Question for those who have tooled around with 5e or have simply been watching it develop: do you think it could be readily adapted for scifi play?

To be more specific, are its skill system, item systems, mount/vehicle system (if any) and ranged combat rules scalable to a modern or future level?

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;720053Question for those who have tooled around with 5e or have simply been watching it develop: do you think it could be readily adapted for scifi play?

To be more specific, are its skill system, item systems, mount/vehicle system (if any) and ranged combat rules scalable to a modern or future level?

I suppose it could be adapted, but the impression I've gotten reading the playtests is that they're aiming for a D&D system, not a generic system per se.

Of course, we're a ways away from getting the finished system, so a lot could still change between now and release.

3E was designed with fantasy in mind, but the whole d20 product line expanded into modern and future. C&C was designed with fantasy in mind, but the whole SIEGE product line expanded into modern (Amazing Adventures) and future (StarSiege). RQ was designed with fantasy in mind (RQ, Stormbringer), but he whole BRP product line expanded into modern (CoC) and future. OD&D was designed with fantasy in mind, but I've run modern and future (Star Wars, Dune) games with it.

Most games can be moved into different eras without much trouble. It just comes down to how much work you want to put into it. You'd have to put together a list of modern or future weapons, monsters, skills, and the like.

5E is designed to take elements from previous editions of D&D and blend them together. I think that some companies will jump in and do the work for you if you give them some time.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;720053Question for those who have tooled around with 5e or have simply been watching it develop: do you think it could be readily adapted for scifi play?

To be more specific, are its skill system, item systems, mount/vehicle system (if any) and ranged combat rules scalable to a modern or future level?

See Star without Numbers vs Classic D&D. In short yes it is if you put the work into like Kevin Crawford. There are several other OSR RPGs like Spacemen and Starships, Mutant Future, etc that serve as examples and show how a D&D game like 5e can be adapted to other genres.

Quote from: finarvyn;720062... but the whole d20 product line expanded into modern and future.

There seems to be a fair amount of online debate as to whether that actually worked however. I haven't used or played in d20 Modern or Future, so I don't know.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;720099There seems to be a fair amount of online debate as to whether that actually worked however. I haven't used or played in d20 Modern or Future, so I don't know.

Give Hulks & Horrors and Stars Without Number a try if you want D&D in spaaaaaaace.

I always thought d20 Modern was pretty good, although there were a few rules I would have changed, like firearms and unarmed combat. Also vehicle rules could have been fixed. Pretty important for a modern game. They were going in the right direction with generic classes. Too bad there was never a 2nd edition.

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;720053Question for those who have tooled around with 5e or have simply been watching it develop: do you think it could be readily adapted for scifi play?

To be more specific, are its skill system, item systems, mount/vehicle system (if any) and ranged combat rules scalable to a modern or future level?

Why should it not be?  Swords become vibroswords or lightsabers, crossbows become blasters, horses become hoverbikes.

Quote from: Archangel Fascist;720156Why should it not be?  Swords become vibroswords or lightsabers, crossbows become blasters, horses become hoverbikes.

Different genres really require different games to reflect those defining differences.

Quote from: Endless Flight;720152I always thought d20 Modern was pretty good, although there were a few rules I would have changed, like firearms and unarmed combat. Also vehicle rules could have been fixed.

Could you elaborate? What did you notice in actual play?

Quote from: Endless Flight;720152Too bad there was never a 2nd edition.

God I find myself saying that a lot. Ask me about my complete page-by-page transcription and fine tuning of 7th Sea.

Sure, why not? There was Buck Rogers that was pretty close to being AD&D in space.

Probably yes, but for a very specific value of adaptable, I suspect.

I more or less rewrote Basic/Expert to SF.

My query on whether 5e is similarly suitable is just in how much power cruft has to be replaced.

B/X adapted well into H&H because characters in old-school editions don't really have a lot of whizbang powers other than spell-casters, who could be replaced with psi/force and sonic-screwdriver type tricks.

It gets harder when you're dealing with something like late 3.x/4e, where you have characters with laundry lists of special powers, unless you've set up your SF conceit in a way that explicitly justifies them.

A space pilot doesn't really need to be anything other than good at flying shit though, so for a simple broad-strokes approach to the SF world, an edition with far simpler classes is probably more suited.

I am still not personally all that clear on which of those two options 5e is actually going to be, in print.

Quote from: J Arcane;720275I am still not personally all that clear on which of those two options 5e is actually going to be, in print.

Both thanks to the basic/advanced split, is my understanding. (For instance, there's a Feats system but you can completely dispense with it in favour of giving PCs a flat bonus when they level up.)

I did read and was quite excited about trying 4E reskinned as a giant robot skirmish game. Too much work to be bothered with TBH.

BUT, it can be done in theory.

Quote from: Warthur;720456Both thanks to the basic/advanced split, is my understanding. (For instance, there's a Feats system but you can completely dispense with it in favour of giving PCs a flat bonus when they level up.)

Offtopic time again.... What is the thinking behind the stat increase and/or feats? I don't grokk. Point me toward a discussion to save this thread!

Back on topic now. Continue as you were.