Sf-rpg?

[Treebore]

Mega Traveller is my preferred sci-fi, but Star Frontiers is probably stronger with what you want.

 

[rgard]

This is mitigated by the fact that many of their books provide great genre advice regardless of whether you play GURPS or not. For example, GURPS Space is useful for pretty much any SF campaign, and most of the (few) rules in it can be used without GURPS.

I have a shelf dedicated to GURPS settings books, but have only once played the game. Much agreed, they do good source stuff.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Do you have additional ideas? I would prefer a game with slight fantasy influences like the
old D&D Buck Rogers.

In no particular order:

1) Any generic-ishy ruleset should work- HERO and GURPS both have Sci-Fi settings into which you can drop fantasy elements. While not technically a generic ruleset, M&M has many of the same characteristics as one, and should do just fine.

2) Spaceship Zero. Its based on shows like Buck Rogers & Flash Gordon.

3) Star Wars (any version- FASA, WotC, etc.)- a classic Space Opera meld of sci-fi and fantasy. The Dune RPG would have similar elements in its mix.

4) Dragon Star- its D&D in space- 'nuff said.

5) A hard sci-fi game like Traveller (any version) would be cool, but you'd need to flesh out the fantasy elements of the game yourself. Alternity or its D20 Future conversion takes care of that if you use material drawn from Urban Arcana, Dark*Matter, as well as Green Ronin's Modern Magic and the Psychic's Handbook)

6) Fading Suns has a D20 version.

7) Depending upon your setting's timeline, you might want something more Victorian, like Space:1889- gaming in a Wellsian/Vernian campaign world.

8) With some tweeking, the WW2 Supers game Godlike could get you what you want. Ditto the FRPG, Iron Kingdoms.

9) Shadowrun and RIFTS both combine sci-fi and fantasy. The former has a lot to offer, but you'd have to tweek it for that Buck Rogers feel. The latter's mechanics are not well loved- and for good reason- but its incredibly creative. Good for source material if nothing else.

 

[Cevalic]

I'll also say Alternity. Good system, and the Star-Drive setting is a great setting. The campaign book gives a lot of good ideas. Even if you use GURPS you could pick up the Star Drive setting and put it to use, although a conversion would be in order, but that wouldnt be to hard.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

I second Spaceship Zero. It has a campy sci-fi feel.

 

[Steel_Wind]

There are lots of good choices for core rules suggested above. Pick one you and your players like. Really - it is that simple.

In all honesty - I don't think much turns on it at all as long as the players and GM are content.

The most important thing when running a SF campaign is to have a strong idea of your setting and tech level. You need to know what is and isn't possible and your players have to have at least some grasp of those essentials as well.

It's more important to have a bevy of contingencies at your back and call for dealing with player choice than to worry too much about how much damage a blaster does in any given system.

The thing which makes SF so hard to run is the sheer range of choice to the players. Not only do the players have the world at their beck and call, they usually will get a chance to take the very same approach with your corner of the galaxy.

The difference between that and approaching a 4 way intersection in the dungeon is about as stark a difference in RPG terms as it can get.

When the choices open to the players are so huge, that's the main challenge as a GM. Rules? Meh. Next to that - rules are easy.

Get a handle on your setting and the kind of campaign you want to run. Make sure that you and your players are seeing things eye to eye. There is no right way and no wrong way to design your SF milieu - but if you are in serious disagreement with your players vision of the campaign - it's going to crash and burn. Simple.

While players always have a silent (but understood) shared responsibility to NOT screw a campaign up, imo, that responsibility is greatly increased in a SF setting. The range of choices open to the players simply gives them far greater power to flush the campaign down the toilet pretty fast - if that's what they want to do.

And the players will do that no matter if you are running Aftermath, Space Opera, Metamorphosis Alpha, Gamma World, Fading Suns, D20 Future - Saga - Traveller in all its incarnations or SPaM, LugTrek, D6 Alternity, Star Blazers, TMNT or anything else... if that's what they have a mind to do.

It's not about the rules. Its about the setting and it's about you and your players playing this campaign together. Get that right - and you can't go wrong on the rules, imo.

 

[bolen]

What is the deal with Traveler D20? I have not seen them at Gen Con in a long time. I heard that they were planning a Traveler D20 version of Traveler 2300. Is that true? Is it only a PDF or can I get it in print?

 

[QLI/RPGRealms]

What is the deal with Traveler D20? I have not seen them at Gen Con in a long time. I heard that they were planning a Traveler D20 version of Traveler 2300. Is that true? Is it only a PDF or can I get it in print?

We released a PDF version while a final layout and new artwork is being produced. It's also giving us a chance to clear up any typos and errata before printing. Unfortunately real-life has hit both the writer and the artist at the moment so work has slowed down a bit.

 

[bolen]

We released a PDF version while a final layout and new artwork is being produced. It's also giving us a chance to clear up any typos and errata before printing. Unfortunately real-life has hit both the writer and the artist at the moment so work has slowed down a bit.

Will you be at gen con?

 

[QLI/RPGRealms]

Will you be at gen con?

This year? No. Next year it's quite possible.