Elves in space?
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EvilDrGanymede
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Not to put a downer on the idea, but isn't that exactly what FFG's (I think) "Dragonstar" is for?
Still, I guess it's posssible... the D&D races have their own feats and stuff, you just need to replace the races in T20 with the D&D ones and off you go (at least system-wise... the setting would need some heavy tweaking though).
Anyone remember an article in Dragon magazine back in the 80's called Dwarves in space?
Basically it described rule with tables about a race of dwarves for Traveller, the only thing I remeber was that it described them as having come from a high G planet thus making them shorter.
I would think you could include all of the fantasy race from DND3, describing them in more scientific terms though.
As always, make traveller your own so.....
Basically it described rule with tables about a race of dwarves for Traveller, the only thing I remeber was that it described them as having come from a high G planet thus making them shorter.
I would think you could include all of the fantasy race from DND3, describing them in more scientific terms though.
As always, make traveller your own so.....
>> Is anyone mixing T20 with the "standard" D&D3E?
> Not to put a downer on the idea, but isn't that exactly what FFG's (I think) "Dragonstar" is for?
Maybe...but we were really dissatisfied with the classes in Dragonstar. They were basically rehashes of the stuff in PHB, with very few classes that seemed at all original.
Shoot, we might even mix SW + T20 + D&D. End result: something a lot closer to the game universe my husband's been working on since 1977, but with a familiar game mechanics system.
> Not to put a downer on the idea, but isn't that exactly what FFG's (I think) "Dragonstar" is for?
Maybe...but we were really dissatisfied with the classes in Dragonstar. They were basically rehashes of the stuff in PHB, with very few classes that seemed at all original.
Shoot, we might even mix SW + T20 + D&D. End result: something a lot closer to the game universe my husband's been working on since 1977, but with a familiar game mechanics system.
Shadowdancer
SOC-14 1K
Kobolds in space = Droyne
trader jim
SOC-14 1K
Anyone take a close look at the goblins in Lord og the Rings.....looked Alien to me!!...could be repainted to look more alien...low tech worlds....thats when they come out with the figs 
I have an ongoing dragonstar campaing that I have been running for about 20 sessions now and, since the begining, I had intended to use the Traveller rules with the DS seting, but Traveller came so late that I started with the DS rules.
Let me tell you that the Traveller rules are much more streamlined and playtested than those of Dragonstar. So as soon as I had digested the Traveller rules ( especially the vehicle/ship construction part ), I switched to the rules of Traveller for anything that is not related to magic. So in my setting you have energy guns that are technological, and magic guns (DS guns and Arsenal guns) that are a bit of the two. A majority of the ships are technological, but the artificial gravity and the FTL is provided by magic, elven ships are grown and alive and Mindflayer ships are power by psichic energy.
Many many more similar tecnomagic devices from hand held devices, to vehicle and passing by entertainment devices are also inserted in the game.
It is great fun for me and my friends and I thank Quicklink for the great effort that has been put in the Traveller T20 book that permit me to do what I do. And a big round of applause for being so setting free.
This is not to say that I won't buy the setting book as soon as it comes out
BTW, I wanted to add that I am in the process of thinking about the creation of DND classes tour of duties. Might be interesting.
Beholder
http://www.rpgzone.org
Let me tell you that the Traveller rules are much more streamlined and playtested than those of Dragonstar. So as soon as I had digested the Traveller rules ( especially the vehicle/ship construction part ), I switched to the rules of Traveller for anything that is not related to magic. So in my setting you have energy guns that are technological, and magic guns (DS guns and Arsenal guns) that are a bit of the two. A majority of the ships are technological, but the artificial gravity and the FTL is provided by magic, elven ships are grown and alive and Mindflayer ships are power by psichic energy.
Many many more similar tecnomagic devices from hand held devices, to vehicle and passing by entertainment devices are also inserted in the game.
It is great fun for me and my friends and I thank Quicklink for the great effort that has been put in the Traveller T20 book that permit me to do what I do. And a big round of applause for being so setting free.
This is not to say that I won't buy the setting book as soon as it comes out
BTW, I wanted to add that I am in the process of thinking about the creation of DND classes tour of duties. Might be interesting.
Beholder
http://www.rpgzone.org
lord irial
SOC-12
I wonder if mind flayers could be considered half-Hivers?
Okay, seriously. I've considered using some monsters from the Monster Manual as alien life forms, but I think D&D races I'd only allow as proto-type gene-engineered characters. For enough credits, the OTU equivalent of Jackson's Whole could cook them up. Totally lacking in their fantasy-equivalent culture, of course.
Okay, seriously. I've considered using some monsters from the Monster Manual as alien life forms, but I think D&D races I'd only allow as proto-type gene-engineered characters. For enough credits, the OTU equivalent of Jackson's Whole could cook them up. Totally lacking in their fantasy-equivalent culture, of course.
Well, imagine this.
A planet with Orcs and goblins.
Mind Flayers are their own species that come from deep space (HW unknown). They are on the 'hunt' to feed on psi characters. Haivng an 'encounter' with a mind flayer means you get an autoamtic psi roll (so they know how much they can feed from you :-D
Oh, let us not forget Space Dragons.....
course, I'm kinda partial to JumpSpace being the realm of HellRaiser....
A planet with Orcs and goblins.
Mind Flayers are their own species that come from deep space (HW unknown). They are on the 'hunt' to feed on psi characters. Haivng an 'encounter' with a mind flayer means you get an autoamtic psi roll (so they know how much they can feed from you :-D
Oh, let us not forget Space Dragons.....
course, I'm kinda partial to JumpSpace being the realm of HellRaiser....
djpapasmurf
SOC-5
I think one of the beauties of the D20 system is the ability to mix and match the systems to some extent.
