Great GM: How to run a Sci Fi setting in your roleplaying game - Game Master Tips

We look at the amazing opportunities that running a Sci-Fi campaign can bring to your roleplaying game. Whatever Science Fiction setting you use at your table here are some tips on creating a setting for your players that they can understand and know what to expect from it whether it's Star Wars, Star Trek or your own home-brew sci-fi using Dnd.
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[@zerowing6031]

"Why bother having lawyers when we can simply build robots that are assholes?" Oh, mighty GM. I love everything you do.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+Zero Wing I was going to be a lawyer before I chose my career so I can rip them off ;)

[@andrewe2057]

That's the line that made me "like" the video.

[@kirkwagner461]

I totally Lolled on that as well.

[@lafortya]

One of my players was uncomfortable with me filling my sci-fi galaxy with AI until I explained it like this... "Think of the AIs like the gods and spirits of a fantasy setting. Simple little dedicated AIs are all around, but they're mostly quiet and just do their jobs behind the scenes. The big AIs are like pantheistic gods. Powerful yes, but don't interact directly with you much. And all the AIs in between... Well really, what's the difference between a droid and a golem?"

[@bobhill-ol7wp]

Why were they uncomfortable?

[@lafortya]

@bobhill-ol7wp . I'm not sure exactly. Something like if all these hyper-intelligent AI are running around, then what's the point of us lowly mortal meatbags? Maybe his idea of sci-fi is more old-fashioned than mine.

[@bobhill-ol7wp]

Think I understand now, sometimes it feels hard to justify adventure in a world that could be sterilized by automation fullfilling every need and hazard to the point any humans would just be some eyes floating in a tube watching space tiktok all day (atleast not without getting deep in space politics or something) @@lafortya

[@jaquinaestrada]

I’m formally requesting more Sci-Fi content, so I can more effectively run my Expanse campaign

[@josephyoung4224]

In my (very limited) experience, when it comes to running a science fiction game, one of the most important things to develop is how realistic you want your sci-fi to be. This, along with setting the technology "level," sets down the broad limitations of what the characters can and cannot solve with the tools at their disposal. This also helps determine how much you want the setting to run on existing theories and understood laws of reality versus how much is made up, which is VERY important when dealing with those pesky natural phenomena or engineering problems that the players will inevitably have to face. Personally, I aim for a sort of middle ground "mostly hard" sci-fi range. Most, if not all, real world laws and what we understand of them apply, while providing enough room for more theoretical possibilities (like FTL travel, stargates, laser weapons, etc.) that are in some way grounded to those real world laws; this hugely reduces and simplifies how much of my sci-fi I need to essentially make up. It also allows the players to do their own research as necessary to learn and understand what it is they're working with, and solve the problem logically, rather than rolling a dice and puking out some load of complete nonsense to describe it. It also (and this is probably more important) helps maintain setting CONSISTENCY. Nothing breaks immersion in a science fiction story worse than having your defined sci-fi elements change function on a whim, or having your science officer go on a lengthy explanation of what their wonderful tool does, and every actual scientific word they use is put in the completely wrong context.

[@Bob-jz9yk]

In the book, Perilous Waif, there were fabricators that made everything, you just needed the raw materials. The best equipment was patent protected (they melted if you took them apart) and the big cost was buying the design. So you could limp along on open source designs, spend the time to make your own designs, or pay a mega corp for their designs. This would be a way to limit the players from having excessive, solve any problem, gear.

[@remingtonwright6796]

Does anyone else take notes because this man gives good advice?

[@denolaj]

Another good reference might be Cowboy Bebop? Or how about Cyberpunk, with hackers and androids and megacorporations. References for that might be Ghost in the Shell, The Matrix, and that one movie with Bruce Willis where everyone has a robot body, except some neo-Amish like people and suddenly people can kill people through the connection to the robot body. Other reference: Trigun! I feel like I'm showing my age here though...

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

All good examples yes! That's what makes it such an interesting genre. There are so many different levels on can take it!

[@squattingheads]

the lawyer joke really got me

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Since that was one of my career paths back when I was but a wet GM I feel allowed :)

[@vecnasleg8786]

I’ve always thought of magic in a sci fi setting to be a natural part of the space and universe around them, and the races of the galaxy use technology like incredibly advanced arcane focuses.

