Take Your Next Adventure to Space – This is the May
This week we’re getting galactic with accessories that will take our game out of this world. This is the May.
At some point ‘May the 4th’ bled into the rest of the week with ‘Revenge of the 5th’ and sometimes ‘Return of the 6th’ too if you’re feeling really festive. And then The Mandalorian happened with its famous catchphrase, and now the whole month has been co-opted with ‘This is the May.’ And that’s fine by me. Harmless nerdy silliness is always good in my book. So let’s celebrate Star Wars Day/Month (and all of the other space opera sci-fis too) by taking our next RPG adventure into space.
1. Spelljammer Box Set
This addition to the 5E collection has been a little divisive, but I was pretty excited to see Spelljammer added back into the mix. Following all of the basic D&D rules, Spelljammer adds some additional rules for space-faring as well as a few playable races and a whole bunch of very weird monsters. If you’re playing D&D and want to continue playing D&D but also want to go into fantasy-space, this is the way to go. Of course, if you want to go into space and don’t want to play D&D…
2. FFG’s Star Wars Age of Rebellion RPG
If you like tabletop RPGs but aren’t brand-loyal to D&D, there are tons of options from the vague space-themed adventure setting to games built specially for your favorite galactic IPs. Above is Fantasy Flight Game’s Star Wars system, but if you prefer Star Trek, The Expanse, or Alien then there’s a game for you. The FFG system is personally one of my favorites with a very cinematic design and a system of mixed losses and successes, making it possible to fail successfully or succeed into danger. But there are thousands of games out there. Play the one that’s right for you. Or play all of them.
3. Galaxy Dice
I love these dice. They remind me of the cat’s collar in Men In Black with a tiny galaxy trapped inside each one. The super clear resin and sharp edges make these feel like a finished work of art, and the copper numbers really bring the entire thing together for a space-age feel. Not every game is going to need a full set of seven like this, and many of the games I mentioned above either have proprietary dice or use something a little different than the full D&D set. But if we’re all being honest we know we collect a few more dice than we need because they’re pretty.
4. Mini Pirate Star Skiff
If you’ve been playing a mostly spaceless adventure, you may not have any starship minis. And if your characters are going into space, they’re going to need a ship. I like this option a lot with its distinct Treasure Planet-esque design. If you’re adding a high-tech element to your already fantasy game, there should be a certain amount of blending that happens, and this ship blends. As always, 3D-printed props like this one are super durable but sometimes need to be finished, sanded, and painted by us, the player. But let’s be honest, that’s never really been a deterrent for our minis in the past.
5. Sci-Fi Health Trackers
Sometimes pocket trackers can be very helpful at the table. Your paper sheet can get smudged and rip if you erase the same spot too many times, and while I love the high-tech options, my computer and phone apps have failed me more than once. This pocket tracker never would, though. It only looks like a droid. There are spots to track hit points, roll bonuses, stamina, and resolve. But if the game you’re playing doesn’t use any of those, track something else. You’ve got options.
Oh hey! BoLS might make a little dolla-dolla if you decide to buy these items. We need that money to afford tickets on the Galactic Starcruiser.
