Recently I have taken the initiative to create a Sci Fi Homebrew game. However, I dont really know if there are already created content out there which also follows this theme. If you know some content or a book, if you could place it into the replys to the thread, that would be very helpful.
There are fan groups for both Star Wars and Mass Effect, both are really good resources. Sadly can't link them as they are unofficial, but a quick google search for either Mass Effect or Star Wars with the 5e afterwards should get you close.
IMO there are 3 approaches to Sci-Fi in D&D, one of which is just flavor to the World.
Magi-Tech World(Think Final Fantasy or Shadowrun) it's a Modern or Fantasy Setting with advanced tech powered by Magic, for these settings no need for any special rules, as this is just a theming of your setting. And you can do this easy enough if you have a full investment in D&D with a focus on Eberon, Spelljammer, and Avernus.
Magical Space Opera(Star Wars & Star Trek) using a D&D rule set made for Star Wars is the best choice here, back in 3rd edition Star Wars D20 was a great book, and would still recommend it. The Fan Supported Star Wars 5e is basically an update to those books.
Hard Sci-Fi(Halo, Mass Effect, Fallout, or any setting where magic is very limited but tech can do most everything else. Note: although Star Trek fans love to claim it's Hard Sci-Fi and the writers do/did sometimes consult actual NASA engineers, Star Trek had almost as much Space magic in it as Star Wars.) I would use the Mass Effect 5e and not use any D&D 5e official, as there can be some balance issues (I know because I ran that once.)
The Modern Magic Unearthed Arcana has a number of spells and subclass options designed for science fiction/magitech/cyberpunk worlds. All of it is official Wizards of the Coast content - though it was never released in a final form.
As said, Star Wars 5e, which is not a licensed thing but falls under "fan product" so isn't policed or anything since no one's making money off it, is really well developed for playing Star Wars with the mechanics of 5e as its engine. WotC had put out two Star Wars games, the first is basically Star Wars d20, but the followup SAGA edition runs off of 3.5 and has a very passionate following (compare the price of the books on the out of print market and you'll see what I mean). You don't have to hunt down and shell out a lot of $ though, if you search Star Wars SAGA edition, you'll eventually find notebooks recreating the rules.
Also, after two years of D&D and finding yourself at an impasse as to how to make science fiction work under 5e, there are other rules systems more commonly used for science fiction games that D&D. Traveller is one of the oldest, if not second oldest TTRPGs out there. You can find the original rules for free on Drivethru, but the current edition put out by Mongoose is well supported. Traveller has a huge default setting, the Imperium, but it's big enough that you can pretty much tell any story you want in it, and it's also very easy to design your own universe to play in, a lot of people play Traveller just for the building rules, be it building technology or star systems and planets.
Modiphius puts out the currently licensed Star Trek Adventures, using its 2d20 system. it's a fun game though more designed around Star Trek.
Alien the Role Playing Game is pretty fun and it's campaign setting or a homebrew setting using its rules can do other things besides bug hunts.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
There are fan groups for both Star Wars and Mass Effect, both are really good resources. Sadly can't link them as they are unofficial, but a quick google search for either Mass Effect or Star Wars with the 5e afterwards should get you close.
IMO there are 3 approaches to Sci-Fi in D&D, one of which is just flavor to the World.
Magical Space Opera(Star Wars & Star Trek) using a D&D rule set made for Star Wars is the best choice here, back in 3rd edition Star Wars D20 was a great book, and would still recommend it. The Fan Supported Star Wars 5e is basically an update to those books.
If something Star Wars-y appeals everything I have seen of the Star Wars 5E project is really well done. I'm sure you found it based on gothicshark's comments but here is the link for anyone interested. https://sw5e.com/
Someone made a Gamma World for 5e called Gamma Five. Pretty interesting but looks like most of the links are gone. Search on EN World and you should be able to find all the .pdfs.
I've also played the Star Wars 5e which was well done.
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#OpenD&D #ORC
"...or you can find the secret tunnel that leads to the Vault of Dickish DM which is filled with 10,000,000 copper coins and a 5,000 pound solid gold statue of a middle finger that is too big to fit through the door."
IMO one of my favorite game systems, and one I wish I could get my group into.
