Star Frontiers conversion
- Thread starter HobbitFan
- Start date
I'm not sure I get why you would want to do such a conversion. Star Frontiers is arguably (at it's heart) as good a rules system as Traveller, or at least it has a lot of merit as a RPG rules system. Where Star Frontiers went a bit awry is in the leftfield aliens. If you like the aliens and the setting why not just play Star Frontiers? The rules are public domain now I believe.
Sorry, I know that's not what you're asking, but more information on what exactly it is you wish to convert may help. Do you just want to convert adventures or are you planning to use Traveller rules in a SF universe?
Sorry, I know that's not what you're asking, but more information on what exactly it is you wish to convert may help. Do you just want to convert adventures or are you planning to use Traveller rules in a SF universe?
I was thinking of using the "Frontier" region from Star Frontiers as a newly discovered area to explore. To do that I would need conversions of the SF Aliens.
So basically, SF Universe played with the Mongoose Traveller rules.
I'm new enough to this system that I have no idea how to convert the aliens. Otherwise I would do it myself. I may still have to but I was trying to save the work.
So basically, SF Universe played with the Mongoose Traveller rules.
I'm new enough to this system that I have no idea how to convert the aliens. Otherwise I would do it myself. I may still have to but I was trying to save the work.
I guess you'd to need to convert the aliens to have the six Traveller attributes, skills and create rules for any special abilities. Converting characteristics will slightly tricky as SF is a weighted percentile system and Traveller uses a range. The typical human range is 2-12 (2d6 distribution), but could be anywhere between 1-15, or perhaps even higher with technology.
Being familiar with SF (alright it was 20 years ago!) and Traveller -- if you post details, skills, special abilities & stats of an SF alien you wish to convert over to Traveller I'll give it a shot for you.
Being familiar with SF (alright it was 20 years ago!) and Traveller -- if you post details, skills, special abilities & stats of an SF alien you wish to convert over to Traveller I'll give it a shot for you.
I almost took a shot at this, I am absolutely new to MgT but it seems to be a fairly easy task; however the issue I have is that the racial stuff is spread all over. Example: Dralasites are stated as having a base 5% chance to detect lies, but in the skills chapter it then states that they get a bonus to Empathy-Social skills (or whatever they are called) because of this ability.
Hooray for 1980s game organization and editing
Hooray for 1980s game organization and editing
Your universe, your aliens, your rules. 
I'd encourage you to make them the way you'd like them or imagine them, not as 100% faithful conversions. However, you could simply give them an innate +1 DM on any social skills such as persuasion, deception, diplomacy, steward & leadership etc, I think that is the nearest 'conversion' you'll get.
I'd encourage you to make them the way you'd like them or imagine them, not as 100% faithful conversions. However, you could simply give them an innate +1 DM on any social skills such as persuasion, deception, diplomacy, steward & leadership etc, I think that is the nearest 'conversion' you'll get.
This is mostly a summary with some notes on stats and mechanics thrown in. Page numbers are Mongoose Core Rules. I might do the other races later, but I loved Dralasites so here goes.
For people who did not play Star Frontiers: Dralasites are basically your shape-changing rubber-glob aliens. They love jokes, especially human ones, and long baths with perfumes and aphrodisiacs which they absorb through their skins. They can not imitate others by their shape-chaning abilities, they can just deform themselves.
You can find out more in the "Alpha Dawn" PDF, see: http://starfrontiersman.com/downloads/remastered (I am not sure how legal those PDFs are, the website states they have "limited permission" to distribute, whatever that means.)
