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I have to make a confession - When stars Without Numbers was first released, it didn't excite me. Not because it wasn't a good system, but because I really wasn't yearning for a good sci-fi game. So I gave it a quick look and it went back to sit on my virtual bookshelf.
Why then am I currently reading Stars Without Numbers: Core Edition when the free edition is sitting on my hard drive? It isn't just the cover (which is striking).
I'm interested in the society generation tables. (well, and the mech and robot stuff - with a little work SWN:Core and Labyrinth Lord would make for a coherent and balanced alternative to Rifts).
I was expecting something along the lines of the classic Traveller system generation. What I got was more like Microscope. I think I like the system in SWN: CE better than either of these choices. Given a few minutes, you could get some unique world backstory for just about any game system. Heck, I'd borrow this for my next fantasy campaign. Maybe the publishers could publish this section on its own - it is that good.
There really is enough here to cover all the world and government types your might want in your game, with tables that cover just about every aspect of the societies. If you were to crib this for a fantasy campaign building session, each "world" would be a country, and you'd have to smooth out some of the inconsistencies between countries in the same geographical area, but with the world building tool you are given really could build a world.
As for SWN in general - I really like the class system. Comfortable enough for me as an AD&D grognard to feel right at home while still keeping the system fresh and effectively gear to sci-fi. I do so want to make a Rifts like mashup tho' ;)
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Stars Without Number: Core Edition delivers exactly what it promises; an Old School Renaissance retro science-fiction role-playing experience. Players can choose between one of three classes for their character that are essentially a futuristic version of the classic warrior, wizard, and rogue, but then also select Background Packages and Training Packages to make their character unique.
SWN:CE has some nice mechanics that were absent from the earlier games it is inspired by. It really makes this system feel like a game that is attempting to capture the feel of old school gaming while not just simply reprinting out-dated rules in a new format.
There is a lot in this book. Psionics, starships, mecha, robots, aliens, and AI just to name a few. I could see a GM using only a few of these elements to create a more hard sci-fi setting, possibly dropping psionics entirely.
Even if you don't intend on running this game, I would recommend picking up this title simply for the GM's section. It has great, system neutral rules for creating entire sectors of space, the planets they contain, and the factions, governments, and societies on them. There is also a sample sector that you can start playing in right away, or adapt for use in another game. I highly recommend this book.
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Stars Without Number is perhaps the best old-school inspired sci-fi game I have ever had the joy of reading. The author, Kevin Crawford, clearly knows his stuff, and masterfully conveys the simplicity of old-school mechanics and merges them with the vast and nigh-limitless possibilities of the sci-fi genre.
Normally I’d approach a game like this with no small amount of skepticism. I came into the hobby at the tail end of the old-school rulesets, and the bulk of my gaming knowledge was firmly rooted in the 1995-2000 era. White Wolf and Legend of the Five Rings were staples to me, and while I was tangentially aware of the old school rulesets thanks to the old SSI gold box games and Baldur’s Gate, I’ve never really played them.
That said, I’ve found the rules for Stars Without Number to be fairly light, easy to understand and perhaps with an overabundance of tables. Character creation is simple, my first attempt to make a character with the rules for this review took me less than fifteen minutes, with an extra few minutes when it came to shopping for gear.
The game is class-based, dividing the characters to Warrior, Expert and Psychics, each with their own moderate to strong niche protection. While character generation might feel a bit flimsy to those more used to modern systems, I found the character creation rules of Stars Without Number to be a refreshing change of pace, given that it focuses only on the bare minimum needs, and leaves a lot of the fluff to be something for the Players and GM to agree upon, a practice that I heartily endorse.
The system is also equally simple, and doesn’t break any new ground as far innovation is concerned, but that’s alright. Even if it doesn’t innovate, Stars Without Number makes up for it by being exhaustive. From Psychic Powers to Starship Combat and Mecha, the game has a something from everything.
In fact, over half of the book is dedicated to GM tools in order to generate nearly anything. Worlds, Factions, Religions, Governments and Societies are just the tip of the iceberg. Each of these can be life savers for a GM trying to put together an adventure.
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Stars Without Number belongs on a “must-have” list for any gamer. The mechanics are easy to understand, but have a remarkable amount of mileage when it comes to usefulness. The game comes with its own setting, but any GM worth his salt can use the system for just about anything.
New gamers and old hands alike will find something useful in this book, and I personally find that it will be difficult to not recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in running a Sci-Fi campaign.
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If you'd like to read more review by me, come visit my blog at: http://philgamer.wordpress.com/
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I'm really happy to see the new core edition, and know it is available in a hardback format.
The only difference between this version, and the previously free version, are the addition of mecha rules, the AI/robot rules, and the society creation tables in the GMs Section.
Personally, I believe this information should have been released in several Mandate Archives, rather than have us buying a new core rulebook to obtain it. Other than that, I have no problems with it.
If you've already picked up the free version, give this one a try. If you are thinking of getting the free version, buy this one. You'll be glad you did.
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