31 Questions for Barking Alien - Question 7

Ah, so happy to receive a Ghostbusters question. There aren't enough Ghostbusters questions in the world. Or something. 

Question #7 from the focused, non-terminal, repeating Jonathan Linneman

What media would you put into your ideal singular Ghostbusters head canon? If you prefer a multiverse, how would you break that down?

I am weird about canon. Aren't we all? I mean, we all have our own head canon about our favorite settings, be they franchise/IPs or personal creations. When I run Ghostbusters - moreso than any other Intellectual Property I run as games - I have a very particular head canon in mind.

At the same time, I don't go into detail about this with my players. Part of what makes a licensed RPG work is that the participants can hear about specific elements and go, 'Oh yeah, I know what that is', because they've seen the movies, shows, read the book, etc. So even if I don't use a certain part of the Ghostbusters canon in my games, I don't specifically say it didn't happen or doesn't exist. This is what I call 'Passive Canon'. 

If one of my players wants to address or use a component of the franchise that I haven't addressed, they get to introduce it and now its in what I call 'Active Canon'. That said, I do have my own internal 'Ghostbusters Active Canon Bible' of what is and isn't part of my GB campaigns. 

With all that explained, here is my 'Ideal Singular Ghostbusters Head Canon'; what the world of my Ghostbusters RPG game consists of:

Ghostbusters (The original 1984 film) happened as is. No changes. 

Crossing the Proton Streams to Reverse the Particle Flow through The Transdimensional Gate created a Transdimensional Crossrip that permenantly damaged the barriers separating our universe from those beyond. From this point forward, more supernatural entities and events appear on our plane of existence then ever have before due to it now being easier for them to do so. - Based on dialogue and ideas in The Real Ghostbusters Animated Series, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the fan canon of the Ghostbusters Fan Club 'Franchises', and elsewhere.

The Real Ghostbusters (The animated series that ran from 1986 to 1991) happened, though the exact nature of the events are apocryphal. I'm a huge fan of the original Ghostbusters animated series but make adjustments to some elements to translate them to 'real life' and to coincide with events from other Ghostbusters media. In-universe, the Real Ghostbusters was an animated cartoon dramatizing the Ghostbusters activities between 1985 and 1987.

Sometime between 1987 and 1989 the level of Paranormal Activity dropped significantly. The four Ghostbusters take up other jobs to make ends meet. - Extrapolated from the dialogue and situations at the beginning of Ghostbusters II. 

Ghostbusters II (The second film in 1989) happened, though the exact nature of the events are apocryphal. I'm not a big fan of the film and pick and choose what elements of the movie I confirm to exist in my Active Canon.

Paranormal Activity spikes again and the Ghostbusters become active once more. The proliferation of reported supernatural phenomena is even greater than before and incidents are witnessed nationwide. GB franchises pop up across the United States and eventually in the UK, Japan, and Australia as well. - Background information based on the Ghostbusters Fan Club 'Franchises' and our own Ghostbusters campaigns.

Now here's where things get weird...

Our Ghostbusters: The Home Office campaign started in 1986 with the publishing of the Ghostbusters RPG by West End Games. In that campaign, the PCs are handpicked by the original four Ghostbusters from Franchises all across the US [and one guy from England] to replace them as the field operatives of the company while the OGs manage the corporation. 

This story was set roughly ten years in the future, roughly 1996. Remember that this was 1996 as seen from 1986; Ghostbusters II and everything that came after it (video games, comics, Afterlife, Frozen Empire) weren't a thing at the time. This means that The Home Office campaign is in its own continuity, a separate timeline if you will.

Going back to the question above, Jonathan notes 'If you prefer a multiverse' and the truth is, I don't. I love the idea in other settings but here it kind of puts me off. Not sure why but it just doesn't feel right. Even so, that is where we find ourselves when we run sessions in this campaign world.

Other campaigns I've run haven't addressed the classic Ghostbusters team or events except in the broadest sense. Essentially I approached these games with the mindset of 'You know what Ghostbusters is about right? Great! You guys are Ghostbusters...'. At the same time, I don't generally have 'The Home Office' team be the group back at the home office. In both our Ghostbusters Hoboken (GB NJ) and Ghostbusters Seattle campaigns, the New York team is thought to consist of Venkman, Spengler, Stantz, and Zeddemore. 

In the end, my ideal Ghostbusters Head Canon is somewhat amorphous and fluid. It generally assumes the first film is the cornerstone of a lot of stuff that may or may not have happened. In the meantime, I'm able to cherry pick from the four motion pictures, numerous seasons of cartoons, a host of video games, stacks of comics, and anything else that comes along. 

Yes, I said four films. There have only been four. 

AD

Barking Alien

Campaigns A-To-Z: Ghostbusters: The Home Office

I almost posted a letter out of order. Seriously. This month is kicking my keister.

OK, back on track.

G is for Ghostbusters!

Title: Ghostbusters: The Home Office

UPDATED!

Gamemaster's Commentary: This post is about the first Ghostbusters campaign I/we ran, waaay back in 1986. It was definitely more humorous and less scary/creepy than the later games of Ghostbusters that I ran myself but still pretty scary and creepy.

To check out my notes on one of those games take a look at...Accidentally Awesome.

Some of the elements of this earlier game would be seen in the Ghostbusters animated series (The Real Ghostbusters) and other follow-up features in the franchise (such as Ghostbusters II and Ghostbusters International), all long before they actually appeared.

