Why are sci-fi scenarios so thin on the ground?

[Myrdin Potter]

Stars Without Number has a lot of adventures. There are free versions of the rules as well:

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White Star has some and a few new ones that just popped up:

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I play Operation Whitebox (WW2 RPG) and Pete Spahn (no relation to James Spahn who wrote White Star) has been quite open and helpful. White Star is an interesting system as 0e D&D made for SF. I backed these on Kickstarter.

and the base, free to try White Star rules are here (there is a newer expanded Galaxy Edition as well):

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www.drivethrurpg.com

Esper Genesis 5e also has quite a few:

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www.drivethrurpg.com

I will make a special recommendation for Esper Genesis. There are many people that wish pay was better for RPG creators. I often convert DMs Guild materials to fantasy Grounds for my own use and then send it off to the author to offer for use for everyone since I did the work anyways. Rich Lescouflair is the only author that insisted that I be paid for my efforts, even though I had done the work just for myself and did not expect to be paid. Someone who practices what he preaches.

In many threads on RPG pay, I occasionally mention that I do have a few items up for sale (some are copper best sellers) but I make more money via an affiliate link added to a recommendation than I do from my RPG efforts. There are such tags above. All of the ones above I have tried (not every single adventure). Not really that hard to convert the story from one to another, so take a look if you want SF adventures. If people buy more there will be more.

 

[Jd Smith1]

That reminds me, SciFi is also much harder to run if the PCs go off the railroad (or if there is no railroad to begin with). While in fantasy the PCs can travel to the next town to two, in SciFi they can instantly hop continents or planets. And with access to instant communication, internet (or equivalent) and many other tools they can try to solve obstacles in many more ways than a typical fantasy party can.

I've never had the 'running off the map' problem in any campaign I've run, because you solve that sort of thing before the campaign starts. I don't run the 'strangers meet at a tavern' campaign starts. PCs have objectives, investment, and obligations from day one. How they meet them is their problem, , but it keeps them on a predicable path. The weird sh*t they pull within that path., on the other hand....

Sure, sci-fi PCs have access to massive amounts of data. But the ability to determine that there are 60 varieties of flightless bird will not help them solve who murdered the guy who was supposed to hook them up with a cargo. Or just bury them in data. Or feed them bad data. You're the GM, don't let them push you around.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Even if you run a not-low-power campaign, there can still be something or someone who'll step in if the characters persist in being actively destructive. Same way the PCs would if they were being more typically heroic ...

"heroic' is another thing I rarely have to deal with at my table. If my players had a motto, it would probably be 'what's in it for me?'

 

[Derren]

I've never had the 'running off the map' problem in any campaign I've run, because you solve that sort of thing before the campaign starts. I don't run the 'strangers meet at a tavern' campaign starts. PCs have objectives, investment, and obligations from day one. How they meet them is their problem, , but it keeps them on a predicable path. The weird sh*t they pull within that path., on the other hand....

Sure, sci-fi PCs have access to massive amounts of data. But the ability to determine that there are 60 varieties of flightless bird will not help them solve who murdered the guy who was supposed to hook them up with a cargo. Or just bury them in data. Or feed them bad data. You're the GM, don't let them push you around.

Looking up flightless birds won't help them. But collecting hair strands for DNA tests, fingerprints, look at camera recordings and access logs ect. will.
In a SciFi setting the majority of a murder investigation can be done sitting behind a desk. Not very exciting adventure stuff, but the most sensible thing to do and it would feel weird to skip it. And once you have your suspect you have an entire organized police force who can take care of it.

 

[prabe]

"heroic' is another thing I rarely have to deal with at my table. If my players had a motto, it would probably be 'what's in it for me?'

That's fair, but I think the point stands reasonably well. You can always find someone or something interested in opposing the PCs. If the PCs are being evil-ish, the opposition might look heroic.

Of course, "what's in it for me?" =/= "evil."

 

[Jd Smith1]

Of course, "what's in it for me?" =/= "evil."

Nonsense.

Unless you've spent your entire working life laboring for free.

 

[Retreater]

Nah, its far easier than fantasy. No spells to keep track of, no special powers.

Vehicle travel? Every one of my players owns a vehicle. Not hard to explain how they work. Ship combat? Why would governments allow ships to be armed? They don't today, so why would they in the future? Computers? same as vehicles. Scanners? All artificial sensory devices are based on user assumptions.

Powered armor? OK. They have armor in fantasy games. History proves that armor lags behind weapon development, so no problems there.

Space travel? It's just different locations.

Many sci-fi settings have magic, psionics, the Force, etc., as well as weaponized vehicles (from X-wings to the Enterprise). Running in the Rifts Multiverse (which I do greatly enjoy) has reinforced the complexities.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Looking up flightless birds won't help them. But collecting hair strands for DNA tests, fingerprints, look at camera recordings and access logs ect. will.

I spent over thirty years as a police officer. You can't Google much, if any, of that. Just because PCs have high-speed Net service doesn't mean they can access restricted data.

Plus it is normally a crime to interfere with official investigations, tamper with witnesses, etc. Under authoritarian regimes it can be really a problem.

The details make or break a situation.

 

[Jd Smith1]

Many sci-fi settings have magic, psionics, the Force, etc., as well as weaponized vehicles (from X-wings to the Enterprise). Running in the Rifts Multiverse (which I do greatly enjoy) has reinforced the complexities.

Rifts?

Consider yourself shunned.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

The people who live in the big cities would rather medieval fantasy because it's "exotic", and people from the rural regions would rather sci-fi with megacities.

I guess to create stories of medieval fantasy is easier, more creative flexibility, and you haven't to worry about PCs too powerful thanks to high-tech.