The ‘Ghostbusters’ RPG casts a long shadow. Its influence can be seen everywhere from ‘Star Wars’ to ‘World of Darkness’.
The mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cells. But they’re also a record of the DNA, which can be traced from mother to mother until you get to a common ancestor. In RPGs, dice are a lot like mitochondria– except in all of the ways they aren’t. But through the systems that employ them, you can find a sort of DNA record from game to game. And it’s amazing how many games can trace their roots to the Ghostbusters RPG.
For D&D, the humble d20 traces all the way back through the editions. Sure, you can see when the system changes with THAC0 and the like. But by looking at mechanical ancestry, you can find other games with a common “ancestor.” Including games like Shadowrun, Vampire: the Masquerade, and the world-expanding Star Wars RPG.
All of these games can trace their lineage back to 1986, when West End Games took on the license for a franchise known for tussling with marshmallow men and gods. That’s right, kids, I’m talking about Ghostbusters.
Make no mistake, West End Games’ Ghostbusters has quite the pedigree. It was put together by a conclave of designers whose names are attached to many classic games. The Ghostbusters RPG is the work of Sandy Petersen, Lynn Willis, and Greg Stafford. If those names sound familiar, it’s b…
Source: Bell of Lost Souls
