(I'll cover the basics, and then some)

You'll need one red die and lots of ordinary white dice.



This is the primary reference page:


http://www.gbrpg.tk/




There you'll find the Big List Of Equipment, that you gotta see. Also “Creating a Character”, Adventures, etc. Be sure to check it out.

And if you wanted to know what the miniatures looked like, just take a glance at their graphics. Those are the book's miniatures and they're “of the paper kind” (You know, when assembled they should look like a triangle from the side)

MAIN GAME MODES


1. Adventure Mode

is the “normal” mode and consists of a GhostMaster telling player characters what the situation is, then the players say what they'll do. No “turn sequence” yet. Players do something or go somewhere, and it's the GhostMaster again tellin' them what happened and what the situation is now. Any time the situation calls for brain or brawn or some other attribute from the player, they'll have to perform a dice roll. To do so, see The Universal How-Much System…

GhostMasters are encouraged to present each game as it were a (GB) movie, you know, introductory scenes, some encounters, a (big) climax and all the stuff that makes movies great.
(Don't forget: they're divided into Scenes)
Even if all players would end up in the hospital and out of the adventure, an “Epilogue” is in order, telling them how the world was eventually saved, or how the menace was just delayed (for a future adventure).
Don't forget to keep it humorous! Again, like a Ghostbusters movie.

Whenever a fight ensues, the game degenerates into some sort of an ordinary board game:



2. The Combat Rounds

Put your miniatures on the hexagon paper. We should have two opposing forces now (like a team of Ghostbusters vs. a ghost… or ghosts) set in the position/distance they were in when they decided to fight it out. There's “rounds” now, where everybody can move THEN attack. (Nonviolent actions/rolls as you would attempt in the normal mode take up your movement, not your attack!)

How many hexagons will you Move? You'll see everybody's got a “Moves” value, simply use that number. (You can use the “Run” value instead if you happen to have “Run”)
“Moves” is also useful to determine turn sequence: the who-goes-first thing.
(If same “Moves”, use the “Cool” value for this. If same “Cool” – let GM decide)
(This all applies to enemies as well as players. Sequence can be player-enemy-enemy-player…)

Players can run away from combat. If they become Unconscious, they're out of the fray, too.
Combat Rounds end when an entire force is out of the fray. Like the ghost(s) bein' trapped.


*** Need hexagon paper / maps? See Adventure Writer Classic For Windows' Demo Map Viewer!

http://www.digital-alchemy.net/awwcinfo.shtml





3. The Routine

Believe me, you don't want to know.
Good thing you can face just about anything with help from….

(This is it, the heart of the game! I've made a few changes to keep things nice and easy)



THE UNIVERSAL HOW-MUCH SYSTEM


Lo ‘ est ( 0) 1 - 3
————————————–

Lo 4 - 8
————————————–

Stndrd 9 - 13
—————————————

Hi 14 - 18
—————————————-

Hi ’ est 19 - 29
—————————————-

Offscale 30+
—————————————–





Used
By the GhostMaster to determine the exact difficulty of a task (High Difficulty? let's make it “16”)
To determine How-Much a player succeeded/failed.

PLAYER'S SUCCESS / FAILURE

Not only do you have to meet the difficulty designated by the GhostMaster.
How-Much you go over (or under) will be critical too!



Lo ‘ est Success / Failure:

Just a small mishap instead of total success / failure AND a second roll /w less difficulty.



Lo Success / Failure

Just a small mishap instead of total success / failure OR a second roll /w less difficulty (GM’s call)



Stndrd Success / Failure

Just that. Nothing special.



Hi Success / Failure

Just that. Nothing special… wait, you get a help / hinder from the GM!



Hi ' est Success / Failure

The result is exaggerated by the GM in a comical fashion!Instant success / failure for the next few trials on a string!



Offscale Success / Failure

The above overkill, plus brownie points awarded / lost!

SAMPLE GHOSTBUSTERS


—— Peter Venkman, PhD.


__________________________

Brains 2 Parapsychology 5
__________________________

Muscles 2 Brawl 5
___________________________

Moves 3 Seduce 6
___________________________

Cool 6 Bluff 9
___________________________

Goal: Sex



—— Egon Spengler, PhD.


