M-SPACE works well for heroic and mythic sci-fi games, but can emulate everything from contemporary near-realistic settings to 1940s pulp-inspired heroes. With the M-SPACE Companion, cybernetics and robots become robust character options as well. The game engine used is Mythras Imperative, a d100 (Basic Roleplaying) RPG.
I received review PDF copies from FrostByte Books to run the included adventure in the M-SPACE Companion, Escape on Mosek Uhn. M-SPACE characters are skill driven roll equal to/under with four levels of results ranging from fumble to critical. Opposed rolls are handled using these four levels and in the case of ties highest roll wins. Complexity comes in combat with hit locations and pages of critical results to choose from. However, the game offers simplified hit points and a pared down list of 11 critical hit options. Finally, PCs can spend Luck Points for rerolls, to reduce a Major Wound, or to get an extra action in combat.
Armed with the 11 critical hit options and one of the provided pre-generated characters, the players were ready to go. Escape on Mosek Uhn has a cybernetics lab in once location and I knew I wanted to have the option to get cybernetics. Good options looked like armour or characteristic enhancement. During the adventure, PCs went with the armour.
I did not get a chance to use the new rules for robots, Q tech (alien artifacts), or life path generation. Combined with vehicle and starship construction, alien life form creation, world building, and circles (organizations) from M-SPACE itself I was impressed with the range of options and tools provided to a GM.
I stumbled a bit in remembering to encourage using Luck Points but once the PCs started using those the adventure flowed well. Tense negotiations flowed out of combat seamlessly and a violent encounter with a forest alien moved easily into a running chase scene.
M-SPACE uses extended conflicts to cover chases, negotiations, and other encounters in which using only a skill roll or two does not make sense. Each side works at making successful use of skills to whittle down a Conflict Pool (usually derived from characterstics) using opposed rolls. This system worked really well and because it uses the existing rules for skills and opposed rolls was easy to use successfully.
Combat turned out to be a great blend of white knuckle danger and thrilling heroics. The lab the PCs explored contained dangerous creatures they had to fight and the mystery of where those creatures came from to unravel. A criminal pirate corporation loomed large over the PCs and armed shoot outs with pirate scum were welcomed. The penultimate confrontation with the pirate captain led to the final conflict with an alien beast. Conflict with the creature forced a running retreat back to the pirate ship so the guns could be turned on the creature. One PC was clinging to its back and as the guns fired he leaped off the beast and into the air, with another PC catching him in an open hatch. Yes, Star Wars was a big inspiration for the dangerous encounters and I consider that a positive.
We played an exciting adventure. The provided characters were easy to roleplay, had useful and sometimes unique skills, and negotiating and running were equal options to fighting. If I wanted to construct my own setting or emulate an existing one I would have more than enough tools to do so.
With M-SPACE, d100 GMs have a powerful option for sci-fi. And if you’re just looking for a complete toolkit for running sci-fi, you’ve found it in M-SPACE and the M-SPACE Companion. M-SPACE has complete settings too, including Odd Soot, Reflux, and Elevation.
I received review PDF copies from FrostByte Books to run the included adventure in the M-SPACE Companion, Escape on Mosek Uhn. M-SPACE characters are skill driven roll equal to/under with four levels of results ranging from fumble to critical. Opposed rolls are handled using these four levels and in the case of ties highest roll wins. Complexity comes in combat with hit locations and pages of critical results to choose from. However, the game offers simplified hit points and a pared down list of 11 critical hit options. Finally, PCs can spend Luck Points for rerolls, to reduce a Major Wound, or to get an extra action in combat.
Armed with the 11 critical hit options and one of the provided pre-generated characters, the players were ready to go. Escape on Mosek Uhn has a cybernetics lab in once location and I knew I wanted to have the option to get cybernetics. Good options looked like armour or characteristic enhancement. During the adventure, PCs went with the armour.
I did not get a chance to use the new rules for robots, Q tech (alien artifacts), or life path generation. Combined with vehicle and starship construction, alien life form creation, world building, and circles (organizations) from M-SPACE itself I was impressed with the range of options and tools provided to a GM.
I stumbled a bit in remembering to encourage using Luck Points but once the PCs started using those the adventure flowed well. Tense negotiations flowed out of combat seamlessly and a violent encounter with a forest alien moved easily into a running chase scene.
M-SPACE uses extended conflicts to cover chases, negotiations, and other encounters in which using only a skill roll or two does not make sense. Each side works at making successful use of skills to whittle down a Conflict Pool (usually derived from characterstics) using opposed rolls. This system worked really well and because it uses the existing rules for skills and opposed rolls was easy to use successfully.
Combat turned out to be a great blend of white knuckle danger and thrilling heroics. The lab the PCs explored contained dangerous creatures they had to fight and the mystery of where those creatures came from to unravel. A criminal pirate corporation loomed large over the PCs and armed shoot outs with pirate scum were welcomed. The penultimate confrontation with the pirate captain led to the final conflict with an alien beast. Conflict with the creature forced a running retreat back to the pirate ship so the guns could be turned on the creature. One PC was clinging to its back and as the guns fired he leaped off the beast and into the air, with another PC catching him in an open hatch. Yes, Star Wars was a big inspiration for the dangerous encounters and I consider that a positive.
With M-SPACE, d100 GMs have a powerful option for sci-fi. And if you’re just looking for a complete toolkit for running sci-fi, you’ve found it in M-SPACE and the M-SPACE Companion. M-SPACE has complete settings too, including Odd Soot, Reflux, and Elevation.
