GangBusters on You Tube

www.youtube.com/watch?v=U02cHFO1cTw

Late last year, my wife of 42 years, Carolyn passed away from Ovarian Cancer. There has to be a special place in heaven for the spouses of gamers.

Since that time, several people have contacted me wondering what the status of a "redo" for GangBusters was ? And what follows is my answer:

 I've arrived at the point that I don't have the interest to do any more with "GangBusters". It's a pretty complete rules set that only needs refinement with "house rules". It isn't the game that needs to be redone, it is the need for new modules on new subjects. I have frequently encouraged people to design and to publish their GB's modules using Kickstarter, etc. . I have no need for financial remuneration from anyone's published modules as long as they are mindful of copyright laws as they apply to the game rules and credit the game designers.

You, and others, have some marvelous ideas for modules. Go for it. So get busy.

I am grateful for the kind words you all have expressed for the design of "GangBusters" through the decades (that's decades, not just years). I am also grateful for the kindness and concern of my fellow gamers through the past 2 and a half years. When all is said and done, gamers make great friends.

All the best,
Rick Krebs   

Interview with Random Wizard

This weekend I did an email interview with the Random Wizard blog on my gaming experiences.

GangBusters on other Blogs

GangBusters in lions den

B20s historical background material

It is amazing the access to historical information for GangBusters that is easily available on the Web

Organized crime in ...        Index insert any year from 20's & 30s


St Valentine's Day massacre, Feb. 1929

Kansas City massacre, June 1933

Egans Rats, early 20's St Louis

Johnny Torrio

Al Capone, "Scarface"

The Purple Gang

"Bloody 20th Ward"

"Gangster Sites"

Joe Saltis

John Dillinger

"Dingbat" Oberta

Frank McErlane

Baby Face Nelson

Gangster Molls including Kiss of Death Girl

Machine Gun Jack McGurn

 The Gangs of Chicago: An Informal History of the Chicago Underworld. ; Herbert Asbury; New York: Alfred A. Knoff, 1940

The Dry and Lawless Years by John H Lyle; 1960; Prentice Hall, Inc

Barbarians in our Midst by Virgil Peterson

The Long Thirst: Prohibition in America by Thomas McCaffey; 1975; WW Norton & Company

Weapons Combat for B20s Designer's Notes #3A

Just 2 words here: "Bio One". Jim Muscala's "must have" 12 page rules set. That would be my base rules for any realistic gun fights. We used them for the majority of playtesting and also for Boot Hill games.

To me this TSR published rules book is the most under appreciated document that was ever published by TSR.

I certainly hope this document isn't lost to the Hasbro locked game vault. That would be a major loss.

Designer's Notes #3

When there were only a couple gamers around the store (Gamer's Guild), I let folks roll up some new characters using the various charts in the  Original rules . I always liked how "Traveller" provided rules for character generation and backstories. I had even started to do my own rules for D&D character generation and backgrounds, but I was never happy with them. But, it seemed a good approach to introduce players to a new game. It was easy as they were rolling, to provide them some commentary (snarky optional) on their characters and help flesh out their personalities. Nicknames came easy. Tatooes and scars were given backgrounds. Even a rival might be revealed or groundwork layed for future problems.  Before you knew it, there were lots of laughs and enough players to start up a "street adventure". Usually, the focus of these nights were unscripted and involved their first day in (if I can make it here, I can make it anywhere) or first day back in (for those who spent time in prison) Lakefront City.