# Best Science Fiction RPGs



## DM Howard (Jul 23, 2013)

While watching some Star Trek today I got to wondering what Science Fiction RPGs are available right now.  I know of Traveller and Edge of the Empire for Star Wars, but what other Science Fiction RPGs do you all know of, and could you give a brief synopsis or personal experiences?

Dndungeoneer


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## Evenglare (Jul 23, 2013)

There's also Numenera, and uh... not sure what else. I had trouble finding a really good fantasy/science fiction RPG, so I created/am creating one using the 13th Age rules.


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## scourger (Jul 23, 2013)

I ran a Star Trek game last year using Savage Worlds (http://www.peginc.com/) 
crossed with Heroclix Star Trek Tactics (http://heroclix.com/category/heroclix/star-trek-tactics/#axzz2ZqLJTnzp).  

It was a fun game for me.  I liked having the RPG for the personal level conflicts with the minis for the ship-to-ship combats.  It didn't take hold with my players, though; probably because I was running DS9 but they were playing TOS.


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## TrippyHippy (Jul 23, 2013)

Right now? My ranking is: 

1) *Mongoose Traveller* - simply because of the versatility, widespread support and multiple settings covering a full spectrum of styles from space opera to hard sci-fi to gonzo (my unabashed favourite is *Judge Dredd* I have to say). I love some of the subsystems. You can still use most of the *Classic and MegaTraveller* material too. It may also get a boost whenever their *Prime Directive* (Star Trek) book comes out. Avoid T5. 

2) *Star Wars* *- Edge of Empire.* Early days, obviously, but everybody knows what it is about and if your group is prepared to buy into it, the dice system is fun. It's richly themed setting offers years of entertainment. And there's a lot more still to come out. 

3) *Doctor Who - Adventures in Time and Space* - Really easy system and a lot more flexible for running a variety of scenarios than you might think. I ran a successful Unknown Armies scenario with it the other day, and it was a blast. The best thing is you can take a completely disparate bunch of sources for inspiration and they'll all fit in with the broader premise seamlessly. The de-emphasis of violent combat really brings more thoughtful play. Well supported too, including the alternative *Primeval* and upcoming *Rocket Age* games.  

4) *Warhammer 40KRP* - Five different games in the same (vast) setting. If you dig the dark, gothic elements again it's a richly themed set of games. Percentile based, which isn't everybody's taste apparently, but pretty straightforward nevertheless. My favourite is probably *Deathwatch*, as I like the Marines, but each game is distinct in gameplay.  

5) *Shadowrun* - The most enduring Cyberpunk game is as well supported as it ever was. The fantasy elements might grate but it's pretty obvious what they are before you begin play. Cyberpunk 2020 and other editions have long since died. 

6) *Eclipse Phase* - Transhumanism hard sci-fi, mainly for those who like Shadowrun's style but want something with a little more verisimilitude. Other games, like *Nova Praxis* or the older *Transhuman Space* are similar (but not quite the same) if you prefer a non percentile system. Eclipse Phase seems the best supported currently though. Not sure about the politics involved in Transhumanism though..

7) *Paranoia* - Maybe not for long term gaming, but perfect for one shots. Can be played straight or slapstick and still drives home an evening's entertainment either way. Very clever game.

8) *Call of Cthulhu* - Versatile enough to embrace sci-fi wholeheartedly. The aliens are all pretty exotic still, and can form the premise for a Promethean/Alien series of starship encounters. In the modern day, *Delta Green* and *The Laundry* are a perfect fusion of spy thriller and sci-fi horror. BRP is actually a very good fit for hard sci-fi. 

9) *GURPS*, *HERO*, *Savage Worlds* and *FATE* all have various settings to support their systems. Some of them are pretty good/amazing depending upon your loyalty to those systems. 

10) *Blue Planet/Fading Suns* - fan favourites from the 90s, still lovingly kept in print by FASA. Certainly interesting enough to try out though.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Jul 23, 2013)

I'm going to throw RIFTS in- not for the system, which is atrocious- but for the setting: perfect for all kinds of over-the-top, wahoo stuff.  I've run it using Palladium's system, but find it works better with something like HERO or GURPS.


