Two SF horror system-neutral adventures on my Patreon now
doing one of these a month and either a fantasy 3fold brochure and occasionally a 100+ page book (currently one on Exilon, two rule sets and an adventure in progress). Im back in production and feeling recovered and a bit of who gives the farx too.
Also, check out my Space Book under downloads (the revised version was on Patreon)
I just started a Call of Cthulhu SF campaign
So a dive into SF books from GURPS
SF Campaign Building 1
SF Campaign Building 2 Gurps Generic SF
SF Campaign Building 3 Gurps Licenced & Campaign Settings SF
SF Campaign Building 4 GURPS Traveller & Star Trek
SF Campaign Building 5 BRP
Future? post on 2300, retro cyberpunk, the other gurps SF that wasnt for hard SF space
maybe even look up old Traveller as they have some space archaeology adventures i might be able to use for phase 2 of may game. I might try a vid format after my next computer rebuild.
Sadly I hear the monograph line from Chaosium is dead so I will do a post on some more BRP stuff I have looked at in more detail and how some still online. Sad Chaosium not ever done an official setting - it could be quite minimalist and use say IP stripped Ringworld rules.
I have found a few extra books too and watched some films and tv on this theme
My game I ran the adventure in Jovian Secrets on Sat
Party survived and one of players called in Mars security for help and the party now drafted by a security Org. The Martian Black Watch part of a technology watchdog think tank operated from a millitary base on Diemo's moon of Mars (Phobos is for civilian use). I was expecting party to become more rebellious crooks but working for the man makes things easier and I can offer them security forces grade tech, weapons, transport and classified stuff.
Investigating base with secure mine dig site and Black Watch AI has suspicions about the company and it's AI who are managing the district terraforming efforts. While prospecting something unusual has been found and has millitary level megacorp security forces. Players visited a small base nearby a player previously worked in and thought someone was visiting outpost and editing records. Party found some odd footprints and a hole you could crawl in that looked unwelcoming in a space suit. Also found monsters....
SF Campaign Building 2: GURPS SF
So I'm starting with the more generic books made to fit into your own campaign setting. They did a lot of good hard-ish SF books to plunder for my current needs. GURPS is one of the best game series to plunder for world building. Mostly they have text over stats but some like robots is build based. Im scoring as report card instead of my 4 star system - I'm probably more generous under this test card style.
Mars - A+
One of the books that covers a topic in part like a documentary then suggests ways of making an interesting game setting. Good toolkit of stuff. Starts with reality as it was on the time of release with some maps and speculates on possible discoveries. Then a chapter of mars in fiction and mythology. Then chapter on colonies and some character and campaign ideas I can use ASAP. Other campaign styles like awakening martians or rebelling vs Earth. I quite like Buck Rogers RPG for having Mars dominate Earth. Next chapter on Terraforming Mars which is barley starting in my game but they have dropped ice from space and working on atmospheric refineries being built. Its also research for colony missions. Book has a nice map of Mars with a Sea and ideas for genetic mods for humans. I always liked idea that gene mod workers might not want to finish the project and become redundant. Has ways of using other gurps supplements with Mars. The last two are a bit more fantastic and might get you interested in building a fantasy setting on Mars or try some John Carter Planet Fiction. They have an insectoid sample martian that interesting and has possible 50s invader tech samples. Dying Mars is a setting in far future science fantasy. Really entertaining book and a good brain jiuce for world building. I might keep it floating around a bit.
Cyberpunk - B+
Was a classic 80s book and still interesting. Once again its about world-building and character design. I just realised this version is a bit more updated than the 1st ed one I used to have. It has a modest list of bionics, hacking, tech and some campaign advice. I did like some of this in the past but not so immediately useful. Its Still pretty good. Most of the timeline we have passed but apparently a plague wipes out Australia in 2037 so I'm glad my gaming collection mostly finished.
Cyberworld - B
A setting companion for Cyberpunk and there was a Adventure book I don't have. Its a generic timeline and setting for Cyberpunk you can easily change - a beginning skeleton framework. As always the job table in this era of gurps was always very informative (i used gurps ones in my cthulhu games). Its not super useful to me now and maybe I will get cyberpunk mad again some day. Actually my roadwar game has CP cities and I guess my dodgy crime filled asteroid ghettos probably most cyberpun places in my current game. My inner system people mostly utopian.
