Would Star Cops work as a d20 Modern setting?

[Big Mac]

The BBC made a cult TV show called Star Cops in 1987. It didn't last very long before it was cancelled, so is not very well known.

It was set in the near future (2027) and based around the idea that the USA, USSR, China, Europe and others all had facilities in space and needed to agree on an International force to investigate crime that took place off of the Earth.

Here is a TV trailer for Star Cops that a YouTuber recorded:


That seems a bit cheesy, but the opening theme was amazing.

Some of the predictions of Star Cops were wrong, so it would probably need to be run as an Alternative Earth, but if people like hard science fiction and crime fighting, I think they might enjoy running games here.

As well as the (pretty hard to find) TV series, I think there might be one or two novels. I've heard that Big Finish (who do audio adventures for Doctor Who and other BBC TV shows) are working on a Star Cops audio adventure product line. Here is a trailer for one of their adventures:


The show was set in the near future, so a mixture of d20 Modern and d20 Future rules might cover what was required.

[Seer of Yhog]

Star Cops was broadcast in Canada in the early 90s, and I watched the whole run. I think it could work.

[shesheyan]

It could definitely work. There is a setting in the Future book called Star Law. Its just a question of choosing the right classes and talent trees to create a coherent group that works with the idea of cops in the stars. Star Law Officer is the Advanced Class you specialize in after at 3rd level. 1 or 2 Star officers with other non star law characters should do the trick.

Campaign blurb :
The heroes are officers working for Star Law, the only recognized
intergalactic law enforcement agency operating in the United
Frontier. Star Law Officers are drawn from all corners of the galaxy,
but they share an unwavering sense of duty to protect the innocent
and uphold the laws of the Frontier. Every year, thousands of hopefuls
apply to Star Law, for the job of a Star Law Officer is one of
neverending exploration, excitement, and peril. However, only a few
hundred applicants can pass the rigorous physical, intellectual, and
psychological testing, and even fewer make it through the months
of training and indoctrination once they’re accepted.

A Star Law campaign consists of a series of missions, and almost
all missions begin the same way: A squad of Star Law Officers
receives an assignment to locate a capture a wanted criminal (or
gang of criminals). How they pursue their quarry is up to them;
sometimes the direct approach works best, but Star Law Officers
must also be prepared for undercover work, relying on their keen
wits as well as sharp reflexes to take down their targets.

[Big Mac]

Star Cops was broadcast in Canada in the early 90s, and I watched the whole run. I think it could work.

I used to wonder if Box was a bit overpowered, for a device around about the same size as a telephone, but now people do similar stuff with smartphohes.

[Big Mac]

It could definitely work. There is a setting in the Future book called Star Law. Its just a question of choosing the right classes and talent trees to create a coherent group that works with the idea of cops in the stars. Star Law Officer is the Advanced Class you specialize in after at 3rd level. 1 or 2 Star officers with other non star law characters should do the trick.

That sounds fairly close. I guess you would need to go through extracting Star Law canon and replacing it with Star Cops canon.

Campaign blurb :
The heroes are officers working for Star Law, the only recognized
intergalactic law enforcement agency operating in the United
Frontier. Star Law Officers are drawn from all corners of the galaxy,
but they share an unwavering sense of duty to protect the innocent
and uphold the laws of the Frontier. Every year, thousands of hopefuls
apply to Star Law, for the job of a Star Law Officer is one of
neverending exploration, excitement, and peril. However, only a few
hundred applicants can pass the rigorous physical, intellectual, and
psychological testing, and even fewer make it through the months
of training and indoctrination once they’re accepted.

A Star Law campaign consists of a series of missions, and almost
all missions begin the same way: A squad of Star Law Officers
receives an assignment to locate a capture a wanted criminal (or
gang of criminals). How they pursue their quarry is up to them;
sometimes the direct approach works best, but Star Law Officers
must also be prepared for undercover work, relying on their keen
wits as well as sharp reflexes to take down their targets.

Star Cops is way way smaller than Star Law. In Star Cops the human race has not gotten out of the Solar System and they don't have faster-than-light speed drives.

Star Cops is originally based on a space station, but the new head of Star Cops (who gets bullied into taking the job by his own country) moves it to the Moon later (because he kept getting space sick in zero gravity.

They have at least two bases on the moon, more than one satellite in Earth orbit.

If I recall correctly, they had something going on out near Mars, but it's been years since I saw it.

Star Cops was also pathetically small.

[shesheyan]

Star Cops was also pathetically small.

There is a beginning to everything. In The Expense books (tv series) humans have barely explored the solar system. Its up to you really. In my Future campaign I decided aliens (Fraals) had come to the solar system and gave them advanced technology so they could help in the fight against a very agressive and advanced race called the Technophage. I still required Star Law (Cops) agents even if the characters never left the solar system.

[Big Mac]

Star Cops was also pathetically small.

There is a beginning to everything. In The Expense books (tv series) humans have barely explored the solar system. Its up to you really. In my Future campaign I decided aliens (Fraals) had come to the solar system and gave them advanced technology so they could help in the fight against a very agressive and advanced race called the Technophage. I still required Star Law (Cops) agents even if the characters never left the solar system.

Oh sure. Yes there is a beginning to everything and Star Cops is the story of the governments of the world deciding they want to swap out the part-time police officers (who also have regular space jobs) for full time police.

I guess that, in a tabletop version the PCs would replace the characters of the TV show (unless the GM wrote the TV Star Cops as pregens).