System: Ghostbusters, A Frightfully Cheerful Role Playing Game

Circa: 1986-89. Sessions generally averaged 4-5 hours in length (shorter than our 8+ hour standard for that era). The campaign lasted over three dozens sessions (roughly), though these were scattered across a three year period. The final session was run sometime in 1989.

Player Base: There were only four players including whomever was GMing as we rotated. Everyone took a turn but Joe ran the most. All four players were male and 17-18 years of age.

Characters: Just like in the film, there were initially four Ghostbusters, each a PC, and each with his own style and specialty. In addition, each carried a customized Neutrino Wand/Proton Pack unit.

The four were roughly analogous to the original four characters from the movie, though far from identical.

At some point in the campaign, our friend AJ joined in with a character of his own. While this technically made for five Ghostbusters, the rotating GM style we used meant one of the main four was essentially an NPC each session. So there were five Ghostbusters employed at the GB-HQ but usually only four of them would be on a mission together while the fifth did something else (modified their gear, did additional research, handled the EPA, etc.).

Dr. Alexander Dominic Thorton the 3rd (played by Joe V.):

The most original of the characters and not as easy to identify with one of the original four Ghostbusters, Alexander D. Thorton the 3rd is one part Ray, one part Peter, and two parts John Cleese as a paranormal investigator.

A wealthy British aristocrat originally hailing from England, Thorton lead a life of fancy lunches with good tea and tiny, triangular sandwiches, long Cricket matches, and other endeavors of leisure and little consequence. This was until he inherited a lovely, seaside summer cottage which turned out to be very, very haunted.

Hearing about the American supernatural investigation and elimination company Ghostbusters, Thorton sold off some assets, flew to the United States. and donated quite a bit of capital to the corporation in exchange for having them train equip him to open a franchise in London. After five successful years as the head of 'Ghostbusters UK' (technically Ghostbusters London), Thorton was asked back to the USA by Ray Stantz for the home office (See Synopsis).

Thorton's specialty was good old fashioned ghosts, spectres and phantoms. He was especially well versed in the dynamics of hauntings. 

His custom Neutrona Wand was capable of drawing ghosts directly into the device like a vacuum. The ectoplasmic entity was then sent through a tube into a ghost trap mounted on the side of the pack. This was referred to as the 'Quantum Incarcerator'. 

David Nelson (played by David C.):

A combination of Ray and Winston. The character was our tank and big gun, which was a very different role from that normally played by this player. He was great at it.

David Nelson was a former US Marine from Queens, New York who had encountered supernatural phenomena both at home and abroad during his tours of duty. After being discharged from the military, Nelson met with the Ghostbusters to find out why he kept having these encounters. Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler determined that Nelson's personal bio-electric aura and psychic resonance were such that weirdness was attracted to him like a magnet.

David became a freelance paranormal investigator for a few years before Winston Zeddemore asked if he wanted to join the Ghostbusters at the home office.

David Nelson's specialty involved Zombies, Mummies, and similar corporeal 'Risen Dead'.

He carried a Proton 'Cannon' (nicknamed 'The Neutrona Rod'), a much larger barreled particle stream caster with a much heavier Proton Pack. It was not able to 'lasso' the ghosts and was less accurate in general.

Robert 'Robbie' Stadler (played by William C.):

Our Peter Venkman, all the way.

Hailing from sunny Southern California, Robert Stadler was once a championship surfer, professional beach bum, and all around officially cool dude. During one surfing competition, a storm rolled in and Stadler was pulled out further to sea than he expected. Before long he was attacked by what he thought was a shark, only to discover it was a Were-Shark!

Robert managed to escape the creature but no one would believe him when he described his encounter. Amid a number of shark attacks over the next few days, Stadler contacted the Ghostbusters and asked them what to do about the situation. The very next day, Ray Stantz and Peter Venkman flew out to Cali and teamed with Stadler to root out and defeat the menace.

Stadler stayed in touch with the team and was later recruited for the home office.

Robbie's specialty was were-creatures, sea monsters and cryptids.

His custom Neutrona Wand was about half the size and two thirds the weight of the standard version. This 'Proton Pistol' was attached to a slightly lighter and smaller Proton Pack and had a hip holster charger. The weapon was less powerful but more accurate and controlled than the standard type.

Prof. Gabriel Zimmerman (played by Me):

Very much Egon Spengler and incidentally, my character.

Gabriel Zimmerman was a rather eccentric, socially awkward, scientific genius who worked as an astrophysicist at a university observatory in Illinois. Though fascinated by Egon Spengler's work with particle accelerators and other Ghostbusters technology, Zimmerman didn't believe in the existence of ghosts. Zimmerman assumed the phenomena being encountered by the Ghostbusters was something else (I forget what it was now but I had this whole speech where Zimmerman explains the events of the first Ghostbusters film in much the way the air force debunks UFO sightings).

At some point, Zimmerman was contacted by the Ghostbusters when a spectral astronaut started causing trouble at NASA's Space Center in Houston, TX. While aiding them (thanks to his extensive knowledge of the space mission this particular astronaut was part of), Zimmerman came face to face with the phantom spaceman and changed his opinion (followed by his underwear).

