Yeah, this team would cook up one hell of a science-fiction game, and I'd love to see it, even with a completely new ruleset for it. Still, I think Pathfinder itself produces a whole lot of work to be done, so I'm not expecting it. Fun to think about, though!
Wasn't the GameMastery Guide suppose to have some stuff in it. It was about the only reason I had considered purchasing some PFRPG products (preferring to stick with 3.5 myself).
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If you like the solar system article and fantasy adventures in space, stay tuned...
:D
You tease.If you like the solar system article and fantasy adventures in space, stay tuned...
:D
Big tease.
Interesting! That IS quite a tease. Makes me wish I had more time for gaming. Of course, as the kids get older I'll have more time as I introduce them to the game.
I strongly recommend the Second Darkness AP, especially SD #2: Children of the Void. Not a lot of detail, but plenty of sword-and-planet teasers.
Also, I totally forgot to mention that there's a gazetteer of Golarion's solar system in Pathfinder #14: Children of the Void.
If you like the solar system article and fantasy adventures in space, stay tuned...
:D
So the book that Erik Mona wouldn't let James Jacobs tell us about at the Secrets of Golarion seminar at PaizoCon?
Hear hear! I too miss Spelljammer and Alternity. Legend of the Spelljammer is one of the greatest boxed sets ever made. Weird and wonderful, that's what I miss from the days I started gaming. You get a little of that with underdark/darklands stuff, but I prefer to look to the skies for that sort of thing.
But then, I liked Treasure Planet, so I'm clearly in the minority.
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I know this is not a Paizo product, but if you are interested in third party publishers, Clockwork Gnome Publishing is set to do a book on fantasy space travel called Sailing the Starlit Sea.
Here is the description from the site:
The ultimate frontier is now open! Through the power of magic, a mighty age of space travel has emerged. Explore far-flung planets, encounter alien cultures, and uncover terrible secrets that have been forgotten under the crush of centuries. A universe of adventure awaits those who dare to sail amongst the stars.
Sailing the Starlit Sea includes:
We are still settling on exactly what creatures will appear, but many of them will be inspired by classic sci-fi books and movies.
Of course, if the Paizo project is an extensive exploration of space travel, then that changes things a bit. So we are in "wait and see" mode to determine how things will develop.
You say classic scifi books and movies, but I would have expected more of a steampunk/clockwork sort of Space book from you. Especially with the Sailing and Sea in the title.
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You say classic scifi books and movies, but I would have expected more of a steampunk/clockwork sort of Space book from you. Especially with the Sailing and Sea in the title.
There will definitely be some inspiration taken from H.G. Wells and Jules Verne.
In some cases, the title, Sailing the Starlit Sea, is taken literally as a few ships resemble sea-going vessels. When it comes to other vessel types, the term is metaphorical. In both cases, magic is what allows propulsion, protection from deadly radiation, gravity, and the development of an atmospheric bubble. However, the cycling of air is handled through the presence of living, alchemically bred "lungs". These features do not occur naturally upon ships.
This is not to say that technology, both clockwork and futuristic, is not present. I do know that some ships will have steampunk/clockwork operations, but I am not yet sure how far we will be exploring higher technology. It will likely take a back seat until the future.
While the final monster list has not been set, there is a very good chance aliens inspired by The War of the Worlds will make their appearance. But they will stand tall next to space elementals, pod people, living starships, and sentient solar flares that disrupt magic the way solar flares disrupt communications on our own planet.
You say classic scifi books and movies, but I would have expected more of a steampunk/clockwork sort of Space book from you. Especially with the Sailing and Sea in the title.There will definitely be some inspiration taken from H.G. Wells and Jules Verne.
In some cases, the title, Sailing the Starlit Sea, is taken literally as a few ships resemble sea-going vessels. When it comes to other vessel types, the term is metaphorical. In both cases, magic is what allows propulsion, protection from deadly radiation, gravity, and the development of an atmospheric bubble. However, the cycling of air is handled through the presence of living, alchemically bred "lungs". These features do not occur naturally upon ships.
This is not to say that technology, both clockwork and futuristic, is not present. I do know that some ships will have steampunk/clockwork operations, but I am not yet sure how far we will be exploring higher technology. It will likely take a back seat until the future.
While the final monster list has not been set, there is a very good chance aliens inspired by The War of the Worlds will make their appearance. But they will stand tall next to space elementals, pod people, living starships, and sentient solar flares that disrupt magic the way solar flares disrupt communications on our own planet.
I don't know why I was giving "classic" a meaning other than Wells/Verne. I blame being a first generation Star Wars kid whose dad was a Star Trek fan. And Mona/Planet Stories.
This kind of space story has a lot more interest for me in a fantasy setting. Thanks for the clarification, Allen.
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Hmm. I'm working on something right now that is intended for gonzo GMs who like to screw with their players. Some rules subsytsems and a bestiary that will cover a range of "you got your sci-fi in my fantasy!" type scenarios, from encounters with away teams from a certain intergalactic confederation of planets, to getting swept up in the adventures of a certain time-traveling do-gooder, to an invasion of a bunch of grim, dark space knights on a crusade... Plus it will have robots. Lots and lots of robots. And chain guns.