___________________________

Brains 7 Physics 10
___________________________

Muscles 2 Climb 5
___________________________

Moves 2 Disguise 5
___________________________

Cool 2 Play Stock Market 5
___________________________

Goal: Soulless Science



—– Raymond Stantz, PhD.

___________________________

Brains 6 Occult 9
___________________________

Muscles 3 Run 6
___________________________

Moves 2 Sneak 5
___________________________

Cool 2 Orate 5
___________________________

Goal: Serving Humanity



—— Winston Zeddemore

___________________________

Brains 2 Electronics 5
___________________________

Muscles 5 Intimidate 8
___________________________

Moves 4 Fire Weapon 7
___________________________

Cool 2 Bargain 5
___________________________

Goal: Money



—– Janine Melnitz

___________________________

Brains 4 Bureaucratics 7
___________________________

Muscles 2 Grapple 5
___________________________

Moves 2 Drive 5
___________________________

Cool 5 Convince 8
___________________________

Goal: Money




What's with all the stats? Brains, Muscles, Moves and Cool are your Traits. Whenever there's a puzzle, a locked door, a cliffhanger, an argument or whatever, you make use of your corresponding Trait.

The number value is, quite simply, the amount of dice you will roll to meet whatever the GhostMaster puts in front of you (GM sets difficulty, you roll, you see if you do and just How-Much you do)

Don't forget to include that Red die every time you roll…

The “Trait +3” special abilities are called Talents. If the situation allows for them, the GM should let you roll as many dice.

The Goal represents your main interest in life. You should keep that in mind.

RED DIE

aka The Wild Card

Whenever someone rolls a six (6) on the red die, well it counts as a six (6), but it plays against the Ghostbusters too. The GhostMaster can make it an unexpected “bad thing” (in a comical way, of course) or simply reduce their success / increase their failure. For ghosts and baddies controlled by the GM it's the other way around: increase their success / reduce their failure.
If players fail big time and the GM is out for the “bad thing”…. well let's make it a VERY bad thing!

SAMPLE GHOSTS, BADGUYS AND OTHER FOLKS



—— Slimer Ghost

___________________________

Power 2 (Slime)
___________________________

Ectopresence 5
___________________________

Goal: Edibles



—— Library Ghost

___________________________

Power 5 (Invisibility)
___________________________

Ectopresence 6
___________________________

Goal: Privacy



Many ghosts have a Power trait. If they're going to use their special powers, they just roll as many dice.
These ghosts are Stupid. Some ghosts, however, do have the Brains and Cool traits.
Ectopresence is the Trait you've got to reduce in order to catch'em!
Finally they can Fly about, as many spaces as their Power allows.




—— Zombie

___________________________

Brains 0 Follow Orders 3
___________________________

Muscles 4 Rip ‘N Tear 7
___________________________

Moves 1 Catch Victim 4
___________________________

Cool 0 Menacing Growl 3
___________________________

Goal: Follow Orders



As you can see, there’s Physical entities too.




—— Vic (a bad guy)

___________________________

Brains 4 Convince 7
___________________________

Muscles 3 Intimidate 6
___________________________

Moves 5 Seduce 8
___________________________

Cool 2 Brag 5
___________________________

Goal: Power



—— Dr. Martin (a good guy)

___________________________

Brains 4 Medicine 7
___________________________

Muscles 5 Massage 8
___________________________

Moves 5 Dispense Medication 8
___________________________

Cool 2 Emotional Support 5
___________________________

Goal: Serving Humanity



—— Dana Barrett

___________________________

Brains 3 Library Search 6
___________________________

Muscles 2 Climb 5
___________________________

Moves 5 Play Cello 8
___________________________

Cool 3 Spurn Advances 6
___________________________

Goal: Serving Humanity



Now, some people here are the good guys, but you can always get into a battle of wits - or charms - with anyone. (Even with a fellow Ghostbuster / player!) To do so both will roll for Brains or for Cool, one will win - the excess going in accordance to the How-Much System for the result…

Whenever things get physical (Muscles) remember you're in for The Combat Rounds. In fact, this is the standard Hand To Hand combat!
Mostly you'll be fighting baddies and “solid” entities here.
Move your miniature right next to the one you want to fight, THEN attack. Both roll for Muscles - then the loser suffers the corresponding Damage.

