User:Squeamish Ossifrage/D&D Sourcing

Checked works

• Adventures Unlimited [full run]
• Ares [full run]
• d6 Magazine [full run]
• The General (Avalon Hill) [vol. 1–20, per index; not bothering after that]
• Guild Adventurer [full run]
• Heroes (Avalon Hill) [full run]
• Shadis 1–9, 14, 19.5, 22, 24–29

Missing works

• Fenix (Askfageln) (Swedish; some issues in English)
• Shadis 10–13, 15–18, 18.5, 19, 20, 20.5, 21, 23, 30–52

Books

Birthright

[review is mostly of the product line in general] Campaign setting based on politics and land holding. Bloodlines are heirs to divine essence distributed across the land when most of the gods sacrificed themselves in a cataclysmic war Realm-building allows tracking of morale, economics, the status of various temples and guilds System is too complex and time consuming, "the rules invoke images of players sitting around a table with accounting forms and copies of the Fiscal Year '95 tax codes." Ruins of Empire: setting background, "tough reading"; system for army-scale combat is adequate Blood Enemies: most important monsters; serves to provide additional world background but not realistic opponents for most games Sword and Crown: Adventure, in theme for the setting Winter, J. (1996). "Birthright Product Line". Reviews. Shadis. No. 24. p. 87.

The Complete Book of Humanoids

Layout like other Complete books Presents rules for 25 humanoid races, including centaurs, goblins, kobolds, lizardmen, minotaur, orcs, satyrs... Includes kits Roleplaying tips Generally positive review, useful to some players and most GM but lack of any aquatic races is a shortcoming Lampman, Mike (September 1993). "Title: The Complete Book of Humanoids". Game Reviews. Shadis. No. 9. p. 35.

The Complete Fighter's Handbook

Book contains options for specialization, new combat rules, guides for role-playing the class Mostly useful for dedicated fans of the class Reviewer would have preferred the expanded rules to work like the Mostrous Compendium in binder form Blackburn, Jolly R. (August 1990). "Title: Complete Fighter's Handbook / Complete Thief's Handbook". Game Reviews. Shadis. No. 4. p. 28.

The Complete Psionics Handbook

Generally positive review Book describes the psionicist class and the roles of psionics in 2nd edition D&D Psionic combat rules are "a confused hodgepodge" but better than 1st edition Chapter describing how to integrate these rules into existing settings seemed rushed and incomplete Lampman, Michael (June 1993). "Title: The Psionic Handbook: An Overview". Game Reviews. Shadis. No. 8. pp. 43–44.

The Complete Thief's Handbook

[See Blackburn in Shadis 4 under Complete Fighter]

Dark Sun Campaign Setting

(as in, the 2E box set, but probably campaign setting article too) Rereleased as a box set with a GM screen, a cloth map, a starting adventure ("Mystery of the Ancients"), "The Way of the Psionicist", "The Age of Heroes" (rules adjustments), and "The Wanderer's Chronicle" (worldbook) Higher ability scores, widespread psionics, changes to available races; divine magic is elemental, arcane magic damages the land (notes the Preserver/Defiler option) Reviewed as a good alternative to normal settings, but essentially functions as a stand-alone game. Way lacks descriptions of some powers and so is incomplete Seacat, Doug (1996). "Dark Sun Campaign Setting". Reviews. Shadis. No. 24. p. 86.

Dragonlance: The Fifth Age

NOTE TO SELF: This is the weird SAGA system spinoff thing System is based on an 82 card deck, divided into 9 suits Encourages improvisation, limited by its lack of a skill system Staroscik, Matt (1996). "Dragonlance: The Fifth Age". Reviews. Shadis. No. 27. p. 74.

Modules

B1: In Search of the Unknown

Lacks a plot, but flexible module that is a "pivotal piece of role-playing history" Groups of humanoid monsters in self-contained sections of a dungeon Vaux, Rob (1996). "B1: In Search of the Unknown". Lost Treasures. Shadis. No. 28. p. 85.

B2: The Keep on the Borderlands

Retrospective review, over fifteen years later. "Designed [for] beginners", "quaint", but among the best Basic modules to revisit for nostalgia. Vaux, Rob (1996). "B2: The Keep on the Borderlands". Lost Treasures. Shadis. No. 29. p. 86.

I1: The Dwellers of the Forbidden City

Maps are difficult to use Society of the titular city is unbelievable "ill-conceived" and "disorganized" Klug, Gary (January 1982). "The Dwellers of the Forbidden City". RPGaming. Ares. No. 12. pp. 31–32.

L1: The Secret of Bone Hill

Valuable as a method of providing a town as a "home base" for low-level adventurers Background material is poorly organized and out of order Introduced as the first of a series (EDIT: continued in The Assassin's Knot) and doesn't appear to stand on its own well. Kern, Robert (January 1982). "The Secret of Bone Hill". RPGaming. Ares. No. 12. p. 32.

Other

Champions of Krynn

Similar to Pool of Radiance and Curse of the Azure Bonds Improved graphics, better load times, less onerous copy protection 9/10 VanHoose, Frank (March–April 1990). "Title: Champions of Krynn". Disks of Wondrous Power. Shadis. No. 2. pp. 58–59.

Hillsfar

Review of the Amiga version Play is hampered by loading times associated with frequent disk access, does not use the resources of the Amiga well Replayable with different classes Inferior graphics and gameplay to Heroes of the Lance. 6/10 Herring, Lew (January 1990). "Title: Hillsfar". Disks of Wondrous Power. Shadis. No. 1. p. 59.

Imagine

Launched by Don Turnbull (via TSR UK) over Gary Gygax's objections to a UK based magazine Staff were mostly new, intended to make the title independent in tone Had to compete with White Dwarf as the important UK mag Little support from TSR US including no advance notice of products "Or—How Did We Get into this State in the First Place?". GameMaster News. GameMaster Publications. No. 1. October 1985. p. 51.

Topics

Controversies

Need to come back to Shadis 7 for a large article on the anti-RPG movement