Pirates of Drinax... Using It In Other Settings?

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NinjaWeasel

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Yesterday I got my physical copy of Pirates of Drinax and it looks very cool so far. Now, despite having a large amount of books for Mongoose Traveller 1st edition and Cepheus Engine, I'm thinking of running this with a totally different system AND a different setting too. Because I just have to be different!

After re-watching a few episodes of The Mandalorian... what I'm thinking over right now is setting this in the Star Wars universe, on the Outer Rim a few years post-RotJ, with Imperial Remnants on one side, the New Republic on the other, and Drinax (plus a bunch of, as yet, unaligned factions) in-between. Also, I'm not a big fan of The Third Imperium (though I don't hate it or anything).

I've seen discussions about using Pirates with other systems but I haven't heard much talk of people using it in other settings. Has anyone here done this? If you have, what setting was it? Was it your own home-brew? Another licensed setting? Another RPG's setting? Perhaps something even more radical, such as using it in a whole other genre (grimdark fantasy, age of sail, pulp adventure etc.)?

Also, how did it go?
 
I can't put my finger on it right this second but there was a conversion guide discussed here or on BRP Central for using M-Space to run Pirates.
 
I've been setting it up to run with Elite: Dangerous but like all my online/video RPGs, with the exception of Lacuna, its withered on the vine.
 
M-Space seems like a sensible system to go for. It covers all the bases. Likewise with Stars Without Number or Coriolis.

Personally, if I run it in the Star Wars universe I will likely go with one of either Everywhen, BESM 4th Edition, or Modern AGE. Mostly because I already have Star Wars conversions for them. Other systems, like D6, may get considered too. If I ran the campaign in a home-brew setting I would definitely consider using M-Space / BRP or Coriolis. Probably I'll be going with Star Wars as it's, almost certainly, an easier sell to my friends.
 
I've been setting it up to run with Elite: Dangerous but like all my online/video RPGs, with the exception of Lacuna, its withered on the vine.

I remember seeing the hardcovers of Elite: Dangerous for sale (and discounted) at a gaming store near my office. I had a quick look but didn't get a good sense of the setting or rules. What are they like? I've always assumed Elite was a very humanocentric setting that was a bit like the OTU/Third Imperium. Am I close?
 
I remember seeing the hardcovers of Elite: Dangerous for sale (and discounted) at a gaming store near my office. I had a quick look but didn't get a good sense of the setting or rules. What are they like? I've always assumed Elite was a very humanocentric setting that was a bit like the OTU/Third Imperium. Am I close?

Its a basic d10 + skill rating vs TN system so quite straight-forward and easy to hack. PCs have Karma points and Karma abilities that let them boost their performance. The big draw for me is the spacecraft are straight out of the Elite video game and built in the same way (ie, in-game references to all the same kind of hardpoints, utility modules etc) and the design conceit that each PC has their own ship which I find quite unique in RPGs. It is very humancentric. There are no alien races except for the mysterious Thargoids.

I like it and would use a lot of Traveller material to supplement it but, like I said above, I lost motivation. Again. Which is worrying me as I have a horrid feeling that the pandemic/lockdown has killed my interest in running or playing RPGs. I'd started to hack/edit the Pirates of Drinax setting and it from first rush it needed very little work - biggest bit being the Aslan which I was just going to change to a human faction/offshoot of the Empire within the Elite setting, just more militant/military.
 
I might give Elite another look in future even if I wouldn't use it for this. I do like a good sci-fi RPG. Sorry to hear the pandemic has killed your interest in playing/running. Conversely, coming out of lockdown seems to have increased the interest my friends have and, therefore, increased mine. Maybe things will change a bit as we slowly get back to normality?
 
I might give Elite another look in future even if I wouldn't use it for this. I do like a good sci-fi RPG. Sorry to hear the pandemic has killed your interest in playing/running. Conversely, coming out of lockdown seems to have increased the interest my friends have and, therefore, increased mine. Maybe things will change a bit as we slowly get back to normality?

I hope so mate, I really do!
 
I've seen discussions about using Pirates with other systems but I haven't heard much talk of people using it in other settings. Has anyone here done this? If you have, what setting was it? Was it your own home-brew? Another licensed setting? Another RPG's setting? Perhaps something even more radical, such as using it in a whole other genre (grimdark fantasy, age of sail, pulp adventure etc.)?
The primary plot is to reestablish a once glorious empire starting from it only remnant a resort city floating above a desolate planet. That solid for most science fiction settings including the Star Wars Galaxy.

However the details hinge on said re-established empire controlling the trade routes between the alien Aslan Heirate and the Third Imperium, particularly trade in a spice called dust.

I guess that can work with a independent alien empire on the Rim (the Hutts?) and the Empire, Old Republic, or New Republic. I have dived deep into the details to understand how much depends on Aslan and 3rd Imperium politics.
 
