Time Capsule: How to Write for GURPS in 1987
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Steve Jackson Games Submission Guidelines from 1987
Every creator starts somewhere… even with a letter to Steve Jackson Games.
In 1987, I was playing a lot of Car Wars and dreaming of writing role-playing games. I found an address in the back of one of the books and sent off a letter. A few weeks later, I received a packet. I was 13 years old.
While cleaning out boxes from my childhood, I found that packet.
Did I Send a Submission to SJG?
The end of the story is that I never sent anything to Steve Jackson Games. I tried to design some items for gasoline-powered cars that I intended to submit to Autoduel Quarterly.
However, I never finished anything. I second-guessed myself and couldn’t decide what to focus on. It didn’t matter, though—I had no way to create a word processor file in 1987.
I did eventually become an RPG creator. It only took until 2015.
All my Car Wars books—Uncle Albert’s Catalogs, Dueltrack, and the rest—are gone. A friend begged me to let him borrow them in 1993 or 1994. I never saw the books again.
See images of the entire packet here.
Run a D&D Masquerade for Halloween
D100 and D20 Random Tables for Any Fantasy Tabletop Role-Playing Game
Transform your fantasy tabletop role-playing game sessions into unforgettable masquerade adventures with The Book of Random Tables: Masquerades. Perfect for game masters and dungeon masters, this resource is packed with creative inspiration to enrich RPG campaigns and spark engaging storylines.
What’s Inside:
System-Agnostic Random Tables: Includes primarily D100 tables, with some D20 options, compatible with any fantasy RPG system. Use them during session prep or let players roll for unexpected twists during gameplay.
Five Sections:
Items & Things: Six D100 tables featuring items found in unique settings, including Boudoirs, Cloakrooms, Drawing Rooms, Pantries, Smoking Rooms, and Orangeries.
Food & Drink: Six hundred dishes and beverages inspired by history to add depth to your world-building.
Masks & Themes: Tables for Animal Masks and Themes to spark creativity in crafting captivating masquerade balls.
NPCs: One thousand non-player characters, including Bards, 600 Guests, Hosts, Servants, Uninvited Guests, and a Hidden Agendas table for intrigue.
Bonus Tables: D20 tables for Encounters, Whispers in the Crowd, and Secret Rooms, plus a D100 Manor Locations table with 50 entries.
Why You’ll Love It:
Bring veiled mystery, suspense, and creativity to your game with carefully crafted tables designed to make grand balls a central highlight of your campaign. Your invitation to intrigue awaits. Start crafting your next epic adventure with The Book of Random Tables: Masquerades.
The Book of Random Tables: Masquerades - DriveThruRPG
The Book of Random Tables: Masquerades - Amazon
Forged Among Stars - Character Recap
Season 2 coming soon!
Quick Video Break Down of The Book of Random Tables: Post-Apocalyptic 2
RPG Wishlist
Selected RPGs for you to check out.
DMs Guild Titles
RPG Articles
RPG News Around the Web
The Screening Room
Game Masters can draw inspiration from movies to create better, more engaging sessions.
Box Office: ‘Tron’ Hits the Skids With $33.5M Opening, ‘Roofman’ No. 2 at $8M
‘Mortal Kombat III’ Greenlit as Director and Cast Talk Sequel Expectations and Delay at NYCC
Sigourney Weaver Has Met With Disney About a New ‘Alien’ Script: “It’s a Very Strong First 50 Pages”
‘Jurassic World: Chaos Theory’ Season 4 Trailer Debuts at New York Comic Con (Exclusive)
KPop Demon Hunters directors on Oscar chances and a possible sequel
‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’ Official Trailer Has Cadet Sex and an Angry Paul Giamatti
“No One Asked for This Reboot”: ‘Tron’ May Mark End of Jared Leto’s Franchise-Leading Days
32 Years Ago, Two Movie Sequels Quietly Inspired 1 of the Greatest Games Ever Made
A Taste of 70s TV Science Fiction - Six Million Dollar Man
Humanity has been fighting AI for decades! Glorious slow motion arm fighting!
70s TV was obsessed with heightened foot and movement sounds. Once you hear it, you can’t unhear it. Jokes aside, I loved watching this show when I was little.
The entire show is free with ads on the Roku Channel.
Lots of Evil AI in this Issue
I gave this presentation a couple ago years for Gen Con Online.