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Retro science fiction campaign

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
schizoveen
Apr 23, 2008 14:46:56 if i love one setting...it's retro science fiction..

think 'sky captain and the world of tomorrow', 'fallout' or 'bioshock'.. that's stuff i can play/watch over and over again.

so i decided to start a game in a world like that. but my quesstion is, what books do i need to buy? i imagine d20 modern core book, but what else?
i have in mind to make it fallout like so i would need apocolypse i guess, but are there books that can help me with the retro science stuff?
#2
brokenoakleys
Apr 23, 2008 18:20:50 RPGnow has some online material you can buy that includes pulp style adventures.

Disposable Heros has some paper standup figures from the pulp era.
#3
rappy_dup
Apr 24, 2008 8:32:32 I would say get d20 Modern Core Rulebook and the Thrilling Tales Omnibus by Adamant Entertainment. Mix in Roaring '20s by RPGObjects if you wish, and bam, a good ol' Pulp scenario.
#4
kjakan
Apr 24, 2008 8:38:18 You should be able to combine d20 Past (personal gear) and d20 Future (ships and vehicles).

The main thing to bear in mind is that a retro sci-fi setting is primarilly atmosphere and less so in the game mechanics.

-K
#5
schizoveen
Apr 24, 2008 15:39:05
You should be able to combine d20 Past (personal gear) and d20 Future (ships and vehicles).

The main thing to bear in mind is that a retro sci-fi setting is primarilly atmosphere and less so in the game mechanics.

gaint robots, radio usage, Jukebox music, steampower, tesla weapons, laser weapons, doomday device, zepelins, jetpacks.....although it might be just an atmosphere, with some explanations you can trigger peoples mind ;)

but thanks for the tip. i already have the core book, would past and future be enough to start with? i'm thinking of letting them start frozen, without a clue where they are and who the others are. they know nothing of the world outside, so i can slowly introduce about anything which i make up myself.
#6
bringbackfarscape
Apr 24, 2008 16:52:49 It's been a while since I looked at my books , but from what I remember, I think you definitely want d20: Past for the Pulp Heroes setting; it has the Scientist Advanced class which will allow you to create all kinds of good retro-sci-fi gadgets, the Ace Prestige class to create a Sky Captain type hero, and stats for pulp Nazis -- the go-to bad guys.

Also, d20: Future has the rules for Mechs or giant robots, as well as different types of weapons and gear available to differing Progress Levels of Civilization (PL).

As I recall, there are several back issues of Polyhedron that contain some mini-games based on Pulp Heroes and retro-sci-fi (Gamma World, maybe?); so if you can find them on ebay or in a discount bin somewhere, you should have plenty of material to create the campaign I wish I was playing .

Hope this helps and best of luck.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 schizoveen Apr 23, 2008 14:46:56	if i love one setting...it's retro science fiction.. think 'sky captain and the world of tomorrow', 'fallout' or 'bioshock'.. that's stuff i can play/watch over and over again. so i decided to start a game in a world like that. but my quesstion is, what books do i need to buy? i imagine d20 modern core book, but what else? i have in mind to make it fallout like so i would need apocolypse i guess, but are there books that can help me with the retro science stuff?
#2 brokenoakleys Apr 23, 2008 18:20:50	RPGnow has some online material you can buy that includes pulp style adventures. Disposable Heros has some paper standup figures from the pulp era.
#3 rappy_dup Apr 24, 2008 8:32:32	I would say get d20 Modern Core Rulebook and the Thrilling Tales Omnibus by Adamant Entertainment. Mix in Roaring '20s by RPGObjects if you wish, and bam, a good ol' Pulp scenario.
#4 kjakan Apr 24, 2008 8:38:18	You should be able to combine d20 Past (personal gear) and d20 Future (ships and vehicles). The main thing to bear in mind is that a retro sci-fi setting is primarilly atmosphere and less so in the game mechanics. -K
#5 schizoveen Apr 24, 2008 15:39:05	You should be able to combine d20 Past (personal gear) and d20 Future (ships and vehicles). The main thing to bear in mind is that a retro sci-fi setting is primarilly atmosphere and less so in the game mechanics. gaint robots, radio usage, Jukebox music, steampower, tesla weapons, laser weapons, doomday device, zepelins, jetpacks.....although it might be just an atmosphere, with some explanations you can trigger peoples mind ;) but thanks for the tip. i already have the core book, would past and future be enough to start with? i'm thinking of letting them start frozen, without a clue where they are and who the others are. they know nothing of the world outside, so i can slowly introduce about anything which i make up myself.
#6 bringbackfarscape Apr 24, 2008 16:52:49	It's been a while since I looked at my books , but from what I remember, I think you definitely want d20: Past for the Pulp Heroes setting; it has the Scientist Advanced class which will allow you to create all kinds of good retro-sci-fi gadgets, the Ace Prestige class to create a Sky Captain type hero, and stats for pulp Nazis -- the go-to bad guys. Also, d20: Future has the rules for Mechs or giant robots, as well as different types of weapons and gear available to differing Progress Levels of Civilization (PL). As I recall, there are several back issues of Polyhedron that contain some mini-games based on Pulp Heroes and retro-sci-fi (Gamma World, maybe?); so if you can find them on ebay or in a discount bin somewhere, you should have plenty of material to create the campaign I wish I was playing . Hope this helps and best of luck.