Basic Fantasy RPG Forums

I was Wondering (because I love a large portion of system styles) if there was any materials for say modern technology or futuristic tech? I adore Shadowrun and have the second edition core rules but would love to see if there is anything here.

For Basic Fantasy RPG? I doubt it, and it's unlikely to occur. Basic Fantasy is meant to be similar in feel and style to the early 80s TT RPG games. Any kind of futuristic tech or such was pretty much only found in specific space/scifi oriented games. That being said, there was one module about aliens dropping into the fantasy world and the PCs fighting with them.

You could of course come up with your own suppliment and share it, though again you'll be facing a bit of an uphill battle. People often like OSR games because they don't have more modern scifi/tech elements mixed in. (Not to say that's bad in the slightest; it's just not this game.)

I believe there are several OSR type sci-fi games with D&D like rules if that is the type of setting you want. I have't played any such setting myself but did at one point consider Stars without Number.

A free version version of this game can be found here : http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/864 ... ee-Edition

BTW, having sci-fi stuff into D&D (or other older fantasy rpgs) was not that uncommon in even in the first decade of D&D. Just check out "Expedition to Barrier Peaks". And the Mystara seetting had sci-fi stuff in the Blackmoor modules (by Arneson).

borgar wrote:BTW, having sci-fi stuff into D&D (or other older fantasy rpgs) was not that uncommon in even in the first decade of D&D. Just check out "Expedition to Barrier Peaks". And the Mystara seetting had sci-fi stuff in the Blackmoor modules (by Arneson).

Indeed. Throw in the entire game of Gamma World (based right off D&D rule sets).

There is also Star Frontiers, which I very much like (and did some writing for a PDF Fan Magazine, Star Frontiersman) is out there too.... however, these do not follow D&D-ish rule mechanisms. Some great ideas though.

Doing a little Sci-Fi mixed with Fantasy leads me to settings like Planet of the Apes, Thundaar the Barbarian, and others. A few years ago I was thinking on such a setting, though the ideas fizzled out without much more than a genre outline/timeline leading to such a setting.

orobouros wrote: You could of course come up with your own suppliment and share it, though again you'll be facing a bit of an uphill battle. People often like OSR games because they don't have more modern scifi/tech elements mixed in. (Not to say that's bad in the slightest; it's just not this game.)

I would definitely be interested in a supplement of that sort. I understand the appeal of a game free from sci-fi or modern elements. However, myself, I enjoy mixing sci-fi and fantasy. The majority of the successful campaigns that I've GMed have included some sci-fi elements. I feel that there is a lot of potential in sci-fantasy.

Certainly, it makes sense to not have sci-fi elements in the core rules of what is (in the title even), a fantasy role playing game. A supplement on the other hand, I think could have its place and merits. Not per say, with the goal of how to use BFRPG to run a sci-fi campaign (I feel that such a supplement would be incredibly oxymoronic), but instead, focused on how to inject a little bit of sci-fi flavor into your BFRPG buffet. Your mileage may vary though.

I've never considered class-and-level systems very compatible with science fiction. Sci-fi characters rarely fit neat archetypes.

I have a couple of sci-fi games in continuous development, actually. I just can't put together a playtest group for them.

Solomoriah wrote:I've never considered class-and-level systems very compatible with science fiction. Sci-fi characters rarely fit neat archetypes.

I completely agree with sci-fi characters often not fitting class archetypes as they are presented in most fantasy TTRPGs.

I would say that sci-fi RPGs that rely on different systems, less-focused on classes, tend to work better, and make more sense as well.

Thank you all for the responses. I’ll look at. DTRPG and see what I can Find.

There is a space opera game called "White Star" that is officially based on the Swords and Wizardry engine.
The setting resembles Star Wars and classes are archetypes found in that universe: Aristocrat, Mercenary, Pilot, Star Knight, Alien Brute, Alien Mystic, and Robot.
There is no general skill system, only class abilities.
I have not played it and cannot comment on how well it works, but space opera is certainly doable in an old-school class-and-level framework.

Hard SF may be more difficult to do with a class-and-level system than Star Wars-style space opera.
At some point, you will not like that everybody is able to just pilot a starship, use a demolitions charge, or hack a computer.
A skill-based game is a more obvious solution to specialized characters in a high-tech world.
Still, if you pick archetypes in the right way, I think you could pull of BCRPG (the Basic Cyberpunk RPG).