This is the Starflight Role-Playing Game (SFRPG) First Edition Core Rules.
Starflight is an RPG-style adventure game created by the folks at Binary Systems back in the ‘80s. It has developed a large following throughout the years from all types of gamers. In Starflight (SF1), the player takes on the role of the captain of a starship for a corporation known as Interstel, and must save their home planet (called Arth) from a number of catastrophes. In the original game, this involved neutralizing the Crystal Planet, whose destructive effects made stars undergo catastrophic “flares”. In the sequel game,
Starflight 2: Trade Routes of the Cloud Nebula (SF2), the object was to secure the source of the alternative FTL fuel known as Shyneum, giving Arth a chance to repel an imminent invasion by the Spemin.
This wikibook you're reading now is a pencil-and-paper (PNP)
role-playing game adaptation of these original games. These rules have been designed to be as flexible as possible, so that players of SFRPG may be as detailed or as carefree as they'd like to be while playing the game. They've also been designed such that players may play a game very similar to the original games, or have a much different type of adventure within the Starflight Universe.
To play the Starflight Role-Playing Game (SFRPG), you’ll need the following equipment:
- At least two ten-sided dice (2d10) for each player. One of these should show multiples of 10 (a d10x10). If one is not available, the dice should be distinguishable from one another, with one of them designated as the “d10x10”.
- Pencil and paper. Pencil is preferable to pen, as it can be erased more easily.
- Some kind of screen for the “gamemaster” (GM), in order to conceal their rolls.
- Access to at least one copy of these rules.
- While not strictly necessary, some GMs may prefer to have a calculator handy in order to help with more complex calculations.
An Open Apology to Fans of the Sega Genesis Version
The original Starflight was produced for five different platforms: PC, Amiga, MacIntosh, Commodore 64, and the Sega Genesis. Of these five "versions", the Sega Genesis version was the most unique, including additional weapons, a controlled planetary launch and landing sequence, add-ons to the terrain vehicle, its own set of surface lifeforms, and different planets (though the positions of the stars were the same). It definitely had more of an "arcade-game" feel to it than the other four versions, which were largely identical to one another. The differences between the Sega version and the other versions have led to two "camps" of Starflight fans over the years, one for the Genesis version, and one for the others. Unfortunately for fans of the Genesis version, SFRPG was largely written by fans of the PC version working on the Starflight III project. Because of this built-in bias, and owing to a lack of the same quality of available data about the Sega Version, some of the features that were in the Genesis version are not explicitly included in SFRPG. The editors would like Sega version fans to understand that this was not done out of any sense of malice and hope no hard feelings are generated as a result. SFRPG's system includes procedures for creating almost anything that would appear in the Starflight Universe (including equipment), so it is still possible for dedicated Sega fans to re-create their favorite gear for use in their gaming groups, if they so choose.
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