First, a disclaimer. Science fantasy gaming can be silly and brilliant. Anomalous Subsurface Environment springs to mind (cf. Tomb of Metal). Nevertheless, I usually prefer humor, like pathos, as an emergent property of a game session, rather than something someone actively plans for. It's a playstyle idiosyncrasy.

The non-silly (least silly? Intrinsically serious? Nothing sounds right) science fantasy stuff I own — I'm mostly thinking along D&D and OSR lines here:

Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. Love the juxtaposition of Weird Tales sorcery and Barsoomian tech in a Dying Earth sort of setting. Also the space-time kitchen-sink world with Vikings and Atlanteans and Picts rubbing shoulders. Probably the foundation upon which I will build my weird science fantasy game.

DCC #84: Peril on the Purple Planet. Great module, but clearly designed around a detour from a "straight" DCC campaign, rather than a full-fledged setting for a DCC-powered sword-and-planet campaign.

Numenera: Monte: "Hey Butch, let's play a New Sun sort of science fantasy RPG." Me: "Fuck yeah, let's do this!" Monte: "I'l bring the super abstract, unintuitive newfangled game engine and the artwork that doesn't really fit the setting as described, and you can bring the New Sun science fantasy bits." Me: "..."

(to be honest, I do like bits and pieces of Numenera, but I was kind of underwhelmed. 6/10 in my book because the world is so sorely lacking in the bizarre novelty of the New Sun books I at some time felt it promised me. I was told the 9th World Guidebook somewhat ameliorates the problem, and hopefully the recently crowdfunded Into The _____ series will further improve on things.)

So yeah, I'm taking recommendations.

There was Dark Space for Spacemaster. It was something of a darker, less goofy, take on Spelljammer.

Chronicles of Future Earth for BRP was a sort of Tekumel/Dying Earth setting... and is expanding into a much larger version for RQ6.

Of course there are the various takes on Tekumel and Jorune.

Well, Warhammer 40000 is mostly played straight these days.

Barring that there's Fading Suns which is plenty gloomy and serious.

From what I've read Sun and Storm was pretty straight up and dark.

Trinity seems to have been as overwrought and self important as every other White Wolf game.

I may have to write one some day.  I don't think I'd go the dark and gothic route though, it's been done and done and done.

But something mythic and heroic might be interesting.

First and 2nd ed Gamma World and Metamorphosis Alpha. Both lacked the goofball aspects GWs been suffering under with ever since.
Shadowrun. Though that may be more cyber fantasy?
Rifts and After the Bomb.

Seems to be a lack of good science fantasy these days. I wonder if part of the problem is that it's a kind of nebulous concept, what exactly constitutes science fantasy? Is is Star Wars style sci-fi where the "science" elements merely are a back drop for the fantasy or is settings where "science" co-exists with "fantastic" elements?

Anyway, my last serious setting project was science fantasy. It's something I'd like to see more of.

For the (literary) fantasy genre Elric might have been the more important creation but Hawkmoon's Tragic Millennium is a much more gamable setting than the Young Kingdoms.

Quote from: Omega;860906First and 2nd ed Gamma World and Metamorphosis Alpha. Both lacked the goofball aspects GWs been suffering under with ever since.

I think Gamma World always had a goof side. The difference being it went from eccentric, psychedelic goofy to post-modern, ironic goofy.

Exhibit 'A'


Exhibit 'B'


Exhibit 'C'

Quote from: The Butcher;860884First, a disclaimer. Science fantasy gaming can be silly and brilliant. Anomalous Subsurface Environment springs to mind (cf. Tomb of Metal). Nevertheless, I usually prefer humor, like pathos, as an emergent property of a game session, rather than something someone actively plans for. It's a playstyle idiosyncrasy.

The non-silly (least silly? Intrinsically serious? Nothing sounds right) science fantasy stuff I own — I'm mostly thinking along D&D and OSR lines here:

Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. Love the juxtaposition of Weird Tales sorcery and Barsoomian tech in a Dying Earth sort of setting. Also the space-time kitchen-sink world with Vikings and Atlanteans and Picts rubbing shoulders. Probably the foundation upon which I will build my weird science fantasy game.

DCC #84: Peril on the Purple Planet. Great module, but clearly designed around a detour from a "straight" DCC campaign, rather than a full-fledged setting for a DCC-powered sword-and-planet campaign.

Numenera: Monte: "Hey Butch, let's play a New Sun sort of science fantasy RPG." Me: "Fuck yeah, let's do this!" Monte: "I'l bring the super abstract, unintuitive newfangled game engine and the artwork that doesn't really fit the setting as described, and you can bring the New Sun science fantasy bits." Me: "..."

(to be honest, I do like bits and pieces of Numenera, but I was kind of underwhelmed. 6/10 in my book because the world is so sorely lacking in the bizarre novelty of the New Sun books I at some time felt it promised me. I was told the 9th World Guidebook somewhat ameliorates the problem, and hopefully the recently crowdfunded Into The _____ series will further improve on things.)

So yeah, I'm taking recommendations.

there was a good post at dcc g+ group about using existing dcc material to run purple planet from the start. you already have 0 lvl funnel (escape from the pp) as a part of the boxed set.

also new dcc module against atomic overlord is ok (not pp good but usable).

Quote from: Dirk Remmecke;860912

For the (literary) fantasy genre Elric might have been the more important creation but Hawkmoon's Tragic Millennium is a much more gamable setting than the Young Kingdoms.

I agree - the Young Kingdoms just never worked for my group - the Tragic Millennium is a far better setting for a game.

Now what would be really freaky would be a game based around his Jerry Cornelius books. probably either anarchy or unplayable

If you like AS&SH, you'd probably also like Melan's Fomalhaut setting - if only it was more easily and completely accessible in English. It's a sword & sorcery setting with Hellenistic overtones and bits of long-lost high tech under a pallor of wry cynicism.

As it is, you can download some bits of it from here, and various adventure modules have been published in English in the Fight On! and Knockspell magazines; but some of the material important to recreating the setting's true feeling in actual play - such as the monster and treasure tables - are, as far as I know, only available in Hungarian.

The Fantasy Trip's default campaign setting, Cidri, is technically sci-fi/fantasy, though it's generally the low-tech magical end of its universe.

The rather good TFT programmed adventure Security Station is about medieval-tech adventurers going into a ruined higher-tech facility that's inhabited by lower-tech scavengers and such.

Under the Moons of Zoon does sword&planet science fantasy very well. It also adds elements of Lovecraftian horror.

Star Wars in its various incarnations is space fantasy.

Machinations of the Space Princess is science fantasy, it encourages a sillier approach than some but can be played straight too.

Quote from: Hybridartifacts;860946Now what would be really freaky would be a game based around his Jerry Cornelius books. probably either anarchy or unplayable

Well, there are two Luther Arkwright RPGs...

Quote from: Soylent Green;860921I think Gamma World always had a goof side. The difference being it went from eccentric, psychedelic goofy to post-modern, ironic goofy.

Ah yes. Someone had to trot out that "evidence" again. That is art. And not necessarily goofy at all. The setting as described was anything but. Try again.

Quote from: Omega;861007Ah yes. Someone had to trot out that "evidence" again. That is art. And not necessarily goofy at all. The setting as described was anything but. Try again.

The game, as we played it, was pretty straight most of the time, but that required us ignoring LOTS of stuff that did seem awfully darn goofy... like some of the creatures, random radiation effects and whatnot.