Mars 1939! [SpaceQuest/RuneQuest]

[Astromancer]

Basically my idea is this, do a planetary romance setting for RuneQuest. Take the Lowellian Mars that's the basis for ERB's Barsoom, C.L.Moores's Mars, Lin Carter's Mars, Bradbury's Chronicals, and Moorcock's Kane of Old Mars, and do a seperate version of it. Mix ancient India and the ancient Near East, and mix up a strange lively RuneQuestish world for adventures.

Earth humans would be recent explorers, say that Tesla invented a wild new power source and figured how to fly into space with it. Earth-folk reach Mars in 1936. Have the USA, the UK, the French (none of whom really likes the other in 1939), as well as the Nazis, the Soviets, and the Imperial Japanese, exploring the planet. Late thrities technology, especially with the threat of war back home, would give the Earth folks godlike power.

Keep the spells low-key. Mind-speech rather than flamesword, to simulate Psionics. Go for a pulp adventure feel like Northwest Smith.

It could test the idea of a SpaceQuest within a RuneQuest format.

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[Lord High Munchkin]

Late thrities technology, especially with the threat of war back home, would give the Earth folks godlike power.

Ah, I see a potential problem with governmental involvement... the sheer amount of carnage that even a 1930's weapon like a Maschinengewehr 34 (or other machine-gun) could do!!!

That's why authors tend to keep incursions to single visitors or small groups only (Barsoom for example). As soon as you allow Modern states to start playing power-politics, it's going to upset (and crush like an ant) any native system very quickly.

That's not to say it can't provide exciting adventure possibilities, but it will be just '30's military pulp in a new setting.

 

[Deleriad]

Sounds like a lot of fun to me; definitely worthwhile getting Simon's sci-fi rules and a copy of BRP as that'll give you a head start on a lot of the tech stuff. You could also look at BRPs mutations and psi powers.

 

[jarulf]

There is a Planetary Romance setting in the works for BRP, by Jason Durall called Interplanetary

 

[soltakss]

Ah, I see a potential problem with governmental involvement... the sheer amount of carnage that even a 1930's weapon like a Maschinengewehr 34 (or other machine-gun) could do!!!

Until you run out of ammo, of course. There's always the chance of some corrosive substance in the alien atmospehere that can corrode certain parts and make these things unusable. Why do you think aliens use crystal technology?

That's why authors tend to keep incursions to single visitors or small groups only (Barsoom for example). As soon as you allow Modern states to start playing power-politics, it's going to upset (and crush like an ant) any native system very quickly.

I always saw the pulp stories about visiting alien civilisations on Mars, Venus etc as being more like the Victorian explorers. They have the money and the spare time to invest in visiting those places and can act as the forerunners of the major powers.

Also, what if the alien cultures have a slightly higher level of technology and could crush us like an ant?

That's not to say it can't provide exciting adventure possibilities, but it will be just '30's military pulp in a new setting.

If you take a spaceship with machine guns, grenades and lots of ammo, then yes it becomes like 30s military pulp. If you go with a single .38 then it turns into a different game entirely. It all depends on how you approach the game in the first place.

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

Ah, I see a potential problem with governmental involvement... the sheer amount of carnage that even a 1930's weapon like a Maschinengewehr 34 (or other machine-gun) could do!!!

Until you run out of ammo, of course. There's always the chance of some corrosive substance in the alien atmospehere that can corrode certain parts and make these things unusable. Why do you think aliens use crystal technology?

Well, if governments are involved, no problem... ship in a few million more rounds of ammo.

Exotic atmospheres are a possible answer, but which parts would they affect. Attacking the base chemical compounds in the powder or oils is tricky as it has other repercussions for 1930's technology, and if it's metals (were chiefly talking iron—an extremely common metal in space), why not sword blades or alien metalwork? Mu-metal is a Deus Ex Machina, but how long would it be before the reasonably advanced manufacturing of the 1930's gets around even that problem with a special coating or mining?

The trouble with 1930's governmental involvement in any planetary-fantasy setting is that any exploration will soon likely escalate to hand grenades and industrialised military expansion—World War II... just not on Earth.

