Sci-Fi
Below are all of the posts with the Sci-Fi tag. A post tagged with Sci-Fi means that it is about Sci-Fi. If a post references Sci-Fi but does not have the tag, then the post will not be in the list below. If a post has the Sci-Fi tag or mentions Sci-Fi, then it will be in the Glossary for "Sci-Fi".
I have ordered the posts from newest to oldest:
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The Fugitive’s Forge: Session 4
In this session, Andrei gathers some information about finding Nika’s former crew. Therein he swears a few vows and wonders when his luck will run out.
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The Fugitive’s Forge: Session 3
Andrei and the Luminous Sorrow engage in some bold and foolhardy subterfuge to break the blockade around Marrow. The dice are rather favorable and we close a chapter on Andrei’s vow to bring supplies to a forlorn orbital station.
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The Fugitive’s Forge: Session 2
Andrei sneaks Nika out of Paradox as the Clans Authority arrives. Caught in an uncertain situation, they begin their jump to Marrow. During transit they find some allies and launch a plan to smuggle supplies into Marrow.
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The Fugitive's Forge: Session 1
In which Andrei seeks help from a retired pirate who’s loyalties ensure that there’s no simple answers.
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Session 0 of The Fugitive’s Forge
A quick overview of the opening of a solo campaign set in Ironsworn: Starforged.
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Using Ruby to Merge Traveller and Stars without Number System Generators
Or How to Use Your Hobby to Keep your Professional Skills Sharp
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Pitches for an Upcoming RPG Campaign
A Preponderance of Options
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The Circles Subsystem of “Burning Wheel Gold”
A Higher Order Reaction Roll
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Amplifying the Blogosphere (v2021-06-27)
Not Much But Figured I’d Write Something
- Hiatus: New Vistas in the Thel Sector
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Session 16: New Vistas in the Thel Sector
A Short Session with some Information Gathering
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Let's Read “Worlds without Number: Tales of the Latter Earth”
Framing Expectations of Genre and System
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Let's Read “Worlds without Number”
An Old School Inspired Fantasy RPG
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Session 15: New Vistas in the Thel Sector
Prosthetics and Petty Thievery
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Recontextualizing my Relationship with Burning Wheel
Community Requires Governance and Accountability
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Session 14: New Vistas in the Thel Sector
Digital Forensics and Oracular Skulls
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Preamble to Session 14: New Vistas in the Thel Sector
Exposition
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Session 13: New Vistas in the Thel Sector
Charting a Course through the Intersection of Future and Past
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Sending some Interstitial Love Letters to the New Vistas Crew
Dear Player Characters, Tell Me More
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Session 12: New Vistas in the Thel Sector
Skullduggery and Explosions
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A Situation and Adventure Design Process
An Approach that Works for Me
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A Refinement to the Ubiquitous Initiative Procedure
Increasing the Unpredictability of Combat
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Session 11: New Vistas in the Thel Sector
Fleeting Thoughts and a Gunfight in a Library
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Probability of Stabilizing the Dying in “Stars without Number”
Another Foray into Probability and Computations
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Thinking Through Group Rolls for Stars and Worlds without Number
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Everyone Rolls
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Session 10: New Vistas in the Thel Sector
Stacks of Papers, a Medical Facility, a Pre-Tech Workshop, and a Psychic Hazard
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The Geemit - A Worlds without Number Demihuman
A Sentient Species of Amoeboid Storytellers
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Using the Organization Generator from “Soft Horizon” with a “Worlds without Number” Campaign
Drawing Inspiration from the Collision of Varied Randomization
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Session 9: New Vistas in the Thel Sector
Shots Fired, Lab Entered, and Talking with a Rock
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The Kvarzflett - A “Stars without Number” Sophont
A Rock and Lichen-Based Psychic Creature
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Tweaks in “Worlds without Number” to the “Stars without Number” Engine
Refinements to the Sine Nomine engine
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Session 8: New Vistas in the Thel Sector
Bringing Chekov’s Gun to a Recon Party
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Creating a Post-Human Ethnicity for a “Worlds without Number” Campaign
The Konuk, One of the Governing Ethnicities of the Latter Earth
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Session 7: New Vistas in the Thel Sector
Detectors, Escapees, and Beauracratic Moles
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Let’s Read “Stars without Number” - Example Character Creation
Rolling up a quick and random character
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Session 6: New Vistas in the Thel Sector
A Quick Meeting at a Public Tavern
