Tabletop RPGs - Sci-Fi & Other Speculative Fiction

By: Brad Krahe

Beginner friendly, Kid friendly option

In the post-apocalyptic world of “7th Extinction,” players navigate the remnants of a society reshaped by cataclysmic events caused by an alien invasion and mysterious breaches.

Dive deep below Earth’s surface to discover sprawling subterranean metropolises, where the last bastions of sentient beings – humans, aliens, and more – vie for survival and power.

Above ground, tempestuous storms and unpredictable dangers reign supreme. Breaches in reality open gateways to alternate Earths from other universes. But every decision can spell survival or doom, whether in the depths or on the surface.

Where the gritty desperation of Mad Max meets the vast cosmic intrigue of high Sci-Fi, “7th Extinction” offers an immersive experience that challenges the boundaries of roleplaying.

Do you have what it takes to thrive, or will you fall to the 7th Extinction? 

Player Capacity: 1 to 6.
System: 7th Extinction RPG.
System knowledge required: None.
Rating: M. Can be toned down to be suitable for younger players.
Seriousness: Average (3/6).

Scenario By: Charlotte Sherlock

Set in cyberpunk Naarm, Australia, in the 23rd Century. Natural cataclysms from two centuries ago have introduced magic and mutation alongside the rise of digital space and augmented reality. Cities have expanded, and corporations rule the world.

However, regardless of new ages, rent has been a bit behind for you all the past while as it always is in the city of Naarm.

It’s been five years since you’ve seen each other — a rescue operation of some Yakuza daughter back in 2216. Now, your team of Shadowrunners reunites for a new mission from a Mr. Johnson concerning a mafia don, his favourite ring, a scandalous video, and a whole lot of hijinks.

You’ve got a lot of catching up to do.

Player Capacity: 1 to 6.
System: Shadowrun 5e.
System knowledge required: Low. Knowledge of system will add to the game, but is not required.
Rating: M. Harsh swearing, mafia, action movie violence, sexual references.
Seriousness: Average (3/6).

Scenario By: Karl

Beginner friendly

Play humans, cockatoos, ravens, and rats hunting and scavenging among the eucalypts and skyscrapers of the urban bushland of Melbourne after civilisation’s collapse.

Melbourne Australia, 35 years from today, a sprawling urban bushland.
The tall colourful buildings are still intact except for broken shop-front windows. The parks and lawns are now forested. Where there were roads and paved areas now sway meadows of long grasses and wattle bushes.

Raise up your spear and stop-sign shield.
The civilisation that created our high technology has fallen. The age of the plough, spear, and shield has returned. Though sophisticated machines no longer function, simple durable objects once manufactured in vast quantities will provide for survivors for generations to come. Objects including cutlery, synthetic fibre clothes, hammers, crockery, shovels, and plasticware are constantly scrounged and traded.

Gather your raven, rat, and cockatoo friends.
The human population is about 1% of current levels. Older humans remember our civilisation at its peak and the skills to rebuild. The next generation grew up amidst chaos and knows how to survive. In small communities the remnant of humanity cooperates with ravens, cockatoos, and genetically modified rats to scavenge, hunt, and farm. Each of these playable species has abilities that complement the others.

Your community needs you!
This is a game about hope, community, and ambition. Your multi-species band braves the urban bushland to find the resources to help your community thrive and survive.

The game rules are built on the intuitive percentile-based Basic Roleplaying game that has been refined since 1978 and used in well-known games Runequest and Call of Cthulhu. Every BRP game tweaks the rules. This version removes mental arithmetic during play and is adjusted to portray the setting.

Player Capacity: 3 to 4.
System: Basic Roleplaying (BRP) Variant
System knowledge required: None. System will be taught during the session.
Rating: MA 15+. Though not a focus, there is a potential for violence. About the Australian bushland and may not be suitable for those with a strong animal phobia.
Seriousness: Moderate, leaning toward serious (4/6).