Transhuman Space, Fifth Wave - B+
I probably will collect these one day and it seems a detailed setting with lots of the content I could use. I have one book Fifth Wave and mostly focuses on Earth. Its less messed up than Cyberworld setting and has some interesting tech. Probably still too diverse and bulkanised for my needs. It does make me want to see more and has some tech speculation not in many other hgames except perhaps eclipse phase also a Transhuman game.
Space - A+
The generic SF setting design book and one of my favorite that was updated a few times after my 1st edition version. Some of GURPS revisions like the Horror Book I prefer the 1st ed version which pages of it were in my Cthulhu folder. Discuses big campaign themes, organisations, TL, characters, 4 aliens, including the adorable tee folk. The equiptment section is dense with weapons and medicine sections. Environments for survival, starships, civilisation, world and system generation that is good. The space combat mechanics never did it for me and ill probably use Buck Rogers or star frontiers like system. It has aged but its aged better than lots of traveller. Its also a good keysone for a space campaign with other books and can be gritty or starwars.
Ultra Tech - A
Also has been revived several times I'm using the 1st which has a cool robot or battlesuit on front. This gives more detail on SF tech from gritty near future to more Star Treck range. Lots of interesting weapons and ways to upscale weapons in the campaign. This, the 2300 equipment guide and ringworld were peak 80s sf tech books. AGed a bit but still fantastic.
Biotech
Bio-Tech - A
Genetic engineering, modified animals, implants and campaign suggestions to inspire lots of adventure. Im designing some mod trees from various factions. There was a Shadowrun book with some biotech too I recall I should find again. Not enough books like this in SF gaming really.
Space Atlas 1,2,3 - B
A series of sectors kinda like traveller sectors with local factions, interesting worlds and adventure ideas. I never seen vol 4 and id love it if someone had a spare lying around. With these and the Space book you could start a campaign. You could slip these into traveller. Will be better for my later phase games post FTL. Some interesting culture and forbidden worlds. You could run a fine space sandbox like traveller but probably with tech and aliens you'd never see In traveller if you didn't want that baggage and a more balkanised setting rather than an awful imperium.
Space Bestiary - B
A generic alien monster book with some interesting ideas you could throw into campaigns. Divided into eco zones, vacuum dwellers, domestic, exotic environments. Lots of critters to ad to alien worlds or even a gene lab. You could build scenarios around some of these. A handy source and nothing too goofy or silly (Im looking at you Planet Volturus).
Aliens - B+
The cover is one of my fave pieces of SF art ever with aliens eating icecream with some Amish types. Lots of treasure in here if you need aliens and some east to reskin. All with plot ideas and campaign roles. It has notes on species design and quite a few to chooses from depending on your setting or with the generic Gurps space universe. At the moment inexplicable monsters are more useful. When I do go FTL I have a bunch of SF plundered species to choose from. A few from this might make it. Mostly in my game if a thing looks human ods are they are just a modified human with earth DNA. There are cute pig ppl, energy being, bird ppl, compound eye cyclopses with terrible taste who think they are cool, a few small furries if like Fuzzy Odyssey, smart bald guys, 3 eyed sauropods who like swamps (i like these), evil slugs (like), crustaceans with barnacle symbiotes, warlike snake ppl who i quite like but maybe too melodramatic for moment. There is a human like competitor who are kinda stern mercenary warrior types I quite like but not right now. I could imagine them as a human variety for some colony. A sinister conspiratal spiders (cool badies) and horrible bioweapons killer crabs (really well suited to game now - humans could awake these and have a bug hunt then later meet them with ships and guns. Gormelites are big hairy barbarans. Some curious space goblins who get in your stuff and face a bit. Insectoid noodle haired ppl like some 70s children's illustration with bug eyes who are bizarre but not quite right for me maybe later. Treefolk are expanded and i love them. Radioactive corrupt cephalopods who might require travelling life supports or robot bodies to interact like most people. Their is a dimensional weirdo who was sorta like a thing in ric and morty. A race of happy slave troll dolls who want to be your pets (yes this trope - idea is your supposed to feel embarrassed and like a creep when ppl se you with them). There is a nice race of ely space ppl with cool hair and fashion and art who might also make a human varient. A cool hive mind bug that could be a character monster or a great old one. Psionic rocks, bio crystal computers and a virus race that is taking over and assimilating all species. I like these virus guys and I've seen a worm play a similar role in a few games. Maybe a bioweapon? Maybe human brains kick started them into sentience the way animals never could.