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## Nytmare (Jul 23, 2013)

RIFTS - Great setting, horrible system.  Post apocalyptic "and then the magic woke up" kind of world.  In my opinion, the game is really only worthwhile when you limit things to a specific corner of the world, and not have things be a globe and dimension trotting madhouse.  Rifts was one of the earliest rpgs to really run with the idea of having a single game world that tied all of their other rpg systems together.  This could, at least in theory, lead to a game where your party consisted of a shuffled deck of a cybernetically enhanced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, a psychic vampire Robotech pilot, a James Bond styled spy who was really a demon trained as a Jedi Knight, a generic cape and tights super hero, and a homeless guy.

Shadowrun - Great setting, though I don't know anything about the most recent overhaul to the system.  This is another "and then the magic woke up" game, but this one is set in a more cyberpunky setting where the megacorporations run the world and the dragons run the megacorporations.

Durance - Good god I love this game.  More of a group story time RPG than the traditional "Tell the GM what you want to do and the GM will tell you what dice to roll."  The game is about running and surviving in a penal colony on an inhospitable prison planet.


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## Bagpuss (Jul 23, 2013)

Interface Zero 2.0 - a Savage Worlds based Cyberpunk setting recently had a successful kickstarter and the first version is still available on Amazon.com it reviewed well not looked at it myself.


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## Umbran (Jul 23, 2013)

The GUMSHOE-based Ashen Stars is also worth a look.  GUMSHOE is an engine specifically designed to handle mystery-plots, but the game is by no means limited to that.


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## edemaitre (Jul 23, 2013)

I also like GURPS, _Eclipse Phase_, and _Ashen Stars_. I'll try to stick to in-print games here. As for FATE, I can recommend
-_Bulldogs_
-_Starblazer Adventures_ and _Mindjammer_

Other games include:
-_Stars Without Number_ (an excellent retro-clone)
-_Star Hero_
-_Star Frontiers Remastered_ (a classic compiled)
-_Parsec_
-_StarCluster 3_
-_Prime Directive_ (similar to classic _Star Trek_)
-_Starships and Spacemen_ (another strong riff on _Trek_)
-_Stellar Horizons_

There are dozens more retro-clones, fan conversions, and original tabletop SFRPGs online! Happy gaming....


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## DM Howard (Jul 23, 2013)

There appear to be many more Science Fiction RPGs than I thought.  Perhaps they just aren't as popular and thus get less exposure?


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## Morrus (Jul 23, 2013)

d20 Future is much better than I recall it ever being, now that I'm looking at it.


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## Vyrolakos (Jul 23, 2013)

If you like your Sci-fi _'crunchy'_, ICE Games are still selling Space Master (SM:2 & SM) as PDF's.

If you can cope with lots of charts and tables and don't mind adding up d100% rolls, it's actually a really good game system.


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## Umbran (Jul 23, 2013)

Dndungeoneer said:


> Perhaps they just aren't as popular and thus get less exposure?




I don't think the genre matters that much.  If you aren't specifically D&D/Pathfinder, you "aren't as popular".


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## DM Howard (Jul 23, 2013)

Morrus said:


> d20 Future is much better than I recall it ever being, now that I'm looking at it.




Much better?  Tell me more, what do you find better looking at it now?



Umbran said:


> I don't think the genre matters that much.  If you  aren't specifically D&D/Pathfinder, you "aren't as  popular".




A fair point Umbran, a shame though.


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## Remus Lupin (Jul 24, 2013)

I just wish Alternity were still in print. Fortunately I have pretty much the whole run, but very few people to play with.


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## Super Pony (Jul 24, 2013)

Eclipse Phase does the transhuman sci-fi thing really well.  The system isn't the greatest (it works fine, I just dont love percentile systems that much) but the subject matter and setting are _really_ good.  Mostly, EP showed me a side of sci-fi that I had somehow avoided for one reason or another.  Then I _devoured_ the core rulebook faster than I have most novels.  Oh and all of the books in the line are bloody fantastic.