[@sidtodd1220]

Star Wars is Science Fantasy. The greatest merging of the two greatest things.

[@iPuzzlePirate]

Also known as Space Opera.

[@nikolamatisic9647]

@@iPuzzlePirate Star wars is a perfect Space Opera. All the essentials are there, on top of Wagneriesque Williams soundtrack, Bass soloist Vader and never ending layers of symbolism.

[@Leverquin]

SW is fairy tale with SF settings.

[@Nick-yz9fd]

I don't comment enough. You do good work. I always walk away with something I can either use or that makes me a better GM. Thanks man.

[@jacobweyek7467]

I would personally define such things as Star Wars as Space Opera, because fantasy doesn't quite fit either. That being said I can see where your coming from.

[@rojomoon9661]

yeah Star Wars has long been placed into the space opera setting. Story and character focused rather than explaining everything using real science or more typically pseudo science explained well enough to sound reasonable. Star Wars just says this is the world deal with it then tells you a story.

[@dredlord47]

Man, mine is set in 2200. Humans use Gauss and Rail guns for most military operations. Though plasma-throwers, plasma-casters, and pulse lasers are also available, they are mostly for specialist roles, or aren't really powerful enough to replace Gauss rifles in the military. Yes, a pulse laser made by my settings Humans can flash-boil your blood and make your limbs explode, but they don't work if they don't actually hit your flesh/normal clothing. If you're wearing any form of 'modern' body armour, then they are almost useless against you. (At the very least, they would take two or three shots to get through the most basic of armours.) Plasma-throwers, however, work like flame-throwers, but don't waste non-renewable resources, and are even more effective at killing, though they have slightly more limited range. Plasma-casters are probably the most powerful thing that you can get as far as "hand-held" weaponry, but the damn things are the size of a DShK, 14.5mm HMG, and weigh a bit more. (82.3 lbs for the lightest Plasma-Caster design, and 74.96 lbs for a DShK.) www.google.com/search?q=DShK+14.5&num=100&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiVkPz48tfTAhVH64MKHZAVDyEQ_AUICigB&biw=1920&bih=960#imgrc=j3F4f1ZXP5efzM:

[@DarinMcGrew]

I'm about to start a GURPS Firefly game, which might fall into your "grunge" sci-fi category, although it's usually described "space western". And the "tech solves everything" issue is handled in much the same way that it is in "old west" settings, where the tech does exist, but access to it on the frontier (the border and outer planets) is limited. Plots are easily borrowed from Westerns (movies, TV series, books, etc.), or from any of the minor side stories that appear in the series. Or at least, that's the theory. We'll see what happens in practice... ;)

[@stevekillgore9272]

BTW I am starting up , on-line , my next campaign homebrew with Mongoose Traveller ... frontier Belters and colony-building ... playing via Discord ... new players welcome ... discord.gg/FvbkhWg2hV

[@fromtheshadowsatabletoprpg905]

I love how you dont miss a beat.... XD. Fantastic videos! Instant subscriber!

[@firelight09]

Thank you for this. I'm working on a space opera novel right now and I want to do as much research on world building as possible. This was really helpful.

[@angelinojuniordocarmo9661]

Dear Mr. Speaker. Congratulations for a lesson so didactic and helped me a great deal regarding the plot creation.

[@WesleyBrown2000]

Great advice! I'm getting ready to kick off a The Last Parsec campaign for Savage Worlds this weekend. This video greatly inspired me.

[@Kevlar-78]

@17:40. Nearly spit my coffee out. Lol.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+Kevin :)

[@tim18wheels76]

I agree! Very funny. ...And the funny part is the earliest part of asshole replacement is already here. That is with online legal advice and online legal forms. And let us not forget online fine payment! Might as well dispense with the many pleasantries of jurisprudence by automating the whole thing. That include randomly assigning fines to random people for crimes they may have committed at sometime in someplace. Got to make up for tax shortfalls.

[@klosnj11]

Really good delivery. Just sliped it in without even cracking a smile.

[@biggrigg4281]

I'm currently working on making a BattleTech campaign and found this helpful.

