What would you do with the Rules Cyclopedia if you had to use it to run a Sci-fi campaign? How would you make it happen?
RPGPundit
Depends on what kind of sci fi you wanted. If its ELVES IN SPAAACE all that's really needed is new weapon and armor types and some vehicle rules.
Fighters just go from 1d8 Long Swords to 3d8 Laser Rifles.
And MUs get access to Dune like Energy Shields. (Their spells still affect as normal. Probably give them more low level spell slots and access to pistols too. Say 2d4 Laser Pistols?)
If its more a total conversion you gotta decide if you even want to KEEP classes at all.
I'd whip up some basic weapons and armor, and some manner of vehicles as mentioned.
The classes would remain with a few shifts:
Warriors can stay Warriors, but might be renamed Soldiers.
Thieves can still be Thieves, but we'll rename their skills (Hack for Pick Locks, Scale Objects for Climb Walls, Filch for pick pockets)
I'd ditch Magic Users, and use Cleric as the base for an Esper Class and pick and choose spells that work best for psychics.
I'd make Elves into: Alien Psychics, and repaint them to fit things like Spock, Counselor Troi, Zhaan (however its spelled from Farscape.)
I'd adjust Dwarves into "Warrior Aliens", and palette them to fit things from Chewbacca, Da'Argo, Ookla the Mok, and other aliens with a combat bent.
I'd use halflings to become the non-specific focus aliens.
You'd have to do some work to create some special abilities that can be swapped out for a handful of logical "alien" bonuses.
I suspect it be somewhat similar to Derelict Delvers (at least when I'm done.)
I ran up some rules for using guns in Swords & Wizardry (http://www.swordsandwizardry.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=938). They could go with RC, too.
Making things sci-fi increases complexity. As I noted in the S&W stuff, firearms are notoriously difficult to model in D&D-ish games because the mechanics of armour class don't lend themselves to easy use with such powerful weapons.
You mean likethey did with Gamma World?
Quote from: RPGPundit;346370What would you do with the Rules Cyclopedia if you had to use it to run a Sci-fi campaign? How would you make it happen?
RPGPundit
D&D in space? Grab the flying ship rules out of Champions of Mystara (I think it's CoM...)
Serious SF? Everyone's a fighter. Run it all off Weapon Mastery and GenSkills. Allow swapping WM slots with GS.
I wouldn't, I think the idea's bizarre.
It depends very much on what kind of science-fiction.
For example some science-fiction has no aliens at all, others have a 'multi-species' world that's similar to the default D&D world. Some have powers which are similar to magic, others don't. In some the heroes are free agents like default D&D characters, in others they're members of the military or police.
So I'd start by deciding what elements of science-fiction I wanted, then compare that to the assumptions of D&D.
Have you seen X-Plorers (http://greyarea.webs.com/)? It's not quite the RC in space, but its sort of a sci-fi version of OD&D by Grubman.
These are some thoughts I had on a D&D conversion which is sort of John Carter of Mars / Flash Gordon-like:
The outer planets were created first. So Mars is older than Earth, which is older than Venus.
Civilisations rise and fall, and their rise and fall is like the lifespan of an individual. So there are young, mature, and old civilisations.
The civilisation of Mars is old. It is not senile, but certainly its days of vigour have passed, and death is near. But the Martians have the wisdom of age. Mars has forgotten more than the Earth has ever known.
Venus is young. Vigorous and confident, but how ignorant. Knowing not that it knows not, it rages against the mature civilisation of Earth, and finds that of Mars incomprehensible.
The Martians have discarded the crude physical science of Earth. Instead their civilisation is based on the psionic powers which all Martians posess. Their blessing and their curse is their fatalism. A Martian will not be dismayed by a hideous thrant or a tribe of Venusians hot-blooded for sacrifice, since life and death are one in the passing of centuries. But then why seek to escape? Why not enter the strange death-sleep which seems to exert an irresistable pull on the Martians, contemplating eternity and avoiding pain as life ends?
The Venusians are wild, violent and barbaric. Earthmen rely on technology.
Martian psionics shouldn't be a simple translation of D&D magic or psionics. Some of the effects would be the same. For example there would probably be effects like Sleep and Charm Person. But others would be different. For example a field which disrupts technology, causing fliers and radium pistols to fail.
Some Earth technology would also be magic-like, with various rays having implausible effects.
Quote from: Technomancer;346423Have you seen X-Plorers (http://greyarea.webs.com/)? It's not quite the RC in space, but its sort of a sci-fi version of OD&D by Grubman.
I have a print copy myself. A friend of mine got annoyed, because he'd know about Derelict Delvers for a while and felt Grubman was stepping on my toes. Grubman hadn't known I was doing something similar. I like and respect Grubman. Our games are distinct takes on similar ideas. Sadly our games won't be cross compatable enough to dual stat modules easily. (His is human centered with no core aliens, mine is aliens from the start, and a LOT of them.)
One big problem I can see is that the default combat is often ranged rather than hand-to-hand, which could make STR less useful, and DEX even more useful than it is already.
Quote from: Age of Fable;346430One big problem I can see is that the default combat is often ranged rather than hand-to-hand, which could make STR less useful, and DEX even more useful than it is already.
I fixed that in Derelict Delvers by having a lot of energy hand weapons (they utilize strength.)
I may be adding more. I've been tempted to limit some classes only to melee weapons but that feels a bit too constrained. It also creates the Jedi problem.