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## Crothian (Jul 24, 2013)

Of the new games I really like Ashen Stars.  For older games Space Opera I think works well.


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## Uskglass (Jul 29, 2014)

Evenglare said:


> There's also Numenera, and uh... not sure what else. I had trouble finding a really good fantasy/science fiction RPG, so I created/am creating one using the 13th Age rules.




Do you have it shared somewhere? I'd be interested in taking a look. Thanks


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## Derren (Jul 29, 2014)

Evenglare said:


> There's also Numenera, and uh... not sure what else. I had trouble finding a really good fantasy/science fiction RPG, so I created/am creating one using the 13th Age rules.




Fantasy/SciFi practically screams Shadowrun. It is also one of the view settings were magic and technology coexist without there being a conflict between them or that technology was mostly destroyed by an apocalypse.

Some time ago there was a Shadowrun spotlight week (a concept which sadly has been abandoned apparently) and it got its own forum chock full of information for new players.
Sadly it seems to have been deleted. At least I can't find it any more.


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## HobbitFan (Jul 30, 2014)

*What I have liked playing:*

1. Stargate sg-1 rpg based on the Spycraft d20 system.  The main Spycraft game or the Farscape rpg, also based on this might be worth a look as well.  
2. Traveller rpg by Mongoose
3. the old D6 Star Wars by West End Games
4. the old Star Trek rpg by FASA.  They also had a Starship Combat game.  
5. Shadowrun by FASA and now Catalyst.  I have not played the newer editions but the orginial was cool.
6. the Warhammer 40k rpgs by Fantasy Flight

*Stuff I like for source material:*

old Star Frontiers rpg by TSR
old Space Master and Silent Death by ICE

*Other stuff to look into:*
d20 future expansions for d20 modern.  I forget who published this.  
old alternity by TSR
Savage worlds by PEG/Studio2
Star Wars RPG by Fantasy Flight 

I hope that helps!

Monty aka HobbitFan


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## Stormonu (Jul 30, 2014)

*Others that are out of print, but can still be acquired (PDF version or buying the old books):


*Battlestar Galactica (using the Cortex system), based off the recent TV series
Firefly/Serenity (using the Cortex system), based off the TV series
Battletech/Mechwarrior, FASA's game of giant robot combat
Jovian Chronicles, another giant robot genre game
Fading Suns, think of Dune - before Paul Atreidies
Gamma World, post-apocalyptic sci-fi mash-up (many different versions, the most recent is based off 4E)
Aliens, based off the Alien/Aliens movie (very hard to find)
Space D6, WEG's generic space opera system
Star Wars D6, WEG's version that helped bring a Star Wars revival (and, IMNSHO, the best Star Wars version)
Star Trek, with versions done by FASA, Last Unicorn Games and Decipher (Decipher being my favorite)


As others have mentioned, there is also Alternity - it was a really good system that was cut down in it's prime, because it "wasn't D&D".


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## doghead (Jul 30, 2014)

Stormonu said:


> Jovian Chronicles, another giant robot genre game




In addition to *Jovian Chronicles*, Dream Pod 9 also does *Heavy Gear* and *Gear Kreig*. All three are combination  tactical miniatures/RPG game. More geared to the tactical miniature side of things, the RPG system was fairly simple, but worked well enough from memory.

_Precise Intermedia Games_ has *Hard Nova ][* as part of its Genre Diversion line, which also includes Coyote Trails (western setting), Earth AD (post cataclysm) and Ghost Stories (um, ghosts and stuff) as well as a bunch of add ons (zombies, anyone?). The system is fairly simple and designed to be modular, but the way it is presented can be a bit confusing. 

*Diaspora* by VSCA Publishing advertises itself as _Hard SciFi Role Playing with Fate_ and describes itself (in the introduction) as sort of a love child of *Traveller* and *Spirit of the Century*.

