Strontium Dog I

In 1988, Games Workshop would have published its fourth home grown roleplaying game. Like its second, Judge Dredd: The Role-Playing Game, this would have been drawn from the pages of Britain’s longest running Science Fiction comic, 2000 AD. Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game was based on the comic strip of the same name, telling the exploits of Johnny Alpha, an ‘S/D’ or Search/Destroy agent forced to live off Earth because he was a mutant and work collecting bounties on some of the worst criminals in the galaxy. Working Typically accompanied by one or more of his partners—Wulf Sternhammer, the Gronk, and Middenface McNulty, Johnny Alpha dealt with prejudice against mutants—the worst of which came from within his own family, rival bounty hunters, revenge-seeking criminals, and worse. The stories were essentially Spaghetti Westerns in space and the comic strip, which originally appeared in the pages of Starlord in 1978 before transferring to 2000 AD in 1980 ran until 2018 with the death of its artist, Carlos Ezquerra, was very popular. It has since been revived with stories exploring other characters and the wider setting. Had Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game been published by Games Workshop, it would have no doubt sold well. After all, in the mid-eighties, Strontium Dog was one of 2000 AD’s most popular series, as was Judge Dredd, and its familiarity to the British roleplaying game hobby would have given it as firm a fan base as Judge Dredd: The Role-Playing Game. Plus, there were fewer stories for Strontium Dog and its setting was more open—the whole of galaxy, plus time travel—so there was more space in which to create and tell adventures, and then, of course, the set-up was simple. Play a Mutie ‘S/D’ Agent, overcome the prejudice he faces, travel the galaxy, capture or kill criminals, collect their bounties, make a living.

Alas, it was not to be. In 1987, following the release of Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, Games Workshop pivoted away from supporting intellectual properties that were not its own, dropping board games and roleplaying games in favour of miniatures and wargames. This included what would have been Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game.

This is not a review of Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game as released, for that did not come to pass, but a review of what could have been. This is a review of the playtest version that was very close to completion and came with everything necessary to play, including a beginning scenario.

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Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game would, like the Judge Dredd: The Role-Playing Game, have appeared as boxed set. Inside there would have been three books—‘The Player’s Book’, ‘Equipment Manual’, and ‘The Game Master’s Book’. In addition to this, there would probably have been a set of percentile dice and some cardboard standees. The latter, along with the box itself and the book covers would have been the only things in colour. The books would have otherwise been black and white, but exactly like Judge Dredd: The Role-Playing Game had its artwork by various artists to draw upon to illustrate its pages, so to would have Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game with the artwork of Carlos Ezquerra. This would have imparted the rough, working and frontier nature of the Strontium Dog setting as well as its action.

‘The Player’s Book’ introduces the setting and details both the means to create characters and the rules for Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game. There are some suggestions as to how it might be played using miniatures, and no doubt, Games Workshop would have made a set of miniatures available. Everyone plays a Mutant ‘S/D’ Agent, operating out of an orbital base nicknamed the ‘Doghouse’. He is defined by his Attributes, Special Abilities, and Mutations, and will also have some equipment and weapon proficiencies. The six attributes consist of Strength, Initiative, Combat Skill, Technical Skill, Street Skill, and Psi Skill. Of these, Strength is both an ‘S/D’ Agent’s ability to both inflict and suffer damage, Initiative is both his speed and his agility, and the Psi skill is his ability to withstand psionic attacks and if he has a special Mutant Power, use that as well. These are all percentile values and are created by rolling ‘2d10+30’. He will definitely have a mutation of some kind, including minor, major, and extreme physical mutations, animal mutations, and Mutant Powers. If an ‘S/D’ Agent has a Mutant Agent he will still have a physical or animal mutation, and in all cases, the mutation also imparts a negative Reaction Check modifier. The more extreme the type of mutation, the more negative the Reaction Check modifier. ‘The Player’s Book’ includes multiple tables for determining an ‘S/D’ Agent’s mutation and its extent, providing for a lot of detail whilst still leaving room for the player to detail the specifics. This can lead to the creation of grotesques, but this is not out of keeping with the source material.