Presented By: Paddy

Beginner friendly

This is a story that begins long ago with your death.

Well, perhaps not quite. Your characters are Ghosts, digital recreations of dubious legal status created from the brain-scan of a human. Lacking rights across most of the inhabited Solar System and only able to interact with reality through machines, you have accepted a terrible bargain… lacking the need for food or life support, you have become the perfect tools to fight a shadow war on the far reaches of a fractious space faring civilisation.

Fight. Fail. Hack your mind. Grieve. Give up on your past or cling to it desperately even as it becomes unrecognisable. Escape. See who you become in the void.

Player Capacity: 2 to 5.
System: Custom system/Otherkind.
System knowledge required: None. System will be taught during the session.
Rating: MA15+. Violence, mental deterioration, drug use.
Seriousness: Moderate, leaning toward serious (4/6).

By: Alan

Melbourne could not have been built without the great riches of the goldfields, and by 1890 it was a rising jewel in the British Empire, the new London of the southern seas – which also made it a tempting, easy target for the Empire’s many enemies, most concerning of which was… Russia?

In 1890, the call to arms is rung throughout the colonies of Australia when Russian warships are sighted. Newcastle is raided and coal taken. Their target? Marvellous Melbourne and the vulnerable gold stocks. Take COMMAND of the fledgling Victorian Militia and stop the Russian invaders!

COMMAND RPG is a historical RPG system that puts 3-5 players in the hotseat of army command throughout the ages as the generals on the ground. Lead soldiers and armies through detailed, historically authentic campaigns that not only test the strength and swiftness of decision in the field but also the complex political, economic, and environmental challenges that come with commanding troops across the land and its peoples.

Player Capacity: 3 to 5.
System: The Command RPG
System knowledge required: None. System will be taught during the session.
Rating: M. Violence, war-related themes.
Seriousness: On the serious side (5/6).

By: Beau Hillier

Beginner friendly, Kid friendly

Jaunt returns to Conquest with a new introductory scenario!

Welcome to the omniverse. You are a jaunter, and with your handy little jauntbox you can travel between parallel worlds at the touch of a button. What will you and your companions do with this ability? And will you attract the ire of the authorities that have tasked themselves with controlling ‘unsanctioned jaunters’ such as yourselves?

‘Jaunt’ is a lightweight roleplaying game about travelling between dimensions. Dice rolls aren’t needed to take risks – you’ll instead determine your own effort, and what consequences you’re comfortable with bearing as you drive yourself forward. This is a custom system with no prior knowledge required.

Player Capacity: 2 to 4.
System: Jaunt.
System knowledge required: None. System will be taught during the session.
Rating: G.
Seriousness: Not Very (1/6).

Presented By: One Shot Wonders

“They called it the Exclusion Zone thinking we’d stay away. Of course they must have known we’d want to go in there anyway…”

You are a team of Treasure Hunters, notorious and opportunistic, the only people crazy enough to explore the sealed off site of a major extra-terrestrial crash. Up until now, you’ve been living off the scraps of psychically resonant artefacts in the hazardous wasteland of the Zone, hoping to catch a glimpse of something priceless.

So when the MerD company approaches your team to investigate a secret research station that has gone dark, and have offered a pretty penny for your help, you all know this may be your ticket to score something big.

Inspired by Annihilation, STALKER & many other works of apocalyptic fiction, this is an original adventure for the Mothership system.

This game is part of the One Shot Wonders table. We’re a local TTRPG group that runs open tables in the northern suburbs. Check us out @ https://www.one-shot.games

Player Capacity: 3 to 6.
System: Mothership.
System knowledge required: None. No system, or no system knowledge required.
Rating: MA 15+. Violence, Body horror and allusions to medical torture and mistreatment. Mothership is a Sci-fi horror system so we will be dealing with mature themes.
Seriousness: Average (3/6).

