"Go to the sign of Marvel's Axe, a dubious inn on the edge of the Thieves Quarter, in the City of Greyhawk, and look to your own wrist. If you perceive a bracelet and dangling dice, watch for the next throw in the war between Law and Chaos and be prepared to follow the compelling geas." -Signal

Monday, April 29, 2024

Caravans (1994)

From the back cover:

Journey through a perilous realm of searing sands and burning passions!

Pit of the Ghuls, Genies' Anvil, Vishap's Teeth... the mere mention of these mystical sites fills men's hearts with fear and apprehension. Now the mysteries of the High Desert are revealed!

Caravans takes player characters into Zakhara's greatest sea of sand to face its most treacherous denizens. Heroes match wits with djinn and ins alike--and fulfill a lover's obligation more than a half-century old.

This sourcebox includes:

- A 32-page Campaign Book with notes from famed travelers of the High Desert, plus details on a wondrous magical carpet

- A 64-page Adventure Book featuring tales of honor, riches, and unrequited love

- An 8-page book of player aids

- A magnificent full-color poster depicting Ala'i the Hungry, a fortune-telling carpet whose profound wisdom and wondrous powers will guide heroes on their epic adventure

Recommended for use with the Arabian Adventures Campaign Setting Rulebook.

 

Sunday, April 28, 2024

Al-Qadim Land of Fate (1992)

From the back of the box:

Ride a magic carpet to the land of a thousand and one adventures! Visit spired cities, lush oases, and mysterious isles set in glittering seas. Meet sultans and sheikhs. See genies and giants. Discover a trove of new magical treasures! Whether your character starts from the compatible FORGOTTEN REALMS(R) game setting or begins the journey elsewhere, this box contains everything a bold adventurer needs to explore the exotic AL-QADIM campaign world.

Contents:
- 2 guidebooks totaling 192 pages
- 12 full-color reference cards
- 8 Monstrous Compendium sheets
- 3 full-color poster maps
- 1 clear map overlay for measuring distance

Recommended for use with the Arabian Adventures rulebook.

 

From the web:

Ride a magic carpet to the land of a thousand and one adventures! Visit spired cities, lush oases, and mysterious isles set in glittering seas. Meet sultans and sheikhs. See genies and giants. Discover a trove of new magical treasures! Whether your character starts from the compatible FORGOTTEN REALMS game setting or begins the journey elsewhere, this box contains everything a bold adventurer needs to explore the exotic AL-QADIM campaign world. 

 

Saturday, April 27, 2024

Demons: The Game of Evil Spirts (1979)

From the web:

Demons is a game of demonic conjuration and treasure hunting for one to four players based on the medieval and ancient manuscripts comprising the "Lamegeton." The players take the roles of magicians questing after treasure in medieval Armenia. The "mortal powers" of Armenia automatically pursue the magicians whose major defense is their ability to conjure fearsome demons. 

Paraphrased from the Historical Notes section of the instruction manual:

The basic story of the key of Solomon holds that when Solomon was building the first temple in Jerusalem, one of his workers was seized by an evil spirit. The archangel Michael appeared and delivered to Solomon a magical ring which gave him the power to command all spirits. Solomon commanded the spirits into a brass vessel, which he sealed and cast into a lake in Babylonia. Solomon had foreseen the possibility of the demons being released again and had prepared a testament detailing the various rituals and instruments that could be prepared by any person to command the spirits once more. This power was to have been used for curing disease and preventing harm, but when printed examples appeared again in the 17th century the emphasis had switched to the finding of treasure and personal gain by the magician instead.


 

Friday, April 26, 2024

Dark Sun Campaign Setting (Expanded and Revised Edition) (1995)

From the back of the box:

A decade has passed since the Age of Heroes began. The city of Tyr has broken free of tyranny, though turmoil still holds the world in its merciless grip. The Dragon King lies dead, earthquakes rock the land, and revolution spreads like wildfire across the Tyr Region. Giant rifts pierce this once impenetrable land: far to the north, the alien thri-kreen empire quickens, sensing its opportunity to invade. And to the south, in the obsidian wasteland, the ground stirs with the emergence of the undead....

Welcome to a world where metal is scarce, gods don't exist, and psionic powers abide in all living creatures! This significantly expanded and revised set contains everything you need to adventure across the burning lands of Athas.

The Wanderer's Chronicle:
128 pages detailing the world of Athas, extending far beyond the known Tyr Region to encompass such new locations as the Jagged Cliffs, the Last Sea, the Kreen Empire, and the Dead Land.

The Age of Heroes:
96 pages of updated rules and new mechanics designed to make combat more brutal and adventure more savage. This book features new player character races such as the aarakocra and the pterran, expanded rules for wizards, and revised ability score tables.

The Way of the Psionicist:
32 pages detailing a new streamlined, complete-in-this-box psionics system designed specifically for Dark Sun campaigns.

Mystery of the Ancients:
A 32-page adventure for characters of 3rd to 5th level that kicks off any new campaign in spectacular fashion.

