Once on Blue Moon

Game Master Xabulba

A few years ago I started a Star Frontiers game, unfortunately I was suffering from RPG burnout at the time and I canceled the game (all the games I was running) so after a few years recovery I want to start again. I'm offering a guaranteed spot to the players I left in the lurch, if they still around and want to play, but I an also opening recruitment for around 6 new players.

http://www.dwdstudios.com/starfrontiers has all the rule books and supplements for free if you need them. I will be using their updated Zebulon's Guide as the main rule book. All supplements are usable if you want, including Gamma Dawn. If you do use Gamma Dawn for character creation I get last word and approval before play.

The basic premise of the game is you are a member of a survey team heading to a newly discovered blue moon when stuff happens.

Is this pbp? I would be interested.

I just went through a bunch of my old RPG stuff and found Star Frontiers. If accepted I will try to refresh my memory. All I ever saw/had was the core boxed set.

Yes PBP.

wow, star frontiers. Consider me interested (the original boxed set was the second rpg set I ever owned).

Color me interested. I love sci-fi rpgs!

One thing I don't like about the older character gen systems, like this one, is that random roles forces a character concept. Most people don't have fun insisting on playing a barbarian with a 7 strength, or a wizard with a 9 intelligence.

STR: 1d100 ⇒ 12 poor
STA: 1d100 ⇒ 91 remarkable

DEX: 1d100 ⇒ 55 average
RS: 1d100 ⇒ 88 excellent

INT: 1d100 ⇒ 82 excellent
LOG: 1d100 ⇒ 15 poor

PER: 1d100 ⇒ 74 good
LDR: 1d100 ⇒ 32 below average

I'll keep looking at the rules before making more decisions

I think you only roll four times so str/sta would be the same ... but then you can move up to 10 points from one to the other ... so you might start with 50/50 but could end up with 40/60 (And racial modifiers effect it too of course.)

Ha! a blast from the past.
Interested.

One thing I don't like about the older character gen systems, like this one, is that random roles forces a character concept. Most people don't have fun insisting on playing a barbarian with a 7 strength, or a wizard with a 9 intelligence.

[dice=STR]1d100 poor
[dice=STA]1d100 remarkable

[dice=DEX]1d100 average
[dice=RS]1d100 excellent

[dice=INT]1d100 excellent
[dice=LOG]1d100 poor

[dice=PER]1d100 good
[dice=LDR]1d100 below average

I'll keep looking at the rules before making more decisions

You only four times, once for each stat pair. After your roll you can swap up to 10 point between the paired stats. I am also using the Zebulon guide for the game if you need to download it you can get it here free, http://www.dwdstudios.com/starfrontiers.

RyanH
Vrog Skyreaver
fnord72
Spazmodeus

Thanks for the interest in the game, make up some characters and hopefully we can game together.

http://www.dwdstudios.com/starfrontiers has all the rule books and supplements for free if you need them. I will be using their updated Zebulon's Guide as the main rule book. All supplements are usable if you want, including Gamma Dawn. If you do use Gamma Dawn for character creation I get last word and approval before play.

Cool ... rolling ...

STR/STA: 1d100 ⇒ 22 : 40/40
DEX/RS: 1d100 ⇒ 56 : 50/50
INT/LOG: 1d100 ⇒ 81 : 60/60
PER/LDR: 1d100 ⇒ 89 : 60/60

Wealth: 1d100 + 250 ⇒ (37) + 250 = 287

STr/Sta 1d100 ⇒ 83 60/60
DEX/RS 1d100 ⇒ 13 35/35
Int/Log 1d100 ⇒ 92 65/65
PER/LDR 1d100 ⇒ 97 70/70

Nice. I'll have to do a bit of reading to re-aquaint myself with the rules.

STR/STA: 1d100 ⇒ 10 10/10 (otherwise, I'd probably be dead)

DEX/RS: 1d100 ⇒ 72 72/72

INT/LOG: 1d100 ⇒ 7676/76

PER/LDR: 1d100 ⇒ 7565/85

Probably going to be human

What are you thoughts on the mentalist profession?