The Mutant Powers consist of a range of psionic powers, such as Absorb Energy, Chameleon, Illusions, Mind Control, Psychic Attack, Pyrokinesis, Telepathy, and Teleportation. They also include Johnny Alpha’s Alpha Ray Vision. Special Abilities consist of a mix of what would be abilities and skills in another roleplaying game. They are categorised under Initiative, Combat Skill, Technical Skill, and Street Skill. For example, Initiative-based Special Abilities include ‘Ambidextrous’, ‘Dodge’, and ‘Target Tracking’; Combat Skill-based Special Abilities include ‘Fast Aim’, ‘Hammerfist’, and ‘Weapon Specialist’; Technical Skill-based Special Abilities include ‘Computer Use’, ‘Drive’, and ‘Medtech’; and Street Skill-based Special Abilities include ‘Detect Traps’, ‘Intimidation’, and ‘Smooth Talker’. These Abilities provide a range of effects, including simply being able to undertake a particular task, grant a bonus to the associated Ability, or change when an ‘S/D’ Agent acts in combat. They typically require a roll against the associated Ability to activate. Penultimately, the ‘S/D’ Agent receives the standard equipment for an ‘S/D’ Agent and an advance to spend on extra arms, armour, and gear, which will be paid back from his first successful bounty. Lastly, the player rolls for his ‘S/D’ Agent’s weapon proficiencies. These represent some training and the weapons the ‘S/D’ Agent used during the Mutant Uprising.

To create a ‘S/D’ Agent, a player rolls for his Abilities and his Mutations and their depth and detail. Having generated his ‘S/D’ Agent’s Abilities, he receives points to spend on their associated Special Abilities. This is equal to the number of points above thirty for each Ability or equal to the die roll used to generate each Ability. Any excess points are saved to be spent later. He will also purchase further equipment. By the end of it, the player should have a very good idea of what his ‘S/D’ Agent looks like and what the extent of his mutations are. The process is not difficult, but slightly fiddly when it comes to determining the nature and extent of his mutations. It helps that there is a full example of ‘S/D’ Agent creation. Plus, at the end of the process, there is an engaging in-game briefing that the ‘S/D’ Agent would receive that sets the scene for his reception of his first bounty.

Raggedy Ann O’Riley

Strength 44
Initiative 47 (1)
Combat Skill 38 (0)
Technical Skill 36 (0)
Street Skill 40 (0)
Psi Skill 43

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Dodge (Initiative), Target Tracking (Initiative), Weapon Specialist (Combat skill), Drive (Technical Skill), Pursue (Street Skill), Sign Language (Street Skill)

Reaction Check Modifier: -05
Security Rating: CCC

MUTATIONS
Skin colouring is quartered (indigo, magenta, dark brown, normal flesh)
Skin is like coarse fabric
Eyes have strange colour (wheat yellow iris)

WEAPON PROFICIENCIES
GCC Standard Issue Single Cartridge Blaster, Skatta Gun, Lazooka

EQUIPMENT
GCC Standard Issue Single Cartridge Blaster
No. 1 Cartridges (3)
Wanted Meter
Custom-Fit Chest Armour, Upper Back Armour, Arm Protectors (pair)
GCC Standard Issue Jumpsuit, Black
GCC Standard Issue Combat Boots, Pair, Black
GCC Search/Destroy ID Badge with CCC Security Rating
GCC Standard Issue Pouch Belt with eight Pouches
2,500 cr

Mechanically, Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game is a percentile system. To have his ‘S/D’ Agent undertake an action, his player rolls the percentile dice and compares the result against the appropriate Ability. If the result is equal to, or under, the Ability, the action is a success, but if over, a failure. A roll of ‘01’ is always a success and a roll of ‘00’ is always a failure.