Dralasites:
Genderless
Sees only in B&W
Most important sense is smell
-> None of these have game effects in the way of stats/rules, but should be kept in mind in "perception check" situations
Slow Metabolism (page 42), lower movement rate (4m/round; page 60)
Notable Strength (+2) (Page 42)
Notable Endurance (+2) (Page 42)
Weak Int (-1) (page 42)
Dralasites also have Lie Detection 5%, and +10% on empathy. I am not sure how best to handle this in MgT (I am new to it, remember); Looking at the skill list and based on what Mr31337 said, I'd probably give them a +1DM on Investigation, Persuasion and Diplomacy on any situation dealing with detecting the intent of the other party, detecting lies, and general appeals - anything that works on the emotions of the other, but not, for example when rolling on how to conduct a formal dinner etc.
Alternatively, especially in a psionics heavy campaign, you could consider this a PSI power (Telempathy, page 153) but I'd recommend against this for a "normal" game.
Elasticity
- Can grow (DEX score-2, min 1, max 10) number of limbs. Takes 5min, one at a time. Limb can be 1m long, no less than 10cm thick. "Fingers" can be up to 10cm long, no less than 1cm thick. Must designate one limb as "dominant", similar to how humans are left/right handed.
- Can absorb and regrow "broken" (disabled) limbs - does not cure damage but means they have a full set of functional limbs again (I think the only place where penalties for missing limbs are described is page 37).
- Must spend 5 min to form an air pocket in its body before entering water, otherwise will not float naturally. Can swim either way, but will sink if it stops moving without that air pocket.
- Can not do more things at the same time than humans, no matter how many limbs he has (a limit of the brain's ability to multitask), but could for example hold on to a rope with one limb while working on something else with two others.
(Note that the Star Frontiers rules are inconsistent on that later point, I am not sure how much that would break MgT balance so I'd probably limit their number of attacks etc.)
For people who did not play Star Frontiers: Dralasites are basically your shape-changing rubber-glob aliens. They love jokes, especially human ones, and long baths with perfumes and aphrodisiacs which they absorb through their skins. They can not imitate others by their shape-chaning abilities, they can just deform themselves.
You can find out more in the "Alpha Dawn" PDF, see: http://starfrontiersman.com/downloads/remastered (I am not sure how legal those PDFs are, the website states they have "limited permission" to distribute, whatever that means.)
Dralasites:
Genderless
Sees only in B&W
Most important sense is smell
-> None of these have game effects in the way of stats/rules, but should be kept in mind in "perception check" situations
Slow Metabolism (page 42), lower movement rate (4m/round; page 60)
Notable Strength (+2) (Page 42)
Notable Endurance (+2) (Page 42)
Weak Int (-1) (page 42)
Dralasites also have Lie Detection 5%, and +10% on empathy. I am not sure how best to handle this in MgT (I am new to it, remember); Looking at the skill list and based on what Mr31337 said, I'd probably give them a +1DM on Investigation, Persuasion and Diplomacy on any situation dealing with detecting the intent of the other party, detecting lies, and general appeals - anything that works on the emotions of the other, but not, for example when rolling on how to conduct a formal dinner etc.
Alternatively, especially in a psionics heavy campaign, you could consider this a PSI power (Telempathy, page 153) but I'd recommend against this for a "normal" game.
Elasticity
- Can grow (DEX score-2, min 1, max 10) number of limbs. Takes 5min, one at a time. Limb can be 1m long, no less than 10cm thick. "Fingers" can be up to 10cm long, no less than 1cm thick. Must designate one limb as "dominant", similar to how humans are left/right handed.
- Can absorb and regrow "broken" (disabled) limbs - does not cure damage but means they have a full set of functional limbs again (I think the only place where penalties for missing limbs are described is page 37).
- Must spend 5 min to form an air pocket in its body before entering water, otherwise will not float naturally. Can swim either way, but will sink if it stops moving without that air pocket.
- Can not do more things at the same time than humans, no matter how many limbs he has (a limit of the brain's ability to multitask), but could for example hold on to a rope with one limb while working on something else with two others.
(Note that the Star Frontiers rules are inconsistent on that later point, I am not sure how much that would break MgT balance so I'd probably limit their number of attacks etc.)