Interested. Let's see where this takes me.

STR/STA: 1d100 ⇒ 53 -> Average 45/45
DEX/RS: 1d100 ⇒ 85 -> Excellent 60/60
INT/LOG: 1d100 ⇒ 3 -> Feeble 30/30
PER/LDR: 1d100 ⇒ 96 -> Incredible 70/70

Well, there goes my "anonymous starship mechanic thrust into greatness" background. This guy (girl?) couldn't reason his (her?) way out of a wet paper bag. :-)

Wealth (after purchase of Standard Equipment Pack): 100 + 1d100 ⇒ 100 + (71) = 171

I'm a complete newbie to Star Frontiers, but I've completed or am participating in several PbP games here and have a log history with D&D & Pathfinder.

If there's room I'd like a spot. I've been looking for a d20 Future game for a while -- I'm glad to see there's a scifi RPG I wasn't aware of.

[dice=STR/STA]1d100 10/10 (otherwise, I'd probably be dead)

[dice=DEX/RS]1d100 72/72

[dice=INT/LOG]1d10076/76

[dice=PER/LDR]1d10065/85

Probably going to be human

What are you thoughts on the mentalist profession?

It's not a direct roll ... for instance your roll of a 10 actually equals a 30/30

So you're
STR/STA : 30/30
DEX/RS : 55/55
INT/LOG: 55/55
PER/LDR: 55/55

ABILITY SCORE TABLE
Roll Score Notes
01-10 = 30 Feeble
11-20 = 35 Poor
21-35 = 40 Below Average
36-55 = 45 Average
56-70 = 50 Above Average
71-80 = 55 Good
81-90 = 60 Excellent
91-95 = 65 Remarkable
96-00 = 70 Incredible

fair enough. I was looking at the Zebulon guide, which might say that and I could have missed that (I do things like that on occasion).

Gamma Dawn reminds me of the old Gamma World.

So, as members of a survey team, we will be expected to fill certain roles.

Are you willing to allow some swapping (like switch values for two pairs)?

Have you decided what kind of roles you want filled?

Do we work for a government, corporation, or are we all freelancers?

Gamma Dawn reminds me of the old Gamma World.

So, as members of a survey team, we will be expected to fill certain roles.

Are you willing to allow some swapping (like switch values for two pairs)?

Have you decided what kind of roles you want filled?

Do we work for a government, corporation, or are we all freelancers?

1) Yep it's Gamma World with Star Frontiers rules.

2) I don't expect the party fill every position within the survey team, you are just the survivors of the survey team. Skill sets for secretaries or chefs wouldn't be appropriate for the game. Some diplomacy skills are always useful to have.

3) I will allow you to swap one set of stat pairs, ie swap the roll for Str/Sta with on of the others. you can only do this once. You can still move up tp 10 within a stat pair.

4) See #2

5) you are freelancers hired to survey a blue moon for the PGC. I leave it up to you guys if you worked together before.

Interested. Let's see where this takes me.

[dice=STR/STA]d100 -> Average 45/45
[dice=DEX/RS]d100 -> Excellent 60/60
[dice=INT/LOG]d100 -> Feeble 30/30
[dice=PER/LDR]d100 -> Incredible 70/70

Well, there goes my "anonymous starship mechanic thrust into greatness" background. This guy (girl?) couldn't reason his (her?) way out of a wet paper bag. :-)

[dice=Wealth (after purchase of Standard Equipment Pack)]100+d100

I'm a complete newbie to Star Frontiers, but I've completed or am participating in several PbP games here and have a log history with D&D & Pathfinder.

If there's room I'd like a spot. I've been looking for a d20 Future game for a while -- I'm glad to see there's a scifi RPG I wasn't aware of.

It doesn't matter to me if your're new to the rules, I'm a bit rusty on them myself, as long as we have fun.

