Justice Inc.
Pulp Fiction Role-Play Game

Game Review

Review by Jerry Epperson


Designed by Aaron Allston, Steve Peterson, and Michael Stackpole Hero
Games Inc. 92A 21st Ave., San Mateo, CA 94403
Released: June, 1984
Catalog No. HER013B
Price. $14.95
Complexity: Intermediate
Solitaire Suitability: Poor unless playing a solitaire adventure
* * * *1/2

Justice Inc. is a role-playing game of pulp fiction adventure set in the 1920s and 1930s. Using the Hero System (making it compatible with other Hero Game Inc. offerings, such as Champions and Espionage, err ... Danger International), it allows one or more players to recreate the exploits of almost any pulp hero imaginable, be it Burroughs' Tarzan or John Carter to the sinister Shadow, Spider, Agent X-9, or a certain "man of bronze." I found Champions to be a workable, but rather lifeless game system with very few opportunities for role- playing. it was only my love of pulp fiction that convinced me to pick up a copy of Justice Inc., and I've never regretted the decision for a moment.

The game comes in a box that has a cover suitable for framing. The art work here captures the true essence of the pulps and makes me wish that Hero Games Inc. would have seen fit to include a poster-sized copy of it with the game. What can be found under the box lid is a 96-page rule book an 80-page campaign book, and three six-sided dice.

The rules are well-organized and written in an entertaining style that puts its production quality far above that of previous Hero Games Inc.'s releases. The game allows beginners to enter into the thick of the action almost immediately. After a short introduction, players start their adventuring careers with a solitaire scenario designed to teach the rudiments of combat and skill usage. Then they get into the meat of the game, learning about character creation, skills, powers, character growth, and combats; subjects that, thanks to the adventure, will already be familiar to the reader.

Justice Inc. characters are built rather than rolled for by the player. Those who are familiar with Champions or Danger International will find that the system has not changed from those games, only the number of points that a player receives to create a character. A "talented normal" has attributes starting at 10 and 50 additional points to use for purchasing more attributes and/or skills. Champions players will have trouble with the character System because thev will have about one-third the points they are used to and will find that characters possessing even the highest characteristics or skills are woefully fragile in a gunfight. Giving a character disadvantages, yields the player more points to build the character with but limits certain aspects of that character's play because of these flaws. Character creation can take from 30 minutes for those familiar with the Hero System, to several hours for the uninitiated.

After several playings, it is very apparent that the Justice Inc. game favors those characters possessing a number of skills rather than those with a few highly specialized abilities. The more versatile the character is, the better off the player will be. The characters who really get hosed in the game are the ones who rely upon their characteristics to get them out of jams. This just doesn't work in the Justice Inc. game.

The skills, themselves, run the gauntlet from common place--boxing, brawling, driving, first aid, piloting, and radio operator -- to the downright strange -- absolute time sense, lightning calculator, lip reading, perfect pitch, and ventriloquism. Psychic powers are included for those who are interested in running horror or mystic genre campaigns.

Using a skill in the game is handled simply and consistently; the player must roll equal to or less than the modified skill level on three six-sided dice. Skills are purchased with points and are usually based upon certain character attributes. High attributes give a greater probability of success, though even skills based upon to", attributes can be raised through the use of character points.

Combat is patterned after the other Hero System games hut runs more smoothly than its predecessors. Characters are restricted in the number of actions that might he taken in a 12second tUrn-the most I've had to contend with is four, and as a result, combats are resolved quickly. Attacks are resolved in the same manner as skills are. The charts required for comhat resolution are all located on the back cover of the rule hook, including the optional one for Hit Locations. This chart is mandatory for the proper pulp feel, and it scares players into avoiding gunplay at all costs. There are also rules for handling chase scenes and aerial dogfights in an abstract, rather than precise, manner allowing the Gamemaster (GM) to forgo the use of a tactical map. It is this elegant simplicity of the system which greatly facilitates play in Justice Inc. and keeps the game moving.

If there is a weakness in the game, it lies in the fact that gadgetry rules. This is a real disappointment, given the plethora of information already provided in Justice Inc. Hopefully future editions of the game will rectify the situation and make Justice Inc. unique.

The campaign book gives some excellent guidelines for developing adventures. It even provides an over-view of the differing pulp adventure genres, ranging from crimefighters and ghostbusters to space invaders and singing cowboys. A historical primer on the 1920s and 1930s provides background information that can be used during play including colloquial terms used throughout the period. Rounding out the package is a set of five different scenarios, and all except the solitaire adventure have something to teach the prospective GM and are excellent starter adventures.

As a passport to the gut-wrenching world of pulp adventure, there isn't a better game available than Justice Inc. It grabs you by the lapels, yanks you into the midst of danger, and leaves you exhilarated. If you have ever thrilled at the thought of hunting for the gold of El Dorado, tracking down opium smugglers in the back alleys of Chinatown, or finding the evil which lurks in the hearts of men, look no further--Justice Inc. is it. Don't wait for the movie!

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© Copyright 1985 by Dana Lombardy.
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