Generic Help for a GM

[ShadowImmor]

I'm beginning to plan a large Space Opera style campaign, but one thing I want to particularly focus on is the fear of being lost in space, (I haven't decided what system yet, I'm just beginning to put the bare bones of the story together) and I was wondering how, as a GM you'd build the tension for dealing with this sort of issue, over several sessions?

My initial plan is that the party is asleep on the ship, which is on autopilot for the evening, flying them to their destination with various supplies. A milk run basically, but while they are all asleep they are pulled of course and end up in a completely unknown and uncharted part of space, with the ship somewhat damaged. They awaken a few days later (males will have some facial hair where none was before and all very hungry) and they awaken to red lights flashing, but no sounding alarms.

How else could I ramp up the tension that this PCs may very well die in the cold vacuum of space if they don't be careful?

The overall story will build begin as an exploratory/survival game, once they find their way to a planet, it'll turn into a survival horror while they try to put the ship back together to fly away, and once they get back to civilisation it will morph into a sort of Star Trek TNG Borg Arc, where the PCs have attracted the attention of SOMETHING (the same SOMETHING that was stalking them on the planet they ended up on) which turns out is part of a much larger system, (perhaps something akin to Tyranids in 40K) that now it knows there is more tasty creatures, it's come to get them.

Also, any suggestions on a system that would work well for this? I was thinking Star Wars Edge of the Empire or possible Saga Edition, but don't know that many GOOD sci fi games. (I know of Starfinder but I don't think that can have the right tone for the story I want to tell).

TL:DR - I need help ramping tension in an exploration/survival/horror space game, and a possible suggestion a good system to make that work?

[opaopajr]

First, get Buy-In.

This is a premise that invalidates a lot of character sheet optimization instead for inter-personal characterization. It literally tells most builds "your shtick is on hold now, work together or die!" And therein lies the problem...

Most players are not ready to compartmentalize their individual desires to instead work like a cohesive unit in the face of unforgiving stress (read: dungeon TPKs galore).

This is especially so at the start of a campaign. Too many power dynamics are being figured out. People are barely getting a grasp of their characters' personality, let alone its button widgets, to meaningfully work together as a team. If this is 'sink or swim' as a group mystery, they'll drown most of the time.

Inform them first, ask for their buy-in, hold them to your expectations of trying to work together to stay alive.

Otherise they will feel it is a bait-n-switch game, and/or find the runt and dogpile them with bullying and blame as they all die hurtling in space.

This is a premise that requires cracking a few heads, and maybe a whip or two, to get people onto the same page.

[LibraryOgre]

On that note, make sure the sysyem supports that kind of thing, and that options that would eliminate it (for example, the Force Power Intuitive Astrogation from SWD6) are not allowed.

Personally, I find these kinds of scenarios work best either as a vignette in a long-term campaign, or with a lot of buy in from the outset.

[Kyrell1978]

There was a d6 Mass Effect game that was done fairly well by some Mass Effect fans that would work for this. Other than that I would suggest the West End Games d6 Star Wars, but remove all the force powers. If you want to go with tyranids and the 40k universe you could always do Dark Heresy or try out Wrath and Glory. It seems to me that allowing things such as Psykers (Jedi in Star Wars) or Tech Priests would kill the tension that you are going for though.

As far as tension goes have a count down. Decide how many rounds or minutes or whatever they have to do the thing (let's say 20 for example) then lay out a die (d20 to match number of rounds) and every once in a while start spinning it down. When they ask why you are doing so go with the old....your character has no way of knowing that this is a thing. I've had pretty good luck with that device.

[Faily]

Star Wars: Edge of the Empire (and possibly Age of Rebellion too for those interested in that) could work well. The system is easy to learn and makes for fun roleplaying moments, and works well for a cinematic style of storytelling that you seem to want (from my reading).

Allow Force sensitives or not as you see fit.

[Telok]

Classic Traveller is pretty much perfect, even down to a mis-jump dropping you into unknown space. There are a number of existing short adventures that hit your themes pretty well too.

[Inchhighguy]

In general, ''survival" makes for a poor RPG experence. Very few games are really made for it, and even when they do have some rules...it's like a page that says ''no food for a day take one point of hunger damage". Keeping track of food or water or air is boring...not exciting.

DM-"Ok, the ship loses another air point, so all character take one point of air damage" is really no fun.

Also the lost in space plot is not the best one for a first game. Even if, very much IF, all the players do agree to the buy in AND agree to ''play as a group", it's very unlikely you will get a perfect character role playing group melting pot in the first minute of game play.

Also also, the vast majority of RPGs are based around combat...or at least ''action". So fixing a ship or such won't ''fit" most characters. And more so it won't fit most players. When a player has a seven foot tall wolf like character with a laser sword.....they don't want to roll a Fix roll to repair a broken switch.

Worse, most games don't do ''non combat" well. To fix a broken ship is a Fix roll of 10. Rolled a 10? Then ZOOM your ship is fixed.

So while you want a damaged ship lost in space....the player will be like ''I rolled an 11. My character fixed the ship AND invented a new wapr drive that used magic mushroom! ZOoM!"

[Beleriphon]

There's a new Aliens game come out soonish (may already be available) that's effectively setup so that you play the crew of the Nostramo or the colonial marines. Should work well for building tension and eventual horror elements.

[Duff]

A couple of "Firefly" references.
The episode "Out of gas" has the ship break down in space and running short of oxygen. With the right party you could make that your first session. Telling them that will be the first session could help set tone and character expectations.

The system is OK and would suit quite well from memory - (I played one campaign, over a decade ago so YMMV)

[kyoryu]

Remember that games are all about decisions.

You can have whatever mechanics you want - but the important thing is what decision points and inputs the players have into those mechanics, not the number crunching itself.

Same with plots. Always, always, look at things from the perspective of what decisions the players are making.

Sometimes the answer will be "they don't get to make decisions here". That's okay, especially if it's done to facilitate other parts of the game where they will be making decisions. But you should go into that with an understanding of why you're removing decision-making ability.