Three full-color poster maps:
One is a close-up of the Tyr Region. The other high-quality maps detail the lands beyond to the north, south, and west-expanding the area of the original campaign by eight times!

Dungeon Master Screen:
An eight-panel gate fold featuring all the tables needed to run a Dark Sun adventure, on one convenient stand-up screen.

 

Thursday, April 25, 2024

Gammarauders (1987)

From the web:

Each player plays a large cybernetic creature known as a bioborg, which wanders about a radioactive science fiction landscape. Bioborgs are large, humorously dangerous looking creatures with names such as Elvin the Tyrexian (a mutated T. Rex) or Kizaro the Chimpanzero. The goal is to increase your strength and weaponry and stomp other players' bases before your own is stomped. 

Contents:
  • 12 Page Rulebook
  • 20 Page Sourcebook
  • 12 Hex boards (numbered 2-12, with one without a number)
  • 6 Double-sided Bioborg layout sheets
  • 12 Small Bioborg standees
  • 108 Cards (See card checkilst Gammarauders_Manifest.PDF)
  • 4 Regular six-sided dice
  • 38 Pod Tokens

Each alliance (x6) has:
  • 7 Soldier/Hovertank double-sided tokens
  • 7 Gammajet/Hovertank double-sided tokens
  • 7 Soldier/Gammajet double-sided tokens
  • 5 Coup Counters (looks like flags)
  • 1 Intact Base/Destroyed Base double-sided token
  • 1 Fortress Display Card

 

Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Adventures in Fantasy (1979)

From the box:

"ADVENTURES IN FANTASY is the next generation of FANTASY ROLE PLAYING GAMES. YOU are the Knight sent upon a Quest by the King to battle villains and creatures right out of Mythology. From Dwarves to Dragons your wits will be just as useful as your sword. This game comes complete with separate CHARTS, 20-Sided DIE, Sample Adventure and complete rules for starting on the road to high Adventure."

 From the web:

This boxed set of rules contains three full sized booklets:

58-page Book of Adventure (printed in blue ink) with the rules of the game and of character creation. This booklet also includes information for the gamemaster on creating and running adventures.

52-page Book of Faerry and Magic (printed in green ink) with magic spells and the races of Faerry.

52-page Book of Creatures and Treasure (printed in red ink) with monsters and treasure

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Dragon Mountain (1993)

From the web:

A "Deluxe Boxed Set" adventure for character levels 10 to 15, this Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (2nd Edition) supplement pits a party of adventurers against the subterranean denizens of a mountain and their mistress. Players will need all their wits about them as they face cunning foes, deadly traps, puzzling conundrums and, of course, one very nasty dragon.

The ultimate DUNGEON MASTER fantasy! This is the most deluxe dungeon, designed to appeal to discriminating and demanding role-players. Adventurers, beware. This is more than just a dragon hunt. Within the lair of this beast lie cruel and deadly traps, befuddling conundrums and puzzles, and cunning minions that will be the end of overconfident or careless adventurers. Inside this box there are:

3 Books titled Book I, II and III
6 Maps
1 Counter sheet with 48 Counters
14 Player Handout Sheets
   • Handout #1 - Letter from Halivariath Windblossom
   • Handout #2 - The Journal of Ferenik Stonefist, Page 1, First Line: The Journal of Ferenik Stonefist
   • Handout #2 - The Journal of Ferenik Stonefist, Page 2, First Line: The Healers are Rolf...
   • Handout #2 - The Journal of Ferenik Stonefist, Page 3, First Line: Eight Day, Later
   • Handout #2 - The Journal of Ferenik Stonefist, Page 4, First Line: One Sleep Later
   • Handout #3 - Map With 3 Rooms Containing a Throne, Skull & Crossbones and a Treasure Pile
   • Handout #4 - Map With a Lake, Large Cobra Coming out of the Water
   • Handout #5 - Map With Stairs, Arrow Traps and a Skull & Crossbones
   • Handout #6 - Map With a Dragon and Treasure Room
   • Handout #7 - Letter from Viganir Thorssen
   • Handout #8 - Map With Dragon Mountain Marked on it
   • Handout #9 - Letter From Falarch Gristom
   • Handout #10 - Letter From Nasagan
   • Handout #11 - Map With the Phrase "Many Ferocious Kobolds Here"
8 Monstrous Compendium Sheets
   • MC Sheet #1 Brain Spider
   • MC Sheet #2 Dwarven Undead
   • MC Sheet #3 Fiend, Water Lord
   • MC Sheet #4 Gnasher
   • MC Sheet #5 Kobold, Dragon Mountain
   • MC Sheet #6 Noran
   • MC Sheet #7 Rautym
   • MC Sheet #8 Stone Snake
14 Cardstock Sheets
   • Cardstock Sheet #1 - Map 1A
   • Cardstock Sheet #2 - Map 1B
   • Cardstock Sheet #3 - Map 1C
   • Cardstock Sheet #4 - Map 2
   • Cardstock Sheet #5 - Map 3
   • Cardstock Sheet #6 - Map 4
   • Cardstock Sheet #7 - Map 5
   • Cardstock Sheet #8 - Map 6
   • Cardstock Sheet #9 - The Under-Mines Map
   • Cardstock Sheet #10 - Dwarven Burial Chamber Map
   • Cardstock Sheet #11 - Warriors of Winter
   • Cardstock Sheet #12 - Picture of Portcullis, Towers and Ballistae
   • Cardstock Sheet #13 - Dragon Amulet
   • Cardstock Sheet #14 - Map With Dragon Mountain Marked on it
 

