How to Play ‘The Lost Universe,’ NASA’s First Tabletop RPG | Lifehacker
NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, lately printed its first tabletop RPG module. “The Lost Universe” is suitable with Dungeons and Dragons fifth version, and could possibly be simply translated to Pathfinder, D&D 3.5, Starfinder, or simply about any RPG rule system with fight, traps, and characters. You can obtain The Lost Universe from NASA’s website without spending a dime.
Designed by Christina Mitchell, senior manufacturing specialist on the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, “The Lost Universe” is a standalone journey that casts gamers as NASA scientists who’re transported to a fantasy universe the place somebody or one thing has stolen the Hubble Space Telescope from our actuality. Using the orbiting telescope because the MacGuffin in a fantasy story is greater than nerdery of the very best degree. “The Lost Universe” looks as if a part of the company’s academic outreach mission. Players will study in regards to the significance of Hubble and get a broad overview of the way it works whereas having fun with rip-roaring area opera journey.
The 43-page module particulars an attention-grabbing D&D-meets-science setting the place the wizards and elves on the planet Exlaris use darkish vitality as a sort of magic, and borrow knowledge from the Hubble telescope as a part of their analysis.
The module is a formidable piece of world constructing. Mitchell and the remainder of the NASA crew who constructed this have sketched out a planet through which the pursuit of information is valued over the pursuit of gold, and saved it open-ended sufficient for artistic DMs to fill within the particulars as desired. NASA says its module is for 4 to seven degree 7-10 characters, however you could possibly simply tweak the define to any group at any degree. With slightly ingenuity, you could possibly use it as a aspect quest on an present marketing campaign too.
As-written, “The Lost Universe” could possibly be accomplished in a single, four-hour journey, but when your gamers grow to be connected to the magical science world of Exlaris, there’s sufficient uncooked materials right here to make use of it as a setting for a bigger, space-based marketing campaign. If you are new to D&D, take a look at our information on tips on how to make your very first character, in addition to tips on how to play D&D with your mates on-line.
