Review & Commentary on Trey Causey's 'Strange Stars' campaign setting & 'The Strange Stars OSR rule book'

 "It's the far future, Old Earth is lost and shrouded in legend, and the children of paleo-humanity have long ago populated the stars, branching into new forms and strange cultures. Adventure is measured in light-years!"

Today was another day I was strolling through my Drivethrurpg library & I came across Trey Causey's 'Strange Stars' campaign  setting & 'The Strange Stars OSR rule book'. So let's make that distinct right off according to the author 'You need the setting book to maximally utilize the OSR rulebook.'



Strange Stars is like a smoke ring from the 70's or 80's from the fevered mind of its author, and its a graphic as well as artistic slight of hand trick of a laser sword of retro science fantasy gaming goodness. The author presents a great overview of his space opera setting with great artwork and a wary eye towards the material being used in your games. This book is wall to wall system neutral artwork as good as your going to find. The races are really nicely designed and can fit into a wide variety of science fiction or fantasy settings. Strange Stars is a wily and some what lean beast, its part setting book, part alien races, and a whole lot of details designed around the fact that this beast wants to be your go to space opera campaign. The OSR rule book gives all of the back up rules for these taken as a whole it works & works very well. 

The Strange Stars Game Setting book really dives into the universe of Strange Stars. The galactic politics is there, the factions, alien races, and all of this with an eye towards the retro Seventies & Eighties that we all grew up in. 

There's a definite, 'This is not 'Star Wars' but it might be Seventies Space opera' feel to these books. The author takes this and ratchet's up several notches in the setting book;  

"STRANGE STARS is a setting for any game where modern transhuman science fiction meets classic 70s space opera. Join a salvage mission to steal ancient tech from the wreck of a deranged sophont warship. Become a skiptracer in the lawless orbital megapolis of Interzone. Plan an elaborate data-vault heist on a diamond planet. Cross ceramic blades with a Zao Pirate in hard vacuum. Score sweet dreams or nightmare fuel from the oneirochemists of Eidolon. It's all somewhere in the STRANGE STARS!" 

Everything from the beginning possible PC's races to full adventure hooks are right there at your fingers. You can think of this book as a candy sampler of retro science fiction goodness that never existed until now. This starts with the cover which pays a nice nod to the original Star Frontiers game to the layout and graphics which references everything from Marvel style sci fi comic series to things like Star Wars. This is a style choice and a very well done idea in what it does. 

Nine ninety nine might seem a bit steep for a simple but its not because this is wall to wall well done artwork. If you grew up thumbing through Barlowe's Guide To Extraterrestrials, reading Micronauts under the covers with a flash light your going to want this book. 

Because this setting book taps into the nostalgia buttons but there's more. This is a very workable space opera setting with all of the trimmings to get you started in the universe of Strange Stars. Trust me, this is a world where one week your adventurers will be battling PHARESMID SYNDICATE and then taking down the machinations of the THE VOKUN EMPIRE. Its all right there at your finger tips and best of all its system neutral. 

Use it with your favorite OSR sci fi retroclone or Traveller or Fate or whatever system you want. I see how and why the author has done what he's done. This is a solid impact of a book into the sci fi market. Very cool and I highly recommend this book.

Using The Strange Stars Campaign Setting 

Jason Sholtis homage artwork  to Marvel's Fin Fang Foom in Strange Stars remains one of my favorite pieces of his artwork. 

A lot of OSR retroclones, sci fi settings & more have come & gone from the marketplace since I wrote this review for the Strange Stars OSR rule & setting book. But the majority of my points still stand. There's a lot of science fantasy material here that could used with many of the OSR games on the market. The White Star Rpg comes to mind here but there's plenty more. And while the  Stars Without Number rpg has now gone into its second edition & I haven't had the time to truly investigate it. The Strange Stars books were perfectly suited for the SWN first edition game in spades. 

