SF RPG reccomendations, please?

[datamedia]

Hello all.

I've had some tabletop rpg experience with my friends, mainly just creating our own combat systems and applying them to our own universes, and it's been lots of fun. We have taken influences from what we know of other REAL rpgs, and have had medium success, mainly in Fantasy settings. Currently I am searching for a good Sci-fi system for us as we really enjoy that genre, but find it hard to model a system around. We've tried to use our own basic system with specific combat stats as well as Social and Mental and (of course) the twenty-sided die. But I'm really not quite satisfied. Does anyone out there have a suggestion for a SF rpg we could try? Even better, are there any available on 1km1kt?

Specifically, we are into military-style gameplay, with lots of firearms and explosives, and not much hand-to-hand or magic, which seem to be the basics of fantasy. The genre could be compared to Starship Troopers.

Mainly what I'm looking for here is the game and dice mechanics, not the universe or setting. We can come up with those ourselves. I want a system that isn't too simple, with like four stats and only the d6, as well as not too complex, or I could just play D&D!

Cheers

[Chainsaw Aardvark]

Welcome to 1km1kt. Please, look around. There is a lot of interesting stuff here, and some more fun bits over in the lab.

Are you looking for a system to use with your own universe - or an established setting as well?

I've written a couple of games, some of which may be what you're looking for. Gangland is a pretty simple system, and good for gun-play. I designed it as sort of a PnP GTA so it might not have the detail you're looking for. Some SF & more detailed vehicle rules are actually in the works. Dead and Back is survival horror, but the setting is in the mid 2050s and includes such things as aliens, cyber-zombies, and gauss weapons. (See RPG laboratory for more info and the draft second edition)

Karbon is an old 24 hour game, but its still a very good one. Probably best if you stick to its standard setting though. Its based on "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" - which is better known under its movie interpretation: "Blade Runner".

5x5 over on RPG laboratory is a fairly good universal system.

Sticking to just 1km1kt we have:

* Myriad (universal system)
* A 24 hour game based on Phantasy Star
* Silent Archaea (A game chef entry about exploring alien ruins)

An excellent site to check out would be , The free list of rpgs has several hundred entries, and a sublist contains all the science fiction stuff.

[Rob Lang]

I'm going to do the nasty and plug my own space opera, . Freely downloadable.

[tygertyger]

If you want a published system, the Serenity rpg actually has pretty good mechanics. It may be lower tech than you want, though; there's no ftl travel and energy weapons are rare and expensive. There is also no psi, but that may or may not be bad depending on the style of play that you want.
There are a number of good free sfrpgs available on the web, including several 24-hour rpgs. My own Master of Orion was actually a disappointing effort IMO, but the system is workable and should fit the style of play that you describe. You might also check out a free system called Vanguard -- I find it to be a little complex for my taste, but it may work out for you.

[Rob Lang]

If you want something a bit darker and meaner then the dirty world of SLA Industries is excellent. Find it at

[Dyson Logos]

I'm going to sound like an old fogey, but I'm partial to good old Star Frontiers, which is available for free online at

[Rob Lang]

Star Frontiers is . Good call Dyson. You might also want to try , which is also .

[Bryndon]

If playing commercial rpg systems doesn't make you feel dirty, rifts has a pretty fantastic world and lots of great fluff and is doubly famous for its absolutely terrible sytem. You could pick it apart and wrap it around your current system without too much trouble, I think.

[Chainsaw Aardvark]

From the people who brought us and , there is also the game SF RPG . After a new "dinosaur killer" sized asteroid strikes Earth, the only survivors are those living in underwater habitats.

Its mostly hard SF, though there are rules for psychics. Super-cavitation submarines are in fact a current area of research. (note the torpedo!) The setting is quite detailed, and I find the system powering the game quite innovative - each roll can tell you three things. It begins as a basic [Attribute+skill+d100], but its the presence of 1 or not (ie over 100) that determines sucess, the 10s didget is the degree, and in combat, the ones place is where you hit the target. Not the usual roll under percentile.

For a free game, its a very porfesional lay-out, and has quite a few pieces of artwork.

[tadk]

Go grab my Rule of 5. Bal3000 has already done a massive adaptation to WH40K with it. Go chop it up and do what you want.

Or find some free Fuzion rules, that would work