Justifiers RPG
Justifiers RPG is a role-playing game published by StarChilde in 1988.[1]
Description
Justifiers RPG is a science-fiction space-adventure system in which player characters select from 28 humanoid animal types, including bats, albatrosses, gila monsters, and rhinos.[2] The game features a skill-based system in which character class dictates what skills a character has.[2] Skill resolution is by the simple percentage-roll method; combat is likewise fairly streamlined.[2] There are rules for psionic powers, cybernetic implants, weapons, and spaceships.[2] The background is of a future history in which megacorporations own entire worlds and are exploring the galaxy to find more systems to exploit.[2] The "beta-humanoid" heroes work for the corporations.[2] The game includes an introductory scenario.[2]
Publication history
Justifiers RPG was designed by Gideon, with Blaine Pardoe, and published by StarChilde in 1988 as a 128-page book.[2] Several sourcebooks and a second edition of the core rulebook followed.
List of Justifiers RPG Books:
- Justifiers RPG 1st Edition - 1988
- Justifiers RPG 2nd Edition - ISBN 9781878711007
- Aborigine Sourcebook
- The Corporate Sourcebook
- CyberMedTech Sourcebook
- The Hybrid Sourcebook - ISBN 9781878711151
- The Silent Corp Sourcebook
- Cold as Ice
- Out of the Mists - ISBN 9781878711038
- Poseidon - ISBN 9781878711045
- The Insidious Campaign - ISBN 9781878711069
- The Tower
At some point author Markus Heitz from Germany secured the rights to the Justifiers IP. He proceeded to create a series of novels and short stories with other authors and well as a new edition of the game.[3]
List of Markus Heitz' Justifier Series
Novels (in German):
- Justifiers - Collector - July 6, 2010 - ISBN 978-3453527386
- Justifiers - Collector: Operation Vade Retro - February 9, 2015 - ISBN 978-3453527393
- Christoph Hardebusch: Justifiers 1: Missing in Action
- Lena Falkenhagen: Justifiers 2: Undercover
- Thomas Finn: Justifiers 3: Mind Control
- Nicole Schuhmacher: Justifiers 4: Zero Gravity
- Boris Koch: Justifiers 5: Sabotage
- Daniela Knor: Justifiers 6: Outcast
- Thomas Plischke: Justifiers 7: Autopilot
- Maike Hallmann: Justifiers 8: Hard to kill - August 13, 2012 - ISBN 978-3453529380
- Christian von Aster: Justifiers 9: Robolution - December 10, 2012 - ISBN 978-3453529809
- Susan Schwartz: Justifiers 10: Unusual Suspects - March 11, 2013 - ISBN 978-3453314085
Graphic Novels (in German):
- Justifiers - Collector Band 2 - Automaton Prime - Markus Heitz, Hannes Radke, Jorg Krismann - January 14, 2014 - ISBN 978-3426653418
- Justifiers - Collector Band 3 - Die keeper - Markus Heitz, Hannes Radke, Jorg Krismann - January 1, 2018 - ISBN 978-3426653425
Roleplaying Books (in German:)
Reception
Justifiers RPG was reviewed in Space Gamer/Fantasy Gamer No. 88.[4] The reviewer commented that "I think this is an excellent primer for beginning gamers. Its main focus is on small unit combat and inter-player conflict. This appears to be what most beginning gamers enjoy the most."[4]
Lawrence Schick commented that Justifiers "takes 'Pets in Space' to its farthest extreme", and that "If you can get by that, you'll find a solid skill-based system".[2]
Reviews
- The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games[5]
- Reviews from R'lyeh 23 December 2018 http://rlyehreviews.blogspot.com/2018/12/1988-justifiers-rpg.html?m=1
References
- "Justifiers RPG | RPG | RPGGeek".
- Schick, Lawrence (1991). Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games. Prometheus Books. p. 306. ISBN 0-87975-653-5.
- "Space Fiction – Markus Heitz".
- F.R. (March–April 1990). "Capsule Reviews". Space Gamer/Fantasy Gamer. Future Combat Simulations (88): 3.
- https://archive.org/details/completeguidetor0000swan/page/114/mode/2up