HYPERLANES: Cinematic SciFi for DnD 5e

Let’s start with a pretty important topic: Science Fiction vs. Fantasy.  

It goes without saying that the gaming tropes that work in fantasy games don’t always work in sci-fi games. While you might say there are analogues to the familiar elements of dungeon delving to be found in star-hopping adventure, it’s not all the same and probably shouldn’t be treated as such.  

Spells, for example, are a major part of D&D characters. Magic is a big part of fantasy world building. Certainly the structure of starship-centered adventure sessions are different than dungeon-centered sessions. We need a replacement for spells and magic, extra rules for vehicles combat that keeps the feel of D&D, and a thoughtfulness towards the kinds of adventures we’re going to need for this kind of gaming.  

For spells, we’ve come up with a system called Gambits. We’ll go into more detail on them later this month, but the basic premise is that character classes that would normally have spells have an equivalent in Gambits. These are special abilities that pull out all the stops. They chance the nature of the encounter in interesting ways, usually based off of the areas of training the character would have access to.  

So, a character with level in the Outlaw class, with the Bounty Hunter archetype would have access to a number of Gambit Schools, including Arsenal. Arsenal helps with really making the most out of heavy weapons, explosives, and unusual attacks. This lets the Bounty Hunter take down their prey with the level of nuance, precision, or spectacular explosions that suits their style.  

You’ll see more about Gambits later on.

As for technology, it’s front and center. Not only are the Gambits designed around interfacing specialized characters with the tech, but we’ve replaced magical items with advanced superscience. Some technologies are simply beyond the normal ken. Even denizens of star empires and junkyard worlds don’t have regular access to the kinds of incredible science that the geniuses of the galaxy come up with for their most trusted troops and impossible plots.  

Thus, magical items are still around in a sense, filling a similar role. The difference is that technologies can be customizable, and even implantable. We’ll have rules for modifying equipment and starships, as well as installing cybertech and biotech if that suits the setting. As you can see, the process of converting fantasy systems over isn’t impossible, but it does take thinking about the problem and doing the work of converting.

We'll have more to say about what we're doing as we go. Welcome to the campaign!

-Ryan