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Using Emacs While Running Online Games
These Are The Tools I Use for Table Top Gaming
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Session 5: New Vistas in the Thel Sector
Back from Haitus with Subterfuge and Reconaissance
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Let's Read “Traveller: Core Rulebook - Piecing Things Together”
A Few Random Tables to Launch a Campaign
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Let's Read “Traveller: Core Rulebook - The Sindal Sector”
A Quick Overview of a Third Imperium Sub-Sector
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Let's Read “Traveller: Core Rulebook - World and Universe Creation”
Procedures Make the World Go Round
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Let's Read “Traveller: Core Rulebook - Trade”
Worldbuilding Through Random Commerce Tables
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Let's Read “Traveller: Core Rulebook - Psionics”
Even Mind Powers Abide by Conservation of Matter
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Let's Read “Traveller: Core Rulebook - Common Spacecraft”
Quirky Ships and Isomorphic Maps
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Let's Read “Traveller: Core Rulebook - Space Combat”
For Sci-Fi RPGs, I Envision Spaceship Combat
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Let's Read “Traveller: Core Rulebook - Space Operations”
Space Ships Ain’t Cheap and There’s a Lot to Them
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Let's Read “Traveller: Core Rulebook - Vehicles”
Plains, Trains, and Automobiles
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Let's Read “Traveller: Core Rulebook - A Fourth and Final Example of Character Creation”
Having Loads of Fun Rolling Up Characters
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Let's Read “Traveller: Core Rulebook - A Third Example of Character Creation”
Because Rolling Lots of Dice is Fun
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Let's Read “Traveller: Core Rulebook - Equipment”
Gadgets, Augmentations, Weapons, and Armor
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Let's Read “Traveller: Core Rulebook - Encounters and Dangers”
In Space, Dangers are More Varied
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Let's Read “Traveller: Core Rulebook - Combat”
Quick and Dangerous with Some Nice Skill Additions
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Let's Read “Traveller: Core Rulebook - Skills and Tasks”
Mechanics for Characters to Take Action
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Let's Read “Traveller: Core Rulebook - A Second Example of Character Creation”
More of the Traveller Character Creation Mini-Game
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Let's Read “Traveller: Core Rulebook - An Example of Character Creation”
Playing Through the Traveller Character Creation Mini-Game
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Let's Read “Traveller: Core Rulebook - Character Creation”
A (Deathless) Mini-Game to Create Your Character
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Let's Read “Traveller: Core Rulebook”
A New Look for an Old School Game
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Session 4: New Vistas in the Thel Sector
Many an Interview Leads to a Reveal
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The Player Characters (and new Alien) of New Vistas
Not a Warrior Amongst Them
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Session 3: New Vistas in the Thel Sector
Archaic Laws and Arms Sales Gone Wrong
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Thel Sector System Overview
A Systems Overview from New Vistas
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Session 2: New Vistas in the Thel Sector
Making an Arms Deal and a Contact
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Session 1: New Vistas in the Thel Sector
Into the Utopic and Pastoral Past
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Once More, a “Stars without Number” Campaign
Getting Started with a Campaign and Repurposing Past Work
- Playstorming a “Stars without Number” Space Combat - Take 2
- Playstorming a “Stars without Number” Space Combat
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A New Fighter Class Starship for “Stars without Number”
Stripped of a spike-drive, the Owl-class Sentinel remains a versatile system ship or a compliment to a Carrier. With extended stores, its crew can spend longer in space. Combining its extended stores and emission dampers, the Owl can observe a hardened system entry-point without tipping its hand. If it chooses to break cover, its Fractal Impact Charge brings a dangerous punch.
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Session 2 exploring the Thel-Sector of “Stars without Number”
This week, for the second session of our Thel Sector campaign, the PCs snapped into action. They met up with a contact who was part of the rebellion and enlisted an Ózu to travel to Ilios (on the pretense of participating in a game show).
With an Ózu on the team, they cased an administrator’s house. Launched a daring plan. And murdered the administrator of the Compass Sodality, obtaining a Pretech artifact.
When a capital fleet entered the system, they hid in Fog of Alcazar. With the help of a half-dozen Ózu, they broke into a Pretech compound, fought a warbot (and lost). They woke up a few days later, but something changed.
- Session 1 of a “Stars without Number” Campaign
- Preparing a Short-Term “Stars without Number” Campaign
- Adding a “Stars without Number” Dataset for gm-notepad
- Let's Read “Codex of the Black Sun” - Seeds of Stranger Fruit
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Let's Read “Codex of the Black Sun” - Black Stars Uncounted
Codex of the Black Sun’s first chapter, Black Stars Uncounted, discusses mixing sorcery into sci-fi. The opening paragraph frames the entire conversation of the book: What are the considerations for adding sorcery to your Stars without Number’s campaign?
