Looking for a good Sci-fi setting

[Umbran]

Hm. I know a system has been chosen, but for anyone else who is reading the thread looking for ideas - Ashen Stars (from Pelgrane Press) hist many of the points in question:

Imagine a great federation of star systems fights a war with a strange, unknown enemy... and doesn't quite win. The federation must retreat to its core to rebuild, leaving the fringe to mostly fend for itself. One of the last vestiges of the old government are Licensed Autonomous Zone Effectuators - "Lasers" for short. They are small crews of freelance investigators and enforcers that local governments and powers hire when things get sticky. The work is dangerous, but it pays... usually.

Nailsuit Variations: The Time Sentinel

Publishers of the GUMSHOE RPG system, 13th Age RPG, and the Dying Earth RPG

site.pelgranepress.com

 

[Jd Smith1]

Hm. I know a system has been chosen, but for anyone else who is reading the thread looking for ideas - Ashen Stars (from Pelgrane Press) hist many of the points in question:

Imagine a great federation of star systems fights a war with a strange, unknown enemy... and doesn't quite win. The federation must retreat to its core to rebuild, leaving the fringe to mostly fend for itself. One of the last vestiges of the old government are Licensed Autonomous Zone Effectuators - "Lasers" for short. They are small crews of freelance investigators and enforcers that local governments and powers hire when things get sticky. The work is dangerous, but it pays... usually.

Nailsuit Variations: The Time Sentinel

Publishers of the GUMSHOE RPG system, 13th Age RPG, and the Dying Earth RPG

site.pelgranepress.com

Well, the system has been chosen, but not the way the thread indicated. I passed around the free demo of The Expanse, and it crashed and burned.

Since a extended conversion of Star Wars to 5e rules is available, I have been looking at doing terrible things to the history of the franchise in order to offset my player's superior knowledge; this has gotten a unanimous vote from the group, but I haven't given up hope for an original setting. I've only seen three of the SW movies (the first three released) and bits of a couple others.

Pelgrane does good work, so I will look at AS.

 

[Bagpuss]

The Expanse RPG is based on the Books rather than the TV series, after book one. With the books I think there is something like a five year gap between the first book and the second. The timeline was compacted significantly for the TV series.

So plenty of time to play around before you even consider if the ring appears or not.

 

[Bagpuss]

I passed around the free demo of The Expanse, and it crashed and burned.

Did they mention what they didn't like? Also it seems odd that you are now talking Star Wars after you originally said no magic. I find a lot of folks seem to claim they want a no magic campaign, but then there a some that just can't seem to live without that fantasy element.

 

[Jd Smith1]

The Expanse RPG is based on the Books rather than the TV series, after book one. With the books I think there is something like a five year gap between the first book and the second. The timeline was compacted significantly for the TV series.

So plenty of time to play around before you even consider if the ring appears or not.

Nope, my players vetoed The Expanse as a setting. They don't often shoot down a setting, so I heed it when they do.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Did they mention what they didn't like? Also it seems odd that you are now talking Star Wars after you originally said no magic. I find a lot of folks seem to claim they want a no magic campaign, but then there a some that just can't seem to live without that fantasy element.

I'm hoping to dodge Star Wars, as the next campaign after this one will be post-apoc, so we're looking at mid-2021 at the earliest.

I don't think they liked the overall tone of the document. I know I was disappointed in it after seeing the dark, gritty nature of the TV series.

I may just blow off sci-fi and run a zombie campaign in its place; we're overdue for one of those, and frankly, I'm tired of looking at sci-fi settings. If Ashen Stars doesn't pan out, I'll probably drop the whole idea.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Run a Sci-fi zombie campaign.

Colony on the outskirts of human space encounters a (natural or artificial) zombifying pathogen. They get quarantined, and have to solve the issue with only minimal support from the greater human interplanetary community.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Run a Sci-fi zombie campaign.

Colony on the outskirts of human space encounters a (natural or artificial) zombifying pathogen. They get quarantined, and have to solve the issue with only minimal support from the greater human interplanetary community.

Already did that using FTL Now, which is a great setting, BTW.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

My own suggestion is Eclipse Phase by Posthuman Studios, or Stanfider by Paizo if you want a lighter style.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Numenera, perhaps?

Numenera - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org