Before Star Wars hit theaters and before Traveller defined the "hard sci-fi" genre, Ken St. Andre and Flying Buffalo Inc. gave us Starfaring. While many modern gamers associate St. Andre with the chaotic fun of Tunnels & Trolls, Starfaring was a bold, early attempt to simulate the vastness of a galaxy using the tech of the era—specifically, playing cards and pocket calculators.
The Premise: The Star Gate and the Great Brains
In the world of Starfaring, humanity has conquered the stars not through warp drives alone, but through the discovery of Star Gates and the use of Star Crystals (Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu).
The most unique element of the setting is the Ship’s Brain. Starships aren't just piloted; they are bionically linked to a human brain that acts as the central processor. This creates a deeply personal connection between the crew and their vessel, making ship damage feel less like a mechanical failure and more like a physical wound.
A Multitude of Forms
Character creation in Starfaring offered a variety of paths that would become sci-fi staples:
Humans: The versatile core of the Starforce.
Androids: Chemically created protoplasm beings with incredible regenerative powers.
Robots: Entirely electro-mechanical beings whose intelligence (Mentality) scales with their battery life (Charge) and condition (Efficiency).
Shell People: Humans who have chosen to live entirely within life-support canisters, often serving as the permanent "brains" of starships.
The Physics of Psionic Combat
Combat in Starfaring is grounded in a fascinating take on "light lag." Because ships move at relativistic speeds, aiming a laser at a target's current position is a guaranteed miss. To hit an enemy, a ship’s gunner must be Psionic. They use precognitive abilities to "foretell" where the enemy ship will be in the seconds it takes for an energy beam to cross the void.
Subspace and the Terrors Within
The game introduces Subspace as a shortcut between stars, but it is far from empty. Explorers must contend with:
The Slish: An octopoid, non-psionic race that attacks on sight with relentless barrages.
Kthulhus: Mental predators that devour the sanity of high-psi crew members.
Berserkers: Robotic "non-lifeforms" from an alternate reality dedicated to the eradication of all biological life.
The Calculator Galaxy
Perhaps the most "70s" aspect of the game is its reliance on the Pocket Calculator. St. Andre provided complex formulas for generating 3D star coordinates and determining the chemical makeup of alien life (Carbon, Methane, Silicon, or even Pure Energy). By using square roots, sines, and decimal remainders, GMs could "procedurally generate" a unique galaxy every time they sat down at the table.
Legacy
Starfaring remains a testament to the "DIY" era of tabletop gaming. It encouraged GMs to be scientists, cartographers, and dreamers, providing a framework that was part space-opera and part hard-science simulation. It proved that with a deck of cards and a vision, you could map the entire universe.
Product Identity & Legal
The following items are designated Product Identity of Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. / The Adventures of Captain Hedges: The world of Zimrala, the Ether Dragons and their portal mechanics, the specific "Hedge Wizard of the Shreveport Cabin" persona, and the original adventure "The Drifting Tower of Frifon." Monsters! Monsters! is a trademark of its respective owner. The monster stats provided here are compatible fan content and not an official product. © 2025 Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. All rights reserved.
Product Identity & Legal The following items are designated Product Identity of Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. / The Adventures of Captain Hedges: The world of Zimrala The Tygerian Isles The Ether Dragons The Tiger Force Shadow Saga The specific "Hedge Wizard of the Shreveport Cabin" persona The "Royal Cartographer" archetype and the character "Emperor Rajah" Unique Items: The Ink of Anticipation, The Compass of Lost Things, Parchment of Echoes, The Scope of the True Meridian, The Rod of Infinite Spanning, and The Plumb of Gravity’s Anchor. Monsters! Monsters! and Humans, Humans (1st Edition) are trademarks of Ken St. Andre and Troll Godfather Press and are used with permission. The statistics and game mechanics provided herein are designated as unofficial playtest material for the Tygerian Isles campaign setting. © 2025 Arthur Earl C. Hedges Jr. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment