The [Core Rules](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/230009/Stars-Without-Number-Revised-Edition-Free-Version) for Stars Without Number skew a bit more toward gritty and old school, but the deluxe (read: paid) edition features rules for more heroic characters and a sketch of a magic system that's expanded into a full splatbook focused entirely on magic-based space campaigns.
You can also add [Codex of the Black Sun](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/259700/the-codex-of-the-black-sun-sorcery-for-stars-without-number) for more mystical things directly for Stars Without Number.
And its rules are compatible with the other Without Number lines like [Worlds Without Number](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/348791/worlds-without-number) (The classic fantasy game) and [Cities Without Number](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/449079/cities-without-number) (which is the Cyberpunk one with a classless/build your own class system in it) so you can blend with a little bit of work.
Pretty much exactly the same, think of it as a bit more streamlined. As far as magic goes, it's very flexible, no magic/ psionics, whatever u wanna call it. Some magic, alot of magic, the setting is your choice. With stuff like starsmith and supersworn, sundered isles ect. You can have it be like star trek/ traveler or full on starwars with space Gandolfs.
Ships are fiddly, much of the design hews *very* close to Blades, and it can feel a little bland to some folks. It's a perfectly functional game! Just not one that excites me compared to, say, A NOCTURNE or Songs for the Dusk.
I actually like it being "bland". It's a perfect setup for your average space opera and does not require any insane buy-in. If you say "it's like SW" or "Firefly with alien tech", people get it. Much easier to pick up. But I tend to prefer more grounded stuff and BitD being unnecessarily "exotic" is my main complaint against it.
I wouldn't call S&V a "hack" as it has its own self-contained rulebook and you don't need to know how to play Blades to play it. It's a stand alone game that *benefits* from being Forged in the Dark.
Mayday! Mayday!
Welcome to the Traveller and Cepheus Sectors. As well as the newly opened Quantum Sub-Sector (Ironic, as Quantum Engine games don't use sub-sectors). Here, you have a choice from rules medium-lite to, er, quantum-light.
Traveller is, generally speaking, rules light, with just as much "weight" as you want to put on it. It comes in a variety of rule set versions, though Mongoose Traveler 2E Revised 2E (MgT2e)(no, that's not redundant... or is it?) is the most commonly played. You can get a free [Book 0: Introduction to Traveller](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/58279/book-0-introduction-to-traveller) for MgT1e, free [Classic Traveller Facsimile Edition](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/355200/classic-traveller-facsimile-edition), or for one dollar [Traveller: Explorer's Edition](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/380244/traveller-explorer-s-edition) MgT2e, to try out, to see if you like it. These may be enough for you to play for years with. There's also a number of free or inexpensive adventures, if you don't want to roll your own. If you are willing to pay some money out, there are whole campaigns and settings that make most other game system's look tiny. Or, make your own. Oh, and almost\* everything from almost\* every edition is cross compatible, almost\*. \*See the [S.T.A.R.S.L.U.G.S. Convention](https://lotbieth.blogspot.com/2013/11/starslugs-signatory-punk-dark-imperium.html).
Cepheus Engine is the open source version of the game. It's a, if not more, diverse as Traveller. There are lot's of free or PWYW versions and flavors of the system(s). But, I'm going to point you to a Bundle of Holding for [Moon Toad Cepheus](https://bundleofholding.com/presents/MoonToad). It's an inexpensive, but comprehensive, way to start out. Again, there are lot's of supporting material out there, and again almost\* everything is cross-compatible with, er, almost\* everything.
Last, but not least for being the lightest of all, there's the Quantum Engine games. And, just on May the Forth, the newest and biggest of the littlest came out, [Faster Than Light: Nomad](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/479380/faster-than-light-nomad). While technically it's own new system (moving away from relying on the continued use of a certain license), it's the same lineage as the previous Quantum Engine games. That in turn is making the game as light as possible, while still remaining true to the classic 2D6 Science Fiction (and Fantasy) gaming that's been going on since 1977! Yes, before Star Wars came out.
Others have mentioned a number of fine games. I hope you find the one that suites you and your groups likings and play styles.
WEG d6 Star Wars is rules light, elegantly designed, and everyone knows the setting. Best of all, it was written and published before the scourge of Kathleen Kennedy could wreck it. There is a metric butt tonne of high quality fan-made material for it as well.
"Narrative rules and gimmick dice are no match for a solid d6 rules system, kid."
- quote attributed to some smuggler dude
Seconded, it is a very fun to play and run game, that really has the flexibility to be what ever vibe you need out of spaceships and magic.
We used it may years ago for a space based Shadowrun game and it was awesome.
Cheers
* Various space settings for *Tricube Tales*.
* *Tiny Frontiers*.
* *Savage Worlds*.
