Title says it all. I'm looking for something more conventional, not anything wierd.
Get this Traveller Retro clone
Cepheus Engine SRD (http://www.rpgnow.com/product/186894/Cepheus-Engine-System-Reference-Document)
Orbital 2100 (http://www.rpgnow.com/product/193706/Orbital-2100) for your near future tech.
Near Space (http://www.rpgnow.com/product/192332/Near-Space) if you want to have some FTL.
If you can stand some mecha in your Solar System Sci-Fi, take a look at Jovian Chronicles (http://www.rpgnow.com/browse/pub/19/Dream-Pod-9/subcategory/73_124/Jovian-Chronicles) (Review Here (http://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/34907/roleplaying-games/rpgnet-review-jovian-chronicles)).
Quote from: estar;934545Get this Traveller Retro clone
Cepheus Engine SRD (http://www.rpgnow.com/product/186894/Cepheus-Engine-System-Reference-Document)
Orbital 2100 (http://www.rpgnow.com/product/193706/Orbital-2100) for your near future tech.
Near Space (http://www.rpgnow.com/product/192332/Near-Space) if you want to have some FTL.
Beat me to it. Cepheus Engine is da bomb diggity.
Quote from: CRKrueger;934546If you can stand some mecha in your Solar System Sci-Fi, take a look at Jovian Chronicles (http://www.rpgnow.com/browse/pub/19/Dream-Pod-9/subcategory/73_124/Jovian-Chronicles) (Review Here (http://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/34907/roleplaying-games/rpgnet-review-jovian-chronicles)).
Also good, but honestly better suited for Gundam type campaigns without the Newtypes.
Quote from: jeff37923;934549Also good, but honestly better suited for Gundam type campaigns without the Newtypes.
What we did was just replace the mecha with more practical space fighters. Practically no difference.
Quote from: rgrove0172;934537Title says it all. I'm looking for something more conventional, not anything wierd.
I like Orbital and Outpost Mars for Mongoose Traveller 1st Edition.
Wikipedia + Classic Traveller
Back in the day (Cold War era), we played plenty of non-Jump Traveller using astronomy books as the basis for the science and then expanding out which countries would get what planets, etc. We would have killed for Wikipedia, but even with just a couple books, it was a cool campaign.
Star Frontiers can do that easily. Theres even two official 2001/2010 Space Odyssey modules.
Albedo can do it too since the tech is even lower than SF's.
But for an official solar system setting probably hands down is the Buck Rogers XXVC RPG. it uses the 2e D&D system to a degree.
An obscure one is the d20 Modern campaign setting from Polyhedron called Iron Lords of Jupiter. Though it is more a "You arrive here and are probably stuck" sort of Planetarty Romance style solar adventure in the vein of John Carter or Flash Gordon.
But Star Frontiers followed by Buck Rogers are my go-to for solar campaigns.
Mutants in Orbit! That is, if you can figure out what Transient Movement Factor is and how it relates to game play (I never could)
Quote from: everloss;934603Mutants in Orbit! That is, if you can figure out what Transient Movement Factor is and how it relates to game play (I never could)
Ah TMF! That one referrence drove me nuts for a while because Mutants in Orbit points you to the WRONG DAMN BOOKS!!! ARGH. Instead I found it in TMNT Guide to the Universe right at the start! Page 4! It is essentially PP for air/space vehicles and works the same as PP. Yes. It was that simple. Well not quite that simple. But close enough. Page 6 details its use.
The damnable thing was that Guide to the Universe was one of the first TMNT supplements I got.
Buck Rogers XXVC. It's essentially AD&D Second Edition with a science-fiction setting limited to the solar system in the 25th Century. Of course it's a little hard to come across now, but you'll occasionally see it on eBay.
Quote from: estar;934545Cepheus Engine SRD (http://www.rpgnow.com/product/186894/Cepheus-Engine-System-Reference-Document)
Orbital 2100 (http://www.rpgnow.com/product/193706/Orbital-2100) for your near future tech.
Near Space (http://www.rpgnow.com/product/192332/Near-Space) if you want to have some FTL.
Seconding all three. Orbital was The Expanse before The Expanse (before I read The Expanse, anyways) and Near Space is the supplement I've wanted for a long time.
