Cthonian Stars

I ordered this from Drive Thru RPG http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/91255/Chthonian-Stars-Core-Setting


2159 AD. It is a good time to be alive. The nations of the world still exist, but they have become more civilized, and we have expanded into the rest of our solar system. But, alas, it is not to be our time. Something approaches, a thing on an orbit from far away. Seemingly a large shard of dark matter, this object is known in obscure prophecy as the Chthonian Star. It is awakening things long thought lost or dead, things that have slumbered awaiting its return. The Unified World Council sends out special teams of sanctioned Wardens, whose job it is to ascertain the new threats to human life, to learn everything they can about them, and fight them wherever they are found.

Chthonian Stars is an original Lovecraftian horror setting for Traveller.

This Core Setting Book:

• Provides a detailed exploration of our fully colonized solar system, only a few hundred years in the future.
• Introduces exciting new optional character design rules, including advantages and disadvantages, as well as career half-terms.
• Introduces new rules for fear and madness, as well as optional rules for character survivability.
• Brings to life many familiar Lovecraftian horrors for Traveller, as well as a host of new and original ones.
• Details more than a dozen new spaceships.
• Includes three ready-to-run adventures, to get groups running quickly.
• From the award-winning team that brought you CthulhuTech.

Chthonian Stars requires the Traveller Core Rulebook to play.
This product is for mature audiences. Reader discretion is advised.

Mongoose Traveller Starter Set

(I just got this in the mail today from Mongoose Publishing!)

Valeria One to Valeria Two, increase thrust…Nail Beowulf before he leaves the gravity well and jumps…Good shot! Target’s main drive is hit, acceleration has ceased…Prepare boarding party. Tell them to watch out for any heroes…Matching velocity and rotation. This is going to be a good payday…
…Commence boarding…

Traveller is a science fiction roleplaying game of bold explorers and brave adventurers. The Traveller Core Rulebook contains everything you need to create one of these adventurers and begin exploring the galaxy.
Spaceports, ancient civilisations, air/rafts, cold steel blades, laser carbines, far distant worlds, and exotic alien beasts – this is the futuristic universe of Traveller, the original and classic science fiction roleplaying game.
Come visit the future.

The Traveller Starter Set contains:
Book 1: Characters and Combat
Book 2: Worlds and Spacecraft
Book 3: The Fall of Tinath
Giant blank Sector Maps
6 Pre-generated Character Cards

Star Trek Adventures (Collector's Edition)

Welcome to your new assignment, Captain. Your continuing mission, to explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations, to bodly go where no one has gone before…

Star Trek Adventures takes you to the Final Frontier of the Galaxy, where new discoveries await keen explorers of Starfleet. Your duties may take you to the edges of known space, or to Federation colonies in need, to the borders of neighbouring galactic powers or into the eye of interstellar phenomena. Your ship and your crew epitomise the best Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets has to offer, and you are needed more than ever.

A new threat looms from across the Gamma Quadrant, as it is confirmed by Commander Sisko and his crew that the Dominion, led by the Founders, represent a significant threat to the Alpha Quadrant. Tension is already high in the region of Bajor and Deep Space 9, as the Maquis continue to act against the Cardassian-Federation peace treaty, with Captain Janeway and the crew of the U.S.S. Voyager preparing for their mission in the Badlands. It is a volatile time for the Federation and new crews have never been in higher demand.

This special Collector’s Edition features the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701-D on its cover rendered by The Light Works, who provided the 3D model for the Star Trek: The Next Generation Remastered series making it the most accurate model available. Spot UV varnish highlights the 1701-D and windows on a matt laminate cover with three coloured reading ribbons for extra referencing power! 

The Collector's edition comes with a folded map of the Alpha & Beta Quadrants.

• Create your own Star Trek stories of discovery and adventure on the Final Frontier with 368 pages of content (check out the sample spreads in the images). Full colour hardback, features a matt laminate cover with spot UV and three reading ribbons. 

• Complete 2d20 game system from Modiphius Entertainment adapted for Star Trek Adventures, used in Mutant Chronicles, Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of, John Carter of Mars and the Infinity RPG.

• An extensive exploration of the United Federation of Planets and its galactic neighbours in the Alpha, Beta and Gamma Quadrants.

• Guidelines for Gamemasters old and new, on how to run an adventure of exploration and discovery for the crew of a Federation starship.

• A full catalogue of aliens and antagonists including Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians, the Borg and the Dominion.

• Brought to you by a team of expert Star Trek writers including writers from previous editions of Star Trek roleplaying games and other gaming talent.

