Over the past few weeks I've been considering options for some quick & easy sci fi skirmish gaming. I already have a set of home-brew rules that have provided many enjoyable games (featured in the adventures of Kate and Kip). However, I have become a bit bored of these rules because there is very limited scope for character advancement. They use a die pool mechanism, and adding even a single die to the pool significantly increases a character's power. I'd like something a little more gradual, as is common in role-playing games.
As I poked around the internet, reading reviews of various sci fi skirmish games and investigating free rules, I realized that skirmish wargame rules don't really offer the type of advancement I want. What I really need is a light RPG. This got me thinking back to a previous experiment that I called Kevin's Krawl. KK used a 2D6 task resolution system akin to Traveler. I successfully used KK variants for my solo Space Templars campaign and a short-lived lacepunk campaign played with my wife and brother.
The main issue with KK is that I never developed character advancement rules. I then began thinking of ways to tack some on. My preference is for a class-based system with levels (like D&D) because this makes character creation so much easier. In a roundabout way, this led me to X-plorers.
X-plorers is an old school style science fiction RPG using a simple D20 system. You can get a copy for free from RPG Now. I picked it up years ago when I was searching for a solo sci fi RPG and saw a review on Grognardia. It intrigued me and the price was right. I ended up not using it, primarily because there is no class that would allow me to play not-Jedi knights. Nevertheless, I like the character advancement system, with its 10 levels in each class. So now I am pondering how to convert X-plorers character classes and advancement to a 2D6 system.
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