Originally posted by sablewyvern:
...Well, I've since changed my mind and am now planning on running a Silhouette/New Era Star Vikings Campaign.
I think I've got things under control, and am planning on picking up SilCore and either one or both of the Core Command Armoury and Jovian Chronicles Equipment Manual in the not-to-distant future. At the moment, my plan is probably to run pretty much with straight Silhouette mechanics, and just use the New Era for the politcal, cultural and geographical backdrop.
Anyway, any tips, guidance or general comments from anyone else who may have integrated (or thought about integrating) Silhouette and Traveller in the past would be much appreciated.
Hi, Sablewyvern. I've been a big fan of Silhouette as a system for many years. In fact, when CT grew into MT (and after a couple years of RPG depression), I chose the early Silhouette system over MT, GT, and T4. Since then, I've run three large campaigns in Silhouette:
a. a traditional Heavy Gear campaign set on Terranova,
b. a Gear Krieg game (alternate history WW2) set in 1941 with the players as members of a British Commando unit, and
c. a Traveller milieu game set in the Vanguard Reaches and using Silhouette as the rules system.
Then I got involved in T20.
Because the Sil v003 rules are new, most gamers are still making the transition from Sil v2. I own a copy of v003 (but haven't had a chance to use it yet) and the system core is the same. If you're running a game where the setting is from Traveller, and Silhouette is the engine, it's very straight forward to run. The same works in reverse.
The two biggest differences are:
a. No fixed classes, and
b. Levels are optional (and unneccessary, IMHO).
Silhouette character generation starts with a certain number of points for each player to use to build a character using an open shopping list. The options are skills, perks and flaws.
Perks and flaws work alot like feats in d20 systems, except perks cost points, and flaws give you more points to work with. If you're really into realistic characters, flaws are a good way to make your hero more human. Skills are an open list, so if you want a techie with combat skills, you just build him.
In Silhouette, the GM awards XP based upon the activities of the players in ongoing play (including how well they stay in character). As the players accumulate XPs, they can then improve their characters on an ongoing basis, as the GM allows. So character improvement is incremental, not based upon major "level-based" improvements.
When you, as the GM, start out, your players may be intimidated by having a wide-open skills list to choose from. Much of the already published Heavy Gear, Jovian Chronicles, Gear Krieg and Tribe 8 setting material already includes character templates for those who don't want to do it from scratch. There are hundreds of templates available. Or use the T20 chargen material as mentioned above, and do the conversion to Silhouette.
If you've got any specific questions, I'd be glad to help, or check out
The Dream Pod 9 Pod Corps page to find your local Silhouette player support group.
Good gaming!
Paul Nemeth
AA
