GURPS Space campaign setting - Page 19

~~combatmedic~~ · 10-15-2007, 09:34 AM

My players have requested a space based campaign. This is supposed to feel like a classic 'thinking man's space opera'. Think H Beam Piper or Robert Heinlein and you'll get the idea. The PCs will be a crew of merchant explorers. I've decided to post a very rough outline of my universe thus far, for general criticism and comments:

History

During the early period of human expansion the solar system was thouroughly explored and colonized. Terraforming technolology was developed. STL colony ships carried humanity to other star systems [sleeper, generation, and clone ships all used at different times]. Contact between star systems was very limited, due to constraints of time and distance at relativistic speeds. Colonies diverged culturally and technologically during the long period of semi-isolation.

At some point, there was a civil war in the solar system and Terran civilization took a devastating blow. Recovery was long and slow, and the far flung colonies were even more on their own than before.

After many years passed, one of the worlds developed an experimental FTL drive. The technology spread and regular contact opened up between star systems. Further improvements in travel and communication followed, speeding the advance of commerce and colonization, but also bringing on the first interstellar wars.

The campaign will begin about two generations after FTL was developed. The age of colonization and exploration is in full swing. Star nations have formed, but a great many worlds remain independent. Merchant princes, grasping corporations, ambitious conquerers- it's all here.

Technology:

TL varies by world, but the most advanced worlds are TL 10. Many worlds are only TL 9 or lower.

FTL drive is a space fold[warp] drive. FTL communications is either slow FTL 'radio'[telegraph stage] or based on courier ships [pony express stage]. Not sure which of those two options fits best.

Gravitics is a fairly recent development. It's limited to larger ships, planetoids, space bases, etc. By no means do all worlds have access to this technology.

I'm going to downplay the transhumanist stuff. This is mostly a safetech [or perhaps retrotech] setting. Of course, it's a big universe and there is room for exceptions.

Note about weapons: old fashioned chemical slugthrowers are cheap and plentiful on many worlds. They are often sold as trade goods, military surplus, hunting arms, and self defense weapons for civilians. Beam weapons are usually more restricted, being reserved for the military on a number of worlds.

Source material: GURPS Space 3rd ed. , GURPS Space 4th ed., Ultratech, Biotech[ but not too much], the Space Atlas series, Behind the Claw, and whatever I can dig up online or write on my own before the campaign starts.

Aliens: This is a human dominated universe, but I do want to include some aliens. I am avoiding races that are too similiar to humans, as well as anthropomorphic races. I will use the memer & saret from GURPS aliens[ vacuum adapted arthropods with barnacle-like symbiotes]. I will probably include the pachekki, also from GURPS Aliens. Not sure about other races yet...

Psionics/Magic/etc: None of this stuff. No telepathic races. No psychic healing. No Force.

10-15-2007, 09:34 AM	#1
~~combatmedic~~ Banned Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: a crooked, creaky manse built on a blasted heath	GURPS Space campaign setting My players have requested a space based campaign. This is supposed to feel like a classic 'thinking man's space opera'. Think H Beam Piper or Robert Heinlein and you'll get the idea. The PCs will be a crew of merchant explorers. I've decided to post a very rough outline of my universe thus far, for general criticism and comments: History During the early period of human expansion the solar system was thouroughly explored and colonized. Terraforming technolology was developed. STL colony ships carried humanity to other star systems [sleeper, generation, and clone ships all used at different times]. Contact between star systems was very limited, due to constraints of time and distance at relativistic speeds. Colonies diverged culturally and technologically during the long period of semi-isolation. At some point, there was a civil war in the solar system and Terran civilization took a devastating blow. Recovery was long and slow, and the far flung colonies were even more on their own than before. After many years passed, one of the worlds developed an experimental FTL drive. The technology spread and regular contact opened up between star systems. Further improvements in travel and communication followed, speeding the advance of commerce and colonization, but also bringing on the first interstellar wars. The campaign will begin about two generations after FTL was developed. The age of colonization and exploration is in full swing. Star nations have formed, but a great many worlds remain independent. Merchant princes, grasping corporations, ambitious conquerers- it's all here. Technology: TL varies by world, but the most advanced worlds are TL 10. Many worlds are only TL 9 or lower. FTL drive is a space fold[warp] drive. FTL communications is either slow FTL 'radio'[telegraph stage] or based on courier ships [pony express stage]. Not sure which of those two options fits best. Gravitics is a fairly recent development. It's limited to larger ships, planetoids, space bases, etc. By no means do all worlds have access to this technology. I'm going to downplay the transhumanist stuff. This is mostly a safetech [or perhaps retrotech] setting. Of course, it's a big universe and there is room for exceptions. Note about weapons: old fashioned chemical slugthrowers are cheap and plentiful on many worlds. They are often sold as trade goods, military surplus, hunting arms, and self defense weapons for civilians. Beam weapons are usually more restricted, being reserved for the military on a number of worlds. Source material: GURPS Space 3rd ed. , GURPS Space 4th ed., Ultratech, Biotech[ but not too much], the Space Atlas series, Behind the Claw, and whatever I can dig up online or write on my own before the campaign starts. Aliens: This is a human dominated universe, but I do want to include some aliens. I am avoiding races that are too similiar to humans, as well as anthropomorphic races. I will use the memer & saret from GURPS aliens[ vacuum adapted arthropods with barnacle-like symbiotes]. I will probably include the pachekki, also from GURPS Aliens. Not sure about other races yet... Psionics/Magic/etc: None of this stuff. No telepathic races. No psychic healing. No Force. Last edited by combatmedic; 10-31-2007 at 10:52 PM.