Looking for a Good Science Fiction setting to steal for a Hero Campaign.

[Lord Fyre]

Okay, here is the deal, I am looking for a campaign to propose after our group finishes up our current campaign.

Restricting factors:

We are currently running a Fantasy Campaign (Pathfinder: Rise Of The Runelords) - I am not the DM. :)
My previous proposal for a Historical Campaign - Based on feedback from the boards - did not go over well. (They wanted more "Fanstastic" Eleminets) :weep:
A "Modern" setting may run into some problems due to a degree of Polorized political beliefs. :cry:
I would have a small-ish character group for this. (We are running multiple characters for the D&D)
So given these restrictions, I was looking for a good a good Sci-Fi idea to steal. :help: (Is "Sci-Fi" the right way to go, or would another genre be better?)

[Captain Obvious]

There is a lot of Star Frontiers stuff available at www.starfrontiers.com
(http://www.starfrontiers.com)

There's a lot of Traveller stuff around too, not least of which is Traveller Hero.

Larry Niven's Known Space (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Known_Space) has been developed for over 40 years, so that's less work for you (not counting the whole converting to Hero part).

Fred Saberhagen's Berserker (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berserker_(Saberhagen)) series is another long-running sci-fi series with interesting RP potential, although it doesn't seem to be quite as well documented on the Internet. Here's a decent site (http://www.berserkerfan.org/), though.

Those are the big ones that come to mind to me right away.

[Curufea]

Blake's 7, Farscape

[Lord Fyre]

These are good ideas. :yes:

B.T.W., what do we know about the Terran Empire (http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63184)? :confused:

[Thia Halmades]

I'm not a Terran Empire fan (well documented).

You can try John Ringo's Posleen War series and see how you like it; it's modern military meets sci-fi. It's solid stuff, but heavy on the battlefield tactics, which will either fascinate you or bore the holy hell out of you. I fall on the fascinated side. But it's very much in my wheelhouse for light reading.

Yergle... otherwise, I got nothin'. Too many of my own projects are languishing under the whip of my full time job. ;)

[copeab]

I'll also pimp Traveller, although your gorup may prefer the New Era settings to the others (the early Classic Traveller setting, with a realtively weak and distant Imperium, is a close second).

For the hell of it, I'll toss out Spelljammer.

[Cargus10]

If you want inspiration from books, take a look at:

John Scalzi's "Old Man's War" books, all 3 of them.
Niven & Pournelle's "Mote in God's Eye" Empire of Man universe
Pournelle's Falkenberg / Co-Dominum books
David Drake's stuff - Hammer's Slammers in particular, but some of his other stuff maybe be better...Redliners for example
Any of H. Beam Piper's Federation / Empire stuff
Keith Laumer's Bolo stuff, though the Bolos kind of steal the show a bit.

[Adventus]

I always thought this was a cool setting (http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51723)

[Nevenall]

How about this old classic?
Buck Rogers (http://www.nbc.com/Vintage_Shows/Buck_Rogers/video/episodes.shtml)

also, Lois Bujold McMaster writes some terrifically fun military science fiction stories featuring no aliens what so ever.

[Supreme Serpent]

Mongo 2008 : Ming Reborn!

[Lysando]

For something completely different: Transhuman Space

"Transhuman Space is a realistic near-future setting for science fiction adventure. Mankind . . . and mankind's descendants, both living and digital . . . are spreading through the solar system. From the hell of Mercury to the frozen gas giants and beyond, they trade, fight, and explore."

Official site:
http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/transhuman/

This is from a player handout I found on the WWW:

"One of the most notable distinguishing features of THS as a science fiction background is what has NOT happened. There has been no global thermonuclear war, unstoppable plague, environmental disaster, alien invasion, or nanovirus breakout. Wars have mostly followed the late 20th-century pattern of localized fighting and low-intensity conflict. Medical science has
stopped or slowed AIDS, cancer, malaria, and tuberculosis. The natural environment has suffered, but improved energy and manufacturing technology are letting it recover. Furthermore, worker productivity has followed 19th- and 20th-century trends of growing a little every year, mostly due to new technological efficiencies. Much of the developed world in 2100 has five times its GDP per person in the year 2000, easily allowing a level of social welfare
unimaginable a century earlier.