Monday, April 22, 2024

Ravenloft Campaign Setting (1994)

From the back of the box:

Terror in the Land of Mists

In the year 351 of the Barovian calendar, Stradh von Zarovich made a pact with Death--a pact that sealed his fate and created a land of nightmares known as Ravenloft. Other lords of darkness have embraced the Demiplane of Dread as their own, and woe to heroes who wander there. Creatures of the night prey freely upon the living in this land, and day is but prelude to another night of horror.

This new edition of the RAVENLOFT game combines the original Realm of Terror boxed set with elements from Forbidden Lore and updated rules from other accessories. Domains destroyed in the infamous Grand Conjunction have been deleted, new domains added, and key personalities details. This boxed set included:

- Realms of Terror--a 160-page book of rules concerning the reshaping of character classes; fear, horror, madness, and power checks; curses; spells and magical items, both new and old; psionics; techniques of terror; and more.

- Domains and Denizens--a 128-page book describing the dark lands of the Core, the islands of terror, and many nefarious personages.

- Two maps depicting the reshaped Core domains and the islands or terror.

- A poster featuring a painting by artist Robh Ruppel.

- A tarokka deck of beautifully illustrated card for role-playing fortunetelling.

- A DM screen specifically designed to be used with a RAVENLOFT campaign.

 

Sunday, April 21, 2024

The Ivory Triangle (1993)

From the back cover:

Nowhere are the stark contrasts that define life on Athas more dramatic than within the Ivory Triangle! In the forests of Gulg live elite hunters called the Judaga Warriors, who claim the heads of their prey as trophies. Behind the walls of Nibenay (built with the blood and toil of countless slaves), decadent markets promise myriad experiences to those who have money to spend and courage to spare. Across the desolate salt flats of the Great Ivory Plain, a handful of bold merchant outposts and slave tribes struggle to exist and to exploit unwary wanderers. Amidst all, a sinister poisoner of the Tablelands plies his trade on the border between life and death. These dangers and more lie within that region called the Ivory Triangle - the ideal setting for continuing adventures on the deadly world of Athas!

WITHIN THIS BOXED SET YOU'LL FIND...

A 32-page guidebook to the city-state of Gulg;

A 32-page guidebook to the city-state of Nibenay;

A 96-page book detailing the merchants, raiding tribes, and lands of the Ivory Triangle;

A full-color poster map of the cities of Gulg and Nibenay;

A full-color poster map of the Ivory Triangle;

Six reference cards including player handouts, new price lists, and encounter tables for your DARK SUN campaign;

Four new monsters to add to your DARK SUN appendix of the MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM;

A campaign calendar for tracking your adventure; and

A short story to set the tone for your own tales.

 

Saturday, April 20, 2024

Tarsus (1983)

From the web:

A Traveller Adventure Module with detailed information on a complete star system, the primary world, and a set of adventures related to this world. It describes Tarsus, an agricultural world in the Spinward Marches.
 

Friday, April 19, 2024

Villains & Vigilantes (2nd Edition) (1982)

 From the back cover:

CONTEMPORARY ROLE-PLAYING IN THE AGE OF SUPER-HEROES

COMPLETE RULES FOR:
Origins of Super-Heroes
Super-Powers
Use of Super-Powers
Costumes
Secret Identities
Scientific Inventions
Encounters
Captured Secret Equipment
Immunity from the Law
Penalties for Capture Villains
Super-Hero Organizations
Super-Villain Organizations

All You Need to Know to Create a World of Comic Book Style Adventure

 From the web:

Villains & Vigilantes is a role-playing game simulating the lives and adventures of comic-book style superheroes. Players take the roles of superheroes. But unlike most role-playing games, in V&V, the character used by the player is himself with the addition of super-powers. Each character receives a random set of powers, then creates a costume and a.name in order to fight crime and protect society. As the characters gain experience, their abilities will increase, along with the difficulty of the tasks they will be called upon to perform.

This box set includes the complete rulebook, character sheets, reference sheets and the There's A Crisis at Crusader Citadel adventure.
 

Thursday, April 18, 2024

Top Secret Box Set (Second Edition) (1981)

From the web:

TSR's take on Bond and the super spy genre. The box set includes a 68 page rule book outlining character creation, equipment, and combat and a 32 page introductory module entitled "Operation: Sprechenhaltestelle - Code Name: Pisces" along with 2 20-sided dice.