I was thinking it'd have no competition. I really should have known better...
I know this is not a Paizo product, but if you are interested in third party publishers, Clockwork Gnome Publishing is set to do a book on fantasy space travel called Sailing the Starlit Sea.
How about a guesstimate as to how out in the pipe this is. I just started working on my own Pathfinder SciFi campaign background (Race + Class list) and this product would help tons in putting it together. I'm hoping he rules content will be Open.
As far as I'm concerned the Benchmark to meet would be the late great Dragonstar from Fantasy Flight Games. which used the 3.0 system as it's core. Fantastic idea for a setting and a pretty decent job in adapting D20 to space.
Yes, it was! Unfortunately it used Mind Flayers as the "Big Bad" of the setting.
So, when they become "product identity," Fantasy Flight had to abandon the setting. :(
As far as I'm concerned the Benchmark to meet would be the late great Dragonstar from Fantasy Flight Games. which used the 3.0 system as it's core. Fantastic idea for a setting and a pretty decent job in adapting D20 to space.Yes, it was! Unfortunately it used Mind Flayers as the "Big Bad" of the setting.
So, when they become "product identity," Fantasy Flight had to abandon the setting. :(
Weren't they always "product identity"?
You say classic scifi books and movies, but I would have expected more of a steampunk/clockwork sort of Space book from you. Especially with the Sailing and Sea in the title.There will definitely be some inspiration taken from H.G. Wells and Jules Verne.
In some cases, the title, Sailing the Starlit Sea, is taken literally as a few ships resemble sea-going vessels. When it comes to other vessel types, the term is metaphorical. In both cases, magic is what allows propulsion, protection from deadly radiation, gravity, and the development of an atmospheric bubble. However, the cycling of air is handled through the presence of living, alchemically bred "lungs". These features do not occur naturally upon ships.
This is not to say that technology, both clockwork and futuristic, is not present. I do know that some ships will have steampunk/clockwork operations, but I am not yet sure how far we will be exploring higher technology. It will likely take a back seat until the future.
While the final monster list has not been set, there is a very good chance aliens inspired by The War of the Worlds will make their appearance. But they will stand tall next to space elementals, pod people, living starships, and sentient solar flares that disrupt magic the way solar flares disrupt communications on our own planet.
I don't know why I was giving "classic" a meaning other than Wells/Verne. I blame being a first generation Star Wars kid whose dad was a Star Trek fan. And Mona/Planet Stories.
This kind of space story has a lot more interest for me in a fantasy setting. Thanks for the clarification, Allen.
No problem. I am happy to give details, though some of the product is still in the amorphous, development stage.
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I know this is not a Paizo product, but if you are interested in third party publishers, Clockwork Gnome Publishing is set to do a book on fantasy space travel called Sailing the Starlit Sea.How about a guesstimate as to how out in the pipe this is. I just started working on my own Pathfinder SciFi campaign background (Race + Class list) and this product would help tons in putting it together. I'm hoping he rules content will be Open.
I am going to be honest, the development cycle is still pretty young and there are some rules that are going to need some playtesting. I can tell you, without locking in a specific date at this time, at least 6 months. We have some products releasing in the mean time, but nothing quite like this.
I can tell you this book will be hefty. Nearly the entire book will be Open Content. The intent is to provide tools for other 3pps to develop their own space fantasy/science fantasy material, if such a thing appeals to them. Depending on how things fall out with the Paizo release schedule, we will do everything we possibly can to insure it is complimentary with whatever they have in mind.
Which is why we are kind of watching in anticipation to see what they have in store. Whatever Paizo has in mind is going to be top notch, I am sure.
I can also say that we will be developing supplementary material for Sailing the Starlit Sea based on demand. There will most certainly be at least one adventure connected to the book, with more coming if the book proves popular.
As far as I'm concerned the Benchmark to meet would be the late great Dragonstar from Fantasy Flight Games. which used the 3.0 system as it's core. Fantastic idea for a setting and a pretty decent job in adapting D20 to space.
I agree with this assessment. That setting was a treasure trove of awesome material. I am still a huge fan of Dragonstar to this day.
Has the creative team at Paizo ever concidered making a modern/ sci-fi varient of the Pathfinder rules? I think all you guys at paizo have done an amazing thing in continueing the 3.5 rules and gaming experience. If any team could do anything with the vast history of "Spell Jammer", "Alternity" and "D20 Modern" its you. I for one love sci-fi and would love to see your spin on that genre
I believe that Super Genius Games had discussed a Pathfinder Modern ruleset, but I am going to be honest I lost track of how far along that got.
Once again, not Paizo, but they are a fantastic company with amazing products. Sorry to keep referring to 3pps, as it seems a bit off topic, but I thought you might be interested in the other options out there.
+1 for wanting fantasy space rules.
While I enjoyed the "mediaeval" approach to Spelljammer, I would like some fantasy space rules which are more suited to a universe like ours (including sci-fi elements). For example, I could see "rivers of Phlogiston" as latent wormholes, which need "magic item X" to activate for quick journeys between solar systems. Or maybe some ancient spacefaring race built "space gates", which function as portals between two (or more) set points in space.