TAKING DAMAGE

Everybody but the ghosts has six hit points. A Character Sheet's got them mapped.
After an exchange of blows (the Muscles roll), loser checks How-Much beating he suffered.
Instead of the normal success / failure thing, each level takes up a hitpoint. (Lo ‘ est defeat= lose 1 hitpoint; a Hi one= lose 4 hitpoints)

Along with the loss of hit points comes the loss of Traits. It’s like

1st hitpoint lost: Your total Traits value's number goes down by 1.

2nd hitpoint lost: Down by 2

3rd hitpoint lost: Down by 3

4th hitpoint lost: Down by 4

5th hitpoint lost: Down by 5 . Unconscious.

6th hitpoint lost: Down by 6. Unconscious & Hospitalised.

(Kinda looks like the How-Much table doesn't it?)

How to reduce your own Traits points is up to you. The posibilities are endless!

Damage is cumulative. If you were down by 3 and you received a two-level kind of damage (Lo) you'd become Unconscious!

I believe Unconscious is used mostly to determine that old “out of the fray” status and you can regain consciousness shortly after the battle.
“Hospitalised”, however, you'll be for a long period of time. Keeping you out of the current adventure. Sorry!
(Mostly for Players)


You can go see Dr. Martin for his Medicine Talent to cure you; he rolls against your damage level and the excess becomes the hit points that you recuperate, again one per level.
Caution! You can't go see him again this game unless you're missing *at least* the same amount of hitpoints you were when you first saw him.

PROTON PACK & ITS USE

About the only weapon I ever use. So…
A proton pack is a heavy object, it weighs 2 Muscles. So Peter, Egon and Janine could only carry either a proton pack OR a few small objects (actually 4) like traps and PKE-meters. Ray (Muscles 3) is able to carry a pack plus two small objects. Winston will be able to carry a lot more. This all applies to any kind of objects you carry around for a long period of time, large and small.
Exceeding your Muscles will slow you down (Moves & Cool down by 1)
Double your Muscles: you'll be a slug.
I'd rather distribute the equipment among characters than to risk slowdown.


USE: shoot a ghost by rollin' for Moves. Distance to the ghost in hexagons determines the aiming difficulty. (5 spaces = Hi ‘ est) with the GhostMaster giving you the exact number. If you hit, excess turns into loss of Traits, one point per level, just like in Hand To Hand combat.
The GhostMaster should stick to the Ectopresence. As soon as the ghost’s Ectopresence drops to 0, the proton stream that Attacked him enters its Containment mode, allowing the player that hit him last to handle him as his prisoner.

No roll is linked to the use of a trap but you'll need to move to the hexagon next to the ghost in order to trap him.
(Of course in a solo bust the handling of a trap while holding the gost will be worthy of your Moves…)

A Slimer ghost can Slime you if you're next to him (rolls for Power, one (1) space distance's difficulty). If Slimed your Cool will go down one (1) and you won't be able to move, until cleaned up.

Anyone can dodge once per full Combat Round; after the GM sets the difficulty number for the shoot they can do a Moves / Power roll in which the result (if higher than the stated number) becomes the new difficulty.




Is it possible to use the protons on people…? YESS! In fact, this weapon gives a +3 bonus against all physical entities! Meaning you add 3 dice to your roll IF it hits. (Extra damage). Remember there's no Ectopresence here, just normal Traits and the Unconscious thing.

BROWNIE POINTS


Each player begins with twenty (20) Brownie Points (See Character Sheet). They're all-purpose, mainly:

a. Used to ask for extra dice for the present roll (of any kind). Spend one point per extra die.


To reduce failure / damage (you know, the excess from a difficulty number) down to the minimum. It can't get lower than the Lo ‘ est. Number of points spent depend on the number Levels from the one you’re in, to the Lo ‘ est.

Levels to Lo ’ est / points spent:

1 = 2 points

2 = 4 points

3 = 6 points

4 = 9 points

5 = 13 points





b. To determine a Ghostbuster's Luck.


c. The GM can always reward / punish players by way of points.