This is for game material people can use in their own games.
A few things. First, you can find my earlier posts on this Science Fiction 5e thread here, and here.
Second, let me know if you like these. I will keep writing them if people are getting anything out of them.
Third, sorry it took a day or two longer to get this out. Writing races is not as exciting and writing classes. I also had some other issues going on, but real life is like that some times. I did briefly consider doing my own artwork for these, but remembered I am not a great artist.
So, I started out with the notion of making a 5th edition Scifi game. This was spurred by the idea of exploring what you can do with the 5th edition system framework. All fun and games, until you realize how much work it can be. Oh well, we continue the madness.
The problems with setting
The question of game design is one of experience. What stories are the players going to have here? What experiences do you want them to have? The original role-playing games, proto-D&D and its ilk, were extensions of war games. They were changed because the players wanted a different experience from what they were finding in the wargames. The rules grew out of that desire for a new experience.
Not the sexiest title, I know, but bear with me. I recently had an opportunity to read and review the Adventures in Middle Earth RPG for the Tome Show. This was something I would have read anyway, but reviewing it allows me to change perspective a bit more. One of the things that struck me about the game was the versatility of 5th edition. They made significant changes to core class concepts and it was still very much 5th edition. It started me thinking about how far you could take that. Could I use the base 5th editions systems, but make a game divorced from the fantasy setting?
Here is the idea. This is a write up I did with an eye on publishing it as a pdf. It is written for use…
Notes on the Mars game Key goal is long term survivable colonies on Mars. This is accomplished mainly through careful planning, deals, and certain amount…
