Old Man Henerson

Don't worry, I agree that there is only The Force and the Dark Side, Light Side was the only way I was able to contextualize the allegiance score opposite to the Dark Side. The whole thread idea itself was basically inspired by reading someone complaining that they had to explain The corrupting powers of the dark side to their players in a Star Wars RPG and why they could not just dip into the dip into the dark side whenever they wanted. The sanity and allegiance systems provided in BRP seemed like the perfect way to introduce consequences to using the dark side that would make players realize the danger it possesses. Having played Knights of the Old Republic and the MMO version, this would be an interesting way to implement a choice system like in those games. I would probably go with the d100 method since it could work with the allegiance system as well.

I do like this idea as well, but I am not familiar with the passions system other than knowing that it comes from the Pendragon games. How does it work?

This is along the lines that I was thinking, although, I will have to figure out how those sort of rolls would work. I have a few considerations such as: Whether resisting the temptation automatically gives you points in the Light allegiance or if one can still be practicing evil and resist temptations to avoid becoming insanely evil. Whether you have to roll to resist dark side temptations/allegiance and you have to intentionally choose to make light side choices to increase your light side allegiance. And finally, whether only certain actions or using certain powers force your character to roll to avoid temptation I do love the idea or it being easy to resist temptations at first but having it grow harder later. I also love putting milestones to the dark side allegiance. Somethings like loosing APP and CON points while gaining more POW and STR and just gaining more power points in general sounds nice. Maybe even the ability to learn some new powers like leaching HP from enemies and powerful force lighting sort of powers would be cool as well. Now I just need to think up some benefits to remaining calm and growing your light side allegiance. Glad you appreciate it! :) The only thing we would need to is include some difficult but rewarding sort of way for characters who have fallen to the temptations of the dark side to redeem themselves and reverse their dark side allegiance score in true Star Wars fashion.

Yeah, that might be cool, especially if I want to do any other science fiction campaigns some day. I may or may not need spaceship designs so I am torn on getting that. The other aspect I was somewhat considering getting M-Space for was for the expanded list of psychic powers that it offers since the setting I am going for is more star wars like and the psychic powers in the BGB are rather lacking for what I am looking to do. Granted I could just tweak some supper powers and magic to make it fit better.

Hi everyone! I am planning on running a science fiction campaign soon and I was wondering whether or not it would be good to look into the M-Space books for more specific science fiction rules. I already have the Big Golden Book but I am not sure if it will be enough or if it is good enough to run a science fiction campaign as is. What are your thoughts?

Hello everyone! I am thinking of running a science fiction campaign that has some influences from Star Wars via using the psychic powers and the allegiance system in the Big Golden Book. I wanted to add a sort of Dark Side/Corruption mechanic that would activate when players used destructive/dominating powers and I think that the sanity system is the best system to represent that sort of spiral into corruption. I am not sure how to represent this however since most of the sanity effects and the sanity rolls revolve around mental breakdowns rather than the decent into evil that I am looking for. I was wondering if any of you guys had any thoughts on the matter, and if you all had any though on how to utilize the allegiance system as well. Thanks in advance!

Have you perchance heard the Tale of Old Man Henderson? It's not a campaign or anything you can play, but it is certainly an epic relatively modern Cthulhu story that you might enjoy.

I can't speak for my players, but these ideas sound great! They will have to deal with all the grumpy mutants while uncovering the alien conspiracy and their own terrible origins. On top of keeping up in the races! The climax and a few other points will probably involve the players having to take their vehicles out of the track to fight their enemies head on or even on foot! Though their cars and weapons might not be the best against real war machines, to say nothing of their own armor against actual ordnance.

Oh, sounds fun, do they get to have their martini's shaken or stired while being chances by a guy with metal teeth? With 72 lapsto go through. key playable laps sounds like a good idea. The last few laps should be the most important ones while the others could be rolled through. Good luck on your game!

Did you draw and or print out the courses and give the players a miniature or hotwheels car for the races? I am not sure how to do it otherwise so that is what I am thinking of doing for this game. This sounds good as well. I think if I take this and replace many of the superpowers with weapons from the artillery section of the big golden book, and or BRP-Mecha it would make an interesting way for the players to have a point-buy system to customize their cars using the sportscar, sedan or one of the other vehicles as a base to build on. My original idea was to have a standard 3 laps for the racers to go through, though I am thinking 5 might be more optimal to allow for pit stops and repairs. Still, you are right that it could take a while for the race to finish if all the players had to play through every part of the track. So perhaps only 3 of the laps should be playable. (Granted, this is time that the players would normally spend traveling in a standard game so it might not actually matter in the long run.) As for changinging active zones and only allowing weapons in certain places, that could easily work too. The racing would be a lot like Mario kart with different parts of the track constantly changing and most of the weapons being discharged right after going through a space with item boxes. You could even have it so that only certain weapons could be used in certain track zones, like all weapons are useable on straightaways while things like homeing missiles/mines (red shells and green shells) would be the only accurate weapons on turns. Then you could have zones where no weapons are useable like you were saying, except for wildcard specialty weapons or personal mutations or superpowers (blue shells). Something cool you could also to is have a "shortcut zone" that only activates on certain laps.