Space Adventures - B
Mixed Bag here and some usable and interesting. One has an interesting colony with health police. These would fit in a traveller campaign fine with a few heists. Quite urban in focus in a few and some detailed planets. Once again if you had a few other gurps space items you could run with this quickly.
Robots - B
Lots on buying and building robots. use in your campaigns, androids, wet tech, tables for robot damage and other notes. Not essential but possibly useful with a bunch of robot samples. Not a bad build a bot system.
I have found a few extra books too and watched some films and tv on this theme
My game I ran the adventure in Jovian Secrets on Sat
Party survived and one of players called in Mars security for help and the party now drafted by a security Org. The Martian Black Watch part of a technology watchdog think tank operated from a millitary base on Diemo's moon of Mars (Phobos is for civilian use). I was expecting party to become more rebellious crooks but working for the man makes things easier and I can offer them security forces grade tech, weapons, transport and classified stuff.
Investigating base with secure mine dig site and Black Watch AI has suspicions about the company and it's AI who are managing the district terraforming efforts. While prospecting something unusual has been found and has millitary level megacorp security forces. Players visited a small base nearby a player previously worked in and thought someone was visiting outpost and editing records. Party found some odd footprints and a hole you could crawl in that looked unwelcoming in a space suit. Also found monsters....
SF Campaign Building 2: GURPS SF
So I'm starting with the more generic books made to fit into your own campaign setting. They did a lot of good hard-ish SF books to plunder for my current needs. GURPS is one of the best game series to plunder for world building. Mostly they have text over stats but some like robots is build based. Im scoring as report card instead of my 4 star system - I'm probably more generous under this test card style.
Mars - A+
One of the books that covers a topic in part like a documentary then suggests ways of making an interesting game setting. Good toolkit of stuff. Starts with reality as it was on the time of release with some maps and speculates on possible discoveries. Then a chapter of mars in fiction and mythology. Then chapter on colonies and some character and campaign ideas I can use ASAP. Other campaign styles like awakening martians or rebelling vs Earth. I quite like Buck Rogers RPG for having Mars dominate Earth. Next chapter on Terraforming Mars which is barley starting in my game but they have dropped ice from space and working on atmospheric refineries being built. Its also research for colony missions. Book has a nice map of Mars with a Sea and ideas for genetic mods for humans. I always liked idea that gene mod workers might not want to finish the project and become redundant. Has ways of using other gurps supplements with Mars. The last two are a bit more fantastic and might get you interested in building a fantasy setting on Mars or try some John Carter Planet Fiction. They have an insectoid sample martian that interesting and has possible 50s invader tech samples. Dying Mars is a setting in far future science fantasy. Really entertaining book and a good brain jiuce for world building. I might keep it floating around a bit.
Cyberpunk - B+
Was a classic 80s book and still interesting. Once again its about world-building and character design. I just realised this version is a bit more updated than the 1st ed one I used to have. It has a modest list of bionics, hacking, tech and some campaign advice. I did like some of this in the past but not so immediately useful. Its Still pretty good. Most of the timeline we have passed but apparently a plague wipes out Australia in 2037 so I'm glad my gaming collection mostly finished.
Cyberworld - B
A setting companion for Cyberpunk and there was a Adventure book I don't have. Its a generic timeline and setting for Cyberpunk you can easily change - a beginning skeleton framework. As always the job table in this era of gurps was always very informative (i used gurps ones in my cthulhu games). Its not super useful to me now and maybe I will get cyberpunk mad again some day. Actually my roadwar game has CP cities and I guess my dodgy crime filled asteroid ghettos probably most cyberpun places in my current game. My inner system people mostly utopian.
Transhuman Space, Fifth Wave - B+
I probably will collect these one day and it seems a detailed setting with lots of the content I could use. I have one book Fifth Wave and mostly focuses on Earth. Its less messed up than Cyberworld setting and has some interesting tech. Probably still too diverse and bulkanised for my needs. It does make me want to see more and has some tech speculation not in many other hgames except perhaps eclipse phase also a Transhuman game.