The rumor is that Firefly is loosely based on a Traveller game that Joss Whedon was in during his college days. What's funny the TV series follows the game rules rather well. But a word of warning the system is nothing like D&D, and a part of me wishes there was a Traveller 5e. But at the same time 5e is terrible with Vehicle mechanics, and space combat. ((Still disappointed with Spelljammer 5e)) which is why I use Avernus rules for Vehicles, and Battlefleet Gothic Rules for space. Best game investment I ever made back in 2002.
Yeah, I heard the Traveller rumor about Firefly, also The Expanse, thought that's been discredited (The Expanse, I don't know about Firefly), I think the Expanse group were actually using a d20 modern system maybe? But speaking of the Expanse, Mongoose Traveller is actually developing a campaign world set in this solar system where play can be from the era of something like For All Mankind to The Expanse. Not too sure if the latter hits the timeline, but it I know the early stuff is for very near future tech space exploration/settling.
GURPS, not so much recently I don't think but back when, used to support a lot of science fiction options. I personally never really got into GURPS, but some folks really like the system's points, so to speak.
I have to look for my BFG stuff. That is a great idea.
All you need is one or two ships, and use the long rule book for movement rules, and action lists. Use DnD dice and stats for the actual combat portion. Also use scatter dice for some things, ie Nat 1s. Really it's about trying to recreate the 90s spelljammer feel with what feels like 5e rules. BFG is great because it's rules for movement and actions are fairly simple, and they can work in team dynamics. BTW let the players RP the orders portion, and use skill checks to see if they pull them off.
Just to nitpick for fun but I would argue that Star Wars is a fantasy and not a science fiction. There's no science in it whatsoever and the stories all revolve around metaphysical and spiritual concepts.
That being said, a fantasy is about the destinations; a science fiction is about the journey and how you get there.
Star Wars was always about "going somewhere" (destination) and what was done there. There's maybe 2 minutes total screen time in all of the Star Wars cinematographic universe spent on how they actually got there that didn't include fantastical concepts like space whales.
Star Trek is a "how did we get there" genre where sometimes the entire show is about solving technical issues on their journey.
It's why Dune is probably accurately identified as "Sci-fi Fantasy". Because of how so much of the story is centered around fantasy tropes but some of it is focused on the technical aspects of how it all works.
No one considers Dragon Riders of Pern to be a Science Fiction story; and yet it's more Sci-Fi than Star Wars. The whole story takes place in a distant future where humanity has seeded the stars and long forgotten they even travelled the stars.
Just to nitpick for fun but I would argue that Star Wars is a fantasy and not a science fiction. There's no science in it whatsoever and the stories all revolve around metaphysical and spiritual concepts.
That being said, a fantasy is about the destinations; a science fiction is about the journey and how you get there.
Star Wars was always about "going somewhere" (destination) and what was done there. There's maybe 2 minutes total screen time in all of the Star Wars cinematographic universe spent on how they actually got there that didn't include fantastical concepts like space whales.
Star Trek is a "how did we get there" genre where sometimes the entire show is about solving technical issues on their journey.
It's why Dune is probably accurately identified as "Sci-fi Fantasy". Because of how so much of the story is centered around fantasy tropes but some of it is focused on the technical aspects of how it all works.
No one considers Dragon Riders of Pern to be a Science Fiction story; and yet it's more Sci-Fi than Star Wars. The whole story takes place in a distant future where humanity has seeded the stars and long forgotten they even travelled the stars.
Way back in the 1950s there were organizations who discussed this better, and came up with categories which fit a lot better than what you did there.
I use to be a member of one that technically still exists, and was the home of many famous Sci-Fi author. The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society (LASFS) "Lasfas" <- yes it was spoken like that.
the Dictionary definition of Sci-Fi comes from them, as do the someone main Genres of Sci-Fi.
science fiction- fiction dealing principally with the impact of actual or imagined science on society or individuals or having a scientific factor as an essential orienting component
Then you have the main categories with a lot of sub genres.
Hard Sci-fi - Math & Science is detailed greatly and the human element has to deal with the changes in life due to the science. example: Heinlein - Starship Troopers.