I remember seeing the hardcovers of Elite: Dangerous for sale (and discounted) at a gaming store near my office. I had a quick look but didn't get a good sense of the setting or rules. What are they like? I've always assumed Elite was a very humanocentric setting that was a bit like the OTU/Third Imperium. Am I close?
Couldn't say what Elite: Dangerous is like, but the original franchise borrowed quite a lot of tropes from Traveller.
 
I felt there was an element of Flash Gordon in Pirates of Drinax. I modeled King Olaf on Brian Blessed.
In fact Pirates of Drinax designer Gareth Hanrahan specifically based King Oleb on Brian Blessed in Flash Gordon, as Gareth recounts in his recent blog post "The Pirates of Drinax":

Drinax also gives the campaign King Oleb. He is, absolutely, Brian Blessed from Flash Gordon, and I suspect he’s a major reason the campaign resonates with players. He’s the first major NPC encountered, he’s immense fun for the GM to play, and he sets the larger-than-life space fantasy tone. Patrons characters can be tricky in games – if they’re too active and competent, the players quite reasonably ask why the patron isn’t more involved, especially in life-or-death situations. If they’re too passive, the players chafe at serving the apparently unworthy. King OIeb’s loud enough to appear active, but the conceit of the campaign – your crimes of piracy will retroactively become licensed privateering, assuming you help restore the kingdom of Drinax and legalise yourselves – means that there’s a good reason Oleb and the court of Drinax have to take a hands-off excuse. The presence of Oleb and the other NPCs gives the campaign a balancing keel – you can always return to Drinax and have a chat with Oleb about your next move.
 
Perhaps something even more radical, such as using it in a whole other genre (grimdark fantasy, age of sail, pulp adventure etc.)?
Just to address this part, I think at this point you wouldn't so much be running the adventure as something that was structurally inspired by it.

Which is not a bad idea, mind.
 
I guess that can work with a independent alien empire on the Rim (the Hutts?) and the Empire, Old Republic, or New Republic. I have dived deep into the details to understand how much depends on Aslan and 3rd Imperium politics.
So far I've only had time to dip into the campaign book a little bit but, yeah, I think I need to find out more about the political situation between the Aslan and Imperium before I can really figure out how best to re-skin things for Star Wars. After some digging around, and asking the same questions on TBP too, it seems a few people have tried the Star Wars idea before though (and successfully it seems).
It's still very Traveller in feel I would say.
I actually bought Elite Dangerous for PC in a Steam sale last year. I haven't played it yet as I just bought it as it was very cheap. I should really fire it up and check it out!
I felt there was an element of Flash Gordon in Pirates of Drinax. I modeled King Olaf on Brian Blessed.

In fact Pirates of Drinax designer Gareth Hanrahan specifically based King Oleb on Brian Blessed in Flash Gordon, as Gareth recounts in his recent blog post "The Pirates of Drinax":
This sounds quite bizarre... but I like it! One of the things that drew me to Pirates, when I haven't bought any adventures or campaigns for Traveller in the past, was that it didn't sound as dry and serious as some sound for the setting.
I probably need to read that blog more.
+1 to this. I wasn't aware of it and I'm going to have to read that particular post now. Very interesting stuff. Thanks for sharing it with us Allen!
Just to address this part, I think at this point you wouldn't so much be running the adventure as something that was structurally inspired by it.

Which is not a bad idea, mind.
Yeah, it sounds like it could work as a campaign frame in a lot of different settings. As I said above, I need to get a bit more into the details of certain parts before I can understand how easy it is to reskin it but it sounds like other people have been doing is successfully.
 
I actually bought Elite Dangerous for PC in a Steam sale last year. I haven't played it yet as I just bought it as it was very cheap. I should really fire it up and check it out!

There's a bit of a shitstorm currently with their last update creating loads of graphical glitches so maybe give it a month before doing that. I do enjoy playing it but it really is a timesink so just isn't an option for me at the moment.
 
There's a bit of a shitstorm currently with their last update creating loads of graphical glitches so maybe give it a month before doing that. I do enjoy playing it but it really is a timesink so just isn't an option for me at the moment.
Thanks for the heads-up. I'm pretty engrossed in Cyberpunk 2077 at the moment so I'll focus on that and hold off on Elite for a while.
 
I used a few scenarios from Drinax for my Savage Worlds Space Opera campaign set (more or less) in the SW default sci-fi setting.
 
Well, I didn't get to read as much as I'd like of Pirates at the weekend (mainly due to a friend turning up for an unexpected visit) but I did like what I read. As such, I am now expecting The Drinaxian Companion to appear through my letterbox tomorrow. I would've bought Shadows of Sindal too but while I was having a last minute reconsider on the Companion... it sold out! :argh:
 
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