List of systemless fantasy role-playing game supplements

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This is a list of tabletop fantasy role-playing game supplements published by various companies. Many of these books were unlicensed publications intended to be used with Dungeons & Dragons or other game systems, and many were designed to be "generic" or "universal", or to be adapted to any fantasy role-playing game system. This list is organized by publisher.

Contents

Game supplements by publisher

Adventurer's Guild

American Games

Angstrum

Attack International Wargaming

Attack Wargaming Company

Bad Dog Publications

Balboa Games

Bard Games

Bard Games published:

Bearhug Publications

Calypso Systems Inc

Canadex Games

Chaosium

Edited by Steve Perrin and Jeff Pimper, All the Worlds' Monsters is a fantasy game supplement that lists many monsters from the campaigns of Dungeon Masters across the US, none of which had been published for Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) before and most of which were original creations. [2] There are three volumes, and the first volume predates the 1977 Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual by several months. [3] :250

They also published Authentic Thaumaturgy (1978), and the Thieves' World supplement in 1981 with the Thieves' World Companion in 1986.

Chaotic Intellect Products

The Companions

Conflict Simulations of Australia

Creations Unlimited

According to Shannon Appelcline, although the adventures of the Maze of Zayene series "were unforgiving 'gauntlets' of the type that Kuntz enjoyed, they were somewhat unusual for the time because they had a political veneer laid out upon them – centring on a plot to assassinate a king. They also feature the evil wizard Zayene, who Kuntz intended to be a recurring villain, constantly returning to bedevil players." [3] :241 The adventures were all published in 1987 and included Prisoners of the Maze, Dimensions of Flight, Tower Chaos, and The Eight Kings.

Creations Unlimited also published:

Daystar West Media Productions

DayStar West Media published:

Del Enterprises

Dimension Six

Dragon Tree Press

DunDraCon Inc

DunDraCon published

Dungeon Quest Publications

Entertainment Concepts Inc

Fantasy Art Enterprises

Fantasy Enterprises

Fantasy Factory

Fantasy Unlimited

FASA Corp

FASA published:

Flying Buffalo

Blade/Flying Buffalo began publishing the "Catalyst" series of fantasy role-playing game supplements in 1981 with Grimtooth's Traps .

Fugitive Games

Gamelords

Gamelords published:

Gamemaster Guides

Games Publications

Games Workshop

British company Games Workshop published play aids including the pad of Character Sheets (1978), Hex Sheets (1978), and Dungeon Floor Plans (1979).

Games Workshop also published:

Gamescience

Gamescience published:

Gargoyles & Gorgons

Genesis Gaming Products

Grenadier Models

Grenadier Models published Cloudland (1984). [1] :163

Group One Games

Horizon International

Icarus Games

Infinity Limited

Integrated Games

International Dungeon Designs Ltd

International Gamers Association

Judges Guild

Judges Guild was founded by co-founder Bob Bledsaw, along with partner Bill Owen, who travelled to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin to visit the headquarters of Tactical Studies Rules (TSR), publishers of Dungeons & Dragons, on July 17, 1976. Bledsaw and Owen had hoped to convince TSR to publish some of the materials they used in their D&D campaigns, as well as Owen's rules for a game set during the American Civil War. While at TSR, they met with D&D co-creator Dave Arneson, who gave Bledsaw and Owen verbal approval to produce some supplemental game materials (known as "play aids") for both Dungeons & Dragons and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D). At that time, TSR's only published play aids for D&D were the Dungeon Geomorphs , and the general feeling at TSR was that no one would be interested in supplemental materials. [4]

Labyrinth Games

Little Soldier Games

Little Soldier Games published:

Loremasters

Mallama Press

Martian Game Modules

Master's Lab

Mayfair Games

As a veteran role-playing gamer, Bill Fawcett decided to get Mayfair Games into the RPG field, and the company began its Role Aids game line by publishing Beastmaker Mountain (1982). [3] :166

Also:

Melsonian Arts Council

Midkemia Press

Midkemia Press published:

MMI

Morningstar Publishing Co

Naois Publications

New Infinities Productions

New Infinities Productions published:

Nomad Enterprises

North Pole Publications

Northern Sages

P.J.'s Pier

Pandora's Treasures

Phoenix Games

Phoenix Games published:

Playing Board Products

Quicksilver Fantasies

Ragnarok Enterprises

Reilly Associates

Role-Players

Sage Lore Productions

SoftSide Publications

Spellbinder Games

Strange Acorn Games

Task Force Games

Task Force Games published:

