.gif)
Gangbusters (role-playing game)
Encyclopedia
Gangbusters was a historical roleplaying game designed by Rick Krebs
(based on his original game called "Bloody 20's") with Mark Acres assisting in its development. The game was published by TSR, Inc.
Two editions of the game were published. The first edition of the game was published in 1982.
Gangbusters is a game about crime
in the United States
during the 1920s and 1930s. Players take the roles of criminals, law enforcement professionals, or other characters (such as newspaper reporters) who investigate or oppose criminals. An emphasis is placed on the violent growth of organized crime
during Prohibition
. Political corruption
is also a recurring theme.
) and fictional accounts of the era. Films were an especially strong influence; the game's bibliography lists dozens of movies for inspiration, ranging from The Big House to The Untouchables
.
The default location for Gangbusters campaigns is Lakefront City, a fictional metropolis located (in an unspecified state
) on the western shore of Lake Michigan
, probably Chicago. A basic description of the city is included in the Gangbusters rules, and expanded upon in the five adventures
published for the game.
(such as Muscle and Luck) using dice
, then chooses a career (character class
) for the character. Careers for player characters are limited to Criminal, FBI Agent, Newspaper Reporter, Police Officer, Private Investigator, and Prohibition Agent. Each career includes a unique set of advantages and disadvantages to differentiate it from the others. Characters are further customized by adding non-career skills, such as Auto Theft or Photography.
Characters are improved by earning experience points. Experience points are awarded (by the gamemaster
, called the Judge in Gangbusters) based on a character's success in his career. For example, criminals earn experience points based on how profitable their crimes are, while police officers earn experience points for capturing criminals. Earning experience points increases a character's level (which is an indicator of social status in the game setting), and allows the character's player to improve the character's abilities and purchase new skills.
Gangbusters uses a percentile-based mechanic
for most task resolutions. The basic chances of a character succeeding at an action are equal to the character's score in a relevant ability or skill, subject to modifiers assigned by the Judge. The player of that character then rolls percentile dice to determine if the character succeeded. The results of actions (such as the damage caused by weapons or the amount of money produced by a criminal enterprise) may be determined by further dice rolls. All dice rolls in the game use ten-sided dice.
games in the 1980s. In addition to the 64-page rule book, the box contained a 16-page adventure, a game map (representing several blocks of Lakefront City), a sheet of cardboard counters (representing characters and vehicles), and two dice. (Rolston 1983)
Between 1982 and 1984, TSR published five adventure modules for Gangbusters. In order, they were:
Three packs of Gangbusters miniatures
were also produced by TSR. http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~tpope/sol/tsr/gangbusters.html
In 1990, TSR, Inc. released a second edition of the Gangbusters rules, but mislabeled it as a "New 3rd Edition" (ISBN 978-0-88038-975-4). http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=117866 The 3rd Edition (as it came to be known) is a 128-page softcover book combining the text of the first edition rule book with information taken from the adventures Trouble Brewing and Murder in Harmony. Except for minor edits, the 3rd Edition Gangbusters game mechanics are indistinguishable from those of the original edition.
Rick Krebs
Richard S. "Rick" Krebs is a role-playing game and simulation game designer.His initial game design was in the early 1960s when he created simulation games using toothpicks, American plastic bricks, cardboard chits, bingo chips and the box-like design of his bed quilt...
(based on his original game called "Bloody 20's") with Mark Acres assisting in its development. The game was published by TSR, Inc.
TSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
Two editions of the game were published. The first edition of the game was published in 1982.
Gangbusters is a game about crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the 1920s and 1930s. Players take the roles of criminals, law enforcement professionals, or other characters (such as newspaper reporters) who investigate or oppose criminals. An emphasis is placed on the violent growth of organized crime
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
during Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
. Political corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
is also a recurring theme.
Setting
Gangbusters was inspired by both historical figures (such as Al CaponeAl Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
) and fictional accounts of the era. Films were an especially strong influence; the game's bibliography lists dozens of movies for inspiration, ranging from The Big House to The Untouchables
The Untouchables (1987 film)
The Untouchables is a 1987 American crime-drama film directed by Brian De Palma and written by David Mamet. Based on the book The Untouchables, the film stars Kevin Costner as government agent Eliot Ness. It also stars Robert De Niro as gang leader Al Capone and Sean Connery as Irish-American...
