Review of StarChildren

These days, thanks to games like Vampire, Cyberpunk, Underworld and Obsidian, the shelves at most local games stores are beginning to resemble a department-store catalog of music subcultures. From Goth to Hip-Hop, if the music is getting played, there's probably a game written just for it. Those too old to deny it even remember that the name 'Dungeons and Dragons' was based on a Uriah Heep album, so this trend is hardly new.

In this bold new tradition, we now have "Starchildren," which is the first Glam-rock themed RPG ever. The setting reads like a cross between Ziggy Stardust and Demolition Man. Surprisingly, it works well as a game setting. "Starchildren" takes place in a future Earth, which has become a dreary, unimaginative place. Opressive authority, masquerading as morality and education, has all but stamped out rock and roll, as well as other rebellion-inspiring music. An entire generation of youth has grown up listening to nothing but bland Muzak, and it shows.

The players play the part of Starchildren, technologically advanced aliens from a distant planet who have built an entire civilization around Earth music that they pick up from our radio emissions. They have become so enamored of humans because of this that many of them have traveled the distance on a sort of "rock pilgrimage." Upon seeing the current state of the world, many of them turn back home, dismayed. However, some stay, determined to free humanity from its dull state in the only way they know how: Rock.

Of course, every game has to have its antagonists, and, without giving too much secret information away, there are a few. First, many Earthlings like the way the world is, and there are pseudo-conspiracies bound to silence the Starchildren. Even worse, some Starchildren got to like the state of Earth and stayed around to hinder their brethren. Sometimes, even the fans of the Starchildren can be the villains; a number of bands have driven their audiences mad with the music and suffered the consequences (a la Ziggy Stardust). And then, there are always the rival bands

It has often been said that games that are fun to read can't be fun to play. Starchildren serves as a counterexample to those arguments. The rules, while not very remarkable, are well thought-out. The game has two character creation systems, one using random die rolls and the other a point-purchase mechanic. Both systems make stats roughly equal, with slight favor for the players who risk rolling the dice. There is the usual list of attributes: Charisma, Wit, Speed, Perception and Body (and this is the only game I've seen that lists Charisma at the top instead of the bottom). Skills are incredibly various, but one category is most important: musical talent. Since the PCs are assumed to be a band, each one must be able to play an instrument or sing. These skills become important in Starchildren's performance system, where the reactions of an audience are figured based on the skills of the band and the type of audience. Admittedly, Starchildren is not the first game to have a system like this, but how many people actually use "Shadowbeat" in their Shadowrun games?

Of course, Starchildren does have its flaws. First, the setting is aimed at a very specific group of people. If you can watch the film "Velvet Goldmine" all the way through, you'll find Starchildren interesting, at the least. Also, despite this being a very specific style of game, it would be nice to see other types of music represented, perhaps in future supplements. After reading through the game, I wondered about having funk Starchildren landing the Mothership on Earth. But the biggest problem with Starchildren is its limited availability outside of the UK. I live in the States, and I'm lucky enough that my local store got a copy from overseas. I understand that Pyrite Press is a small operation even in its home country, so getting imports is probably a problem, given the current state of the distribution system. For those interested, your best option will probably be eBay, unless you're planning to hop the Pond anytime soon.

So, to paraphrse Abraham Lincoln, Starchildren is definitely the sort of thing you would like, if you're a person who would like that sort of thing.