Any good Sci Fi RPGs?

[Levitas]

Somehow I've never managed to get the pen and paper RPG stamp on my nerd card. Many in our group has played them, so we might dabble. I know this comes up a lot, and i did search both forums but couldn't find what I was looking for.

I've heard Eclipse mentioned, but also that it is 'clunky'. Cyberpunk 2020 too, but seems old? I'm trying to avoid anything grim dark and horror intensive. Humor is always welcome too.

So any suggestions for a good sci fi RPG? (or/and a link to previous discussions of this ilk )

[Scorch]

I reaheally like Edge of the Empire and Age of Rebellion (which uses the same system) of Fantasy Flight. It is set in the IV-V-VI Star Wars universe, so it's part space western, part sci-fi part Fantasy oriented, but it has everything I love about the universe and it uses a completely different system than the normal D&D-dice. It's called narrative dice and it encourages the GM and the players to get really involved with the story instead of just the outcome of the dice.

[Moleverine]

I've been thinking lately that it wouldn't be that hard to take a narrative campaign of Infinity and turn it into a light RPG. I think there have been a couple attempts at it, but I've never been able to find anything.

[Section9]

Cyberpunk is a classic. Cyberpunk 3 is the current edition (first edition was CP2013, then CP2020). Mechanically, I really like CP. I *hate* the CP3 setting (there's a virus that has caused the complete corruption of all electronic data, and people are still using editable textfiles online?!?) and 'art' (pictures of 6" dolls? Seriously?!?).

Shadowrun could be very entertaining as an Infinity game. tell your players that despite the "magic" written about in the books, that's properly called "Voodootech" and is not available to humans, full stop.

Eclipse Phase is free to download, but really needs a separate character sheet for each body...

For completeness, Rogue Trader is technically scifi, but you don't want grimdark.

Not sure if d20 Modern (and d20 Future) is still in print. has a pretty big bias towards CC, since it's built off of D&D. Also has problems with characters getting harder to kill as they level up, to the point that you could take a direct hit from a cannon at sufficiently-high level.

Another OOP but goodie is Alternity. Uses an odd modifier system, where instead of a flat +3 to your d20 roll, you get a +d6 or whatever. Makes things a bit more interesting. Not as slick as newer systems, Alternity dates from the late 1990s and is from the same folks as the original D&D. Plays decently, though.

Star Wars Saga Edition isn't bad, either. really quite well balanced for a shooting-heavy universe. Ignore all the Jedi crap and it's a very tight rules-set.

My friends and I created an Infinity RPG, where we basically bolted a bigger skill tree onto the core Infinity mechanics. I'd have to go find the details, though.

[Moleverine]

[quote="Section9"My friends and I created an Infinity RPG, where we basically bolted a bigger skill tree onto the core Infinity mechanics. I'd have to go find the details, though.[/quote]

That's essentially what I was thinking of doing.

[Oreet]

I've played Eclipse Phase, seems like a fun system.

Our Pathfinder group took a break this Sunday to demo the Fantasy Flight Star Wars Game, Edge of the Empire, in honor of May the Fourth Be With You, and everyone had a good time wtih that.

[Scorch]

Our Pathfinder group took a break this Sunday to demo the Fantasy Flight Star Wars Game, Edge of the Empire, in honor of May the Fourth Be With You, and everyone had a good time wtih that.

Glad to hear the systems works for more people than just me and my brother and GF

[Levitas]

Thanks for the replies guys! I'm going to go digging for more info on all these. they all sound good and worth a bash.

Whats the optimum party size and usual running time for a session?

[MARC C]

Thanks for the replies guys! I'm going to go digging for more info on all these. they all sound good and worth a bash.

Whats the optimum party size and usual running time for a session?

Eclipse Phase is certainly the RPG to use to play SCI-FI that emulates an INFINITish feel. Since its a 100% system its very easy to convert INFINITY stats to the EP system. I've read the book but haven't managed to play to game YET!!!

Cyberpunk : Savage World using the Interface Zero setting book is very cool.

Vintage OSR : [TSR 1982] Star Frontiers! Some material from this game was reused in Alternity and then in Modern d20 Future. Digitalized original rules : http://www.dwdstudios.com/starfrontiers

[Section9]

My group ran weekly ~5-6 hour sessions (meet at one guy's for dinner at 6pm since his wife liked cooking for groups, then play till midnight or so).

Cyberpunk can run with as many as 8, but needs at least 3-4 just to cover the different roles. Same for Shadowrun, though stripping out the magic reduces your party complexity. No mages needed to defend against other mages, for example.

Haven't messed with EP though I have downloaded it.

The souped-up-Infinity RPG we ran with 3, and really needed another body or two just to distract people.

[chromedog]

Cyberpunk is a classic. Cyberpunk 3 is the current edition (first edition was CP2013, then CP2020). Mechanically, I really like CP. I *hate* the CP3 setting (there's a virus that has caused the complete corruption of all electronic data, and people are still using editable textfiles online?!?) and 'art' (pictures of 6" dolls? Seriously?!?).

You aren't the only one who has issues with V3.

