Speaking of Tricube Tales by way of Ghostbusters (q.v.), I just noticed that Richard Woolcock has published Ghost Banishers, a scenario/micro-setting/one-page RPG for the Tricube Tales system. It is available from DriveThruRPG here.
(See Ghostbusters via Tricube Tales for the complete series of articles reflecting my unofficial take on the subject.)
The Awfully Cheerful Engine Omnibus Collector's Edition PDF is now on sale for $7.95 as part of a Bundle of Holding Cheerful Special. The sale ends 4 June 2025.
Read "Retrospective: Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game", a retrospective on Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game in Grognardia.
Seriously, though, it's a good summary of the game's impact on gaming in general and the Star Wars universe itself.
When running Ghostbusters: A Frightfully Cheerful Roleplaying Game, you may be forgiven if you think that adventures are more interesting if it takes more to defeat a ghost than just zapping it with a proton pack and stuffing it into a ghost trap (although that can be quite challenging at times). Riddles, puzzles, incantations, quests for relics, research, and helping a ghost finish its business in the realm of mortals can all be rewarding, but if ghosts can only be busted by very specific and usually difficult methods, then that removes the quality that makes those busts extraordinary. Think about the first Ghostbusters movie. Was every encounter an arduous struggle against a malevolent godling or other supernatural superbeing? No! Most of the time, the Ghostbusters were responding to calls, arriving on the scene, and conducting otherworldly pest control. It was their profession. Confronting Zuul, on the other hand, was an epic undertaking. Now, many jobs will fall somewhere between those two extremes (quite a bit closer to the lower end most of the time), but at least some should be straightfoward go-in-and-get-it-done affairs. At least half should be simple jobs of blasting ghosts or debunking hoaxes, so that the special cases can effectively be special. It also preserves the element of surprise, which is always more fun in Ghostbusters. In any given session, especially if it's four or more hours long, include an extra job at the beginning, middle, or end of the adventure to keep the player characters on their toes, and don't tell them which is the main mission. Let them figure it out. And don't forget to mix in some non-Ghostbusting activities and concerns. It helps keep the game grounded, enriches the setting, and makes the Ghostbusting more exciting. There is something to be said for remembering the mundane concerns in a world where ghosts exist.