Strange Stars has its points for independent intergalactic role playing in spades this makes it perfect fodder for Venger Satanis's Cha'alt series especially Cha'alt: Fuchsia Malaise campaign book which fits the politic of Strange Stars as both setting & rule book! In point of fact it could be used easily with Castles & Crusades Siege Engine books. 

There's plenty of setting & brightness within the Trey Causey's 'Strange Stars' campaign  setting & 'The Strange Stars OSR rule book' to allow a DM to set up a campaign via a simple space dungeon & keep things going for years! The material is very well done & fits its OSR aesthetic very nicely. 

Using And Abusing Carcosa By Geoffrey McKinney For The Lamentations Of The Flame Princess rpg

Carcosa is both a source of adventure and campaign construction set itself. It was never intended for the players but as a resource for the DM to explore & exploit.

Grab it Right Over
HERE
Warning for Adults Only

“Anything approaching the change that came over his features I have never seen before, and hope never to see again. Oh, I wasn't touched. I was fascinated. It was as though a veil had been rent. I saw on that ivory face the expression of sombre pride, of ruthless power, of craven terror--of an intense and hopeless despair. Did he live his life again in every detail of desire, temptation, and surrender during that supreme moment of complete knowledge? He cried in a whisper at some image, at some vision--he cried out twice, a cry that was no more than a breath:

The horror! The horror!” 

― Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

 Artwork by Tim Truman not the white men of Carcosa but how my imagination views some of the races of the setting. 

So I'm reading through a friend's blog and he's reviewing Carcosa By Geoffrey McKinney, it's a great review except once again the point of it is sort of missed to some extent ( Read Corey's review HERE). Now I've run Carosa numerous times as campaign setting, one off convention style adventure, and over all location. There are a few things to understand about the setting.  I don't want to hear about the mature themes, adult icky rituals, adult content,etc.

Carcosa is the alien savagery left over from a time when the alien eons when the alien god things and races of Lovecraft have faded into the background. This is a place that was the play pen of the cold and calculating minds of the serpent men and where they called down the power of sorcery and super science! This is a laboratory of the gods and the lab rats have run amok centuries ago. The various races of men depicted are not even remotely human but something far more dangerous, weird, and alien by our own standards. In text flavor and feel, the only novella of Robert Howard's that comes close in my mind is Almuric.  This is an entire adventure location lost to the universe and still going on. Regardless if there are PC's or not Carcosa continues on its way lost or not. 

According to Wiki :
The novel features a muscular hero known on earth as Esau Cairn. He is transported through space to a world known as Almuric by unspecified scientific methods. While there he battles with frightening monsters and beautiful women. Cairn becomes known as the Iron Hand due to his powerful punches and boxing skills. The novel shares similar elements with the John Carter of Mars series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Read more right over HERE

Carcosa is one of the only places in the entire multiverse where a completely different incarnation of  Shub- Niggurath births out both Lovecraftian spawn and any number of the main Lovecraftian races. That's right we've got everything from Elder Things to The Great Race of Yith churned out to wander the landscape and bring issues and adventure to your party of fools who blunder into their machinations. She's been doing this for centuries and she's not stopping. Carcosa just might one of the main sources of Lovecraftian horror in the multiverese. Why? Well really that's up to you as the DM.


Dominique Signoret - http://signodom.club.fr/

There is hex after hex of both nega dungeon and mega dungeon locations of epic proportions and their not going away anytime soon. These locations have both their own and center of awesome awfulness as sources of pulp goodness, spewing adventure fodder  and their own agendas right out into the multiverse. Regardless of your adventurers intent this is Carcosa and its an entire world that happens.

Carcosa is the ultimate DM's tool box allowing him or her to exploit their favorite Lovecraftian tropes in a world gone mad and push them into dimension and higher dimensional space of their own campaigns with the least excuse and the maximum amount of weirdness for their PC's. You might think of this the ultimate NPC generator. And we all know how they work. The NPC's created by the environs of Carcosa do not conform to the following.