[@jasonyesmarc309]

You nailed all my fav franchises: Star Trek, MechWarrior, and The Expanse

[@Atlas3060]

Settings-wise this is why I love Battletech/Mechwarrior. It's a very grounded sci fi setting since they basically wrote it as "The fall of Rome, but with walking tanks". Some planets have intense feudalism, others democracy, and others are so barren that there's no real government. A person could ride a horse to work and carry a laser rifle to protect themselves. Sure the bread and butter of the wargame is the gianty stompy robots, but for an alien-free and AI intensely limited story, you can pull plot hooks from practically anything and find a way to settle it in. Lost some ancient magic relic passed down through a family line? Ancient Star League technical doo-dad they never really figured out after great gran gran kicked the bucket. Stuff like that is flexible and fun.

[@A007991]

"Captain's Log: Cheesy" Alright, I'm in

[@Lokityus]

I'm planning a campaign that's set in a failed/recovering dyson swarm. It's gonna feel like the Expanse, but in ancient space habitats. This has been, by far the best thing I've seen to help me understand where to start. I don't even know what game I'm going to use. I'm leaning to d20modern. Anyway, thanks!

[@benkernow280]

Very good and very helpful it is defently helping me with creating my first D&D session which is a Star Trek vs Star Wars. It's defently think have I out "what are people expecting" when come to the session. Thanks for this. P.s. We may fall out about enterprise

[@commmander64]

I need a list of ALL the series and references he mentions here.. this is some good tastes!

[@RobotsPajamas]

Star Wars is such an interesting "sci fi" setting, because aliens are just there most of the time, there's not a big sense of discovery, technology is just an after thought in fact, it seems like it's reached a complete stagnation for thousands of years. And you have to think of a lot of it as 70s future tech... not everyone has a pocket device, like a cell phone some have comlinks and datapads.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

That's a great point to add yes. You're right - the universe is settled on a certain tech level, and a certain way about life and advancement isn't a focus. Good point.

[@yourseatatthetable]

Having been a Sci-Fi nut all my life I have played a lot of Sci-Fi based game systems. It’s rare, very rare, to find one that doesn’t include something that eludes to “magic”. My own creation, Stellar Frontiers (soon to be published by Golden Games), is one of those few. Any “Magic” is technology driven.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

That sounds exciting! And yes I agree there is always some element of mystic nonsense that creeps in sadly.

[@jgroth3906]

Stellar Frontiers. Not to be confused of course with Star Frontiers.

[@yourseatatthetable]

By all means not to be confused with Star Frontiers. Stellar Frontiers (name pending approval by Golden Games) is built around a core designed for solo play. I remember Star Frontiers, was a great game, no Space Oprea or Traveller, but still good.

[@jgroth3906]

Sounds really cool. I'll keep the name Stellar Frontiers in mind.

[@johngriffin7635]

“Elric: We are dreamers, shapers, singers, and makers. We study the mysteries of laser and circuit, crystal and scanner, holographic demons and invocation of equations. These are the tools we employ, and we know many things. John Sheridan: Such as? Elric: The true secrets, the important things. Fourteen words to make someone fall in love with you forever. Seven words to make them go without pain. How to say good-bye to a friend who is dying. How to be poor. How to be rich. How to rediscover dreams when the world has stolen them. That is why we are going away-to preserve that knowledge. Sheridan: From what? Elric: There is a storm coming, a black and terrible storm. We would not have our knowledge lost or used to ill purpose. From this place we will launch ourselves into the stars. With luck, you will never see our kind again in your lifetime. I know you have your orders, Captain. Detain us if you wish. But I cannot tell you where we are going. I can only ask you to trust us.” ― J Michael Straczynski

[@Geekoscopy101]

I will bookmark this for a later time, still trying to figure out keeping my fantasy world together

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+Anime Chewns Awesome!