Space - A+
The generic SF setting design book and one of my favorite that was updated a few times after my 1st edition version. Some of GURPS revisions like the Horror Book I prefer the 1st ed version which pages of it were in my Cthulhu folder. Discuses big campaign themes, organisations, TL, characters, 4 aliens, including the adorable tee folk. The equiptment section is dense with weapons and medicine sections. Environments for survival, starships, civilisation, world and system generation that is good. The space combat mechanics never did it for me and ill probably use Buck Rogers or star frontiers like system. It has aged but its aged better than lots of traveller. Its also a good keysone for a space campaign with other books and can be gritty or starwars.
Ultra Tech - A
Also has been revived several times I'm using the 1st which has a cool robot or battlesuit on front. This gives more detail on SF tech from gritty near future to more Star Treck range. Lots of interesting weapons and ways to upscale weapons in the campaign. This, the 2300 equipment guide and ringworld were peak 80s sf tech books. AGed a bit but still fantastic.
Biotech
Bio-Tech - A
Genetic engineering, modified animals, implants and campaign suggestions to inspire lots of adventure. Im designing some mod trees from various factions. There was a Shadowrun book with some biotech too I recall I should find again. Not enough books like this in SF gaming really.
Space Atlas 1,2,3 - B
A series of sectors kinda like traveller sectors with local factions, interesting worlds and adventure ideas. I never seen vol 4 and id love it if someone had a spare lying around. With these and the Space book you could start a campaign. You could slip these into traveller. Will be better for my later phase games post FTL. Some interesting culture and forbidden worlds. You could run a fine space sandbox like traveller but probably with tech and aliens you'd never see In traveller if you didn't want that baggage and a more balkanised setting rather than an awful imperium.
Space Bestiary - B
A generic alien monster book with some interesting ideas you could throw into campaigns. Divided into eco zones, vacuum dwellers, domestic, exotic environments. Lots of critters to ad to alien worlds or even a gene lab. You could build scenarios around some of these. A handy source and nothing too goofy or silly (Im looking at you Planet Volturus).
Aliens - B+
The cover is one of my fave pieces of SF art ever with aliens eating icecream with some Amish types. Lots of treasure in here if you need aliens and some east to reskin. All with plot ideas and campaign roles. It has notes on species design and quite a few to chooses from depending on your setting or with the generic Gurps space universe. At the moment inexplicable monsters are more useful. When I do go FTL I have a bunch of SF plundered species to choose from. A few from this might make it. Mostly in my game if a thing looks human ods are they are just a modified human with earth DNA. There are cute pig ppl, energy being, bird ppl, compound eye cyclopses with terrible taste who think they are cool, a few small furries if like Fuzzy Odyssey, smart bald guys, 3 eyed sauropods who like swamps (i like these), evil slugs (like), crustaceans with barnacle symbiotes, warlike snake ppl who i quite like but maybe too melodramatic for moment. There is a human like competitor who are kinda stern mercenary warrior types I quite like but not right now. I could imagine them as a human variety for some colony. A sinister conspiratal spiders (cool badies) and horrible bioweapons killer crabs (really well suited to game now - humans could awake these and have a bug hunt then later meet them with ships and guns. Gormelites are big hairy barbarans. Some curious space goblins who get in your stuff and face a bit. Insectoid noodle haired ppl like some 70s children's illustration with bug eyes who are bizarre but not quite right for me maybe later. Treefolk are expanded and i love them. Radioactive corrupt cephalopods who might require travelling life supports or robot bodies to interact like most people. Their is a dimensional weirdo who was sorta like a thing in ric and morty. A race of happy slave troll dolls who want to be your pets (yes this trope - idea is your supposed to feel embarrassed and like a creep when ppl se you with them). There is a nice race of ely space ppl with cool hair and fashion and art who might also make a human varient. A cool hive mind bug that could be a character monster or a great old one. Psionic rocks, bio crystal computers and a virus race that is taking over and assimilating all species. I like these virus guys and I've seen a worm play a similar role in a few games. Maybe a bioweapon? Maybe human brains kick started them into sentience the way animals never could.
Space Adventures - B
Mixed Bag here and some usable and interesting. One has an interesting colony with health police. These would fit in a traveller campaign fine with a few heists. Quite urban in focus in a few and some detailed planets. Once again if you had a few other gurps space items you could run with this quickly.
Robots - B
Lots on buying and building robots. use in your campaigns, androids, wet tech, tables for robot damage and other notes. Not essential but possibly useful with a bunch of robot samples. Not a bad build a bot system.
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