Is there an actual functioning sci-fi D20 setting?

[atemu1234]

Speaking as someone who was deeply, deeply disappointed in D20 Modern/Future/Past (I use materials from them, but only so far as conversions for 3.5. So I've been wondering, are there any settings that actually work and have a sci-fi theme?

[aspekt]

Sorry to hear d20Mod was a disappointment. I'm assuming you've also tried to modify the fluff for the d20 Star Wars to make it generic scifi.

There was a d20Traveler but I've no idea how well it ran. Also Mutants and Masterminds 2ed is a classless superhero system that could be easily afapted to certain kinds of scifi.

Questions:
What did you not like about d20Mod?

Is d20 your only system option? There are some great nond20 games out there.

[Segev]

In case you haven't tried it, d20 Star Wars actually works surprisingly well, and I do recommend looking at it for a sci-fi d20 system.

I normally am not a fan for d20 for anything outside of medieval-ish fantasy settings, because it's well designed for those but not so much for others. But it does work pretty decently as revamped for Star Wars in its sci-fi setting.

[atemu1234]

Sorry to hear d20Mod was a disappointment. I'm assuming you've also tried to modify the fluff for the d20 Star Wars to make it generic scifi.

There was a d20Traveler but I've no idea how well it ran. Also Mutants and Masterminds 2ed is a classless superhero system that could be easily afapted to certain kinds of scifi.

Questions:
What did you not like about d20Mod?

Is d20 your only system option? There are some great nond20 games out there.

Actually, I never thought of Star Wars D20. I was dissatisfied with Mod's general generic behavior. It was good if you used 3.5 as a platform and added D20 Modern, but not the other way around.

And I only really use D20 systems.

[Deadline]

If it weren't for your restriction to a D20 system, I'd suggest Alternity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternity). It was the last product TSR put out before they went the way of the dodo, and it was awesome. It's basically a d20 system, but instead of being class based, it's skill based. There's a step-system (where you roll another dice type and then add or subtract the result from your d20 roll), but overall it's pretty straightforward. Also, the fan community for it is pretty decent.

I believe some of the d20 Future fluff is recycled from Alternity, but that's about where any similarity would end.

Also, there's the old WEG d6 system that they used for Star Wars. I think it's freely available online now.

[aspekt]

Ya the WEG d6 is a solid system I think. If you ever get crazy feeling you can pick up the d6 books as free pdf's from drivethrurpg.com.

And if you feel really adventurous check out the free Eclipse Phase pdf. I havent played it yet but the fluff itself is worth reading.

[Ephemeral_Being]

There's a d20 Babylon 5 setting!

I have NO idea if it's good. I can't get anyone who's willing to play it. But I've always wanted to try. I wanted to finish Crusade, as a DnD campaign.

Doubt that you're interested in that. But it's Sci-fi d20. And that IS where the name of the forum comes from. So I thought I'd mention it.

[Afgncaap5]

I'm a big fan of Trinity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_%28role-playing_game%29), personally. Trinity (and its sister games Adventure! and Aberrant) have a fun backstory and a lot of nice heroes, villains, events and locations to work with. It was originally made for the Storyteller system, but I've heard some people say that they think the d20 versions are better. (I hear that most often about Aberrant, though. Something about the nature of Feat progression and levels makes managing superpowers work more efficiently, I guess, though I've never tried the Storyteller Aberrant to see how it's different.)

[SangoProduction]

Can't adequately answer this if you don't tell us how it disappointed you.
It's generic? Most game systems are going to be generic as they are just the underlying rules, not the story or the rules.
So, you want something specific? What exactly are you going for?

[Almarck]

Pathfinder's Golarion setting though "typical" of being a Fantasy Kitchen sink features travel through out the solar system by leaving the planet. It's kinda weird, not gonna lie. Every planet is inhabitted by some alien race or something, so despite never leaving the solar system, there is quite a big deal of variety.

Think of it as a Manual of the Planes, but with, well, planets...
Look up "Distant Worlds" for more details.
Notables:
-A race of liches that arrose because their planet became uninhabitable.
-Solar powered robots on the Mercury Analogue.
-An asteroid belt that is the remains of a destroyed planet full of life that survived due to really powerful druids preserving the life. There's a river that cycles through the entire system of "gardens"
-The last planet. my personal favorite, is actually a giant space ship where gods have no idea of what goes on inside due to the system used to restrict it. the Inhabitants are... well, they're unique. Literally a race composed of indiviudals that absolutely look nothing alike. They think the similarities between elves and dwarves are freakish and unnatural. And no one knows what the ship is for, since no one has access to the giant super computer at the core....

Downside, no spaceship data, so no dogfights or fleet combats yet. Also, because it's in Golarion, magic is a thing, so if you want to avoid it, you'll need some work.. For technological gear and weapons you need to look up a seperate book. "Technology Guide", but the details on that are free.

