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Fighting Fantasy Gamebook
Outline
Location: Earth
References: 400
Publication Details
Author(s): Luke Sharp

Illustrator(s): Gary Mayes
Puffin
Figfan27
Cover illustrator: Alan Craddock
First published: May 28 1987
Number 27
ISBN: ISBN 0-14-032265-5
Previous Book: Crypt of the Sorcerer
Next Book: Phantoms of Fear
Wizard (Series 1)
Wizard (Series 2)
Scholastic


For other uses of Star Strider, see Star Strider

Star Strider is a single-player role-playing gamebook written by Luke Sharp, illustrated by Gary Mayes and originally published in 1987 by Puffin Books. It forms part of Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy series. It is the 27th in the series in the original Puffin series (ISBN 0-14-032265-5). There are currently no announced plans to republish this book as part of the Scholastic series.

Creation[]

The Mission/Likely Enemies[]

Cunning opponents and deadly Androids await you - as an intergalactic bounty hunter!

The unscrupulous Gromulans, who have long been based on the obscure planet Earth, have kidnapped the Galactic President. YOU are the top Rogue Tracer of that sector of the galaxy. You have forty-eight hours before the top-secret contents of the President's mind will have been extracted by Gromulan brainscan. Can you overcome your lethal opponents, find the President and rescue him in time?

Part story, part game, this is a book in which YOU become the hero! Two dice, a pencil and an eraser are all you need. YOU decide which routes to take, which dangers to risk and which foes to fight.

Star Strider - Back Cover ("Dragon" Edition)


Unlike most Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, Star Strider takes place in a science fiction setting. Starting from an Earth shuttle station, the player's mission is to rescue President Xerin of Galaxy One Federation from the clutches of the Gromulans - hyper-intelligent humanoids of unknown origin.

Weapons/Abilities/Combat/Feats and Tasks[]

The book in general follows the original rules set down in The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (see Game System).

Unique Rules[]

  • fear makes a return appearance as a stat (again a 1d6 plus 6). This time it works like Testing Your Luck except that the fear score does not change for the duration of the adventure.[1]
  • For the first time since Seas of Blood, the player has a measure of time to work against. This time it is simply labelled time and the player begins with 48 units which deplete as the game progresses.[2]
  • Throughout the adventure the player faces physical tasks or special encounters. With the physical tasks this is usually determined by a 1d6 plus the player's stamina score. An example of a special encounter:
(201) has a game played against Grom where the player's stamina score becomes their cunning and the encounter follows normal combat rules. The loser is the one whose cunning drops to 0.[3]
  • oxygen is listed on the "Adventure Sheet". It is used when you are escaping from the Plaza de Toros. If it reaches zero, you can no longer breathe and your mission is over.[4]
  • If you throw double 6 at any time while fighting an Android, then you have found the "weak spot" and de-activated it.[5]
  • There is no restriction on stats scores, allowing them to increase past the player's Initial rolls.

Equipment List[6][]

  • Catchman

Cover and Illustrations[]

Main article: Star Strider (illustrations)

Covers[]

The original cover of the book was designed and illustrated by Alan Craddock and depicts the scene from (325).

Star Strider Cover Variants
1987 1989 1990 1993
Figfan27
Dragon ver.I Dragon ver.II Dragon ver.III Dragon ver.IV
£1.951 £3.502 £X.xx £X.xx

NOTES
  1. Price of 1st~2nd Impressions; £2.25 for 3rd Impression
  2. Price of 6th Impression

Illustrations[]

The interior illustrations were by Gary Mayes. There were 31 full page illustrations and 5 minor repeated illustrations scattered throughout the text. The paragraphs with a full page illustration were: 1, 10, 20, 34, 45, 54, 61, 72, 83, 98, 108, 120, 130, 142, 157, 167, 180, 197, 208, 235, 249, 263, 278, 290, 302, 317, 327, 342, 357, 370 and 385.

Intertextual References[]

Other Media[]

Main Characters[]

YOU: Hero of Star Strider

  • Arana - Rogue Tracer
  • Brak 9
  • Gus
  • Kinta Lopsti
  • Lam
  • Luig Six
  • Orvium Egburg
  • President Xerin
  • Willi

Locations[]

Encounters[]

  • Android - Admin/Bull/Butler/Grompol/Guard/Regular/Replica
  • Bandit
  • Bandit Zipcar
  • Excel - Cowboy/One-Armed/Regular
  • Felina
  • Gigantian
  • Grom
  • Grompol Escort
  • Guards - Horned Dog-Faced/Regular
  • Humans - Rogues/Technical Operator/Thugs
  • Leech
  • Lopsti
  • Lurgan
  • Warrior

Further Notes[]

  • Unusually, the "Background" to the story, here simply called "The Mission", comes before the instructions on how to play the gamebook, a reversal on the usual order.
  • The names of the listed Houlgans (a play on the word Hooligans) are based on English and European Football teams such as L'pool (Liverpool F.C.) and G'ners (Arsenal F.C.).

Errors[]

  • There's no explanation why having a single "cocktail" at the very beginning of the book makes you drunk forever.
  • The link from (5) to (112) makes no sense.
  • When you face the Bull Android in the arena (49), if you bring its stamina to 6 or less you run to a new doorway and must face the same Bull Android again at a new paragraph (378). If the player rolls a double 6 during any Attack Round with an android it is an instant de-activation blow. How can you face the Bull Android twice if you de-activate it the first time?
  • The logic in the chess puzzle is off: if the knight is "just behind you" and you move one step to the side, you would be in no danger from it; you might however be captured by the pawn that was directly in front of you, depending on the orientation of the board.
  • (168) lacks a time penalty despite "several gravity hours" going by.
  • (252) should probably tell you to deduct time units, like (308), and sleeping in (45), (239) or (245) should probably cost time as in (228) and (386); there are likely more inconsistencies of this sort.
  • (296) slaps you with a time penalty for something that isn't time-related.
  • (348) should probably point to (239) instead of (245).
  • The reminder in (371) is unnecessary and potentially confusing.

Dedication[]

To Isabelle
and the Felines from Wistas 4[7]

See Also[]


Reviews[]

External Links[]

References[]

  1. Star Strider - pg.17
  2. Star Strider - pg.18
  3. Star Strider - pg.21
  4. Star Strider - pg.22
  5. Star Strider - pg.20
  6. Star Strider - pg.15
  7. Star Strider - pg.5
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