How to Play ‘The Lost Universe,’ NASA’s First Tabletop RPG


NASA, the Nationwide Aeronautics and Area Administration, lately printed its first tabletop RPG module. “The Misplaced Universe” is appropriate with Dungeons and Dragons fifth version, and might be simply translated to Pathfinder, D&D 3.5, Starfinder, or simply about any RPG rule system with fight, traps, and characters. You’ll be able to obtain The Lost Universe from NASA’s site for free

Designed by Christina Mitchell, senior manufacturing specialist on the NASA Goddard Area Flight Heart in Maryland, “The Misplaced Universe” is a standalone journey that casts gamers as NASA scientists who’re transported to a fantasy universe the place somebody or one thing has stolen the Hubble Area Telescope from our actuality. Utilizing the orbiting telescope because the MacGuffin in a fantasy story is greater than nerdery of the very best degree. “The Misplaced Universe” looks like a part of the company’s instructional outreach mission. Gamers will study concerning the significance of Hubble and get a broad overview of the way it works whereas having fun with rip-roaring house opera journey.

The 43-page module particulars an fascinating D&D-meets-science setting the place the wizards and elves on the planet Exlaris use darkish vitality as a type of magic, and borrow information from the Hubble telescope as a part of their analysis.

The module is a formidable piece of world constructing. Mitchell and the remainder of the NASA crew who constructed this have sketched out a planet during which the pursuit of information is valued over the pursuit of gold, and stored it open-ended sufficient for inventive DMs to fill within the particulars as desired. NASA says its module is for 4 to seven degree 7-10 characters, however you might simply tweak the define to any group at any degree. With a bit of ingenuity, you might use it as a aspect quest on an present marketing campaign too. 

As-written, “The Misplaced Universe” might be accomplished in a single, four-hour journey, but when your gamers change into hooked up to the magical science world of Exlaris, there’s sufficient uncooked materials right here to make use of it as a setting for a bigger, space-based marketing campaign. In case you’re new to D&D, try our information on learn how to make your very first character, in addition to learn how to play D&D with your folks on-line.