Current roster:
RyanH
Vrog Skyreaver
fnord72
Spazmodeus
Caro Cogitatus

Caro Cogitatus here. Hope I've got this right. Meet Kara Saint-Germaine:

Race: Human Gender: Female Handedness: Right Height: 1.7m Weight: 70kg Hair: blonde Eyes: green Skin: beige

STR/STA: 45/50 PS: +3
DEX/RS: 60/60 Dex Mod: +1CS IM: +6 Melee: 60 Ranged: 60
INT/LOG: 35/32
PER/LDR: 70/70

Dodge: 15 Walk: 10 Run: 30 Hourly: 5 km
Climb: 2 Crawl: 2 Swim: 10 Swim Hourly: 1.0 km
Standing Leap: 2.0 Running Leap: 5.0 Stand Vertical Leap: 2.0 Run Vertical Leap: 4.0

Profession: SciSpec
Occupation Standing: megacorp employee
PSA: Biosocial

*** Weapons ***
Sonic Knife MW:73% RW:-- Damage:3d10 Ammo:SEU SEU:1/hit Rate:-- Defense:Sonic Range(PB/S/M/L/E):-- cost:50 weight:1kg
Martial Arts NW:74% RW:-- Damage:4

*** Skills ***(SL=Skill Level, CS=Column Shift)
Intelligence (INT+5,LOG+2) cost:0
Medical Diagnosis[1] (SL+2CS) cost:1
Medical Devices[1] (SL+1CS) cost:1
Zoology[1] (SL+2CS) cost:1
Chemistry[1] (SL+2CS) cost:1
Medical Treatment: Wounds I[1] (Level+X) cost:1
Medical Treatment: Radiation[1] (SL) cost:1
Medical Treatment: Infestation[1] (SL) cost:1
Computers: Access & Operate[1] (Level+X-1CS/COML) cost:1
Weapons: Martial Arts[1] (SL) cost:2
italics = Non-profession skill

Initial Wealth: 171 (plus Standard Equipment Pack)

*** Equipment ***
Standard Equipment Pack 1 kg, cost: 150
· Chronocom
· Coveralls or uniform with many pouches/pockets
· Doze Grenade
· First Aid Pack with bandages, antiseptic, etc.
· ID Card
· Pocket Flashlight
· Pocket Tool
· Staydose
· Stimdose
· Sungoggles
· Survival Rations (5 days)
Sonic Knife (Melee +10) cost:50 weight:1kg Damage:3d10 Ammo:SEU SEU:1/hit Rate:-- Defense:Sonic Range(PB/S/M/L/E):--
Credits: 121

Since she is not expecting to be in harm's way (treating wounded in a relatively safe field hospital or ship's medical bay), she does not feel the need to buy much in the way of weapons or survival gear, save only a personal defense weapon she carries hidden at all times.

@GM Xabulba, I don't think you've answered regarding stat swaps (i.e., swap the rolled values for STR/STA and DEX/RS) and whether Mentalists are allowed. Both answers may change my character drastically. I believe I qualify for original-rules Mentalist PSA, but not Zebulon-rules Mentalist (and likely never will, with my "feeble" LOG score).

he said we could make one pair swap, like in your example.

I haven't found the mentalists, what book was that in?

I haven't found the mentalists, what book was that in?

Alpha Dawn ("original") rulebook, available here.

The rest can be downloaded from here.

I might give this a try. I don't think I ever played Star Frontiers, as our group tried Traveller, but I recognize the cover. I'm sure I looked at it during various trips to the gaming store in the 80's.

STR/STA: 1d100 ⇒ 85 -> 60 Excellent
DEX/RS: 1d100 ⇒ 81 -> 60 Excellent
INT/LOG: 1d100 ⇒ 55 -> 45 Average
PER/LDR: 1d100 ⇒ 16 -> 35 Poor

Wealth (after purchase of Standard Equipment Pack): 100 + 1d100 ⇒ 100 + (54) = 154

Hmm, not a bad start. Let me see what I can do with this. Assuming I don't swap anything, I'm probably leaning towards Techex.

Scrolling through the Zebulon rules, it appears that stats are primarily used for combat and don't effect your ability to perform a skill. Do I understanding that correctly or am I missing something?