Soft Sci-Fi - This is a human study on how people will behave under specific kinds of emotional stresses. example: Herbert - Dune
Speculative Fiction: Is more about changing one element of Reality, and is probably the oldest type of Sci-Fi and is the parent of both Sci-Fi and Fantasy - Example: Shelly - Frankenstein
Space Opera - Drama in the future, can have elements of both hard and soft sci-fi but those are just used for the Dramatic story telling. Both Star Wars and Star Trek fit this category best. Before you argue Star Trek Gene Rodenberry coined "Wagon train to the stars" when describing Star Trek. That is the most space opera appropriate description ever. They tossed in Hard Sci-Fi elements to add to the background, but the stories were all designed for the Weekly TV drama. Likewise Star Wars is the Space retelling of the Heroes Journey, and basically all 3 trilogies of the Skywalker legacy are based around a version of the Heroes Journey. Which is right out of literature and Classical Greek Opera. I would also say most Sci-Fi video games are firmly in the Space Opera Sub-Genre as well. Even a few Fantasy titles like Final Fantasy. On this note Spelljammer with it's space Fantasy setting is firmly and unapologetically Space Opera.
Special Note Famous members of LASFS:
Forrest J Ackerman Wendayne Ackerman Karen Kruse Anderson Harry Andruschak Abby Lu Ashley Al Ashley Chaz Boston Baden Steven Barnes George Barr Gregory Benford Ray Bradbury Charles Burbee Marty Cantor Robbie Cantor Ronald Clyne Dal Coger Margaret Crawford William Crawford Dian Crayne Virginia Laney Daugherty Walter Daugherty Genny Dazzo John DeChancie Marjii Ellers Ron Ellik E. Everett Evans Jonne Evans Djinn Faine Rory Faulkner Don Fitch Alan Dean Foster Donald Franson Paul Freehafer David Gerrold Mel Gilden Mike Glyer Lee Gold Jack Harness Ray Harryhausen Robert A. Heinlein John Hertz Lee Jacobs Jack Jardine Arthur Louis Joquel II James Kepner Henry Kuttner Francis Towner Laney Lois Lavender Al Lewis Fritz Leiber Walt Liebscher Craig Miller Anna Sinclare Moffatt June Moffatt Len Moffatt Morojo Fuzzy Pink Niven Larry Niven Rick Norwood Ulrika O'Brien Fred Patten Bruce Pelz Elayne Pelz Rog Phillips Pogo Jerry Pournelle Alva Rogers William Rotsler Marc Schirmeister Steve Schultheis Virginia Schultheis Larry Shaw Noreen Shaw Jim Shull Rick Sneary Milt Stevens Matthew Tepper Tigrina Bjo Trimble R-Laurraine Tutihasi Pete Vorzimer Elst Weinstein Jack Wiedenbeck Ernie Wheatley Mari Beth Wheeler Mari Wolf Honey Wood T. Bruce Yerke
Hello there, realtively new DM of two years:
Recently I have taken the initiative to create a Sci Fi Homebrew game. However, I dont really know if there are already created content out there which also follows this theme. If you know some content or a book, if you could place it into the replys to the thread, that would be very helpful.
Sincerely,
A struggling DM.
There are fan groups for both Star Wars and Mass Effect, both are really good resources. Sadly can't link them as they are unofficial, but a quick google search for either Mass Effect or Star Wars with the 5e afterwards should get you close.
IMO there are 3 approaches to Sci-Fi in D&D, one of which is just flavor to the World.
Magi-Tech World (Think Final Fantasy or Shadowrun) it's a Modern or Fantasy Setting with advanced tech powered by Magic, for these settings no need for any special rules, as this is just a theming of your setting. And you can do this easy enough if you have a full investment in D&D with a focus on Eberon, Spelljammer, and Avernus.
Magical Space Opera (Star Wars & Star Trek) using a D&D rule set made for Star Wars is the best choice here, back in 3rd edition Star Wars D20 was a great book, and would still recommend it. The Fan Supported Star Wars 5e is basically an update to those books.
Hard Sci-Fi (Halo, Mass Effect, Fallout, or any setting where magic is very limited but tech can do most everything else. Note: although Star Trek fans love to claim it's Hard Sci-Fi and the writers do/did sometimes consult actual NASA engineers, Star Trek had almost as much Space magic in it as Star Wars.) I would use the Mass Effect 5e and not use any D&D 5e official, as there can be some balance issues (I know because I ran that once.)
