Sci-fi AD&D

[thedungeondelver]

Quick and dirty:

This thread, the personal arguments in it aside, got me to thinking about sci-fi mixed with AD&D - but "our" way.

Then I got to thinking "Well, what if you wanted to create a sci-fi game, but not AD&D+Sci-Fi, but use the readily available mechanics of AD&D as your base?"

Well, you're in luck because there are rules for firearms and other high-tech items briefly outlined in the Dungeon Masters Guide, and for even higher tech we've got the energy weapons, healing sprays, grenades, etc. in S3 Expedition to the Barrier Peaks.

So we've got our equipment, methods of understanding it, a base rule system for character generation and combat. What else? Anyone?

Keep or ditch demi-humans? I 'spose you could go the way of WH40k and have stuff like "eldar" and "squats", but I think a Niven-esque "hard" SF with humans as the focus (yes, I know, Kzin, Pierson's Puppeteers, etc.). Plus that way you don't have to muck about with demi-human level limits.

Since it's scifi, throwing psionics back in to the mix (while obviously ditching AD&D magic) would be OK. Tweaks would be required, though. Quasi-medieval weaponry would be a must for those "primitive" worlds. There's Monster Manual, Fiend Folio and Monster Manual II monsters galore that fit the sci-fi mold quite nicely, and a lot of them are munificent (the bird-men in the Fiend Folio spring to mind).

What else could we do here?

[SemajTheSilent]

You'll need rules for ships and ship operations.

[Abacus Ape]

If you are keeping all the rules of AD&D but without magic, some of the tech from Gamma World/Met. Alpha might be too powerful/deadly for regular AD&D characters. Maybe take stuff from Star Frontiers and convert it to AD&D to taste. Star Frontiers also had some pretty cool monsters that would be easy to convert. The spaceship rules in Nighthawks was pretty cool if I recall (it's been years). You could convert the races from Star Frontiers to AD&D, either going with the Basic thing (a 5th level Dralasite) or allow them to get classes (a 5th level Dralasite fighter). For the magic based classes you could say that they are the techs/medics who could duplicate certain spell effects with super advanced technology applications. Or just call their spells "mind powers".

You could always hand wave the spaceship stuff, sorta like Vance--just point and go. Some planets could have regularly working magic, "unexplained phenomena alien to our understanding of scientific laws at this juncture".

Every spaceship captain wants a Flumph co-pilot.

[ChoralReave]

Just me, but I don't care that much for sci-fi RPGs. But, if I made one that had any chance of me playing it (grin), it would focus heavily on star ship battle.

[1stEditionRules]

I tried Gamma World a few times but it just wasn't the same feel to me as A,D&D. It pretty much turned me off to the whole sci-fi adventure genre. The only sci-fi game that I ever went very far with was Star Fleet Battles.

[stonegiant]

I would love to see a redressing of the Star Wars setting with AD&D(1st ed) rules, not the 3/3.5/4 edition crap versions.

[Irda Ranger]

Assuming "realistic" space and physics ...

Rules for randomly generating alien planet and moon "wilderness."
Rules for surviving in those environments.
Three-axis, zero-g combat and movement.


But of course, the space and physics of your AD&D-space may not match our Newtonian conception. I actually liked Spelljammer's rules for gravity and environments, although I realize that's not a popular opinion.

[thedungeondelver]

Yeah let's not bring Spelljammer in to this, please.

[greygriffin20]

why not delver? spelljammer was tsr

[thedungeondelver]

why not delver? spelljammer was tsr

[Greymoire]

why not delver? spelljammer was tsr

LOL!!

[thedungeondelver]

Don't worry GG20 - you're not banned.







THIS TIME

[StormBringer]

why not delver? spelljammer was tsr

That looks an awful lot like... Pedobear.

[Benoist]

why not delver? spelljammer was tsr

That looks an awful lot like... Pedobear.

Yeah... let's not go there either, shall we?