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View Full Version : Fallout-Inspired Hard Sci-Fi Setting



MrBanana
2013-06-20, 11:41 AM
If you're not familiar with the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system, look here: http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout_3_SPECIAL

Basically, what I had in mind was hard sci-fi game set on one world, where humans have colonized a world with many different sentient species living on it. However, the colonization is more like pre-Industrial America - towns are small and far between in the human lands. Weapons and ammo need to be managed effectively. Like the Fallout games, travelling is dangerous, and the towns are more like Mos Eisley than cities of glass and steel.

Originally I was thinking of post-apocalypse, but there already is a Fallout tabletop.

I'm liking the idea of translating some of the usual species archetypes to this world. So space Orcs (which aren't necessarily evil) get +1 Strength and Endurance, but might take Precision, Intelligence, or Charisma penalties. There'd also be skill boosts and other bonuses of course, and humans would mostly be the "base" species.

It'd run on the Fallout skill system, with less skill points and higher boosts from SPECIAL than how it works above, to make it more necessary to have a balanced party. I'd also spread skills around from one stat: the rifle/medium guns skill would be influenced by Perception and Agility, instead of just Agility. Some skills would work pretty much the same (the melee skill) while other like science would need to be changed to work.

Oh, and there'll be no luck. I've come the conclusion that it really wouldn't work very well for a tabletop, especially if you're converting the system into a more party-oriented system.

The stats would be set up so that any combo can be made effectively, but there are some obvious combinations, i.e. strength and endurance to make a melee and big guns character that can take and dish serious damage, or perception and agility.

My idea of a sample adventure would be investigating a mad scientists' underground lair to encounter strange biological creations, making peace between two groups of immigrants from Earth, or a good old-fashioned shoot-the-bandits spree.

So, your thoughts? What would and wouldn't work? Would you try it out? Has it been done before, and well?

themourningstar
2013-06-20, 04:42 PM
Oh...my...god... There is a Fallout pen and paper game!?

Grinner
2013-06-20, 06:28 PM
I'm not terribly thrilled about the idea of using SPECIAL as a PnP system. It was really made for computers, not people.

If you're going for "realistic", I'd advise dropping the racial charisma penalty. While these space orcs may not be considered suave by human standards, the difference is one of cultural upbringing. Similarly, humans are unlikely to make a good impression on the orcs just by the virtue of being human. Different cultures make for different standards.


Oh...my...god... There is a Fallout pen and paper game!?

Behold. (http://falloutpnp.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page)

MrBanana
2013-06-22, 10:02 AM
I'm not terribly thrilled about the idea of using SPECIAL as a PnP system. It was really made for computers, not people.

If you're going for "realistic", I'd advise dropping the racial charisma penalty. While these space orcs may not be considered suave by human standards, the difference is one of cultural upbringing. Similarly, humans are unlikely to make a good impression on the orcs just by the virtue of being human. Different cultures make for different standards.



1. Well the way it'll be used, it's similar to D&D stats, just with different derived stats. The bonuses to skills will be bigger, but without luck and a lot of the calculations I'm not going to have, it works quite similar to SDCIWC.

2. I'm thinking not all orcs will have that, only the tribes/chiefdoms that don't encourage "charismatic behavior" whatever that is. Space dwarves will probably get a similar penalty. However, both will get a morale bonus to make for it (as Charisma ties to base morale so far).