Character creation consists of 6 primary stats (Physical Strength, Charm, Willpower, Courage, Knowledge, and Coordination) and 8 derived stats (Offense, Deception, Evasion, Deactivation, Life level, Movement Value, Hand-to-Hand Combat Value, and Surprise Value). Characters are further detailed with skills in specific knowledge areas.

Combat resolution is handled by dice and modified by situations. The rules include specific handling for boxing, knife fighting, and martial arts as well as hit location and effects.

Top Secret is your passport to the exciting world of international espionage and intrigue. All the danger, glamour, and adventure of a secret agent's life await you as today's headlines or the more exotic spy settings of movies or television provide the backdrop for every mission.

Top Secret is a role playing game where players assume the roles of various undercover agents, carrying out the missions assigned by the Administrator of their agency or organization (the gamemaster). The rewards can be great, but every mission is fraught with risk and peril, for the life of a spy is a dangerous one!
 

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Gangbusters (1st Edition) (1982)

From the back of the box:

GANGBUSTERS role-playing game is different from most other games. Instead of simply rolling dice and moving pieces around a board, players adopt the personalities and goals of clever police detectives, legendary F.B.I. agents or vicious gangsters from the 1920s and 1930s. Players must face the problems and dangers of a life-and-death struggle against crime. Your decisions and fast action determine whether you win or lose, whether the criminals are arrested or escape, whether your game character becomes a hero or is gunned down in blazing shootout.

Components:

This (boxed) set includes...a 64-page rule book, a 35"x22" double-sided full-color map of downtown Lakefront City showing detailed building interiors, a sheet of 84 cardboard playing pieces, a 16-page introductory adventure ("Mad Dog" Johnny Drake) and two dice.

 

From the web:

Walk in the shoes of a private eye, pound the beat as an honest cop in a dirty world, or enforce the law of the land as a Prohibition Agent. You can be a cub reporter, scooping the competition of a gangland hub, terrorizing the honest citizens of Lakefront City. Adopt the roles of the famous criminals and crime fighters of the 20’s and 30’s to face the struggles and problems of the crime-ridden syndicates of Lakefront City. Everything you need for a GANGBUSTERS game is included in this box!

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

The Ruins of Myth Drannor (1993)

From the back of the box:

MYTH DRANNOR, city of glory. We shall not see its like again.

Perhaps you've heard its shining story ... of a time when elves and dwarves, gnomes and halflings and men lived and loved together, striving to create beauty and right wrongs. Magic was brighter then, in the City of Song. Folk were richer then, in the City of Wonder. Once this proud city stood as the highest jewel in the glittering crown of civilization.

There came a day when it was overwhelmed by evil, thrown down, despoiled, and left a ruin in the heart of its encircling wood, as all things of beauty are.

    Evil spawned and crawled there, and the elves kept watch around it, that evil might not spread. Centuries passed, but the tales let few forget the powerful magic, the great treasure - and the deadly horrors that lay waiting within its walls.

Now the elves are gone, and adventurers from a hundred lands and cities are rushing to Myth Drannor, to seize what they can of the long-lost glory. If the bards and sages are right, power lies there for the claiming that could change the face of the Realms, rule kingdoms or lay waste to them.

    If you would be a part of this exciting quest, this boxed set is for you. Inside await four poster maps, eight cardsheets, eight MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM® sheets, and two booklets—a 128-page Campaign Guide, and a 32-page Adventure Booklet—filled with details about Myth Drannor, a fully-detailed campaign setting for high-level characters in the world of the Forgotten Realms. New monsters and magical items await to sparkle and challenge in any AD&D® campaign—and this set lays bare the secret at the heart of Myth Drannor: the fabled mythal!

    Don't be left by the fireside, listening, wistful and poor. Join the rush for gems and gold, magic and power! Open this box, and enter into fabled Myth Drannor!

 

Monday, April 15, 2024

The Ruins of Undermountain (1991)

From the publisher:

Mammoth caverns, filled with treasure and adventure await the daring inhabitants of Waterdeep. A vast complex of tunnels and dungeons lie under the city, and the denizens of these tunnels decide it is time to rise up.

 From the web:

UNDERMOUNTAIN awaits you: the fabled and feared battleground of the Realms - "The Deepest Dungeon Of Them All."

DARE YOU FACE...miles upon miles of deadly traps, glittering treasures, strange and cryptic rooms, and slithering, skulking, lurking monsters? They await you underneath Waterdeep!

UNDERMOUNTAIN is a dungeon setting for AD&D 2nd Edition campaign play: the oldest, largest, and deadliest dungeon-crawl in the FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting. It is the place where intrepid adventurers endeavor to become veterans, to win a place among the rich and famous - if they survive its depths. Enter an endless maze where waiting death bears a thousand faces and treasures lie hidden in a thousand places.

It's just the setting for long-running, memorable, great AD&D game play, the perfect locale you'll never forget. So please, come in. Mind your step among the skulls. Oh, yes - good luck - you'll be needing it.

