Space Gaming using BRP basic system and other campaign ideas

[Bygoneyrs]

Hello everyone,

I am a long time RPGer and have doing this hobby now for 34+ years. I started with D&D, then Gamma World, next Traveller, followed by Champions (Hero System) and a vast collection of other stuff over the many many years. My true loves are the above four games, but my stronmgest love is Traveller. I have played that game since it cam out some 30-32+ yrs ago, and have had my own campaign running over the past 25+ yrs.

Most reciently I decided I needed to revamp my campaign, and rewite my setting. I have been in the past a member of HIWG and the Verge Sector Analyist. Thus for the past 25 yrs I have based my own campaign within the verge sector in the Traveller universe. Well I have decided to build my own campaign space(star systems) and build a brand new campaign setting as well too.

Since my gaming group of (7) guys like me are all fans of BSG Old Show and some elements of the New show, I have decided to build a alternative universe campaign setting based on BSG. Now in my setting, the Colonials are settled within a (15) Star cluster of star systems that are very close to one another. Twelve of the systems each have a single planet within each that is Earth like and on each of these planets one of the (12) Tribes of man settled within the past. Now the history of man, is still that they came from a far distant planet called Cobal and that there were (13) Tribes of man. One left Cobal first and settled on a world they called Earth, but the other (12) tribes of man travelled in a different direction for some forgotten reason and settled the Colonies.

Now the race known as Cylon, is a ancient alin race that hase been at war with the humans from the days of when mankind was on Cobal. The whole history or what, why, and where has long been forgotten by the humans. Heck much of the human history about Cobal and where even that was and etc has long since been lost or forgotten. Much of what is still known is remembered in there religious text, and much of that is even written in a kind of symbolic way.

So to the humans thus called Colonials, they know the Cylons as machines (think Old show Cylon Centurians) and have never met a living alien Cylon. Now the last prolonged war ended some 40+ yrs ago, when the Cylons stopped attacking the Colonial space cluster for what-ever unknown reason. Then some six months ago they showed up with a huge fleet and attacked everywhere at once. Their Baseships are still the same design (think old show's Base ships), but they seem to have upgraded their fighters using Raiders Mk I (old show fighters), Raiders Mk II(new show fighters but all machine), Interceptors (a Fan fiction design based off of the modified old show Raiders), and Troop Transports(new shows models). The Cylons themselves have seemed to have gone through some upgardes as well too. Firstly we have the standard Centurians(old show Cylons machines), next we have their improved Centurian Mk IIs (think new show machines), and we have other larger more complex and different purpose mecha machines. Plus another new twist, they now have a few models of Cylon machines that the call Terminators. These are a Sudo synthetic looking and feeling flesh job that looks perfectly human from the outside, but covers a metal robotic exoskeleton machine. These new type of Cylons work great as spys or infiltrators, or many other military missions.

Well as stated six moths back(before the official game start of the new campaign) the Cylons reappeared again in masive strength and attacked with no regard of their own losses. They launched or engaged every homeworld, every sub colony or instalation in all (15) star systems. They bombed and landed troops on every colony world, and attacked everything that they could. It mattered not weather it was civilian or Colonial Fleet, they attacked everything human.

In the end the Colonial Fleet that was devided into 144 BG (Battle Groups) managed to survive and regroup and shatter the Cylon attack. Now this came at great cost to the Colonial fleet and Colonials in general. There was not a single HomeWorld, sub colony, instalation or fleet vessel that didn't take damage or had to fight tin the greatest battle that the humans have ever recorded. The Cylons over all attacking fleet and forces have all been destroyed, and now six months after the first attack the Colonials are hunting down any surviving hidden forces that might be out there still within Colonial space. Meanwhile the Colonial Fleet sustained about 45% losses to the fleet, with many other vessels sustaining great amounts of damage.

Now the players within the campaign will all be young Colonial Fleet officers assigned to a small pocket Cruiser, charged to hunt down any Cylon forces, and begin a mission of Recon and Scouting for Cylon staging areas beyond the "Thin Red Line" of Colonial Space. You see the Colonials do not know where the Cylon homeworlds or colonys are and Great Council of Twelve have decided it is time to take the fight to the Cylons and Wipe them out.

So I have decided to finally convert my mechanics for the game over to using BRB system, it is something that I have been using as part of my own House Rules for years and it would be easy enough to just convert to using the whole BRP system as it's mechanics.

Well I will use this topic as a sounding board for a few ideas and mechanics, and am hoping to hear a few comments back from people on what I have written or plan.

Thanks,

Penn

[Bygoneyrs]

BTW for the record I use the New Look for the Colonial fleet vessels , and collect resin minis as my table top props. I build the mins and then paint them, then uses them just for props. I also use figues for men and etc too...yes we use a battle board on our table top gaming!