High Frontier

Some three million humans now live in the rest of the solar system, most on Mars. Mercury holds many lucrative mines and antimatter production facilities. Earth orbit contains all manner of sovereign mini-nations, especially colonies founded on strong ideologies. Luna was naturally the first body to be colonized, and it continues to be an important spaceport, observatory, and
helium-mining center. Mars is home to several nations, most notably “Rust China” and the United States’ Martian Commonwealth. The main asteroid belt and the moons of Jupiter and Saturn contain over a hundred permanent settlements, housing everyone from farmers, engineers, and scientists to exiles, revolutionaries, and criminal syndicates.

Movers and Shakers

By most counts, Earth in 2100 has seven major political powers. The United States, People’s Republic of China, Russia, India, and the European Union are recognizably the same entities they were in 2000, albeit with many evolutionary changes. Two new powers have emerged as well: The Transpacific Socialist Alliance and the Pacific Rim Alliance. The TSA follows the 21st century doctrine of “infosocialism” or the newer term “nanosocialism,” which holds that Marx’s proposal that capital be held in common by all should extend to intellectual property such as patents and intellectual property as well as land and equipment. Some fifteen nations in southern Asia and South America belong to the TSA, notably Indonesia, Peru, and Bangladesh. Finally, several democracies in the Pacific Ocean found sufficient common interest to form the Pacific Rim Alliance as a military and economic alliance against both the TSA and China. The PRA’s strongest members are Australia, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and the Union of Alberta and British Columbia.
Other influential world powers include Brazil, the South African Coalition (an economic development alliance for sub-Saharan Africa), and the Islamic Caliphate (an alliance of moderate Arab states with common religious ideals)."

I'd be happy to send you the rest of the handout if you like.

[Lord Fyre]

And there's always . . . the Dirty Pair (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_Pair)! :love:

[Lord Fyre]

How about this old classic?
Buck Rogers (http://www.nbc.com/Vintage_Shows/Buck_Rogers/video/episodes.shtml)

also, Lois Bujold McMaster writes some terrifically fun military science fiction stories featuring no aliens what so ever.

But if you are going to go that route, why not go the whole way . . . Buck Rodgers (http://www.toonopedia.com/buckrog.htm)!

[mirage]

Okay, here is the deal, I am looking for a campaign to propose after our group finishes up our current campaign.

Restricting factors:

We are currently running a Fantasy Campaign (Pathfinder: Rise Of The Runelords) - I am not the DM. :)
My previous proposal for a Historical Campaign - Based on feedback from the boards - did not go over well. (They wanted more "Fanstastic" Eleminets) :weep:
A "Modern" setting may run into some problems due to a degree of Polorized political beliefs. :cry:
I would have a small-ish character group for this. (We are running multiple characters for the D&D)
So given these restrictions, I was looking for a good a good Sci-Fi idea to steal. :help: (Is "Sci-Fi" the right way to go, or would another genre be better?)

I'm personally more fond of Space Opera sub-genre.

Frank Herber's Dune. Not necessarily just what happens on Dune itself, but the whole setting.

E.E. Doc. Smith's Lensman series. They also had a GURPS supplement, I pick it up without hesitation and I didn't even have the GURPS rules then.

Then there's Mamoru Nagano's Five Star Stories. Its an amazing setting. Gears Online (http://www.gearsonline.net/fss/) has a great amount of material, much of which was contributed by the boards own Nu Sword Graphite. I ran a very successful Mekton II campaign based on it, of which none of the players had any knowledge of the setting beyond my handout.

A more down to earth, sci-fi setting I highly recommend, which is also probably more in line with what you're thinking, is Mike Surbrook's Kazei 5.

