-6 reviews for it on this site. Here's the latest:

http://www.enworld.org/reviews/index.php?sub=yes&where=active&reviewer=trancejeremy&product=BaSV

 

[trancejeremy]

I'm not saying T20 is bad, exactly, but let me just chime in that there are problems that others gloss over a bit.

1) The layout is confusing. Key concepts like lifeblood aren't explained up front, but tucked away in the middle

2) Character generation is confusing. Especially for multiclass characters.

3) There's little setting info - I guess it's aimed at Traveller fans who already know the setting.

4) Some of the d20 conversions aren't great, most notably the classes. For instance, while there's an Army class, they suck at combat. At least compared to a Marine or a Mercenary. While Marines would agree with that, I'm sure, I don't think that's terribly accurate. At least not that much worse.

Marines/Mercs have a Base Attack Bonus progression like a Fighter in D&D. Army is like a Cleric. Navy is like a Wizard. The civilian classes have one half of a wizard (ending up at +5 at 20th level).

I won't even go into the Psionics problems.


Anyway, it's still a good book, but it's something that you'll probably either struggle with at first (especially making up characters for the first time) and tweaking a lot (I use classes from Blood & Space, Deadlands d20, Fading Suns d20, to replace some of the ones in T20).

 

[RPGRealms]

Originally posted by trancejeremy
3) There's little setting info - I guess it's aimed at Traveller fans who already know the setting.

Nope, it's meant as a fairly generic toolkit for sci-fi d20 roleplaying. The rules and any setting are two different beasts.

4) Some of the d20 conversions aren't great, most notably the classes. For instance, while there's an Army class, they suck at combat. At least compared to a Marine or a Mercenary. While Marines would agree with that, I'm sure, I don't think that's terribly accurate. At least not that much worse.

I spent a couple of years as an infantryman in the 82nd. Yes, infantry units in the Army would likely have the high BABs of a Marine, but the vast majority of personnel in the Army are not in the combat arms branch and receive minimal weapons training. There are many more REMFs in the Army that combat soldiers.

If you want an Army character with a max +20 BAB at 20th level, simply take the Martial Training Feat.

 

[Wolfx]

trancejeremy, thanks for the additional information. I like to hear the bad as well as the good on a product so I know what to expect.

3) There's little setting info - I guess it's aimed at Traveller fans who already know the setting.

I really don't mind the lack of setting material since I have my own in mind.

4) Some of the d20 conversions aren't great, most notably the classes. For instance, while there's an Army class, they suck at combat. At least compared to a Marine or a Mercenary. While Marines would agree with that, I'm sure, I don't think that's terribly accurate. At least not that much worse.

(I use classes from Blood & Space, Deadlands d20, Fading Suns d20, to replace some of the ones in T20).

Good points, and I will look at both heavily when I go to purchase my sci-fi product.

I won't even go into the Psionics problems.

What/how bad were they in your opinion. I wanted to use Psionics instead of magic.

RPGRealms thanks for comments as well also thanks for this;

If you want an Army character with a max +20 BAB at 20th level, simply take the Martial Training Feat.

Thanks again for the further input.