Thanks guys!
Quote from: Omega;934708Ah TMF! That one referrence drove me nuts for a while because Mutants in Orbit points you to the WRONG DAMN BOOKS!!! ARGH. Instead I found it in TMNT Guide to the Universe right at the start! Page 4! It is essentially PP for air/space vehicles and works the same as PP. Yes. It was that simple. Well not quite that simple. But close enough. Page 6 details its use.
The damnable thing was that Guide to the Universe was one of the first TMNT supplements I got.
Damn! I have Guide to the Universe and never noticed that! Fuck man. That's been driving me nuts for 20 years
Eclipse Phase.
Quote from: sureshot;935083Eclipse Phase.
And for less horror you can look at SJGames Transhuman Space. Both are detailed and interesting. Also, the new Polaris is out and IIRC is near-future as well.
Near future...CP2020 had the Near Orbit and Deep Space supplements. Never had a chance to play in them, though.
Rifts Phase world
Just toss in something old and obscure, High Colonies was all in system but with a dead/dying Earth. Everyone lives in artificial habitats belonging to various factions.
Quote from: Simlasa;935103Just toss in something old and obscure, High Colonies was all in system but with a dead/dying Earth. Everyone lives in artificial habitats belonging to various factions.
Would you like to know more? YES. What system? How does it play?
High Colonies
Stats - Str, Int, Dex, Con, Chr (no wis) 2d6+6 for humans.
Skills - Not a lot, roughly Traveller level I'd say. Percentage-based with 95% max.
Combat - Kind of interesting, you roll a number of d6 based on your weapon, rate of fire, etc. the defender rolls a number of d6 based on movement (running and dodging give you the most). There may be mods (like Skill level) that add or subtract from the total. The difference between the rolls is number of bullets hit. There are similar systems for Melee, HtH etc, using the same system but different mods.
Wounds - You have hit points based on strength and con but they are small in number and spread out over head/torso/arm/leg etc. Much more RQ than D&D.
Basically think of a system inspired by RQ and Traveller with some unique systems to try and factor in mods from a simulation point of view while still being pretty manageable. The crunch relies on lookups - players can have numbers set on their sheet, the GMs can have a screen for mods, so a lot of factors can be included with simple addition/subtraction. There's not a whole lot of formulas, a couple multiplications and divisions but those are done beforehand. I'd put it roughly below Cyberpunk level of crunch, with GURPS/HERO/Rolemaster/Harnmaster all being quite a ways above it crunchwise. The whole thing is 100 pages including intro, campaign setup and adventure, but it's old school 80's so small font and dense layout.
I saw it up on Scribd, but nowhere else, so it's not available to be purchased looks like.
Quote from: trechriron;935106Would you like to know more? YES. What system? How does it play?
I bought a copy years ago after seeing ads in... Challenge, maybe? I liked the illustrations, which were attempting to evoke the Aliens/Outland sort of feel. It's straight SF... no FTL and IIRC no artificial gravity or psionics either. There are aliens, robots and biodroids.
We never played it (though the system seemed reasonable), but I did lift the setting and grafted it onto my homebrew scifi stuff.
I only mentioned it for the sake of completeness... not endorsement.
Also,
GURPS Terradyne seems to be strictly solar local.
Quote from: trechriron;935086And for less horror you can look at SJGames Transhuman Space. Both are detailed and interesting. Also, the new Polaris is out and IIRC is near-future as well.
I loved reading the Transhuman Space books when they came out, but never really figured out what to do in the setting.
Theres also Mutant Chronicles. Thats all set in system.
While not Earths system. Firefly/Serenity takes place in one large heavily terraformed system.
And though it doesnt really count. There is Space 1889.
Dragon Magazine did a series of articles that introduced adventures in space and on the moon for various setting. The one that comes to mind most is the Top Secret article and module.
If you wish to include Mars in your campaign, do yourself a favor and get one of the best gaming resources on the subject of the Red Planet, and that is GURPS: Mars. Well worth it at twice the price.
Quote from: Willie the Duck;935155I loved reading the Transhuman Space books when they came out, but never really figured out what to do in the setting.
