Black Ocean - Space Oprea Fantasy Setting

DAT · 03-02-2019, 08:51 PM

Has anyone looked into doing J. S. Morin's Black Ocean setting, a space opera fantasy, in GURPS?

I've been listening to his Galaxy Outlaws/Black Ocean series on my daily commutes for work, and am thinking about how I would use the setting for a GURPS Campaign. One of the reasons is my gaming group included some near luddites and some tech savvy folks, which the setting would handle nicely.

If you aren't familiar with the setting, it is a blend of fantasy (magic, wizards, magic items, and gods) with science/space opera (lasers, blasters, computers, spacecraft, defensive shields, etc.). FTL travel is conducted by a spacecraft launching into orbit on reactionless thrusters, its anti gravity supplied by a magic "gravity stone", then either a wizard or a magic "astral drive" pushing the ship into Astral Space, the navigation computer determine its astral depth (which is a logarithmic type determination of its speed), and a the thrusters pushing the ship in the right direction. Advanced Technology (A-Tech) can be disrupted/destroyed by nearby magic use, so Wizards normally only use Primitive Technology (P-Tech).

DAT · 03-06-2019, 01:35 PM

The stories describe wizards performing magic by winning arguments with the universe to convincing it to do what they want (keep normal earth gravity on a rock, push a ship into Astral space, cause an elemental discharge of lightning, cause a rock wall to act like a door, heal a body, etc.). A battle of Wills is a common description.

Any thoughts on which magic system in GURPS this would be best represented by?

Fred Brackin · 03-06-2019, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAT

T A battle of Wills is a common description.

Any thoughts on which magic system in GURPS this would be best represented by?

Without substantial modification the closest might be Hexes from Gurps
Deadlands. With modificiation to being Will-based......eh, maybe Path/Book because of the number of effects that use Margin of Success.

deathbyflossing · 03-06-2019, 03:01 PM

Thank you, good sir, for pointing me at what looks like a very interesting series :-).

DAT · 03-13-2019, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Without substantial modification the closest might be Hexes from Gurps
Deadlands. With modificiation to being Will-based......eh, maybe Path/Book because of the number of effects that use Margin of Success.

I think I have a copy of Deadlands in storage. I mostly just have my PDFs handy these days,

A Will based Path/Book sounds like a start. Time to crack open Magic and the Thaumatology supplements.

03-02-2019, 08:51 PM	#1
DAT Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho	Black Ocean - Space Oprea Fantasy Setting Has anyone looked into doing J. S. Morin's Black Ocean setting, a space opera fantasy, in GURPS? I've been listening to his Galaxy Outlaws/Black Ocean series on my daily commutes for work, and am thinking about how I would use the setting for a GURPS Campaign. One of the reasons is my gaming group included some near luddites and some tech savvy folks, which the setting would handle nicely. If you aren't familiar with the setting, it is a blend of fantasy (magic, wizards, magic items, and gods) with science/space opera (lasers, blasters, computers, spacecraft, defensive shields, etc.). FTL travel is conducted by a spacecraft launching into orbit on reactionless thrusters, its anti gravity supplied by a magic "gravity stone", then either a wizard or a magic "astral drive" pushing the ship into Astral Space, the navigation computer determine its astral depth (which is a logarithmic type determination of its speed), and a the thrusters pushing the ship in the right direction. Advanced Technology (A-Tech) can be disrupted/destroyed by nearby magic use, so Wizards normally only use Primitive Technology (P-Tech).

03-06-2019, 01:35 PM	#2
DAT Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Idaho Falls, Idaho	Re: Black Ocean - Space Oprea Fantasy Setting The stories describe wizards performing magic by winning arguments with the universe to convincing it to do what they want (keep normal earth gravity on a rock, push a ship into Astral space, cause an elemental discharge of lightning, cause a rock wall to act like a door, heal a body, etc.). A battle of Wills is a common description. Any thoughts on which magic system in GURPS this would be best represented by?

03-06-2019, 03:01 PM	#4
deathbyflossing Join Date: Mar 2016	Re: Black Ocean - Space Oprea Fantasy Setting Thank you, good sir, for pointing me at what looks like a very interesting series :-).