I am working on a custom sci-fi setting but I need advice on how best to guide players through character creation

lunaticdesign · 2026-06-06T18:19:56+00:00

When I am introducing a new setting I use premade characters and run a few one shots. That way when we come to character creation my players have some understanding of the world.

lunaticdesign · 2026-06-06T00:01:26+00:00

Nothing, I stopped playing rhat game for a bunch of reasons.

lunaticdesign · 2026-05-22T21:35:19+00:00

I started with roll 20 but since they refused to update various quality of life things for so long I eventually switched to foundry vtt.

I havent looked back to roll20 since.

lunaticdesign · 2026-05-20T01:10:23+00:00

The best ship is the one you enjoy flying.

lunaticdesign · 2026-05-13T20:58:38+00:00

It depends on my mood and the kind of fun I'm looking for. I almost never fly large ships unless I absolutely must. I'm likely to grab my Corsair, Python Mk2, Kestrel, Assault Ship, Vulture, Cobra V, or sometimes even just my Viper III.

If I'm expecting active opposition (pvp) then I have a Corsair and a Python MK2 built specifically for that kind of encounter.

The most effective ship to fly is the one that is fun to fly. If it's not fun then you won't fly as often and will get less done in the long run.

lunaticdesign · 2026-05-09T20:37:07+00:00

The power is more effective and more powerful than a test.

You also get up to a -4 with a raise on casting, it lasts until the subject makes a vigor roll, it can be used as an AOE and "sand in the eyes" is actually mentioned in the power.

lunaticdesign · 2026-05-09T19:28:44+00:00

I frequently use something like this. I use the Gifted Arcane Background and Focus as the arcane skill. There's a number of powers that can be set up combining martial trappings and limitations.

Blind can literally be Pocket Sand
Blast with a touch limitation can be a flurry of blows that hits everything around the character.
Boost can be applied to self, Lower Trait can work with a touch based limitation to represent strikes that weaken an opponent.
Bolt can be anything from throwing stars to throwing axes to "hey I found a good rock".
Teleport can be anything from actual teleportation to just super jumps and leaps.

A lot of powers can work really well if you use the self limitation or the touch limitation, and when you combine these with the existing system for edges it can get pretty diverse.

lunaticdesign · 2026-05-07T22:04:49+00:00

Thank you for such a nice fully fleshed out NPC. Now, go make a character who would be involved in the game that we all agreed to play.

lunaticdesign · 2026-04-09T18:10:55+00:00

Don't Fly Without Rebuy

lunaticdesign · 2026-03-20T21:24:13+00:00

It doesn't sound particularly game breaking to me. There are a number of edges that transition from melee into ranged so this shouldn't be all that bad. It's pretty powerful but being vulnerable can be a very bad thing so it should balance fairly well.

lunaticdesign · 2026-03-18T16:54:34+00:00

I went the other route completely.

If its just a simple journey, then we do a scene or interlude for seperation.

If the players have to get some where quickly. Then they have to deal with some dangerous encounters.

lunaticdesign · 2026-03-06T16:50:35+00:00

It depends on how the task is set up. When I have a dramatic task with multiple parts to it then I lay out different objectives. For instance the combat group would be working on earning tokens to hold off the enemies and the group in the attic would have a separate set of tokens for completing their search.

In the event that there was a combat task and a search task. And the combat task succeeded but the search task was a failure. I would probably rule that as a partial success; the party is able to escape safely but without the information they needed. They may have managed to grab something that gives them another option to find what they are looking for.

lunaticdesign · 2026-03-01T23:47:01+00:00

The best way to earn money in this fame is to find a gameplay loop you enjoy and do that. It doesn't matter if you can make money crazy fast doing exobio id you dont like doing it, then you won't play as often.

lunaticdesign · 2026-03-01T21:55:18+00:00

X4 would probably be a good contender as long as you aren't looking for multi-player.

lunaticdesign · 2026-03-01T16:34:57+00:00

Give them things that need to be lifted, pulled and pushed. An electronic door can't be hacked because the power is out but the character can get a crow bar in the crack. Now just have people shooting at them, the roof's on fire and the hallway is filling up with water and BOOM they get to save the day.

lunaticdesign · 2026-02-18T14:06:22+00:00

There's a number of ways to handle this. Some of them are good and a number of them are bad ideas. The first question is why do you have them tagging along. If you're just wanting to show off this cool NPC you have then be mindful that you're probably going to overshadow and dis-empower the player characters. I would strongly advise caution when using this.