I played (and GM'd) 2013 and 2020 up until about 4 years ago (yes, AFTER v3 came out, I was still using 2020 - it was a superior version).
I think MaxMike's time at Micro$haft corrupted him (he worked for MS for several years, in their gaming division). What the gaming world didn't need was a p&p rpg MORE like an online "rpg". I own it, but I'm never going to use it.

I ran 2020 as an alternate timeline - a what if? It was a future as seen from the 80s - and let's face it, most future predictions 30+ years in the future don't get it right. Cellphone tech staying in 1980s mode? When dropouts from moving vehicles were common and wifi was a dream - although the seeds of RFID/NFC were planted. Hell, even SR managed to squeeze a simulacrum of bluetooth tech into their game.

[Oreet]

My group has 5 players and myself as the Game Master. We meet monthly on a Sunday around 2pm, and end somewhere between 7 and 9pm, with a dinner break somewhere for about a half hour to 45 minutes. usually one person out of the group is responsible for providing food, and everyone usually brings snacks and beer/wine.

We always meet at my house since I've got a nice basement for gaming, a large gaming table, a large kitchen for food/eating.

[TallonHunteR]

Edge of the Empire is a hoot to gm and a hoot to play.

[Section9]

I should be fair: I like CP3's mechanics for everything but cyberware. When I ran an Infinity-set CP3 game, I declared everyone Edgerunners and used the older cyberware rules instead of the CP3 'bracers'.

[MARC C]

Numenera by Monte Cook :
Played 6 games of 6-7 hours and I must says its a very cool game. Easy system to learn with low amount of work for the GM during the game.

Its a mixed genre game. Its far in the future of Earth after the fall of 8 advanced civilisations. A « medieval future » with alien artifacts, nano technology and genetically modified monsters.
http://www.numenera.com

[Oreet]

Edge of the Empire is a hoot to gm and a hoot to play.

While I dislike the need to purchase custom dice for the game, the dice mechanic is quite interesting.

Suppose you're attempting to Slice (hack into) a computer to find relevant data on a target you're tasked to kill. You fail your roll by rolling more failures than successes, but end up with an Advantage symbol or two, you end up finding some other piece of important data you might need somewhere down the road, like a map of the facility you broke into.

The game doesn't just use a pass/fail system for skill checks. You end up with varying degrees of success or failure, and there's a chance of ending up with good or bad unintended side-effects/outcomes of the skill check you attempt.

[JBRocky]

As mentioned there is always Shadowrun which recently came out with 5th Ed which what I have seen from it is pretty good plus they have some good starter packages which are pretty good and help a lot.

Traveller-an oldie but a good one and from what I remember its was one of the first Sci-Fi settings. Good game and if you like Firefly its easy to run what they call a Free Trader game.

2300AD-started out called Traveller 2300 but they changed the name since everyone though it was the same setting as Traveller. Its one of my favorite setting as Earth is exploring the stars but they still have all types of problems. You still have the different nations of Earth who squabble like they do now. While the rules defently show their age I have seen it run using GURPS rules from Transhuman Space and a few other supplements.

[TallonHunteR]

If you are into Post Apocalyptic settings, check out The Mutant Epoch. Character generation is a bit long but is a great deal of fun. There are a vast variety of characters possible (mutants, cyborgs, transhumans, replicants, etc) and the enemy types are even more varied.

Depending on your group and GM it can be grim or funny, but it is almost always awesome.

[Section9]

I found the character sheet from the Infinity RPG. I'd need to retype it so you're not having to mess with a scan of a scribbled-on sheet, but that shouldn't take me too long to do (a couple hours or so, tops).

Do you want me to retype the whole character sheet?

[dulydude]

if you're interested in a cyberpunk horror vibe there's Kuro (by Cat-7 or something, just google kuro rpg)
set in a cyberpunk japan that has been cut off front the rest of the world and the supernatural is starting to return

[Hero of Man]

if you're interested in a cyberpunk horror vibe there's Kuro (by Cat-7 or something, just google kuro rpg)
set in a cyberpunk japan that has been cut off front the rest of the world and the supernatural is starting to return

2nd for Kuro.

Haven't gotten to play it, but I've read through most of the rulebook and liked what I saw, especially setting wise.

[dulydude]

the dice mechanic isn't bad either, but we removed the '4 counts as 0' rule because it made it just a little bit too hard. Well that or the GM was waiting until we hit the more spiritual stuff before allowing that rule. The game uses D6 btw
we kind of de-reailed the campaign when a robot rocket punched another robot through a building, and left the appartment block in ruin

[Section9]

we kind of de-reailed the campaign when a robot rocket punched another robot through a building, and left the appartment block in ruin

heh. First rule of GMing: No plan for the story survives contact with the players.

I somehow didn't manage to mention Tenra Bansho Zero. It's arguably scifi ('legends of the oni say that all humans on Tenra came from beyond the stars' and the original capital was 'a mountain floating in the sky, with a bridge reaching from it up to heaven'), but the world is much like the Japan of the (semi-) historical anime. Never-ending wars between rival daimyo, guns, ninjas, etc. The real scifi chunks are the Yoroi Armours (UK spelling intentional there), controlled by a young, innocent child, cybernetic replacement parts, and total cyborg conversions of the dead. Imagery-wise, think 'Samurai 7'.

