This is the introduction to TSR’s old Star Frontiers rpg. I loved this setting back when it first came out but currently find it a little too skills heavy for my gaming tastes (One of the last rules publishing for this setting made by TSR was a skill dedicated to just reading power levels on parabatteries – Power Read!).Near the center of a great spiral galaxy, where stars are much closer together than Earth's sun and its neighbors, a Human race developed. They were not identical to the Humans of Earth, but they were not very different either. When these Humans discovered that waves of sub-space pi-tachyon particles could cross interstellar space faster than light, they realized they had found a link to the stars. A radio message that would have taken years to travel between stars could be sent with subspace communicators in months or even weeks. The Humans started broadcasting news of themselves to the neighboring stars, and soon found they weren't alone.
The Humans made contact with an inventive race of insect-like creatures called Vrusk, who had developed limited space travel decades earlier. One of the Vrusks' mining colonies had already contacted another race, the shape-changing Dralasites. The two races had been exchanging information for several years. The Vrusk and Dralasites were pleased to learn of another race. They sent a wealth of scientific information to the Humans. Using this new knowledge; the industrious Humans quickly developed interstellar spaceships.
The three races met in a large area of space known as the Frontier. There they also discovered the Yazirians, a race of tall, maned humanoids. Soon, settled worlds in the Frontier became melting pots for the four races, with dazzling mixtures of architecture and alien cultures.
To supply the needs of these worlds, the first interstellar company, the Pan-Galactic Corporation, was formed. It developed interests everywhere, from scientific research to farming to spaceship building. PGC even created its own language, Pan-Galactic, which soon became the most common language of all races on Frontier worlds. Many large companies which started later were modeled on PGC, but none approach the size or power of the Pan-Galactic Corporation.
Then, the Sathar appeared. No one knows where they came from or why. They attacked and destroyed lonely systems on the edges of explored space, moving slowly inward. Survivors described Sathars as wormlike creatures 3 to 4 meters long. That was all that was known about them; because they would rather kill themselves than be captured. As the danger increased, the Humans, Dralasites, Vrusk and Yazirians formed the United Planetary Federation (UPF) to defend their worlds. The mysterious Sathar were forced back, but before long they returned in a more sinister form.
The Sathar had learned that they could not beat the UPF in battle. Instead, they began hiring Yazirian, Human, Dralasite and Vrusk agents to sabotage interstellar trade and interfere with local governments. The UPF created the Star Law Rangers, an interstellar police force, to track the Sathar's agents from planet to planet and fight them on their own terms. But despite the efforts of the Rangers, the sly Sathar agents have become the most dangerous threat ever to face the United Planetary Federation and the frontier corporations.
Now that I’ve had the time to start reading the BASH Sci-Fi rules I realized that Star Frontiers would be setting to bash up!
Here is a link to a re-mastering of the old rulebooks as well as a few of the adventures:
http://www.starfrontiersman.com/downloads/remastered
These books have been dressed up (with new art added to the old) and will provide anyone interested with the basics of the Star Frontiers setting. The semi-official timeline, presented in the Zebulon’s Guide to Frontier Space, details 521 years of Frontier history since first contact was made between the Humans and other races. Not all Star Frontiers gamers are satisfied with the arrangement and/or contents of the events listed. However, the highlights include:
> Extensive system exploration and colonization.
> Two wars have been fought against the Sathar, an aggressive race of large worm-like creatures.
> Evidence of an ancient, precursor race has been discovered.
> Three systems have been lost to the Blue Plague, and quarantined.
> Contact with the races of the Rim Coalition (Ifshnit, Humma, and Osakar) beyond the Xagyg Dust Nebula: and has subsequently joined the United Planetary Federation of the Frontier.
> Suffrage of devastating conflict between mega-corporations, and civil wars within member systems.
> A race of artificial beings, the Mechanon, that have not easily gained acceptance by members of the Frontier’s other races since they were discovered.
Here is the map of the most awesome map ever made for the setting. [Note it is based upon the map made for the Zebulons’ Guide book – which tried to not only update elements of the setting but also tried to shift the percentage game mechanics over to a resolution system and reference chart (but only doing half the job before killing the line).]
http://rpgmapshare.com/index.php?q=gall ... ewsIndex=1
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Note: Scroll down to view this really awesome map
One of my favorite characters (and occasional NPC) was first played in the Frontier...