[@ioanlloyd1845]

Awesome tips. Thank you :)

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+ioan lloyd Absolute pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@JdrD30]

Valuable, as always! Thanks

[@Role4Perception]

Thanks for your scholarly advice here. I particularly enjoyed your thoughts on Intellectual Puzzles at the core of a good encounter/adventure, as most player parties have enough skill distribution to attempt to overcome most skill-based challenges, with relative ease. Particularly in more hand-wavey, roleplay focused, story driven games. TBH, I'd love to hear see an episode where you detail your approach to generating sci-fi friendly intellectual challenges. I've been running Stars Without Number for the last year or so. It's a 2d6+modifiers OSR style game. A brilliant sandbox-enabling system, and a very compelling setting too. Of course, the rules can be applied to any homebrew setting. That's the beauty of SWN! I'm clearly an amateur GM in contrast to the likes of thee, but a thirsty passion & desire for storytelling burns in the nucleus of my soul. If you have the spare time & inclination, feel free to have a peek at some of our Actual Play recordings: kzbin.info/aero/PLN39ml7LyLcKtqC-D5tiT0jUYx0CKz3Y9

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

That's a great question and I'll add it to the list! I love your set-up, though I wish the faces were a little bigger :) And I admire anyone who runs live games. Our internet here in South Africa doesn't currently support that option.

[@danielpayne1597]

This is so awesome. I'm here because I'm working on creating my own Mass Effect TTRPG. No, I don't have EA's permission, and no, I don't care.

[@Frederic_S]

Farscape is exactly my stick. First season is a bit of a slow burner. But then the show really takes off.

[@franklinwebber4412]

This gentleman looks like the father of another fantasy/tabletop rpg focused youtuber by the name of Shadiversity, I highly recommend him.

[@sy4380]

Another reference: Babylon 5 as another setting?

[@ldroland]

Both the battle tech and Shadow run are great settings.

[@Ralndrath]

My setting is a fantasy/diesel punk with science fantasy stuff like eldritch abominations and interdimensional travel. My main character Anargrin someway waaaay late in my series becomes for all intents and purposes: A Plainswalker. I dream of a day when my writing becomes so big he gets made into a Plainswalker card in Magic the Gathering lol

[@julyol119]

On animals in space, there was a great story (I think from nosleep) called FELINE. That's basically about genetically engeneered cats that were bred to hunt rats that infested starships and evolved to be vicious beasts while the people slept in criostasis on their travels. It has some holes, but it was super atmospheric. Really inspiring. 'Nature's temper' here on KZbin has it narrated.

[@johngriffin7635]

Can't remember what book series it was, but there was a book in which there existed somewhat genetically uplifted felines.. they were usually very rare and tended to "bond" to a human who would then be responsible for taking care of them.. There were two such creatures in this book series... one named "Skitty" .. a merging of "Ship's Kitty" and another was named "Scat".. itself a merging of "Ship's Cat"... they could talk in a sort of child-like accentuated voice..

[@harlockJC]

Hmmmm...I caught that Star Trek Enterprise insult, that was a great show

[@marcelosilveira2276]

I love sci-fi, but my players always refuse to even try it (unless it's star wars, but I find it way too restrictive)

[@stevekillgore9272]

BTW I am starting up , on-line , my next campaign homebrew with Mongoose Traveller ... frontier Belters and colony-building ... playing via Discord ... new players welcome ... discord.gg/FvbkhWg2hV

[@adamfox1669]

Sounds great

[@griselame]

Great video

[@13thBear]

Pretty good info and basic introduction in the various aspects of scifi gaming (and scifi, in general, I might add.) Your uniform might be right there at the top... if teetering on going over the top. I would advise wearing casual street clothing, but that's just me. I have worn military garb in the past while playing historical miniature wargames, so I do understand the allure of playing "dress-up."

[@griselame]

Firefly is a great reference too,works really well with Traveller

[@anthonyjackson6319]

Firefly sucks! :p

[@zaneaguilar5274]

Oh, I love Titan AE!

[@Rhys1021]

Making a transformers campaign, found this helpful

[@-Markus-]

18:35 That also sounds like most D&D groups ive ever experienced! Personally, id rather be worst at everything than best at anything, much more fun to be had :D Rincewind>Gandalf!

[@justinjakob3954]

Excellent video! I am looking forward to using the idea of why A.I. is limited in my Firefly campaign. Cheers.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+Justin Jakob Firefly! OMG The Browncoats are gonna execute me! How could I forget Firefly?! I'm so sad right now. I love Firefly. Grunge sci-fi at it's best!

[@justinjakob3954]

+How to be a Great Game Master I think we'll grant you a stay of execution this time. Stay shiny.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Such grace! Of course! Safe flight in the Verse.

[@jamesms4]

Hard Science Fiction RPG's are awesome.

[@brianpembrook9164]

9:25 i found that version (at least the first 2 seasons) to be the best. Strayed from typical Trek themes in some ways.

[@maanvis81]

I like your views on AI, they are very correct. We have the potential to create God with it.

[@antytrend]

You missed out on a great opportunity to call out one of the most interesting things about Mechwarrior/BattleTech: Other humans that are so separated from the point of view of the protagonists that they seem like aliens, the Clans. :)

[@typryor2227]

I’m currently working on a campaign called Starscape. It’s not in earths universe but a totally alien place where humans don’t even exist.

[@typryor2227]

Unfortunately they will be stranded kind of like The Martian.

[@stefenswanner7739]

this actually goes hand in hand with the new Sci-fi Pathfinder setting: Starfinder.

[@Alex-wi1mx]

☹

[@midgetthetrashman6854]

Solid video! Any plans for modern/postapocalyptic settings?

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+Gracjan Chudy Yes! It's gonna happen in this run of settings after Tone I think?

[@midgetthetrashman6854]

+How to be a Great Game Master Great! Can't wait

[@oopsiepoopsie2898]

I’m making a sci fi table top games. It takes a lot from D&D and SWETE( in terms of rules ) I just started. Hopefully it doesn’t take longer than a month to finish.

[@iOnRX9]

right now i am exploring the concept of awakened humans

[@mxplixic]

9:20 Dogs barking = Terminators. Just sayin'. :)

[@timbuktu8069]

A Boy and His Dog

[@TheVeggydude]

I like how you first go "I consider Star Wars to be fantasy" but continue to mention it in a Sci-Fi fashion a couple of times. Though I do agree, with the adittion of the Force a Force-sensitive SW campaign would be more of a fantasy setting, but with the twist of the setting being the advanced technology. However, I myself run a SW game in which there are no Jedi to speak of (post IV, pre V) and the party is a group of misfits trying to get by in the universe. In this case I'm looking at it as more of a Sci-Fi setting with a more worn (and perhaps realistic - though that is a dangerous thing to say) undertone. Also, great video :)

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+TheVeggydude Don't get me wrong, I love Star Wars as a setting. I love Star Trek maybe a touch more, so my inner Trekkie has to distance myself from it a little... lol. Without Jedi is then really is a sci-fi setting. Lucas's pathetic attempt to 'sci-fi' the force (which wasn't needed) failed horribly and rightly so. You point however is an excellent case of - changing your expectations a little and making it your own - by specifically reducing Jedi to non-playable you make a great game! What system are you using?

[@TheVeggydude]

The Force is still mystical and magical in my version of the canon (which is basically the canon as it is now under Disney but with an emphasis on the original trilogy and some inspiration from the EU - Darktroopers mostly). I am using the SW: Edge of the Empire set from Fantasy Flight. I find it to be more nuanced than the average rpg system (with the addition of negative consequences even when succeeding on a roll if you roll certain symbols). It is also the one least connected to the events in the movies I think. FF has other "parts" of the RPG which focus on either the Rebel Alliance or the Jedi/Sith but I find that coming up with interesting stories in those contexts is quite difficult. To me Rebel stories boil down to: "go over here and do this because I (NPC dude) am the commander of this cell". I would like to incorporate the Alliance at some point though. Have the party become part of the Alliance as some sort of of the books liaison for certain actions the Alliance doesn't really want to get involved in. Jedi and Sith are a great sources for stories, but tend to be on the fantastical side of Star Wars which is one I wish to avoid due to having our fantasy fixes in the form of our frequent D&D games. My game is more about the discovery of "normal" life in the Outer Rim but with the addition of classic Star Wars action and exploding starships!

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Sounds like a fun game man! I've always been bothered by FF's system though. Dice forcing me as the GM to great positive or negative outcomes... I prefer to by guided by my own instincts rather than commanded by a dice. How do you deal with that aspect of the system?

