Wanted:

I recently re-acquired this GameLords classic. I bought my original copy back in the 1980s (yes, I’m that old) and kept it for decades. Why? Because it’s one of the best damn game supplements ever written!

When I first started gaming, I’d buy a rule set, roll up a great looking character and then twiddle my thumbs while waiting for someone to run a game. Call it dungeon mastering, referring, or storytelling, the person who runs the game is the one guy who you can’t do without. And when nobody else stepped up, I was often that guy.

But you know what? It can be a real pain in the butt to come up with new material week after week. Oftentimes, I struggled to keep the game exciting for myself and my players. I mostly ran Traveller games back then using GDWs original system and thus, would often peruse the science fiction shelves at The Black Forest Hobby Shop–my teenage home away from home. And that’s where I discovered Wanted: Adventurers by John Marshal.

Basically, the book starts with a page torn from the want ads of a starport newspaper (yes, a newspaper–it was the 80s remember?). Players can read the ads and then discuss which job they want to apply for. Opportunities range from mercenary contracts, to search and rescue work. Once the players decide what kind of adventure they want to have, the game runner simply turns to a two or three page summary of the scenario and runs the game from there. Simple right?

I can’t tell you how many science fiction conventions I’ve attended where I just plopped this little gem in the middle of the table and told the assembled players to “go for it,” in true 1980s fashion. If you run any kind of SF-RPG and are looking for ideas, I highly recommend you acquire yourself a copy at:

https://www.diffworlds.com/gamelords_traveller.htm

Or, for more ideas, simply read some adventure-oriented science fiction short stories, right?

By Clayton J. Callahan