SYSTEM/SETTING REQUEST: Sci-Fi

[Garimeth]

I am looking for a sci-fi setting/system that uses magic and technology - with or without interstellar traveler. Preference would be something dystopian or post apocalytpic, in the vein of Rifts, but with actual game balance. Right now I am glancing at a new game called Kromore if anybody knows anything about it.

I would prefer something with a setting baked in, or I will probably just use FATE with another setting. Any help is appreciated.

[Grinner]

Do you consider psionics to be magic?
Does the magic need to be "magic", or just appear so?

[LibraryOgre]

Have you heard of Fading Suns? It's about 5000 CE, humankind has expanded to the stars, suffered a collapse of their empire, and slowly regrown. There's psychics, magicians, cybernetics, aliens... kind of a mix of Dune and Babylon 5, with a bit of Star Wars on top.

[BWR]

Traveller has psionics, but it isn't (or doesn't have to be) a big part of the setting or system.
Shadowrun is big. Rather dystopian cyberpunk game.

Can't really speak for the balance of either system.

[Illogictree]

Well, sci-fi-esque with magic? Dystopian? Sounds like Warhammer 40K, I suppose. There's a couple RPGs set in the universe.

Otherwise, there's the "Adventures on Dungeon Planet" sourcebook for Dungeon World. There's not really a setting to go with it as such, but if you've read, say, "The Skylark of Space" or the Barsoom series, that's the general feel it's going for. On the other hand, you can use any of the Dungeon World classes with the materials from Dungeon Planet, so you can have a killer robot or a gadget-building scientist in the same party as a spell-slinging wizard and a backstabbing rogue.

Aside from that, I can't think of any such settings with both sci-fi and magic, mostly because they're generally thought of as being in opposition.

[Garimeth]

Do you consider psionics to be magic?
Does the magic need to be "magic", or just appear so?


Psionics would work, basically something that is "inate" and appears or functions like magic - preferably more subtle than nuking cities and stopping time and stuff.

[Knaight]

There's a system for Dune that's decent.

[Grinner]

Psionics would work, basically something that is "inate" and appears or functions like magic - preferably more subtle than nuking cities and stopping time and stuff.

You might want to look up Numenera.

I'll also give Eclipse Phase (http://robboyle.wordpress.com/eclipse-phase-pdfs/) a special mention, simply because it's post-apocalyptic and doesn't cost you a cent to at least read through it.

[Arbane]

Aside from that, I can't think of any such settings with both sci-fi and magic, mostly because they're generally thought of as being in opposition.

The problem being, once there's magic in it, it ceases being 'science' fiction.

Star Wars? The Force is basically magic.

Spelljammer? Although that approaches the 'sci-fi with magic' premise from the opposite direction.

Rifts, maybe? It's about as kitchen-sink a setting as you'd like, with giant robots facing off against dragons and cyborgs fighting vampires. I can't recommend the rules, but the setting's got a lot of fans.

Oooh, I know! Call of Cthulhu! It's science fiction, and it definitely has magic in it! :smallamused:

[The Glyphstone]

The problem being, once there's magic in it, it ceases being 'science' fiction.

:

Clark's Third, good sir, Clark's Third.:smallbiggrin:

[Anonymouswizard]

The problem being, once there's magic in it, it ceases being 'science' fiction.

Depends, if we have Scientifically Applied Magic (a.k.a. magic as technology), or SAM as we shall now know it as, we can develop the setting along the lines of several "high tech" societies while being slightly harder than star trek (as your miracle has more rules).

If we make the assumption that magic flows along channels, moves at a speed measured in m/s, and produces effects based on the materials and shapes it's moved through, you can even have your thaumaturgical engineers use lots of the techniques electronic engineers do.


Oooh, I know! Call of Cthulhu! It's science fiction, and it definitely has magic in it! :smallamused:

Despite the fact that this is probably intended as humour, this is entirely true, and is probably the only game I've seen that does Non Scientific Magic well. The only problem is that it doesn't really hit any of the setting points.

Shadowrun is what I'd recommend, being a mix of Cyberpunk and Urban Fantasy with D&D races as garnish. The system works, but it stops short of SAM. It is still obviously Sci-Fi though.