>in a group playing a 5e game
>hey it's a game and the DM does pretty well
>couple guys are having trouble making it to sessions, DM thinking of doing a side campaign
>says he has a few options, puts forth a sci fi campaign
>about a colony transport that gets attacked by ayy lmaos
>What system are you gonna run it in?
>Oh 5E because that's what I know
Regardless on how you feel about 5e I have to save homie from this course of action. What's a good spaceship system I can learn and teach fairly fast to dnd guys? Is there an easy edition of Traveller?
Oh just to clarify I'm not gonna try to force the guy to change the system he's running I'm gonna run a game, maybe his setting or maybe my own
>in a group playing a 5e game
I found your problem.
If he wants something familiar ruleswise, suggest Stars Without Number.
Why. It's the same shit, so it would have the same limitations.
There's not an easy edition of Traveller, but the most recent Mongoose edition is easiest. The other question, what's the fastest to teach? It's going to be a very rules light thing by necessity. Risus.
>Is there an easy edition of Traveller?
Most of them. Classic is a bit odd by modern standards because things like skill and attribute bonuses are all different for specific rolls. Cepheus Engine is free and makes it a lot more uniform.
>Most of them.
True.
>things like skill and attribute bonuses are all different for specific rolls.
Classic is not uniform because it expects the referee to want to adjust rolls based on the situation, and so tries to remain flexible and allow for interpretation. It's easy to do once you get the feel for it -- everything's statted along 2d6 lines, so you can roll versus the planet's law level or gravity or whatever with any appropriate skill, in whatever manner fits.
Sure, but the question was about a system that's easy to learn and teach. Non-uniformity works against that, even if it's not terribly difficult. Might not be an issue, but I'd guess a "former DM who doesn't want to learn anything new" would expect to know all the rules without putting any effort into learning them.
>expect to know all the rules without putting any effort into learning them.
Well that's the beauty part, you can kind of make it up as you go along and about 80% of the time that's RAW for Classic.
But said former DM is going to be a player, not the ref. So every time anon makes an ad-hoc ruling he will complain about it.
Maybe, but that's when you say "WHO'S THE REF?"
>you can kind of make it up as you go along and about 80% of the time that's RAW for Classic.
At that point, I might as well be playing 5e.
Probably not quite what you're looking for, but there's always lasers and feelings if you value ease of use.
You'd really have to try to make something more rules-lite.
Traveller Mongoose 2e is pretty darn easy
2d6+stat+skill+misc vs Target number of 8 (usually 8)
Character creation is a fun minigame folks play together too
>What's a ... system I can ... teach fairly fast to dnd guys
Doesn't exist.
>it has a ton of splats
Yeah, but the downside is that they're all published by Mognoose
Captcha: damn2
Rip.
I almost wanna run Cyberpunk or something, but that'll be a bear to get everyone ready for
>Nah we're pretty tight
I thought it was worth mentioning as a potential issue, but fair enough.
>it has a ton of splats
Traveller as a whole has decades of stuff written for it, most of which is going to be at least broadly compatible with every version. Plus the settings people have made for Cepheus.
Also "die in character creation" does not apply to Mongoose's versions, which I think is bad. Death in character creation reminds you of the characters' mortality, and gives you a chance to dispose of someone with shit stat rolls.
No, it's present in Mongoose too, it's just an optional rule in another book.
Best advice: You want to play Paranoia and add aliens to it that attack your ship. But make them shapeshifting aliens. Half your PC's will be trying to get them promoted aboard the ship. It'll be hilarious.
Honestly, SAGA edition Star Wars.
Still d20 and reasonably recognizable to a D&D player.