One interesting feature of TBZ is that it's designed to tell a complete story in ~6-8 hours. It's not really intended for a regular campaign game, meeting once a week or even once a month.

The entire game system is based around ideas from kabuki theater, and you get aiki chits from other players for spinning a cool scene (Kinda the opposite of Exalted or Scion, where the Storyteller gives you a bonus for cool storytelling). The GM can give aiki points as well, but that's usually for 'dragging' a player into a Scene, either as their own character or to fill in as an NPC. During the Intermission between Acts, the players can then convert these aiki chits into kiai points, which can be spent during the Scenes to buy outright successes, increase their skill level, take another action, or a couple other things that escape me right now. The catch is that every kiai point you spend becomes karma, and if you exceed 108 karma points at the end of an intermission, your character goes nuts and becomes an Asura, driven by your desires. Yup, the GM takes the character away from you and it becomes a monster. To prevent becoming an asura, you need to sublimate your Fate(s), which is a mechanic that represents your character growing and changing driving goals of the personality (which happens during the Intermission). Oh yeah, and you start out with a good chunk of karma to begin with, usually between 60 and 90 karma.

A character with a high karma (~90) at the start of the game is stronger, can do more stuff, but can't spend much kiai to do epic badassery. A character with 'low' karma (~60) isn't as big a mover or shaker in the world, but can do a lot more to create their own legend during the game by spending kiai.

The catch is that there's a decent bit of math involved in the game in figuring your kiai score and then your karma. So if you can't do simple addition and subtraction in your head, TBZ probably isn't for you.

Character creation involves selecting one or more archetypes. Each Archetype comes with a skill array (with pre-set skill levels) and at least one Fate, as well as a karma cost.

Game uses d6s, and potentially LOTS of them. One example from an actual game has a character rolling two attacks, one with 30 bonus dice(!) and the other with 20 bonus dice (example I'm talking about is on page 68 of the rulebook). Skills rank from 0 (noob) to 5 (legendary and then some), and your skill score is what you need to roll on or below to succeed on that die. Musashi has Swordsmanship 5. Himura Kenshin is 'only' Swordsmanship 3 (Skilled) or 4 (Expert/Master), but he spends a lot of Kiai in combat performing badassery. Your Attribute determines how many dice to roll (and you can add more dice to roll by spending Kiai).

I'm hoping to be able to run a game of TBZ sometime soon.

[MacAttack001]

If you can locate copies of it Farscape or Serenity are fine games.

Battlelords of the 23rd Century and Fading Suns can still be found.

I am currently running an Edge of the Empire game on Roll20, I like it as a game system.

[Oreet]

I am currently running an Edge of the Empire game on Roll20, I like it as a game system.

My Pathfinder group has decided to shift away from that game in place of Edge of the Empire.

[Cho-Konnit]

My group had been playing Shadowrun 4th for quite a while and it certainly has a wealth of resources, but it is kinda expensive to get into and very annoying that when you look up the index of the core book for specific rules, just for it to tell you a page number.... for *another* book :/
But yeah, apart from that it has plenty to keep you occupied.
We had a look at 5th and immediately ignored it. If anything, it looked like a step back; wasn't that fussed with the layout and the artwork was something that almost got us angry; the production quality of 4th was pretty damn good - 5th was sub-par.

One that has been a staple for me across many groups is SLA Industries. It's a game of SciFi urban horror, with the players as Operatives working for the parent company, SLA Industries, which controls most of the known universe. One of its main features, I feel, is that it's *very* easy to work with for an aspiring GM; the incentive to get the players going is built in! As Operatives, the players have to go on jobs (BPN Files) for the company, which can be all sorts of stuff from street maintenance, riot suppression, monster hunting or equipment retrieval; if they do not do these jobs then they do not get paid and they do not advance in rank - simple!
The setting is kinda high-tech/low-tech. Yeah, the players get access to suits of powered armour, automatic weapons with a variety of ammo, and weapons with oscillating blades but the city you work in, Mort, is both enourmous (some say as big as Alaska, some as big as Texas, and through many levels above and below ground), but it is also very old, and decaying. A lot of it looks like the Hab Blocks in Judge Dredd, or LA in Bladerunner, but with the information storage and sorting systems of Brazil (the film ). Poverty is rife and the infrastructure is a shambles.
It's a game that has great potential. Not everything is described in intricate detail so GMs have a lot of artistic license to come up with all sorts of weird and wonderful sights and dangers.
The system is also quick and easy to use.
So, yeah, I recommend it

[MARC C]

Two titles I recently discovered :

TechNoir : A high-tech hard-boiled roleplay. Rules lite system.
Link :
http://technoirrpg.com

Other Dust : A post-apocalyptic OSR game set on futur Earth. Uses the D&D 6 ability axiom with the 3-18 range.
The system is designed for those who like sandbox games.
Compatible with the « Stars Without Numbers » (space exploration) title by the same author/publisher.
Review :
http://grognardia.blogspot.ca/2012/09/r ... -dust.html