Stars Without Number Rpg Combined With Zozer Games Rpg For Campaign Play

 Can the Stars Without Numbers rpg and the Hostile rpg work together?!  Stars Without Number (SWN) and  Zozer Games' HOSTILE RPG can work together exceptionally well, primarily because they share common design DNA. This combination is a fantastic way to blend SWN's robust sector-building and sandbox tools with HOSTILE's gritty, blue-collar sci-fi atmosphere and its roots in the  Traveller/Cepheus Engine  family of games.

Here is a breakdown of how they mesh and the best ways to combine them:

---

The Synergy: Why They Work Together

The compatibility between SWN and HOSTILE is strong, falling into two main categories:

1. SWN's GM Tools + HOSTILE's Gritty Setting

This is the most seamless and popular combination.

SWN Feature	HOSTILE Application	Benefit
Faction Turn Rules	Track the movements of mega-corporations, the  Hostile military (USAAF), and emerging threats like alien life (e.g., the Martians in your campaign).	Gives the corporate-dominated setting of Hostile a dynamic, moving political landscape.
World Tag Generation	Use SWN's tables to create the history, problems, and cultural background of planets within the Hostile setting.	Provides deep, sandbox-ready hooks for the frontier worlds, deep space stations, and colonial outposts that are the heart of Hostile's flavor.
Pretech/Maltech Rules	Easily classify the powerful, rare gear and ancient alien relics that often become the focus of a desperate  Hostile crew's mission.	Provides mechanics for powerful, dangerous gear without disrupting the low-power feel of the standard setting.

2. Mechanical Proximity (OSR vs. 2d6)

While SWN uses a d20 for combat (with ascending AC) and 2d6 for skills, and HOSTILE (based on the Cepheus Engine) uses 2d6 for all task resolution, the systems are close enough to be easily converted.

• Skill Check Conversion:  Both systems have relatively small modifiers. It's often simple to take the skill rating from a HOSTILE resource and use it as a modifier to an equivalent SWN skill check.

• Stats and Saves: You can easily use HOSTILE's  Equipment and NPCs directly, substituting the SWN character's relevant Attribute Save (Physical, Mental, Evasion) whenever a HOSTILE rule calls for a Characteristic check.

---

Three Ways to Combine the Games

1. The SWN Core with HOSTILE Flavor (Recommended)

This is the easiest path for a GM already familiar with Stars Without Number.

• Core System: Use Stars Without Number: Revised Edition rules (Classes, Skills, d20 combat, d6/d8 damage).

• The Blend: Import the entire HOSTILE Setting (lore, corporations, equipment lists, and atmosphere) and use it as the backdrop for your SWN sector.

• NPCs: Use the SWN monster/NPC creation guidelines, but describe their gear and motivation using  Hostile  material (e.g., a "Warrior 3" is an unarmored, desperate Colonial Marine with a pulse rifle).

• Benefit:  You get to use the excellent SWN faction tools and character advancement, while ensuring every place the party visits feels like the gritty, dangerous world of  Alien and Outland.

2. The HOSTILE Core with SWN Tools

This approach favors the 2d6 resolution system and skill-based nature of Traveller-likes.

• Core System: Use the  HOSTILE  rulebook for all player actions (character creation, combat, skill checks).

• The Blend: Use the  Stars Without Number GM Section  exclusively: the World Tags, Sector Generation tables, and the Faction Turn rules.

• Monsters/Aliens:  For entities like your Martian Tripod, use the detailed Mecha/Vehicle rules from SWN, but translate the attack bonus and damage numbers into the HOSTILE/Cepheus  system (e.g., a +8 attack bonus in SWN is roughly equivalent to a skill of 4 or 5 in HOSTILE, depending on the target number).

• Benefit: more uniform, hard sci-fi mechanical feel (2d6 for everything) with the organizational and storytelling power of the SWN sandbox tools.

3. Seamless Conversion (Hybrid Gear/Enemies)

For adding specific gear or enemy stat blocks:

• Gear:  Convert credits/prices loosely. A gun's damage in SWN can be roughly doubled and converted to a HOSTILE damage code (or vice-versa) to keep the lethality consistent.

• Monsters: For a creature like the Martian Tripod, use the HP and Armor Class (AC)  from SWN, but let the players attack and roll for damage using the  HOSTILE rules. The high SWN AC (like AC 16) is a good stand-in for the high difficulty/Armor Points found in the HOSTILE rules for tough enemies.

In summary, the settings complement each other perfectly, and the rules are close enough that you can mix and match the best parts of each without complex math.