The RUINS OF UNDERMOUNTAIN Campaign Set includes:


  • A 128-page book describing Undermountain, its history, its horrors, and details of the first three levels of the dungeon
  • A 32-page adventure book for use exclusively with Undermountain and Waterdeep
  • Four full-color maps of the vast and dangerous dungeon
  • Eight Monstrous Compendium pages of new monsters
  • Eight durable cards loaded with traps, treasures, and trinkets to fill your dungeons
  • Snares and Lures
  • Nadrun's Magical Doors
  • Smash Traps
  • Pit Traps I
  • Pit Traps II
  • Pit Traps III
  • Undermountain Treasure Tables
  • "Dungeon Dressing" Tables
  •  

    Sunday, April 14, 2024

    Netheril: Empire of Magic (1996)

    From the back of the box:

    Journey back 5,000 years into Faerun's past and visit the archwizards of Netheril. View their fantastic floating cities, enclaves of magic that shook the ground far below. Travel to a time when magic was raw and powerful, when spellcasters stood supreme in the eyes of their nation. Meet Karsus, an archwizard so powerful he wielded magic that made him a god...

    This new campaign expansion details everything a Dungeon Master needs to establish an exciting campaign in the magic-rich kingdom of Netheril. Inside you'll find:

    >The Winds of Netheril: This 128-page reference book contains the long-awaited most mysterious kingdoms. It provides new rules for spellcasters during the reign of Netheril and the rules for time-traveling within the Realms. An encompassing almanac details the floating cities and groundling cities of lost Netheril during the different ages of the nation.
    In addition, this book explores the floating city of Karsus, noting key landmarks in the most important enclave of Netheril. Many of Netheril's most prominent personages are likewise detailed. The book concludes with monstrous compendium entries for the phaerimm, sharn, and tomb tapper.

    > Encyclopedia Arcana: This 32-page book describes many of the magical items and spells of Netheril. Also included are spell lists specialized for use within a Netheril campaign.

    > Two Poster Maps: Full-color poster maps show the lands of Netheril during the height of its power and at the time of its fall. The back of one of the mapsheets contains a detailed look at the enclave of Karsus.

     

    Saturday, April 13, 2024

    Spellbound (1995)

    From the web:

    This boxed set campaign expansion for Forgotten Realms explores the eastern regions of Thay, Aglarond, and Rashemen.
    The boxed set contains:
    -128 pg Campaign guide to the three countries
    -Two 32 page adventures
    -16 Page Monsrous Compendium
    -8 full-sized cards sheets providing adventure hooks and encounter charts for the three realms
    -three full-color maps

    From the back of the box "The treasures and excitement of the Unapproachable East invite the courageous, yet strangers are never welcomed!"

    ______

    The Unapproachable East. Legendary region of unrivaled magic and profound mystery, the lands on the border of the Endless Waste have tantalized and captivated adventurers in the Forgotten Realms since word of their existence reached the west. Few have returned from travels in those lands, and those who did reveal tales too peculiar for truth - or so it was though until now. Here at last are the secrets of three of the most mysterious - and dangerous - nations in all of Faerûn: Thay, land of the treacherous Red Wizards; Aglarond, home to the unimaginably powerful Simbul; and Rashemen, realm of enigmatic Witches and wild berserkers. Adventurers beware: The treasures and excitement of the Unapproachable East invite the courageous, yet strangers are never welcomed!

    The Spellbound Campaign Expansion boxed set contains:

    A 128-page Campaign Guide to the three countries, including city maps and unique sites, new character kits, spells, magical items, and major NPCs.

    Two 32-page adventures that immerse the PCs in the often-deadly power politics of the region. In Throne of Deceit the characters must defend Rashemen from a deadly invasion by Thayan wizardry. The Runes of Chaos sends adventurers into the heart of Thay itself to foil the mad schemes of the would-be Thayan conqueror Szass Tam.

    A 16-page MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM booklet featuring twisted Thayan creations, the unpredictable nature spirits of Rashemen, and faerie creatures from the depths of Aglarond's magical Yuirwood.

    Eight full-sized card sheets providing adventure hooks and encounter charts for the three realms, useful DM information, and player aids for the adventures.

    Three full-color maps - two of the region, displaying greater detail than ever seen before, and one of Eltabbar, the capital city of Thay.
     

    Friday, April 12, 2024

    Hollow World Campaign Set (1990)

    From the web:

    Hollow World is a world campaign supplement written specifically for Dungeons & Dragons.

    This detailed campaign module proposes that within the sphere of the "Known World" is another world called the Hollow World, a sub-setting for the Mystara campaign world. Hollow World acts as a living "cultural museum" for the planet, forever preserving cultures and races that are near extinction on the surface world.

    This box set includes the following:

    • A 128-page softbound Dungeon Master's Sourcebook
    • A 64-page softbound Player's Guide book
    • A 32-page softbound Adventure Book
    • Four single-sided poster maps

    The books include information about new monsters, elves, dwarves, character classes, pirates, and immortals.