In short: it's a scifi portion of a fantasy setting. Though, given the stage, it's quite conceivably you can ditch certain magical things and just use the setting as a backdrop.

[BWR]

Fantasy Flight Games' Dragonstar setting. It's 3.0 and out of print, but it's D&D in space. Magic and high tech and a cool concept. It should be easy enough to reflavor or get rid of the magical elements and use for a pure SF system.
There was also a 3.0 version of Fading Suns. I didn't look too closely at it but it seemed ok.

[Sian]

Spelljammer? :smalltongue::smallbiggrin:

[aspekt]

Spelljammer? :smalltongue::smallbiggrin:

I'm actually trying to prep up a Spelljammer portion to my current campaign.

There are some d20 conversions out there just have to hunt them down.

[Blackhawk748]

Blood and Space has a pretty fun setting. Ya its Modern, but i recommend stealing the Classes from Exodus and using those. Basically its Build Your Own Class, which my players enjoyed, and the Traits you can pick are actually pretty nice.

[Maglubiyet]

Gamma World

<ducks and runs>

[Agent 451]

Speaking as someone who was deeply, deeply disappointed in D20 Modern/Future/Past (I use materials from them, but only so far as conversions for 3.5. So I've been wondering, are there any settings that actually work and have a sci-fi theme?

I liked Dawning Star d20, although I've only played a it a handful of times and not for quite a while. At it's core it has a very... frontier-sy/Firefly vibe to it.

[jjcrpntr]

Buddy of mine loves rifts and having played two games of it it answers so many questions about his playstyle.

It isn't my cup of tea (just didn't enjoy it ) it may be one to look at.

[Ashtagon]

There was a Stargate RPG, which used the d20 Spycraft mechanics.

[Ephemeral_Being]

There was a Stargate RPG, which used the d20 Spycraft mechanics.

Is it good? Cause Stargate could be used to make a fantastic base for a game.

[Ashtagon]

Is it good? Cause Stargate could be used to make a fantastic base for a game.

I've never played it. It looks good though. The Spycraft equipment system works very well with the military/commando mission format typical of the series.

[BaronDoctor]

No love for Star Wars Saga Edition? Streamlined, simple. Play anything and have it be reasonably effective.

[Urpriest]

Gamma World

<ducks and runs>

...do you mean the old one or the new one?

[Darrin]

Paranoia uses the d20 exclusively and is 100% functional. Non-functional systems would be treasonous. Are you attempting to file a report on treasonous activity, citizen?

[Maglubiyet]

...do you mean the old one or the new one?

The sixth edition by White Wolf. I actually liked that one with all the nanotech, but apparently a lot of other people thought it diverged too far from the source material.

[Hurnn]

the Farscape d20 looked ok but i think they only ever did the one book

[ngilop]

No love for Star Wars Saga Edition? Streamlined, simple. Play anything and have it be reasonably effective.




Im going to second this. the rules are pretty good


and ive heard it decribed (on this, WoTC and other forums) several times as D20 Modern done right.


Ive yet to play a game as my gaming group feels that the base starwars d20 is better ( but I think its mostly cuz the guy who owns all the books won't buy any new ones)

But ive had a decent read through on about uhm.. 7 or 8 of them (the saga edition) and I am impressed and I can totally see it doing great if you take out the starwars-ness and just take the base. it should be a very good ruleset and game.

[BWR]

Lots of people like SAGA. It did a few things pretty well but I detested the Condition Track, the Skill System and the Force system was abominable.

[Crazysaneman]

I've been reading the core book for Numenera, by Monte Cook. Its pretty interesting to say the least.
Basically, it's more RP than mechanics, but the mechanics are pretty good. The basic idea for the system is that it takes place a billion years into the future, and that it is the ninth age of the world. It seems there has been 8 previous apocalypses or world ending events that removed the last 8 civilizations from the planet. What and how are largely left up to the imagination of the GM for roleplaying. However, the remnants of the previous 8 ages are still around, buried under the sands of time and the adventurers spend their careers working with and around ancient technologies. My favorite part is that the "magic" system uses latent atmospheric nanotechnology to produce effects similar to magic, and allows the players utilizing it to be either wizard style characters or technomancers :smallamused:. Very futuristic, and there are supplements that introduce advanced weaponry and bots and such. I can't wait to get my group playing it after this PF campaign finishes.

[Urpriest]

The sixth edition by White Wolf. I actually liked that one with all the nanotech, but apparently a lot of other people thought it diverged too far from the source material.

Ah, I see.

Because of course the newest one, being based off of D&D 4e, is presumably quite functional. Whether it functions in doing what you'd like it to is another question, but it's certainly going to function.