I think it would make a Jason Bourne like super spy adventure pretty amazing. Being able to change bodies would be an incredible advantage. Also, introducing something fantastic like the arrival of a derelict colony ship from an unknown alien species, or steal ideas form Eclipse Phase like discovering an alien gate on one of the moons of Saturn where you can explore new worlds... It makes a solid setting background to overlay adventures on if you want to start with a somewhat "realistic" base.
M-Space (Mythras based) from FrostByte books - http://www.lulu.com/shop/clarence-redd/m-space/paperback/product-22865664.html
Mythras Imperative from us - //www.thedesignmechanism.com/downloads
A Gift From Shamash (scenario and background for a near-future, Hard SF setting). //www.thedesignmechanism.com/products
Quote from: ArrozConLeche;935088Near future...CP2020 had the Near Orbit and Deep Space supplements. Never had a chance to play in them, though.
Big thumbs up
Played the shit out of these and I highly recommend them if you want it to feel "gritty and realistic". It can get very lethal very quickly. But I love these supplements dearly.
Quote from: tenbones;935248Big thumbs up
Played the shit out of these and I highly recommend them if you want it to feel "gritty and realistic". It can get very lethal very quickly. But I love these supplements dearly.
I feel deprived now. I had these but my GM wouldn't touch them, lol. And I can't GM for shit, so tough luck for me.
Technically, Lowell Was Right! (http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?32570-Lowell-Was-Right!-A-Very-Different-Now) qualifies - It is very near future and restricted to this solar system - but I don't think it is what you are looking for! :D
-clash
Quote from: ArrozConLeche;935257I feel deprived now. I had these but my GM wouldn't touch them, lol. And I can't GM for shit, so tough luck for me.
Awwww... that definitely sucks. With the way CP2020 made orbital culture, I can't see any GM not wanting to get their pc's a taste of Highrider fun (and the added potential for explosive decompression and a grisly explosive death as their bodily fluids jet out of all their varying orifices as they freeze-dry due to the dumbass that fired a bullet he smuggled on board... )
Quote from: jeff37923;935173If you wish to include Mars in your campaign, do yourself a favor and get one of the best gaming resources on the subject of the Red Planet, and that is GURPS: Mars. Well worth it at twice the price.
Speaking of Mars...
End Times is set on Mars after the stars align and whats left of humanity is living on a colony there. No space travel outside that though.
Quote from: sureshot;935092Rifts Phase world
MY group had a revolving GM situation going in a Phase World campaign for a couple years. Fun setting with so many possibilities.
That being said, the OP wanted near-future solar-system restricted settings, which is kinda the opposite of Phase World which takes place across three galaxies in a different universe.
Did anyone mention Jovian Chronicles or Cold Space? I guess Cold Space is kinda outside the Solar System but is certainly near-futurish.
Quote from: everloss;936142Did anyone mention Jovian Chronicles or Cold Space? I guess Cold Space is kinda outside the Solar System but is certainly near-futurish.
Yeah - I didn't mention Cold Space/FTLNow/Commonwealth Space for that reason. ;D
Quote from: CRKrueger;934546If you can stand some mecha in your Solar System Sci-Fi, take a look at Jovian Chronicles (http://www.rpgnow.com/browse/pub/19/Dream-Pod-9/subcategory/73_124/Jovian-Chronicles) (Review Here (http://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/34907/roleplaying-games/rpgnet-review-jovian-chronicles)).
Still one of my favorite Scifi Rpgs. And the mecha are quite easy to discard if you have an aversion to them.
I'm doing some campaign planning now using JC as the rules framework, with MongTrav's
Beltstrike and JC's
Nomads sourcebook for setting inspiration. There'll be no mecha present in it - just some exosuits for industrial and military purposes.
Quote from: sureshot;935083Eclipse Phase.
This.
I think I hate their rules, but I love their setting.
I like them too but they can use a streamlining. I have not bought or read the Fate version. I'm not a fan of rules light for the sake of rules light. The current EP rules are part of the charm of the rpg imo.
Quote from: rgrove0172;934537Title says it all. I'm looking for something more conventional, not anything wierd.
What elements are you looking for in this though?