     Within the sphere of the Known World is another world, the Hollow World. There your characters will meet ancient Nithians, long disappeared from the surface world and thought extinct: Blacklore Elves, living in a magical valley and served by automatons-devices that take care of everything, from serving their food to trimming their grass: Azcans, terrifying, war-mongering natives whose taste for battle extends even into their favorite game-the losers always die- and many more. Monsters abound as well, from dinosaurs to aurochs. In the Hollow World, the sun never sets. Magic works differently than it does "outside"-some spells don't work at all. And quite often, getting in is much, much easier than getting out. A 128-page Dungeon Master's Sourcebook, with everything the DM needs to run an exciting campaign in the Hollow World. Also in this book are extensive entries on all the Immortals represented in the Hollow World: their interests, their allies, their enemies. A 64-page Player's Book, including how-to's for creating a native Hollow World character and ways to bring a Known World character into the Hollow World. Included in this are new spells specifically for the Hollow World. A 32-page Adventure Book, containing several starter adventures and entries on the various monsters found in the Hollow World. Four full-size, full-color map sheets, showing the Know World and the Hollow World, and detailing the central, most populous areas of the Hollow World. Ways and means to adapt this material to the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition game! 


     

    Thursday, April 11, 2024

    Glantri Kingdom of Magic (1995)

    From the box back:

    New ways of wizardry - yours to command!

    There's something unique about a land where wizards rule. Marvels abound. Glamour tantalizes. Dangers await, cloaked in illusion. Whether a hero chooses to wield magic or steel, conjuring up adventure becomes an easy walk through the rolling hills of Nouvelle Averoigne - or one of the other dozen principalities that make up this remarkable land. And when the world's most powerful wizards are also its craftiest princes, nothing is ever quite as it seems!

    Cast the magic of Glantri over your games! Inside this box you'll find:
    • An audio CD role-playing aid with realistic sound effects and character voices for your game sessions.
    • "The Test of Darkness", a 32-page adventure that takes the heroes from the fabulous great School of Magic to unknown perils.
    • The 128-page "Grimoire", your visitors guide to this sorcerous land, featuring beautiful color art plus all-new wizard kits and spells.
    • Full-color poster-sized maps of the realm and its capital, Glantri City.
    • 10 player handouts, including adventure maps, illustrations, and props.
    • 6 sheets of additional mini-adventures for the Dungeon Master.
    • 8 full-color hero cards.

    A trip to Glantri opens doors to works of wonder like the enchanting canals of the capital city, the Seven Secret Crafts of Magic, a mysterious force known as the Radiance, and lands where werewolves can be one's neighbors - and rulers!

     

    Wednesday, April 10, 2024

    Council of Wyrms (1994)

    From the back of the box:

    Feel the mighty muscles ripple beneath your armored flesh. Hear the wind rush by with each powerful flap of your scaled wings. Smell the fear-soaked sweat of your prey as it wafts up from the ground below. You are a dragon -- majestic, invincible, supreme!

    IMAGINE player characters of such fierce countenance and unstoppable power that only one setting can hold them!

    IMAGINE having abilities of sweeping scope, breath weapons of deadly power, claws like long swords, teeth like daggers!

    Council of Wyrms provides everything you need to create a campaign for dragon player characters. In addition, there are rules for creating elf, dwarf, and gnome "kindred" for your dragon, and details on two new character types: half-dragons and dragon slayers.

    Inside you'll find:
    • A 64-page Rules book packed full of rules for creating and playing dragon, kindred, and half-dragon player characters
    • A 64-page Campaigns book detailing a dragons' campaign and the legendary Council of Wyrms, revealing the secrets of dragonkind and outlining new player-character kits
    • A 64-page Adventures book to challenge the strongest dragon characters
    • 12 full-color reference cards
    • 3 full-color posters, including a dragons' size-comparison chart, a map of the dragons' island homes, and a guide to the dragon clans

     

    Tuesday, April 9, 2024

    Champions of Mystara: Heroes of the Princess Ark (1993)

    From the back of the box:

    Developed from the original DRAGON Magazine series, Champions of Mystara is a major compilation of the Princess Ark Adventures, a magical flying ship that explores the World of Mystara. Discover the heroes of this legendary skyship, their deadly foes, and their wondrous ships. Packed with background information and adventure ideas, this set allows DMs and players to run a long-lasting, globe-trotting campaign based on a unique flying ship.

    Champions of Mystara goes an extra step and also provides experienced players with new rules on magical flying ship construction, operation, and movement! As a final gift, this set offers a Gazetteer developing the region west of the Known World, from the burning lands of Sind to the mysterious jungles of the Serpent Peninsula. A make-your-own world guide finally helps DMs expand the horizons of their favorite campaign world.

    Contents:
    - 3 guidebooks totaling 224 pages
    - 8 full-color ship recognition cards
    - 2 25mm-scale deck plans for the Princess Ark
    - 2 full-color Gazetteer-style map sheets

     

    Monday, April 8, 2024

    Star Trek: The Role Playing Game Second Edition (1983)

    From the back of the box:

    "In Star Trek: The Role Playing Game, each player assumes the identity of a character in the Star Trek universe. While controlling the action of his character, the player leads him through one adventure after another, facing new challenges and unknown dangers. Each game is an ever-changing story as players solve near-impossible puzzles, complete dangerous missions, or simply battle to survive."

