''Invasion'' is a supplement published by
Game Designers' Workshop
Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) was a Board wargame, wargame and role-playing game publisher from 1973 to 1996. Many of their games are now carried by other publishers.
History
Game Designers' Workshop was originally established June 22, 1973. ...
(GDW) in 1988 for the science fiction
tabletop role-playing game
A tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG or TRPG), also known as a pen-and-paper role-playing game, is a kind of role-playing game (RPG) in which the participants describe their characters' actions through speech and sometimes movements. Participants d ...
''
2300 AD
''2300 AD'', originally titled ''Traveller: 2300'', is a tabletop science fiction role-playing game created by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) and first published in 1986.
Publication history
GDW created the popular science fiction role-playi ...
''.
Contents
In the first edition of ''2300 A.D.'' role-playing game (titled ''
Traveller 2300''), the alien
Kafers invaded one of the human-dominated worlds. In the second edition, the Kafer threat has become a galactic problem. ''Invasion'' is a campaign setting that describes how deadly Kafer fleets break out in 2301 A.D. and threaten all of humanity.
The book includes:
* descriptions of each world invaded by the Kafers, tracking the progress of the Kafers through each system via news reports.
* the location of human fleets
* specifications of the Kafer ships that can be used with the space combat rules from ''
Star Cruiser A star cruiser or starcruiser is a common spaceship designation in some science fiction and science fantasy media.
Star cruiser or starcruiser may also refer to:
* Star Cruiser (1980 video game) - A video game by Strategems Co. for the TRS-80 Mode ...
''
* individual system and world maps
* encounter tables for the Kafer forces likely to be encountered by the
player characters
A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not control ...
* details of how a space-oriented campaign can be designed
* Kafer equipment
The book includes a scenario for each system being invaded, allowing the
gamemaster
A gamemaster (GM; also known as game master, game manager, game moderator, referee, storyteller, or master of ceremonies) is a person who acts as a facilitator, organizer, officiant regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer r ...
to put together an entire campaign for the players as the invasion progresses. As reviewer
noted, "''Invasion'' is not designed to let any one party of adventures win the war
..This doesn’t mean that PCs are wasting their time, but that the Kafer threat is so huge that only a concerted effort by the nations of Earth can hope to defeat them."
Publication history
GDW created their popular
space opera
Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes Space warfare in science fiction, space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, i ...
role-playing game ''
Traveller'' in 1977. A decade later, wanting to create a game with a more
hard science fiction
Hard science fiction is a category of science fiction characterized by concern for scientific accuracy and logic. The term was first used in print in 1957 by P. Schuyler Miller in a review of John W. Campbell's ''Islands of Space'' in the Novemb ...
feel, GDW published ''Traveller 2300'', and in 1988 published a second edition retitled ''2300 AD''.
As part of the updated storyline, GDW published ''Invasion'' the same year, a 72-page perfect bound book written by
J. Andrew Keith and developed by
Lester W. Smith, with interior art by A.C. Farley, Liz Danforth, and Bryan Gibson, and cover art by
Steve Venters
Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Steven or Stephen.
Notable people
A–D
* Steve Abbott (disambiguation), several people
* Steve Abel (born 1970), New Zealand politician
* Steve Adams (disambiguation), se ...
.
Reception
In the May 1989 edition of ''
Dragon
A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...
'' (Issue #145), Jim Bambra thought this was an extremely strong work, saying, "''Invasion'' makes for an ideal continuation of the struggle against the Kafers.
..When it comes to creating an exciting and believable universe, ''Invasion'' succeeds admirably." He concluded, "''Invasion'' is highly recommended as a model of how to design epic struggles and as a brilliant background to a ''2300 AD'' game campaign."
References
{{reflist
2300 AD supplements
Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1988