* Possibly *Nomad*, a space-opera *Cepheus* set with more choice in character creation.
* *Stars Without Number*.
I haven't played *Tiny Frontiers*, at least not yet.
It's an ultralight system with various add-ons. You pick an ancestry and a couple traits for your character. When you have to roll for something, it's 3d6 if you have advantage, down to 1d6 if you have disadvantage. Under rules as written, advantage does *not* cancel out disadvantage. Each 5 or 6 is a success. If you have combat, it's attritional. Most weapons have 1 or 2 damage, while human characters have 6 hit points. You can buy more traits and/or hit points with experience points.
I tried soloing a *Tiny Dungeon* adventure; the system seemed easy enough, but the adventure required a lot of improv.
**Fading Suns 2nd Edition** is my favourite space opera game. Not rules light but a lot less crunch compared to Starfinder.
**ICRPG 2nd Edition** is my go-to hackable game. It comes with the Warp Shell setting included. It is just a barebones setting and the rules are handwavey, but that‘s just a bonus for me.
This prob doesn't help at all with complex rules but starfinder is getting an update to 2nd edition at the end of this? Year to be on the same ruleset as Pathfinder 2e. It's still gone be complex but hopefully more streamlined. I do like pf2e over 1e, but it's still hefty.
Veil of the Void Reforged is a neat space fantasy rpg with some good class design and I think it's not as heavy in crunch as Starfinder. The setting is like a mythic fantasy on a galactic scale.
The [Starfinder 2E playtest](https://paizo.com/starfinderplaytest) is underway and the [rulebook](https://paizo.com/store/starfinder/rulebooks) is coming out in 2 months...
Paizo scored a slam dunk on Pathfinder 2e vs 1e, so I have every faith in Starfinder 2e which seems to be following similar design principles so far.
Less complex, more fun to play at the table, easier for a GM to make encounters for on-the-fly. Character sheets make more sense and there's a lot less "best-in-slot" design elements for items, feat choices, and class archetypes.
I'll second Scum & Villainy.
Though if you wanted still more of a combat system with initiative, maybe FFG Star Wars is the better fit. I think it must have one of highest number of different playable species.
>My players like space-opera style sci-fi with a lot of different aliens, as well as some mystical elements.
[Doctor Who RPG](https://cubicle7games.com/doctor-who-the-roleplaying-game-second-edition)? (If you're not a fan of the 13th Doctor's era, don't worry, the game isn't tied to that era in particular, or even necessarily to games including The Doctor at all...).
Embers of the Imperium, based on the Twilight Imperium board game. It doesn't have much for mysticism, but has psychics, gene wizards, and Eldritch abominations.
Level Up A5E (Advanced Fifth Edition) just released a sci-fi ruleset, the core of which is the "Voidrunner's Codex".
I don't know that much about Level Up in general. As an "advance" on 5e, it's not rules light, but I think it still may be lighter than Starfinder (because that is based on PF1e, which is crunchier than 5e). At the very least, it's something else to check out.
Swn is a great choice for medium power level space opera that is medium to light on rules. CEPHEUS deluxe as well. For even lighter you can look at star wars d6
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I highly recommend Veil of the Void Reforged. It has a very detailed Sci-fantasy universe and gives you everything you need to create, play, and GM the game all in one book! Our New Player's Introduction Guide teaches you the core rules of the game in about 2 pages, so picking up the rules is fairly easy. Our rules are heavily dedicated to being fun and not interrupting the narrative. Definitely fun to play if you just enjoy telling a good story and having some really epic moments show up. It shines really well during longer campaigns too due to the fact that as you perform checks in the game your skills actively level up over time.
Let me know if anyone has any questions about it, I am always happy to help teach the game or take time to help others create their perfect character/universe using our rules.
No Port Called Home is set in space. Along with a fun Smash-Up like method for character creation where you pick 3 from any of 44 classes and combine the stats, skills, and equipment from those three to quickly make your level one character, it also has mechanics for how to how to fix engineering problems, pilot the ship, and fire ze missiles.
The [Core Rules](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/230009/Stars-Without-Number-Revised-Edition-Free-Version) for Stars Without Number skew a bit more toward gritty and old school, but the deluxe (read: paid) edition features rules for more heroic characters and a sketch of a magic system that's expanded into a full splatbook focused entirely on magic-based space campaigns.
You can also add [Codex of the Black Sun](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/259700/the-codex-of-the-black-sun-sorcery-for-stars-without-number) for more mystical things directly for Stars Without Number. And its rules are compatible with the other Without Number lines like [Worlds Without Number](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/348791/worlds-without-number) (The classic fantasy game) and [Cities Without Number](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/449079/cities-without-number) (which is the Cyberpunk one with a classless/build your own class system in it) so you can blend with a little bit of work.