     From the web:

    This is the game that started the Star Trek gaming line, and contains all you need to play in the Star Trek universe. Now you can join the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: The Role Playing Game, each player assumes the identity of a character in the Star Trek universe. While controlling the actions of his character, the player leads him through one adventure after another, facing new challenges and unknown dangers. Each game is an ever-changing story as players solve near-impossible puzzles, complete dangerous missions, or simply battle to survive.The game may be played by 3 or more people, ages 12 to adult. Included are the following:

    Star Fleet Officer's Manual
    This 40-page book contains information on how to play the game. With it, you can create and train your own Star Fleet Officer as well as direct his actions in ground-based adventures. Included are an introduction and a glossary for players new to role-playing games.

    Cadet's Orientation Sourcebook
    This 40-page book contains information about the Star Trek universe. It includes illustrated sections on the races and governments in the known universe, as well as photo-illustrated sections on the organization and equipment of Star Fleet. For players new to Star Trek, there is a time line of events and a glossary of Star Trek terms.

    Game Operations Manual
    This 48-page book contains all the information necessary for designing and running games. It has sections on designing adventures and presenting them to players. There are sections on judging character generation and actions planetside and in space.

    Box set also includes 2 x ten-sided dice.

    Sunday, April 7, 2024

    Monstrous Manual (1993)

    From the web:

    Need a monster? Look inside, where more than 300 new pieces of full-color art show what the monsters really look like! This book contains more than 600 monsters, including all the creatures from the Monstrous Compendium Volumes 1 and 2!

    Need a monster? Look inside, where more than 300 new pieces of full-color art show what the monsters really look like! This book contains more than 600 monsters, including all the creatures from the Monstrous Compendium Volumes 1 and 2! In addition, there are monsters from the other Monstrous Compendium Volumes, and some creatures never seen in the second edition AD&D Game before. Entries have been reorganized, corrected, updated, and fully cross-referenced, to make this the most valuable monster reference ever!
     

    Saturday, April 6, 2024

    Player's Handbook (AD&D 2e Revised) (1995)

    From the web:

    Player's Handbook is the indispensable encyclopedia of fantasy role-playing and also the perfect companion to the referee's 2nd Edition Dungeon Master's Guide. Everything players need is here: how to determine a character's Strength, Wisdom, Charisma, etc.

    From the book's Foreword (p. 3):

    Rest assured that this is still the same version of the AD&D game that your friends, classmates, and business partners have been playing for years.

    Yes, there are some small and subtle changes in the rules, but you would have to read the whole book very carefully, and have a tremendous memory, to find them. (The changes are the sorts of minor corrections and clarifications we make every time we reprint and we've reprinted both the Player’s Handbook® and Dungeon Master Guide™ more than 10 times since 1989!)

    So what has changed? Obviously, the books look different. We were awfully proud of them when they released in 1989, but the world doesn't stand still for anyone. We decided that after six years, it was time for a new look.

    And as long as AD&D was getting a new suit of clothes we elected to let out the seams a bit, too. Both books are a lot bigger: 25% more pages in the PHB, 33% more in the DMG. And we used them up just looking good. Inside you'll find bigger illustrations, lots more color, and pages that are easy to read.

     

    Friday, April 5, 2024

    Dungeon Master Guide (AD&D 2e Revised) (1995)

    From the back cover:

    Here is the essential manual for the AD&D game Dungeon Master. All the information you need to create and run thrilling, sword-and-sorcery adventures is clearly laid out in the DUNGEON MASTER GUIDE. Learn all there is to know about magical spells, hundreds of magical devices and treasures, battles, travel, experience awards, and more. This fresh, new format is your guidebook to the challenging world of the AD&D Dungeon Master!

     

    Thursday, April 4, 2024

    Dungeon Masters Guide (AD&D 1e) (1979)

    From the back cover:

    "Dungeon masters everywhere, rejoice! Too long have you had to suffer along with crucial charts and tables spread through many works. Too long have you had to use makeshift references trying to solve the problem. You now have a complete compilation of the most valuable material for your refereeing, the DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE.

    Herein you will find:

    • Combat matrices
    • Encounter tables
    • Monster attacks alphabetically listed
    • Treasure and magic tables and descriptions
    • Gem values by type
    • Random wilderness terrain generation
    • Random dungeon generation
    • Suggestions on gamemastering

    ...and a whole lot more. It is an absolute must for every dungeon master!"


     

    Wednesday, April 3, 2024

    Boot Hill (2nd Edition) (1979)

    From the web:

    You step from the cool shade of the Long Branch Saloon into the midday heat of Promise City. Loosening your Colt in its bolster, you look down Main Street and spot the leather and denim-clad stranger who called you out. Citizens of the town scramble for cover as they sense the forthcoming battle. The outlaw doesn't look fast enough to match your draw, but... wait! Your keen eyes catch the unmistakable glint of the sun against gun metal from the roof of the dance hall - the yellow coward has a buddy who's going to shoot you in the back! What will you do? Think fast, or you'll be the next resident of... BOOT HILL!