• Personal logs and intercepted communications by Starfleet Intelligence provide a new perspective on Star Trek and its events.

 

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Hard Nova II Revised & Expanded Edition

This is on the way in the mail. I purchsed the print + PDF version for a nice price. I will review it when it arrives or I get to the PDF  :)

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ake to the stars and smuggle exotic goods across the galaxy, solve mysteries aboard space liners, or explore the frontier. HardNova 2 includes alien races, starships, exotic abilities, ready-to-play scenarios, reference sheets, and numerous character, robot, and starship templates.

HardNova 2 is a roleplaying game designed to be both easy to learn and fast-paced. The versatile genreDiversion i 2d6 rules make it perfect for one-shot games, extended play, or as a framework for your own ideas. Plus you can combine it with our Active Exploits Diceless System for diceless space opera. genreDiversion i games can also be combined to expand gaming options--mix and match custom rules and features from one game with another. Click here for an overview of the genreDiversion i rules.

In short, HardNova 2 is fast, ready-to-use, and adaptable. You don't have to learn a complicated system, refer to scores of tables, or spend all day creating characters. You can either create custom characters for the game or dive right in with any of the included templates. The game is designed to be light; it has a small footprint and extremely low price tag - it's not overloaded with tons of rules or an excess of information you just won't need. It's meant to get you running quickly so you can have a good time.

The setting is very open. Two centuries after forming the United Sovereign Worlds with the ape-like Digronians, Humanity spearheads peace and freedom in known space. While aliens are commonplace, some are more trusted than others. The bioframe-ridden Migado, insectoid Kt'Sorii, and synthetic X-ans are mankind's newest allies. And while the genetically-flawed Tarkosians are now also allies, many citizens cannot forget or forgive their involvement in the war that prompted the initial need for such alliances. Travel to mysterious destinations, discover new alien species, uncover diabolical plots, and battle space pirates with HardNova 2. The included scenarios immerse you into the setting so even if you don't want to the run them, you've still got a lot of info to work with to flavor your setting or inspire ideas. And if you don't want to use the setting, the rules are flexible enough to handle your own ideas or that of your favorite movie, television program, comic, or novel.

Problems of Planet Classification for Space Explorers

 There is a quandary in classifying planets that bridges the gap between science and science fiction... especially as it relates to roleplaying games.

First, there is no standard scientific planetary classification system in the real world.
Many systems have been developed or proposed by various space exploration and astronomical groups. For the gamer, these systems do not always work well, any way. Classifying a planet by mass alone leaves off many factors of planetary attributes. The Surdasky extrasolar planetary classification method is only for gas giants (the majority type of extra-solar planets discovered so far).

Secondly, some people like to use the Star Trek universe method of classification... you know the one where Earth-like planets are "Class-M" ones. The Traveller game world has its own system, too. This may work in some instances for Sci-Fi or gaming, but has little to do with the real world and it complex. There are even more complex Science Fiction planetary classification systems out there such as the type found here:  http://www.onewest.net/~dollan/ARCpclindex.html

SO, we see there are some problems and none is completely satisfying in the real world or in gaming.

I recently saw an article that brings the general classification of planets down to those commonly encountered in the galaxy. I was wondering if it could be used in "looser" science fiction games, where the many distinct attributes of a planet do not need to be tracked.

What do you think?

Image and article found here:
http://www.space.com/13828-alien-planets-kepler-telescope-infographic.html

More Rockets: Rocket Ads 1947 - 1974 & Missiles for X-Plorers

Click on Pic or text below to see linked article

 Rocket Ads, 1947-1974

After my previous post on Weird Retro Spacecraft,  a friend gave me this link to an article about rocket ads.

Since X-Plorers and other space RPGs hail from the 70's or some campaigns have a Retro feel about them, I thought it fitting to share this, also.

Any spacecraft that engages in combat may encounter planetary defense missiles, so these ads might be useful for stirring the imagination.