Penn

[Bygoneyrs]

I should also point out, that I do not use Jump Drives from Traveller nor do I even use FTL drives either. I use Hyper-Space and the Colonials use Space Jump Gates (think of the movie of Lost in Space for their Space Gate ring), or think of B5's gates. They build these huge rings that act as portals into Hyper-space, then once in Hyper-space the crew plots a course to their destination Exit Space Jump Gate. It still takes time (5x faster) to move through Hyper-Space than to make the trip in normal space. Thus the crew needs to go into Cyro-Sleep for the trip in Hyper-Space or long slow trip through normal space. Now "machines" like the Cylons don't need to use Cryo-Sleep, but tend to go into Standby mode for these long trips, awaking on command at the end.

Thus a standard one hex trip in Hyper-Space takes like 3 months of Cryo-Sleep time, or will take 15 months in normal space. Now building these huge Jump Gate Rings is extremely exspensive in materials costs and resorces, and takes a lot of time. Once set up there are extremely heavily used by all sorts of traffic.

Penn

[Bygoneyrs]

I should also point out that the Cylons do not use FTL drives either, and it doesn't appear that they have or use Jump Gate tech...but the Colonials don't know for sure about that.

As for weapons the Colonials use Pulse Plasma Mini Cannons for anti Fighter defense, Plasma Beam Cannons for small ship to ship assults., and Plasma Burst Cannons for Heavy main ship to ship engagements and planetary assults. The Cylons use much the same systems as well too. They both use heavy Armor, but the Colonials also have Shields as well too.

Penn

[Bygoneyrs]

Now players will only have Skills but this is the part that I must decide how I will do this. I tend to like players to have more skills than just a few. I tend to allow players to use a kind of point system for character creation and will let them pick from some standard careers that I will define as I go along. Thus skill sets that they can build from, and choose. BRP will work nicely here for character chreation, I guess I will need to down load that Traveller conversion work that someone else created to aid me in this matter.

Penn

[Eric L. Webb]

Exactlly how compatible are the mongoose rules to the BRP system actually?

[Bygoneyrs]

Well the stats for a character are just that stats...just scrap the Traveller ones and just reroll BRP ones. As for skills, well set a beginning percent and for each level a player obtains in a skill just give them (you decide as the GM) either +5% or +10% to their d100 percent role for that skill. Next the skills can pretty much just convert over, and just use the rest of the stats and etc from BRP. For me there really isn't alot of work to be done or converting really.

Penn

[Bygoneyrs]

Traveller stats are 2d6 where BRP are 3d6. They have some of the same basic stats but some differences too. Don't sweat the differences, just rework any charcter stats and just figuure out how you are willing to convert the skill levels issue. then use the more indepth BRP game system mechanics.

Penn

[Guest Vile Traveller]

There are definitely some Traveller-to-BRP* conversion guidelines out there on the web. Unfortunately I'm in the office, so I don't have the links. It's usually pretty simple, you convert the stats where you can (multiply by 1.5) and roll new ones where you can't, use some kind of multiplier for Traveller skill levels (e.g. 1 level = 15%, or a sliding scale with lower levels worth more % than higher ones), and download the Striker! Sidearms for BRP from my sig.

*Interestingly, I've never come across anyone wanting to convert from BRP to Traveller ... because D100 is best, of course.

Edited March 5, 2010 by Vile

[Bygoneyrs]

In my case I would be going from Traveller to BRP.

Penn

[Conrad]

*Interestingly, I've never come across anyone wanting to convert from BRP to Traveller ... because D100 is best, of course.

Yes, that is interesting. You'd think that since Traveller is so well supported, there'd be BRP GMs wanting to convert to the Traveller systems. But BRP is a much better set of rules, at least I think so after 5 pints of Berserker Export...dribble.

Edited March 7, 2010 by Conrad

[dragonewt]

You'd think that since Traveller is so well supported, there'd be BRP GMs wanting to convert to the Traveller systems.

I have seen this done with other game systems, Eg:

• Far Future Action
  
• Spirit of the Far Future
  

[rust]

Yes, that is interesting. You'd think that since Traveller is so well supported, there'd be BRP GMs wanting to convert to the Traveller systems. But BRP is a much better set of rules.

Well, while BRP doubtless is the better roleplaying system, there is not exactly a lot of BRP sci-

ence fiction stuff one could convert to Traveller ...

[Bygoneyrs]

The real issue here is that Traveller is a rather simple 2d6 system and BRP is a much more fuller system which in my eyes rolling d100 % is easier to grasp and etc. BRP just adds more stuff to the mechanicals systems is all and is alot alik or in common with the Traveller system. Conversion from Traveller's system to BRp is a easy process and fits well.

Penn

Edited March 6, 2010 by Bygoneyrs

[Bygoneyrs]

Also the Magic system for BRP is much more advanced than the new simple system that is now in place for Traveller.

Penn

[Atgxtg]

The real ssue here is that Traveller is a rather simple 2d6 system and BRP is a much more fuller system which in my eyes rolling d100 % is easier to grasp and etc. BRP just adds more stuff to the mechanicals systems is all and is alot alik or in common with the Traveller system. Conversion from Traveller's system to BRp is a easy process and fits well.

Penn

That kind of depends on which version of Traveller you are running , and with what supplements. Late original Traveller, MegaTraveller or Traveller 2300/2300AD were much more fleshed out than just a "simple 2d6 system".