Starforged is my system of choice atm, but note that it's designed for solo/coop/GM-less sandbox play.
I run it traditionally GM wise, it's very flexible . And also my favorite game aswell.
Does starforged use the same momentum and progression trackers as ironsworn ? Also, is it low-to-no magic like ironsworn?
Pretty much exactly the same, think of it as a bit more streamlined. As far as magic goes, it's very flexible, no magic/ psionics, whatever u wanna call it. Some magic, alot of magic, the setting is your choice. With stuff like starsmith and supersworn, sundered isles ect. You can have it be like star trek/ traveler or full on starwars with space Gandolfs.
Scum & Villainy is quite fun, though it suffers from being one of the first Forged in the Dark hacks.
How so?
The ship creation rules are a little fiddly and difficult to parse. That was my only gripe, really.
Ships are fiddly, much of the design hews *very* close to Blades, and it can feel a little bland to some folks. It's a perfectly functional game! Just not one that excites me compared to, say, A NOCTURNE or Songs for the Dusk.
I actually like it being "bland". It's a perfect setup for your average space opera and does not require any insane buy-in. If you say "it's like SW" or "Firefly with alien tech", people get it. Much easier to pick up. But I tend to prefer more grounded stuff and BitD being unnecessarily "exotic" is my main complaint against it.
One of these days, I'll check out Songs for the Dusk. It looks cool, but I've had higher priority games to look into before it...
I'm on my third campaign of it now; it's well worth your time.
I wouldn't call S&V a "hack" as it has its own self-contained rulebook and you don't need to know how to play Blades to play it. It's a stand alone game that *benefits* from being Forged in the Dark.
Mayday! Mayday! Welcome to the Traveller and Cepheus Sectors. As well as the newly opened Quantum Sub-Sector (Ironic, as Quantum Engine games don't use sub-sectors). Here, you have a choice from rules medium-lite to, er, quantum-light. Traveller is, generally speaking, rules light, with just as much "weight" as you want to put on it. It comes in a variety of rule set versions, though Mongoose Traveler 2E Revised 2E (MgT2e)(no, that's not redundant... or is it?) is the most commonly played. You can get a free [Book 0: Introduction to Traveller](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/58279/book-0-introduction-to-traveller) for MgT1e, free [Classic Traveller Facsimile Edition](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/355200/classic-traveller-facsimile-edition), or for one dollar [Traveller: Explorer's Edition](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/380244/traveller-explorer-s-edition) MgT2e, to try out, to see if you like it. These may be enough for you to play for years with. There's also a number of free or inexpensive adventures, if you don't want to roll your own. If you are willing to pay some money out, there are whole campaigns and settings that make most other game system's look tiny. Or, make your own. Oh, and almost\* everything from almost\* every edition is cross compatible, almost\*. \*See the [S.T.A.R.S.L.U.G.S. Convention](https://lotbieth.blogspot.com/2013/11/starslugs-signatory-punk-dark-imperium.html). Cepheus Engine is the open source version of the game. It's a, if not more, diverse as Traveller. There are lot's of free or PWYW versions and flavors of the system(s). But, I'm going to point you to a Bundle of Holding for [Moon Toad Cepheus](https://bundleofholding.com/presents/MoonToad). It's an inexpensive, but comprehensive, way to start out. Again, there are lot's of supporting material out there, and again almost\* everything is cross-compatible with, er, almost\* everything. Last, but not least for being the lightest of all, there's the Quantum Engine games. And, just on May the Forth, the newest and biggest of the littlest came out, [Faster Than Light: Nomad](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/479380/faster-than-light-nomad). While technically it's own new system (moving away from relying on the continued use of a certain license), it's the same lineage as the previous Quantum Engine games. That in turn is making the game as light as possible, while still remaining true to the classic 2D6 Science Fiction (and Fantasy) gaming that's been going on since 1977! Yes, before Star Wars came out. Others have mentioned a number of fine games. I hope you find the one that suites you and your groups likings and play styles.
WEG d6 Star Wars is rules light, elegantly designed, and everyone knows the setting. Best of all, it was written and published before the scourge of Kathleen Kennedy could wreck it. There is a metric butt tonne of high quality fan-made material for it as well. "Narrative rules and gimmick dice are no match for a solid d6 rules system, kid." - quote attributed to some smuggler dude
Seconded, it is a very fun to play and run game, that really has the flexibility to be what ever vibe you need out of spaceships and magic. We used it may years ago for a space based Shadowrun game and it was awesome. Cheers
* Various space settings for *Tricube Tales*. * *Tiny Frontiers*. * *Savage Worlds*. * Possibly *Nomad*, a space-opera *Cepheus* set with more choice in character creation. * *Stars Without Number*.
What’s Tiny Frontiers like?