For a time after that, Zimmerman continued to worked as an astrophysicist but for NASA. In his off hours he took courses on metaphysics and parapsychology. After getting a degree in those fields he quit his job and applied to the Ghostbusters. He was quickly hired for the home office.

Zimmerman is the team's resident mad scientist and tech guy. His specialty remains astronomy and astrophysics but also astrology, UFO lore, and extraterrestrials.

Gabriel's personally modified Neutrona Wand generates a spherical 'bubble' of super-charged protons that can trap an ectoplasmic entity or protect him as a force field. The latter is difficult and requires a moment to mess with the devices settings to make it happen.

UPDATE: In recent years my good friend Michael Moss has taken over the role of Gabriel Zimmerman in games I have GMed and the character could not be in better hands. Mike's portrayal of Zimmerman is less 'nerdy' and a bit more 'off beat' then mine but I love it!

Pedro Preguntas (played by AJ):

I had forgotten that later in the campaign's run, the group was joined by another New York native, the Bronx born Pedro Prequntas. 

Pedro, a man of proud Puerto Rican descent, grew up on the mean streets of the Bronx doing...well...his exact profession prior to joining the Ghostbusters was never clear. In fact, while he was often alluded to that he may have been involved in various criminal activities, it was also implied that he wasn't completely keeping secrets about his past. He may actually have forgotten parts of it. The exact cause and nature of his memory lapses is unknown. 

We do know that he had seen some strange things in the dark places and back alleys of New York City and he basically showed up on the 'doorstep' of the Ghostbusters' Firehouse one day informing the group that it was in everyone's best interest if they hired him. Apparently, he'd handled some local spooks and spectral manifestation all on his own, using just the chip on his shoulder and a strong right hook.

Prequntas has cojones the size of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man's.

Unlike the rest of the team, Pedro used the standard Proton Pack and Wand you see in the original film. 

Synopsis: A few years after the events of the first Ghostbusters film, supernatural activity is low and business is terrible. The various original members find themselves doing side jobs, speaking at lectures, in TV interviews, and doing personal research projects.

Following Halloween 1987, supernatural activity picks up again and various parties contact the 'main office' hoping to open franchise businesses. The most successful of these are Ghostbusters Houston (Zimmerman's location for a short while), Ghostbusters Kentucky, Ghostbusters New Mexico, and Ghostbusters UK in London (Thorton's location).

(Throughout the course of the campaign at least a half dozen others are mentioned. Though never seen or encountered, the Ghostbusters Louisiana franchise, located in the city of New Orleans, is supposed to be especially badass).

As the business side of things takes up more and more of their time and they get a chance to go into the field less and less, the original Ghostbusters decide to recruit a new team to operate out of the home office in New York City. They choose the best people from their various franchise operations and a couple of people the members have had personal dealings with. After an exhaustive process of going through dozens and dozens of candidates they decide on Dr. Alexander D. Thorton (Leader, Head Researcher and Accounting), David Nelson (Field Commander, Tactical Specialist, and Cook), Stadler (Front Man, PR Guy, and Customer Relations) and Zimmerman (Science, IT, Fringe Technician). Eventually the group is so busy they add Prequntas (who is their primary driver and mechanic). 

Adventures were mostly episodic, with very few multi-part stories or story arcs. The sessions (often called Episodes actually) were relatively short compared to other game sessions I was running at the time (as noted early - 4 or 5 hours as opposed to our usual 8-12). That said, some of the most memorable Episodes were longer than usual and/or multi-parters. Interesting, no?

The game was action packed, full of cool and creepy ideas, but at heart it remained a comedy. The focus was on seriously spooky situations but often came alive through its oddball characters and clever humor in the vein of the first film.

Bonus Features:

My friend Joe (who played Thorton) was/is an absolute Ghostbusters fanatic. Without him the campaign would not have worked half as well as it did. He had the 'making of the movie' book, built a prop Proton Pack out of found objects that looked fantastic, and was especially good at creating adventures with supernatural beings inspired by unexpected sources but which fit perfectly into the campaign (Such as an attractive though evil witch based on Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty who was awesome to battle!).

We made a couple of parody songs for the campaign including 'Only The Ghosts Die Young' (Sung to Billy Joel's 'Only The Good Die Young') and 'California Screaming' (Sung to 'California Dreaming' By The Mamas and The Papas).

Our uniforms were originally the same as the ones in the movies, then differen't colors like the Real Ghostbusters cartoon, and then finally we settled on a new, updated uniform that was the same for everyone (though we all wore it differently. Sleeves rolled up, front open, front zipped to the top, etc.).

We had three vehicles. The first was the original Ecto-1. The second was a motorcycle used primarily by Robbie Stadler. Later we added a truck/van type design based on an Ice Cream Truck I believe. It had a Ghost Storage/Containment Unit inside where the freezer would be.

AD
Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - GABRIEL ZIMMERMAN

What happens when you create an officially licensed Ghostbusters RPG but spend an unusual amount of energy and creativity on Extraterrestrials and Outer Space early in its incarnation, two things not related to Ghostbusters?

If you're me, you create a Player Character...

Character: Gabriel Poindexter Zimmerman

AKA: Professor Zimmerman, The Innovative Ghostbuster, The Intellectual One

Player: Adam Dickstein, Michael Moss.

System: Ghostbusters, The RPG, 1st Edition - West End Games. Modified with Houserules.

