My gaming group sat down at the big conference table in the basement of the local public library and pulled out soda and potato chips. So far we had played board games: Chess, checkers, even more complex games like Shadow Lords (anyone remember that game?), Axis & Allies to name a couple. Yes, I guess we were dorks. We had never played a RPG before.

I pulled out the Star Frontiers box. It already had a dented corner from it being in my backpack. I pulled out the hastily made character sheets and handed them all out. We had one pair of dice that we had to share, and we made our characters.

One of our players at the time wanted to have a spaceship. I told him that this particular game didn’t work that way – that characters purchased passage on passenger liners and mining ships to get from point A to point B (Knight Hawks accessory hadn’t come out yet). He whined and complained, until I promised to give him one as long as he accepted the hardships that would come along with it. He readily agreed.

So we started our adventure as freight haulers. We were all excriminals who couldn’t get jobs because nobody wanted to hire you when you had a record. We were loading crates onto a banged-up piece of junk boxy scout ship.

As we did, we were annoyed by the customs inspector arguing with the ship’s captain (whose name escapes me – I made it up on the spot so it was probably dumb). During that argument, one of our characters dropped a crate (random Strength checks until someone dropped it). Out poured a bunch of contraband drugs... we all stared astonished as the ship’s captain pulled out a blaster and shot the inspector dead!

He forced us into his service because his own men were out carousing, and he needed an impromptu crew. We had many adventures under the command of that smuggler, and eventually we tired of being his reluctant crew and had it out with him. He died at our hands, and we were piloting around the Frontier in a stolen ship wanted for many crimes, always looking over our shoulder for Star Law and the several criminal bosses our excaptain had pissed off.

That’s why I keep coming back to Star Frontiers. So many memories of such amazing sci-fi fun. I plan to try to give this old game new legs through these gazetteers, the first of which you hold in your hands (or are reading on your computer!). If you have material you’d like to see presented, please contact me and I’ll add it. Of course, I may take license to make modifications or clarifications to what you provide. Hey – it’s my project!! Haha...

Enjoy,

Bill Logan