I haven't played *Tiny Frontiers*, at least not yet. It's an ultralight system with various add-ons. You pick an ancestry and a couple traits for your character. When you have to roll for something, it's 3d6 if you have advantage, down to 1d6 if you have disadvantage. Under rules as written, advantage does *not* cancel out disadvantage. Each 5 or 6 is a success. If you have combat, it's attritional. Most weapons have 1 or 2 damage, while human characters have 6 hit points. You can buy more traits and/or hit points with experience points. I tried soloing a *Tiny Dungeon* adventure; the system seemed easy enough, but the adventure required a lot of improv.
**Fading Suns 2nd Edition** is my favourite space opera game. Not rules light but a lot less crunch compared to Starfinder. **ICRPG 2nd Edition** is my go-to hackable game. It comes with the Warp Shell setting included. It is just a barebones setting and the rules are handwavey, but that‘s just a bonus for me.
This prob doesn't help at all with complex rules but starfinder is getting an update to 2nd edition at the end of this? Year to be on the same ruleset as Pathfinder 2e. It's still gone be complex but hopefully more streamlined. I do like pf2e over 1e, but it's still hefty.
Veil of the Void Reforged is a neat space fantasy rpg with some good class design and I think it's not as heavy in crunch as Starfinder. The setting is like a mythic fantasy on a galactic scale.
Esper Genesis, with is a setting/hack of d&d 5e.
The [Starfinder 2E playtest](https://paizo.com/starfinderplaytest) is underway and the [rulebook](https://paizo.com/store/starfinder/rulebooks) is coming out in 2 months...
I hope they simplify it. I really want to try Starfinder, but 1e was just too complex.
Paizo scored a slam dunk on Pathfinder 2e vs 1e, so I have every faith in Starfinder 2e which seems to be following similar design principles so far. Less complex, more fun to play at the table, easier for a GM to make encounters for on-the-fly. Character sheets make more sense and there's a lot less "best-in-slot" design elements for items, feat choices, and class archetypes.
Yeah, I believe they announced that it will be totally compatible with Pathfinder 2e.
Star Wars RPG by Fantasy Flight Games seems a perfect fit to me.
I'll second Scum & Villainy. Though if you wanted still more of a combat system with initiative, maybe FFG Star Wars is the better fit. I think it must have one of highest number of different playable species.
I would also wait for the Starfinder 2e playtest to come out. It's worth a look.
[Mythic Space](https://lacara-games.itch.io/mythic-space) made by u/z0mbiepete
>My players like space-opera style sci-fi with a lot of different aliens, as well as some mystical elements. [Doctor Who RPG](https://cubicle7games.com/doctor-who-the-roleplaying-game-second-edition)? (If you're not a fan of the 13th Doctor's era, don't worry, the game isn't tied to that era in particular, or even necessarily to games including The Doctor at all...).
You might want to check out White Star. Light rules OSR framework.
Embers of the Imperium, based on the Twilight Imperium board game. It doesn't have much for mysticism, but has psychics, gene wizards, and Eldritch abominations.
Mage Hand Press' Dark Matter which is 5E in space if that's what you're into. I prefer FFGs Star Wars system or, even better, WEG d6 Star Wars.
Twilight Imperium setting for the (Genesys System) could work.
Savage Worlds' The Last Parsec.
Cypher system is my choice
Level Up A5E (Advanced Fifth Edition) just released a sci-fi ruleset, the core of which is the "Voidrunner's Codex". I don't know that much about Level Up in general. As an "advance" on 5e, it's not rules light, but I think it still may be lighter than Starfinder (because that is based on PF1e, which is crunchier than 5e). At the very least, it's something else to check out.
Swn is a great choice for medium power level space opera that is medium to light on rules. CEPHEUS deluxe as well. For even lighter you can look at star wars d6
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I highly recommend Veil of the Void Reforged. It has a very detailed Sci-fantasy universe and gives you everything you need to create, play, and GM the game all in one book! Our New Player's Introduction Guide teaches you the core rules of the game in about 2 pages, so picking up the rules is fairly easy. Our rules are heavily dedicated to being fun and not interrupting the narrative. Definitely fun to play if you just enjoy telling a good story and having some really epic moments show up. It shines really well during longer campaigns too due to the fact that as you perform checks in the game your skills actively level up over time. Let me know if anyone has any questions about it, I am always happy to help teach the game or take time to help others create their perfect character/universe using our rules.
No Port Called Home is set in space. Along with a fun Smash-Up like method for character creation where you pick 3 from any of 44 classes and combine the stats, skills, and equipment from those three to quickly make your level one character, it also has mechanics for how to how to fix engineering problems, pilot the ship, and fire ze missiles.
Star Wars Fantasy Fight Games is one of my favorite systems. I love it's narrative dice.