 

Nature: Long Campaign: Ghostbusters: The Home Office 

Gamemaster: Joseph Vitaliano Jr. and others. Adam Dickstein when run by Mike Moss.

Circa: Original Campaign 1986-1989. Returned in 2019 and 2020. Looking forward to future appearances.

Origins: I'm not really a horror guy. I'm a Sci-Fi guy. 

One of the things I love most about Ghostbusters - the setting that is - is that even though the Ghosts are considered 'Supernatural', a few mad geniuses figured out how to effect them using [Super] Science. Science Fiction can fight against the Paranormal here, unlike in many settings where Magic trumps science and technology. 

As such, Egon Spengler was absolutely my favorite character. Thanks largely to the incredible comedic acting talent of the late, great Harold Ramis, Egon is a man as brilliant as he is odd and I wanted in on that action.

As each of the other players pitched their PC concepts for our Ghostbusters: The Home Office campaign, I was happy to hear that no one had created an 'Egon character'; nobody had decided to be our Mad Scientist/Tech Savant guy. 'Perfect', I thought and then jumped in with my idea for Gabriel Zimmerman.I was given the thumbs up by the GM and read some more of the game's rules and setting material to develop more of a story for him. 

As I did, I came across references to UFOs and related phenomena and was very surprised. I also checked out Ghostbusters second pre-made adventure, Hot Rods of the Gods, which (Spoilers!) is a module in which your Paranormal Investigators face off against alien punks in a flying car.

Huh? That's not a Ghostbusters story, it's more Men in Black (which wouldn't come out for another 11 years). However...it did give me an idea. 

Backstory: Originally hailing from Chicago, Illinois, Gabriel P. Zimmerman was a genius student excelling in the studies of astrophysics and astronomy. He was also incredibly socially awkward, excelling in making other students confused and uncomfortable with his often absent minded nature and other peculiarities. Before graduating college he worked at the university observatory, discovering a number of stellar objects and improving the operations of the facility's primary telescope, the latter without permission. It simply wasn't operating as effective as it could be, so he fixed it. Why were people upset? 

Right after graduation Zimmerman was recruited by NASA and eventually assigned to a variety projects at their Space Center in Houston, TX. He was working there when the events of the first Ghostbusters film occurred. Fascinated by the development of the technology being used to 'fight ghosts', Gabriel nonetheless didn't believe in the existence of the paranormal. It was his professional and scholarly assessment that the phenomena the Ghostbusters were encountering had more sensible and logical origins. 

That was until the Ghostbusters themselves arrived at the Space Center, called in amid reports of a 'Phantom Astronaut' moving through sections of the main facility and causing computers and other equipment to go haywire. Dr. Ray Stanz and Dr. Egon Spengler contacted Zimmerman and requested his assistance on the matter. They believed they'd identified the ghost and were informed Zimmerman was particularly knowledgeable about the mission the man had been attached to. He gladly joined the boys in gray in hopes of getting to the bottom of whatever was really going on. 

The Ghostbusters and Gabriel Zimmerman encountered the Spectral Spaceman and there was no denying this entity defied the conventional science that Zimmerman was familiar with. Following the 'Space Ghost''s capture, Gabriel remained with NASA for a time but all the while he read up on metaphysics, parapsychology, and anything and everything he could find on the supernatural. He even went so far as to get several degrees in those fields (in his spare time). Eventually, he quit his job to apply to work for Ghostbusters, Inc. and was hired to work with the Home Office. 

Overview: I don't know what to say beyond I absolutely love this character. He is just so much fun to play and easily ranks among the top 5 most fun characters I've ever had. He isn't necessarily the deepest, his background and personality largely played for story context or laughs but he's enjoyable to portray and that's what matters. 

Since just prior to the Covid Pandemic I've been able to reconnect with some of my high school friends, including many I hadn't seen in almost 35 years. Among them is the brilliant and very funny Michael Moss, an artistically talented guy as well as a truly kind and intelligent person. When I've run Ghostbusters: The Home Office since, Mike has taken over playing Zimmerman on my request and he's not only nailed it, he enhanced the character. I honestly like his take on Zimmerman even more than my own. He just gets the whole theme of subdued zaniness that makes the character special.

The Highlights: 

Boy, this is hard. There were both so many cool moments and it was so long ago that I played him it's very difficult to parse out highlights. 

My best recommendation would be to check out my Tag for 'The Home Office'. I've updated it so all the references to that campaign are under one heading. The exploits of Prof. Zimmerman and the entire gang can be found there. 

Game Info:

Thanks to Joe Vitaliano Jr., my dear friend and the primary GM of our original campaign, I have the 35 year old character sheets for all the Home Office members...except Zimmerman.

*Sob*

It seems I may have taken that one home with me at some point and lost it over the last three decades or so. So pissed I can't tell you. 

I do have his revised sheet from the games where Mike played him and ultizing my homebrew/kitbash system detailed in past posts (Search for Tag 'Ghostbusters').

Notable on here besides his penchant for Birdcalls is his Specialty in Paranormal Phenomena. This indicates his knowledge in areas of supernatural events, commonalities, anomalies, and other such side effects of ghost activity moreso than understanding the ghosts themselves. For example, he is familiar with things like Dimensional Crossrips and Portals, Symmetrical Bookstacking, Cold Spots, and physical beings or objects being transported in another plane of existance. 

