Post by Shifty on Mar 31, 2019 11:50:06 GMT 9.5
Hey Folks.
So, I have been thinking about which roleplaying game to run for our next adventure. I always have at least a dozen ideas on the backburner at any given time, but I have managed to narrow it down to two choices. I believe that the players should always have at least a little bit of input in what we end up doing, since it is as much your story as it is mine, so I am going to leave it up to a poll for the final decision.
The two choices are Stars Without Number, and Forbidden Lands.
Obviously, a bit of googling will tell you everything you need to know about both systems, but I’ll break it down for you a little bit here.
Stars Without Number is a Science Fiction RPG, where you play as a gang of rogues wandering the galaxy after a cataclysmic even called “The Scream”. Forbidden Lands is a Fantasy RPG, where you play as a gang of rogues wandering the valley after a cataclysmic event called “The Blood Mist”.
As you can see, both games have their similarities. But they’re actually even more similar than they appear. They are both old school style games, where death comes fast and often. They are both in the hex-crawl genre of exploration, where you map out the world/galaxy around you as you travel. And they both share a kind of mini-game or subsystem, where you maintain a travelling spacecraft in one, and a functioning stronghold in the other. They are also both designed as “low prep” games for the GM, wherein I am generally expected to be very lazy, and make it up as I go along, or roll on tables to determine what happens as you find new places in each hex.
So how are they different?
Well, Stars Without Number has spaceships, and I have a slightly more detailed plan of approach to the campaign. I.e. You will be playing as members of a heavy metal band on tour, and will probably have to put on a gig at each new planet you come across. Forbidden Lands will probably be run as a bit more player driven. The game will be about more or less whatever you guys end up doing. Stars Without Number has been around for a lot longer, and thus has a lot more supporting material online. While Forbidden Lands has only just come out in print after a successful Kickstarter campaign. Stars Without Number is downloadable for free at this link, but I don’t have anything actually in print for it. While I have in my possession the Forbidden Lands box set, which comes with some very nice hardbound leather books, and a great big beautiful map to put stickers on.
I leave the final decision in your capable hands.
So, I have been thinking about which roleplaying game to run for our next adventure. I always have at least a dozen ideas on the backburner at any given time, but I have managed to narrow it down to two choices. I believe that the players should always have at least a little bit of input in what we end up doing, since it is as much your story as it is mine, so I am going to leave it up to a poll for the final decision.
The two choices are Stars Without Number, and Forbidden Lands.
Obviously, a bit of googling will tell you everything you need to know about both systems, but I’ll break it down for you a little bit here.
Stars Without Number is a Science Fiction RPG, where you play as a gang of rogues wandering the galaxy after a cataclysmic even called “The Scream”. Forbidden Lands is a Fantasy RPG, where you play as a gang of rogues wandering the valley after a cataclysmic event called “The Blood Mist”.
As you can see, both games have their similarities. But they’re actually even more similar than they appear. They are both old school style games, where death comes fast and often. They are both in the hex-crawl genre of exploration, where you map out the world/galaxy around you as you travel. And they both share a kind of mini-game or subsystem, where you maintain a travelling spacecraft in one, and a functioning stronghold in the other. They are also both designed as “low prep” games for the GM, wherein I am generally expected to be very lazy, and make it up as I go along, or roll on tables to determine what happens as you find new places in each hex.
So how are they different?
Well, Stars Without Number has spaceships, and I have a slightly more detailed plan of approach to the campaign. I.e. You will be playing as members of a heavy metal band on tour, and will probably have to put on a gig at each new planet you come across. Forbidden Lands will probably be run as a bit more player driven. The game will be about more or less whatever you guys end up doing. Stars Without Number has been around for a lot longer, and thus has a lot more supporting material online. While Forbidden Lands has only just come out in print after a successful Kickstarter campaign. Stars Without Number is downloadable for free at this link, but I don’t have anything actually in print for it. While I have in my possession the Forbidden Lands box set, which comes with some very nice hardbound leather books, and a great big beautiful map to put stickers on.
I leave the final decision in your capable hands.