My Science-Fiction RPG 2014/2015 Appreciation Thread

[Azgulor]

This was a voyage of a RPG Gamemaster, whose imagination was ignited almost 30 years ago by the promise of exploring new worlds, of encountering strange aliens, and by the promise of adventure in the vastness of space by a collection of artifacts bearing the name “Star Frontiers”. His initial missions grew into a continuing journey, one which would expand to include new rule systems, false starts and dead campaigns, but one that would eventually grow to include a new generation.

Empowered by new understanding of the RPG science fiction universe and equipped with new technology, his continuing mission is to throw players into the unknown where frontier justice can be dispensed at the end of a blaster…

Almost 30 years ago, I was introduced to Dungeons & Dragons and while that game captured my imagination, it was TSR’s sister product line, Star Frontiers that launched me into RPG gamemastering at FTL speeds, never to return. My first true campaign was a Star Frontiers campaign which fed directly into my insatiable love of science fiction. Unsurprisingly, the majority of my RPG hobby has been spent in the realm of swords-and-sorcery but I always come back with a desire to scratch my science-fiction itch.

Many posts and threads have been made that talk to the challenges and pitfalls as well as the victories of science-fiction gaming but the biggest hurdles that I always encountered boiled down to these:
1. Conveying the setting. Science fiction is much broader than traditional sword-and-sorcery fantasy and players often have different expectations & tastes.

2. Rules with enough depth but not so complex that they get in the way of play or require so much prep that you can’t focus on addressing #1, above.

3. RPG aids. Space is pretty darn big. Having to build it from scratch or having to rely on a single publisher can be a recipe for a stalled campaign.

This thread isn’t about a one-true-way approach nor is it meant as an advertisement. However, this weekend I had one of the most rewarding GMing experiences, ever. While kudos definitely go to my son and his group of friends (the players), it was an effortless experience for me to run do to a set of products and I want to give a shout of thanks to those companies as well as highlight how they positively impacted my game for other GMs that may be looking to enhance their science-fiction gaming.

 

[Azgulor]

Framework: While I wanted to run a science fiction campaign, I had no idea how my players would receive it and if it would be something that would survive beyond a session or two. Given that, the trial session was designed to introduce the rules system and the first “real” session was intentionally kept pretty generic, drawing inspiration from a few recent video game franchise’s for making easy references that my players would understand. My players wanted a zombie survival horror game and I convinced them that I could do it while wrapping it into a science fiction campaign.

The following is a tool set that I’ve gathered over time. Some of the purchases like Future Armada started years ago, some are recent purchases. I recognize that not everyone is going to be able to, or even want to, buy everything on this list but I want to give credit where credit is due. All of these products have significantly enriched my science fiction RPG gaming.

System: Savage Worlds Deluxe (Pinnacle Entertainment Group)
Savage Worlds was a system that I picked up specifically on the hopes that it would be a good system for science-fiction gaming. I’ve since found it to be a game of surprising depth and incredible flexibility. Previously, I’ve run games using Star Frontiers, Traveller, Alternity, d20 Modern/Future, and GURPS. They all have their strengths and weaknesses but prior to discovering Savage Worlds, the most “complete” game was GURPS. While the system ran quickly during play, GM prep was my least favorite aspect of the game despite the library of well-written supplements. It just didn’t work for me – a husband & dad with a full-time job. Savage Worlds allowed for easy customization but still had satisfying tactical combat without sacrificing speed of play. Even before the Science Fiction Companion came out, the core rulebook was enough to run a barebones science fiction game. Combat, exploration, chases, dramatic conflicts, a Mexican-standoff, a struggle to gain control of a pistol – this game does it all quickly, easily, and in a satisfying way.

Once the Science Fiction Companion was published I was set. Between the content within and an improved understanding of Savage Worlds, I could replicate just about anything that I wanted to, from Titanfall mechs, to Halo weaponry, and including Dead Space necromorphs and my beloved Star Frontiers races.

Even better, Pinnacle now offers The Last Parsec, a science fiction setting that reads like the spiritual successor to Star Frontiers. Rather than taking a “Galaxy-down” approach, the books released to date provide broad-stroke info on the larger setting and instead provide “zoomed-in” detail on a single planet or solar system. Highly recommended.

 

[Azgulor]

Conveying the Setting/RPG Aids
Future Armada & Armada Codex (0 hr: Art & Technology)
Hands-down, these products are the most fantastic starship resources available for RPGs. Largely system-neutral (early entries in the series had d20 Future stats), these products include detailed deckplans, ship descriptions & plot hooks, as well as artwork depicting the ships in action.