Like the rest of the original Home Office team, Gabriel uses a custom Neutrona Wand/Proton Pack assembly known as the Positron Field Generator. This device can function as a standard particle thrower but has two additional functions (actually a single function with two settings):

Positron Capture Field: Zimmerman can place a bubble of charge protons around the Ghost, holding it in a fashion similar to a Capture Stream but more stable. The being or creature must be smaller than the maximum field size of 20 feet in diameter. A Technology-Modifications Roll with a minimum of 2 Successes can increase this size but only for a round or two. 

Entities held in this way must roll their PKE versus Zimmerman's Technology + 1D for the Proton Pack. If Gabriel gets more successes than the ghost in this case, he is able to contain it in the bubble field. This allows 1 Ghostbuster per Success over what the Ghost got to take an action (other than Zimmerman himself) so that can position themselves to Blast, ready an additional Capture Stream, or drop a Ghost Trap. 

Position Force Field: Zimmerman can protect himself with a roughly sphereical bubble of Protons that prevent PKE empowered Ectoplasmic entities from touching him. The field is approximately 20 ft. in diameter and forms in a radius around him. In order to use the device in this way he must make a successful Technology-Modifications Roll (only 1 Success is needed under normal circumstances but this can be increased based on a variety of conditions). 

This Proton Bubble reduces the effects of many of their attacks by 1D per Success he achieves with a Technology + 1D Proton Pack Roll. The Force Field will cause Ghosts Ectoplasm damage if they try to push through it. Touching the field is that same as being hit by a Blast Stream; Zimmerman's player rolls Technology + 1D for Proton Pack and the Ghost/GM rolls the entity's Ectoplasm Dice. For every Success Zimmerman does over the number the Ghost gets, the Ghost losses 1 point of Ectoplasm. If the Ghost gets more Successes than Zimmerman it still takes 1 point of Ectoplasm damage but Zimmerman's Proton Pack loses its +1D Bonus and must be repaired to get it back.

Notes: 

Gabriel Zimmerman looks a little like the version of Egon Spengler from 'The Real Ghostbusters' animated series but was actually created just before that show first aired. Literally days before.

There is also a resemblence between Prof. Gabriel Zimmerman and Dr. Jillian Holtzman from the it-should-never-be-spoken-of-again-and-I-will-punish-myself-harshly-for-mentioning-it-here Ghostbusters...film...from 2016. Honestly she was the best part of that debacle. 

Gabriel's next of kin is his younger sister who lives in Chicago and would probably look a lot like the aforementioned character. 

My version of Zimmerman is a tad more scatterbrained than Mike's depiction, thinking so many things so quickly that he's often lost in his own thoughts and unable to find his way back. Mike's take has him as a much more focused, deliberate thinker but one so focused on what's on his own mind he isn't always processing what others are saying until he's finished with the idea in his head. 

Legacy:

Man oh man oh man! I am chomping at the bit to get to run for the ol' Home Office gang again and see what Mike Moss does with Zimmerman next!

Anytime guys, I'll be waiting.

AD
Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - ALEXANDER D. THORTON

Last month's plethora of Ghostbusters RPG related posts were largely inspired by the release of the Ghostbusters: Afterlife film and the success of the two one-shots I ran (in 2019 and 2020 respectively) featuring the players and PCs from the Ghostbusters campaign we originally ran back in 1986.

Whether he'll take the credit or not, credit is due to my friend Joseph Vitaliano Jr. and his love of the Ghostbusters franchise. It was the perfect storm of meeting Joe in high school, learning of his obsession with the original film, and introducing him to the idea of running and playing a Ghostbusters RPG that united us - Joe, Dave Concepcion, William Corpening, and myself - in a game that has lead to a 36 year friendship (and still going).

While I am taking this opportunity to celebrate his character, Doctor Alexander Dominic Thorton, it should be noted that Joseph was the main Gamemaster (or Ghostmaster) for The Home Office campaign. Dave, Will, and I would pop in for an episode or two here and there but it was Joe as showrunner that provided the glue that kept the ol' firehouse together.

Character: Alexander Dominic Thorton

AKA: Dr. Thorton, the Gentleman Ghostbuster, The Respectable One.

Player: Joseph Vitaliano Jr. 

System: Ghostbusters, The RPG, 1st Edition - West End Games. Modified with Houserules. 
 
Campaign: Ghostbusters: The Home Office

Gamemaster (s): Joseph Vitaliano Jr., David Concepcion, Willaim Corpening, Adam Dickstein. 

Circa: Original Campaign 1986-1989. Returned in 2019 and 2020. Looking forward to future appearances. 

Origins: Joe Vitaliano Jr. is a horror guy. 

He loves horror literature and film, is a fan of Edgar Allen Poe and H.P. Lovecraft, and generally likes his mysteries macabre and his tales terrifying. He runs a mean game of Call of Cthulhu. He also has a wonderful sense of humor and never takes his terror too seriously. 

Combine the Hammer Horror greats like Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee with the comedic genius of Monty Python and you can understand why Joseph felt a proper Paranormal Investigator should be handsome, clever, and of course, British.

Backstory: Alexander Dominic Thorton was born to a wealthy family of British aristocrats distantly related to the English royalty. For most of his early life he lived in relative luxury; he had high tea at fancy tea shops, played cricket, rode the horses his parents owned, and wanted for nothing.