Oh, yeah. *SLA Industries*, if you like a bit of mad-crazy with your SciFi. _WotC_ owned this one for a while, then _Cubical 7_. I think _Nightfall Games_ has it now, although all they seem to offer is scanned copies of the original books. Their website is about as comprehensible as the setting. But god it was fun. 

thotd


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## Deepfire (Jul 30, 2014)

1 - *Traveller* (Mongoose/13Mann or classic - don't know if 5e is worth a try) 

2 - *Spacemaster* (Privateers or II)

3 - *Transhuman Space* (and GURPS SPACE in general)

4 - *Eclipse Phase* (bäm!)

5 - *Mindjammer* (great book! Worth every cent)


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## Hand of Evil (Jul 30, 2014)

N.E.W.  should be out next year


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## Mechalus (Jul 31, 2014)

Nova Praxis is getting converted to Savage Worlds, and should release within the next month or so. An Augmented PDF will follow shortly after.

The Fate version is already out.


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## dm4hire (Jul 31, 2014)

Stormonu said:


> *Others that are out of print, but can still be acquired (PDF version or buying the old books):
> 
> 
> *Battlestar Galactica (using the Cortex system), based off the recent TV series
> ...




Firefly is actually current.  Though still waiting for the book to come out.

I also never saw Alternity being cut because it "wasn't D&D" as much as Wizards dropped it in favor of Star Wars.  Which you have to admit is a much more popular sci-fi setting for them to have worked with.


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## Evenglare (Jul 31, 2014)

Several people have asked me for a glance at what I have been working on the past couple of years with my (what I like to call) Mythic Sci Fi. I wanted to blend fantasy and space together in a pretty intimate way, I'm aware I'm not the first to do this but nothing out there really stuck with me. I wanted to play in a  universe where I could pick some of my favorite archetypes from the many shows and games I play. I am completely and fully aware that many of these things are shameless ripoffs, however I'd like to think I have given everything a nice blend to work together. Anyway, here are some of my races, I even managed to contact an artist to do some work for me but sadly I have lost contact with him. I should mention that my Lumina race and Terra race were not drawn so they do not appear here. I also have several more classes. Actually lately I have been sort of converting to 5e instead of working in the 13th age framework but I still love the system. Another thing that isn't shown here are my "Icons" which I call Avatars. They are sentient constellations that move around the galaxy (which is actually a metal galaxy after milky way and andromeda have collided, it is called the expanse.), they are essentially gods. Anyway, without further stalling here are a few things.

Here is a little cut out for my bardish class called an Acoustica. Uses a mechanic to string together different effects that result in songs. You make up your own songs with this system.



Norn
	The Norn species are a species that are obsessed with temporal mechanics. There are several sects of Norn that perform various tasks. The temporal knights ensure the river of time is not tampered with. Others invoke their will and powers on others in small ways, slowing or speeding up time. Many rogue Norn known as Tempists seek discord using their powers haphazardly changing sections of space in unpredictable ways.


Metan
The Metan are a race composed mainly of metallic compounds. Their homeworld is actually are large asteroid field that surrounds the galactic core. The central command of which is called Ceres. The metan have several clans formed in the names of Elemental alloys and metals. The Metan create massive galactic and stellar structures to live on. The asteroid field that surrounds the galactic core is actually organized into a hexagonal crystaline structure that gathers energy from the active nucleus. The Metan are known for crafting superb weapons and shells. Their shells are surpassed by none other.


Mechanis
The mechanis are isons which have chosen to resurrect a race of machines that have been extinct for a millennia. These isons have chosen to sever their connection with the central pulse, and forever inhabit their mechanis bodies. The Mechanis are currently on rocky terms with the Ison having chosen to live a separate lives from the collective. The ison also find enemies in the Metan, due to the fact that the Ison are inhabiting an ancient race known as the mechanis. The original mechanis were wiped out by a virus originated by the Metan along with the Lumina and Symphon using Metallic Harmonic Resonance rendering the original mechanic minds inert.


Ison
The Ison have been said to have spontaneously been created by the weave. The ison have arisen from the weave subprograms and created their home in the streams. Isons are linked together and have one universal brain, though they still retain their individuality providing specific functions of the society. Similar to how limbs on a human have different functions yet all are serviced by a central brain known as the pulse.

