[Bewilderbeast]

I've had an idea for a game/campaign for a long time that's sci-fi horror set in space. A space ship, space station, lunar base, or something like that. So I'd need a system that covers horror and sci-fi. If it has magic/psychic elements, great, but if not I can do without.

Basically, I want a game that can recreate The Thing. Body horror, paranoia, intrigue is all important for the game I have in mind.

Player characters would ideally be pretty physically weak. I'd like something as rules-lite as possible, although if there's an absolutely perfect, crunch-heavy system out there for this sort of thing, I'd be willing to learn it.

Any suggestions?

[Backgammon]

You want Eclipse Phase.

[Medicineman]

or GURPS (You'd need GURPS Horrors & Space and if You want to GURPS Magic & Psi)
or Savage Worlds
(Both are universal RPGs that you can fuze with any background)
or Cthulhutech ( CoC mixed with Neon Genesis Evangelion )

with a Dance in Space
(because no one can hear You scream )
Medicineman

[Novocrane]

You may also want to look at Nova Praxis or Cold And Dark. Possibly Corporation or Traveller, and while I wouldn't recommend the system itself, CthulhuTech.

[Reaver]

As much as I hate to say it:

Palladium has a cross range of products in their "Multiverse - Rifts" system that includes Horror, sci-fi, magic, psionics.




just, well, yea... not my favorite system.

[CanRay]

Savage Worlds was built with Deadlands in mind, so it can work well.

Or you can go with Palladium and have the horror start with character creation. 

[Reaver]

Savage Worlds was built with Deadlands in mind, so it can work well.

Or you can go with Palladium and have the horror start with character creation. 

Bob: "I think I will be techno Mage! I get cool spells! and can shoot and power techo weapons all day long!!! it will be awesome!!! I'll have 45 hp and 73 S.D.C and 80 M.D.C from my body armor... And what you making Frank?"

Frank" A Seljuk"

Bob: "what why?"

Frank: "Oh, well... yea.. I'll have 287 M.D.C to start. and a supernatural strength of 83. So my punches do 2d4x10 M.D.C each.... Not sure about my O.C.C yet. Thinking Robot turbo-jocky for the +16 to initiative and the +5 attacks at first level and the +10 to PP. Hmm if I go that route, I'll only have 10 attacks at lvl 1, with +37 to strike parry or dodge and +20 to initative.... Maybe Suljuk, Hyper-sonic-Bleeder-Mindmelter......"

[Medicineman]

Yeahh, Rifts....
a Powergamers dream come true.
The Wolrd itself is fantastic & awesome , the Sourcebooks are quite imaginative and comparely low cost but the Rules ....Suck.
We used to play it for a long time using GURPS Rules (and NO ! Megadamage) At first we tried with
Megadamage = SDC x10 but that didn't work out.....
OK BtT
Rifts is No Horror !!
its a dream come true for a Powergamer in Puberty  but not useful at all for playing Horror (You could use the sourcebook 'Mutants in Orbit' for inspiration though )

with a wet Dance
Medicienman

[Reaver]

Yeahh, Rifts....
a Powergamers dream come true.
The Wolrd itself is fantastic & awesome , the Sourcebooks are quite imaginative and comparely low cost but the Rules ....Suck.
We used to play it for a long time using GURPS Rules (and NO ! Megadamage) At first we tried with
Megadamage = SDC x10 but that didn't work out.....
OK BtT
Rifts is No Horror !!
its a dream come true for a Powergamer in Puberty  but not useful at all for playing Horror (You could use the sourcebook 'Mutants in Orbit' for inspiration though )

with a wet Dance
Medicienman

there was the Nightspawn supplement (that got renamed cause Clive Barker took offense) it dealt with all sorts of supernatural horrors and terrors from demons and devils, zombies, ghouls, werewolves, and what not. Then there was the "beyond the supernatural" supplement for a more occult feel..

[Coengar2]

If you can find a copy of it R.Talsorion Games "Dream Park" rpg is pretty rules light and can be used to create any type of game genre that you'd like without becoming a power monger game.

Also the D20 Modern system would be pretty good for the kind of game that you are describing although the player characters will probably be a bit more capable than what you might be looking at.

[Dinendae]

Yeahh, Rifts....
a Powergamers dream come true.
The Wolrd itself is fantastic & awesome , the Sourcebooks are quite imaginative and comparely low cost but the Rules ....Suck.
We used to play it for a long time using GURPS Rules (and NO ! Megadamage) At first we tried with
Megadamage = SDC x10 but that didn't work out.....
OK BtT
Rifts is No Horror !!
its a dream come true for a Powergamer in Puberty  but not useful at all for playing Horror (You could use the sourcebook 'Mutants in Orbit' for inspiration though )

with a wet Dance
Medicienman

there was the Nightspawn supplement (that got renamed cause Clive Barker took offense) it dealt with all sorts of supernatural horrors and terrors from demons and devils, zombies, ghouls, werewolves, and what not. Then there was the "beyond the supernatural" supplement for a more occult feel..

I thought it was McFarlan(sp?) who threatened to sue over the spawn part of the title? Palladium also has a zombie survival game out called Dead Reign. It's supposed to be gentler on the character creation side of things, but being Palladium I wouldn't count on it.

[WellsIDidIt]

It was McFarlane. It was over similarities to the Spawn supposedly. Palladium had a hissy about it, but renamed the book.

Of course, when the Rift MMORPG came out, Palladium pulled the same exact same stunt. Got to love a system where lawsuit is the first step to resolve things.

[farothel]

Alternity is also a good option.  The stardrive setting has all the sci-fi you need, and it has psionics which you can use for magic and mutations you can use to create horror things.

[jim1701]

DFRPG FTW!