[@TheVeggydude]

I simply don't when nothing useful comes up. During combat these things can be expressed as minor mechanical things, but during plot related actions I either come up with something on the spot (during a Negotiation check get for instance you get a free pack of ammo or something) or not deal with it if I cannot come up with anything neat. So I guess I use the dice more of a justification in stead of it being me as a GM making the lives of the pc's a nightmare. In combination with destiny points (sort of cheese-point like currency that gets exchanged between party and GM for doing certain things) it also removes a bit of the deus ex machina feeling you can get every now and again in normal games. I am not sure how you feel about this, but I believe plot should (and in this case has) come from the actions of the pc's and, by extension, from the quality of said actions. My current arc is almost at a close (next session will be the last one), but it only got started because they horribly failed to make a jump to another system whilst in a battle with another ship. I developed it on the fly into a fully fledged adventure with the pc's themselves being the source of the initial premise.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

mmmm... one of my players is a big fan. I prefer the d20 version. Then I don't have dice to worry about so much... lol. I see your point though. I do think it would need to be a serious attempt to not feel like the dice are being used as a bartering ground for positive and negative outcomes. Thanks for your feedback!

[@nlnrose]

I believe the person you quoted for the sci-fi being the last place of the philosopher was C.S Lewis.

[@abstractbybrian]

where is the video on tone?

[@boris2342]

I do not allow time travel

[@steviegilliam5685]

I was wondering if there was a sci fi monster manual or if one is being made

[@bopaintsminis]

My own sci-fi game is hard sci-fi. No artificial gravity. No space magic. I do delve into some quantum mechanics, but definitely harder than 99% of what's out there. I have found myself reading more about the real possibilities of FTL travel, whether it's a wormhole or some other method of folding space. The old Albedo system had the best spaceship designs in terms of reality, that I have come across. I'd rather run, and play, a sci-fi game than any other genre. As for aliens, I just introduced them two sessions ago. I borrowed the Phraint from David Harfrave's Arduin, because most of my players are really old school players. I've dabbled in AI in this game, but most of it is not really senient, and I call it more a "virtual intelligence" than an artificial intelligence. I do use handheld lasers, but they are rare and expensive. Most people still use slug throwers, and ships mostly use missiles and point-defense weapons systems. For plots, look tp sources like Traveller. Commerce is a great motivator. Commerce and political intrigue, with brushfire wars as needed to keep the players interested. Thanks for the video. More sci-fi RPG content please.

[@adamfox1669]

I have an old, blank chessex hex map - quite large (apprx 21" x33") I really wanted to start drawing a map of a galaxy/system for scifi games. Any non-computer drawing ideas? Thanks so much.

[@Panicagq2]

I'm dreadfully late to the show, but I have to say that in my eyes, Traveller is a great system for ANY sort of adventure or tech level. And they have dogs in space - the Vargr! You can play Imperial scientists or suspicious villagers in a backwater colony exploring alien ruins, try your hand at piracy or smuggling, have military or espionage or trading campaigns of all kinds, deep space exploration gone wrong, political intrigue or just be a crew with a ship, taking jobs to survive and saving up to replace that janky port compression coil...

[@jeffslater2133]

AI lawyers ! love it, im adding those to my settings

[@jameslance2522]

Is it possible to use war hammer 40k lore in a more d&d type setting?

[@ma6inka]

Hi, love your work, can you recommend a video or article that will help me deal with the following problem which I encounter while running my 5e D&D campaign - I have a monk and barbarian in the party who are the type of people who really enjoy encounters, but at the same time while they are in encounter they always just swing with their axes and fists and because of that they get bored after the 3th or 4th encounter. I tried to have someone brake their weapons or blew them away, but that didn't really make it a lot better.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+Ivan Aleksandrov Can I start by saying - YOU ARE NOT ALONE! This is a question worth doing a video on I think. But... for now let me say that you have a few tricks you could try: 1- change the type of encounter from land based. Make it in the air riding eagles, or underwater so it's 3 dimensional. 2 - change the type of fights. What if the creature can only be damaged by laughter? Or by water? Or by something unusual? 3 - Ask the players to describe their attacks, and give bonus damage for more description and less damage for simple ones. I hope that helps!

