Long Live Long Dead RPGs: Justifiers

I recently joined the facebook group Fans of Dead Games, where members share their stories and pictures of Roleplaying Games throughout history.

Whilst my collection is myriad, it doesn't come close to some of the shelves I've seen shared in the brief time that I've been a member.  Here's my little contribution:

Justifiers RPG (ISBN: 1-878711-00-8) p128

Published in 1988 by Star Childe Publications, Justifiers RPG puts you in the role of a Betahumanoid.  A half human, half animal genetically modified hybrid, you are the property of your corporation and your job is to "justify" or explore newly discovered planets.  If anthropomorphic sci-fi adventure in the style of Traveller is what you want, then Justifiers is for you.

Reviews from Ryleh gave Justifiers a good going over 

The rule book also contains the scenario The Axon Confrontation written by Battletech author Blaine Pardoe.

Justifiers RPG
(Core Rulebook)

The Tower
(Adventure)

The Insidious Campaign
(Adventure)

Out of the Mists
(Adventure)

There are a handful of other books I do not (but would love to) own to complete my collection:

Aborigine Sourcebook

The Corporate Sourcebook

Poseidon
(Adventure)

The Hybrid Sourcebook

The CyberMedTech Sourcebook

Cold as Ice
(Adventure)

Silent Corp Sourcebook

Justifiers Boxed Set
(Dark Tower Enterprises)

UPDATE:  Thanks to the wonderfully generous people in the Fans of Dead RPGs facebook group I have discovered that there was in fact a reprint box set released in 1992 by Dark Tower Enterprises.  This contained: Core Rulebook, Hybrid Sourcebook, Aborigine Sourcebook, Poseidon Adventure, an unknown bonus adventure and a Poster.

I have also subsequently discovered that Justifiers is not technically dead and some of the books are available as Watermarked PDFs from Drivethru RPG.  Apparently more are in the works.

Other StarChilde Books

Domination: Sabot and Laser - I can't tell if this is a standalone game or a supplement for something else.  The cover has a modern soldier and a generic insect atop a WWII tank so this could be something completely unconnected.

UPDATE: This is the blurb from the back of the book:

"In 1961 mankind struck out into space...In 1992 space struck back! Play out the critical campaigns of mankind's most desperate war. On the one side the superior technology of the Kalotian Empire. On the other, men and women who know too well that the fate of the Earth rests with them. With a complete role playing interface for Domination."

 So clearly this is a standalone game and nothing to do with Justifiers.

Guardians RPG - StarChilde Publications also made this Superhero roleplaying game.  From what I can research this amounts to two even rarer books (someone should really create a Starchilde wikipage).

UPDATE: As with Justifiers RPG both of the Guardians books are now available on Drivethru RPG as Watermarked PDFs. 

Guardians RPG
(Core Rulebook)

Freedom Union
(Scenario)

If anyone out there has any more information regarding any of these books please drop me a message in the comments below.

Jessie's Prints: Episode 3 - Prismatic Walls, Hellraiser Jewellery Box

This week, I are mostly been printing... 

Prismatic Walls - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4292839

I'm really pleased how these came out and I covered the design and painting processes in earlier posts.  Thanks once again to RedBeardBoss without whose video I would never have have started this project.





Hellraiser Lament Configuration Jewellery Box - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1277931

Another prop print which has been on the bucket list for since forever.  Of course once you've printed the classic Lament Configuration you have all the other configurations thanks to the sterling work of designer Crashjensen although, I think his soul will have paid a heavy price to have this much knowledge.

A Trick of the Light Part 2 - Lenticular Colour Shift Painting - Prismatic Wall

I am a big fan of optical illusions so when I saw RedbeardBoss's Prismatic Wall, I knew I had to have a go.



In the last episode we covered how I created the model, which is available for free at https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4292839.  If you like the model please consider leaving a like a comment or even a tip.

The Painting

Following RedBeardBoss's tutorial I primed the models in silver, just cheap automotive silver spray paint from my discount retailer of choice Poundland.

Once the silver was dry it was time to fire up the airbrush and christen the Big Box Project Mobile Miniature Painting Workstation.  My chosen colour combos were:

• Red / Green - Vallejo Game Air Blood Red / Vallejo Game Colour Dark Green 
• Red / Purple - Vallejo Game Air Blood Red / Army Painter Alien Purple
• Purple / Blue - Army Painter Alien Purple / Vallejo Game Air Electric Blue 

To achieve this lenticular effect we are going to spray the wall head-on starting from the small end (Green).  Keep the angle of the airbrush to no more than 30 degrees left or right as you pass down each side of the miniature.

The paint will hit only two sides of each hex as you pass down the miniature. Once your first colour has dried change to your second colour (Red) and spray in the opposite direction on both sides.

There will be a bit of overspray on your second colour which will help to blend the effect and the faces which run parallel to the long side will end up a combination of both your silver base coat and your two chosen colours.