Do you have an adventure location, Negadungeons  location that you've been itching to try out? And you don't want it to impact your regular campaign? Set it in one of the hexes of Carocsa! Seriously your not going to break Carocsa. It can be used for any number of pulptastic bits of high weirdness. The fact is that you might think of Carcosa as complete hazard zone. You don't want PC's going there unless you really want characters changed in bizarre and weird ways forever. 

One artist who never fails to inspire even the vaguest bit of Carcosa inspired madness in me is Scott Flament. For example this is probably happening right now someplace on Carcosa.
You can see more of his work right over HERE


Artwork featured is for entertainment purposes only and in no way reflects a violation of copyright or trademark infringement. This post is part of an rpg opinion blog post and only reflects my opinon and is not shared by the makers of the Lamentations of the Flame Princess game.  I'm not responsible for any PC's death, dismemberment, or insanity whist visiting upon  Carcosa.  Carcosa is one of the most dangerous Lovecrafian supplements to come on the market and should be used sparingly. All other influences should be used as needed. Artifacts and relics from Carcosa should be checked for type Z,X, and Q Lovecraftian and demonic influences. 

Five Classic 80's Sci Fi Art As Influence On Accursed Atlantis Campaign Setting

The capital of  Egotulr in Accursed Atlantis a place of commence and study for scholars,wizards, and alien merchants.

 The skies are filled with craft running on both magic and science

The Brothers Hildebrandt

Here's some of the artwork that has turned up on images searches in Google, about Atlantis and so its been fodder for this setting's campaign mill. 

Meanwhile in the Atlantian Wastlands

Here are one of the Atlanian outposts with an Outer planar explorer and his alien familiar. There are lost and very dangerous relics still transmitting FTL transmissions

Madd Science

These are some of the ruins that exist above ground for extensive mazeworks and mega dungeons that run for miles under the surface of the wastelands. 

The Guardians at the gate of the tower of Rod and Order 

Michael Whelan

Zipping along the mountain range of the ruins of the country of Mu 

The Judas Bug, Analog illustration, October 1967 by Frank Kelly Freas

An Atlantian war borg that erupts near an ancient outpost battling one of the last war guardians of this ancient city. 

Killing Machine by Chris Foss

A ram jet ship leaving  one of the last Planes of Fire  mining outposts for the Outer Colonies.

Free Classic Sci Fi Download - Star Log Issue # 38 For Your Old School Sci Fi Campaigns

Star Log magazine has always had a classic run of old school science fiction goodness but the September 1980 issue is a really interesting slice into the sci fi consciouness at the time. Its a really neat look into some solidly time twisting goodness of the scene back then and a real walk down memory lane. 

Grab It Right
HERE
This really was a critical time in science fiction from the Communication section which advertises the first indications of a new television show about interstellar science called Cosmos to a brand new cartoon called Thundarr The Barbarian that will be appearing on Saturday mornings. Quick section on the Tom Baker era Doctor Who Companion K-9 to a jump over to Log Entries. This section charts everything from the major break ups at Marvel to hand crafted bits of Middle Earth collectibles.
The top story is the special release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Rumblings covers the Empire Strikes Out, an interesting look into some of the goings on with Empire at this time. 

