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This out of print, digest sized, perfect bound, rpg contains one of the more unique backgrounds in the scifi genre. It's the kind of campaign setting you wish you could at least visit, using your current rules, if not explore completely (more on that in a minute).

All 126 pages are decorated with appropriate and well done line art, the covers being full color. The content is sufficiently organized and well written. Everything you need to get started is here: campaign background, character generation, skills, occupations, combat, equipment, weapons and an adventure to get new players started. Nothing about the mechanics are highly innovative (standard percentile measures and resolutions) but it all works well enough. Skills are distributed based on occupation chosen with the option to add individual skills from other lists. Experience brings increased defensive abilities and skill potential. Psionics and cybernetics are included, providing an innovative skill, cyberpathy: the ability to manipulate computer environments with the mind (a skill any scifi game with psionics should consider including).

The innovation here is in the campaign background and how well it would work with other, more established, game systems. Mega-corps take over when governments fail. Unable to solve the puzzle of FTL travel, Transportation of Matter (Transmatt, limited size of payload, very Stargate) technology is discovered and man launches to the stars. The universe is found to have more suitable planets than ever estimated, due theoretically to an ancient race with similar needs and their ability to terraform worlds to those needs. "Justifier" teams are sent via blind Transmatt (normally done to a receiver for safety reasons) in space shuttles into orbit above new worlds to "justify and pacify" them for colonization and corporate exploitation.

Justifier duty proves too hazardous and costly (unionization), as the corporations begin to realize the enormity of available worlds. They begin augmenting teams with uplifted animals, calling them "Alpha class humanoids". Soon after some corporate warfare, "Beta class humanoids" are developed and replace nearly all human justifiers (except for augmented humans, heavy gravity humans and criminal volunteers). Most PCs will be class Bs, bipedal human/animal crossbreeds. Class Bs are owned by their parent company and, due to some union intervention, have gained limited rights and the ability to buy their freedom from their corporate servitude.

The Corporate Sourcebook (separate product, same production quality) expands the campaign and adds some details. Career skill packages for military and law enforcement characters are given (class Bs make great soldiers too). Details are given on all the major corporations and the union. A very tiny amount of information is given on some of the colony worlds. Of course there is additional equipment and weapons, including 2 mechs.

Between these 2 books, although I am impressed by the background, I find a few details missing. Nothing but a mention is ever given to the class A humanoids, they could be great NPC or PCs. The union is painted way too good, a little scandal would be more appropriate. Very little is provided on organized crime, merely a mention of suspicion. Details are lacking on sentient aliens, they are mentioned on a few colony overviews. Information on alien cultures, history (including ancients) and characters would be great (alien justifiers would be the next step). No provisions are made for individual character flaws or disadvantages. Only shuttle craft are detailed, nothing on intra-system travel, pirates, navies, gunships, etc. Lastly, in my opinion, every small press effort should include conversion info for more established game systems.

Lucky for me, conversions to other games is easy in this case. The use of a percentile system (1-100+) allows GMs to make most conversions with simple multiplication. Several established games use the same range and could possibly pick up Justifiers as a sourcebook with little work (Space Master and Cyberspace by ICE, and Top Secret/SI F.R.E.E. Lancers by TSR). Several other games create human/animal crossbreeds as a part of their normal premise and again could use Justifiers as a sourcebook with little work: Gamma World (esp. 4th edition), Buck Rogers: XXVc and Amazing Engine Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega (1-50 range makes for easy conversions too) all by TSR, as well as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and other Strangeness by Palladium.

Alternate system details:

ICE's Space Master and Cyberspace could individually or together use Justifiers as a sourcebook addition to their standard campaigns. Either or both would bring great depth to the Justifiers campaign world if that was preferred. They use the identical percentile (1-100) system that is very similar to Justifiers.

TSR's Gamma World (specifically 4th edition) and Buck Rogers: XXVc could also add Justifiers to existing campaigns, Betas would be Animal Genotype Mutants in GW or Gennies in XXVc. Both use nearly identical (AD&D based) systems, have genetically altered races and XXVc includes megacorps. Each individually could be used to run a straight Justifiers campaign as well. The best bet would be to use them together, Gamma World's mutant generation and XXVc character classes work better together in a Justifiers campaign, than either system does alone.

Palladium's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles combines elements of Gamma World and XXVc but also includes rules for intelligent mutants still shaped like animals. This would add the Class A humanoids to potential character types. Again, Justifiers could be added to a TMNT or After the Bomb (Palladium's alternate campaign for TMNT) or the rules could be used to run a Justifiers game.

TSR's Amazing Engine, Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega, contains all of the character generation options in Gamma World (ie humanoid animal mutants) using the Amazing Engine game system. Other scifi sourcebooks (Bughunters and Galactos Barrier for example) would be excellent additions for depth, especially Bughunters (synthetic humans traveling to distant worlds and fighting aliens) as the premises are close but different. Justifiers could be added to MAtO or Bughunters. Individually or together (Galactos Barrier can add further scifi options, locals and equipment) they could power a standard Justifiers adventures.

TSR's Top Secret/SI, F.R.E.E. Lancers campaign is another scifi campaign with a 1-100 attribute spread with skills. The world of meta-powered humans could easily handle the addition of B class humanoids, as well as running a Justifiers campaign with the FREE Lances augmented TS/SI rules.