A quick base coat in black and your mini should look like the one in the video above.

Reaper Bones #13 - Giants!!

Probably the two biggest minis in the Bones 1 Vampire level core set are the Giants. 

Male Storm Giant (Julie Guthrie SKU: 77163)

Yephima, Female Cloud Giant (Patrick Keith SKU: 77162)

These are some of my earliest attempts at airbrush painting and my lack of talent at this stage shows.  I struggled to get the right consistency of paint to avoid the dredded spiderwebbing.  I was also using a single action airbrush which is great for undercoating but lousy for anything else.  Seriously, if you are interested in airbrushing buy a double action brush.

For some reason the matte varnish coat that I apply to all my minis never really hardened properly giving it a bit of a gloss sheen and I will probably add another coat in the future to see if it fixes it.

Nothing but a repaint is going to fix those bloody eyes though!!

Bones Progress

Reaper Bones: 245 - Painted: 44

Related Posts

• Reaper Bones #1: The Marathon Begins - Where I paint a dozen Giant Rats.
  
• Reaper Bones #2: Kobolds, Are They Dogs or Dragons? - Where I paint a dozen kobolds.
  
• Reaper Bones #3: A Carcase of Skeletons - Where I paint a half dozen skeletons.
  
• Reaper Bones #4: A Shuffle of Zombies - Where I paint five zombies.
  
• Reaper Bones #5: Introducing Shaina Coppervein, Dwarven Orc Hunter - First PC mini.
  
• Reaper Bones #6: Mimic, Treasure Chest and How I re-base my Bones - Where I paint furniture.
  
• Reaper Bones #7: Fire Elemental Meets Novelty Lamp - Where I hack a mini with LEDs.
  
• Reaper Bones #8: Flaming Sphere LED Tealight Hack - Another mini LED lighting project.
  
• Reaper Bones #9: Elliwyn Heatherlark, Gnome Bard - Another PC mini.
  
• Reaper Bones #10: Horace "Action" Jackson - A Baddass disco dancing Motherfucker.
  
• Reaper Bones #11: Pirate Captain Thorin Stoneheart - A Swashbuckling Philanthropist.
  
• Reaper Bones #12: Monstrous Menagerie - Clay Golem, Eye Beast, Griffon, Owlbear, Marsh Troll

The Big Box Project - A Mobile Miniature Painting Workstation

Having gotten back into painting recently I have consequently developed a living space problem...

My dining table has succumbed to The Law of Flat Surfaces and is covered in painting tools and half completed projects.  It has just frankly gotten out of hand. 

I am a a firm believer in the reuse part of the recycling mantra, so when I found a wooden Carpenters Tool Box abandoned on the stairs of my apartment block a few months ago, I had to grab it.  I knew that when time became available it was going to be put to good use and become my mobile painting workstation.

This is no vintage hand crafted thing of beauty.  It's a roughly made carcase of 1/2" (57mm) thick pine with the front and back skinned in thin plywood, the edges of which are splintered in places but the box is solid enough.  The front hinges down to create a sort of sloped shelf.

The plan is to get the majority of my mini power tools and accessories installed into the box permanently.  I want to include a power strip and some form of worklight.  This is not an exhaustive list of what needs to go in their but it's a start:

Power Tools

• Rotary Sander (aka a nail file)
• Air Compressor (& airbrushes)
• Micro Drill
• Anglepoise Worklamp

Accessories

• Paints - A mix of Vallejo / Scale75 / Army Painter dropper bottles and various GW / Tamiya / Daler Rowney pots and bottles.
• Big Bottles - Airbrush thinners & cleaners
• Paint Palettes - Wet and Dry Palettes
• Water Cups - 2 water cups, one clean and one dirty
• Glues - Superglue
• Brushes - a good selection of miniature painting brushes.
• Sandpaper - Sanding Sticks
• Miscellaneous Tools - Pin vice, side cutters, needle nose pliers, tweezers, painting handles, coffee stirrers, clamps, sanding papers and sticks
• Cutting Mat - I'd like this to fit one inside the lid.
• Collapsible Spray Booth - I want this to double up as a spray booth so need to create a stowable cardboard spray shield  

As you can see this is quite the project and fitting everything in the list above into the box would challenge even the best TARDIS designer.  Lockdown is the perfect opportunity for me to get this done. and I have already started to tackle some of the exterior panels.

I'm going for that distressed WWII Warbird meets Cyberpunk aesthetic.  For the back I think I'll have to have a go at painting the "Bug Stomper" noseart from one of my favourite 80s films "Aliens".  I should have it done in time for Aliens Day on the 26th April 2020.

Progress on the interior has begun with a shelf and a storage flap in the base.  The exact configuration of the interior is likely to be very moveable flexible as I learn what works and what doesn't.  For starters that shelf needs a lip because as soon as you lift it up, anything unsecured falls off the shelf.  Don't ask me how I know...