Black Star RPG is a fun knock-off of Star Wars

weirdguy564 · August 01, 2023, 09:00:34 PM

Well, well, well.

Black Star's Companion book is now out, for only $4.95.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/447362/Black-Star-Companion?src=fp_u5

This is an expansion book that adds more of everything. Things like new archtypes such as Fringers, or just generic psychics who are more like typical Sci-Fi psychics instead of Jedi Knights. There is even rules for capital ships.

weirdguy564 · August 01, 2023, 09:15:35 PM

Also, if you want a hardcopy of the core rulebook, here is the link to Lulu.com where you can get it printed on demand.

https://www.lulu.com/shop/leonard-pimentel/black-star/paperback/product-74g7kg.html?q=black+star&page=1&pageSize=4

BoxCrayonTales · August 02, 2023, 01:17:42 PM

Player facing rolls? Awesome! I've always loved player facing rolls because (when well designed) they reduce the number of rolls you need to make while also convincing players they have more autonomy, sidestepping stupid arguments for excess complexity that turned me away from other systems.

Also, I really think we need more indie ttrpgs that provide alternatives to corporate IPs. Especially for out of print settings like Star Frontiers, Gamma World, and so on that are never gonna be revived.

Greg Bruni · August 03, 2023, 08:08:04 PM

How well would this Black Star game work for a Thundarr the Barbarian type game? Or semi-Gamma World.

weirdguy564 · August 04, 2023, 10:40:03 AM

Quote from: Greg Bruni on August 03, 2023, 08:08:04 PM
How well would this Black Star game work for a Thundarr the Barbarian type game? Or semi-Gamma World.

I suppose it could. Any set of game rules could be used to cover any genre. It's just a question of how many house rules you need. That is where I'm going to have to show my ignorance. I never watched Thundarr, and I never owned or read Gamma World.

That being said, the rules are pretty simple, so I think I could swing running a game based on something else. It doesn't look hard.

I will add that getting the Companion book would be a good idea. It's got optional rules for more traditional psychics, while the core rules are clearly Jedi Knights.

Krazz · August 04, 2023, 04:35:00 PM

Quote from: Greg Bruni on August 03, 2023, 08:08:04 PM
How well would this Black Star game work for a Thundarr the Barbarian type game? Or semi-Gamma World.

The system is set up for extremely capable protagonists, especially when compared to mooks. The original game (Magnum Fury) was aimed at 80s action films, the next (Six Gun Fury) was Spaghetti Westerns, then Black Star at Space Opera, so in all of those the heroes can take on quite large numbers of enemies. I've not watched Thundarr, but if it fits that mould, it should work. I'm thinking that Sword and Sorcery would work well with the system, if that helps.

weirdguy564 · August 05, 2023, 11:13:13 AM

Oh, I can definitely confirm this.

Black Star is setup so low level baddies are treated as a single group. When attacking you roll a success (that's to say a 9+) on 2D6+skill number, you just kill/defeat one mook. In addition, any dice that roll as a 5 or 6 is another mook taken out.

Example: Smuggler Fash Kendar has his blaster pistol out and is jogging thru a port authority building hallway to get to his ship, but an armed patrol of three Port-Com A7 Droids rounds the corner. Black Star doesn't use initiative. Heroes always go first. Roll 2D6+3 (Fash has a blaster skill of 3), and the result is box cars, 6+6+3, total of 15. This kills all three droids. One for succeeding, and one per each 6 that was rolled.

Greg Bruni · August 05, 2023, 11:46:05 AM

Ya, that sounds like Thundarr. He would be attacked by many foes, sometimes robots and he would slice a few in a flurry with his Sunsword. Not living creatures of course, because it was a Saturday morning cartoon.

SmallMountaineer · August 21, 2023, 03:57:50 PM

I grabbed a copy based partially on the recommendations in this thread and indeed, this is a nifty little featherweight that's drawing some well-earned praise.

King Tyranno · August 21, 2023, 05:10:27 PM

I've been looking at these rules. Definitely feels like the WEG Star Wars Third Edition we never got. I'm also in love with the price. It's very reasonable and affordable for a wide range of people. Even the physical version only cost me £12 which included shipping. And I also really like the pocket book format. I'm all for cheaper books with smaller page counts. More of that please.

Krazz · September 02, 2023, 06:18:22 PM

I finally got around to buying and playing the Black Star rules solo, and had a blast. I loosely based the game on A New Hope, with me playing a character like Luke. It was great fun, even if Han betrayed me on the Death Star. I stole a TIE fighter to escape, which came in very useful for bluffing my way past the Imperial ships when it came time to blow up the Death Star.

I tweaked the rules a little. I took the success numbers from Magnum Fury (7 or less is a failure, 8-10 is a success with a twist, and 11+ is a straight success). The twists result in a Mythic complex question, including in combat. The net result was a lot of craziness and fun fights which kept me on my toes.

Thornhammer · September 02, 2023, 11:22:26 PM

Quote from: weirdguy564 on August 01, 2023, 09:15:35 PM
Also, if you want a hardcopy of the core rulebook, here is the link to Lulu.com where you can get it printed on demand.

https://www.lulu.com/shop/leonard-pimentel/black-star/paperback/product-74g7kg.html?q=black+star&page=1&pageSize=4

Twenty-five freedombux for the core and the extra book, shipped. That's well within the "I'm curious" budget.

King Tyranno · September 06, 2023, 03:22:40 PM

I got my physical copy a few days ago. I was going to run it as is for a solo game. But then I noticed this supplement.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/448088/Mecha-Star

Picked that up. It has rules for the two main genres of Mecha. Big clunky Battletech style mechs. And more anime style mechs too. This includes transforming robots. Which set off a light bulb in my head.

I'm going to do a Tokusatsu solo campaign and see how it goes.

Tod13 · September 06, 2023, 03:35:53 PM

Quote from: weirdguy564 on August 05, 2023, 11:13:13 AM
Example: Smuggler Fash Kendar has his blaster pistol out and is jogging thru a port authority building hallway to get to his ship, but an armed patrol of three Port-Com A7 Droids rounds the corner. Black Star doesn't use initiative. Heroes always go first. Roll 2D6+3 (Fash has a blaster skill of 3), and the result is box cars, 6+6+3, total of 15. This kills all three droids. One for succeeding, and one per each 6 that was rolled.

That's a neat low-bookkeeping way to handle damage.

Krazz · September 07, 2023, 05:32:26 PM

Quote from: King Tyranno on September 06, 2023, 03:22:40 PM
I got my physical copy a few days ago. I was going to run it as is for a solo game. But then I noticed this supplement.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/448088/Mecha-Star

Interestingly, they have brought out an adventure too: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/451161/The-Karnon-Saga-I-Distress-Call-A-Black-Star-Adventure?src=hottest_filtered

One of the earlier posters was asking about a published adventure for his wife to run, so maybe this would do for that.

The publications for the system seem to be coming from several publishers (LakeSide Games, Three Sages Games and Mobius Worlds Publishing). It makes me wonder if there are other publishers that I'm not aware of for it.