Combat, a major aspect of the roleplaying game, is played on a timescale of one Round equals five seconds in which there are five Phases. A combatant can act in one or more of those Phases, the number determined his current Initiative. All ‘S/D’ Agents begin play being able to act in two Phases, but their Initiative can go up and down. Up due to improvement, down due to injury. Most actions take a single Phase. Firing a weapon involves aiming, weapon proficiency (halved if the ‘S/D’ Agent lacks the appropriate weapon proficiency), size, distance, movement, and illumination. Combatants can target specific locations, but weapons can jam if a ‘00’ is rolled. A jam might simply be that, but it could also be a misfire or even the weapon exploding!

The combat rules also cover thrown weapons—a lot of different types of grenades are available and thrown in Strontium Dog, hand-to-hand, and so on, all supported by examples. Damage is determined by the attack type and for missile weapons, the base damage is modified by range. More damage is inflicted at close range, less at long range. Damage itself is applied to hit locations, which can be a challenge because not every mutant is going to have the same body parts, the same number of body parts, or the same bodily arrangement as other mutants or normal humans. The rules include advice on this, but ultimately in such cases, it is down to the Game Master to decide upon what part of the body that the damage is inflicted. Armour, if worn on a particular location, has a percentage chance of stopping the damage completely equal to its Armour Rating. If this Armour Roll is successful, the damage is stopped, but it damages the armour and reduces its Armour Rating. Damage is deducted from a target’s Strength and Initiative Abilities, potentially reducing his speed and capacity to act. Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game does include rules for critical hits, which occur when an ‘01’ is rolled, or an ‘01’ or ‘02’ if the combatant has the ‘Weapon Specialist’ Special Ability. The list of effects is not extensive, but range from loss of an eye or ear and permanent Initiative to extra damage and temporary unconsciousness. It can every result in the target being killed outright. This is rare though. There are Critical Hit Tables for each location. ‘The Player’s Book’ makes clear that the Critical Hit rules are optional.

The rules also cover movement, pursuit and fleeing, tracking, sneaking and searching, listening and observing, driving and flying, and more. Traps are covered too, as criminals not infrequently lay them for nosy ‘S/D’ Agents. What Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game makes clear though, is that combat is an option. An ‘S/D’ Agent can attempt persuade or intimidate a bounty into giving himself up and may well need to do so, since the terms of a bounty may require the apprehension of a fugitive or criminal rather than execute him. To that end, particular attention is paid to intimidation. The Intimidation Special Ability will give an ‘S/D’ Agent an advantage here, as will Persuasion and Smooth-Talker. That said, the negative Reaction Check Modifier from being a mutant and an ‘S/D’ Agent will counteract that.

‘The Player’s Book’ comes to close with a discussion of warrant types—‘Apprehend & Return’, ‘Dead or Alive’, and ‘Termination’—and the crimes that lead to their being issued and what sort of bounty an ‘S/D’ Agent can expect to be paid for completing each type. Presented here too, is discussion of the regulations as they pertain to each warrant type, how to use the Wanted Meter, and lastly, the rights of criminal once he has surrendered. This is all useful information as it underpins the structure of how the game is played from one scenario to the next. There are similarities here between Judge Dredd: The Role-Playing Game and Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game with the lists of crimes and associated values. Of course, in the former, the Judge is apprehending perps and sending them to the isoblocks for years, whilst in the latter, the ‘S/D’ Agent is apprehending criminals and bringing them back for money. Both are dispensing the law, if not justice, and there are situations where both can be regarded as executioners.

