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Post by gina on Sept 8, 2018 10:21:40 GMT -8
The Expanse Roleplaying Game
Saturday, August 25 7pm-11 PTShadowCon game #9 features The Expanse RPG, which is being published by Green Ronin after a highly successful Kickstarter. Like a number of Green Ronin properties, The Expanse RPG is based on a updated version of the AGE System (i.e. Dragon Age, Fantasy Age). Also, as most likely know, the IP is from a series of science fiction novels by James S.A. Corey (pen name of Daniel Abraham, Ty Franck) and also a freaking fantastic show, formerly on the Sci-Fi channel, now picked up by Amazon for their 4th season. The characters were selected from pre-gens, and #shadowsquad played the quickstart adventure. The set-up and PCs: The son and heir apparent to the wealthy Dardanus family has been missing for a year. Recently his access codes have been used to order a shipment of valuable products and have them shipped to Ganymede station. You have been sent by the head of the Dardanus family to find out if he’s alive or if not what became of him. Somewhere amidst the conflicting inner planets and OPA and gangsters lies the truth. Can you find him?jazzisblues (JiB) - GMhoobuk (Adam) - Chao Zhang Sokolov, Belter Medic cadave (Dave) - Nico Velez, Earther Pilot homosuperior (Joey) - Adisson Grant, Martian Technician mcellis (Morgan) - Ade Akintola, Earther Aristocrat Victoria - Kasey Khatri, Martian Soldier Note: You've got to listen to this one just to hear the awesome Belter patois between JiB and Adam, beltalowda! <3
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Post by jazzisblues on Sept 9, 2018 12:31:16 GMT -8
First off, thank you gina for giving me a chance to run the Expanse RPG on ShadowCon. You handed me a table of great players to try out this new system. We used the Quick Start rules and the prepared adventure that they send with it. What follows are my thoughts on the session, the game, and the adventure itself. The players were a spectacular group. I am constantly humbled and gratified by the quality of players I get in the games I run. I am truly honored to be allowed to game with you guys. I've said this before, but it's the players that make this game great. I would happily sit and watch them all day. The system: The Expanse RPG is based on the AGE system by Green Ronin, the basis of games like Fantasy Age and Dragon Age. It shares some things with them, and has some new things. gina provided links to the kickstarter and to the Expanse RPG site above so no need to do that here. The system does a good job of representing a hard sci-fi game, and the conflict resolution mechanic is quick and easy to work with. For anything you want to do, roll 3d6, add them together, add the appropriate attribute, and an applicable focus if you have one. If you meet or exceed a TN (either static or rolled by the gm) you pass. Additionally, you designate one die as being your, "drama die," (This was called the stunt die in earlier implementations of the AGE system). If you get doubles on any two dice you check the drama die and get that many stunt points to use to perform stunts. There are tables of stunts depending on the kind of action (Fighting/Exploring/Social) .
The Expanse RPG does a credible job of representing a hard sci-fi universe, though we haven't gotten into the flight and ship rules yet which is where the metal will hit the meat on that score. The action is quick and exciting with interesting resolutions. It's fun to play.
What it doesn't do at least not from a mechanical standpoint is to say, "THIS IS THE EXPANSE." There's nothing mechanically that makes this game the Expanse vs some other sci-fi universe which puts the onus on the gm and the players to make it the Expanse which is a weakness in my opinion but we will see what comes out in the final version.
The Adventure: The adventure is a pretty straight forward adventure that focuses on the conflict between the inner planets and the belt. It's a pretty simple problem made more complicated by the people involved. The adventure is designed to show off the system and various aspects of that, and it does it pretty well. It's also fun to play. It gives a straightforward line of events, but doesn't force the characters to follow that line specifically. We didn't. There are aspects of the adventure that very much inform the Expanse setting which is good. As published adventures go it's a pretty good one particularly for exploring the system.
If you like the Expanse, or you like hard sci-fi, the Expanse RPG is a good buy. It's fun easy to play and characters are straightforward and make sense.
Cheers,
JiB
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