Sci-Fi RPG Mash Up?

[Mezuka]

What started as a standard Traveller campaign became a mash up between Traveller character backgrounds, and the Coriolis setting but using The Expanse AGE for the system. I never went so far as mixing and matching different RPGs together. It works very well. We have rich character backgrounds, a mysterious setting and a fun system with stunts.

Have you done this and which RPGs did you put in the blender? Did it work in the long run?


[for those who wonder why I'm back after saying I was leaving: I discovered I could block all D&D-related topics using forum preferences. I can still enjoy EN without the parts that are problematic for me.]

 

[dragoner]

A long time ago my group did this with Traveller, Space Opera, using the base AD&D to run it, though the way we used AD&D, I think it was more like B/X.

The setting was there had been a multi-universe spanning empire with a dune type flavor, and Heinlein, Andre Norton-ish elements; one planet had re-discovered space travel, and was exploring the others, that were in a post-apocalypse state. Ultra-high tech was like magic. Magic existed because of planar entities, as "Gods".

 

[payn]

Welcome back.

For a time I was adding things like degrees of success and advantage/disadvantage to Traveller. Then, Mongoose launched 2E so it does most of that now by default. I think adding in little mechanical bits is fairly easy to do and something I encourage when its not only good design by works well in practice at the table. Some specific mechanics might not work as well. By that I mean if you have something designed to give the feel of Alien (tensity, stress, horror, etc) it might not translate well. Sometimes, specifics are too specific and I dont liek to carry them with me. YMMV.

I have not done much mashup of setting material. I use Traveller 95% of the time for my Sci-fi gaming. The setting and system are fairly agnostic and easy to add elements if you want/need to.

 

[kronovan]

What started as a standard Traveller campaign became a mush up between Traveller character backgrounds, and the Coriolis setting but using The Expanse AGE for the system. I never went so far as mixing and matching different RPGs together. It works very well. We have rich character backgrounds, a mysterious setting and a fun system with stunts...

While I haven't run any Modern AGE yet, I do own the Modern AGE CRB and The Expanse and have run Dragon Age and Fantasy Age campaigns. I'm also currently playing in a MgT2E campaign and homebrewing one. I can definitely see what your doing as a good fit for The Expanse. I preferred the way backgrounds were handled in Dragon AGE and didn't care for them shifting to being just a few social class options in later AGE editions. So tweaking The Expanse based upon Traveller, IMO would only be a good thing.

The only time I've done something similar is to use Mythras-M Space cultures with Savage Worlds for a homebrewed setting. The number of SW cultures (9) was much greater than in M Space's, but their number of added skills was also much less. It worked very well, with players able to build distinct and unique PCs.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Traveller + FATE (Spirit of the Century) + a bit of Universalis = Diaspora.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

My best EVER campaign as a GM was running a supers game set in the world of Space:1889 using HERO 4th as the system. I have never hit that pinnacle since. I tried a similar melding using M&M 2Ed with a different group, and it was a complete failure.

I designed (but did not run) a D&D campaign that used the class designs from AD&D through 3.5Ed, modeled in HERO 5Ed. About the same time, I also started designing a M:tG campaign setting in HERO, but abandoned it. The game group I was in didn’t care for HERO. (They’re also the group in which I tried running that aforementioned doomed M&M 2Ed campaign.)

 

[aramis erak]

What started as a standard Traveller campaign became a mush up between Traveller character backgrounds, and the Coriolis setting but using The Expanse AGE for the system. I never went so far as mixing and matching different RPGs together. It works very well. We have rich character backgrounds, a mysterious setting and a fun system with stunts.

Have you done this and which RPGs did you put in the blender? Did it work in the long run?


[for those who wonder why I'm back after saying I was leaving: I discovered I could block all D&D-related topics using forum preferences. I can still enjoy EN without the parts that are problematic for me.]

The few tries I've had were somewhat less than happy. I'm not fond of mix-n-match, but have tried rethemes with slight success... but my player base preferred the bespoke system over the borrowed host system in every case.

I can say that I worked out the tonnages for the SFTM ships, and the DN's only around 20,000 Tons displacement for Traveller.
Felt too incomplete for me.

I have jumped a TTNE campaign over to MT (Megatraveller) rules at player demand. And T4 to MT. Same reason.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I’ve been thinking a more traditional Sci-Fi exploration/expansion (Traveller, Universe, Stargate, etc.) + Starship Trooper/Mecha (of any kind) chimaera could be interesting. The power armor/giant robots would be primary loading/away mission/dogfigthing vehicles.