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Outbound: An Explorers Guidebook

This is the latest sourcebook for TSR's Stardrive sci-fi setting, which in itself is a rich and entertaining game. The while sourcebooks have been produced at a fairly steady pace, adventures have been few and far between. So when Outbound promised to contain three exploratory adventures, I was both relieved and excited. Not only were there adventures within, but Outbound was also a scout resource book. Right On! Exploring beyond known boundaries is one of mankinds inherant tendancies, yet it does not translate well into rpg's for some reason. I hoped Outbound would prove me wrong.

Graced with a gorgeous cover by Brom, excellent interior illustrations, and sound cartography (continuing Stardrives impressive visual quality), Outbound leaves a top notch first impression. I jumped to the Scout's Resource section, anxious to see how Ed Stark handled exploration. The whole while I had visions of the less than stellar Star Wars Scouts Guide dancing through my, and feared I would again be disappointed. I guess The Force was with me on my second attempt, as Ed Stark has done a masterful job of blending the tedium of planetary surveying with the excitement inherant to rpg's.

There is 22 pages of explorer gear, new perks (Alien Intuition), new flaws (sloppy--- "geez, where did I leave that astrogation chart..."), modifications to existing perks and flaws to more suitably fit the explorer, and info on potential patrons. Also included are 5 new careers, including: Ranger (trailblazers who are the first to enter hostile environments); Reunification Specialists (after first contact has been made, she takes over and attempts to reintegrate the lost planet into galactic society); Interest Agents (a specialist explorer who works for a specific patron--ie an agricultural conglomerate, mining guild, etc.); Archeologists (Indiana Kirk); and Mentalist Contactors.

Then, Ed Stark details the real "meat and potatoes" of the scouting profession: Star Surveys. Along with a detailed 4 page description of how to conduct a successful survey, Outbound includes player handout survey forms. The whole process is handled smoothly and throroughly, but without getting bogged down in tedium.

The book also includes four systems to be explored, with their own corresponding adventures. While the systems are all of decent quality, including information on flora and fauna, resources, sentient species, and geography, as a whole the adventures are sadly disappointing.

The first system descibed is known only as "System 2253", a planet rich in mining potential and home to some pretty nasty fauna. Let's just say anyone planning a backpacking trip should pack a few extra ammo clips in with their longjohns and bug repellant! The prospectors who previously came camping didn't, and they ended up a part of the food chain. The mystery in how these miners died is integral to the description of the system, and adds some nice tension to initial surveys. The adventure linked to the planet is extraordinarily weak, however. Basically, it is characters arrive in system, uncover clues to mystery of the miners demise, attacked by hordes of hungry animals. Ed Stark takes the information included with the system over -view and fails to do anything constructive with it.

"Infestation" features a nameless system which has never been visited by humanity. A colony of Klicks (arachnoid aliens) are hiding in the systems asteroid belt, perfecting a weapon of mass destruction. This chapter includes an fully detailed and mapped asteroid laboratory, and offers two adventures. The first, "An Unsettling Discovery" is merely a brief guide to running the inevitable first encounter between pc's and the Klicks, while "The Lost Civilization" presents a first encounter scenario with a lost race living beneath a planets surface. Neither are even remotely origin or ready to use.

The system in "Dark Deeds" presents a planet inhabited by three species on the verge of sapience and several other creatures in various stages of evolution. Players exploring the planet encounter a mysterious power emission, cybernetic primates used as labour by an alien race, remnants of a previous scouting expedition, and a lost pyramid of unknown origin. The scenario included in the chapter, "The Rescue of Calesque" involves the characters invetsigatng the disappearance of the previous exploration mission. The captain of the prior mission, now quite insane and having discovered artifacts left behind by aliens, has set himself up as a god and has no intention of being "rescued". Some one read this loony the Prime Directive.

Despite missed opportunities as far as the adventures are concerned, Outbound is still solid as a sourcebook. It is invaluable to gm's and players alike, both for the excellent section on stellar surveys and the additional insight into scout characters. The 3 systems presented are also of value, each one unique and discussed in depth. Buy it by all means, but be prepared to have to design your own adventures around the planets depicted within.

...