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Really, I'd rather see this team come up with a new system altogether for a sci fi space game. Then again, I'm on a different page for preference here, in that I'm not looking for another Spelljammer so much as I would be a swords & planets setting, or a combo Alien/Bladerunner/2001/Moon/Outland (yeah...)/Firefly/Event Horizon-inspired setting.
Has the creative team at Paizo ever concidered making a modern/ sci-fi varient of the Pathfinder rules? I think all you guys at paizo have done an amazing thing in continueing the 3.5 rules and gaming experience. If any team could do anything with the vast history of "Spell Jammer", "Alternity" and "D20 Modern" its you. I for one love sci-fi and would love to see your spin on that genre
By the way, this is not a new idea. :)
Or maybe some ancient spacefaring race built "space gates", which function as portals between two (or more) set points in space.
Chev-rune one activated.
Or maybe some ancient spacefaring race built "space gates", which function as portals between two (or more) set points in space.
Chev-rune one activated.
Yep! :D
Although that is not the only franchise to use the concept, IIRC.
Or maybe some ancient spacefaring race built "space gates", which function as portals between two (or more) set points in space.Chev-rune one activated.Yep! :D
Although that is not the only franchise to use the concept, IIRC.
Stargates are tech that was researchable in Master of Orion II (maybe MOO1 too, but I've never played it).
Or maybe some ancient spacefaring race built "space gates", which function as portals between two (or more) set points in space.
Or maybe some ancient spacefaring race built "space gates", which function as portals between two (or more) set points in space.Chev-rune one activated.Yep! :D
Although that is not the only franchise to use the concept, IIRC.
Indeed, many similar concepts have been used.
In fact, one could argue that ring gates are just smaller more limited versions of the same tech/magic. Not to mention the gate spell itself.
One of the things that makes the stargate ones more interesting is that a single gate can "dial" many more gates. Usually in most franchises a gate can only connect to one or two other gates. Often the gate connects to some other plane of existance/hyperspace and then you travel and come out of another pair of gates.
Or maybe some ancient spacefaring race built "space gates", which function as portals between two (or more) set points in space.
Yes, those are more like the (usually) planet-bound SGC stargate. But what I was really referring to are those gates which float in the vacuum of space, and are big enough to take a starship. Some are a set size (solid ring), others are just mechanisms which create a wormhole as big as required (Babylon 5?).
Or maybe some ancient spacefaring race built "space gates", which function as portals between two (or more) set points in space.Chev-rune one activated.Yep! :D
Although that is not the only franchise to use the concept, IIRC.
That is how interstellar travel will work in Sailing the Starlit Sea. Ancient space gates open wormholes between solar systems. Natural wormholes will also be explored.
Or maybe some ancient spacefaring race built "space gates", which function as portals between two (or more) set points in space.Yes, those are more like the (usually) planet-bound SGC stargate. But what I was really referring to are those gates which float in the vacuum of space, and are big enough to take a starship. Some are a set size (solid ring), others are just mechanisms which create a wormhole as big as required (Babylon 5?).
I would guess there isn't one in the Golarion solar system. but maybe in one near by.
Or maybe some ancient spacefaring race built "space gates", which function as portals between two (or more) set points in space.Chev-rune one activated.Yep! :D
Although that is not the only franchise to use the concept, IIRC.
That is how interstellar travel will work in Sailing the Starlit Sea. Ancient space gates open wormholes between solar systems. Natural wormholes will also be explored.
For those interested, Posthuman released Eclipse Phase last year that includes space travel via ships and jumpgates (as well as a bunch of other sci-fi ideas). It's licensed under Creative Commons, so you can legally download the PDF off the web for free. (Posthuman actually seeded the torrent.) And then if you like it, you can always buy the PDF for $15 or the hardcover.
If nothing else, you can take a look at how they did the mechanics under their own RPG system.
I've started work on my Pathfinder SciFi game. I have a list of races and classes mashed up.
I've decided to tackle psionics first; they essentially work like the Pathfinder spell system, but use spell points to power them instead of Spells per Day. The kineticist is the first base class I've made work on; imagine a cleric with extremely focused dedication in one domain (say Fire for a Firestarter Kineticist) that has the domain power increase in ability and expanded funcionality at each tier increase.
The Babylon 5 gates deserve special mention. By themselves the Jump Gates did not send you anywhere. They were openings to Hyperspace and in Hyperspace served as navigational beacons. An STL ship would enter the gate and lock itself on to the Beacon for the destination gate in range. If the ship lost it's beacon lock it would never find it's way out of Hyperspace again. Ships that generated thier own gates had the computing power to do thier own navigation in relation to standard space-time.
Quite true. I remember the episode where they had to make some kind of chain of ships to find something/someone lost in hyperspace.
(Note to self: get the entire B5 series + spin-offs on DVD sometime soon!)
PathJammer?
PathJammer?
STARFINDER
please, please, please no magic or elves in space