The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Straight adventure books have been out of favor with most game companies for quite a while now. The consensus, I suppose, is that game masters are a sophisticated lot who need source material for adventures, not adventures themselves. There's a certain logic to this. As a frequent GM myself, I have found that good source material is usually worth much more to me than pre-packaged adventures.

However, there are still times when I am at a loss for adventure ideas. These are the occasions for which West End's Instant Adventures was created. Instant Adventures was West End's first Star Wars supplement to contain nothing but short adventures designed to be dropped into any campaign with ease. This idea is a very appealing one that West End has subsequently used in their Tapani Sector Instant Adventures. No doubt others will follow at a later date.

This 64 page book contains nine different short adventures. Each one deserves a brief mention if only to give a sense of the assortment available in this supplement.

The Argovia Strike
This scenario is a classic hit and run raid on an Imperial sensor net facility. The Rebellion needs to get much-needed supplies through an Imperial blockade. Only the players can bring down the net in time.

Agent Nallok is Missing
This adventure involves a search and rescue mission intent on finding a Rebel spy. The players are sent to retrieve her from her last known position.

Heavy Lifting
This unique scenario is intended for freelance characters like smugglers and privateers. They are hired by a minor Hutt crime lord to smuggle him out of harm's way.

Into the Heat of Battle
This is a scenario based on a classic premise. The premise is that the players' ship has been damaged in some way and they must escape from it in survival pods. They then crash land on a hostile planet that is home to an Imperial base!

Family Problems
Romeo and Juliet in a galaxy far, far away! The players are hired to transport an alien poet's true love to him and away from her family who do not approve of him.

Meltdown
A Rebel base is in desperate need of some rare supplies. The only available source of these supplies is an Imperial orbital facility and the players are ordered to steal them from it.

New Recruits and Rebel Guns
This scenario is designed to introduce new characters to the Rebel Alliance. A plan to smuggle weapons to the Rebellion goes awry and only the players can prevent the Empire from using this to its advantage.

The Treasure of Celis Mott
This is a classic treasure hunt with all the trimmings: a dying message, a cryptic map, and pirates out to get the treasure for themselves.

Operation: Shadowstrike
This adventure is designed for SpecForce troopers. The troopers are sent down to an Imperial-held world to rescue a Rebel pilot who has been caught behind enemy lines. The players must contend with an unknown planet and the dreaded Imperial Storm Commandoes.

As you can see from the brief descriptions I have given, Instant Adventures contains a good selection of scenarios, each one of which focuses on a different element of the Star Wars universe. To my mind, this gives the adventures a much greater utility for the referee. With a wider variety of choices, the referee can much more easily pick out a scenario that is appropriate for the current focus of his own campaign, rather than having to shift focus simply because he now has to use one of the instant adventures. In this respect, there can be little doubt that Instant Adventures succeeds admirably in its objectives.

Each adventure includes two nice features that makes them easily employed by a referee "on the fly." The first is a "Quick Start Outline" that lays bare the basic elements of the scenario in a few short lines. Each scene is described and put into a short outline for ease of reference. This is a good idea and one that I found to be of great use to me. The second feature is a collection of "Staging Tips." This, too, is a good idea. The tips give the referee some suggestions about how to use the scenario most effectively. This includes mood and setting advice, as well as which sorts of campaigns and themes work well with which adventure. All in all, these additional elements make the instant adventures quite easy to use without forcing them to be too short and fluffy. In fact, several of the adventures are quite well done and could easily be expanded into much large scenarios. Of course, West End has already considered that possibility and includes advice at the end of each adventure on just this very topic.

Instant Adventures also includes 32 cards that illustrate people and vehicles from the adventures. I have indicated in previous reviews that I am somewhat unsure of the utility of these cards. Some game masters seem to find them helpful, while others do not. If done well, I think they can be of genuine assistance in keeping track of NPC stats and the like. The cards included with Instant Adventures are not bad as these cards go, avoiding too many cards devoted to equipment or vehicles and concentrating on NPCs as I feel they should.

Instant Adventures is a good product and one of great value to game masters who have ongoing Star Wars campaigns.

