Wizards of the Coast will be publishing a new science fiction tabletop RPG calledExodusalongside its flagship fantasy RPG,Dungeons & Dragons, butI didn’t need to wait for its release to enjoy sci-fi in myD&D. Early information indicates theExodusTTRPG will largely share the same system as 5eD&D, as promotional images include references to a “Bonus Action,” Light Armor, and abilities with a similar layout toD&D’s spells. This could provide an excellent gateway for hobbyists to experience a different genre while using a familiar ruleset, butthere are already great third-party sci-fi options.
There are good reasons I am excited about the project, likeMatthew McConaughey narratingExodus’terrifying trailer, setting the tone for a bleak and unique science fiction video game. The video game will pair with theExodus Traveler’s Handbook, the tabletop RPG that explores the same fictional universe. Science fiction TTRPGs have been available since near the start of the hobby itself, but given the popularity of 5eD&D, a sci-fi epic sharing the same system appeals to many fans, including me. Such products are already available, andmany provide excellent sci-fi alternatives to WOTC’s official campaign settings.
Third-Party Settings Already Offer More Originality Than Official Worlds
Exodusis being developed by Archetype, a studio owned by WOTC that includes many BioWare veterans. Thesimilarities betweenMass EffectandExoduswere evident from the announcement of the project. I, and otherMass Effectfans,have enjoyed 5eD&D-based tabletop RPG adventures for years, however, thanks toEsper Genesis, aMass Effect-inspired RPG that launched in 2018.
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This is far from the only science fictionD&D5e setting I’ve invested in, as I’ve also purchasedDark Matterfrom Mage Hand press,Spaceships and Starwyrmsfrom HopePunk press, andAdvent Horizonfrom Promethium Books, along with many others. Some 5e settings are fully science fiction, likeRedskyfrom Solar Studios, orComets & Cockpitsfrom Daylight Productions, while others blend sci-fi and fantasy, likeLasers & Liches.
Esper Genesis, from Alligator Alley Entertainment, is available to purchase as a PDF through DriveThruRPG, alongside many other science fiction tabletop RPGs that use the 5eD&Drules.
WhileExodusmay giveMass Effectcompetitionbetween video game RPGs,Exodusitself is the new kid on the block when it comes to science fiction TTRPGs using the 5eD&Dsystem. Books likeBound For Beyondfrom Cachalot Games offer 5e hard sci-fi, while others likeDraken Starfrom William Stark provide a fusion of science fiction and fantasy.Carbon 2185from Dragon Turtle Games andGeneFunk 2090from CRISPR Monkey Studios offer 5e cyberpunk-genre settings, and theBioShock-inspiredCloudseasetting, from Beyond the Horizon, adds androids to fantasy, along with massive floating cities. Each offerssomething truly unique.
I wasn’t excited aboutGreyhawkcoming back to 2024D&Dbecause kitchen-sink-style fantasy settings, likeForgotten Realmsand Paizo’sGolarion,don’t interest me as a Game Master in the same way more unconventional campaign worlds do. The third-party science fiction settings, and hybrids of sci-fi and fantasy, hold far more appeal to me. Some GMs look for a vanilla world where they can “insert” any premade adventure, butI prefer settings that inspire stories that can only take place in that specific world. A unique setting likeBeneath the Monolithfrom Monte Cook Games immediately sets my wheels turning.
Science Fiction Has Been Present In D&D From The Start
Dungeons & Dragons Has Never Been A Pure Fantasy Game
Though many ofthe best science fiction tabletop RPGshave their own unique mechanics,D&Dis far from a pure fantasy game, devoid of any sci-fi elements. In 1976, Gary Gygax ran theExpedition to Barrier Peaksadventure at a convention, whichfeatured the Player Characters exploring a downed spaceship. Fifth edition settings likeHyperlanes, from Scrivened, LLC, andAstral Horizon, from Yellowbyte Studios, both deal with space travel, but 2eAdvanced Dungeons & Dragons’ Spelljammersetting did as well.Spelljammerapproaches space travel fully through a fantasy lens, however, not as sci-fi, or a hybrid of fantasy and sci-fi.
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ManyearlyD&Dadventures included science fiction elements, which is no surprise. When I learned how Jack Vance’sDying EarthinspiredD&D’s magic system, and the game as a whole, it became obvious thatD&Dhas less to do with the works of Tolkien than most people tend to think. Sword & sorcery sub-genre fiction, along with the works of H.P. Lovecraft and his peers, dominate Gygax’s Appendix N more than traditional fantasy, and at the time fantasy itself was a genre of literature still seeking to define itself. Many formative fantasy settings were in factpost-apocalyptic versions of Earth.
Somnus Domina, the core book for theRetiasetting from Logan Laidlaw, was also recently released on DriveThruRPG, offering another well-fleshed-out setting combining science fiction and high fantasy elements.
Later books inThe Dying Earthseries, easily one of the game’s biggest inspirations, dealt withspace travel and time travel and referenced alien invasions alongside high magic. ThePrimeval Thulesetting from Sasquatch Game Studio is a sword & sorcery campaign world set in a forgotten era of Earth’s history, and itjuxtaposes traditionalD&Dgods and magic with cultists who worship sinister aliens from beyond the stars. These third-party settings don’t go against the spirit ofD&D. Plot devices largely associated with sci-fi, like time travel, were featured inD&Dadventures likeThe Ghost Tower of Inverness.
Mechanics & Ideas From Other Sci-Fi 5e Games Add Options
AD&D2024Curse of Strahdrevampis a priority for some fans, butafter slaying this vampire for multiple editions in a row, I am more interested in fresh ideas.Eberronwas a truly original setting forD&D, but it dates back to 3.5D&D, and the new worlds for 5e are simply ported over fromMagic: the Gathering. That’s a big reason I am looking forward toExodus, as it will bethe first wholly new setting sinceEberron, albeit one linked to a video game slated for release around the same time as the tabletop RPG.
Established science fiction tabletop RPG lines have also had 5eD&Dversions published, like theSpace: 18895e version, and theDr. Who RPG’s5e adaptation,Doctors & Daleks.
RPG fans who enjoy the 5eD&Dsystem don’t need to choose betweenExodusand any of the excellent current options for sci-fi available from third parties. There are endless campaigns to be run, andGMs may find small elements from each of the science fiction and sci-fi fusion settings to incorporate into anExoduscampaign. The battle suits from Poison Potion Press’Eldritch Sandssetting could be added toExodus, orExoduscould be incorporated into a campaign within Dias Ex Machina Games’Affinitygame line. I am excited aboutExodusjoining the ranks of sci-fiDungeons & Dragonssettings.