Codex of the Black Sun positions itself as a suite of optional components to add to your game. Kevin Crawford discusses creating a new campaign or adding to an existing campaign.
- Let's Read “Codex of the Black Sun”
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Let's Read “Stars without Number” - Game Master Resources
Stars without Number: Revised Edition ’s Game Master Resources chapter discusses common complications, interstellar trade, converting prior from edition, house rules, name generators, and one-roll generators.
First a discussion about ensuring the game is played and prepared for your table.
- Let's Read “Stars without Number” - Factions
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Let's Read “Stars without Number” - Xenobestiary
Stars without Number: Revised Edition ’s Xenobestiary chapter sets the tone by reinforcing a sandbox-style play. The following paragraph opens the discussions about encounters; Give players notice about looming hellbeasts; Street thugs won’t likely fight until the bitter end; And most importantly, reiterating that combat is dangerous!
From here, Stars without Number: Revised Edition dives into the Reaction Roll: its usage and importance—“they help a GM adjudicate a situation in a potentially surprising or interesting way.”
- Let’s Read “Stars without Number” - Adventure Creation
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Let’s Read “Stars without Number” - Sector Creation
For this section we’ll dive into Sector Creation: the wheelhouse of all Sine Nomine products.
Where there are starships, there are sectors and star systems.
Stars without Number: Revised Edition provides a procedure for populating an 8×10 hex map. You’ll place 20 + 1d10 systems on random spots on this 8×10 map (roll a d8 and a d10 to determine location).
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Let’s Read “Stars without Number” - The History of Space
For this section we’ll dive into The History of Space. Unlike prior chapters, the History of Space is very much a “fluff” chapter.
The default setting of Stars without Number: Revised Edition is a far future age in which the sprawling, glorious domain of human space has been reduced to a scattering of squabbling powers and long-lost worlds. The ancient domain of humanity has shrunken with the collapse of the psi-powered Jump Gates that once stitched the remote regions of the frontier into the teeming worlds of the human core.
Now, almost six hundred years after the catastrophe that ended the Golden Age of Man, new hope rises from the wreckage of a fallen empire.
- Let’s Read “Stars without Number” - Starships
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Ten Influential RPGs (for me)
My list of the top 10 influencing RPGs as well as why.
- Let's Read “Stars without Number” - Equipment and Vehicles
- Let’s Read “Stars without Number” - “Systems - Hacking, Advancement, and Hazards”
- Let’s Read “Stars without Number” – Scenes, Saves, and Skill Checks
- Let's Read “Stars without Number” - Combat and Healing
- Let's Read “Stars without Number” - Psionics
- Let's Read “Stars Without Number” - Character Creation
- Let's Read “Stars without Number” - Into the Waiting Light
- Let's read “Stars without Number”
- Gaming Violence and Children
- Just Arrived – Skyward Steel and Darkness Visible
- RPG Bucket List Or Gaming Resolution for 2012
- Interesting, Albeit Pointless Stats for My Blog
- Contemplating Scene Economy with Seven Players
- Burning Wheel and Bloodstone
- GenCon Games on Demand - Bulldogs!
- Character Creation Session for Family Bulldogs Adventure
- Using Hollowpoint to flesh out our Diaspora campaign
- Diaspora: The Precious Few, Session #5
- Converting Star Frontier's Vrusk into Bulldogs!
- Bulldogs! Pre-Release Review
- Good News Everyone…Bulldogs! RPG is Here!
- Planning Diaspora: The Precious Few, Session #5
- Diaspora Spacecraft Rules Addendum #1
- Z is for Zebullon's Guide to Frontier Space
- Diaspora: The Precious Few, Session #4
- Planning Diaspora: The Precious Few, Session #4
- Diaspora: The Precious Few, Session #3
- B is for Burning Empires
- A is for Alpha Dawn
- Diaspora: The Precious Few, Session #2
- Diaspora military campaign
- Planning Diaspora: The Precious Few, Session #2
- T1 System Ships of the Exxon Theocracy
- A Couple of T2 Intended to Traverse Hostile Regions
- Two T1 Diaspora Spaceships
- A Handful of T2 Diaspora Spaceships
- Diaspora: The Precious Few, Session #1
- Cluster Creation Diaspora