101 Plots is a collection of adventure seeds for Traveller, but, because the text is rules-free, it is useable for any Sci-Fi and most modern-day RPG's. It should provide any referee with the starting points for years worth of adventure.
The first section is called "Patrons" and gives a briefing for 32 different potential job offerings and the "patron" or employer for each. The encounters in this section are set up like the classic traveller supplement "76 Patrons" and like the original provides from 2-6 possible outcomes or "realities" for each patron's job offer. This means even if the players have the book, they still won't know where the adventure may be going.
The second section is titled "Introductions" and gives 15 encounter outlines to introduce players to a specific organization: the Scouts, the Psionic Institute etc. It's not quite as useful as the patron encounters, but still provides a quick, colorful beginning to an adventure.
There are four chapters of "advertisements" provided. The first are lead-ins to real adventures and the second are red herrings, meant to annoy and mislead the players. The adverts are gems and highly amusing. It would be nice if the real adverts were developed with multiple outcomes, like the patrons, but it's just a quibble.
The third chapter is advertisements that lead to sources of information. This is mainly color, but occasionaly useful. The last is a seris of personal ads meant as distractions. All of these chapters together allow the referee to give a wide range of responses to player's search for work in the paper or computer net.
The last chapter is a selection of "gimmicks", special ancient or high tech equipment that give the PC's "something special". SOme of them are good, some less than spectacular, but I loved the "Cosh-o-matic."
I gave the book a style rating of 2 because it has no internal art and it appears that the text has been photocopied rather than printed, but those factors shouldn't prevent you from buying the book. It provides material for literally years worth of adventures, and costs only $8! In America it has only recently become availible, and as far as I know only by mail order from Steve Jackson Games.
Style: 2 (Needs Work)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)
