Classic Free Sci Fi Reference - Starlog Photo Guidebook:Weapons For Your Old School Campaigns

There is a long tradition of the sci fi weapon in the entertainment venues of science fiction television shows and films. Ray guns, laser swords, and a variable rainbow of ray weapons and blasters has been one of the staples and traditions of sci fi fandom. When it comes to Starlog magazine the Photoguide book series of magazines were the references to have. Now the internet archive has had one of my favorites for a free download. The Starlog Photo Guidebook:Weapons is a relic from 1979 that's always been one of those books that somehow were out of reach to comic book and film fanatic in the middle of the North Western Hills of Connecticut. This isn't really so much a technical manual, the Starlog Photo Guidebook:Weapons is a reference book from 1979.

GRAB IT RIGHT OVER
HERE

What it contains is weaponry from film and sci fi television shows starting with Planet Algol from 1920 all the way through an overview of the weaponry of Space 1999 and Battle Star Galactica. There is a brief overview of the show and film that their covering followed by a note about weapon prop. Don't let this fool you sci fi dungeon masters there's plenty here to use, Science Fiction Weapons covers a ton of off the radar or half forgotten film or television shows. The middle section also has some very nice color inserts of Luke's light saber, the Martian War of the Worlds manta ship,a Logan's Run pistol and more. While much of this material might seem like its easily within reach of a dungeon master with an internet connection. All of this material is in one book that happens to be a free download. But there's actually more to this book.

From Dr. Who to Fire Ball XL5 these all get their own sections including Battle Star Galactica 1979 and Space 1999. There's lots of bits and pieces on the weaponry of these shows and their application into an OSR retrofuture campaign. For me the Battle Star Galactica Colonial laser blaster was worth the price of admission because of the details of this weapon. This isn't an elegant weapon, its one that was designed to take out armored non CGI Cylons in battle gear. Players wanted details on this weapon and this book has a pretty solid break down of the original props.

The  Starlog Photo Guidebook:Weapons also has a whole section on the original Flash Gordon serials and series along with the weapons for reference.Given the fact that pulp magazines and retro science fantasy campaigns are white hot right now this is another section that has some top shelf potential for the right Dungeon master. The Star Trek sections follows from the original series up through the Star Trek The Motion Picture weapon systems. And proves a nice overview.


So how can this material be used by a DM for a fast adventure turn around using this Starlog resource? Easily this material can provide a DM who needs to pepper a retro future adventure with sci fi relics and artifacts along with back fitted Easter Eggs for their favorite retro post apocalyptic or sci fi adventures. The Starlog Photo Guidebook:Weapons has you covered.



Once upon a time Starlog and Starlog Photo Guidebooks were the only game in town for a sci fi fan long before the internet was even a twinkle in the eye of a defense contractor and the Army. The magazine always sat next to my copy of Traveler and Gamma World first edition. So this book is an echo from another time but its got plenty to offer the enterprising DM who wants to cash in on that retro future and sci fi vibe of yesteryear.

Classic Free Sci Fi Reference - Starlog Photo Guidebook: Spaceships New Enlarged Edition! For Your Old School Campaigns

The Starlog Photo Guides are a relic from another era, the Starlog Photo Guidebook: Spaceships covers many of the spacecraft from the classic sci fi science fiction eras of the Fifties to the Eighties from motion pictures, television, and science fiction. As a reference for retroclone sci fi dungeon masters and players this provides a really wonderful work for inspiration, possible adventure locations, and retro sci fi gaming. 

Grab It HERE

As a free download this Starlog Photo guidebook, this version has been enlarged for easier detail and reference for the reader. This version of the book covers everything from the original Buck Rogers spacecraft to the Star Trek The Motion picture making it a rather impressive book clocking in at ninety eight pages including full color spreads of space craft from Close Encounters, Star Trek, Star Wars, The Black Hole, and more. This book also includes spacecraft from the classic era of television as well with years including 1949 thru 1959. The more modern eras include 1970 thru 1980 include full color spreads of Battlestar Galactica, Alien, and cult classics like the First Men In The Moon. The bibliography is damn impressive and worth the price of admission alone.
  According to Wiki  the history of Starlog is one tinged with sci fi history-
"Starlog was a monthly magazine devoted to science fiction films, television series, and books published by Starlog Group, Inc. One of the longest-running and most popular publications of its type, the magazine was created in 1976 by publishers Kerry O'Quinn and Norman Jacobs. Starlog was one of the first publications to report on the development of the first Star Wars movie, and it also followed the development of what was to eventually become Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Many fans^[who?] of the long-running magazine considered its heyday to have been the 1980s, with very little substance to the content in later years, and many of its long-time contributors having since moved on. But it continued to boast some top-flight genre journalists, including film historians Will Murray, Jean-Marc Lofficier, and Tom Weaver."


So what makes the Starlog Photo Guidebook: Spaceships valuable to the sci fi retro gamer? Well besides having all of the various space craft of classic era sci fi at your finger tips, it provides a valuable window into another era of science fiction and science fantasy motion pictures. It can also provide tons and tons of possible relic space craft for adventure locations and settings all in one place and allows a DM to have instant inspiration at their finger tips. These books were from another era of science fiction fandom when there wasn't an internet and sci fi fans had to do a bit of rooting around. This book puts everything right into your hands for easy access.

Some ideas for using this book include using the Photo guidebook's more obscure sci fi space craft as used vehicles for a sci fi campaign at used space craft lots, as possible derelict space craft in space grave yards, this book could serve as a reference point for various space ships and craft around Sargasso of space locations & even other ideas. Other ideas are use for domain level play where high level cosmic or interstellar craft are used for adventure play. The possibilities for this book are only limited by your imagination.