Lloyd Dupont

You make a good point for a most likely realistic space civilisation (if there is ever such a thing, who knows how it will be, really?) However, in my case, after much thinking, and unlike my original plan, but more totally friendly to Master of Orion lore after all (where one get map of the galaxy with detect ship in hyperspace with sufficient tech), there will be ansible and instant interstellar communication! So... one more reason far away planet are not so isolated and different... However, to share some extra lore (which goes away from the topic of staple adventure hooks). Ansibles will be point to point finite communication, so.. sometimes a planet get offline (with the civil war and all, but not really before that)..... Also many solar system are "known" to be unviable, with no maintenance base, no ansible... but some do have secret base!

I haven't written much setting in my mind yet, mostly toying it in my mind so far.. but yeah, each solar system will have its own unique cultural identity as much as I could make it... But I don't quite see how I could make the simple exploration of it the main drive of the adventures... Usually I like to have place that need be raided (stealthy or not), various people that need be interrogated for clues and, hopefully, facilities in weird and dangerous locations with some combat encounter... and If I can have some hoverbike chase as well (which I am bad at chase, but I find thematically so good that I have to try it some more) But I am not quite sure how to make the simple exploration the main event...

Yes.. in fact, the way Questbird write about bounty hunting above, he made me realise of an approach to that problem where interesting mission can be progressively given to outsiders.... So I think this is a big story blocker unblocked then!

I was trying to avoid that.. space seems a difficult place to be, spaceships are expensive to buy and repair, you spend weeks scooped up in your own unreachable spacetime bubble... But i can see where there is more room for adventuring as a spaceship owner... Will probably try to give them one and having them doing contraband / trading run as I mention... But looking for other activities as well.... The way you present it.. I can see it doesn't really requires to be close to an organisation to start building a partnership with them... It sounds silly but... I think you just helped me unblock a whole avenue of adventure! 😮 I don't think I will run any exploration adventure (except the hidden and destroyed planet of the Elerian, one day...) the galaxy is a known place with little wilderness challenge left, if any... And I like it that way.. I am not big on mysterious alien artefact or mysterious alien creature... in a scifi setting.... Certainly.. not sure how to turn that into a regular type of adventure though...

I did put some roadblock on myself... like - player not be part of any organisation (like the police, army, spy).. However my main reason for that is so they could chose any profession... I might revisit that - I don't have any outsider designated punchbag (like the Klingon or Orcs) and that doesn't really fit my master of Orion vision.. I can foresee they will come to hate the Bulrathi though (the lower class clone), but the ruling class is also Bulrathi (natural, not clone), so it's going to be tricky... - yeah, yeah, I got many races, they are all merged together in one empire though.. and yes I got foreign empire but i don't plan on "mysterious alien psychology" nor on "weak but undesirable neighbouring civilisation", I am not sure how one would benefit on the fringe on the enemy or alien empire... They might send the military if some foreign interloper is messing around, which would be.. lethal... I guess being a corsair is a valid career choice.. but probably not where I will position my stories... me think.... - crime gang... it's where I got trouble... even today, with car registration, instant credit card cancellation, camera everywhere... I thought organised crime would have an even tougher time that it has today... maybe capitalism would help create some super addictive recreation drugs? mm... I am not really appealed by that... - an ancient spaceship relic, sure those exists, but most would either be completely stripped already or totally unknown... Although, in that time of civil war.. there might be many *new* space battle remnant to clear around... and probably some competition for that... interesting! I was thinking to have players be independent.. which, admittedly, makes my work harder... I dunno I am not big on player being part of an organisation... maybe I should study some one shot were this is strongly implied and see how does that plays out... yes, I suspect player will be.. most sensible, 2 candidate dictator claim the shattered empire.. and other will popup to claim their independence.. pretty sure the player will side with the independent! Though, in the grand scheme of things, doesn't make much of a difference....

ha well.. no worries.. and no hurries as well!

Thanks for this in depth explanation... Right now and forever I have been using Homebrew vaguely prepared games.. but as I struggle to come up with a well prepared original new genre (for me) I am thinking to myself... maybe I should have another go at pre made adventures, so much easier.. and you sold me the RingWorld quite well!

Speaking of which.. what is ElfQuest and RingWorld about?! 😮

Right now I am struggling with the kind of staple activity / mission I can use in a scifi setting I am working on. To illustrate, in a fantasy settings, there is always a group of bandits, a forgotten ruin, a corrupt official around to spice up the day. But I find it harder in a scifi setting... I realise I needed some kind of conflict to help and decided the story will be in a time of civil war. There will be at least 4 important "players" in that civil war (I mean 4 powerful entity drive the war effort forward) but I plan them all to be part of the larger story that slowly unfold, I can't have the player take on military camp every game it's too dangerous and unrealistic.. I am thinking contraband can be one such staple activity. Supply chains are broken for multiple reasons, including unlawful confiscation by various military group, and contraband can be both rewarding and interesting. There is money, chases, dogfights, and even stealth and recovery mission. I will have to work out on how to prepare and run contraband runs. I am thinking bounty hunting perhaps? But that can't much of a staple activity because, by definition, bounty are are to find, ain't they? Though I have to think some more on this one. It can't be too much the type "find that wanted criminal", because law and order in a (formerly orderly) scifi society like I envision will have more muscle and reach than the players, leaving only very elusive case to be cracked. But there might other type.. mmmm.... Anyway 1. What other staple activity could I use?, any suggestions?! 2. For the case of contraband, player will need a spaceship. I have yet to come up with some good ways of giving up spaceships. You know when they lose the first, second and third one! Though I am thinking I might just allow them to by a spaceship on credits and perhaps have creditors mercenary run after them every now and then if they cant repay, what do you think?