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

Outbound
Author: Ed Stark Category: game Company/Publisher: TSR Line: Stardrive Cost: $18.95 Page count: 90 ISBN: 0-7869-1339-8 SKU: TSR 11339 Playtest Review by Andrew Hind on 11/03/99. Genre tags: Science_fiction Far_Future Space	Outbound: An Explorers Guidebook This is the latest sourcebook for TSR's Stardrive sci-fi setting, which in itself is a rich and entertaining game. The while sourcebooks have been produced at a fairly steady pace, adventures have been few and far between. So when Outbound promised to contain three exploratory adventures, I was both relieved and excited. Not only were there adventures within, but Outbound was also a scout resource book. Right On! Exploring beyond known boundaries is one of mankinds inherant tendancies, yet it does not translate well into rpg's for some reason. I hoped Outbound would prove me wrong. Graced with a gorgeous cover by Brom, excellent interior illustrations, and sound cartography (continuing Stardrives impressive visual quality), Outbound leaves a top notch first impression. I jumped to the Scout's Resource section, anxious to see how Ed Stark handled exploration. The whole while I had visions of the less than stellar Star Wars Scouts Guide dancing through my, and feared I would again be disappointed. I guess The Force was with me on my second attempt, as Ed Stark has done a masterful job of blending the tedium of planetary surveying with the excitement inherant to rpg's. There is 22 pages of explorer gear, new perks (Alien Intuition), new flaws (sloppy--- "geez, where did I leave that astrogation chart..."), modifications to existing perks and flaws to more suitably fit the explorer, and info on potential patrons. Also included are 5 new careers, including: Ranger (trailblazers who are the first to enter hostile environments); Reunification Specialists (after first contact has been made, she takes over and attempts to reintegrate the lost planet into galactic society); Interest Agents (a specialist explorer who works for a specific patron--ie an agricultural conglomerate, mining guild, etc.); Archeologists (Indiana Kirk); and Mentalist Contactors. Then, Ed Stark details the real "meat and potatoes" of the scouting profession: Star Surveys. Along with a detailed 4 page description of how to conduct a successful survey, Outbound includes player handout survey forms. The whole process is handled smoothly and throroughly, but without getting bogged down in tedium. The book also includes four systems to be explored, with their own corresponding adventures. While the systems are all of decent quality, including information on flora and fauna, resources, sentient species, and geography, as a whole the adventures are sadly disappointing. The first system descibed is known only as "System 2253", a planet rich in mining potential and home to some pretty nasty fauna. Let's just say anyone planning a backpacking trip should pack a few extra ammo clips in with their longjohns and bug repellant! The prospectors who previously came camping didn't, and they ended up a part of the food chain. The mystery in how these miners died is integral to the description of the system, and adds some nice tension to initial surveys. The adventure linked to the planet is extraordinarily weak, however. Basically, it is characters arrive in system, uncover clues to mystery of the miners demise, attacked by hordes of hungry animals. Ed Stark takes the information included with the system over -view and fails to do anything constructive with it. "Infestation" features a nameless system which has never been visited by humanity. A colony of Klicks (arachnoid aliens) are hiding in the systems asteroid belt, perfecting a weapon of mass destruction. This chapter includes an fully detailed and mapped asteroid laboratory, and offers two adventures. The first, "An Unsettling Discovery" is merely a brief guide to running the inevitable first encounter between pc's and the Klicks, while "The Lost Civilization" presents a first encounter scenario with a lost race living beneath a planets surface. Neither are even remotely origin or ready to use. The system in "Dark Deeds" presents a planet inhabited by three species on the verge of sapience and several other creatures in various stages of evolution. Players exploring the planet encounter a mysterious power emission, cybernetic primates used as labour by an alien race, remnants of a previous scouting expedition, and a lost pyramid of unknown origin. The scenario included in the chapter, "The Rescue of Calesque" involves the characters invetsigatng the disappearance of the previous exploration mission. The captain of the prior mission, now quite insane and having discovered artifacts left behind by aliens, has set himself up as a god and has no intention of being "rescued". Some one read this loony the Prime Directive. Despite missed opportunities as far as the adventures are concerned, Outbound is still solid as a sourcebook. It is invaluable to gm's and players alike, both for the excellent section on stellar surveys and the additional insight into scout characters. The 3 systems presented are also of value, each one unique and discussed in depth. Buy it by all means, but be prepared to have to design your own adventures around the planets depicted within. ... Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 3 (Average)