For me one of the articles that really stands out is the De Forrest Kelly interview, A Candid Conversation With A Country Doctor. Sweet mother of God, this is a real walk down memory lane. Kelly is open,honest, and very interesting about Star Trek and his role in it the whole experience of it.
And here's one of the real gems for the Space 1999 rpg DM, the Space 1999 Writer's Guide Part I. This is a nice and candid look into the process of dealing with the show and how it ticks. Essential stuff for someone wanting to run an adventure.
Scared To Death is a look into the world of practical special effects with Bill Malone and Bob Short. Well worth a read into the 1980 walk through of two of the craft's practitioners. Fascinating look into the behind the camera bits and pieces.
And then we start kicking it into high gear for the Buck Rogers In The Twenty Fifth Century DM, with an interview with Tim O'Connor himself. Some great stuff right in there.
Then we get into a Buck Rogers Episode Guide which is really handy and one of the only sources of television episodes way back in the dark days of sci fi before anything like the internet. But its great for dealing with turning episodes into old school sci fi adventures . 
There's a quick preview of the cult classic Galaxina and it still is a weirdo of a film even after all of these years.
We get into Part II of a Behind The Scenes section on the Buck Rogers television show episode Flight Of The War Witch. Some good bits and pieces to use in there for designing out some old school sci fi goodness. 
Great George Pal retrospective as well in this issue and some solid stuff concerning him and his career. Personally I think he got the shaft more then a few times throughout his career but its an interesting read through.
And a really interesting preview of a then up coming now classic Ray Harryhausen film 'Clash of The Titans'.
And rounding out this issue is a really cool article on Disney's new Matte painter, illustrator and artist David Mattingly. I swear there wasn't a piece of this man's artwork I didn't see someplace in 1980's sci fi.
There's a really nice selection of it in this issue and I remember seeing it before playing Gamma World 1st edition.


There's a nice article on the sci fi convention scene, a nice read through on sc fi movie scores and more . All in all this isn't a bad issue of Star Log but it really defines the changing guard of the sci fi scene back in 1980. 

Terran Trade Authority Spacecraft 2000-2100 AD Video For Your Old School Space Campaigns

Terran Trade Authority - Spacecraft 2000-2100AD from Adrian Mann on Vimeo.

I read these books as a kid in the early 80's, then I came this video on Vimeo and it covers all the major space craft in the 1st Terran Trade Authority book. The TA books were excellent.  The illustrations are detailed and imaginative, the descriptions are well-written, wonderfully in character, and fascinating.
Special thanks to the creator of this video for the trip down memory lane! Wonderful artwork and stuff you've done with the video. 

                                                                                 


These books were sci fi campaign crack as a kid for me, I could sit and look through the artwork for hours and dream about the plot, background, and adventures from this book. The Terran Trade Authority Space Craft 2000 - 2100 AD book was a nice bridge gap from the last gasp of the pulp era sci fi to the Star Wars/Space 1999 80's generation.
These books were campaign rpg crack and perfect drag and drop old school sci fi goodness perfect for running Traveler or any of the old school space opera rpgs on the market in the 80's.

According to Wiki:

The Terran Trade Authority is a science-fiction setting originally presented in a collection of four large illustrated science fiction books published between 1978 and 1980. This series was written by Stewart Cowley.

The books formed a connected space-opera milieu, describing the future history of mankind's expansion into the galaxy, presented in the guise of official handbooks by the trade organization from which the setting takes its name. However, the books sometimes contained contradictory information (e.g., the nature of early FTL technology).

Compared to other science fiction settings, the TTA setting appears optimistic about man's place in the universe, though elements of violence and authoritarianism do appear in the books. It features a strong undercurrent of wonder and adventure, due in part to the inclusion of various mysterious alien relics and incidents that are left unexplained by the author.

A revised series of books were planned by Morrigan Press, but only one, 'Spacecraft 2100 To 2200 AD', appeared

The original four books are:

• Spacecraft 2000-2100 AD (by Stewart Cowley, 1978) (UK and US Editions) [SC1]
• Great Space Battles (by Stewart Cowley and Charles Herridge, 1979) (UK/US) [GSB]
• SpaceWreck: Ghost Ships and Derelicts of Space (by Stewart Cowley, 1979) (UK/US) [SW]
• Starliners: Commercial Travel in 2200 AD (by Stewart Cowley, 1980) (UK/US) [SL]
  
  

The Setting Premise According To
Wiki:
 According to the series original timeline, humans - aka 'Terrans' - became starfarers in the early 21st century, with the development of the DeVass Warp Generator. This is described as a spacefold-style faster-than-light drive, which brought space at the origin and destination into proximity, allowing a vessel at the former to transfer to the latter without crossing the intervening distance.