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

Instant Adventures
Author: Timothy S. O'Brien, et al. Category: game Company/Publisher: West End Cost: $15.00 Page count: 64 ISBN: 0-87431-293-0 Playtest Review by James Maliszewski on 06/18/98. Genre tags: none	Straight adventure books have been out of favor with most game companies for quite a while now. The consensus, I suppose, is that game masters are a sophisticated lot who need source material for adventures, not adventures themselves. There's a certain logic to this. As a frequent GM myself, I have found that good source material is usually worth much more to me than pre-packaged adventures. However, there are still times when I am at a loss for adventure ideas. These are the occasions for which West End's Instant Adventures was created. Instant Adventures was West End's first Star Wars supplement to contain nothing but short adventures designed to be dropped into any campaign with ease. This idea is a very appealing one that West End has subsequently used in their Tapani Sector Instant Adventures. No doubt others will follow at a later date. This 64 page book contains nine different short adventures. Each one deserves a brief mention if only to give a sense of the assortment available in this supplement. The Argovia Strike This scenario is a classic hit and run raid on an Imperial sensor net facility. The Rebellion needs to get much-needed supplies through an Imperial blockade. Only the players can bring down the net in time. Agent Nallok is Missing This adventure involves a search and rescue mission intent on finding a Rebel spy. The players are sent to retrieve her from her last known position. Heavy Lifting This unique scenario is intended for freelance characters like smugglers and privateers. They are hired by a minor Hutt crime lord to smuggle him out of harm's way. Into the Heat of Battle This is a scenario based on a classic premise. The premise is that the players' ship has been damaged in some way and they must escape from it in survival pods. They then crash land on a hostile planet that is home to an Imperial base! Family Problems Romeo and Juliet in a galaxy far, far away! The players are hired to transport an alien poet's true love to him and away from her family who do not approve of him. Meltdown A Rebel base is in desperate need of some rare supplies. The only available source of these supplies is an Imperial orbital facility and the players are ordered to steal them from it. New Recruits and Rebel Guns This scenario is designed to introduce new characters to the Rebel Alliance. A plan to smuggle weapons to the Rebellion goes awry and only the players can prevent the Empire from using this to its advantage. The Treasure of Celis Mott This is a classic treasure hunt with all the trimmings: a dying message, a cryptic map, and pirates out to get the treasure for themselves. Operation: Shadowstrike This adventure is designed for SpecForce troopers. The troopers are sent down to an Imperial-held world to rescue a Rebel pilot who has been caught behind enemy lines. The players must contend with an unknown planet and the dreaded Imperial Storm Commandoes. As you can see from the brief descriptions I have given, Instant Adventures contains a good selection of scenarios, each one of which focuses on a different element of the Star Wars universe. To my mind, this gives the adventures a much greater utility for the referee. With a wider variety of choices, the referee can much more easily pick out a scenario that is appropriate for the current focus of his own campaign, rather than having to shift focus simply because he now has to use one of the instant adventures. In this respect, there can be little doubt that Instant Adventures succeeds admirably in its objectives. Each adventure includes two nice features that makes them easily employed by a referee "on the fly." The first is a "Quick Start Outline" that lays bare the basic elements of the scenario in a few short lines. Each scene is described and put into a short outline for ease of reference. This is a good idea and one that I found to be of great use to me. The second feature is a collection of "Staging Tips." This, too, is a good idea. The tips give the referee some suggestions about how to use the scenario most effectively. This includes mood and setting advice, as well as which sorts of campaigns and themes work well with which adventure. All in all, these additional elements make the instant adventures quite easy to use without forcing them to be too short and fluffy. In fact, several of the adventures are quite well done and could easily be expanded into much large scenarios. Of course, West End has already considered that possibility and includes advice at the end of each adventure on just this very topic. Instant Adventures also includes 32 cards that illustrate people and vehicles from the adventures. I have indicated in previous reviews that I am somewhat unsure of the utility of these cards. Some game masters seem to find them helpful, while others do not. If done well, I think they can be of genuine assistance in keeping track of NPC stats and the like. The cards included with Instant Adventures are not bad as these cards go, avoiding too many cards devoted to equipment or vehicles and concentrating on NPCs as I feel they should. Instant Adventures is a good product and one of great value to game masters who have ongoing Star Wars campaigns. Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)