 | |
| Author | Gary Gygax |
|---|---|
| Genre | Role-playing game |
| Publisher | TSR |
Publication date | 1976 |
Dungeon Geomorphs is an accessory for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.
| | |
| Author | Gary Gygax |
|---|---|
| Genre | Role-playing game |
| Publisher | TSR |
Publication date | 1976 |
Dungeon Geomorphs is an accessory for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.
The Dungeon Geomorphs are sets of aids that consist of dungeon map sections. These sections can be cut apart and assembled together in various formations. Set One was for typical dungeon corridors and rooms; Set Two was for unusual dungeon corridors and rooms; and Set Three was for larger, even more unusual dungeons, corridors and rooms. [1] : 140 The Outdoor Geomorphs set was for a medieval walled city. [1] : 146
Dungeon Geomorphs, Set One: Basic Dungeon was designed by Gary Gygax and published by TSR in 1976. Dungeon Geomorphs, Set Two: Caves & Caverns was written by Gary and Ernie Gygax, and Dungeons Geomorphs, Set Three: Lower Dungeons was written by Gary. Sets two and three were published by TSR in 1977. [1] : 140 Outdoor Geomorphs, Set One: Walled City was designed by Gary and also published by TSR in 1977. [1] : 146 All of these initial sets consisted of 12 sheets of puzzle-piece map sections. [1] : 140, 146
Sets One, Two, and Three were compiled in 1980 as the Dungeon Geomorphs set, with 48 cardstock pages and a cover by Bill Willingham. This was printed again in 1981. [1] : 140 Each sheet in the booklet is capable of being divided into two square maps sections and one rectangular map section; these sections are partially geomorphic, as not every corridor can be connected with every other one. The geomorphs were not given any scale, although the maps are covered with 1/4" grid squares that can be assigned with any scale from 5 to 20 feet. [2]
Steve Jackson reviewed the 1980 compilation of Dungeon Geomorphs in The Space Gamer #41 in 1981. Jackson felt that the geomorphs would be nice for any Dungeon Master who needed a complex dungeon level in a hurry. Since they are well-keyed, he noted that a given layout could be quickly written down for later use, and they allow for many possible combinations. Jackson also commented on the lack of scale on the grid squares, and that one square could be taken as being anywhere from 5 to 20 feet, although he felt that the designers probably intended them to be 10 feet. He considered the choice of color a disappointment and the only real drawback, as the light-blue ink in which all the maps are printed in makes them difficult to read. Jackson concluded that the Dungeon Geomorphs is a nice buy for its price, but not a "must". [2]
Kurt Butterfield's review of the Outdoor Geomorphs appeared in same issue. According to Butterfield, this set of city plans helps a Dungeon Master to construct a fairly large walled city in a matter of minutes, saving an enormous amount of time and leaving the DM only to populate the city and add special details. He noted that the walls, towers, and other structures are clearly mapped out in blue on durable white graph paper with marked lines to allow them to be cut out; the square and rectangular pieces can then be fitted together in almost any fashion the DM desires. While Butterfield did not find much wrong with this set, he was annoyed by some unexplained shaded areas and the fact that the set was not as large as he would have liked; ultimately, he recommended the city geomorphs to almost any DM. [3]
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American game designer and author best known for co-creating the pioneering tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) with Dave Arneson.
Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. Although not the first campaign world developed for Dungeons & Dragons—Dave Arneson's Blackmoor campaign predated it by about a year—the world of Greyhawk closely identified with early development of the game beginning in 1972, and after being published it remained associated with Dungeons & Dragons publications until 2008. The world itself started as a simple dungeon under a castle designed by Gary Gygax for the amusement of his children and friends, but it was rapidly expanded to include not only a complex multi-layered dungeon environment, but also the nearby city of Greyhawk, and eventually an entire world. In addition to the campaign world, which was published in several editions over twenty years, Greyhawk was also used as the setting for many adventures published in support of the game, as well as for RPGA's massively shared Living Greyhawk campaign from 2000–2008.
TSR, Inc. was an American game publishing company, best known as the original publisher of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). Its earliest incarnation, Tactical Studies Rules, was founded in October 1973 by Gary Gygax and Don Kaye. Gygax had been unable to find a publisher for D&D, a new type of game he and Dave Arneson were co-developing, so founded the new company with Kaye to self-publish their products. Needing financing to bring their new game to market, Gygax and Kaye brought in Brian Blume in December as an equal partner. Dungeons & Dragons is generally considered the first tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG), and established the genre. When Kaye died suddenly in 1975, the Tactical Studies Rules partnership restructured into TSR Hobbies, Inc. and accepted investment from Blume's father Melvin. With the popular D&D as its main product, TSR Hobbies became a major force in the games industry by the late 1970s. Melvin Blume eventually transferred his shares to his other son Kevin, making the two Blume brothers the largest shareholders in TSR Hobbies.
