By Venger Satanis
Kort’thalis Publishing
Alpha Blue/Generic
This 34 page “adventure” is actually a regional setting with a few event ideas. On a ruined earth the starport in Santa Fe still exists,hence the post-apoc and Alpha Blue/spaceships crossover. It’s got the jr high sex stuff that is becoming synonymous with Vengers style.
I love Gamma World. It’s my favorite child. I have a framed poster of the Warden hanging proudly in my dining room. I wear my Warden command bracelet every day to work. Every Christmas I ask for more post-apoc/generation ship fiction. I STILL think I remember a Tv version of Orphans of the Sky, even though I can find no google hint of it/Universe.
This setting is about 50 years after the disaster. Nukes, radiation, cthulhu monsters, it’s all in here. New Albuquerque is a mutant hanting function city that embraces aliens. Miles to the south, through the wasteland, is the Santa Fe Starport, a working starport. In between are gangs (theming ala The Warriors), warring robot factions, Wizard towers, and a sunken Statue of Liberty. (Because Venger.)
There’s not really an adventure here. The major parts of the region are described each in a paragraph or two. There are a few more words for New Albuquerque and also the starport. There are some events/plots mentioned in the starport, like a sex android revolution, security checkpoints, violent candy, and a “Deal” for smuggling turquoise.
A cult leader, skull face, is referenced several times in the supplement. There’s one throw-away line in the adventure about him launching an assault on the starport.
There’s a gamma world-ish random loot table. I love those things. There’s also a mutant power table in which almost every power involves bodily fluids and sex organs. (I think it’s clear by now that I’m from the midwest, and a bit of the ultra-violence is ok but not boobies.) There’s a strong sex/sleaze theme, which I assume comes from its Alpha Blue heritage.
It’s not an adventure. At best it’s a regional setting with a bunch of ideas that you could use to string a couple of adventure ideas together and add some complications from some other details.
The contention between regional setting and adventure/events/complications makes the organization a bit iffy. Things tend to be scattered around a bit, except for “the region” in the front section and “the starport” in the rear section. When not describing “penis shooting cum facial tattoos” the writing is fairly good. Enough detail (reference facial tattoo above) to bring the specific imagery without the useless garbage that weighs an adventure down in wall of text.
But it’s missing a strong Adventure element, and thus it goes in to my “regional setting with some things to do” category rather than my “adventure in a region” category. Too generalized for my tastes.
This is $6.66 (because Venger … can one roll one’s eyes AND appreciate the devotion to the theme?) at DriveThru. The preview is six pages. You can see the loot table (with entry number one being the required stop sign shield) and the last page being the mutation table that focuses on sex organs.https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/227000/Gamma-Turquoise-Santa-Fe-Starport?affiliate_id=1892600
Probably a bit of a dumb question, but could not the “TV version of Orphans of the Sky” you remember be 70s’ canadian tv sci-fi series the Starlost? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMAi6u4Ps5A
Just checking
“Three young people” … all in their early 40’s.
Yeah, not it.
Also, remember Orpans of the Sky was collected in ‘Universe.’
Looks like a regional setting all right. And $6.66? Yeah, now that’s quality edgelordism! 😀
While I appreciate this review I feel like if you are going to review Venger’s work you should include a “penis monster score” at the end so we know just how many it includes?
Or a an erectness score?
Thanks for the review, hoss!
It’s been a long, winding road between Gamma Turquoise and the last thing of mine you reviewed… probably Descent into the Candy Crypts. This one’s pretty loose and juvenile, as you mentioned. If GMs need more to hang their hat on, I suggest merging it with their favorite post-apocalyptic module and keep stirring. Or just go all-in on the sleazoid vibe and run it straight Alpha Blue.
What did you think of the Santa Fe Starport map and Sidewinder vehicle by Glynn Seal?
What’s the point of all the penis imagery/juvenile themes? Not a complaint. Just curious and interested in why you think your work needs that?
Finally got around to answering your question, hoss. It’s an entire blog post: https://vengersatanis.blogspot.com/2018/03/juvenilia.html
You calling me “Hoss” makes me feel like I’m on Bonanza
And I just read the blog post. Thanks for the reply. I like humor too. However, there are many different flavors of humor but I guess we all have to play to our strengths, right?
Sometimes, I can get away with lofty, high-brow humor, but for this medium, dick jokes and silly ridiculousness seems to pay off better.
And you’re very welcome for that!
… Making you feel like you’re on Bonanza, I mean.