    BOOT HILL is the game of role-playing in the Wild West of history and legend. Each player adopts the persona of their character, becoming a shiftless outlaw robbing banks and stages, a renegade half-breed leading Indians on the warpath, straight-shooting sheriff determined to clean up the town, and so on. This boxed version contains a revised and expanded rules booklet (which now includes ratings for many of the real-life "fastest guns that ever lived"), a campaign map for El Dorado County ("Somewhere in the Southwest"), percentile dice, and a 34" X 22" map of Promise City, including a movement grid which can be used with the counters provided or by miniatures, and detailed structure drawings showing door, window, and stair locations as well as the height of the buildings! BOOT HILL merges the West of movies, television, and literature with reality to form the locale for endless hours of adventure and fun. Strap on your gun-belt, and enter the world of BOOT HILL!
     

    Tuesday, April 2, 2024

    Powers & Perils (Basic Set) (1983)

    Designers Notes:

    "There are many reasons why Powers and Perils is well worth the money that you would invest, should you purchase it. However, as I am the designer, I may be somewhat biased in this.

    Powers and Perils is dedicated, first and foremost, to creating unlimited variation and possibilities as simply and easily as possible. This does not mean that, in all cases, the systems that are contained in this game are simple and easy. It does mean that, given the detail and variability that the game provides, it can be used by nearly anyone with a minimal amount of effort....

    The Character Generation system is designed with one purpose in mind: to create detailed and unique characters, of either sex, in any of four races [human, elf, dwarf, and faerry], each time that they are used. The factors generated are used throughout play. Unlike some other systems, they are not rolled and forgotten. Each characteristic that is determined for a character has some use that will be important to the character's success and survival. These uses are detailed throughout the first book and many of the basic formulae that are applied in using them are included on the Character Record Sheet.

    Second, the characteristic system reflects both the native ability, i.e. genotypical potential, of the character and the effect that his interests have on the person that he becomes. Within the realistic limits that nature imposes on him, each character has the capability of being anything that he wants to be - depending on how his interests modify his ability.

    Third, major sections of the Character Generation system are designed to reflect the events and experience that the character would have had before his creation for use in the game. The optional Special Events section reflects major events, lucky twists of fate and other influences during his life. The range of events is quite extensive and some may require the adjudication of the Referee. The major factor reflecting the Character's past is the Initial Increase Factor. This is determined by the Age and Station characteristics, plus a random roll. These points are allocated to acquiring experience, expertise, wealth and characteristic points, which improve a character's starting characteristic values.

    Another feature of the system is the Special Attribute section. This section details factors that can be gained as Special Events, reflecting mystical ties and disabilities that the character may have (either because of some past event or because of his nature). The forces range from curses to awesome mental and physical powers that transcend the normal limits of the magic system.

    All in all, a Powers and Perils character is the most unique individual that you can create in any role-playing system. His capabilities can directly influence the course of the game. He is not a paper illusion, but a heroically real and exciting individual who is intimately a part of his world."

    User Summary:

    The Powers and Perils basic set contains 5 books:

    - Book 1: The Character Book (44 pages)
    - Book 2: The Combat and Magic Book (52 pages)
    - Book 3: The Creature Book (60 pages)
    - Book 4: The Book of Human Encounters and Treasure (52 pages)
    - Book 5: "County Mordara" (24 pages), an adventure module set in the Mordara section of the continent described in the Perilous Lands module.

     

    Monday, April 1, 2024

    Talisman (1983) - Second Edition


    From the web:

    The game board represents a fantasy land. Players chose a character from a list of semi-standard fantasy types: Barbarian, Wizard, Monk, etc. The objective of the game is to travel through the land encountering event cards and gathering strength along the way. Hopefully players will eventually become powerful enough to travel to the center of the board, endure the trials there and take the Crown of Command for the victory. There were also several expansions released for this game, which add new character choices and new places to travel.

    Part of the Talisman series of games and expansions published by Games Workshop Ltd..

    The first edition differs from the second only in the box cover art and the cards, which were printed in black and white (same artwork as the second edition, though). The first edition had no expansions.

    Contents:

    Rulebook
    140 Counters
    4 Piece Game Board

    14 Character Cards: Assassin, Druid, Dwarf, Elf, Ghoul, Minstrel, Monk, Priest, Prophetess, Sorceress, Thief, Troll, Warrior, Wizard.

    Expanded by:
    • Talisman Expansion Set
    • Talisman: The Adventure
    • The Talisman Dungeon
    • Talisman Timescape
    • Talisman City
    • Talisman Dragons
    Also by:
    • The Jewel in the Crown
    • Talisman (Second Edition): White Dwarf #115 Cards
    Re-implemented by:
    • Talisman (Third Edition)
    • Talisman: Revised 4th Edition


     


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