Old School Renaissance – Engines of Babylon: A Review of the Vehicle and System Ship Supplement for Stars Without Number

Old School, stars without number

Publisher: Sine Nomine Publishing

Introduction

Stars Without Number is a science fiction roleplaying game that draws inspiration from classic games like Traveller and Dungeons & Dragons. It is designed to be flexible and adaptable to any setting and genre, from cyberpunk to space opera. The game uses a simple system based on 2d6 rolls for skills and combat, and offers a variety of options for character creation, psychic powers, spaceship design, and sector generation.

Engines of Babylon is a supplement for Stars Without Number that focuses on custom vehicles and low-tech system ships. It provides rules and guidelines for creating and using these modes of transportation in your sci-fi campaigns, as well as a collection of treasures and horrors to spice up your adventures. Whether you want to explore the ruins of a fallen civilization, raid a pirate base, or escape from a hostile planet, Engines of Babylon has something for you.

What’s Inside

Engines of Babylon is a 42-page PDF that contains the following sections:

  • Vehicle Creation: This section explains how to create custom vehicles using a point-buy system. You can choose from various chassis types, such as bikes, cars, tanks, or walkers, and equip them with different weapons, armor, engines, and accessories. You can also modify existing vehicles or salvage parts from wrecks. The section includes 15 example vehicles for your inspiration, such as the gravitic yard skiff, the main battle tank, or the walker transport.
  • System Ships: This section introduces low-tech system ships, which are spacecraft that can travel within a star system but not between them. These ships are suitable for near-future or post-apocalyptic settings, where interstellar travel is rare or impossible. The section provides rules for building and operating system ships, as well as 15 example ships for your use, such as the orbital shuttle, the asteroid miner, or the system patrol boat.
  • Treasures of Space: This section presents 20 precious items that can be found in the cold stars, such as alien artifacts, ancient relics, or rare resources. These treasures can serve as adventure hooks, rewards, or complications for your sci-fi campaigns. Some examples are the black box recorder, the cryogenic pod, or the warp core.
  • Maltech Horrors: This section showcases 8 abominations of forbidden technology, which are products of twisted experiments or malicious intentions. These horrors can be used as enemies, threats, or plot devices for your sci-fi campaigns. Some examples are the bio-bomb, the mind-worm, or the warp gate.

What I Liked

Engines of Babylon is a well-written and well-designed supplement that adds a lot of options and flavor to Stars Without Number. I liked how it expands on the vehicle and spaceship rules from the core game, giving more choices and customization possibilities to the players and GMs. I also liked how it provides a lot of interesting and useful items and entities for the GMs to use in their campaigns.

The supplement is easy to use and integrate into any sci-fi setting. The vehicle and system ship creation rules are simple and intuitive, and the examples are varied and creative. The treasures and horrors are also diverse and intriguing, offering a lot of potential for adventure and drama.

The supplement is also visually appealing and well-formatted. The layout is clear and consistent, and the artwork is evocative and fitting. The PDF is also bookmarked and hyperlinked for easy navigation.

What I Didn’t Like

There is not much to dislike about Engines of Babylon. It is a solid supplement that delivers what it promises. However, there are some minor issues that I noticed:

  • The vehicle creation rules do not include any guidelines for balancing different vehicles against each other or against characters. This could lead to some problems if the players or GMs create vehicles that are too powerful or too weak for their intended purpose.
  • The system ship rules do not explain how to handle combat between system ships and interstellar ships from the core game. This could be an issue if the GM wants to mix different types of spacecraft in their campaigns.
  • The treasures and horrors sections do not provide any suggested values or difficulties for acquiring or using the items or entities. This could make it harder for the GMs to determine how much reward or risk they should offer to the players.

Conclusion

Engines of Babylon is an excellent supplement for Stars Without Number that adds a lot of depth and variety to the vehicle and spaceship aspects of the game. It is well-written, well-designed, and well-presented. It is suitable for any sci-fi setting and genre that involves custom vehicles or low-tech system ships. It also provides a lot of inspiration and resources for creating exciting and memorable sci-fi adventures.

If you are a fan of Stars Without Number or sci-fi roleplaying in general, I highly recommend checking out Engines of Babylon. It is a great addition to your gaming library.

Stars Without Number – Engines of Babylon on DrivethruRpg