The ‘Equipment Manual’ is an extensive guide to the guns and gear used by ‘S/D’ Agents that appears in Strontium Dog. From signature blasters and blaster cartridges to mini-nukes and planet-busters, the list of equipment is lengthy and detailed. Lasers, grenades, bombs, hand-to-hand weapons, vehicles, and more are all described. The miscellaneous section covers bleepers (or tracking beacons) and com-units of various ranges), jetpaks, maps, medi-paks, toolkits of various kinds, security devices, and a lot more, including Plastiflesh for disguising oneself. The vehicle section gives profiles for various models and types along with rules for driving, crashing, and vehicular combat. These are comparatively more detailed than those for man-to-mutant combat, and so require more attention and study to bring them into play. The last entries in the ‘Equipment Manual’ explain the workings of the ‘AAA Security Weapons’ that Johnny Alpha is occasionally issued with in the comic series. Things such as ‘Stasis Grenades’, ‘Time Bombs’, ‘Time Traps’, and ‘Time Shrinkers’. Developed by the Galactic Crime Commission that the ‘S/D’ Agents ultimately work for, they are issued only to the most trusted agents and their unsanctioned use is a crime. Essentially, these are only to be issued by the Game Master and only for specific missions, their use serving the story rather than anything else.

‘The Player’s Book’ begins by giving the advice that the reader work through the examples included in its pages and create some examples of the ‘S/D’ Agents before running them through the rules to grasp how Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game is designed to work. This element of advice continues for the reader in ‘The Game Master’s Book’, suggesting she skim it more than once to gain an idea of where everything is in its pages, before examining its different elements in more detail. The specific advice focuses on the creation of scenarios and on running the game itself, discussing in turn, plot, settings, and encounters, all leading to the climax. It also provides Game Master with advice on various aspects of the roleplaying game, including mutations and Special Abilities, skill checks, combat and damage, as well as adding more details for criminals surrendering, including even the possibility of a reversal of any such surrender!

‘The Game Master’s Book’ includes the introductory scenario, ‘Doggy in the Middle’. This is specifically designed for beginning characters who are ready for their first bounty. It opens with the ‘S/D’ Agents in the Capitol on the planet of Sleaz, assigned a warrant from the Doghouse raised by the Sleaz Police. It wants the ‘S/D’ Agents apprehend several members of the Pleasant Street Gang. The ‘S/D’ Agents are told where the bounties can be found and told that they cannot use firearms of any kind. Fists and clubs are okay. The gang members are in Sammy’s Bar and the ‘S/D’ Agents are to apprehend them without causing too much collateral damage or killing anyone. There are about thirty staff and patrons in the bar and the ‘S/D’ Agents must sort the bounties from the innocent civilians. ‘Doggy in the Middle’ is fine for a single evening’s worth of play, but it is not a disappointing at the very least. It only showcases limited aspects of the roleplaying game, with no scope for the use of blasters and other ranged weapons, for investigating a bounty, and for action beyond the confines of the bar. For a barroom brawl, it is not a terrible scenario, but for introductory scenario, it only does half the job. This would have been disappointing had Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game actually been published, but its failure to fully support the rules and showcase what an actually showcase what a Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game would actually look like is compounded by an editorial note deleting the mention and thus possible inclusion of a longer adventure.

‘Doggy in the Middle’ does show what an NPC looks like in Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game and in addition, the roleplaying game gives rules and tables for creating a variety of NPCs, including mercenaries, police, engineers, scientists, and aliens. Naturally, particular attention is paid to the creation of criminal NPCs since they will be the target the bounties in play. It includes minor criminals, criminal henchmen, and major criminals, and their equipment and their crimes. The most interesting addition here is for ‘Security’, specifically the ‘Security Rating’ for ‘S/D’ Agents. An ‘S/D’ Agent’s Security Rating consists of three letters such as ‘CCC’, ‘BCC’, and ‘BAC’. The first letter indicates the amount of bounty that an ‘S/D’ Agent has brought in, the second how well an ‘S/D’ Agent pursues warrants, and the third a general assessment of the ‘S/D’ Agent’s capability. The ratings can go down as well as up, and in the game, it represents an ‘S/D’ Agent’s access to equipment, which at a Security Rating of ‘CCC’, this could be Pressure Sensitive Device or Magnetic Decoder; for ‘BBB’, some Plastiflesh or a Retina Printer; and for ‘AAA’, the aforementioned special devices that the Galactic Crime Commission only assigns to its more trusted ‘S/D’ Agents.