Help me understand the skills. On page 16 in section 4: Profession, it states:

When a character starts the game he receives 20 experience points, gleaned from years of study, practicing, apprenticeship, or whatever.

Immediately 10 points are spent on joining a profession.

And then on the next page in section 6: Skills

Once a character joins a profession he can spend his remaining experience points on any of his profession's skills. Any skills purchased with the remaining 10 experience pointsare known by the character when the game begins.

So can the first 10 be any skills at a 1:1 ratio, then the second 10 would be 1:1 on professional skills and 2:1 on non-professional?

Also, looking at everyone's rolls so far, with a decent str and dex, I could go enforcer for some offense.

Not an expert (see above where I describe myself as a "complete newbie"), but IMHO they should have just said:

A character must join one of the following professions...and receives 10 experience points to spend on skills.

Your profession gives you a freebie skill (specified, not your choosing) that improves one set of stats, and your profession defines which skills are low cost and which are not.

The whole "spend 10 points on a profession" is just confusing. IIRC the Zebulon guide has a simpler method where you choose 6 in-profession skills and 2 out-profession skills, which adds up to 10 points. I suppose if you want to min/max you can immediately bump up a skill to level 2 or 3, but for starting characters 10 points is what you have to spend.

Updated. Swapped one set of stats and corrected combat bonuses for Zebulon's system.

Any more room?

Using my first four scores for my stats (12, 91, 55, 88) I get a base of:

STR/STA 35/35
DEX/RS 65/65
INT/LOG 45/45
PER/LDR 60/60

I'm switching the last two sets, and going with human, and having seen no objections, going with a mentalist.

BASE--Modified
STR/STA 35/35 -5/-5
DEX/RS 65/65 -5/
INT/LOG 60/60 -5/+30
PER/LDR 45/45 /-5

Final
STR/STA 30/30
DEX/RS 60/65
INT/LOG 55/90
PER/LDR 45/40

Disciplines (3+4)
Channeling I 1
Telekinesis 1
Telepathy: Aliens 1
Telepathy: Characters 1
Teleport: Limited 2
Teleport: Unlimited 1

I believe this gets me something of a basic psionic character that is incapable of doing just about anything else. Why a mentalist can't learn to shoot a slug gun or how to sneak around is beyond me.

Any more room?

Yes there is.

I believe this gets me something of a basic psionic character that is incapable of doing just about anything else. Why a mentalist can't learn to shoot a slug gun or how to sneak around is beyond me.

Mentalist are rare and highly valued, the groups and corps that can train them in hi-tech equipment, when they include physical training they focus on skills that sharpen mental awareness such as martial arts. Slug throwers are low tech, and stealth training is a waste of effort when the corp can provide a stealth suit.

Going to be travelling this weekend, will get a profile up around Tues.

I am going to switch sets between STR/STA and PER/LDR. Security officer Mcluntz is not a leader, but in great shape.

So, final stats will be:
STR/STA 50/60
DEX/RS 65/50
INT/LOG 55/55
PER/LDR 30/30

IM: 6
PS: +3
RW: 33
MW: 33
DM: +1

Profession: Enforcer (Self-Employed)
Skills: (PSA: Military)
Endurance 1
Weapons: Beam Weapons 2
Weapons: Demolitions 1
Weapons: Grenades 1
Weapons: Martial Arts 1
Weapons: Powered Assault Armor 2
Weapons: Repair 1
Computers: Access and Operate 1
Running 1

Credits: 1d100 + 250 ⇒ (32) + 250 = 282

So far we have an enforcer, a scispec, and a mentalist. I'm still leaning towards Techex, maybe focusing on robots, but considering a Humma enforcer with the spring charge, but it would seem to only be useful in open areas. Not being familiar with the game, how often will that be the case during combat? I'd hate to build a character around an ability I'll never get to use.

So far we have an enforcer, a scispec, and a mentalist. I'm still leaning towards Techex, maybe focusing on robots, but considering a Humma enforcer with the spring charge, but it would seem to only be useful in open areas. Not being familiar with the game, how often will that be the case during combat? I'd hate to build a character around an ability I'll never get to use.

