Sci-fi TTRPGs such as Rogue Trader and Traveller have such an appeal for the intergalactic explorer. Instead of being heroic figures battling here and there, I love that these tend towards the more “mundane” parts of the setting. Rogue Traders, though they deal with wild artifacts and xenos on a daily basis, also have to contend with the minutia of running a starship. Traveller takes this even further, being a hard sci-fi RPG about the realities of space travel.
After checking out Intergalactic Bastionland‘s playtest, a new sci-fi contender might be coming soon.
Intergalactic Bastionland is an upcoming TTRPG about characters working on a colossal starship as they juggle their official duties and “private” hustles on different planets. Creator Chris McDowall released the first playtest earlier this February, and despite being bare-bones , it’s surprisingly in-depth. One playtest in and there are already systems for characters, personal combat, space combat, trade economy, and even a few worlds. It’s got more pages than some other tabletop RPGs I’ve played.
I love that this setting lets me be some guy on their 9-to-5 job, except the job is on a badass starship. There’s also a bit of social mobility in schmoozing with various crew members and planetary locals to fatten your own purse. These are helped along by fascinating planets, ranging from corporate hellscapes to harsh frontier worlds revolving around a red star.
You can check out the full playtest on Google Drive here for the nitty-gritty details. Though mostly text, McDowall did a fantastic job of communicating the vibes of his upcoming project. I really enjoy the focus on personal accomplishment on a smaller scale. So many sci-fi stories tend to follow the Luke Skywalkers or Captain Picards, and this feels a bit more human.
Though the playtest does look complex, it’s effectively “rules-light” in practice. Much like its predecessor Mythic Bastionland, the system essentially runs itself. The actual play-by-play is simple, and the “complex” systems exist to generate awesome moments for your game. It’s one of the most well-oiled TTRPG systems out there, and I can’t wait to see it in full.
You can follow Intergalactic Bastionland RPG’s Kickstarter here.
The Wargamer Discord loves its niche TTRPGs, so why not visit? If you’d like the familiar Forgotten Realms, these D&D books should have you covered.