[Lord Liaden]

What sort of game world and play style do your players generally enjoy? Larger-than-life action, or gritty and realistic? Combat oriented, or character exploration? Well-known and understood universe, or with mysteries to explore? Large area to travel in, or focussed in a single location with recurring NPCs? Involvement in major events, or keeping the conflicts and triumphs local?

[Lord Fyre]

What sort of game world and play style do your players generally enjoy? Larger-than-life action, or gritty and realistic? Combat oriented, or character exploration? Well-known and understood universe, or with mysteries to explore? Large area to travel in, or focussed in a single location with recurring NPCs? Involvement in major events, or keeping the conflicts and triumphs local?


Larger-Than-Life Action! (We have a notable dislike of "gritty")
We have enjoyed both "Combat oriented, or character exploration" stories.
Mysteries to Explore.
We have enjoyed both "Large area to travel in, or focussed in a single location with recurring NPCs" settings.
There is a slight preference for "Involvement in major events"
As I stated, they rejected a "Historical" setting because they want an element of the "Fantastic" in the setting.

[Curufea]

Sounds definitely like you want Farscape then :)

[Lord Liaden]

Larger-Than-Life Action! (We have a notable dislike of "gritty")
We have enjoyed both "Combat oriented, or character exploration" stories.
Mysteries to Explore.
We have enjoyed both "Large area to travel in, or focussed in a single location with recurring NPCs" settings.
There is a slight preference for "Involvement in major events"
As I stated, they rejected a "Historical" setting because they want an element of the "Fantastic" in the setting.

All right, that gives me a good idea of where you'd like to go. :)

You've gotten lots of good suggestions already, but I'm going to offer a couple of original HERO-based sci-fi settings which I think hit most of the notes you're looking for.

For a "focussed" setting, take a look at Guardians of Quartermain (http://www.fantasylibrary.com/lounge/quartermain/quartermain.htm). Lots of potential for action, major events available if desired, and a well-stocked galaxy to ultimately move out into.

For grander scope and deeper mysteries, I recently discovered this intriguing and rich campaign outline on "Surbrook's Stuff": Terracide (http://surbrook.devermore.net/worldbooks/terracide/terracide.html).

[copeab]

Larger-Than-Life Action! (We have a notable dislike of "gritty")
We have enjoyed both "Combat oriented, or character exploration" stories.
Mysteries to Explore.
We have enjoyed both "Large area to travel in, or focussed in a single location with recurring NPCs" settings.
There is a slight preference for "Involvement in major events"

As I stated, they rejected a "Historical" setting because they want an element of the "Fantastic" in the setting.

Stargate SG-1

[Lord Liaden]

Lord Fyre, what would your group's feelings be about popular and well-established settings? There's fair-to-major HERO support for such things as Stargate, Bablyon 5, Star Trek, Star Wars, Robotech, and others, that I could point you to if desired.

EDIT: Heck, I might as well just take this opportunity to send you here (http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23298). I do have to warn you, though, this listing hasn't been updated in months, and some of the links are moribund.

[Clonus]

Personally, I'd go with the space science fiction of Andre Norton if you can find the books. She did some great space opera.

[Lord Fyre]

Lord Fyre, what would your group's feelings be about popular and well-established settings? There's fair-to-major HERO support for such things as Stargate, Bablyon 5, Star Trek, Star Wars, Robotech, and others, that I could point you to if desired.

EDIT: Heck, I might as well just take this opportunity to send you here (http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23298). I do have to warn you, though, this listing hasn't been updated in months, and some of the links are moribund.

Actually, some of those links are REALLY helpful. I was kind of looking for a setting where they "setting" part was all worked out (and worked!) :rockon:

[mwiggins]

[quote=Cargus10;1578357]
John Scalzi's "Old Man's War" books, all 3 of them.

Great books, But I havn't read the last one, I'm waiting for paperback.

You could cross, Old Man's War series with Starship Troopers (the book by Heinlein, NOT the movie) with The Forever War (by Joe Haldeman)
Or could do, Old man's war with the players as the first generation of bio-engeneered green troops.

