X-Plorers RPG

Two kinds of X-Plorers and The Anubian Ambassador

I am just getting back from Con of the North 2013, and will have detailed con reports to share on the two events I ran. Check back here during the course of the week. I'll be sharing my experiences running the Ubiquity-system Leagues of Adventure RPG - which entailed 6 hours of adventures both above ground and below in the Hollow Earth - and a Tekumel game using FATE Core.

But first I'd like to share a little about a very fun two hour game session I had the chance to play in on Saturday night. Jay MacBride, who edited the X-plorers RPG (see the B&W first edition box set and the second edition all-in-one saddle stitched book above) ran X-Plorers in his '70s-inspired 'spoitation movie setting RAD ASTRA.

This is a game with serious 1st edition flavor. We created PCs in about 15 minutes. Everyone struggled a bit at first with chargen. This wasn't because there is anything wrong with the rules. Rather, it is based on people's acclimation to D&D 3rd Edition/Pathfinder chargen and mechanics. Once people realize that their very specific expectations didn't really apply here, they could focus on getting their characters finished and ready for play. (Our Tekumel group had a very similar experience this fall when creating characters for the original Empire of the Petal Throne rules.)

My character was a scientist that I rolled as having one, read that ONE, hit point. Again, I had the same experience recently creating a PC for original edition Empire of the Petal Throne, so I was prepared. I didn't groan this time; I was actually curious about how long my Scientist character would live in the scenario. (Actually, a strong case has been made recently that this is a feature, not a bug of old school-inspired games. Read Porky's exploration of that idea here.)

Forbidden Planet (1956)

We played SPACE MARINES who had been pod grown and trained for different roles: Soldier, Scout, Scientist, and Tech. Well, nobody chose Tech. So two soldiers, two scouts, and two scientists went planetside on a world in the Gamma Aquilae system. The scenario was inspired by Forbidden Planet, but I won't give too much away except to say that it also had references to Space: 1999, the Buck Rogers TV series (1979-1981), and the film The Black Hole.

GM Jay MacBride shared that this was only his second time running an RPG! You never would have known that considering how well organized he was, with really neat props and a great, fast paced adventure! Congratulations, Jay, and keep up the RAD ASTRA! We want more!

Saturday Night Space Opera!

Jay Mac Bride of the EXONAUTS! and RAD ASTRA! blogs and I are starting something new: a regular space opera gaming event on the first Saturday night of the month! The easiest way to keep up with all the news is to follow our new blog, Saturday Night Space Opera!

The first session is this Saturday, January 3 from 6 PM until close (probably 9 PM) at Source Comics and Games in Roseville, MN.

First up, Jay is going to run a few sessions of a mini-campaign in his Rad Astra setting! His game uses the X-Plorers RPG, a first edition style SF RPG. It's super-easy to learn! I played in a session of it two years ago at Con of the North and it was a blast!

We'll be running a bunch of different systems here, and down the road, I plan to run the Fate edition of Trey Causey's Strange Stars setting (look for the setting book in the very near future), as well as Cosmic Patrol, and (once my copy of the deluxe edition arrives) Metamorphosis Alpha!

No system knowledge is necessary! In fact, we hope to grow this into a multiple tables, multiple games kind of event, but we're starting out with running one event at a time.

Strange Stars: We're All Pirates Now

Rad Astra Galaxy Map

Our second game at Con of the North using Trey Causey's Strange Stars setting was a pick-up game. It was not on the event schedule for the convention. The session was an informal on-demand game requested by people who could not get into my scheduled Fate Strange Stars scenario -  as well as by one player who had been in that first scenario and wanted another dose of the Strange Stars. 

It was a Saturday night, just after a fun session of Jay MacBride's Rad Astra setting (you can see his awesome map of the six-armed Hexuba galaxy up above) using the old school X-plorers RPG. I was super-tired, so I asked my friend Bob Cook, a seasoned Fate Strange Stars GM to run an on-the-fly game.

I went out to the Crown Vic and got my Fate gear. I went to the hotel's service desk, and asked if they could point me to a copier so that I could run off some character sheets. The staff offered to do it for free on their copier (they will do this kind of thing if you are polite!), and I tipped to say thanks for their courtesy (this is essential).

Bob GMs Strange Stars

The players decided to create a group of space pirates. Jay wondered if he could make a PC that was a “one off” type not featured in any of the Clade Templates for the Fate Strange Stars. Bob and I answered “Sure!” 

Galaxy Laser Team Toy

Jay was looking at a big green space toy on the game table. The toy was a Star Wars knockoff. Imagine a Wookie, but with Yantran antennae, and a skull face like a demonic Ferengi! He decided that was his character’s exact appearance! Jay was also flipping through the character templates in a copy of the D6 Star Wars RPG. Then he said, “I’m a Chewie that lost his Han Solo”: that was a rocking High Concept for a Fate character! 

The GM created a Vokun space convoy for the players to raid. He figured that the Vokun fleet consisted of a very large transport vessel (think of Metamorphosis Alpha’s Warden) and a few very well-armed escorts. 

The GM also decided that the transport vessel contained all sorts of endangered and dangerous species destined to stock a Vokun safari tourism world. That set-up was about all that was needed for a great, really rip-roaring adventure! If you’ve seen the Doctor Who episode “Dinosaurs on a Spaceship” you have an idea what the players encountered - plus giant purple worms and cyber apes! 

Add the transport's stoner "free-as-a-bird" AI to the mix, and you can imagine just how trippy and fun this game was!

What a great way to to wrap up a Saturday night at Con of the North! 

Lucky Dice!

Hard to believe the world's first ever Saturday Night Space Opera was already two weeks ago at the Source Comics and Games in Roseville, Minnesota! Jay Mac Bride did all the hard work: making the space arrangements, building our custom blog, and designing the posters to promote the event. I had the easy part: just show up and play X-plorers, an excellent old school flavored d20 SF game.

And so we did! You can see all the details at the Exonauts! blog starting here and then here for even more pulse-pounding action!

But let me tell you about the magic that went into this session. First, the evening started with some pre-session chatting about old school SF games, and Savage Worlds, with three folks who had played in my Free RPG Day Cosmic Patrol session this past summer. It was great to see them!

As soon as they left, Jay and I were just sort of waiting... for maybe five minutes. Right before it was time for the game to start, I went back to the dice section at the Source and made a big financial and spiritual commitment. I bought a set of Gamescience "precision dice" (painted, of course). This was an act of faith that our players would show up.

Just as soon as I had made it back to the table and was in the process of sitting down - BAMF - three other players arrived. We dug in for a great night of space opera gaming.

True to the Gamescience advertising, my character did not die due to the use of inferior "tumbled" dice. He didn't die at all, in fact! I have had quite the lucky run so far playing Scientists in X-plorers!

No less importantly, these green gem dice summon players. How rad is that?!? Rad enough for another evening of X-plorers using Jay's Rad Astra space-setting!

Our next session of open Saturday Night Space Opera gaming is Saturday, February 7, from 6 PM to closing at the Source! See you there!

D6 Star Wars Game - Saturday Night

Saturday Night Space Opera

Come by the Source Comics & Games in Roseville on Saturday, March 7 from 6 PM-closing, for some pulse-pounding D6 Star Wars roleplaying! Our GM will be Jay MacBride of X-plorers and Rad Astra fame!

This event is part of our monthly Saturday Night Space Opera games at the Source. They happen the first Saturday evening of the month.

Stop by to play, or run your own space opera game!

This one is not to be missed. A group of heroes and mercenaries has been charged with stealing the plans for the Death Star!