The future history states that after remote exploration of nearby star systems, contact was established with the inhabitants of the Alpha Centauri star system (the 'Alphans'), with whom Terrans quickly became friends and allies. The second alien encounter at Proxima Centauri (with the 'Proximans' - long antagonistic towards the Alphans) resulted in the two-decade long 'Proximan War.' This war drove the development of space technology, resulting in many of the starship designs that inhabit the TTA universe and facilitating its further colonization.

This book covers the events immediately prior to and after the Proximan War Era and descriptions are presented in that context. The book is presented in the same manner as an aircraft recognition guide, made up entirely of spacecraft descriptions which relate their role and performance in the war if applicable, and occasionally their history afterwards. (Some of the ships in the book are nonmilitary in nature.) There is also a section on unknown aliens.
There are ton of resources on this classic series of books especially the first of the Terran Trade Authority Spacecraft books. There are sci fi fans whom I know who obessively catalog and study this series of books. Everything about them was classic, here's a great series of links tracing everything about the first book and the whole series of these wonderful 70's and 80's bits of sci fi culture goodness.

A long-time TTA fansite with news and information about the classic series HERE

 Fansite. Home of TTA addons for Celestia, art, and book info.HERE

Fansite including a large resource on the TTA and Galactic Encounters books, images and links to artists who contributed to the books.HERE

Fansite setup as using a Wiki engine and includes information on both the classic TTA series and the new TTA series started by Morrigan Press. HERE

Wiki has a ton of info about the series right over HERE

Strange Stars From Armchair Planet For Your Old School Space Opera Campaigns

Strange Stars is like a smoke ring from the 70's or 80's from the fevered mind of its author, and its a graphic as well as artistic slight of hand trick of a laser sword of retro science fantasy gaming goodness. The author presents a great overview of his space opera setting with great artwork and a wary eye towards the material being used in your games. This book is wall to wall system neutral artwork as good as your going to find. The races are really nicely designed and can fit into a wide variety of science fiction or fantasy settings. 

Strange Stars is a wily and so what lean beast, its part setting book, part alien races, and a whole lot of details designed around the fact that this beast wants to be your go to space opera campaign.

Grab It Right Over
HERE

So what's the book about? Well according to the Rpgnow blurb: 

It's the far future, Old Earth is lost and shrouded in legend, and the children of paleo-humanity have long ago populated the stars, branching into new forms and strange cultures. Adventure is measured in light-years!

STRANGE STARS is a setting for any game where modern transhuman science fiction meets classic 70s space opera. Join a salvage mission to steal ancient tech from the wreck of a deranged sophont warship. Become a skiptracer in the lawless orbital megapolis of Interzone. Plan an elaborate data-vault heist on a diamond planet. Cross ceramic blades with a Zao Pirate in hard vacuum. Score sweet dreams or nightmare fuel from the oneirochemists of Eidolon. It's all somewhere in the STRANGE STARS!

Everything from the beginning possible PC's races to full adventure hooks are right there at your fingers. You can think of this book as a candy sampler of retro science fiction goodness that never existed until now. This starts with the cover which pays a nice nod to the original Star Frontiers game to the layout and graphics which references everything from Marvel style sci fi comic series to things like Star Wars. This is a style choice and a very well done idea in what it does. 

Nine ninety nine might seem a bit steep for a simple but its not because this is wall to wall well done artwork. If you grew up thumbing through Barlowe's Guide To Extraterrestrials, reading Micronauts under the covers with a flash light your going to want this book. 