[Maur]

Sliders...

[Plex]

Firefly/Serenity! :thumbup:

[TheQuestionMan]

Category:Science fiction role-playing games
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Science_fiction_role-playing_games


Campaign Settings by Genres


QM


P.S.: I recommend Traveller Hero

[Lord Fyre]

Firefly/Serenity! :thumbup:

While I have looked at that, it felt that it wasn't "Science-Fictiony" enough. :hush: (Odd, given that it is about a spaceship.)

[Lord Fyre]

Category:Science fiction role-playing games
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Science_fiction_role-playing_games


Campaign Settings by Genres


QM


P.S.: I recommend Traveller Hero

I was looking at either "Traveler Hero" or "Star Frontierers Hero" :)

I was hoping "Star Trek" hero, but the size of the ships/crews of that setting actually became somewhat of a problem.

[ghost-angel]

We're in a Star Frontiers setting campaign, using Terran Empire write-ups for convenience.

It's working rather well. I happen to like a lot of the TE stuff, and there's something to be said about having spaceships all written up for you.

[The Monster]

I'd second Stargate. You can fit just about anything into that background, from ancient-Earth cultures to demigodlike alien beings - at the same time!

[TheQuestionMan]

[Compilation] "to Star HERO Conversions & Adaptations"
http://herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24969


Cheers


QM

[mwiggins]

[quote]

Great books, But I havn't read the last one, I'm waiting for paperback.

You could cross, Old Man's War series with Starship Troopers (the book by Heinlein, NOT the movie) with The Forever War (by Joe Haldeman)
Or could do, Old man's war with the players as the first generation of bio-engeneered green troops.
Forgot to mention this on the first post
A lot of good ideas can also be gotten from...Gravity dreams, the ethos effect, the parafaith war. All by L.E Modesitt jr.
His recluce series is a good read, but it's a swords and magic.

Thanks for the Rep:)

[Old Man]

You could cross, Old Man's War series with Starship Troopers (the book by Heinlein, NOT the movie) with The Forever War (by Joe Haldeman)
Or could do, Old man's war with the players as the first generation of bio-engeneered green troops.

Huh? What?


;)

[Curufea]

While I have looked at that, it felt that it wasn't "Science-Fictiony" enough. :hush: (Odd, given that it is about a spaceship.)

It's "street-level" science fiction. I think you could say it isn't space-operatic enough.
It's like the difference between Low Fantasy (Harn) and High Fantasy (D&D).

[mwiggins]

[quote]
Great books, But I havn't read the last one, I'm waiting for paperback.

Ok, I've read it now. I checked it out of the library. very good. :thumbup:

[bubba smith]

try using the world of tv's dark angel

[Inu]

But if you are going to go that route, why not go the whole way . . . Buck Rodgers (http://www.toonopedia.com/buckrog.htm)!
Ah, you hit one of my soft spots. =)

Seriously, if you want high-action solar sci-fi, you can't go wrong with Buck. You even have a number of different universes to choose from (the original, the various spinoffs, and the RPG setting that was produced in the 90s; the latter was also used for some novels, though they were heavy on fighters, whereas the game was mostly rockets).

[John Desmarais]

Ah, you hit one of my soft spots. =)

Seriously, if you want high-action solar sci-fi, you can't go wrong with Buck. You even have a number of different universes to choose from (the original, the various spinoffs, and the RPG setting that was produced in the 90s; the latter was also used for some novels, though they were heavy on fighters, whereas the game was mostly rockets).

I'll second this one. The original Buck Rogers stories are my all-time favorite science-fiction settings.

Want some stuff? http://www.sysabend.org/champions/spoo/BuckRogersEquipment.html

[Egyptoid]

Science Fiction ? Boring...


http://members.cox.net/edavis98/padme_zapp.png



try fan fiction.

[Clonus]

Ah, you hit one of my soft spots. =)

Seriously, if you want high-action solar sci-fi, you can't go wrong with Buck. You even have a number of different universes to choose from (the original, the various spinoffs, and the RPG setting that was produced in the 90s; the latter was also used for some novels, though they were heavy on fighters, whereas the game was mostly rockets).