The more I mull over it, the more I like it.... it does reward higher skills neatly... and one could easily imaging that skill higher than 100% provide damage bonus the way it works...

Good luck mate!

I found local player using Facebook here. Often people playing fortnightly.... And anyway you can explain your schedule there when you advertise you are looking for players!

The movement and attack thing is difficult, it penalise faster character. You move first to engage, but you can't strike, while your opponent can... What I do... when you move, your initiative is halved. Not because of a "penalty" for moving, but simply because time has elapsed... You can then engage at half your DEX. Further you enemy doesn't strike you first, time has elapsed for it too. So if it wants to fight you immediately (with melee weapon), its initiative against you is also halved.

My approach was not really in Glorantha and / or RQ. More like D&D inspired, and also inspired by ancient Greek (and "Isu") imagery in Assassin Creed Odyssey (Atlantis DLC) where you can still a lot of hybrid creature (starting with Cerberus and his 3 heads). And I though that such creature concept was cool and totaly mad if you explore it a bit further. And also in D&D,, soulless Zombie do not seem inherently evil...

that's interesting. and perhaps a bit high if it added to weapon damage? Anyway an idea I am toying with.. is to "democratise" magic.. Add a lot of "cantrip" which work like an intensity 1 sorcery spell.. many of them known culturally or racially or professionally and perhaps mesh with other skill.. Many will be ripped off folk magic spell from Mythras But for combat I created some original one which I am still undecided for the mechanic, do they last 10 round, or do they are cast as a free action before each combat roll?! - power strike: increase damage bonus by 1 step - empower strike: damage is magic, for the purpose of overcoming resistance - stunning strike: if target takes at lest 1 damage, make a POW vs CON roll or be stunned for next round

Just a guess here, but the shotgun mechanic might be here to represent the multiple pellets And the semi automatic mechanic are here for automatic gun, when multiple bullet are fire continuously I imagine the pistol trigger can also be triggered fast.. but somehow, it need to aim everytime (getting increasingly harder) where the semi automatic can swipe the room and is bound to hit something? I guess they try to emulate the feeling of each machine, much like they do in video game! In fact.. (I am not playing CoC), those rules are interesting! ^^

It occurs to me that CoC has built in official rule for fudging role! You have luck point, you can modify your skill roll with them! 😛 The GM have the extra power that he/she sometimes use bad luck points! to make roll fails!

I just realised... From a purely rule nazi point of view.... CoC is onboard with you, it has an official fudge dice roll mechanic! It's called Luck Point! And who is to say NPC can't use luck (or bad luck?) point too, hey?! 😛 Could you restore luck by using negative luck point to fail skill?! 😮 Mwahaha

Ha! Those are the worst! And look, the helpful necromancer find a family member to help you! 😅

I am with you on that! Though, personally, I don't fudge rolls, I fudge stats! But this made me wonder if CoC Luck points (where you get like 50 of them to trade point for point to affect skill roll) build better dramatic tension (as they go down) that an other rule where you got like 3 or 4 of them to make a reroll....

Daring to share a possibly unpopular opinion I am willing to claim, I find the universal bad rep of Necromancer a bit over the top and irrational. I mean adventurers have been killing people since forever and it's fine. But raising a skeleton cow suddenly make you a mad sickening despicable individual? Nope, I dare say! The necromancer is the doctor of the magic world! (who were shunned for digging body for "scientific" research) I will argue no further and leave each one one to their own conscience on the necromancer guilt, or lack of there of. However, I understand that a good RPG story might need some villains. A Necromancer ring seem the ideal typical villainous faction (augmented by numerous undead folklore stories all around). But, playing Assassin Creed Odyssey, watching some of the statues in The Underworld and also thinking of some creative spell I read elsewhere... I am thinking of a new, novel, perhaps even more entertaining villain. For lack of a better word I would call them, the Fleshomancers! Mad Wizard (let me tell you, those are definitely mad and psychopathic!) who merge multiple living creature's body to create some monstrous chimera. Merging their flesh into some unholy construct and, most verily, shattering their mind in the process! They shall forever be marked with the sign of inexpiable shame!

Oh you can whine, don't worry! I am past all the grievance stage to acceptance by now!.. (plus finally got better too! 😮 )

I know that, I have been sick all the time for the last 47 years! 😮 😕 Luckily I finally found out the problem! Good on you mate for your recovery! Tiger Bill is back!

Wow.. I have to share... I dunno about other Assassin Creed game. Odyssey is my first one. In this game there is a hint of surnatural, just a hint. Like the hero can jump from any height without damage.. And sometimes NPC mention "how does she do that", but it's mostly mundane otherwise... So, when after like 120 hours I discover the gate of Atlantis, I was thrilled! 😮 But it was just the gate of a dead city then.... 80 hours later in the game I... went into Elysium, and The Underworld! This was magical! 😮 The Gods are real, let me tell you! And they are spiteful and nothing to like about them... Anyway, the underworld is amazing, so well rendered, I can help but gaze in wonder at the despair around me, and marvel! 😮 (FYI this does require the "Fate of Atlantis" DLC, it's an humongously big DLC of incredible quality! 😮 ) Ha yes, that's Cerberus. We have to fight it to get in.... Anyway I can say my purpose in life is to become a traveller of the planes of existence! 😮 😛

Using luck point can increase tension has they go down, and also reduce the need to fudge.. But of course, fudging is good when you misjudge the situation... It's just called, rectifying the odds!