So, I’m gearing up for a one shot, and I hope to return to the setting in future for other games.
I’m looking to run the Sprawl as an intrasolar space game. Think The Expanse, Elysium, Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell all mashed together.
I want a solar system on the brink of war and/or revolution.
So, after listening to Friends at the Table’s podcast which involved some similar ideas, I figure I need to recast the Driver as a Pilot with some sort of ship.
I’m wondering if there any custom moves I need to consider, or tags for gear, etc. (something for weapons safe to use in a space vessel, etc.).
Has anyone else used the Sprawl for space-based cyberpunk? Any issues people can think of?
You might want to retag and redesign vehicles that make more references to space flight: +hyperdrive +shielding +ablative armor
and you may want to redesign some of the guns: +rubber bullets +lasers +slugthrower
Also if your leaning on more expanse and cowboy bebop, reduce the effectiveness of cyberware somewhat since in that setting they were more like replacements and less like enhancements.
I have not tried running The Sprawl in a space setting. But I imagine that you could probably do it with just cosmetic changes. Call the Driver a Pilot, reskin the vehicle to be a ship, and you’re done.
Riley Crowder – and make it clear to players that using +breaching weapons in space is a bad idea. 🙂
Or alternately just have clauses that are weapons that are not breeching….and everything else is just assumed to be. 🙂
Running a Sprawl game myself that’s set in space and we’ve just renamed certain things and are treating any mechs as vehicles. The crews main ship and my pilots mech have harm clocks.
Riley Crowder Or vice versa.
Oh you wanted ammo that could actually penetrate armor or does more than S-harm? You should have said so… 😉
Totally. It depends on if you want to lean generally safer and players choosing to up the anty..
…or if you wanted to lean dangerous and players have to make the intentional choice to play it safe. 🙂
It very much depends on what direction you want to subtely push them to lean.
For an “intrasolar” system you can’t beat the ORBITAL supplement to Mongoose Traveller. Jump drive hasn’t been invented, humans are locked into the Solar system, and although you have very generous rocket-power, travel to the outer planets can take months. A map shows you how to advance the inner-planet positions month-by-month (outer planets don’t move much relative to that), and then you calculate your travel time based on the strength of the initial “burn” of your engine.
Society is split between Terrans and Lunars. The Terrans colonized the Moon and built it up and developed it only to have the Lunars rebel and explore the Solar System independently. Corporations play one against the other. Sections of Mars, different asteroids, moons of Jupiter and Saturn have been colonized by rival sides and it is a tense stand-off.
Another thing is INTERFACE ZERO which is a cyberpunk setting where humans have also been moving into space and forming colonies, though information is given only in the last few pages. You can mine that for ideas. Animal-hybrid and psionic characters are treated, with ample weapons, corporation ideas and golemmechs (powered suits). The game is available in Savage Worlds, Fate Core and in a few months Pathfinder rules versions.
Riley Crowder
True, I suppose you could have a +ship-safe tag, and give that to things like stun weapons, fletchettes, and other similar weapons. That gives you one category that’s always safe to use, one that’s never safe to use, and one that could be dangerous if the GM wants to make a hard move.
I hadn’t really thought about this at all, so I’m glad you brought it up. Seems like with a bit less chrome, this could easily be an awesome Firefly or Bebop kind of deal.
You could always give Uncharted Worlds a look to see if you can find something to inspire your hack there.