As a young man he attended the best schools and did very well, eventually earning himself a Ph.D in Psychology. Upon graduation he went into the family business, which as far as he could tell involved managing the staff of the various homes they owned and generally being rich.

In his late twenties, Alex inherited a 16th century Summer Cottage in Kent from his Great-Aunt Agatha whom he had not seen in decades. An eccentric old woman who didn't get along with the rest of the family, Agatha had been fond of Alex and although they had not been close in many years, no one in the family was surprised that Agatha left her cottage to her 'favorite nephew'. 

After a mere couple of days in the cottage, Alexander Thorton was convinced the place was haunted. Great-Aunt Agatha had told Alex numerous ghost stories when he was young and often claimed her house was home to 'restless spirits'. After weeks of investigation and attempts at communication, Thorton was at a loss over what to do next. That was until he heard about the American company known as 'Ghostbusters'. 

Gathering evidence of the haunting, Alexander cashed in some assets and flew first-class to New York City. There he met with the Ghostbusters, showed them his findings, and gave them a significant cash donation with the stipulation that they train him to be one of them, a Ghostbuster. They did and he proved to have quite a knack for it. Not only did he return to England to clear out the ghosts of Agatha's Cottage but he went on to establish a Ghostbusters Franchise in London. 

After five years as head of Ghostbusters UK, Thorton was contacted by the original Ghostbusters when they decided to retire from active field operations to run the behind-the-scenes aspects of the business. Dr. Ray Stantz asked Dr. Alexander Thorton to take over at The Home Office.

Dr. Thorton excepted and the rest is history. 

Overview: I love Alexander D. Thorton.

It's fair to say that I love all the characters from the Ghostbusters: The Home Office campaign but Thorton stands out as an excellent example of a Ghostbusters PC made for a long term campaign. My dream would be for Sony Pictures to do a Streaming Series of Ghostbusters and if they do, they could do a lot worse than to have a character like Alex D. Thorton. 

Thanks to the player, Joseph, Dr. Thorton is clever, charming, has a wry, sarcastic sense of humor and yet usually serves as the straight man. He also adds a level of seriousness to the whole thing. Yes, he can be very funny but he is also the one who endorses doing research, has designed a custom Neutrona Wand/Ghost Trap Combo weapon, and he keeps a sharp eye on the status of the Containment Unit, the team's resources and supplies, etc. 

Without Thorton I'd imagine the team could still be comedic. With him they are a group of professionals protecting the world from supernatural threats [while still being comedic]. 

The Highlights:

It's been 36 years since the game was originally run and while I recall a number of the scenarios, trying to pinpoint particular moments after all this time is difficult. 

I do remember one scenario I think of as pure Alexander Thorton. 

A rash of mischievous spirits were the result of a modern day Witch calling upon the entities to teach her greater and greater magics. After they would instruct her on the use of a spell, she would release them from her Summoning Circle in exchange. She thought that meant they would return to the spirit world but instead it set them free on the streets of New York City. It released them - it didn't un-summon them. 

While the rest of the team worked to capture the problematic poltergeists, Dr. Thorton located and confronted the Witch. Finding her attractive, engaging, intelligent, and charming in her own right, Alex tried to flirt with her as he slipped in an explanation of what was happening. The Witch was intrigued by Thorton but doubted his sincerity, certain that he was after something else (perhaps some arcane knowledge). Some of the ghosts were hanging around the Witch's place and started commenting on how handsome he was, how he had a good job, how he seemed so well mannered and educated... 

Soon Thorton and the Witch found themselves surrounded by ghost Yentas. The paranormal busybodies went full gossipy auntie / matchmaker on the two. Amazingly, Thorton turned it around and started to appeal to the ghosts, complimenting them, agreeing with them, etc. With his charm redirected and the spirits on his side, the Witch gave up playing games with Alex - she was outnumbered and out-voted - and they sat down for a nice cup of tea and honest discussion.

Game Info:

Here is the second Ghostbusters Character Sheet for Alexander D. Thorton. It was made based on WEG's Ghostbusters International RPG, the 2nd Edition of the game. There are modifications based on our own houserules.

Here is the current incarnation of Dr. Alex Thorton, with his Character Sheet from my kitbashed Ghostbusters RPG Fan Project. (See November and December 2021 for details or follow the Ghostbusters tag).

You might notice Thorton's Attributes come to 15 dice instead of the 13 starting dice I recommended in my post on Character Creation. Likewise, the Franchise Dice come to 15 as well. This was done to show Alex as a starting character but one reflecting the background of being hired by the home office to replace the original Ghostbusters. 

Finally, no mention of Alex Thorton would be complete without an explanation of his unique weapon, The Quantum Incarcerator. Looking similar though noticeably distinct from a standard Neutrona Wand, the Incarcerator can lasso a ghost with a Capture Stream, then pull into back into the unit were it becomes temporarily held in a Muon Field before being sucked through a tube into a Ghost Trap built right into the side of the Proton Pack. Jokingly referred to as a Quantum Vacuum and Tractor Stream Thrower. 

Whew. OK, where are we off to next?

Next we check in with BLACK ADDER - One of the first known Black Superheroes of the DYNAMOS universe! Once smooth as silk and quick as a cobra, he's now in his 60's, a little out of touch, and a lot out of practice. Which begs the question, "Why did we bring this guy?" Dig it!