Because this setting book taps into the nostalgia buttons but there's more. This is a very workable space opera setting with all of the trimmings to get you started in the universe of Strange Stars. Trust me, this is a world where one week your adventurers will be battling PHARESMID SYNDICATE and then taking down the machinations of the THE VOKUN EMPIRE. Its all right there at your finger tips and best of all its system neutral. 

Use it with your favorite OSR sci fi retroclone or Traveller or Fate or whatever system you want. I see how and why the author has done what he's done. This is a solid impact of a book into the sci fi market. Very cool and I highly recommend this book.

Using The Strange Stars Campaign Setting 

So there are a couple of important points to remember about this setting, one its very open in its old school science fictional goodness. Two this is a labor of love for the author and that comes through. There is a ton of back drop and setting material that you can pull from within this book.

Strange Stars is the perfect sci fi set up and go adventuring system. If you've got players due in on Saturday night and you've got a system that you've been itching to try then this is a great sci fi background that you've been looking for. But that's only the tip of the ice berg here. With a bit of work. This is a game setting book with a very rich and diverse sci fi history in place with back drop adventure hooks to allow plenty of sci fi cross over action if you choose to. Take your Stars Without Number party even your X plorers party into the Strange Stars universe for even more utility with a setting that allows you to experience even more action and adventure under the banners of your favorite game.
For the  X plorers rpg Strange Stars has a ready made universe to port right in and plenty of perfect locations and races to pepper your games with. For Stars Without Number the setting of the Strange Stars universe is a nice setting just waiting to take on your party.
When it comes to Star Frontiers, this is a perfect setting to jack up your technology index add in brand new material and get right into the back waters of a universe with brand new aliens.
Trey's done a fantastic job of laying the foundation of his universe and he's inviting us to play under Strange Stars. This is a really well done book with lots and lots of utility and potential in my book.
 I'm not done with this universe by a long chalk, and if you want my advice grab the book, some friends, and let Strange Stars become a regular campaign setting for your sci fi games. I have a feeling you won't be sorry. 

Quick Commentary on ATROPA - Sci Fi Short

ATROPA -- Sci-fi Short from Eli Sasich on Vimeo.

If you haven't seen ATROPA then do yourself a favor and take a moment to watch this pretty damn impressive production.
Watching this short is like taking a step back in time to the late 80's sci fi VHS tape movie rental place  in Boston where I used to work. Everything about this production screams sci fi 1989 but in a good way. As a teaser pitch the short does exactly what its supposed to. The production get's me jazzed to see more. A very impressive effort on the production's part, and while there have been a ton of shorts out there, this one clicks off all of the old school  boxes right down the line.
The script takes its time and this is a really nice set up for a story. The acting and performance gives subtle hints of more to come and the short doesn't pander to its audience. 

According To Vimeo: 

An Off-World Detective investigates the missing research vessel ATROPA. Concept short inspired by '70s and '80s sci-fi classics like Alien and Blade Runner.

Directed by Eli Sasich • Written by Clay Tolbert

(Agent) Trevor Astbury • CAA

(Manager) Eric Williams • Zero Gravity Management

Produced by Chris Bryant 

Co-Produced by Lieren Stuivenvolt Allen 

Director of Photography Greg Cotten

Production Designer Alec Contestabile

Edited by Zachary Anderson

Music by Kevin Riepl

Visual Effects by Ryan Wieber

VFX Supervisors Ryan Wieber & Tobias Richter 

Spaceship VFX by Tobias Richter & The Light Works

Starring:

Anthony Bonaventura

Jeannie Bolet

David M. Edelstien

Ben Kliewer

Chris Voss

Nice effects and well casted actors. It would be so cool to see a full length movie out of this. The script is original and the ideas here right out of the gate are like something we would see in a big Hollywood movie effort. I want more and I'm really happy to have stumbled on it.
Could this be used for a set up for an old school rpg adventure? Very much so and a DM could learn a thing or two from the pacing, story telling, and timing of this little gem of a short.