Just a quick question: How compatible with Star Frontiers will FrontierSpace be? Specifically, if I were to do a write-up for a new species for SF, would it be usable as-is in a FS game?
I ask because I am currently writing the second issue of my self-published Zine, with a theme of Military Science Fiction, and I have three new species introduced. For each I am including a SF stat block, and a more generic D20 block. So, I'm just wondering if the SF block would require any modification when FS comes out.
Thanks!
Tom,
This sounds like a Bill question. Not because I am unfamiliar with either Star Frontiers or FrontierSpace, but rather because he is much more of the game mechanic/game tinkerer than I am. We are supposed to be meeting shortly for our weekly video DwD meeting so I will mention your question to him then. Who are your inpirations for the military sci-fi writer wise. There a wide variety out there ranging from pulp to hard science. I am always interested in that sort of thing.
Mark
Assuming I can scrounge up some decent artwork, the issue will be live some time next month. In it I am including a section I am calling "Appendix N" for obvious reasons. It has a whole list of books, movies and TV shows that fit the bill.
A large portion of the issue, though, is kind of a "nuts and bolts" about how the real-world military works, and how to integrate some of that into an RPG to give it an authentic feel. That part is based on my personal experience as both an Air Force Brat, and as an Army Vet. :)
FrontierSpace will use the same basic mechanical structure as Barebones Fantasy and Covert Ops. Although it will be expanded to include those things required for use in a sci fi setting, and will have a bit more nuts and bolts, but mechanically it will be quite similar. So if you find either BareBones Fantasy or Covert Ops compatible with Star Frontiers, then you'll find Frontierspace to have a similar level of compatibility. On the other hand, if you find either of those two games incompatible with Star Frontiers, then you'll also find Frontierspace incompatible. I hope that helps.
However, what most of us found enjoyable about Star Frontiers wasn't the game mechanics but the broad brushstroke setting and intriguing races. There would be nothing stopping anyone from using FrontierSpace with ANY of their favorite sci fi settings, and since the GM book will include a subsystem to help a GM create races, I am pretty confident you can play FrontierSpace with the Star Frontiers setting. I'm betting SOMEONE will probably put together a some fan-material for it :-)
I think the stats I put in for use with Star Frontiers would be generic enough to easily convert to FrontierSpace. So, that should work.
And I have no doubt that SOMEONE will do some fan material... o.o
Still very much looking forward to FS. You need to get hoppin'! ;)
I'm certain conversion will be needed in the skills, but not too much. I doubt races will need any conversion; after all, they are just a couple of ability modifiers and a percentile-based special ability or two. (The percentile may need adjusting, perhaps.)