[@ma6inka]

+How to be a Great Game Master Thanks!, this is a good start for sure. I especially like the laughter idea and the air fight. Would be amazing if you could do a whole video on that! I was actually thinking something in line with your 2nd suggestion. My idea was to make an ooze fight in which they need to use water to dissolve it. The danger I see with this is that my party might not figure out that they need to use water to kill it (no matter how many hints I put there) and on top of that not come up with any other plausible way of dealing with the ooze. If that happens I think I will probably have to make it very obvious what is it that they need to do in order to kill the ooze. That will take away from their accomplishment and in general it will not feel right. Maybe I am just overthinking it, but in any case thanks again, really good suggestions, might end up using all of them throughout my campaign !

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Good luck! Let us know how how goes!

[@xantho368]

How about Science-Fantasy, a combonation of the crazy tech in science fiction with the magical elements of fantasy and all things in between, ya know like Shadow Runner is.

[@Lokerbar]

There already have been told about cyberpunk, but... I am GMing in Shadowrun setting, and, from what I experienced so far, it's really different from sci-fi or fantasy setting. Especially Shadowrun, which inludes, actually, three genres - cyberpunk, noir and fantasy. And it's especially difficult, when you have to mix those part into one. Well... I don't have an exact question, but I would love to see some kind of video about playing such systems, or, at least, cyberpunk systems. Or just to hear a few tips...

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

I'll add it to the list! Cyberpunk is it's own special space!

[@Lokerbar]

How to be a Great Game Master Thank you)

[@theartofcompetition5965]

i want to build maps and worlds for a sci fi adventure .... any good tools for sci fi?

[@thedrofpeppers396]

I like the plot from Gundam

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+the dr of peppers So many options right?

[@peterparqua]

Do you think you can make a video on modern settings? I'm especially stuck on how to avoid the police catching my group and summarily executing them.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+Luke Bryant It is on the list of settings for me to explore with you guys, so keep watching it's coming! :)

[@JoexJoestar]

Is the power cosmic considered magic?

[@codyrussel828]

i have been thinking of buying dark matter 5e by mage hand. have you seen it yet?

[@demonic_myst4503]

qith ai its more complex the human brains long term memory alone is on par with a hardrive requiring the energy of a nucleasr power plant to even run. but this may also be why they turn on us not being able to program empathy and emotion into them personaly i like the symbiotic stance on ai

[@thetrumanshow4791]

At 1:15 In a science fiction rpg game, Telepathy is NOT magic. It's psionic or even technological. Telepathy could only be magic if your setting is science fantasy (like Star Wars).

[@googanmcboogie9307]

Use science to balance your universe. With scientific solutions we also get scientific hindrances.

[@ziggy78eog]

No love for "Babylon 5"?

[@ciaranmcguinness8900]

Bit late but magic can be put into Sci-Fi quite easily and make sense, look at Biotics in Mass Effect they damage, levetate, shield, transform all things you would associate with magic in a 5e campaign yet they're done from manipulating dark energy, that's your way into using magic in Sci-Fi

[@metallkopf988]

"Why have lawyers if you can simply build robots that are assholes?" 😂

[@Aardvark892]

Ya wanna great sci fi? Spelljammer!!

[@murraylindsay4163]

I cannot but help give your final list of reference sources a severe scowl. There are these rather good sources of inspiration called "books". Every single cool thing you mentioned was first done in a (minimum) half-dozen books before it ever hit the big or small screen. Obviously you can't skip off listing all the titles of books worth reading, or the video could be twice as long. I do think a strong general reminder might have been in order that the SF section of the library or bookstore is a most excellent storehouse of ideas. And if your gamers' knowledge of SF is stuck in video land, then the ideas stolen from books will be Unexpected and Awe-Inspiring.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+Murray Lindsay I m suitably chastised. Currently I'm reading Peter Hamilton sci-fi which is really cool. I guess my video references are a throw back to my years spent as a film and tv lecturer where getting students to watch a show was as difficult as getting them to read a book :)

[@murraylindsay4163]

+How to be a Great Game Master - Sorry to get all up in your grill. (my current issue of "Street Slang for Rustics Monthly" says that means "belligerent".)

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

+Murray Lindsay Street slang... Murray - you trying to be dope? Or hip. Or jiggy with it? My street slang is limited to... "I'll have a third biscuit at tea today..." lol.