AD

Barking Alien

The Franchise Rights Alone

The title of this post comes from a line in the original 1984 Ghostbusters film. It's one Peter Venkmen says to Ray Stantz when the latter is concerned about taking out a mortgage on his family home to finance the start up of the Ghostbusters operation. 

It is also the line that, for me at least, embodies all the potential of the Ghostbusters IP. A potential that the fans definitely understood, even if Columbia Pictures didn't.*

There are, right now as I type this, an estimated 500+ Ghostbusters fan clubs across the USA, Canada, and abroad including the UK, Australia, and South Korea. Each refers to themselves as a Ghostbusters 'franchise' in a nod to the very same line I mentioned above.

In a podcast interview I listened to years ago (I forget the name sadly) a member of one such franchise discussed his head canon for the existence of his club. Paraphrasing, he said that the fan clubs exist in a parallel continuity to the first two films wherein Crossing the Streams dispatched Gozer from our dimension but permanently weakened the barrier between this world and the next. Ghosts, Evil Spirits, and other spooky things sometimes get through and so the Ghostbusters franchises exist to beat back the darkness. This is my head canon as well and the basis of the setting of any Ghostbusters campaign I run.

It baffles me...OK, mini-rant here...it absolutely baffles me that every time we get a Ghostbusters movie after the original, 'Ghosts haven't been seen in ages!' Each time we start from scratch, with the idea being that defeating Gozer got rid of all [or most] the supernatural activity in the world. WHY?!? Why shoot yourself in the foot like they? Why do companies say, "We did this awesome thing people liked but I guess we'll never do it again", while at the same time having a love affair with sequels and reboots? Why not leave yourself an out? Why not keep the door open? You don't have to commit to anything but its there if you want it. Ugh!

OK, back to business...pun intended. 

In this post I'm going to address putting a Franchise together but saving the mechanics of Franchise Dice for the next post. Here they are noted on the right hand side of the Character Sheet for future reference: 

Before we discuss the rules I think it's important that we talk about what goes into the Franchise as a part of developing a campaign. What is it and what does it mean to the Players, the Player Characters, and to the world/setting the GM is building. 

The Nature of the Franchise

The first concern is what state is the Franchise in. This will relate directly to the Franchise Dice later on so keep that in mind. Consider the answers to these questions in the development of your PCs Ghostbusters branch. 

Is this Franchise new or well established?

Did a wealthy investor establish this or did desperate friends pool their last few bucks?

Are we looking at a well-oiled machine or a sinking ship held together with spit and tape?

Get the character of the Franchise and it will inform many aspects of the campaign, especially the tone. Some of the humor in a Ghostbusters game can come from the make-up of the business.

The Headquarters

 

I am going to skip discussion of where the Franchise could be located as that could be virtually anywhere. I may go into some options at a later date but for now let me focus on the aspects that I've found most directly effect the PCs from session to session. 

One of the things I love about many of the games I run is that the PCs aren't hobos and they don't have to wait to establish a home. The Player Characters here start with a base of operations, not only a place to hang their hat but a location to call their own and more importantly make their own. 

Developing and customizing a building to serve as the home base is a lot of fun and makes the PCs consider what makes for a good Ghostbusters HQ since what they end up with is on them.

Again, questions arise: Do the Ghostbusters live there or is this just where they work? Where does the team keep its vehicle? Is there room for a lab? A library? A repair area/expanded garage? Is it in the heart of the city? On the outskirts? What kind of structure is it or did it used to be? 

As we all know, the original Ghostbusters were based in an abandoned and then refurbished Firehouse, the actual building being the New York City Fire Department station of Hook & Ladder 8 at 14 North Moore Street at the intersection of North Moore and Varick Street. Our old Ghostbusters: The Home Office campaign took place in that same building, slightly renovated right before they moved in. 

The Ghostbusters, NJ campaign headquarters was in part of a warehouse in Hoboken, NJ. A large empty space, the place was laid out like a loft with a few raised platforms and separated into 'rooms' by pre-fab walls. Although each of the employees had their own living arrangements offsite, there were cots and areas to relax in case they had to pull an all-nighter. 

I've been playing with the idea of a Lighthouse base in New England, a converted Bowling Alley based on one turned into a bookstore in Niagara Falls, and even a renovated Asylum that might itself be haunted!

The Vehicle:

I am not a car guy but I could totally do any entire post on the iconic Ghostbusters vehicle, Ecto-1. Built on a 1959 Cadillac Professional chassis by the Miller-Meteor Company, this ambulance/hearse combination was of the 'End Loader' model. With its distinctive lines and curves, unique siren sound, and the group's 'No Ghost' emblem emblazoned on the door there are few in the world who do not recognize the Ecto-1. 

The question is...what does your group drive?

Much like the Headquarters, the team's vehicle says something about them and vice versa. Practical concerns like enough room to transport the team, carry the equipment, and how it handles the local terrain or traffic conditions go hand-in-hand with a cool aesthetic. You want to feel pride in your ride but it also needs to get the job done.  

We've never had our 'Ectos' become characters in the game the way a Starship is in Star Trek or Star Wars but I could definitely see it happening. As stated in a post about notable vehicles in past games from last year, our Home Office team used a slightly overhauled version of the original vehicle - referred to as the Ecto-1+ or simply the Ecto-Plus - as well as a motorcycle with a side car and a converted Ice Cream Truck. Our Hoboken, NJ group had a 2009 Subaru Forester that we considered trading in for a 2010 Humvee. 

