This is Scared Stiffs (1987), which is the next adventure to see print after Hot Rods of the Gods. The players are invited to keynote a kook convention and discover they are being ripped off by a new, high-tech outfit, the EcTerminators. They’re so good that the ghosts are scared, so scared they ask the players for help!

The twist here is that the EcTerminators aren’t human, they’re weird lobster aliens masquerading as humans, and they’re here for our ghosts, and the entire ectosphere of Earth. They need it because it is an essential ingredient in their soft drinks.

I would like to pause for a moment to remind you that this adventure came out in in 1987, and further note that Hi-C Ecto Cooler, the beloved orange-tangerine-flavored beverage, hit store shelves in 1989 and remained on them until (after two name changes) it was discontinued in 2006 (and then came back again for a few months in both 2016 and 2021). I am not claiming that Ecto Cool exists because of RPGs, but I am not discounting the possibility. Also, if you are suddenly burning to taste that sweet, sweet nectar again, know that you can get the same taste experience with Juicy Juice Orange Tangerine and a bottle of green food coloring. End digression.

So, yea, the problem is that the ectosphere is just as necessary for regular life as it is for unlife, so the players need to stop the alien plan in order to prevent a worldwide extinction event. There’s also a weird Transformers parody wedged in here to create deadly coffee mugs. There’s a lot going on. I kind of love it?

It’s a little weird that the two Ghostbusters scenarios I own are about aliens. This one does have some ghosts in it, at least, but at the end of the day, it’s about aliens. There are only like, five published scenarios and two are about aliens? Weird. This one is by Bill “Star Wars Expanded Universe” Slavicsek, so maybe it’s all his fault. Damn, imagine if the same guy invented the Star Wars Expanded Universe and Ecto Cool!