I'm not saying that has no possibilities, but it wouldn't stay small-scale exploration-based for any length of time.

Of, course the aliens could be more advanced... but why did they not stop the incursions? Do they not have telescopes and radio receivers to observe all the merry japes going on on earth?

 

[Astromancer]

The trouble with 1930's governmental involvement in any planetary-fantasy setting is that any exploration will soon likely escalate to hand grenades and industrialised military expansion—World War II... just not on Earth.

Actually I see WWII as cutting the Earth Humans (who would not be the guys generated like baseline RuneQuest characters) off from their planet. Their are a few bases, but the oncoming war keeps the governments focused on the Earth.

Also the Martians would have magic. Basically the RuneQuest magic system would be jiggered to simulate A) Psionics (low key but pulpish) and B) Super Science (ala HawkMoon). The Martians would have powers not availible to inexperienced Eath-folk and control over which Earth-folk, if any, would learn them. The Earth-folk would have late 1930's tech and genre-fitting stats (i.e. they'd be superstrong and tough compared to the average Martian).

Of, course the aliens could be more advanced... but why did they not stop the incursions? Do they not have telescopes and radio receivers to observe all the merry japes going on on earth?

Like Tragic Europe or Barsoom, the high tech exists, but the broader society is a mess. The "Science Enclaves" option would need to be availible to the Martians.

In fact the Earth-folk should be optional to the whole setting. You could game in Glorantha for years without runing into a Giant Lunar Sorceror and never miss the flavor of the setting. Earth-folk in this setting would be like Mistress Race Trolls, a part of the setting, but not part of every game. In fact, rumors of strange folk from the Third Planet, with crude deadly machines, mind-blind, but with the strength of giants and the will of heros, would make a good piece of setting chrome.

Also, the whole thing would test out the idea of RuneQuest rules for Science Fantasy and Eternal Champion type Space Opera.

Oh and let's have flying sailboats like Barsoom and Space:1889!

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[Lord High Munchkin]

The trouble with 1930's governmental involvement in any planetary-fantasy setting is that any exploration will soon likely escalate to hand grenades and industrialised military expansion—World War II... just not on Earth.

Actually I see WWII as cutting the Earth Humans (who would not be the guys generated like baseline RuneQuest characters) off from their planet. Their are a few bases, but the oncoming war keeps the governments focused on the Earth.

The trouble is that as soon as governments knew about another (reachable) inhabitable planet, there likely wouldn't be an Earth-based WW2—the sheer desire for conquest and desire for resources would take over. Rapidly there would be an arms-race with very fast development of rockets (based on Goddard, Tsiolkovsky and Oberth), which would be also bad news for flying sail-boats too.

With another planet to conquer there would probably be less overt tension on Earth (and likely no war), but more espionage. Meanwhile on the other planet the governments would throw technological resources (and manpower) at grabbing as much Lebensraum as they could get—and of course stopping the other nations from doing the same.

One of the reasons why 'Space 1889' works is the paradigm shift in mental outlook to a "mechanistic", totalitarian "social-industrial-military nationalism" hadn't yet taken place. By 1930 the "Modern" world had fully developed (a way of thinking that which we have largely left behind now).

Thinking about it, I feel the main problem I can see is the governments and their involvement. Everything else is not a problem (after all it works in the planetary novels), but the resources that even small 1930's nations could command would be unsettling to the genre.

I hope that these points are useful to you (I'm really just playing "Devil's Advocate").

I do think this is a good idea for a setting, but restricting the in-game character access to the setting to make it manageable is probably a sensible thing to do (à la John Carter's voyage to Barsoom).

 

[Astromancer]

Then go with Earth-folk as rare monsters. The standard stats would represent ordinary Martians, Earth-Folk would be STR 4D6+18, CON 4D6+18, SIZ 2D6+6, INT 2D6+9, DEX 3D6+12, POW 3D6+12, and CHA 2D6+9. They'd be strange beings from another planet, and most folks would want them to go HOME!

