Stargate SG-1
The most astonishing discovery in the universe is now yours! From the explosive TV series comes the hottest role-playing game of 2003! Explore the farthest reaches of the galaxy as a member of the Stargate Command¸ the U.S. Government's best-kept secret. Engage in pitched battles with the evil Goa'uld¸ explore alien planets on the far end of the universe¸ and learn the ancient secrets of the Stargate. * An all-new high-adventure sci-fi setting based on the hugely popular television series.* A complete synopsis for all seven seasons of the show. * Fully compatible with the award-winning d20 system¸ using AEG's innovative Spycraft mechanics. * Contains all the rules you need for adventures in the Stargate universe. * Extensive background material on the SG program¸ its tactics and purpose¸ and its resources¸ including rules for creating any SG-team member. * Detailed descriptions of the Stargate itself and the Cheyenne Mountain base which contains it. * Comprehensive descriptions of six alien worlds¸ with full mechanical support. * Brand new world-building system for Spycraft¸ allowing the GM to design any imaginable world * New player character alien species - the expansive Asgard¸ the slippery Reol¸ and SG's allies¸ the Tok'ra and turncoat Jaffa. * Background and rules on the Goa'uld System Lords - the devoted enemies of SG and humanity - including GM tips on designing campaigns around them.In January of 1998¸ I was hired by a company known as West End Games to design and write a new roleplaying game. WEG was known for their Star Wars game¸ among others¸ and they had bought a license to the television series Stargate SG-1. This show is based on the movie Stargate¸ a largely terrible movie with terrific production design.
As it turned out¸ the television series was much better than the film. I saw most of the first season (at that time screening on the Showtime cable channel) before starting work on the game¸ and found that a couple of episodes were genuinely terrific¸ most were passably entertaining¸ and a couple stunk. On the whole¸ their batting average seemed to be in the same league as later seasons of X-Files¸ and well above out-and-out garbage like Star Trek: Voyager.
More importantly¸ however¸ the premise of the series proved to be tailor-made to roleplaying games. It was really pretty amazing; I can't think of another series offhand that is so completely appropriate for translation into gaming.
To summarize: Stargate SG-1 posits that an ancient alien civilization set up high-tech teleportation/wormhole gates on planets across the galaxy. You set the coordinates¸ walk through the gate¸ and boom¸ you're on another planet. Much later¸ a parasitic race finds these abandoned bits of technology. Since they use humans and other races as host bodies¸ but prefer humans¸ this parasite race deposits humans on hundreds of these linked worlds¸ so that wherever the race travels¸ they'll always have more host bodies. This kidnapping/relocation occurs in a vaguely defined period of 'ancient times¸' so you find colonies taken from Greece¸ Egypt¸ Mongolia¸ and on and on.
In the movie¸ one of these stargates has been found on Earth. Some government explorers travel through the gate¸ briefly fight the aliens¸ and come home.
In the series¸ it's a year or so later. The government sets up nine teams--SG-1 through SG-9--to begin exploring the various worlds reachable from the Earth stargate. Their main priority is to gain information and technology and allies to fight the evil parasite aliens¸ but they also want to explore¸ learn stuff¸ and do all that sort of thing.
The teams are where this really turns into great gaming fodder. SG-1 is the first-contact team¸ and it's a typic