For my opening adventure, I utilized Argos III (space station) & MisFortune (container ship). Sparing me the need to map the areas out, providing a level of detail that I would need years to do on my own, and eliminating the need to fly fully by the seat of my pants, these provided evocative visual aids to my players and allowed me to focus on the story while maintaining internal consistency in what were essentially giant sandboxes filled with technology – and space zombies!

RealWorks (Lone Wolf Development)
HeroLab has been a mainstay for me for years and while I utilize it more for Pathfinder than Savage Worlds, as additional Savage Worlds companion sets are released, I expect that to balance out quite a bit.
RealmWorks, however, while an excellent resource for any RPG, has proven to be invaluable to science fiction campaign management and has revolutionized my ability to not only create my “Setting Bible” but also give me the ability to convey the setting to my players in a digestible fashion. I’m still learning the ins-and-outs of this application but this application allowed me to take a generic framework and begin fleshing it out into a cohesive campaign setting at a rate I’ve never been able to achieve with traditional binders, notes, and document programs.

SyrinScape Sci-Fi Player & Sound Sets(SyrinScape)
Having already seen the tremendously positive impact that Syrinscape Fantasy Player & Sound Sets had on my Pathfinder game, when SyrinScape introduced a Science Fiction line, I bought it immediately. The results were even greater with electrical sparks, hissing vents, machinery hums. My players knew when they were on a starship bridge or the engineering room just from the sound set that I was playing. The fact that they came out with an Abandoned Space Station sound set shortly before this weekend’s session (set aboard an abandoned Argos III station) was serendipity of stellar proportions!


Paper Miniatures (DramaScape & Arion Games)
While I love using miniatures in play, they’re awfully expensive and science fiction miniatures seem to fall only in the “unpainted” camp. I’m a much bigger fan of pre-painted plastic minis – less expensive & less work.

Enter paper miniatures. Sure, these have been around for many years but I hadn’t used them previously. DramaScape and Arion Games offer many different sets but both have a nice range of genres. Yes, you’ll burn through some ink but they’re easy to construct and in my game have been as effective as traditional minis. A pretty inexpensive way to keep minis in play without resorting to “I shoot at the zombie. Yeah, my figure is the guy in platemail with the sword & shield.”


Tabletop Audio – Ambiences & Music for your RPGs (http://tabletopaudio.com/#)
I’ve never found using soundtracks to be particularly effective in establishing mood & tension in my RPG sessions. Sometimes they just don’t quite fit or perhaps they’re so well known that it pulls the players out of the game and has them thinking about the source material the music is from. Either way, it’s probably not enhancing your game.

Enter Tabletop Audio. This site allows for (& frankly, deserves) patronage but can be used for free. Most of the audio files run about 10 minutes and are created for a variety of genres including fantasy, science fiction, modern, and horror. Where Syrinscape is perfect for injecting specific sound effects into your game, Tabletop Audio is perfect for adding ambient soundtracks for when you want to escalate tension or enhance immersion but don’t want to focus on specific sounds. In my game, when the players went EVA to transfer from their damaged ship to the space station, I used the “Deep Space EVA”, tense music to covey the risk involved complete with helmet-enclosed respiration sounds! "Derelict Freighter" made for great tension-amping backdrop for my abandoned station.

I find Tabletop Audio & Syrinscape to be different tools for different jobs that are largely complimentary with one another.


N.E.W. – Countdown Mechanic (Morrus/E.N.Publishing)
Technically, I can’t say that I utilized N.E.W. (yet). I watched the O.L.D./N.E.W. kickstarter with great interest but unfortunately lacked the funds to pledge. I plan on picking up at least the N.E.W. rulebook once it’s available.

One of the mechanics that I thought was particularly cool was the Countdown Mechanic. I used it twice in this weekend’s session and my players loved it. The more memorable of the two was when a lone PC was left aboard the player’s starship. A villain who had taken control of the ship had just been defeated and the PC was attempting to access the ship’s computer, unknowingly activating the virus program that the villain had implanted. Suddenly, alarms are going off (thanks again, Syrinscape!) and the ship’s auto destruct has been activated! As the player fled for the airlock, the countdown dice were rolled out in the open. As each die was removed, the other players were cheering their comrade’s efforts. The PC made it to the airlock but before he could escape the ship, the last two dice “counted down” – time was up and the PC was killed in the fiery explosion.

 

[Azgulor]

Closing Thoughts & Thanks:

Much is argued about RPG rules sets, publisher woes, the state of the hobby, etc. Too many people are trying to “win” and there are too few threads that talk about actual game experiences, IMO. I wish anyone publishing RPG content a prosperous 2015 & beyond, but I wanted to take some time to thank the publishers and companies listed in these posts.

You have my sincere thanks. Not only did your products provide me with a nostalgic trip back to my RPG beginnings, but you provided me the tools to deliver a RPG experience to my players that I could only imagine back then.