The spring charge would be useful almost everywhere, bars, offices, forests, jungles, almost everywhere. The only places it wouldn't be useful is underwater or in very tight surroundings like natural tunnels, air vents and the like. Humma may look like kangaroos but they are much more agile, a 360° 25m leap from a standing start is something a kangaroo could never do.

Current roster:
RyanH
Vrog Skyreaver - Mcluntz, Enforcer
fnord72 - Mentalist
Spazmodeus
Caro Cogitatus - Kara Saint-Germaine, SciSpec
thzero

Got the campaign info and discussion page set-up head on over when you can.

Current roster:
RyanH
Vrog Skyreaver - Mcluntz, Enforcer
fnord72 - Mentalist
Spazmodeus
Caro Cogitatus - Kara Saint-Germaine, SciSpec
thzero

Am I in?

Sorry, forgot to add your name. Yes you're in.

Current roster:
RyanH
Vrog Skyreaver - Mcluntz, Enforcer
fnord72 - Mentalist
Spazmodeus
Caro Cogitatus - Kara Saint-Germaine, SciSpec
thzero
AGamer70

awesomke, i'll get the rest of the crunch and a profile set up.

Ok, I'll try a Humma Enforcer.

Modifying my base numbers of:
STR/STA: 1d100 ⇒ 85 -> 60/60 +2/+5+10
DEX/RS: 1d100 ⇒ 81 -> 60/60 0/0
INT/LOG: 1d100 ⇒ 55 -> 45/45 -10/+10
PER/LDR: 1d100 ⇒ 16 -> 35/35 -10/0

Gives me:

STR/STA: 62/75
DEX/RS: 60/60
INT/LOG: 35/55
PER/LDR: 25/35

I'll work on my skills and hopefully have an alias up by tomorrow.

Just to confirm, we get 10 skill points to start with, correct?

Ok, I'll try a Humma Enforcer.

Modifying my base numbers of:
STR/STA: 1d100 ⇒ 85 -> 60/60 +2/+5+10
DEX/RS: 1d100 ⇒ 81 -> 60/60 0/0
INT/LOG: 1d100 ⇒ 55 -> 45/45 -10/+10
PER/LDR: 1d100 ⇒ 16 -> 35/35 -10/0

Gives me:

STR/STA: 62/75
DEX/RS: 60/60
INT/LOG: 35/55
PER/LDR: 25/35

I'll work on my skills and hopefully have an alias up by tomorrow.

Just to confirm, we get 10 skill points to start with, correct?

Yes.

equipment: 1d100 ⇒ 81

Profile linked.

Not sure what to do with equipment. Stuff I want isn't listed. Rest is way outside the pocket change we start with.

Folding pocket knife, multi-tool, swiss army knife, small first aid kit, smart phone with library, music player, solar charger, pocket water purifier, pens, etc. (Yes, these are all items that are in my workbag that I have every day, among other items)

There's some low-cost equipment in issue #1 of Star Frontiersman (available here) that <JediMindTrick>I would use if I could</JediMindTrick>.

Each of you will start with following equipment free;
1 Albedo Screen with 3 SEU20 charge packs
1 Skeinsuit
1 hand weapon of your choice with 3 full clips of ammo

The escape pod is equipped with;
1 techkit
1 medkit
1 envirokit

Ok, since Agamer70 went with enforcer I will go with the TechEx Robot guy ... need to look into builds ...

@RyanH - I haven't had time to finish so I'm willing to switch.

@RyanH - I haven't had time to finish so I'm willing to switch.

I was originally planning on a robot focused guy, but was waiting to see what you picked, so I'm good.

Is "Robotics" for instance one skill giving you all the sub categories, or do you need to take each skills "Activate/Deactivate, Alter Functions, Alter Mission, etc"

Is "Robotics" for instance one skill giving you all the sub categories, or do you need to take each skills "Activate/Deactivate, Alter Functions, Alter Mission, etc"

Each sub-skill must be bought separately.