COMPILED ADVENTURE GUIDES
SF2E Galaxy Guide Genre Frameworks
Purpose: This document compiles all adventure genre guides from the SF2E Galaxy Guide, providing GM guidance for running campaigns in five distinct science-fiction genres.
Source: SF2E Galaxy Guide (Winter 2025)
Compiled: 2026-01-19
Related Resources:
- Full Details: Adventure Genre Guides - Complete rules with campaign starters and adventure hooks
- Campaign Frameworks: GM Rules Book Two, Part I - Additional subgenre frameworks (Cyberpunk, Espionage, etc.)
- Quick References: See Quick References for session cheat sheets
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Quick Reference: Genre Comparison
- Dystopian Adventures
- High-Tech Adventures
- Fantasy Adventures
- War-torn Adventures
- Weird Adventures
- Genre Integration Guide
QUICK REFERENCE: GENRE COMPARISON
| Genre | Typical Setting | Character Types | Tone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dystopian | Urban sprawl, criminal underworld, megacorp territory | Anti-heroes, criminals, rebels | Dark, gritty, morally gray |
| High-Tech | Machine worlds, ancient tech ruins, industrial planets | Androids, hackers, tech priests | Wonder, mystery, philosophical |
| Fantasy | Magic-heavy worlds, dragon-ruled planets, ancient ruins | Spellcasters, chosen heroes, fey allies | Epic, mythic, magical |
| War-torn | Battlefields, contested space, military installations | Soldiers, refugees, spies, politicians | Grim, tactical, dramatic |
| Weird | Anomalies, other dimensions, reality-bending locations | Investigators, anomaly hunters, ordinary people | Mysterious, chaotic, surreal |
DYSTOPIAN ADVENTURES
Source: Galaxy Guide pg. 12
Overview
Megacorporations, corrupt prison planets, mechanization forces, desert junk heaps, pirate-filled asteroid belts. From corporate espionage and cybercrimes to back alley augmentations and interstellar smuggling, the galaxy offers countless dystopian hooks.
Themes & Tone
- Heroes struggling against oppression
- Working within the system to dismantle it, or attacking from outside
- Villains are cruel or greedy
- Protagonists are often anti-heroes motivated by debt, revenge, or survival
- Dark and gritty themes
- Corrupt authorities, rigid hierarchies, uncodified rules
Character Archetypes
Characters tend to be morally gray - criminals, bandits, hackers, pirates, thieves, or killers for hire. They operate where their activities fly under the radar. Adventures might see constant cycles of highs and lows, with credits blown as quickly as earned. Characters create hideouts and safe houses.
Mode Guidance
| Mode | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Encounter | Humanoid and robot adversaries. Tech items as rewards. Pit heroes against bounty hunters, rivals, or dangerous beasts. |
| Exploration | Urban terrain creates challenges. Crowds and traffic are hazards. Vehicles speed up travel. Tech surveillance is widespread. |
| Downtime | Annoying ads everywhere. Malware lurks in every infosphere. Characters often have hidden agendas. Celebrations can break down into violence. |
HIGH-TECH ADVENTURES
Source: Galaxy Guide pg. 24
Overview
Technological ruins from ancient starfarers, massive crashed starships of unknown origin, machine worlds debating their destiny, mysterious codes underlying the universe. In a galaxy of gadgets, holo ads, and laser pistols, countless technological wonders inspire awe, greed, mystery, and adventure.
Themes & Tone
- Cities filled with technology or machine-covered planets like Aballon
- Ruined tech relics from ancient industrial societies
- Technology sometimes more important than magic
- Most locations integrate magic and science in their technologies
Character Archetypes
Characters and antagonists might be androids, machines, or heavily augmented. Philosophical discussions about machine nature and fate. Magic might be downplayed. Gods act as raw cosmic energy rather than personifications. Religion can be symbolic, with logic and science explaining cosmic phenomena.
Mode Guidance
| Mode | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Encounter | Dangerous security measures, robots, and tech traps everywhere. Enemies have impressive firepower. Treasures are magitech relics or cutting-edge tech. |
| Exploration | Explore magitech ruins or investigate dangerous industrial facilities. Camera surveillance and biometric locks everywhere. |
| Downtime | Seek new tech knowledge or tinker with devices. Browse the infosphere or relax by playing vidgames. |
FANTASY ADVENTURES
Source: Galaxy Guide pg. 34
Overview
Castrovel's coastal cities and deep jungles with ancient nations uniting against moon-descended threats. Triaxus coexisting with dragons while cosmic disaster throws seasons out of balance. Tabrid Minor's buried dark past and ecological collapse. Shimmerstone on frozen penal colonies. Magic persists alongside technology.