The Temple of Elemental Evil is an adventure module for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, set in the game's World of Greyhawk campaign setting. The module was published by TSR, Inc. in 1985 for the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules. It was written by Gary Gygax and Frank Mentzer, and is an expansion of an earlier Gygax module, The Village of Hommlet. The Temple of Elemental Evil is also the title of a related 2001 Thomas M. Reid novel and an Atari computer game.
Queen of the Demonweb Pits (Q1) is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game written by David Sutherland. The "Q" in the module code is an abbreviation for "queen". The module, a sequel to the D series of modules, was novelized in 2001.
In Search of the Unknown is a module for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, designed for use with the Basic Set of rules. It was written by game designer Mike Carr and was first published in 1978 by TSR, Inc. The module details a hidden complex known as the Caverns of Quasqueton. Reviewers considered it a good quality introduction to the game that was written in the so-called dungeon crawl style, where the primary goal of the players is the exploration of a dangerous labyrinth to battle monsters and obtain treasure.
Against the Giants is an adventure module written by Gary Gygax and published by TSR in 1981 for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It combines the G series of modules previously published in 1978: Steading of the Hill Giant Chief, Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl, and Hall of the Fire Giant King. All three were produced for use with the 1st edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules. In 1999, to recognize the 25th anniversary of TSR, the company released an updated version, Against the Giants: The Liberation of Geoff. Later in 1999, Wizards of the Coast published a novelization of Against the Giants by Ru Emerson.
Castle Greyhawk is one of the central dungeon settings in the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. The Castle was originally developed by Gary Gygax, for his own campaign and later detailed for publication. Castle Greyhawk is also the name of a 1988 Dungeons & Dragons adventure module that created a treatment of the Castle for the public to use. In 2005, Gygax announced the release of "Castle Zagyg," his new treatment of the dungeon.
Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure by Robert J. Kuntz and Gary Gygax is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, published by TSR, Inc. in 1984. It originally bore the code "WG5" and was intended for use with the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons first edition rules. Because it is one of the WG modules, it is a module intended for the World of Greyhawk campaign setting. It was later updated in 2004 to the Third Edition Revised rules in Dungeon magazine, issue #112, as Maure Castle. There were subsequently two additional installments in issues #124 and #139.
The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was written by Gary Gygax and published by TSR in 1982 for the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) rules. The 64-page adventure bears the code "S4" and is set in the Greyhawk campaign setting. It is divided into two parts, a 32-page adventure, and a 32-page booklet of monsters and magic items. The plot involves the player characters investigating rumors of lost treasure. After traversing a wilderness and two levels of dungeons, the players face Drelnza, the vampiric daughter of long-deceased archmage Iggwilv.
Robert J. Kuntz is a game designer and author of role-playing game publications. He is best known for his contributions to various Dungeons & Dragons-related materials.
The World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting and the World of Greyhawk Fantasy World Setting are two closely related publications from TSR, Inc. that detail the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy roleplaying game. Both publications were authored by Gary Gygax, and they were the first stand-alone offerings to provide detailed, comprehensive information regarding a D&D campaign setting.
Greyhawk is a supplementary rulebook written by Gary Gygax and Robert J. Kuntz for the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game. It has been called "the first and most important supplement" to the original D&D rules. Although the name of the book was taken from the home campaign supervised by Gygax and Kuntz based on Gygax's imagined Castle Greyhawk and the lands surrounding it, Greyhawk did not give any details of the castle or the campaign world; instead, it explained the rules that Gygax and Kuntz used in their home campaign, and introduced a number of character classes, spells, concepts and monsters used in all subsequent editions of D&D.
The Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set is a set of rulebooks for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game. First published in 1977, it saw a handful of revisions and reprintings. The first edition was written by J. Eric Holmes based on Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson's original work. Later editions were edited by Tom Moldvay, Frank Mentzer, Troy Denning, and Doug Stewart.
Brian John Blume was an American game designer and writer, principally known as a former business partner of Gary Gygax at TSR, Inc., original publishers of the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.
Dungeons & Dragons Master Rules is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1985 as an expansion to the Basic Set.
The Expert Set is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1981 as an expansion to the Basic Set.
Role Aids is a line of role-playing game supplements published by Mayfair Games starting in 1982 intended for use with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.
Dungeon Floor Plans is a supplement for fantasy role-playing games published by Games Workshop in 1978.
Dungeon Tiles is a supplement published by Task Force Games in 1980 for fantasy role-playing games.