Justice, Inc. (role-playing game)
This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2020) |
Michael Stackpole | |
Publishers | Hero Games |
---|---|
Publication | 1984 |
Genres | Pulp magazine adventures |
Systems | Hero System |
Justice, Inc. is a role-playing game published by Hero Games in 1984 that simulates adventure stories that appeared in the pulp magazines of the 1930s.
Description
Justice Inc. is a role-playing game in which the players take on the roles of fictional adventurers in the 1930s similar to Doc Savage and Allan Quatermain. In keeping with the pulp theme engendered by Fu Manchu and The Shadow, a vein of the supernatural runs through the game, and can be turned to horror similar to Call of Cthulhu.[1]
The game system was adapted from the superhero role-playing game Champions previously published by Hero Games, although superhero "Powers" are toned down to "Talents".
Publishing history
Hero Games published the superhero game Champions in 1981, and subsequently published a number of expansions and adventures for it. In 1983, Hero published a role-playing in a completely different genre,
Espionage! and Justice, Inc. were the first non-superhero applications of the point-based game system that had been developed for Champions. The generalized point system would eventually be published as the multi-genre Hero System, following in the footsteps of Chaosium's Basic Role-Playing System, but preceding GURPS as a generic game system.
Two supplements were published:
- ISBN 0-917481-60-7
- Trail of the Gold Spike (August 1984), an adventure set around a Colorado gold mine.
Both were written by Allston, and also included statistics for Chill, Call of Cthulhu and Daredevils.
Unlike several other products in the "Hero" line, Justice, Inc. was not revised or republished in the decades after its release. However,
Reception
In the December 1984 edition of
In the January–February 1985 edition of
In the January–February 1985 edition of Different Worlds (Issue #38), Russell Grant Collins gave this game an average rating of 2.5 stars out of 4, saying, "this game is pretty good, although it is marred by a few typos and suffers from incompleteness."[4]
In his 1990 book
Other reviews
- Shadis #28 (1996)
See also
- Justice, Inc. - the pulp magazine story that inspired the game title
References
- ^ a b Swan, Rick (1990). The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 113–115.
- ^ Mason, Paul (December 1984). "Notices". Imagine (review). No. 21. p. 20.
- Space Gamer. No. 72. pp. 33–34.
- ^ Collins, Russell Grant (January–February 1985). "Game Reviews". Different Worlds. No. 38. Chaosium. pp. 28–29.
External links
- Pulp Hero Pulp Hero section on Hero Games' official web site
- Aaron Allston's game credits list
- Hero Pulp Web Site Dany St-Pierre's fan site
- Pulp Review: Justice Inc. by Paolo Marino
- Lands of Mystery Supplement review by Kevin Mowery on RPGnet