Rounding out ‘The Game Master’s Book’ are sections on space travel, including vessels and hazards, and then time distortions. Time travel is known in Strontium Dog, indeed, one of the first stories sees Johnny Alpha going back in time to collect the bounty on a certain Adolf Schicklegruber! Dimensional travel is also possible as the universe is not stable, both being intended for use as narrative devices. There are some details given too on various galactic organisations, galactic and planetary law, crime and punishment and the legal process, as well as the means to create planets where criminals might be operating or hiding.

Overall, as a playtest version of what would have been the Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game, the files are very, very close to being complete. Everything necessary is included in its pages to be a playable, fully rounded roleplaying game. Character generation, core rules, combat rules, objectives of play, background, advice for the Game Master. It is all there. Of course, there are things missing. One is a fuller, more sophisticated, and more detailed scenario. The other is details of the cast of the source comics translated into game form. The latter though is something that the manuscript does acknowledge it as needing.

Physically, Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game in its playtest form is plain and simple. Literally plain, simple text. Further, it actually consists of over two hundred pages of printout from a late eighties dot matrix printer, which has then been marked up with red pen. Not extensively, but some. This means that it is not an easy manuscript to read physically and there is a degree of fragility to it.

Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game is a lost, forgotten roleplaying game. As an artefact, it is a possibility of what could have been. Another roleplaying game based on the pages of 2000 AD, supported with scenarios, miniatures, and content in the pages of White Dwarf. As a design, it is not ground-breaking, but it is a sound adaptation of the source material and it is more sophisticated than Judge Dredd: The Role-Playing Game, but not as complex as Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, sitting somewhere between. It is easy to understand and easy to play and doubtless, it would have been a popular roleplaying game had it been published and supported. And likely, it would go on to be held in high affection just as Judge Dredd: The Role-Playing Game is held today.

—oOo—

Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game is a very playable roleplaying game because I have played it twice—thirty years apart. In the September of 1986, we made the trip from Dorset to London for Games Day ’86 held in the Royal Agricultural Hall. It was notable for several reasons. As our first trip to a gaming convention. As where we met gamers outside of our gaming circles. As where we first encountered the roleplaying game, SkyRealms of Jorune. As where I sat down and played a playtest version of Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game. My ‘S/D’ Agent was striped green and brown so had the name Esmeralda Brown. Somewhere I still have that character sheet for her. It was a fun game and in the months that followed, I awaited the publication of Strontium Dog: The Role-Playing Game. Of course, it never appeared and that character sheet remained the only proof of such a game actually existing. Games Workshop moved on and that Saturday afternoon experience became a memory.

Fast forward three decades and a Strontium Dog roleplaying experience was offered at the Manchester convention, GrogMeet. Not the versions based on Traveller, First Edition from Mongoose Publishing or Judge Dredd & The Worlds of 2000 AD from EN Publishing, but using the original ruleset. The ruleset that had never been published. I was both flabbergasted and intrigued and could not wait to speak to the Game Master. I wanted to find out how he had got hold of them and tell him about my connection to them, however tangential that was. I got to play them too and they still worked. I said at the time, that I was interested in reading them and reviewing them. I also said I understood that was not possible. After all, the three folders that hold the printouts of the rules are a singular artefact, a piece of roleplaying, Games Workshop, and 2000 AD history which never came to pass. It was very unlikely that anyone else had a copy and unlikely that Games Workshop had an accessible copy in its extensive archive. Of course, the Game Master wanted to ensure that they remained safe. Then in 2024, the Game Master turned up a convention and handed me the folders, saying that he trusted me to look after them and write the review that I wanted to. The review is late, but it is the review that I wanted to write and now, the files are going back to the Game Master next week at GrogMeet 2026.

—oOo—

With heartfelt thanks to Sam Vail for his patience and trust and generosity without which this review would not have been possible.

With thanks to the late, much missed John Amos, and Alex Blair without which that first trip to a national gaming convention would not have been possible.