[@diothefristwryyy3224]

Currently le I'm running a wolfenstein warhammer 40k star wars halo with some other things campaign

[@stevekillgore9272]

BTW I am starting up , on-line , my next campaign homebrew with Mongoose Traveller ... frontier Belters and colony-building ... playing via Discord ... new players welcome ... discord.gg/FvbkhWg2hV

[@softspokensatan8247]

Big key in scifi is dont be afraid to say I dont know. Shot a monster with super auto kill rifle... doesnt die... why? I dont know. They don't. Player needs to find out.

[@gebatron604]

I'm starting a sci-fi campaign next week, wish me luck

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Absolutely the very best of luck! Let us know how it goes. Have you decided on how you opening it? Are you starting in a cantina? Or perhaps a space battle?

[@gebatron604]

the characters will be approached separately by a maverick space captain with delusions of grandeur who wants to whisk them from their meaningless existence on a sterile space station to work for his slightly insane rescue mission

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

Cool. What if they say no?

[@gebatron604]

Well the way their characters are set up it isn't likely since they all want off the space station theyre on to find long lost relatives etc. and this is their only chance However if they really don't want to, I'm not exactly sure ...

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

If they say no, side quest, someone sabotages the station and everyone needs to evacuate... only ship left... ;)

[@Yora21]

I settled on my space setting not having thinking robots and computers because engineers never figured out how to not make them incredibly dumb.

[@wileyisweird5842]

Star Wars is Science-Fantasy in my eyes.

[@StarlasAiko]

I am tnkstill n gor a space faring campaign with star ships inspired by the Brain&Brawn Ships series by Anne McAffrey, where the main ship computer is a human brain that got cyberneticly implanted right after birth. But the difficulty everybody in my rpg club has, who tried to run a sci-fi space game, is how to prevent it from becoming a trading game...

[@pedromoreira6720]

I'm having trouble finding a good/fair system to run gunfights w/ dice. I'd like suggestions please

[@gabnel1000]

Pedro Moreira try cogent role-play

[@paulodantas5903]

Savage Worlds. It can adapt for any setting and has the Sci-Fi companion book to implement into your adventure.

[@spyguy888]

I prefer the method of space travel in halo. Slip space tech is f*cking awesome.

[@danthiel8623]

You look like Shad from Shadiversty.

[@remingtonwright6796]

Slightly, but not really

[@danthiel8623]

Remington Wright indeed you are right

[@ricksherman34]

High level technology when shown to lower tech peoples can be indistinguishable from " magic".

[@torak2000]

Traveller

[@Rxid006]

ive just started a si fi D&D game i lost my inventory in the first session i caught a flaming skull in a bag of holding and it detonated the 20 explosives in it and killed its self along with my entire inventory at least my sentient sword familiar and a normal long sword survived bob the A.I better restore that crap after we disable the security and open the door to the weapons room

[@JJMetaliki]

I like how he keeps making slashes at SW for being fantasy... XD

[@davidgantenbein9362]

JJ7210 Metaliki SW totally is Fantasy in Space. It is a fantastic setting if one desires to play Fantasy with guns and starships. I love Star Wars, but it has way more in common with Tolkien than Star Trek. But I also love Star Trek for its ethic dilemma approach sci fi.

[@NinjoXEnlightened]

Is there already a preexisting Star Trek Tabletop RPG or is this one of those instances where there really is no choice but to heavily modify a preexisting system like pathfinder?

[@Hugh.Manatee]

There are several actually. I remember the Decipher Star Trek RPG. It's long out of print, but if you can find a copy, it was pretty good. A quick google search reveals a new project in the making with an open beta going on right now: www.modiphius.com/star-trek.html

[@johngriffin7635]

Last Unicorn Games had a Star Trek game, FASA had one.. I think someone's actually got a D20 version of a Star Trek game floating around somewhere on the net.. :) And if you've experience with Pathfinder, you really need to look into Starfinder.. which is Pathfinder's sci-fi core

[@ragingraven2746]

so bs galactica is basically a space GoT? what about combining Fantasy and Sci Fi where magic can rival and match technology?

[@ancapftw9113]

Raging Raven like Shadowrun and Rifts?

[@juliuscaesar5397]

Just gave me an idea: Monarchist star trek