I have heard a lot about M-Space on these forums and it does sound pretty cool, like Traveler but more unique. (And less dying in character creation LOL) What are the pool things about? How much does it's rules differ from the one found in the Big Golden Book? I like that idea a lot. If you add an option for moving forward to try and get ahead that would be about perfect. Thanks! I REALLY like the spaces and track set up you suggested. I will have to save it for my material. the success rolls and speed rules are another great idea for the game. Yeah, the super power thing in retrospect does not hold up as well as I had hoped. I was intending to limit usable super powers for the cars, (I actually got the idea for using super powers from The Big Golden Book where they used them to create a mecha suit and though I could do the same for battle cars. I was also planning on not allowing things like altering weather conditions/gravity, alternate forms or other inappropriate powers) like I said about the setting in my last post, however, the players would be genetically created super soldiers with some low to mid level powers and I was planing on a way for the players to use their super powers/mutations/psionic powers though special weapons ports on their cars to attack their opponents, so their cars would actually not require too many powers beyond a few gun emplacements and specialty weapons. As for fuel and pit stops, if they run out or their cars are destroyed, the repair drones will helpfully take the safety pod they ride in to the pit stop for repairs and refueling at the cost of loosing a few rounds of racing. Indeed, how serendipitous! I would love to hear the story of how and why your players got into the Monaco Grand Prix. Has Nyarlathotep suddenly come down with racing fever?

I think the setting could work, asside from raceing the setting involves the players being the product of a mutant super soldier program that was key to defeating an alien invasion. After the war, they were out of a job so the players and many other out of work mutants start up the vehicular combat and racing racing industry. They will have to deal with underworld crime syndicates infiltrating the races, corrupt mega corporations and government agencies seeking to regain controll their former assets, and even perhaps a resurgent alien threat. Also, Car Wars sounds interesting, I will have to look into it some time. Thanks for the suggestion.

Hi. My latest game idea has the players being part of a vehicular combat and racing circuit where they race armed to the teeth through death courses and try to shoot down the other racers and win in first. The chase rules in the big golden book seem pretty nice, but I don't think they are quite up to the task when it comes to using weapon systems or simulating an actual race between competitors. So I was wondering what you guys would do in this situation. Would you just write up the cars as gadgets using the supper power section and "play" it as a character with the players using their piloting and weapon system skills? or something else? Thanks in advance!

Ah, thank you both. I don't think this is actually what I am looking for, I was looking for something more akin to psychic powers or jedi type force abilities, both for inspiration for my book I am writing and for some games I want to run. The psychic powers in the Big Golden Book just seem rather lackluster to me and could use some fleshing out. Anyways, thanks for the help.

Where can one find enlightened magic?

The party won't do, only money!

The ferengi want to know your location.

They are actually giving away the first and second Starcraft games for free now, so you should definitely check them out. I got them a while ago, but recently I have been playing more Star Wars Knights of the old Republic. Starcraft is basicaly Warhammer40k lite with less grimderp chaos gods and more realistic sci-fi with some psychic powers thrown in for good measure.

My awnser would be Star Trek, eventhough I like Star Wars better for fantasy space. Most of the stuff in Star Trek like laser guns and warp drive is based on current scientific theories, yet it also has plenty of "fantasy" elements to it as well like teleporters, psionics, and Q. Another good example might be Starcraft, with the human faction at least having plausible technology. As for the Protoss and Zerg, that is up to you. Hope this helps.

I have not watched either of those, though I can get the zombie island connection. I am actually working on a globe spanning cult of my own for the book I am working on based heavily on a cobination of Cthulhu and Giygas from Earthbound. Hints of this cult can be found throughout world mythologies where the cult had interacted with indigenous peoples in ancient times. How would this cult of Ubasti have spread so far and gained so much popularity to begin with?

That is a rather fun game idea. Lee Meriwether's Catwoman kept floating through my mind while reading the story hook. I have always loved the feel of pulp games, though I have never tried one, nor have I read any. Perhaps I should try it out sometime, and perhaps bring in The Shadow and Doc Savage for good measure too.

Holy cat people Batman! This sounds like it's right out of Adam West Batman... I love it! I wonder if holding up cat nip would have any affect on the cultists, or using a giant laser pointer for that matter. Good work on the story idea.

Yeah, lasers would do better for long range combat, but setting-wise, my technologically challenged Imperium of Man knockoff can't develop personal use laser weapons, unlike their Tau expy nemesis who have perfected laser weapons. Now this I did not know. I will have to take a look at these links, thanks. My only question here is how is this different than an arc welder that can cut through metal with ease?