The weave is a new force that has arisen from time and folding of space. As such computational arrays have been integrated into the weave essentially creating a universal web which allows any creation to use it. 

The weave constantly grows and forms new connections like synapses in a brain. These ways are also how travel through the expanse is achieved like roads through the galaxy.



Gemin
The gemin are a subrace of metan composed of crystalline structures instead of metallic compounds. 


Elder
The Elder claim to have been the first race to have ever existed. Some even claim to have brought life to the universe in their image. The elder have large eyes and pointed ears. Unlike most races the elder experience the full breadth of the electromagnetic spectrum, they have no sense of taste, smell, sound or even tactile functions. Instead these are sensed by electric and magnetic fluctuations.


Dark Elder
The Dark Elder are a subspecies of the elder that have been mutated by dark energy by living on the edges of the expanse. As a result this race has a remarkable control over forces exerted by dark energy and dark matter. They have formed an alliance with the ataxia a race originating from outside the expanse originating from the dark recesses of the void.


Botan
The Botan are a race of sentient plants. As such they vary wildly in appearance depending on their home world. Many Botan take the path of the Natura. Botan have no need to eat or drink as they synthesize materials of sustenance from photosynthesis. The Botan have many different forms as they venture to other planets and colonies and take on the form of the natural flora. Some Botan are not necessarily plant based but Fungal based as well.


Binary


Ataxia
The ataxia are a race that come from outside the expanse living in the eternal void. They are defined by their inky black skin. They embody the negative space and make terrifying opponents. The Ataxia were banished long ago by the Lumina and have recently found their way back into the galaxy through their newfound allies of the Dark Eldar.






Arbiter Class
 Arbiters are usually charismatic and able to turn the tides of an encounter by use of their charm and strategy. Arbiters are sometimes accompanied by a Photonic Assisting Companion or PAC for short.  PACs are normally used for body guarding duty to protect their masters. PACS can be formed in many different ways suited to the Arbiter’s needs.


Anima
	The anima are a Hivemind of organic species. Technology is grown and cultivated rather than built. They assimilate technology and reproduce the efficiency in stem cells. The Anima do not have a homeworld, at least one that is known. Most anima have a seed they placed into planets to assimilate the life of the planets.


Ethereal 


Title Page


Symphon
The Symphon are a race of sonic based creatures. There are 7 Houses of the Symphon which live in a solar system that utilizes the notion of the music of the spheres. A belief that the universe can be known through orbits and complex rotations of planets , each producing a single note in the tapestry of the cosmos. In ancient times this notion was relegated only to the system of Tonis. Yet now in the expanse the Symphon try to understand a symphony vast and complex created by every physical phenomenon from the rotation of the galactic plane to the pulse of subatomic particles.
	The Symphon have 7 major houses to which the races belong: Ionia, Doria, Phrygia, Lydia, Mixolydia, Aeolia, Locria.


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## Matchstick (Jul 31, 2014)

The current Bundle of Holding has what looks to be a stellar (get it?!) deal on a SciFi game called "Stars Without Number".  I don't know anything about the game, but it might be worth checking out.

http://bundleofholding.com/index/current


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## Neonchameleon (Jul 31, 2014)

dm4hire said:


> Firefly is actually current.  Though still waiting for the book to come out.




And don't get confused - Firefly and Serenity aren't the same game at all.  Firefly is a rolling, backfiring romp of the sort I'd love to play Police Academy with.  Or any other game where things spiral out of control ridiculously.  Light, fast, entertaining, and makes you think on your feet.  Serenity is much grittier and to me the rules system is simply ugly.


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## Mikaela Barree (Aug 1, 2014)

I gotta shill for a moment about my own game, The Singularity System, which is setting-neutral and has really fun vehicle and starship combat. If anyone wants me to go further into it, I totally will. I can talk an ear off about that game.

But I still loves me some Shadowrun and Eclipse Phase. Depending on how you run a Hero campaign I can see that going quite well for future-y stuff as well (though I've honestly only used it for contemporary and fantasy stuff).


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