Topic: IS THER HOPES OF A Fantasy AND aCIENCE FICTION CROSS OVER SETTING?

[area51games]

A place where the two setting meet, something like Dragons of Pern or Dark Over, or Worlock series or even elves of shannor or some such. or something that at first clance seem fanstasy but was Science fiction - a place of science and magic or a world where they where both the same thing!



you got Harp SF, Harp Fantasy- how about Harp- Horror, HARP-pulp adventure/thrillers/Western/Modern action
HARP Victorian Fantasy- HARP-TIMETRAVEL-Alternaty realities<history>
'ok just a few questions or maybe I should repost some of them else where?

[GrumpyOldFart]

I keep trying to come up with a version that "cleanly" mixes HARP and HARP SF, but I can't say I'm satisfied with my progress. As much as anything else, the problem centers around putting scientific and technical skills into HARP fantasy.

[PhillipAEllis]

Have you considered, Mister Grumpy, a solution similar to that taken by the Full Monte himself, with Dark Space?

[GrumpyOldFart]

No, I haven't. You see, my experience of RPGs is actually pretty scant outside of RM1/2 and HARP, I have no idea what solution he came up with. However, conceptually it's actually fairly easy, the hard part is getting the mechanics to mesh seamlessly. "50 DPs per level to spend on Skills and Talents" has the underlying assumption that a HARP SF character isn't going to have to invest in Mystical Arts Skills, and a HARP Fantasy character isn't going to have to invest in Scientific or Technical Skills. Moreover, HARP Fantasy's skill set assumes the world's greatest weaponsmith can create his masterwork in the complete absence of those Skill Categories.

If that isn't enough, there is the question of what the difference is, if any, between a Telepath using psionics in HARP SF and a Personal Mana using spellcaster in HARP Fantasy.

[PhillipAEllis]

The basic idea Monte Cook followed was to develop a fantasy-focussed set of technologies (living tissue, living crystal) with minimal overlap of skills between the then RM2 & Spacemaster, and capability to use the material in a Spacemaster setting. So rather than, say, expecting the RM2 characters having to work out skill costs for a large swathe of technical (etcetera) skills, they had a handful of skills unique (for the most part) to the setting, with DP costs riffing off pre-existing skills, and the same skills for Spacemaster characters with their own set of skills.

[GrumpyOldFart]

I guess the easiest way I can explain my view is to quote my sig line on another forum:


Eye of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog.
Adder’s fork and blind-worm’s sting, lizard’s leg and owlet’s wing.
   - Traditional physical spell components

You put your left foot in, you put your left foot out...
  - Traditional somatic spell components

Ooo Eee Ooo Aaa Aaa, Ting Tang Walla Walla Bing Bang.
   - Traditional verbal spell components

Take the lime and the coconut, and drink them both together.
  - Traditional potion formula


Imagine a world in which those people have the right idea, they're just doing it wrong.