.
The default location for Gangbusters campaigns is Lakefront City, a fictional metropolis located (in an unspecified state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
) on the western shore of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
, probably Chicago. A basic description of the city is included in the Gangbusters rules, and expanded upon in the five adventures
Adventure (role-playing games)
An adventure is either a published or otherwise written collection of plot, character, and location details used by a gamemaster to manage the plot or story in a role-playing game. Each adventure is based upon a particular gaming genre and is normally designed for use with a specific game or gaming...
published for the game.
System
Character generation in Gangbusters follows a pattern common in role-playing games of the early 1980s—a player randomly generates his character's abilitiesAttribute (role-playing games)
An attribute is a piece of data that describes to what extent a fictional character in a role-playing game possesses a specific natural, in-born characteristic common to all characters in the game. That piece of data is usually an abstract number or, in some cases, a set of dice...
(such as Muscle and Luck) using dice
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
, then chooses a career (character class
Character class
In role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different game characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
) for the character. Careers for player characters are limited to Criminal, FBI Agent, Newspaper Reporter, Police Officer, Private Investigator, and Prohibition Agent. Each career includes a unique set of advantages and disadvantages to differentiate it from the others. Characters are further customized by adding non-career skills, such as Auto Theft or Photography.
Characters are improved by earning experience points. Experience points are awarded (by the gamemaster
Gamemaster
A gamemaster is a person who acts as an organizer, officiant for questions regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer game...
, called the Judge in Gangbusters) based on a character's success in his career. For example, criminals earn experience points based on how profitable their crimes are, while police officers earn experience points for capturing criminals. Earning experience points increases a character's level (which is an indicator of social status in the game setting), and allows the character's player to improve the character's abilities and purchase new skills.
Gangbusters uses a percentile-based mechanic
Game mechanic
Game mechanics are constructs of rules intended to produce an enjoyable game or gameplay. All games use mechanics; however, theories and styles differ as to their ultimate importance to the game...
for most task resolutions. The basic chances of a character succeeding at an action are equal to the character's score in a relevant ability or skill, subject to modifiers assigned by the Judge. The player of that character then rolls percentile dice to determine if the character succeeded. The results of actions (such as the damage caused by weapons or the amount of money produced by a criminal enterprise) may be determined by further dice rolls. All dice rolls in the game use ten-sided dice.
History
The first edition of Gangbusters (ISBN 978-0-394-52597-6), published in 1982, used the boxed game format typical for TSR HobbiesTSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
games in the 1980s. In addition to the 64-page rule book, the box contained a 16-page adventure, a game map (representing several blocks of Lakefront City), a sheet of cardboard counters (representing characters and vehicles), and two dice. (Rolston 1983)
Between 1982 and 1984, TSR published five adventure modules for Gangbusters. In order, they were:
- Trouble Brewing by Tom Moldvay (ISBN 978-0-935696-84-4)
- Murder in Harmony by Mark Acres (ISBN 978-0-935696-85-1)
- Death on the Docks by Mark Acres (ISBN 978-0-88038-013-3)
- The Vanishing Investigator by Tracy HickmanTracy HickmanTracy Raye Hickman is a best-selling fantasy author, best known for his work on Dragonlance as a game designer and co-author with Margaret Weis, while he worked for TSR...
(ISBN 978-0-88038-045-4) - Death in Spades by Tracy Hickman (ISBN 978-0-39454-014-6)
Three packs of Gangbusters miniatures
Miniature figure
A miniature figure is a small-scale representation of a historical or mythological entity used in miniature wargames, role-playing games, and dioramas. Miniature figures are commonly made of metal, plastic, or paper...
were also produced by TSR. http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~tpope/sol/tsr/gangbusters.html
In 1990, TSR, Inc. released a second edition of the Gangbusters rules, but mislabeled it as a "New 3rd Edition" (ISBN 978-0-88038-975-4). http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=117866 The 3rd Edition (as it came to be known) is a 128-page softcover book combining the text of the first edition rule book with information taken from the adventures Trouble Brewing and Murder in Harmony. Except for minor edits, the 3rd Edition Gangbusters game mechanics are indistinguishable from those of the original edition.