The Modern Magic Unearthed Arcana has a number of spells and subclass options designed for science fiction/magitech/cyberpunk worlds. All of it is official Wizards of the Coast content - though it was never released in a final form.
As said, Star Wars 5e, which is not a licensed thing but falls under "fan product" so isn't policed or anything since no one's making money off it, is really well developed for playing Star Wars with the mechanics of 5e as its engine. WotC had put out two Star Wars games, the first is basically Star Wars d20, but the followup SAGA edition runs off of 3.5 and has a very passionate following (compare the price of the books on the out of print market and you'll see what I mean). You don't have to hunt down and shell out a lot of $ though, if you search Star Wars SAGA edition, you'll eventually find notebooks recreating the rules.
Also, after two years of D&D and finding yourself at an impasse as to how to make science fiction work under 5e, there are other rules systems more commonly used for science fiction games that D&D. Traveller is one of the oldest, if not second oldest TTRPGs out there. You can find the original rules for free on Drivethru, but the current edition put out by Mongoose is well supported. Traveller has a huge default setting, the Imperium, but it's big enough that you can pretty much tell any story you want in it, and it's also very easy to design your own universe to play in, a lot of people play Traveller just for the building rules, be it building technology or star systems and planets.
Modiphius puts out the currently licensed Star Trek Adventures, using its 2d20 system. it's a fun game though more designed around Star Trek.
Alien the Role Playing Game is pretty fun and it's campaign setting or a homebrew setting using its rules can do other things besides bug hunts.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
If something Star Wars-y appeals everything I have seen of the Star Wars 5E project is really well done. I'm sure you found it based on gothicshark's comments but here is the link for anyone interested. https://sw5e.com/
Someone made a Gamma World for 5e called Gamma Five. Pretty interesting but looks like most of the links are gone. Search on EN World and you should be able to find all the .pdfs.
I've also played the Star Wars 5e which was well done.
#OpenD&D #ORC
"...or you can find the secret tunnel that leads to the Vault of Dickish DM which is filled with 10,000,000 copper coins and a 5,000 pound solid gold statue of a middle finger that is too big to fit through the door."
Esper Genesis is also a scifi product compatible with 5e
https://espergenesis.alligatoralleyentertainment.com/free-products/
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
IMO one of my favorite game systems, and one I wish I could get my group into.
The rumor is that Firefly is loosely based on a Traveller game that Joss Whedon was in during his college days. What's funny the TV series follows the game rules rather well. But a word of warning the system is nothing like D&D, and a part of me wishes there was a Traveller 5e. But at the same time 5e is terrible with Vehicle mechanics, and space combat. ((Still disappointed with Spelljammer 5e)) which is why I use Avernus rules for Vehicles, and Battlefleet Gothic Rules for space. Best game investment I ever made back in 2002.
Yeah, I heard the Traveller rumor about Firefly, also The Expanse, thought that's been discredited (The Expanse, I don't know about Firefly), I think the Expanse group were actually using a d20 modern system maybe? But speaking of the Expanse, Mongoose Traveller is actually developing a campaign world set in this solar system where play can be from the era of something like For All Mankind to The Expanse. Not too sure if the latter hits the timeline, but it I know the early stuff is for very near future tech space exploration/settling.
GURPS, not so much recently I don't think but back when, used to support a lot of science fiction options. I personally never really got into GURPS, but some folks really like the system's points, so to speak.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
Yes, Traveller is an awesome game.
I have to look for my BFG stuff. That is a great idea.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
All you need is one or two ships, and use the long rule book for movement rules, and action lists. Use DnD dice and stats for the actual combat portion. Also use scatter dice for some things, ie Nat 1s. Really it's about trying to recreate the 90s spelljammer feel with what feels like 5e rules. BFG is great because it's rules for movement and actions are fairly simple, and they can work in team dynamics. BTW let the players RP the orders portion, and use skill checks to see if they pull them off.
Or maybe even the Man O War / Sea of Blood rules...
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Just to nitpick for fun but I would argue that Star Wars is a fantasy and not a science fiction. There's no science in it whatsoever and the stories all revolve around metaphysical and spiritual concepts.
That being said, a fantasy is about the destinations; a science fiction is about the journey and how you get there.
Star Wars was always about "going somewhere" (destination) and what was done there. There's maybe 2 minutes total screen time in all of the Star Wars cinematographic universe spent on how they actually got there that didn't include fantastical concepts like space whales.