Quote from: Silverlion;346432I fixed that in Derelict Delvers by having a lot of energy hand weapons (they utilize strength.)
I may be adding more. I've been tempted to limit some classes only to melee weapons but that feels a bit too constrained. It also creates the Jedi problem.
Clever.
I have a hardcopy of X-Plorers too, still interested in DD though.
Quote from: Technomancer;346423Have you seen X-Plorers (http://greyarea.webs.com/)? It's not quite the RC in space, but its sort of a sci-fi version of OD&D by Grubman.
direct link to the free PDF version, which is an incomplete version: http://greyarea.webs.com/downloads/X-Free.pdf
Interesting. Kind of palladiumish.
Quote from: aramis;346480direct link to the free PDF version, which is an incomplete version: http://greyarea.webs.com/downloads/X-Free.pdf
Interesting. Kind of palladiumish.
Grubman does solid work, there's no need to insult him.
Quote from: RPGPundit;346370What would you do with the Rules Cyclopedia if you had to use it to run a Sci-fi campaign? How would you make it happen?
RPGPundit
By not using the
Rules Cyclopedia at all. It isn't the right tool for the job.
I would use
Traveller (either Classic or Mongoose) for hard science Sci-Fi. I would use
d6 Star Wars for science fantasy Sci-Fi.
Quote from: Nicephorus;346482Grubman does solid work, there's no need to insult him.
Wasn't an insult... have your class skills which improve, as with original mechanoids or Pd FRPG by table lookup with decreasing benefit as it improves, and electives which use the exact same progressions, but are picked from other classes' skills. Original pre-MegaDamage palladium, aside from it's lack of social skills, is really a very solid system with a with a very cool group of settings.
Quote from: Age of Fable;346430One big problem I can see is that the default combat is often ranged rather than hand-to-hand, which could make STR less useful, and DEX even more useful than it is already.
I could see this as becoming a problem as well.
A few other things that would need to be considered would be rules dealing with burstfire/automatic weapons. Perhaps creating specific classes for what ever sci-fi setting your using. Like a aerospace fighter pilot or mecha jock. I suppose you could roll it all into the fighter class. Again would depend on you and your campaign. It would seem some adjustments if not creation of additional rules for vehicle use and combat would be appropriate.
My question is why? It would be like modding the Hindenburg to become a submarine - technically possible but incredibly difficult, and more expensive than just making a submarine in the first place.
-clash
Quote from: flyingmice;346527It would be like modding the Hindenburg to become a submarine...
Think for a moment about how incredibly awesome that would be. Wrap all of that hydrogen in enough steel and a heavy enough ballast, and eventually it would sink underwater. It'd steer like a cow, but if someone ever managed to pierce the hull and give it a spark, it would be an incredible underwater fireball.
I'd play that game just to see it explode.
!i!
Its a houseruling/design challenge.
RPGPundit
Quote from: RPGPundit;346537Its a houseruling/design challenge.
RPGPundit
Then just modify
Spelljammer to fit the
Rules Cyclopedia. That would seem to be the least broken way to go about it.
Quote from: jeff37923;346539Then just modify Spelljammer to fit the Rules Cyclopedia. That would seem to be the least broken way to go about it.
BXCMI/Cyclopedia has its own spacefaring rules. And they are not the same as Spelljammer, and a good bit more fun... No "air bubbles"...
Quote from: aramis;346599BXCMI/Cyclopedia has its own spacefaring rules. And they are not the same as Spelljammer, and a good bit more fun... No "air bubbles"...
Where? I cannot recall them.
I guess I'd start by defining some sci-fi archetypes, from which I'd derive classes. The rest would follow from there.
(I tend to view, and prefer, D&D as a very class/level focused game.)
Quote from: aramis;346599BXCMI/Cyclopedia has its own spacefaring rules. And they are not the same as Spelljammer, and a good bit more fun... No "air bubbles"...
Yeah I'm gonna call shenanigans on this. I'm looking at RC right now. I see squat about space travel or what not.
Quote from: Ronin;346613Yeah I'm gonna call shenanigans on this. I'm looking at RC right now. I see squat about space travel or what not.
You're so inattentive. As previously mentioned, in the Champions of Mystara box.
Quote from: aramis;346617You're so inattentive. As previously mentioned, in the Champions of Mystara box.
Nope not inattentive. I dont have Champions of Mystara. So your quote of,
QuoteD&D in space? Grab the flying ship rules out of Champions of Mystara
Doesnt exactly scream out to me complete space rules for RC.
The question is what kind of science fiction? If I really wanted to be an ass, I could say "Why houserule? You can run D&D science fiction as is".
Quote from: DeadUematsu;346634The question is what kind of science fiction? If I really wanted to be an ass, I could say "Why houserule? You can run D&D science fiction as is".
Touche. Blackmoor, which is a setting for RC D&D ,ends up being a pretty sci-fi setting.
RPGPundit
You take RC, Champions of Mystara and Red Steel and mash them up, you would get a weird Bob Shaw Land & Overland -ish setting.
Regards,
David R
Quote from: Ronin;346987Being that he specifically says the "Forgotten Realms" book. Which do you fucking think hes talking about stupid. Did you eat paint chips as a kid? Or just naturally possess a 2nd grade reading level?
Why do you chase Koltar around the internet to abuse him, even though you know you're on his ignore list?
4 of your last 7 posts have been assaults on "Cocktar". What the fucking Christ could he have done to make you so angry?