Inner system activities like the old Star Cops TV?
Outer system activities like the movie Outland?
Both?
How much tech?
Still solid projectile weapons only?
Or are there lasers too?
Cybernetic limb replacement/enhancement?
Are the robots purely functional like in the movie Silent Running?
Or are there humanoid robots like in the movie Black Hole?
Or are there human looking robots like in the movie Alien?
I assume no aliens? What about gene-modded, artificial people, or the uplifted?
And how important are ships? Are they just background? Or are they integral?
Strip out the aliens and some of the higher tech and Star Frontiers can do Outland, Star Cops, and Silent Running it easy. Albedo can as well. But takes a little more work. Brutal combat system but really weak ship system. Id ditch it and plug in SF's Knight Hawks instead. Or port Albedo's combat system to SF.
Also. Though it takes ALOT of DM work. There is also Mekton. The original setting was a single system called Algol I believe. But grab Mekton Zeta Plus and just make personal gear, vehicles and ships. Which the system can do very easily once you get the hang of it. Very universal system for GMs willing to do the footwork to retheme or limit whats available.
Quote from: flyingmice;936182Yeah - I didn't mention Cold Space/FTLNow/Commonwealth Space for that reason. ;D
Yeah, the FTL thing doesn't meet the criteria, but great setting and games though.
Quote from: CRKrueger;936944Yeah, the FTL thing doesn't meet the criteria, but great setting and games though.
Thanks, Big Green Dude! :D
Quote from: rgrove0172;934537Title says it all. I'm looking for something more conventional, not anything wierd.
Buck Rogers XXV. As mentioned upthread, this is a great, overlooked gem. It isn't what you think it is (golden age pulp) but the 1980's trying to do transhumanism before transhumanism was a thing. The "races" are genetically modified humans, engineered to live on somewhat terraformed mars, mercury, venus, etc. There's a bit of applied phlebotinum, but it doesn't exceed the Star Wars level. The system is B/X (?) D&D at the core: 6 classic atts plus Tech, a percentile skill-based system, and THACO.
D20 Wars: This hails from the "Mongoose OGL era" where all of the books had wide borders and lots of typos. There's a bit of backstory: A rift opens near Jupiter and two races come through: a highly advanced psychic race and a former insect (ish?) slave race. There are three human factions: The Corporation, Asian Mars, and outlaws in the asteroid belt. The rift has caused a few people to get psi powers, but you could easily drop this. D20 Wars was adopted from a CCG called "Wars" which was based off of the Decipher Star Wars CCG mechanics. The RPG recycles artwork from the CCG, and ranges from very good to excellent.
Trinity: White Wolf's (mostly) solar system sci-fi game. It may be too weird, since psi powers have altered society, but there's alot of info on the solar system in the core book. The Luna supplement is great for any solar-fi game. Players are members of the Aeon Trinity which is a UN-like group of psi agents who fight Aberrants, monsters who were once superheroes in a previous century. Yeah, that sounds ridiculous, but they wanted it to tie into their superhero game. You could drop all of that and that the result would be an interesting solar-fi game focused on conspiracies and alien organic tech. Comes in a dice pool version and a D20 version.
Gurps Mars and Babylon 5 Free Mars: Both are great reference works. The B5 book is from Mongoose's d20 Babylon 5, but I liked the book so much I kept it even after ditching the rest of my B5 collection.
Quote from: flyingmice;936182Yeah - I didn't mention Cold Space/FTLNow/Commonwealth Space for that reason. ;D
I've had it for a long time and have never been able to convince anyone to play it. That kills me because it seems so fucking cool
Quote from: rgrove0172;934537Title says it all. I'm looking for something more conventional, not anything wierd.
http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/117563/The-Void-Core-PDF
Strip out the Cthulhu nonsense, boom, perfect setting.
Quote from: everloss;937801I've had it for a long time and have never been able to convince anyone to play it. That kills me because it seems so fucking cool
Thanks, everloss! If you have the pdf versions of Cold Space and FTL Now, you can DL the SC4 updates for free. The system is seriously simpler, and the explanation of how space travel works is worth it alone. And maybe a simpler system will convince some players to play! :D