Here is my take on what this particular missile would be as a weapon in X-Plorers:

Viper Defense Missile
Range: may be used successfully against a moving target at a range of up to 3000 km.
Type: Planetary Defense Missile - Type I
Crew: unmanned
Missile Points: Can take 1 Space Combat Weapon Damage point before being destroyed.
Weapon Damage: A Viper missile causes 1d3 damage
AC 11 (because of size & speed)
Skill Throw for accurate hit (unless destroyed): 12
XP Value: 5
Cost Million Cr: 5

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 Cobra Defense Missile
Range: may be used successfully against a moving target at a range of up to 4000 km.
Type: Planetary Defense Missile - Type II
Crew: unmanned
Missile Points: Can take 2 Space Combat Weapon Damage points before being destroyed.
Weapon Damage: A Viper missile causes 1d6 damage
AC 11 (because of size & speed)
Skill Throw for accurate hit (unless destroyed): 12
XP Value: 10
Cost Million Cr: 10

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Python Defense Missile
Range: may be used successfully against a moving target at a range of up to 5500 km.
Type: Planetary Defense Missile - Type III
Crew: unmanned
Missile Points: Can take 3 Space Combat Weapon Damage points before being destroyed.
Weapon Damage: A Viper missile causes 2d6 damage
AC 12 (because of size & speed and armor plating)
Skill Throw for accurate hit (unless destroyed): 12
XP Value: 15
Cost Million Cr: 20

Enjoy! ... unless one hits your ship
-Jeff

X-Plorers!

I downloaded the free PDF version of the X-Plorers from Grey Area Games.
I know there is an updated boxed set being produced by Brave Halfling Publishing, but I don't have access to that, so I will focus on the free PDF.

The free PDF has no artwork or the bonus material of the pay PDF, but that is fine, because the rules are all I wanted.Reading them was a breeze. The basics of X-Plorers is laid out in 39 pp. The feel is much like OD&D in space. Concepts used are familiar to veteran RPG'ers.. A newbie to roleplaying can pick this game up and run with it easily!

There are four Attributes used for character creation (Agility, Intelligence, Physique & Presence) and a standard "Hit Points" for damage that can be taken before a character dies. Like most D&D-style games, you roll 3d6 for your Attributes and like OD&D, you roll a d6 for initial Hit Points. Combat attack rolls and ability Skill Throws are made with a d20. Armor Class is ascending from a base 10 for a normal, unarmored/defended human being.

There are 4 Character classes you can choose from, taking your Attributes into consideration:

• Scientist
• Soldier
• Scout
• Technician

So, I grabbed some six-sided dice and rolled up a character:

(AGI) Agilility             12
(INT) Intelligence        15
(PHY) Physique            9
(PRE) Presence            15

(I then rolled for Hit Points and luckily got a 6!)
HP 6

Looking over the stats, I figured this guy would do well as a Scientist. Because of his INT score he will get a +1 bonus modifier to certain things that a Scientist does.

Now, this new character needs a name, so I called him: Dr. Ray Gunn
(yeah, cheesy, but so is the feel of this game, which strives to be very Retro, hailing back to the gaming days of 1974 for its inspiration.)

I rolled 3d6x10 for initial Credits (space money!) and have 110 Cr, which cannot buy much on the equipment list of the free PDF that would interest a Scientist. I decided that I would save my Credits in hopes of acquiring enough later to buy the Scientific Kit, which costs 500Cr. I guess I'll just have to use my Intelligence and Presence in the meantime to get me by ;)

Here is the info on what a Scientist is all about, according to the free rules:

Not too shabby for a simple game.

I can see this being a very fun retro game. "Homebrew" just oozes and calls out to me like a strange alien encountered on a forbidden planet! I can see this being awesome on its own or as a resource to for many styles of play - whether Retro Space, Far Future or for creating "Techno" characters brought into Swords & Planets-style game, etc. From the rules, I do not feel constrained to play any style whatsoever.

There is a lot in this free PDF, from Characters to Space Ships to tips on how to create alien creatures... you should check it out!

I will try this out with some friends. It seems cool enough to purchase when Brave Halfling releases the two printed books that comprise Player and Referee rules (I did not get the special boxed set that was being offered... now I wish I had!)

Click on pic for more info!

-Jeff


EDIT: John at Brave Halfling informed me that there were some boxed sets of X-Plorers left, so I ordered one!  w000t!  I cannot wait to try out the module included with the set.

New Blog for Sci-Fi/Sci-Fantasy

I thought I would create a new blog to separate out my love of Sci-Fi/Sci-Fantasy from my other Fantasy RPG. Mythological & Folklore posts. So, this is just an introductory post.

The name is for one of the Trans-Neptunian planetoids or "dwarf planets" that have been discovered in our own solar system. Planetoids are not very large... smaller than our Moon, but they still can provide plenty of terrain and mystery for adventure!

Quaoar (pronounced "kwawar") is named after the creator god of the Tongva Native American tribe. It has a moon called Weywot. They are recently-discovered worlds waiting to be explored!

In my next post, I will take the theme of exploration into the Roleplaying Gaming realm as I create a character using the free PDF version of X-Plorers!