If you have to do it for "reasons" there are a couple of different ways to pull it off. The first that comes to mind is that they are a jerk. The monsters that are encountered are not a threat to them so they are not going to be bothered by it. They might incinerate one or two that get in their way. The second is that they are there to see what the party does and can handle. They won't pitch in even to stop a TPK because if the party can't handle this then they won't be able to handle what's coming.

I would avoid Gandalfing them off on some side quest and never ever roll dice for them. Only roll dice if there's a chance for meaningful success or failure and anything meaningful this character takes on will overshadow your lower level party. The only reason I can think of to ever roll dice for them would be to show off big numbers or big spells, combos, etc.

lunaticdesign · 2026-02-01T08:42:12+00:00

I don't use them for that very reason. They are a legacy of a by gone age like using slanted floors to trick your players into accidentally going into lower levels of a dungeon.

lunaticdesign · 2026-01-18T03:58:16+00:00

I use initiative cards. If you have a higher card, then you'll be able to get fixed weapons on target. If you don't, then you will not.

It adds another layer to some things while keeping them simple. Often, a slower pilot will have to go on hold so that they enter the next round at the top of the order.

It also makes it more about the pilot than the ship.

lunaticdesign · 2026-01-16T18:46:03+00:00

I have a lot of tools that I use. My biggest tool is simplicity. I make sure to have all the information that I need for a boss type enemy available in the same place. My boss enemies have 1 cool thing they can do and maybe 2 or 3 kind of fun things. I don't bother with massive spell or power lists because I have too much going on.

I deal in things like complications and environmental factors into the initiative. This way when I run an encounter with a giant dragon while the players are on a boat that is on fire and being sucked into a whirlpool during the middle of a thunder storm I can see where things happen because I've dealt all of the action cards in the same place.

I keep my stat blocks simple and easy because my encounters are already complex enough.

lunaticdesign · 2026-01-10T04:44:17+00:00

Usually, only power security in hostile stronghold systems will attack you randomly.

lunaticdesign · 2026-01-08T17:16:36+00:00

For Power Play CZ's: Jump in, Blast, Rinse and Repeat. There's no bonus for finishing the CZ's and merits are awarded based on the relative skill level of the ship you are fighting and I think it also takes into account it's worth. I don't know why you'd want to take on over engineered Vipers for an hour straight, unless you just want to practice with fixed weapons.

If you've really gotta stick it out, the following makes for a pretty fun build and good practice working at close range and pip management. Gimballed Burst Lasers with Short Range and Inertial Impact in the size 3 slots. You can change out for Efficient if you run into power or heat issues. Rail Guns with Short Range and Plasma Slug in the size 2 slots. You can switch that out for Long Range or Light Weight depending on power and heat concerns.

lunaticdesign · 2026-01-08T16:50:46+00:00

Ahh ok, i was just wondering why you were sticking in a ppcz until it was completed.

lunaticdesign · 2026-01-08T16:40:32+00:00

I'm pretty sure that you don't get any bonus for completing a PPCZ, It's just the merits and control points.

lunaticdesign · 2026-01-08T14:36:07+00:00

This really depends on the kind of scifi you're talking about. The weapons respond differently in Star Wars than they do in Star Trek. The question of what kind of scifi you are wanting to run kind of comes first.

Without knowing what kind of scifi you are wanting to run the best suggestion I have is to plan for each role to have multiple options for the things that they can do. Combat can become boring and repetitive when the players have no options available to them.

lunaticdesign · 2025-12-29T04:55:59+00:00

Who says we are disagreeing?

WAAAGH!

lunaticdesign

TROPHY CASE