Here's a product for that sort of thing:

http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=SJG37-0604

GURPS being eminently convertable.

Then there's Rocketship Empires

http://www.rocketshipempires.com/

Which isn't quite so pulpy.

[Ian Mackinder]

Since no one else has done so, I suggest a 'Star Trek' game. I won't say which incarnation because many people seem to HATE one or another of them. Personally, I have found each had worthwhile qualities.

Doesn't have to be a StarFleet campaign. If the Players are up to acting out the social dynamics of something like a biker gang, you could try for a Klingon campaign, for example.

[John Desmarais]

Here's a product for that sort of thing:

http://e23.sjgames.com/item.html?id=SJG37-0604

GURPS being eminently convertable.


I'd not seen this one before. Too cool. :thumbup:

[Midas]

Larger-Than-Life Action! (We have a notable dislike of "gritty")
We have enjoyed both "Combat oriented, or character exploration" stories.
Mysteries to Explore.
We have enjoyed both "Large area to travel in, or focussed in a single location with recurring NPCs" settings.
There is a slight preference for "Involvement in major events"
As I stated, they rejected a "Historical" setting because they want an element of the "Fantastic" in the setting.

Hmnn. I'll plug a Space:1889 conversion. 3/4 Kipling, 1/4 Wells, essentially 19'th century great powers, with the addition of interplanetary drives. So, while Belgium is carving an empire in the Congo, it is also carving one on Mars, for example. A good campaign could be running a British airboat with a letter of mark, for example.

Midas

[Michael Hopcroft]

The Rocketmen setting from WizKids may have some of what you're looking for, though the RPG elements would have to be extrapolated. (Rocketmen itself is a constructible card game). Nick Sion would make an interesting RPG character -- I have my own ideas as to the fate of his brother which would be a nice hook for him....

[Kid Jurassic]

Are you familliar with Simon R Green's Deathstalker universe...it is a very interesting Sci-Fi setting with a few fantasy elements thrown in.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deathstalker_%28series%29

the above is the link to a universe description

[Michael Hopcroft]

Another thought, if you'd like to play fasdt and loose with social mores, is some of Harry harrison's work. The universes of Bill, the Galactic Hero and The Stainless Steel Rat are each fun in their own way. The Rat's universe rewards cleverness and cunning, while Bill's -- doesn't. :eek:

[Vanguard00]

For good times I'd recommend Mike Resnick's "Birthright Universe", featuring the stories of Santiago, Widowmaker, The Outpost and others.

It's as rich a setting as any offered by such space adventures as "Star Wars" or "Firefly" (and yet, considering Resnick started it 20 years earlier, it has the same feel as "Firefly'). It's hard sci-fi meets epic adventure in a space/western setting, complete with Democracy, Frontier and 'outer limits' of space.

More here (http://templetongate.tripod.com/santiago.htm).

[bubba smith]

a HALO CAMPAIGN?

[The Doctor]

I've been doing work for the last couple months for a scifi campaign when my superhero campaign is done. It's basically beginning at the end of time for the universe. When space is filled with dead stars and black holes roaming in the darkness that currently occupies the glittery skies. I would start the characters off in a ring world orbiting a dying red dwarf star. The problem here is that their red sun is dying and can no longer burn at a level capable of sustaining life or at the very least the level needed to recharge their solar cells that power the life support and power systems in their ring world. As they can all tell by the nightscape, there aren't any obvious replacements in viewable space. This problem is the pcs first decision: weather to stay until the red dwarf is unable to sustain them and take a small ship of explorering characters out to try and find a suitable replacement. Or gamble the whole race with old star maps detailing some of the last "Newly formed stars that their ancestors had witnessed billions of years ago." As you might guess this campaign should prove fairly desperate and at time depressing, but I imagine the successes will be 10 times sweeter. If you like my idea I have character and setting ideas I've worked out that I can pass along as well as just over a dozen plot hooks and art I've borrowed from various sites for this campaign.