Style: 3 (Average)
Substance: 3 (Average)

Justifiers (and Corporate Sourcebook)
Author: Gideon Category: game Company/Publisher: StarChilde Publications Line: Justifiers Page count: 126 Capsule Review by Papyrus on 06/11/99. Genre tags: Science_fiction Far_Future	This out of print, digest sized, perfect bound, rpg contains one of the more unique backgrounds in the scifi genre. It's the kind of campaign setting you wish you could at least visit, using your current rules, if not explore completely (more on that in a minute). All 126 pages are decorated with appropriate and well done line art, the covers being full color. The content is sufficiently organized and well written. Everything you need to get started is here: campaign background, character generation, skills, occupations, combat, equipment, weapons and an adventure to get new players started. Nothing about the mechanics are highly innovative (standard percentile measures and resolutions) but it all works well enough. Skills are distributed based on occupation chosen with the option to add individual skills from other lists. Experience brings increased defensive abilities and skill potential. Psionics and cybernetics are included, providing an innovative skill, cyberpathy: the ability to manipulate computer environments with the mind (a skill any scifi game with psionics should consider including). The innovation here is in the campaign background and how well it would work with other, more established, game systems. Mega-corps take over when governments fail. Unable to solve the puzzle of FTL travel, Transportation of Matter (Transmatt, limited size of payload, very Stargate) technology is discovered and man launches to the stars. The universe is found to have more suitable planets than ever estimated, due theoretically to an ancient race with similar needs and their ability to terraform worlds to those needs. "Justifier" teams are sent via blind Transmatt (normally done to a receiver for safety reasons) in space shuttles into orbit above new worlds to "justify and pacify" them for colonization and corporate exploitation. Justifier duty proves too hazardous and costly (unionization), as the corporations begin to realize the enormity of available worlds. They begin augmenting teams with uplifted animals, calling them "Alpha class humanoids". Soon after some corporate warfare, "Beta class humanoids" are developed and replace nearly all human justifiers (except for augmented humans, heavy gravity humans and criminal volunteers). Most PCs will be class Bs, bipedal human/animal crossbreeds. Class Bs are owned by their parent company and, due to some union intervention, have gained limited rights and the ability to buy their freedom from their corporate servitude. The Corporate Sourcebook (separate product, same production quality) expands the campaign and adds some details. Career skill packages for military and law enforcement characters are given (class Bs make great soldiers too). Details are given on all the major corporations and the union. A very tiny amount of information is given on some of the colony worlds. Of course there is additional equipment and weapons, including 2 mechs. Between these 2 books, although I am impressed by the background, I find a few details missing. Nothing but a mention is ever given to the class A humanoids, they could be great NPC or PCs. The union is painted way too good, a little scandal would be more appropriate. Very little is provided on organized crime, merely a mention of suspicion. Details are lacking on sentient aliens, they are mentioned on a few colony overviews. Information on alien cultures, history (including ancients) and characters would be great (alien justifiers would be the next step). No provisions are made for individual character flaws or disadvantages. Only shuttle craft are detailed, nothing on intra-system travel, pirates, navies, gunships, etc. Lastly, in my opinion, every small press effort should include conversion info for more established game systems. Lucky for me, conversions to other games is easy in this case. The use of a percentile system (1-100+) allows GMs to make most conversions with simple multiplication. Several established games use the same range and could possibly pick up Justifiers as a sourcebook with little work (Space Master and Cyberspace by ICE, and Top Secret/SI F.R.E.E. Lancers by TSR). Several other games create human/animal crossbreeds as a part of their normal premise and again could use Justifiers as a sourcebook with little work: Gamma World (esp. 4th edition), Buck Rogers: XXVc and Amazing Engine Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega (1-50 range makes for easy conversions too) all by TSR, as well as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and other Strangeness by Palladium. Alternate system details: ICE's Space Master and Cyberspace could individually or together use Justifiers as a sourcebook addition to their standard campaigns. Either or both would bring great depth to the Justifiers campaign world if that was preferred. They use the identical percentile (1-100) system that is very similar to Justifiers. TSR's Gamma World (specifically 4th edition) and Buck Rogers: XXVc could also add Justifiers to existing campaigns, Betas would be Animal Genotype Mutants in GW or Gennies in XXVc. Both use nearly identical (AD&D based) systems, have genetically altered races and XXVc includes megacorps. Each individually could be used to run a straight Justifiers campaign as well. The best bet would be to use them together, Gamma World's mutant generation and XXVc character classes work better together in a Justifiers campaign, than either system does alone. Palladium's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles combines elements of Gamma World and XXVc but also includes rules for intelligent mutants still shaped like animals. This would add the Class A humanoids to potential character types. Again, Justifiers could be added to a TMNT or After the Bomb (Palladium's alternate campaign for TMNT) or the rules could be used to run a Justifiers game. TSR's Amazing Engine, Metamorphosis Alpha to Omega, contains all of the character generation options in Gamma World (ie humanoid animal mutants) using the Amazing Engine game system. Other scifi sourcebooks (Bughunters and Galactos Barrier for example) would be excellent additions for depth, especially Bughunters (synthetic humans traveling to distant worlds and fighting aliens) as the premises are close but different. Justifiers could be added to MAtO or Bughunters. Individually or together (Galactos Barrier can add further scifi options, locals and equipment) they could power a standard Justifiers adventures. TSR's Top Secret/SI, F.R.E.E. Lancers campaign is another scifi campaign with a 1-100 attribute spread with skills. The world of meta-powered humans could easily handle the addition of B class humanoids, as well as running a Justifiers campaign with the FREE Lances augmented TS/SI rules. Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 3 (Average)

Justifiers (and Corporate Sourcebook)