Star Drive
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2024) |
 Star Drive Campaign Setting | |
| Designers | David Eckelberry, Richard Baker; R. K. Post (illustrator) |
|---|---|
| Publishers | TSR, Inc. (Wizards of the Coast) |
| Publication | 1998 |
| Genres | Science fiction |
| Systems | Custom (Alternity) |
Star Drive (stylized as Star*Drive) is a science fiction campaign setting that was published in 1998 by TSR, Inc. for the Alternity role-playing game.[1] The first published setting for Alternity was provided in the Star Drive Campaign Setting book in 1998.[2]
It was written by David Eckelberry and Richard Baker. This setting book also requires the Player's Handbook and Gamemaster Guide for the Alternity game system. Much of the material created for this campaign setting was later reused in the d20 Future supplement of the d20 Modern role-playing game.
Setting
[edit] |
Star Drive employs a standard space opera setup as its setting. Is is set in the 26th century, starting in the year 2501. The titular stardrive permits faster-than-light technology. This form of hyperdrive combines gravity induction with a mass reactor, allowing ships to access "Drivespace".
Following two galactic wars, the second one of which lasted more than a century, and stared after a rebellion by mutants, humanity and pulled back from its area of maximum expansion. This second conflict ended some thirty years ago, in terms of the settings, following first contact with the Gray alien-like Fraal in the Sol System. (The Fraal and other aliens in this setting also appear in the Alternity core book as options for player characters.)
In the present day, humanity is divided into Stellar Nations, rich corporations or federations, most trying to collect their former colonies. THereis a thirteenth nation called the Galactic Concord, created by the recent Treaty of Concord. The Galactic Concord is made up of citizens and territories donated by other Stellar Nations.
Among other challenges, giant arachnid-like aliens called the Klicks appeared after the Second Galactic War. This inimical species gets its human name from its language. Military analysts have suggested that Klicks have a hive mind social structure, like terrestrial insects, but scientists discard the notion as unlikely "Earth-centered" thinking.
Contents
[edit]The Star Drive Campaign Setting book is hardbound with 256 pages illustrated in color. It is divided into chapters covering the history of the setting; a description of the conditions, economy, and technology of the 26th century; descriptions of the various stellar nations within a range of over 1,000 light years; a more detailed look at a mysterious distant region known as the Verge, and finally game-specific details covering the player species, careers, employment, skills, equipment, and special game options available for players.
The game world includes a variety of standard fare science fiction features. These include psionics, cybernetics, robots, spacecraft, mutants, and advanced medicine. The level of technology is at "Progress Level" 7 (Progress Levels are used in Alternity to describe the technology of a civilization, with present-day Earth described as Progress Level 5, and the Industrial Age described as Progress Level 4). Characters are typically employed and have an allegiance to a company or government. They may also follow one of the future religions described in this book.
In addition to humans, players can run a character from one of the handful of alien space-faring races that lie within the known space.
The Verge is described, in many cases, planet by planet. The more prominent planet descriptions give a broad overview of the world, the government, and sites of interest. Maps of the main worlds are also show at a high scale.
The cover was among artist R. K. Post's first work for TSR.[3]
Professions available to player characeter
[edit]- Combat Specs: bodyguard, corporate security specialist, gunner, law enforcer, martial artist, alien combat spec, mercenary, soldier, and spacehand.
- Diplomats: ambassador, clergy, Concord administrator, corporate executive, entertainer, first contact consul, free trader, military officer, naval officer, stellar noble, and swindler.
- Free Agents: bounty hunter, corsair, explorer, gambler, guide/scout, investigator, outlaw, reporter, smuggler, spy, and thief.
- Tech Ops: crewman, comptech, gridpilot, doctor, engineer, independent pilot, medtech, scholar, and scientist.
- Mindwalkers: biokineticist, biowarrior, ESPion, mystic, telekineticist, psiguard, telepath, and mind knight.
Publications
[edit]Books
[edit]Main
[edit]- Star Drive Campaign Setting
Supplements
[edit]- Arms & Equipment Guide
- Alien Compendium: Creatures of the Verge
- Alien Compendium II: The Exploration of 2503
- The Externals (Only available as a PDF)
- Klick Clack
- The Last Warhulk
- The Lighthouse
- Outbound: An Explorer's Guide
- Planet of Darkness
- Star Compendium: Systems of the Verge
- System Guide to Aegis
- Threats from Beyond [4]
Tie-in fiction
[edit]Novels
[edit]Harbinger Trilogy
[edit]- Starrise at Corrivale by Diane Duane
- Storm at Eldala by Diane Duane
- Nightfall at Algemron by Diane Duane
Stand-alone
[edit]- On the Verge by Roland Green
- Zero Point by Richard Baker
- Two of Minds by William H. Keith
- Gridrunner by Thomas M. Reid
Anthology
[edit]- Starfall, edited by Martin H. Greenberg. This included fiction by Robert Silverberg and Karen Haber, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Dean Wesley Smith, Diane Duane, Michael A. Stackpole and Matthew J. Costello.
Reviews
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "The History of TSR". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2008-09-24. Retrieved 2005-08-20.
- ^ Shannon Appelcline (2011). Designers & Dragons. Mongoose Publishing. p. 285. ISBN 978-1-907702-58-7.
- ^ Kenson, Stephen (February 1999). "Profiles: rk post". Dragon (#256). Renton, Washington: Wizards of the Coast: 120.
- ^ Fannon, Sean Patrick (May 1999). "Alternity: Threats from Beyond". InQuest. No. 49. Wizard Entertainment. p. 33.
- ^ "Backstab #011". 1998.