OK, that's it for this one. Next up, the thing neither I nor Dr. Peter Venkman rather care for...More Rules! 

AD

Barking Alien

Back Off Man, I'm A Scientist

The first Ghostbusters campaign I was part of - Ghostbusters: The Home Office - utilized the official Ghostbusters tabletop RPG published by West End Games in 1986. By the time the Ghostbusters International edition of the game came out in 1989, my group had already added house rules which expanded the game quite a bit. This resulted in a game very similar to Star Wars D6, a game which grew out of the Ghostbusters RPG in the first place. 

My second Ghostbusters RPG campaign - Ghostbusters, NJ (aka Ghostbusters Hoboken) - was run with a system I concocted by merging the original Ghostbusters RPG and Memento Mori's InSpectres. Since the two systems are very similar mechanically, the end result is a sort of Ghostbusters RPG Third Edition with a few nifty add-ons. A slightly more refined version of this game was used for two one-shots during the pandemic with the ol' Home Office group and it worked extremely well. 

For my next excursion into Ghostbusters gaming I am adding in some ideas from Free League's ALIEN RPG. Let me break it down for you...

I should begin by pointing out that there will be two types of dice in this game - Action Dice and Stress Dice. Action Dice are standard 6-sided dice and are in use for all rolls other than Stress rolls. 

When a Player Character has Stress, the controlling player of that PC rolls a number of Stress Dice; these should be a different color, size, or whathaveyou from the Action Dice to differentiate between the two. For my games I have custom made Ghost Dice that are black with white pips for the numbers. On the side that would normally have one pip, a 'No Ghost' emblem replaces it.

One of my personal objectives when designing or modifying a system is to be able to run the entire game - or at least as much of it as possible - from the Player Character's record sheets. That is obviously not always possible but it is my goal. I prefer it if the players and myself as Gamemaster rarely need to look anything up in a rulebook during play. To that end, most of the game mechanics for this Ghostbusters system come directly from information on the sheet displayed. 

I'll break it down...

Player: Duh. The Player's name.

Character: The Character's name. 

Background: The key element of the character's life prior to becoming a Ghostbuster that largely defines them. This may be a previous profession or it might be the fact that they were idly rich. Background has the effect of lowering the number of Successes needed to accomplish a task if the PC's Background would apply.

The number of Successes needed is normally reduced to no less than '1' but could be if the GM approves it. For example, if the PC has a Background as a New York City Firefighter, the Gamemaster can simply say the PC's Background allows them to automatically succeed at the task of determining if a building is up to Fire Safety Code. No roll is needed. 

Next of Kin: Ghostbusting is a dangerous job. It is a good idea to note the PC's next of kin or in light of not having one, a friend or other contact to be notified if the PC is hospitalized or worse. Good source for a Player created NPC or follow-up / alternate Character. 

Now we have the four Attributes based on the InSpectres game. Players have 13 starting dice with which to divide up among the Attribute stats. These will be the number of dice rolled when trying to perform any action related to that Attribute. 

Academics: Covers intelligence, knowledge, observation, and your ability to do research and benefit from information sources. Used to spot clues, decipher strange runes, recall historic facts, or figure out what a pattern of pictures might mean. 

Athletics: Physical prowess in the areas of agility, endurance, strength, and activities involving muscle memory. Used to leap from rooftop to rooftop, catch a falling object or person, lift debris off an injured comrade, or keep swimming icy water long enough to reach the dock. 

Technology: The use, construction, and maintenance of electronic and mechanical devices and other equipment. Used to drive the Ecto-mobile, fire the particle throwing Neutrona Wand, fix the boiler in an apartment building, or modify your cell phone for some ill-conceived reason. 

Note: Using a computer falls under Technology unless you are doing research. In that case you can apply Academics. 

Contact: Social ability to communicate, convince, and otherwise deal with people. People can include Ghosts and other non-Human entities. Used to charm a romantic interest, calm a agitated client, convince a security guard to let you in, or distract a supernatural being. 

Note: Each player may also designate one NPC for each die they have in their Contact stat as a 'Contact': a friend or associate whom they are on good terms with. This individual could be a person of some influence but try to avoid making their position too high at the start of the campaign. A PC could know a Cable News Reporter, a Police Officer, an Occult Bookstore Owner, etc. 

Signature Skills

Next to each Attribute are two lines for the Player Character's Signature Skills. To be clear, each Attribute has two: The first is at +3 Dice and the second is at +2. Let's say a PC has an Academics of 3 Dice. They could then have two Signature Skills, Best Eats at 6 Dice and Urban Legends at 5 Dice. This is the character to check with when you get a craving for Kati Rolls at 11 pm after capturing a Class III Limited Mobility Repeater. 

Additional Skills: Each PC also receives four skills at +1 Action Die; these skills need not be attached to any particular Attribute. In fact, they may used in conjunction with different Attributes [and Skills potentially] depending on the circumstances. For example: If a Player Character has the Additional Skill of Helicopters, she could add the +1 to her Academics to recognize a particular model of helicopter or to her Technology to repair damage to a helicopter. 

Yikes. This is going to get long. I think I will break it into a few separate posts. Is that cool? 

OK, right side of the Character Sheet and more mechanics coming soon. 

Who You Gonna Call?

AD

Barking Alien