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WARNING: This review contains spoilers.

"Ranger", is an adventure/sourcebook published for GDW's "2300AD" (aka "Traveller 2300"), a 'hard' SF sequel to "Twilight 2000".

The book is divided into two sections, the first is the sourcebook, which details the 82 Eridani system and planet Kormoran upon which the adventure takes place. Through a clever use of sidebars, the sourcebook delivers to the GM solid information on the planet Kormoran, it geography, flora, fauna and the society and psychology of the Ebers, the native sentient species a vaguely humanoid species who speak using musical notes and whose brains are divided into quasi-separate parts, each holding a different aspect of their personality (e.g. Survivor, Asthetic, Professional, etc).

The remainder of the sourcebook portion of the book details the two human settlements on Kormoran, one, Nasser , from the United Arab Republic (A secular Muslim state) and the other, New Austin, from the Republic of Texas, with emphasis on the Texan settlement and the Texas Rangers who protect it.

The adventure contained in "Ranger", is designed around a PC group of Texas Rangers, who have been sent to reinforce the Ranger company assigned to New Austin. Wisely the author does not throw the PC's into the action immediatly, rather they are sent on a series of 'dry run' missions which will serve to introduce them to the planet, its wildlife and natives.

The final 'dry run' mission involves a visit to a Mission settlement near New Austin, after the PC's leave they are called to investigate the disappearance of one of the Rangers, they will find the tracks of the vehicle, spent rounds, but before they can investigate further they are called back to the Mission settlement, which has been attacked by Ebers...

They find only one survivor the Head Priest, they also find tracks of Eber riding animals heading towards New Austin, following them will lead to a battle with a small Eber raiding party.

Following this action an attempt is made by a party containing the PC's, the Head Priest from the Mission and the commander of New Austin's Rangers to contact the nearest Eber tribe and determine the cause of the attack, an attempt that ends in the death of the Ranger Commander on the end of an Eber spear...

The adventure from this point is essentially linear, but not the linearity of 'plot-hammering', but rather that if the PC's use their common sense and the information provided in the 'dry-run' scenarios, they will have no problem in resolving the scenario.

"Ranger" is a well written product and gets a 3 for presentation and a 4 for content.

Ranger
Ranger Capsule Review by Graham Donald on 07/12/01 Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 4 (Meaty) A solid sourcebook and an entertaining adventure. Product: Ranger Author: David Nilsen Category: RPG Company/Publisher: GDW Line: 2300AD Cost: Page count: 63 Year published: 1989 ISBN: 1-55878-016-5 SKU: 1038 Comp copy?: no Capsule Review by Graham Donald on 07/12/01 Genre tags: Science Fiction Far Future Space	WARNING: This review contains spoilers. "Ranger", is an adventure/sourcebook published for GDW's "2300AD" (aka "Traveller 2300"), a 'hard' SF sequel to "Twilight 2000". The book is divided into two sections, the first is the sourcebook, which details the 82 Eridani system and planet Kormoran upon which the adventure takes place. Through a clever use of sidebars, the sourcebook delivers to the GM solid information on the planet Kormoran, it geography, flora, fauna and the society and psychology of the Ebers, the native sentient species a vaguely humanoid species who speak using musical notes and whose brains are divided into quasi-separate parts, each holding a different aspect of their personality (e.g. Survivor, Asthetic, Professional, etc). The remainder of the sourcebook portion of the book details the two human settlements on Kormoran, one, Nasser , from the United Arab Republic (A secular Muslim state) and the other, New Austin, from the Republic of Texas, with emphasis on the Texan settlement and the Texas Rangers who protect it. The adventure contained in "Ranger", is designed around a PC group of Texas Rangers, who have been sent to reinforce the Ranger company assigned to New Austin. Wisely the author does not throw the PC's into the action immediatly, rather they are sent on a series of 'dry run' missions which will serve to introduce them to the planet, its wildlife and natives. The final 'dry run' mission involves a visit to a Mission settlement near New Austin, after the PC's leave they are called to investigate the disappearance of one of the Rangers, they will find the tracks of the vehicle, spent rounds, but before they can investigate further they are called back to the Mission settlement, which has been attacked by Ebers... They find only one survivor the Head Priest, they also find tracks of Eber riding animals heading towards New Austin, following them will lead to a battle with a small Eber raiding party. Following this action an attempt is made by a party containing the PC's, the Head Priest from the Mission and the commander of New Austin's Rangers to contact the nearest Eber tribe and determine the cause of the attack, an attempt that ends in the death of the Ranger Commander on the end of an Eber spear... The adventure from this point is essentially linear, but not the linearity of 'plot-hammering', but rather that if the PC's use their common sense and the information provided in the 'dry-run' scenarios, they will have no problem in resolving the scenario. "Ranger" is a well written product and gets a 3 for presentation and a 4 for content.