What might be a good system for a bombastic science-fantasy campaign?
To get a little more detailed, here are some specifications.
> It can't be too "hard" or serious. Magic and lasers and monster, oh my!
> It does NOT need detailed space travel rules or anything of the like.
> It shouldn't be geared entirely towards combat. Players are going to be doing more exploring and negotiating than smashing.
> There shouldn't be huge room for optimization or high variance in character power. This is a one-shot so no one wants to have to learn a system inside-out just to play a competent character.
But most importantly, I intend this as a one-shot that will encompass a larger scope than usual one-shots. It'll be a classic "save the kingdom from spooky threat by uniting the various factions" sorta deal, but I want to get it done in one extended sitting (maybe a full day of play). Because of this, any single combat can't take hours. To sum it up: the system doesn't need to be rules-lite, but it has to be fast.
Also, general "spoonfeed me a system based on my needs" thread! I'll pitch in if my limited knowledge proves useful.
>>45997402
GURPS; Use only the basic set, pregenerate some characters for your players. Have fun!
>>45998527
Thanks! I've heard that GURPS is better for gritty games though?
I didn't stress it heavily enough in my post, but when I said "bombastic science-fantasy" I really meant "irreverent and goofy science-fantasy".
Ludicrous things like a hatchet-wielding alligator monster fighting a heavily equipped tech-mage should be able to happen without being a landslide (and without resorting to just giving the brute more XP to spend).
>>45998955
If you make everyone take the "Luck" advantage, then the lethality level shouldn't be too high.
>>46000685
Alright, I'll look through it with that in mind. Thank you. :)
Savage World is pretty light but doesn't come with a setting...
I was considering it for a one-off based on Gloryhammer's Apocolypse 1992, which is pretty silly
I hate edition wars and shit, but I'm coming back into D&D after a few years away... I'm really torn between Pathfinder and Fifth edition. The general information I see seems to be fifth is better for newer players... but I have enough 3.5 experience where I am not swayed by the complexity. Is there any other profound reasons to go with one over the other?
If it matters, I'm a Perma-GM with anywhere between 3-6 players. Historically we do 100% homebrew worlds.
>>45998527
Stop it with this gay meme.
GURPS is absolute shit for anything and everything. It's a system that actively avoided good designs just to try and be different, and wound up as a obtusely complex and splat heavy system that makes spontaneous homebrew seem like a more favorable option.
>>46002546
Pathfinder/3.5 is crunchier and has more material than 5e. Some of the crunch is unnecessary and retarded, but a certain amount of that is unavoidable in a game with as many splats as 3.5. That being said, rules bloat is a problem, and such a huge amount of materials necessarily invites the possibility of broken combinations, and in doing so creates a huge gulf of completely useless false-options. Character creation in 3.5 can feel like stepping through a mine-field for the uninitiated ("Hey, crossbows are cool, I'll use a crossbow!"), and there is an absolute ton of granularity that many would argue is unnecessary.
5e isn't particularly any more balanced, but it's certainly got less shit to keep track of. It is absolutely easier to pick up, and there are some things in it that kind of fall into the category of "holy shit, why didn't D&D do this sooner?" (I'm looking at you, Advantage/Disadvantage).
3.5 gets a lot of shit on here. And it deserves a lot of it. But ultimately it's a solid system groaning under the weight of all of the shit piled onto it over the years--some of it awful, but some of it really good. There are enough fiddly bits to keep players and GMs glued to the SRD looking up wacko builds for years, even if most of those builds are ultimately useless from any standpoint within a mile of "optimization". 5e is simpler and quicker, and includes a bunch of nifty stuff, but it does so to the lack of some complexity. Some would argue this is a feature, some would argue it's a drawback.
For the record, I'm partial to 5e. But neither of them are bad systems.
As always, Fate Core.
>>46002631
OP, this is an idiot who thinks that every word written in a book must be used at all times yet doesn't know what optional means. GURPS is fine, though if you want something light for a one shot you night want something different.
GURPS is as light as you want it, especially with the GURPS lite pdf which is free. It's got a much less pulp than other options like Savage Worlds by default, but if you prefer a bit of crunch its probably your best bet. If you want something even lighter, try Fate. For a middle ground, Savage Worlds.