Presented By: One Shot Wonders

“The Weird West is manner to all kinds of folk. Some good, some bad and some downright ugly. But the sounds that prowl throughout the night that ain’t folk.”

You are a team of bounty hunters trying to stop the notorious criminal Bam Whiplash. You have searched far and wide for even the chance of catching him but now your opportunity has arrived. You get a tip that a train carrying all kinds of goods are strolling through the town of Providence. With Whiplash setting his sights on the train you know this is your one and only chance.

This wild west one-shot will feature, outlaws, magic and a wild train adventure to test your survival skills out in the Weird West.

This game is part of the One Shot Wonders table. We’re a local TTRPG group that runs open tables in the northern suburbs. Check us out @ https://www.one-shot.games

Player Capacity: 3 to 6.
System: Savage Worlds: Deadlands.
System knowledge required: None. No system, or no system knowledge required.
Rating: G.
Seriousness: Average (3/6).

By: Michael Horgen

Beginner friendly

This is a card-driven solo/co-op RPG set in the pulp adventure world of the 1920s to 50s.

Players are guided by a 6-act-story structure with prompt questions at each stage. Prompt cards from the Deck of Destiny help provide answers and inspiration. The adventure itself is not set, but emerges from the gameplay.

The game today will be guided by Michael Horgen.

Run time: Approx. 90 minutes
Player Capacity: 1 to 3
System knowledge required: None. System will be taught during the session.
Rating: M. This is a pulp adventure setting that may have reference to cults or secret societies. The adventure is not set, but emerges from the gameplay. Boundaries will be discussed at the start and monitored during the game.
Seriousness: Moderate, but on the sess serious side. (2/6)

Presented By: Megan

Includes Sunday 12:30pm Auslan session

“Be mindful of the living Force, my young Padawan.”

The Cularin system lies at the edge of the Outer Rim, but its at the center of countless intrigues, mysteries and machinations.  Thousands arrive in the system each year seeking danger and excitement.  They’ll find it.  An ancient evil is awakening to confront them all… with the power of the living Force.

Modular Star Wars games set in the Old Republic (prior to Episode 2).  Star Wards d20 Revised edition rules, circa 2002. 

Different module each session, selected based on the group who come to the table.  Modules will focus on single session play, so you don’t need to play every module or play in order.

Characters:
Pre-generated characters available at the table.  Just come and play!

To do your own custom character build – please refer to the RPGA Play network sidebar, page 15 (in revised edition), starting at level 1.  To begin only features in the base book allowed.  Email us for a pdf of the book and character sheet.

Players with a Star Wars Sparks character from earlier Conquest years may contact Megan to have that character rebuilt into a Living Force character, with a level advancement to recognise your earlier play. Reach out to Conquest to be put in touch.

Player Capacity: 3 to 6. Best with 4+.
System: Star Wars WotC 2nd Edition Revised
System knowledge required: Low. Knowledge of the system will add to the game, but is not required.
Rating: PG. Star Wars level violence expected. Aliens. Jedi. (Very) occasional alcohol or drug references.
Seriousness: Average. (3/6)

Scenario by: Akiva

Navigate a mutated world, long after humanity has fallen, as zombies who have regained their memories and free will.

In this two hour introductory scenario for Undead Paradise, you will join a search and rescue mission into an unexplored, ruined city. Through the expedition they’ll discover mutated fauna, rivaling factions, nostalgia of the past, and terrifying monstrosities.

There are eight pre-generated characters from which players can choose from, each showcasing a different class, alongside a helpful reference sheet to explain their character abilities and moves. More information on the system can be found at  https://avas-adventures.itch.io/undead-paradise-ttrpg

Player Capacity: 3 to 4.
System: Undead Paradise TTRPG
System knowledge required: None. System will be taught during the session.
Rating: PG. Zombies, Gore, Post-apocalypse, rats, violence.
Seriousness: Average (3/6).