[shadowcat1313]

other SF RPG Settings to consider:
Space Opera had some great sector atlas books that could prove useful for setting ideas.

Battlelords of the 23rd Century: interesting setting, high powered, lots of possibilties, its been around for quite a while, but the complete lack of a space combat or planet building system makes it mediocre in my opinion.

non gaming settings:
Hammers Slammers
Star Doc
Aldenata/Posleen
1632/Ring of Fire, for great alt history

[Lawnmower Boy]

I like the Star Fleet Universe's (Star Fleet Battles+) Omega Sector. The idea is that, 25 years before Star Trek the Original Series, a colonial capital in the outback of the Federation is moved by a handwavium storm to a distant part of the galaxy where everything is new, weird and different. Intelligent viri, also, rocks, jellyfish, walrusses, bats, spiders, bees, mushrooms, tigers, rabbits, amoeba, robots and others who aren't so lucky (vampires and fairies). Starfaring trees! Etc.
I find canon Star Trek RPGs brutally limited by the setting. They suffer from extreme claustrophobia, as the only context we can imagine is the ships (we don't even understand how their economy works!); the Federation is effectively untouchable, removing any sense of existential threat; and the only source of conflict is peoplewithbumpyforeheads pretending to be aliens in order to conceal their lack of Federation-standard moral enlightenment.
The Omega Sector has the visuals, but allows you to junk what you don't like about the UFP. The aliens beg to be fleshed out, and the context carries a sense of imminent peril to motivate the PCs.

[mwiggins]

How about Hyperion- by Dan Simmons (http://www.amazon.com/Hyperion-Dan-Simmons/dp/0385263481/ref=sr_1_34?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218908358&sr=8-34) ?
It has Tree spaceships, and a little girl that is aging backwards

[badger3k]

Someone mentioned Niven, but I like the Intergral Trees setting. Similar to the old Flash Gordon, where the planets in the region were in a breathable atmosphere. You could have steam-powered space dreadnaughts open to the stellar wind....

Another one I like is Humanx Commonwealth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanx_Commonwealth) - Alan Dean Foster's setting. I think there have been some GURPS setting books for that, and the old fantasy trip descendant isn't too hard to convert to Hero. I always wanted to adventure on Midworld

While a bit limited, Robert Asprin's Bug Wars (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bug_Wars) gave a universe where intelligent lizards fought a war with giant insects, with mammals in the background....

And, as someone beat me to it, the Deathstalker universe is definitely space opera. My favorite part was the ghost ship encounter. I think he did an excellent job keeping the creepy-horror style up.

[copeab]

Another one I like is Humanx Commonwealth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanx_Commonwealth) - Alan Dean Foster's setting. I think there have been some GURPS setting books for that, and the old fantasy trip descendant isn't too hard to convert to Hero. I always wanted to adventure on Midworld


There was GURPS Humanx and GURPS Humanx: For Love of Mother-Not (a long solo adventure). Both have been OOP for many years, although there are still copies of the solo adventure available at Warehouse 23.

[badger3k]

There was GURPS Humanx and GURPS Humanx: For Love of Mother-Not (a long solo adventure). Both have been OOP for many years, although there are still copies of the solo adventure available at Warehouse 23.

I think I saw that on Amazon (or else the sci-fi book club, I went to both to look up and see what books he's put out). He also has a lot at his own website (http://www.alandeanfoster.com/version2.0/frameset.htm) .

[mwiggins]

[quote=badger3k;1667686 the Deathstalker universe is definitely space opera. My favorite part was the ghost ship encounter. I think he did an excellent job keeping the creepy-horror style up.
in one scene he is sneeking through a giant freezer full of dead bodies... The line "Icy dead people" just popped into my head.

[GoldenAge]

Try being bad guys!

NEMESIS SQUADRON (http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34853)

NOTE: There are several PDF files in the above thread. Look beyond the initial game description to find the Dragon Squadron good guy supplement.