But, as rust has pointed out, there wasn't much Sci-Fi stuff from BRP to convert in the first place. There was Ringworld and then,...uh....did I mention Ringworld?

[Conrad]

Well, while BRP doubtless is the better roleplaying system, there is not exactly a lot of BRP sci-

ence fiction stuff one could convert to Traveller ...

Exactly.

One big gripe I've heard about the original Traveller rules ( and the Mongoose Traveller rules) was that the characters had only training to improve, as there was no system of skill improvement from skills used in combat, which is what BRP has.

Edited May 9, 2010 by Conrad

[rust]

One big gripe I've heard about the original Traveller rules ( and the Mongoose Traveller rules) was that the characters had only training to improve, as there was no system of skill improvement from skills used in combat, which is what BRP has.

Yes, indeed. It is also the main reason why I convert Mongoose Traveller to BRP. Mongoose

Traveller has a very good lifepath character creation system, but once the characters begin

adventuring, it is much too difficult to give them experience and let them learn new skills -

they cannot adapt to their environment.

This makes a lot of plots almost impossible to play, for example my beloved "colony tales"

where the characters face an unfamiliar environment and have to discover and learn new

knowledge and skills to solve their problems - with the rules of Mongoose Traveller these

colonists would have died long before they "learned the ropes" of their new homeworld.

[Conrad]

Why don't some Traveller GMs, that want a different background for their games than the Imperium, convert the backgrounds from BRP games (such as Ringworld, Future World etc) to the Traveller systems? Is it because the Imperium is such a good setting, and that it would take more work to fit Traveller scenarios to a different background?

Edited March 7, 2010 by Conrad

[rust]

Why don't some Traveller GMs, that want a different background for their games than the Imperium, convert the backgrounds from BRP games (such as Ringworld, Future World etc) to the Traveller systems? Is it because the Imperium is such a good setting, and that it would take more work to fit Traveller scenarios to a different background?

I never used the Third Imperium setting for Traveller, for my taste it has far too many serious

plausibility problems, so almost all of my settings were "homebrewed". As far as I can see, this

is how most Traveller referees who do not like the Third Imperium handle it, although there are

a number of good commercial alternatives available, like the Traveller version of Babylon 5 or

Martin J. Dougherty's Far Avalon setting.

Ringworld would be very interesting, but this game is almost impossible to get nowadays, and

Future World is more a sketch of a setting than a real setting, it lacks almost all of the typical

"stuff" needed for a Traveller campaign, especially spaceships.

[Solardog]

I never used the Third Imperium setting for Traveller, for my taste it has far too many serious

plausibility problems, so almost all of my settings were "homebrewed". As far as I can see, this

is how most Traveller referees who do not like the Third Imperium handle it, although there are

a number of good commercial alternatives available, like the Traveller version of Babylon 5 or

Martin J. Dougherty's Far Avalon setting.

Ringworld would be very interesting, but this game is almost impossible to get nowadays, and

Future World is more a sketch of a setting than a real setting, it lacks almost all of the typical

"stuff" needed for a Traveller campaign, especially spaceships.

Don´t forget, Hammer's Slammers, Hyperlite: The Sirius Treaty and Twilight Sector. But also the upcoming Reign of Discordia. I think that Reign of Discordia is very promising. I was thinking of buying the TRUE20 version but i am waiting for the MGT version to be released.

Another good sci fi resource is the GURPS Space Atlases. I think that Space Atlas 2 the corporate worlds is particular good.

Gurps Space Atlas 1-3 are available in electronic format at e23

Edited March 7, 2010 by Solardog

[rust]

But also the upcoming Reign of Discordia. I think that Reign of Discordia is very promising. I was thinking of buying the TRUE20 version but i am waiting for the for the MGT version to be released.

Yes, indeed. I got Reign of Discordia as a part of the Haiti Aid package of Drive Thru RPG, it

is a good setting especially for more cinematic campaigns. It reminds me a bit of the Star

Frontiers setting, which is now available for free, and which seems to be converted to Tra-

veller by quite a number of people.

[Bygoneyrs]

Actually for over 25+ yrs that I ran my own Traveller campaign, it was set in the Verge sector but virtually 95% of the campaign realm and background was all mine. What I used was the footprint of where the star systems were and that was about it. I made up pretty much everything else, plus I have always used alot of house rules...many of them that were directly tailored from BRB. So thus as I am redoing my own campaign now I am stromgly leaning towards building my own new star map and going with a alternative BSG theme campaign but using BRP game mechanics.

Penn

[Bygoneyrs]

I wish I had the time to do it, I would try to write my own BRP- setting up for Space in a Traveller like style campaign setting!

Penn

[Bygoneyrs]

This is the smallest of Battlestars, and the one I will have my players assigned to in their efforts to explore and scout out Cylon hidden outposts beyond Colonial space. The Valkyrie class BS holds (2) Squadrons of (24) Vipers, (6) Raptors, and (2) Mk II Shuttles. Most likely I will assign two other Colonial Fleet vessels to this BattleGroup...maybe a Berserk Cruiser, and a Thor heavy Cruiser.

Penn

Edited March 9, 2010 by Bygoneyrs