Themes & Tone
- High level of magic: spellcasting characters, magic treasure, magical foes
- Gods are active participants, intervening for followers or making cosmic power plays
- Pantheons are accessible and grant powerful magic
- Classic fantasy elements: dwarves, elves, goblins, gnomes
- Planets ruled by dragons or liches
- Ancient history unlocking secrets or breaking old curses
- Heroes might be reincarnations of legendary figures
Character Archetypes
Characters might be classic fantasy archetypes adapted to space: knights in powered armor, wizards with starship familiars, rogues hacking corporate vaults. Magical beasts and mystical artifacts abound.
Mode Guidance
| Mode | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Encounter | Battle or befriend classic fantasy creatures like dragons and fey. Face spellcasting enemies, magical traps, and find powerful relics. |
| Exploration | Dungeons protected by scrying spells and magitech security measures. |
| Downtime | Seek personal quests, craft magical items, practice religious faith, or learn new magic. |
WAR-TORN ADVENTURES
Source: Galaxy Guide pg. 44
Overview
The Veskarium and Azlanti Star Empire clash in the Vast, spilling into everyday life. Planets declare rebellion, rulers scheme, mechs and magitech collide. Gideron Authority vs. Marixah Republic grow increasingly violent. Apostae's arms dealers reap profits. The Swarm threatens the Szandite Collective.
Themes & Tone
- Major violent conflicts between empires, nations, or alien threats
- Dramatic roleplay exploring personal tragedies, or tactical simulations
- Grim, heavy themes without always happy endings
- Power fantasy of fighting for a righteous cause
- Other adventure types (fantasy, horror) set against war backdrop
Character Archetypes
Characters might be mercenaries, troopers, refugees, or politicians. Frontline motivations: survival, camaraderie, duty, hope, victory. Personal motivations: protecting specific people, getting home, escaping to a different life. Fringe characters motivated by survival, profit, or greed - conflict defines their lives regardless.
Mode Guidance
| Mode | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Encounter | Tactical combat against enemy troops with firepower or formations. Social encounters or spycraft. |
| Exploration | Battlefields and sieged cities covered in rubble (difficult terrain). Landscapes conceal mines or turrets. Patrols guard assets, borders, and generals. |
| Downtime | Drill or upgrade gear. Romantic interludes, heartwarming side stories, or dramatic vignettes between skirmishes. |
WEIRD ADVENTURES
Source: Galaxy Guide pg. 72
Overview
The gas giant Liavara grants psychic sensitivity to Dreamers. Cosmic horror infiltrates Absalom Station's Ghost Levels. Salvation's End runs experiments to discern the Gap's cause. Beyond the Pact Worlds, stranger things await discovery.
Themes & Tone
- Bizarre, occult, or mysterious themes defying genre classification
- Exploring other dimensions or rocking out as a spacefaring band
- Alternate realities in reach
- Chaotic or serendipitous feel involving destiny, fate, reincarnation, or parallel universes
Character Archetypes
Ordinary individuals thrown into strange places by mysterious leads, enigmatic individuals, or wrong space ports. Or intentional pursuers: anomaly hunters, occult investigators, explorers of remote ruins. Motivated by curiosity, magical rewards, solving mysteries, interpreting strange dreams, locating disappeared loved ones. Protecting companions, avoiding strange beings' attention, learning occult secrets.
Mode Guidance
| Mode | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Encounter | Battle mutated beasts or magical entities. Discover reality-bending magic. Doors might be portals to another world with monsters from the past or alien champions from far-off solar systems. |
| Exploration | Encounter bizarre weather patterns or anomalies like psychedelic atmospheres or five-dimensional terrain. |
| Downtime | Seek knowledge about recent encounters and record experiences for posterity. |
GENRE INTEGRATION GUIDE
Combining Genres with Module Subsystems
| Genre | Recommended Subsystems |
|---|---|
| Dystopian | Trade system (smuggling), hacking, colony management (oppressive settlements) |
| High-Tech | Tech relics, mech combat, starship exploration |
| Fantasy | Corruptions, planar travel, creature companions |
| War-torn | Fleet combat, mech combat, armada rules, boarding actions |
| Weird | Mindscapes, psychic duels, planar dimensions, corruptions |
Cross-Genre Combinations
Many campaigns blend multiple genres:
| Combination | Example |
|---|---|
| Dystopian + High-Tech | Corporate-controlled machine world |
| Fantasy + War-torn | Dragon armies vs. starship fleets |
| Weird + Dystopian | Reality-warping megacorp experiments |
| High-Tech + Fantasy | Ancient magitech dungeon crawl |
| War-torn + Weird | Soldiers encounter dimensional anomalies |
Session Zero Considerations
When selecting a genre framework, discuss with players:
- Tone expectations - How dark or hopeful?
- Character archetypes - What roles fit the genre?
- Moral complexity - Heroes, anti-heroes, or gray areas?
- Subsystem integration - Which module systems to use?
- Genre blending - Primary genre with secondary elements?
Source: SF2E Galaxy Guide (Winter 2025)Last Updated: 2026-01-19