Angmar: Land of the Witch King is a fantasy role-playing sourcebook published by Iron Crown Enterprises (I.C.E.) in 1982 based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The book expands upon Tolkien's few brief mentions of Angmar, an evil kingdom, providing gamemasters with enough material to create a setting in which player characters can experience Angmar.
In 1982, under license from the Tolkien estate, I.C.E. had previously published A Campaign and Adventure Guidebook for Middle-earth , a role-playing game generally set in Tolkien's Middle-earth.
The same year, I.C.E. also published Angmar, a 160-page softcover sourcebook for the same role-playing game system, with information about the evil witch-kingdom of Angmar that had risen in the millennia before the events described in The Lord of the Rings. [1] The book covers much disparate material about the evil land including the landscapes, weather, various cities and towns, and inhabitants (including ogres and a dragon). The book includes a double-sided 16" x 21" map sheet. [2]
Two years later, in 1984, when I.C.E. published a role-playing game system called Middle-earth Role Playing (MERP), previously published source material such as Angmar, A Campaign and Adventure Guidebook for Middle-earth, The Court of Ardor in Southern Middle Earth and Moria: The Dwarven City were retroactively brought under the MERP umbrella.
In the March 1983 edition of The Space Gamer (No. 61), William A. Barton liked the sourcebook, saying, "Angmar holds a lot of promise for anyone who's been wanting to adventure in Middle-Earth. If the rest of the series is as good, I.C.E. will definitely have a winner on its hands." [1]
Jonathan Sutherland reviewed the Angmar - Land of the Witchking for White Dwarf #50, giving it an overall rating of 7 out of 10, and stated that "The detailing of the whole area is on a tremendous scale, in this 48-page supplement. The drawings of both maps, floor plans and illustrations are competent." [3]
In the May 1996 edition of Dragon (Issue 229), Rick Swan took a retrospective look at Angmar, which had been published 14 years earlier. Swan still found much to like about it, saying it was "noteworthy for... stunning attention to detail" and benefited from "generally strong writing." Swan was impressed with the book's "analysis of military affairs" and "imaginative essays (herb lore, orcish nomencalture[ sic?], and castle design)" and found the book to be well-organized and "tightly edited", but questioned the lack of an index. Swan also criticized the overall tone, saying the authors "tend to emphasize the whimsical too much." He also thought that for an evil witch kingdom, "Angmar oozes gloom but it doesn't seem particularly menacing." Most importantly, Swan questioned the absence of any adventures or adventure hooks. Nonetheless, he gave Angmar an above-average rating of 5 out of 6, calling it a" first-rate sourcebook, meticulously researched and staggeringly complete. Iron Crown did just about everything right." [2]
Middle-earth Role Playing (MERP) is a 1984 role-playing game based on J. R. R. Tolkien'sThe Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit under license from Tolkien Enterprises. Iron Crown Enterprises (I.C.E.) published the game until they lost the license on 22 September 1999.
Iron Crown Enterprises (ICE) is a publishing company that has produced role playing, board, miniature, and collectible card games since 1980. Many of ICE's better-known products were related to J. R. R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, but the Rolemaster rules system, and its science-fiction equivalent, Space Master, have been the foundation of ICE's business.
Chill is an investigative and modern horror role-playing game originally published by Pacesetter Ltd in 1984 that captures the feel of 20th-century horror films.
Lord of the Rings Adventure Game is a role-playing game based on the writings of J. R. R. Tolkien under license from Tolkien Enterprises. Iron Crown Enterprises (I.C.E.) published the game until they lost the license on 22 September 1999.
A Campaign and Adventure Guidebook for Middle-earth is a 1982 fantasy role-playing game supplement published by Iron Crown Enterprises.
Umbar: Haven of the Corsairs is a 1982 fantasy role-playing game supplement published by Iron Crown Enterprises.
The Arkham Evil is a 1983 role-playing game adventure for Call of Cthulhu published by Theatre of the Mind Enterprises.
Bree and the Barrow-Downs is a 1984 fantasy role-playing game adventure published by Iron Crown Enterprises for Middle-earth Role Playing.
The Tower of Cirith Ungol and Shelob's Lair is a 1984 fantasy role-playing game adventure published by Iron Crown Enterprises for Middle-earth Role Playing.
Death in Dunwich is an adventure published by Theatre of the Mind Enterprises in 1983 for the horror role-playing game Call of Cthulhu.
Rangers of the North: The Kingdom of Arthedain is a 1985 fantasy role-playing game supplement published by Iron Crown Enterprises for Middle-earth Role Playing.
Star Wars Sourcebook is a supplement published by West End Games (WEG) in 1987 for Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, itself based on the Star Wars movies.
Ents of Fangorn is a supplement published by Iron Crown Enterprises in 1987 for Middle-earth Role Playing (MERP), a fantasy role-playing game based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.
Terror Australis is a supplement published by Chaosium in 1987 for the horror role-playing game Call of Cthulhu, itself based on the works of H. P. Lovecraft. It was written by Penelope Love, Mark Morrison, Lynn Willis, Larry DiTillio, and Sandy Petersen, and is intended to be used as a sourcebook for adventures in Australia in the 1920s. It received positive reviews in game periodicals including White Dwarf, Casus Belli, and Dragon. A revised and expanded second edition was published in 2019, which won two ENnie Awards.
Send in the Clones is an adventure written by Allen Varney and Warren Spector, published in 1985 by West End Games for the light-hearted science-fiction role-playing game Paranoia. It was written by Allen Varney and Warren Spector, and consists of three short adventure scenarios involving the broadcasting star Teela O'Malley. It received positive reviews in game periodicals including White Dwarf, Casus Belli, and Different Worlds.
Acute Paranoia, published in 1986 by West End Games, is the first supplement for the light-hearted science fiction role-playing game Paranoia.
Clones in Space is an adventure published by West End Games (WEG) in 1986 for the light-hearted science fiction role-playing game Paranoia.
Lórien & The Halls of the Elven Smiths is a supplement published by Iron Crown Enterprises (ICE) in 1986 for the fantasy role-playing game Middle-earth Role Playing, which is itself based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Trolls of the Misty Mountains is a supplement published by Iron Crown Enterprises (ICE) in 1986 for the fantasy role-playing game Middle-earth Role Playing (MERP), which is itself based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Vampires is a supplement published by Pacesetter Ltd in 1985 for the horror role-playing game Chill.