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This was another early RPG, one of the first designed for outer space adventures. (Space Quest and Traveller were released about the same time; Flying Buffalo's Starfaring had come out a couple years earlier.) The 24-page rules looked reasonably professional for the era, complete with a full-color cover and interior artwork that was amateurish but, again, better than the norm for the period. (You can see a cover scan here.) The rules had no index, but a table on contents was provided, which again was better than average.

The game system was fairly primitive. Space Patrol characters had six attributes, each determined by a 3D6 roll: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Charisma, Luck and Mentality (the last being more-or-less equivalent to Intelligence). Players who wanted alien or altered-human characters could roll on a series of tables for additional details. There were tables for "general type" (plant, mammal, avian, crystalline, etc.), "general shape" (biped, quadraped, octoped, etc.), size, "metabolism," planetary gravity and even for a character's sex. (The sex table came with this priceless comment: "This table is not usually necessary as sex would hardly ever crop up in a game...") Players could roll for "special abilities" such as psionics, "cyborg replacements" or super-human senses, and check another table for the "period" the character grew up in (i.e., the tech level of his home culture). Finally, almost as an afterthought, players could roll on a table for a character's "training," such as Soldier, Scientist, Trader or Craftsman; the only effect of "training," however, was to give bonuses to ability scores (soldiers, for example, would add 1D4 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution).

Character generation was followed by a short equipment list, with items drawn from sources as diverse as Poul Anderson and Star Trek. (No prices were given because, as the authors admitted, "we don't have any idea what these prices would be." At least they were honest.) After short sections on psionics, learning, saving throws and healing, we get to the combat section.

Initiative was determined by a 1D6 roll, with each character adjusting his roll for Dexterity ( 1 per point over 12, -1 per point under 9), and high rolls acting first. Two different systems were used for attacks, one for "Contact Combat" (melee) and another for Ranged Combat. In Contact Combat, the attacker rolled 1-5 D6, depending on the weapon used. He added 1 point for each point of Strength or Dexterity over 12, and subtracted 1 for each point below 9. The defender then rolled 1D6, subtracted 1 for each point of Luck below 9, and added 1 for each point of Luck over 12. Damage was equal to the difference between these two rolls. For ranged combat, the attacker checked a table to determine the hit number, based on the character's Dexterity and the range to the target. If the attacker rolled less than or equal to this value on 1D6, he hit. Damage was determined by rolling 1-6D6 and subtracting the defender's roll (which, once again, was 1D6 /- Luck modifiers). Damage was subtracted from the defender's Constitution, and the defender died if his score reached 0. Damage could also knock a character unconscious or reduce his Dexterity.

Additional details on "disarmament attacks," two weapon fighting and "weapon exchange" (i.e., changing from one weapon to another) were provided. Weapon descriptions, a skimpy "scenario generator," a rudimentary experience system (providing, at most, 1 on certain ranged attacks) and some notes for a Star Wars adaptation rounded out the rule booklet.

Overall, Space Patrol showed a lot of enthusiasm and had a certain goofy charm. A Space Patrol game could have been fun in the same way that Metamorphosis Alpha or Gamma World could be fun, with little regard for logic or science and all the emphasis on gonzo weirdness. In retrospect, though, it's no surprise that Traveller, rather Space Patrol, became the dominant science fiction RPG. Traveller was a far more complete system, and it took its science seriously. Space Patrol, later revised as Star Patrol, was quickly forgotten. But if you're curious, feel free to pick up a copy.

Space Patrol
Space Patrol Capsule Review by Matt Stevens on 17/02/03 Style: 3 (Average) Substance: 3 (Average) Another goofy game from the Golden Age of RPGs. Product: Space Patrol Author: Michael Scott Kirtick and Rockland Russo Category: RPG Company/Publisher: Gamescience Line: Cost: Page count: 24 Year published: 1977 ISBN: SKU: Comp copy?: no Capsule Review by Matt Stevens on 17/02/03 Genre tags: Science Fiction Far Future	This was another early RPG, one of the first designed for outer space adventures. (Space Quest and Traveller were released about the same time; Flying Buffalo's Starfaring had come out a couple years earlier.) The 24-page rules looked reasonably professional for the era, complete with a full-color cover and interior artwork that was amateurish but, again, better than the norm for the period. (You can see a cover scan here.) The rules had no index, but a table on contents was provided, which again was better than average. The game system was fairly primitive. Space Patrol characters had six attributes, each determined by a 3D6 roll: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Charisma, Luck and Mentality (the last being more-or-less equivalent to Intelligence). Players who wanted alien or altered-human characters could roll on a series of tables for additional details. There were tables for "general type" (plant, mammal, avian, crystalline, etc.), "general shape" (biped, quadraped, octoped, etc.), size, "metabolism," planetary gravity and even for a character's sex. (The sex table came with this priceless comment: "This table is not usually necessary as sex would hardly ever crop up in a game...") Players could roll for "special abilities" such as psionics, "cyborg replacements" or super-human senses, and check another table for the "period" the character grew up in (i.e., the tech level of his home culture). Finally, almost as an afterthought, players could roll on a table for a character's "training," such as Soldier, Scientist, Trader or Craftsman; the only effect of "training," however, was to give bonuses to ability scores (soldiers, for example, would add 1D4 to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution). Character generation was followed by a short equipment list, with items drawn from sources as diverse as Poul Anderson and Star Trek. (No prices were given because, as the authors admitted, "we don't have any idea what these prices would be." At least they were honest.) After short sections on psionics, learning, saving throws and healing, we get to the combat section. Initiative was determined by a 1D6 roll, with each character adjusting his roll for Dexterity ( 1 per point over 12, -1 per point under 9), and high rolls acting first. Two different systems were used for attacks, one for "Contact Combat" (melee) and another for Ranged Combat. In Contact Combat, the attacker rolled 1-5 D6, depending on the weapon used. He added 1 point for each point of Strength or Dexterity over 12, and subtracted 1 for each point below 9. The defender then rolled 1D6, subtracted 1 for each point of Luck below 9, and added 1 for each point of Luck over 12. Damage was equal to the difference between these two rolls. For ranged combat, the attacker checked a table to determine the hit number, based on the character's Dexterity and the range to the target. If the attacker rolled less than or equal to this value on 1D6, he hit. Damage was determined by rolling 1-6D6 and subtracting the defender's roll (which, once again, was 1D6 /- Luck modifiers). Damage was subtracted from the defender's Constitution, and the defender died if his score reached 0. Damage could also knock a character unconscious or reduce his Dexterity. Additional details on "disarmament attacks," two weapon fighting and "weapon exchange" (i.e., changing from one weapon to another) were provided. Weapon descriptions, a skimpy "scenario generator," a rudimentary experience system (providing, at most, 1 on certain ranged attacks) and some notes for a Star Wars adaptation rounded out the rule booklet. Overall, Space Patrol showed a lot of enthusiasm and had a certain goofy charm. A Space Patrol game could have been fun in the same way that Metamorphosis Alpha or Gamma World could be fun, with little regard for logic or science and all the emphasis on gonzo weirdness. In retrospect, though, it's no surprise that Traveller, rather Space Patrol, became the dominant science fiction RPG. Traveller was a far more complete system, and it took its science seriously. Space Patrol, later revised as Star Patrol, was quickly forgotten. But if you're curious, feel free to pick up a copy.