They should be incompetant at Magic(Psionics) but able to learn Magic(Weird Tech).

As to the Martians, rifting off Devas/Daevas verus Ahuras/Asuras of Iranian and Indian Myth, and of Hiduism's ambigous view of the Buddha, how about a three-way religious war/struggle? The Devas/Daevas would be the gods of the Sun, ordered society, and Law. The Ahuras/Asuras would be the tribal gods, star deities, and chaotic (but not more evil destructive than the Devas/Daevas). The Buddhists in this senario would be the Twin sisters of the Red and Blue Moons. Radical egalitarians attacking the cast order and slavery. These would allow a free barrowing of ideas from the cults of Yelm, Orlanth, and the Red Goddess, while being different enough not to be stale.

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[PrinceYyrkoon]

If the leaky spacesuits didnt kill everyone, the radiation would. End of campaign.

Ive been told I lack imagination.

 

[Astromancer]

Another thought, have the Tesla invention come earlier, say 1910. The flights to Mars would be at the same time as Fitz Lang's "Die Frau im Mond"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woman_in_the_Moon or earlier. Mid-Twenties Tech, and no governments involved yet.

 

[Astromancer]

If the leaky spacesuits didnt kill everyone, the radiation would. End of campaign.

Ive been told I lack imagination.

They lie! Order the Guards to kill them.

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

How would you keep the governments out?

Another tack, and possible (temporary) solution, would be to place "first contact" actually during WW1 (at least mid-war, so the nations are otherwise occupied).

However, once the war is over the plundering (probably intended to replenish resources) would avariciously start apace.

 

[soltakss]

If the leaky spacesuits didnt kill everyone, the radiation would. End of campaign.

Spacesuits? Radiation? What are these concepts?

I've seen Flash Gordon - he threw a bomb out of an airlock in deep space once.

With this kind of setting, Mars, Venus and the Moon have atmospheres and are protected against most forms of radiation, except for any indiginous radiation.

 

[PrinceYyrkoon]

I've seen Flash Gordon - he threw a bomb out of an airlock in deep space once.

With this kind of setting, Mars, Venus and the Moon have atmospheres and are protected against most forms of radiation, except for any indiginous radiation.

Hah! I remember that Flash Gordon!

Mars is a radiation hot spot, Venus will kill you in 8 seconds and the Moon is a barren rock. I cant get over the facts. Obviously, this is a problem for me and sci fi pulp gaming. I'll take it that I should never game this genre. Ever.

 

[duncan_disorderly]

Mars is a radiation hot spot, Venus will kill you in 8 seconds and the Moon is a barren rock.

No, That's just the story Scientists tell you to stop the Govenment getting involved, and ruining their chance to sail on flying boats and rescue exotic princesses from terrifying monsters in ruined alien cities. (Governments never want you to have any fun....)

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

Mars is a radiation hot spot, Venus will kill you in 8 seconds and the Moon is a barren rock.

No, That's just the story Scientists tell you to stop the Govenment getting involved, and ruining their chance to sail on flying boats and rescue exotic princesses from terrifying monsters in ruined alien cities. (Governments never want you to have any fun....)

It's all true... well the lack of fun bit anyway.

 

[soltakss]

Mars is a radiation hot spot, Venus will kill you in 8 seconds and the Moon is a barren rock. I cant get over the facts. Obviously, this is a problem for me and sci fi pulp gaming. I'll take it that I should never game this genre. Ever.

No, Mars is full of busty, scantily clad women, Venus is a hot-house of steamy jungles, full of scantily-clad women and the Moon is ruled by scantily-clad amazons who need men to repopulate their world.

Or is that just me?

 

[PrinceYyrkoon]

Sounds like theres a general shortage of clothing throiughout the universe. :lol:

 

[Astromancer]

No, Mars is full of busty, scantily clad women, Venus is a hot-house of steamy jungles, full of scantily-clad women and the Moon is ruled by scantily-clad amazons who need men to repopulate their world.

Or is that just me?

Let the Bi-guy say, it's not just you. And look the fellows are scanily clad too!