Star Trek is a "how did we get there" genre where sometimes the entire show is about solving technical issues on their journey.
It's why Dune is probably accurately identified as "Sci-fi Fantasy". Because of how so much of the story is centered around fantasy tropes but some of it is focused on the technical aspects of how it all works.
No one considers Dragon Riders of Pern to be a Science Fiction story; and yet it's more Sci-Fi than Star Wars. The whole story takes place in a distant future where humanity has seeded the stars and long forgotten they even travelled the stars.
Way back in the 1950s there were organizations who discussed this better, and came up with categories which fit a lot better than what you did there.
I use to be a member of one that technically still exists, and was the home of many famous Sci-Fi author. The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society (LASFS) "Lasfas" <- yes it was spoken like that.
the Dictionary definition of Sci-Fi comes from them, as do the someone main Genres of Sci-Fi.
science fiction- fiction dealing principally with the impact of actual or imagined science on society or individuals or having a scientific factor as an essential orienting component
Then you have the main categories with a lot of sub genres.
Hard Sci-fi - Math & Science is detailed greatly and the human element has to deal with the changes in life due to the science. example: Heinlein - Starship Troopers.
Soft Sci-Fi - This is a human study on how people will behave under specific kinds of emotional stresses. example: Herbert - Dune
Speculative Fiction: Is more about changing one element of Reality, and is probably the oldest type of Sci-Fi and is the parent of both Sci-Fi and Fantasy - Example: Shelly - Frankenstein
Space Opera - Drama in the future, can have elements of both hard and soft sci-fi but those are just used for the Dramatic story telling. Both Star Wars and Star Trek fit this category best. Before you argue Star Trek Gene Rodenberry coined "Wagon train to the stars" when describing Star Trek. That is the most space opera appropriate description ever. They tossed in Hard Sci-Fi elements to add to the background, but the stories were all designed for the Weekly TV drama. Likewise Star Wars is the Space retelling of the Heroes Journey, and basically all 3 trilogies of the Skywalker legacy are based around a version of the Heroes Journey. Which is right out of literature and Classical Greek Opera. I would also say most Sci-Fi video games are firmly in the Space Opera Sub-Genre as well. Even a few Fantasy titles like Final Fantasy. On this note Spelljammer with it's space Fantasy setting is firmly and unapologetically Space Opera.
Wendayne Ackerman
Karen Kruse Anderson
Harry Andruschak
Abby Lu Ashley
Al Ashley
Chaz Boston Baden
Steven Barnes
George Barr
Gregory Benford
Ray Bradbury
Charles Burbee
Marty Cantor
Robbie Cantor
Ronald Clyne
Dal Coger
Margaret Crawford
William Crawford
Dian Crayne
Virginia Laney Daugherty
Walter Daugherty
Genny Dazzo
John DeChancie
Marjii Ellers
Ron Ellik
E. Everett Evans
Jonne Evans
Djinn Faine
Rory Faulkner
Don Fitch
Alan Dean Foster
Donald Franson
Paul Freehafer
David Gerrold
Mel Gilden
Mike Glyer
Lee Gold
Jack Harness
Ray Harryhausen
Robert A. Heinlein
John Hertz
Lee Jacobs
Jack Jardine
Arthur Louis Joquel II
James Kepner
Henry Kuttner
Francis Towner Laney
Lois Lavender
Al Lewis
Fritz Leiber
Walt Liebscher
Craig Miller
Anna Sinclare Moffatt
June Moffatt
Len Moffatt
Morojo
Fuzzy Pink Niven
Larry Niven
Rick Norwood
Ulrika O'Brien
Fred Patten
Bruce Pelz
Elayne Pelz
Rog Phillips
Pogo
Jerry Pournelle
Alva Rogers
William Rotsler
Marc Schirmeister
Steve Schultheis
Virginia Schultheis
Larry Shaw
Noreen Shaw
Jim Shull
Rick Sneary
Milt Stevens
Matthew Tepper
Tigrina
Bjo Trimble
R-Laurraine Tutihasi
Pete Vorzimer
Elst Weinstein
Jack Wiedenbeck
Ernie Wheatley
Mari Beth Wheeler
Mari Wolf
Honey Wood
T. Bruce Yerke