Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > Roleplaying in General

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 10-21-2017, 01:51 PM   #1
Astromancer
 
Astromancer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: West Virginia
Default Fantasy Games Unlimted: Space Opera

Was it merely clunky, or did it have a few twisted charms of its own?

Please tell me.

What where the Transhumans like?
__________________
Per Ardua Per Astra!


Ancora Imparo
Astromancer is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2017, 02:03 PM   #2
johndallman
Night Watchman
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
Default Re: Fantasy Games Unlimted: Space Opera

A friend wanted to run the first edition, long ago, but bogged down in confusing and missing rules. There was half a column on passing items to each other at the run, but we couldn't find out how to roll to hit someone, at range or in melee.
johndallman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2017, 06:26 PM   #3
Fred Brackin
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Default Re: Fantasy Games Unlimted: Space Opera

Quote:
Originally Posted by johndallman View Post
A friend wanted to run the first edition, long ago, but bogged down in confusing and missing rules. There was half a column on passing items to each other at the run, but we couldn't find out how to roll to hit someone, at range or in melee.
Did you have both books? The first edition came in two volumes of stapled books. The info you needed was in the second. They weren't _good_ rules but I managed to figure it out.

I will agree with TBC and thrash. It was an absolute mess and I say that as someone who was introduced to RP'ing by FGU's Chivalry&Sorcery.

However, I managed to run several campaigns with it anyway. It was interesting compared to LBB Traveller as it had much, much more stuff in it.

Also as stated "TransHumans" were ST Vulcan's or the people with 2 belly-buttons from Roddenberry's Genesis II. Superior humans by almost any measure.

The rest of the non-humans tended towards the furry and if playing a TransHuman was fun playing an Ursoid Space Marine had its' charms as well.

Also by its' time period's standards it had an elaborate system for psionics and if you ever managed to get a Psi-19 (this needed House Rules) rating you could eventually become a TranshHuman.
__________________
Fred Brackin
Fred Brackin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-21-2017, 08:51 PM   #4
Rupert
 
Rupert's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Wellington, NZ
Default Re: Fantasy Games Unlimted: Space Opera

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred Brackin View Post
Also by its' time period's standards it had an elaborate system for psionics and if you ever managed to get a Psi-19 (this needed House Rules) rating you could eventually become a TranshHuman.
There was an optional rule that let you start at Psi-19 if you were a Human, Transhuman, or Feline Avatar and had rolled '100' for Psi to start. So it didn't quite need a house rule, just almost.

Of course the game dates from a time when if you wanted to play a game about high-level psions (or anything else non-default) you were expected to hack the rules to fit (e.g. "Roll 95+1d210 for psionics, rather than 1d100.").
__________________
Rupert Boleyn

"A pessimist is an optimist with a sense of history."

Last edited by Rupert; 10-21-2017 at 08:57 PM.
Rupert is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-22-2017, 09:44 AM   #5
Fred Brackin
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Default Re: Fantasy Games Unlimted: Space Opera

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rupert View Post
There was an optional rule that let you start at Psi-19 if you were a Human, Transhuman, or Feline Avatar and had rolled '100' for Psi to start. So it didn't quite need a house rule, just almost.

.
In the later one book/non-boxed set version there was a rules change that allowed you to divert points from other stats to get to PSI 19.

Yes, fully knowing what a mess it was I bought it again because I've worn the covers off my stapled version.

Also in Star Atlas 11 there's a creature encounter that can make it happen. all you have to do to survive it is roll a 1 on D1000. 1 on D10,000 if you do it deliberately.
__________________
Fred Brackin
Fred Brackin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-22-2017, 10:38 AM   #6
RogerBW
 
RogerBW's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: near London, UK
Default Re: Fantasy Games Unlimted: Space Opera

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred Brackin View Post
Also in Star Atlas 11 there's a creature encounter that can make it happen. all you have to do to survive it is roll a 1 on D1000.
Which is described as a "0.001%" chance.

Looking on the bright side, it also makes you immortal (if you survive it).
RogerBW is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 10-24-2017, 05:22 AM   #7
Rupert
 
Rupert's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Wellington, NZ
Default Re: Fantasy Games Unlimted: Space Opera

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred Brackin View Post
In the later one book/non-boxed set version there was a rules change that allowed you to divert points from other stats to get to PSI 19.
It's in my original boxed set book 1. Now, that book may be from a second printing, because the box had a slightly different cover painting (by Charette, copying the original Day, but with a less busty woman with a much higher neckline). However, the same rule was in my friend's copy, and his had the original box.

Yes, fully knowing what a mess it was I bought it again because I've worn the covers off my stapled version.
Quote:
Also in Star Atlas 11 there's a creature encounter that can make it happen. all you have to do to survive it is roll a 1 on D1000. 1 on D10,000 if you do it deliberately.
Seems fair. ;)

Quote:
Originally Posted by RogerBW View Post
Now that I look at it, I realise that Space Master (which I played for quite a few years) owes quite a bit to Space Opera, particularly the terms "Armsman" for the fighter class and "Transhuman" for variant/upgraded humans – and its heavy use of technical character classes.
I noticed that too, though it doesn't have the yummy equipment lists and affordable powered armour. It did have somewhat affordable and worthwhile personal force fields though, like Space Opera.
__________________
Rupert Boleyn

"A pessimist is an optimist with a sense of history."
Rupert is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-24-2017, 06:45 AM   #8
robkelk
Untitled
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: between keyboard and chair
Default Re: Fantasy Games Unlimted: Space Opera

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred Brackin View Post
...
Also in Star Atlas 11 there's a creature encounter that can make it happen. all you have to do to survive it is roll a 1 on D1000. 1 on D10,000 if you do it deliberately.
I remember reading that short story, way back when. I don't remember what it was called or who wrote it, though.
__________________
Rob Kelk
“Every man has a right to his own opinion, but no man has a right to be wrong in his facts.”
– Bernard Baruch,
Deming (New Mexico) Headlight, 6 January 1950
No longer reading these forums regularly.
robkelk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-24-2017, 12:12 PM   #9
sir_pudding
Wielder of Smart Pants
 
sir_pudding's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
Default Re: Fantasy Games Unlimted: Space Opera

1d210? How does that work? 1d2 for the hundreds place and 1d10 for the tens and ones? With some method to discriminate between 200 and 210?

Edit: That doesn't make sense. 1d2 and if 1 then roll 1d10,1d10, and if 2 then roll 1d10, if 0 roll 1d2 and on a 1 read as 00 and a 2 as 210?

Last edited by sir_pudding; 10-25-2017 at 04:04 PM.
sir_pudding is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-25-2017, 11:22 AM   #10
Astromancer
 
Astromancer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: West Virginia
Default Re: Fantasy Games Unlimted: Space Opera

Quote:
Originally Posted by sir_pudding View Post
1d210? How does that work? 1d2 for the hundreds place and 1d10 for the tens and ones? With some method to discriminate between 200 and 210?
I think, because I read the game used percentile dice rolls, that 1d210 was a typo. I remember FGU having plenty of those.
__________________
Per Ardua Per Astra!


Ancora Imparo
Astromancer is online now   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:36 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.