What OSR-compatible space opera sci-fantasy stuff should I be getting to use with my new White Star space opera campaign? I'm taking an 'anything in the books exists somewhere' approach.
Starships & Spacemen 2e. Mutant Future. Hulks & Horrors.
DCC and the new Mutant Crawl Classics might be fun.
If you like creating your own modules from the structure of others, you can't beat buying the Classic Traveller CD for $35 with all of the adventures on it. In playing out Classic Traveller modules, I found they really don't fit either my style or my player's style, even with lots of prep work on my part.
For modules I'm currently looking at the legally-free Star Frontiers modules http://www.starfrontiers.com/Modules/ (http://www.starfrontiers.com/Modules/) and (from Drive Thru) Triple Ace Games' Daring Tales of the Space Lanes Compendium, the "Dark" series from Eldritch Enterprises, and Cleopatra Station from Brave Halfling Publishing. These mostly seem closer to what I'm looking for. In the last two, they seem closer to the Traveller adventures in that it seems more of a dungeon crawl with little to no combat, with most of the "adventure" being exploration. My players like having intelligent denizens in the dungeon they can interact with.
More than anything, I'm tempted to just take the older B and U series D&D modules and make them in spaaaace.
So you know where I am coming from in module review, here is an except from the thread http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?37228-What-do-you-look-for-in-a-module (http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?37228-What-do-you-look-for-in-a-module)
JeremyR said: "I'm the opposite. I generally buy modules that I can use with little or no effort. "
I said: "I'm closest to this, except I really like nice maps. I like modules with nice descriptions for each of the rooms, and several different groups in existence, and some basic plot. I then add/modify the plot to fit my campaign. I like the B series of D&D modules."
The White Star companion adds several good new classes, a serviceable skill system, more equipment - specifically more vehicles. I found it to be a great addition to the White Star main book.
Between Star and Void is a great take on Star Knights and Void Knights for White Star. Depending on the focus of your game, I might even recommend it above the White Star Companion.
While Between Star and Void does have some different aliens rules, if you're looking to make mechanically different aliens, I'm fond of the systems in Machinations of the Space Princess (I'm fond of the game, as well, but it's implied setting is more gonzo than most space opera)
Speaking of gonzo, if you're at all interested in going that direction, the setting material and adventures from Battlelords of the 23rd Century are fun, if over the top. It's certainly a different feel than converted Traveller material.
White Star is essentially "D&D in space," right? I've found that a sci fi game can take a module or adventure idea from any genre. The old D&D modules could just be different planets you go to and you likely wouldn't even need to change any stats or scores.
White Star Companion.
Quote from: Tod13;975182More than anything, I'm tempted to just take the older B and U series D&D modules and make them in spaaaace.
The U series in space sounds fun. Make Saltmarsh a quiet colony with space smugglers operating nearby, and set the lizardman and sauguagin up with bases on other worlds/moons/asteroids/space stations/whatever. It's impending invasion threat and misunderstandings between alien worlds are perfect for science fiction.
I kitbash White Star, Warriors of the Red Planet, Bandits & Battlecruisers and Space Princess with Space Age Sorcery and throw ideas together. Blend in elements from 80s sci-fi and some weird Warhammer themes and run with it. Using classic D&D modules is genius.
I like this idea of using classic D&D modules, but it's a play-by-post so I find traditional dungeon maps don't work well. I suspect shorter will be better.
Hmm, there are some cool old urban D&D adventures in ye olde White Dwarf mags I could use for when they're on-starbase, Beyond the Shadow of a Dream from WD61 would be perfect...
Quote from: bat;975307I kitbash White Star, Warriors of the Red Planet, Bandits & Battlecruisers and Space Princess with Space Age Sorcery and throw ideas together. Blend in elements from 80s sci-fi and some weird Warhammer themes and run with it. Using classic D&D modules is genius.
I've done a bit of that already (I have the starter town space station orbiting a 'Red Planet'); but I need to check out Bandits & Battlecruisers, thanks.
And I think I'm going to make their first wilderness planet the one at the back of
Apes Victorious...
Quote from: ArtemisAlpha;975216The White Star companion adds several good new classes, a serviceable skill system, more equipment - specifically more vehicles. I found it to be a great addition to the White Star main book.
Between Star and Void is a great take on Star Knights and Void Knights for White Star. Depending on the focus of your game, I might even recommend it above the White Star Companion.
While Between Star and Void does have some different aliens rules, if you're looking to make mechanically different aliens, I'm fond of the systems in Machinations of the Space Princess (I'm fond of the game, as well, but it's implied setting is more gonzo than most space opera)
Speaking of gonzo, if you're at all interested in going that direction, the setting material and adventures from Battlelords of the 23rd Century are fun, if over the top. It's certainly a different feel than converted Traveller material.
I'm using the WS Companion (of course!) - I don't think the game would really feel complete without the encounter tables, at least. I'll check out Battlelords of the 23rd Century, thanks.
Quote from: S'mon;975311I've done a bit of that already (I have the starter town space station orbiting a 'Red Planet'); but I need to check out Bandits & Battlecruisers, thanks.
And I think I'm going to make their first wilderness planet the one at the back of Apes Victorious...
Bandits & Battlecruisers is available on Lulu and has only one class and a lot of neat tables for mutations and alien races. Apes Victorious is a great little game too and could easily be a "chassis" to add other elements to.
And if you want to turn up the gonzo, Warband! (http://swordplusone.com/warband_print.pdf) is not bad and has great elements too.
Quote from: bat;975489And if you want to turn up the gonzo, Warband! (http://swordplusone.com/warband_print.pdf) is not bad and has great elements too.
Looks pretty badass.