Although not perfect, letting other companies put out D20 material really gives different options to putting a game together. Not to offend any of the hard-core traveller guys out there, but I have never been enamoured of the races in Traveller and like a much more varied mix. I am also not a fan of "upworld" creatures. So IMTU I have basically used the Star Wars races and renamed them and adjusted them slightly. I was amazed at how easy it was to do this. Since Star Wars already has a full Alien book out it gives a lot of ready-made D20 pulls.
As for your "elf" comment, If I wanted to play a fantasy space game then I would have looked closer at Dragonstar. That being said I have always liked the concept of "Fae" and will be including them in some way, although they will never be referred to or be compared to elves.
Just some random thoughts from your friendly neighborhood SuperStar DJ Papa Smurf.
Although not perfect, letting other companies put out D20 material really gives different options to putting a game together. Not to offend any of the hard-core traveller guys out there, but I have never been enamoured of the races in Traveller and like a much more varied mix. I am also not a fan of "upworld" creatures. So IMTU I have basically used the Star Wars races and renamed them and adjusted them slightly. I was amazed at how easy it was to do this. Since Star Wars already has a full Alien book out it gives a lot of ready-made D20 pulls.
As for your "elf" comment, If I wanted to play a fantasy space game then I would have looked closer at Dragonstar. That being said I have always liked the concept of "Fae" and will be including them in some way, although they will never be referred to or be compared to elves.
Just some random thoughts from your friendly neighborhood SuperStar DJ Papa Smurf.
lightsenshi
SOC-12
Imagine an amber zone world with goblins, orks, and troll.
Seriously, conversion from the MM to T20 doesn't strike me a difficult as you simply give them a lifeblood stat equal to their constitution.
Seriously, conversion from the MM to T20 doesn't strike me a difficult as you simply give them a lifeblood stat equal to their constitution.
i like lightsenshi's idea, though i would go with using the starwars way of determining wounds that way something really big has a lot of life blood (i made life blood like constitution in d20 modern so it converts perfectly for me)...
the only thing you run into is scaling the hardness to fit the AR... anyone got any ideas, i tried giving creatures AR, but that didn't work out, i'm trying converting AR into Hardness, but that's getting fuzzy as well.
Thanks
the only thing you run into is scaling the hardness to fit the AR... anyone got any ideas, i tried giving creatures AR, but that didn't work out, i'm trying converting AR into Hardness, but that's getting fuzzy as well.
Thanks
I concur. I have all those nifty monsters running around in those tomes on my bookshelf just waiting to munch on player characters... just rename them (or better yet... DON'T neme them! They're new!) and drop them in the mix.
Judicious selection of beasties should make for solid play, despite the source of the monster.
One thing you should consider before you allow unmodified D+D races into your game is that D+D is balanced quite differently than Traveller d20.
D+D is very heavily balanced towards melee combat. This means that Str. is the most important characteristic. You'll note that the half-orc gets +2 str, but -2 on two other stats, whereas all the other races balance out on bonuses/penalties. This is because the designers decided that strength was the most important stat and any one stat alone wasn't enough to balance a bonus in it.
In T20 however, the abilities that allow munchkining are much different. Dex is the most important, as it governs ranged attacks (and therefore firearms and energy weapons). Con also seems to be more important than before as it determines lifeblood. This might balance out (almost) in the case of elves, but it turns a halfling into a combat machine.
The D+D race that would be the most effective in combat (in general) is the Strongheart Halfling from Forgotten Realms. +2 dex, -2 str (but who cares about the strength, you'll shoot anyone who gets even close). +1 BAB and +1 AC for being small, plus the dex bonus, plus a bonus feat and skills like humans get. The reduced damage from the requirement for smaller weapons is greatly reduced (Yeah, no ACR, but a laser carbine would still be ok, as would a nice snub SMG) and the only other disadvantage is slower movement.
I guess I'm trying to say that swapping races in from D+D is fine, just watch your characters to make sure nobody's going for an unbalanced ultramunchkin. Hopefully you don't have these problems in your group, but I've been playing with D+D munchkins for a while, so I tend to notice these kind of opportunities.
Sorry about the huge post.
D+D is very heavily balanced towards melee combat. This means that Str. is the most important characteristic. You'll note that the half-orc gets +2 str, but -2 on two other stats, whereas all the other races balance out on bonuses/penalties. This is because the designers decided that strength was the most important stat and any one stat alone wasn't enough to balance a bonus in it.
In T20 however, the abilities that allow munchkining are much different. Dex is the most important, as it governs ranged attacks (and therefore firearms and energy weapons). Con also seems to be more important than before as it determines lifeblood. This might balance out (almost) in the case of elves, but it turns a halfling into a combat machine.
The D+D race that would be the most effective in combat (in general) is the Strongheart Halfling from Forgotten Realms. +2 dex, -2 str (but who cares about the strength, you'll shoot anyone who gets even close). +1 BAB and +1 AC for being small, plus the dex bonus, plus a bonus feat and skills like humans get. The reduced damage from the requirement for smaller weapons is greatly reduced (Yeah, no ACR, but a laser carbine would still be ok, as would a nice snub SMG) and the only other disadvantage is slower movement.
I guess I'm trying to say that swapping races in from D+D is fine, just watch your characters to make sure nobody's going for an unbalanced ultramunchkin. Hopefully you don't have these problems in your group, but I've been playing with D+D munchkins for a while, so I tend to notice these kind of opportunities.
Sorry about the huge post.
