21 More Organizations

21 More Organizations

From: Gypsy Knights Games
Reviewed by: Ron McClung

21 More Organizations is a new RPG Supplement from Gypsy Knights Games.

 I am of the philosophy that a majority of the stories we collectively make in RPGs are born of conflict, may it be physical, spiritual, moral, mental or social.  History buffs like myself can attest that humanity has a long history of conflict.  A conflict does not have to be war or combat.  It can be the type that is in the shadows and behind the scenes;  the intrigue and deceit of conflicting factions.

 In science fiction RPGs, if you don’t have the natural conflict that would come from competing with alien species, then you are left with humanity’s natural propensity to conflict with itself.  This is where factions and organizations come in.  Humanity has a strong need to feel belonged to something; be a member of something.  We are very tribal.  Forming organizations and factions is our nature.

This is what 21 More Organizations is about.  As a follow up to 21 Organizations, it presents the same number of organizations, along with origins, agendas and motivations.  Where humanity goes, so does all its politics and when given the freedom to spread out into something like Clement Sector, the more factions seem to flourish.  Clement Sector is a fertile ground for human factionalization.

From RPGNow website: “ 21 More Organizations provides 21 new and varied groups from Gypsy Knights Games’ Clement Sector setting for use in your Traveller game, each with their own unique history, motives, and goals. ”

 The organizations described in this sourcebook range from obscure paramilitary groups to charity groups;  starship pilot “biker” gangs to holovid production companies; obscure political pseudo-religious groups to scientific scholar societies; crime families to inteligence agencies.  What I like about these is that they are realistic in that they are not “sector spanning,” for the most part.  It recognizes that space is big and it is very difficult to maintain something like a sector-wide organization.  This makes the organizations not only practical but also tangible and localized.

From RPGNow website:  “Read about groups as varied as The Reliable Starship Escort Service, The Royal Astrographical Society and Harbringer Productions.”

Every organization has their own motivations, and as the GM reads them, conflicts and alliances will begin to form.  Connections and opposing interests will form stories and eventually adventures are born.

Organizations that stand out to me are ones like Intelligence Now!, based out of Fairfax in the Cascadia subsector.  It is an organization dedicated to the uplift of all animals by either genetic or cybernetic means – an animal rights organization gone even more wacky.  Or you could check out Ministry 7, the intelligence agency of Fairfax.  I love a good spy agency.  There is certainly a wide range of organizations in this PDF. 

In conclusion, I love anything that brings depth and variety to a setting.  There is so much potential for variety in Clement that I can see many more of these sourcebooks being produced.  This one has a lot of what you would want – it’s creative, inspiring, quirky and weird.

For more details on Gypsy Knights Games and their new RPG Supplement21 More Organizations” check them out at their website http://Www.gypsyknightsgames.com, and at all of your local game stores.

Codex Rating: 16

Product Summary

21 More Organizations
From: Gypsy Knights Games
Type of Game: RPG Supplement
Authors: John Watts, Curtis Rickman, Tony Hicks, Kayla Lee, Michael Johnson and Wendy Watts
Artists: Bradley Warnes , Fotolia: Valebisba, Serkorkin, Ninjanakon, pachanga, madpixblue, veroji, natalipova2011
Editor:  Curtis Rickman
Number of Pages: 41
Game Components Included: One PDF
Game Components Not Included: Core Traveller and Core Clement Sector books
Retail Price: $5.99 (US)
Website: www.gypsyknightsgames.com

Reviewed by: Ron McClung