Just a head-up for those interested in the D20 line of pen and paper RPGs. Gary Sarli, a staffer who used to work on D20 Star Wars Saga, is trying to rise 10k to write the next version of D20 OGL (dubbed e20, or evolved 20). Those interested can find his page here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gmsarli/game-design-e20-system-evolved-roleplaying-gam-0
Star Wars Saga is currently my favorite system for running pulp games. Yes, more than Spirit of the Century.
Woah, I need to check it out. Would you mind telling me the highlights of the system and why you like it?
D&D is the lowest common denominator of gaming. Everyone knows it. And Saga hits a fine balance, where there’s enough tactical bits for people who like tactical, and enough simplification for people who just want to play. The alien races are distinct, the guns can be tweaked to make people have ‘their own’ toys…
It’s not perfect, but it’s a very good happy medium. I specifically like how they changed skills. Class skills are yours at your level. Cross-class skills? Half your level.
Further, you get an AC bonus equal to your level, unless you’re wearing armor. Unless you’re a soldier, the class which wears armor. And so on, and so on. Classes have defined trees, so every character gets to pick the trees they follow, and can customize them, but they can take the obvious option as well, if you want to beer and pretzel it. It’s very tight. Basically, it’s everything 4E should have been.
It is, however, very gamist, not simulationist. But then again, that’s the spirit of pulp anyhow.
If Leia’s the only one left in the Falcon, she can fly it. Not as well as Han, but she can keep it together. Nobody is ever hopeless.
It’s not even hopelessness that’s the issue for me. In d20 Modern/Future, you got so many skill ranks and could stack bonuses so high that by the time you hit 8th level you could fill in for three minor deities.
Savage Worlds seems pretty good for pulp-style action. I’m converting my Star*Drive game to that system.