SF Adventures in the Solar System?

[aramis erak]

I've been having a blast playing an Alien RPG campaign. Its mostly been rather low-key, with the environment itself being a major enemy. But I feel that the faster than light aspect of the game isn't really needed. So I was thinking about role-playing in the solar system.

I know of two RPG settings in the Solar System, Jovian Chronicles and The Expanse RPG - which recently launched a kickstarter for an expansion, A Little Death. I am somewhat familiar with the rules for Jovian Chronicles from playing Heavy Gear, but is that possible to get my hands on?

Yes... in PDF at least. DriveThruRPG
The mechanics are the same as for HG, with a few minor differences in rating mecha, and the . If you like HG, you should like JC just as much. There is a LOT of lore in the corebook; there's much more in the player's guide and world books.
Note also: They have the original Mekton version up, too; JC was originally a Mekton 3rd-party expansion.

The other in-one-system games I've used are:

• Freemarket (aka Project Donut) — a light transhumanist card driven set in the Sol system
• CP2013/2020 with Deep Space supplement
• Mars 2100 (BTRC, playtest - no commercial release) - low fiction with a very interesting play mode: you play a corp and it's local senior management.
• Mekton II - the default setting is not our system but is a no-FTL setting in a single solar system.

Others I've read set in a single star system

• High Colonies: it's the right tech for Alien, and is no FTL... I've seen ports for a few systems, but have the original bespoke system. Not a lot of lore.
• Buck Rogers XXVc Game: The old TSR game, grounded in the 1930's comics. Rules are modified slightly from AD&D 2e, and the classes are different. I don't like AD&D 2e much (despite having so damned much of it due to disappearing roommates).
• Flash Gordon for Savage Worlds. Again, based in the comics.

I suspect, however, you're probably better off just using ALIEN rules; it is the only one I've seen where the environment is the major threat.

(My own SF game isn't in-system, and hasn't seen playtesting, but it's no-FTL, on an STL colony ship. Was a 24 hour competition entry on BGG.)

 

[Wofano Wotanto]

I looked up reviews of Expanse and Jovian Chronicles RPGs, they appear too system-heavy for my current Blades in the Dark-influenced tastes. Jovian Chronicles' (JC from now on) setting seems nice, tough I was thinking of a more anarchic entrepreneurial game than what seems a military war campaign. I think JC can do this, its just not the main aim judging by the reviews.

FWIW, that Pressure game from Osprey self-describes as rules-light, although I can't vouch for that personally. Same writer as Those Dark Places but a little newer, and presumably lighter.

Jovian Chronicles started out as a setting for Mekton way back in the day, which might or might not fit your tastes better than the DP9 house engine. Not sure how easy it is to get Mekton II at this point, though. R Tal isn't selling it even as a pdf, which is mildly baffling considering the number of other supplements from that era they still have for sale. Adapting to Mekton Z would be extra work, but not impossible.

 

[Starfox]

Jovian Chronicles started out as a setting for Mekton way back in the day, which might or might not fit your tastes better than the DP9 house engine. Not sure how easy it is to get Mekton II at this point, though. R Tal isn't selling it even as a pdf, which is mildly baffling considering the number of other supplements from that era they still have for sale. Adapting to Mekton Z would be extra work, but not impossible.

I played and loved Mekton II back in 1987.

 

[Wofano Wotanto]

I played and loved Mekton II back in 1987.

Similar, although I can't say I played it long. Algol was a pretty neat setting for its time. Seems odd that R Tal doesn't offer it any more even as a pdf, but I suppose the files may have gotten lost or something.

 

[Starfox]

Similar, although I can't say I played it long. Algol was a pretty neat setting for its time. Seems odd that R Tal doesn't offer it any more even as a pdf, but I suppose the files may have gotten lost or something.

I ran it in my own setting based on a mix of two Heinlein books, Tunnel in the Sky and The Puppet Masters, but with mecha. Fun was had!

 

[Wofano Wotanto]

I ran it in my own setting based on a mix of two Heinlein books, Tunnel in the Sky and The Puppet Masters, but with mecha. Fun was had!

I can see where a mashup of those two could make a good RPG campaign, with or without mechs. Nice to see someone using Heinlein as an idea mine without getting Starship Troopers involved for a change. His early work has a fair bit of useful stuff for RPG campaigns, but tends to get overshadowed by that one mid-career novel.

 

[aramis erak]

I played and loved Mekton II back in 1987.

I didn't find Mekton until the 90's, with Mekton II.

 

[aramis erak]

Wasn't there a Firefly RPG? That would be intra-system.

In release order:
Serenity RPG: Cortex [classic] System (NOT Cortex Plus)
Firefly RPG: Cortex Plus.

Cortex Classic is a 1d(skill)+1d(att) step die vs TN, medium skill list, few dice tricks.

Cortex Plus is a variable size pool of stepdice, keep 2. The dice included in pool: 1 each Att, Skill, specialization, Distinction, asset, opposing complication, scene asset. Plot points allow an additional att, skill, specialization, asset, or scene asset. Expansions add a few more options (Big Hero Dice, Reputation dice)

The games are both from MWP, both well out of print. All the components are available within Cortex Prime, except the distinctions list.

Due to being tightly licensed, and MWP exiting the gaming industry, Fox's "keep selling PDF until there's a new licensee" policy was ignored by MWP and so the PDF is zipyanked, unlike the various FOX properties games from Eden Studios.

They're pretty much unobtanium. Further, it's not OUR solar system.

Lots to look in on. Thanks guys.
I looked up reviews of Expanse and Jovian Chronicles RPGs, they appear too system-heavy for my current Blades in the Dark-influenced tastes. Jovian Chronicles' (JC from now on) setting seems nice, tough I was thinking of a more anarchic entrepreneurial game than what seems a military war campaign. I think JC can do this, its just not the main aim judging by the reviews.

It lacks trade rules, as does Heavy Gear, at least in the almost complete collection I have of JC in PDF.

 

[Starfox]

Something I love in Blades in the Dark is the simple but structured downtime rules. Feels like a perfect fit for this kind of setting. With my current crush on this system, I might go for a BiD hack or combine it with Aliens somehow. But Jovian Chronicles does seem like the kind of setting I'm looking for.

I'm pretty busy running two BiD hack campaigns already, so this mostly dreams at this point.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

This post also makes me think it could be fun to mod classic Traveler for Alien/Aliens. I would think it's been done.

It has, several times. There is some good stuff in 80s White Dwarf if you can get hold of it.

I remember playing an Aliens inspired Traveller game some time in the 90s. The GM was using professional looking maps, so I assume it was published by someone.

FASA published some Traveller adventures, circa late 80s. I remember one on a Venus-like hothouse world that could be relocated to the Sol system.