Tor Books

Tor Books published The Willow Sourcebook (1988). [1] :180

Turtle Press

Weapons is a compendium of virtually every edged or impact melee weapon used in any medieval or primitive culture. [5] Weapons is an indexed sourcebook describing hundreds of different melee weapons, each illustrated. Weapons are covered in six sections: Swords, Knives, Hafted Weapons, Spears, Pole Arms, and Miscellaneous. [1] Weapons was written by Matthew Balent and published in 1981 by Turtle Press, and was later revised and included in The Compendium of Weapons, Armour & Castles. [1] :385 Matthew Balent was one of a few future Palladium Books writers who Kevin Siembieda met through the Detroit Gaming Center. At the time, Balent was working on a reference book that could be used in fantasy roleplaying games. Balent was a Library Sciences graduate, and had the skill and knowledge required to pick through hundreds of books to create a general overview of medieval armor and armaments. The Palladium Book of Weapons & Armor (1981) was the first of several books Balent compiled for Palladium. [6] :156 Lewis Pulsipher reviewed Weapons in The Space Gamer No. 43. [5] Pulsipher commented that "In my view there is no need to add weapons to those already in most FRPG; but if you must, you'll need to look them up in a good source to get some detail. Ten times as much information about a tenth as many weapons, presented more professionally, would have been much more useful. In short, Weapons is virtually useless." [5]

Underworld Publshing

Varanae

Wee Warriors

Wilmark Dynasty

World of Vision Enterprises

Zeppelin Publications

Related Research Articles

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 to 2008.

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Arduin is a fictional universe and fantasy role-playing system created in the mid-1970s by David A. Hargrave. It was the first published "cross-genre" fantasy RPG, with everything from interstellar wars to horror and historical drama, although it was based primarily in the medieval fantasy genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gelatinous cube</span> Fictional Dungeons & Dragons monster

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<i>Expedition to the Barrier Peaks</i> Dungeons & Dragons module by Gary Gygax

Expedition to the Barrier Peaks is a 1980 adventure module for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game written by Gary Gygax. While Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is typically a fantasy game, the adventure includes elements of science fiction, and thus belongs to the science fantasy genre. It takes place on a downed spaceship; the ship's crew has died of an unspecified disease, but functioning robots and strange creatures still inhabit the ship. The player characters fight monsters and robots, and gather the futuristic weapons and colored access cards that are necessary for advancing the story.

<i>Dungeonland</i> Dungeons & Dragons adventure module

Dungeonland (EX1) is a 1983 adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) roleplaying game, written by Gary Gygax for use with the First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) rules. It is an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, with the various characters from the book translated into AD&D terms.

<i>In Search of the Unknown</i> Dungeons & Dragons adventure module

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.

<i>Scourge of the Slave Lords</i> Dungeons & Dragons adventure module

Scourge of the Slave Lords (A1–4) is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published by TSR, Inc. in 1986. It combines the contents of four earlier modules, all set in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting and intended for use with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons first edition rules.

<i>Against the Giants</i> Role-playing game adventure by Gary Gygax

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.

<i>The Kidnapping of Princess Arelina</i> Tabletop role-playing game supplement for Dungeons & Dragons

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<i>Player Character Record Sheets</i> Tabletop role-playing game supplement for Dungeons & Dragons

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Grenadier Models Inc. of Springfield, Pennsylvania produced lead miniature figures for wargames and role-playing games with fantasy, science fiction and heroic themes between 1975 and 1996. Grenadier Models Inc. is best known for their figures for TSR, Inc.'s Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game, collectible Dragon-of-the-Month and Giants Club figures, and their marketing of paint and miniature sets through traditional retail outlets.

<i>White Plume Mountain</i> Role-playing game adventure

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Mentzer</span> American writer and game designer

Jacob Franklin Mentzer III is an American fantasy author and game designer who worked on early materials for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game. He was an employee of TSR, Inc. from 1980 to 1986, spending part of that time as creative advisor to the chairman of the board, Gary Gygax. He also founded the Role-Playing Games Association (RPGA) during his time with TSR.

<i>The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth</i> Role-playing game adventure

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.

<i>Desert of Desolation</i> Dungeons & Dragons adventure module

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<i>Horror on the Hill</i> Dungeons & Dragons adventure module

Horror on the Hill is an adventure module published by TSR, Inc. in 1983, for the Basic Rules of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Its product designation was TSR 9078. This 32-page book was designed by Douglas Niles, and features cover artwork by Jim Roslof. It is intended for beginning gamemasters and 5–10 player characters of levels 1–3. The module contains around 20 encounters on the surface, a monastery, three dungeon levels and three new monsters.

<i>Castle Caldwell and Beyond</i> Tabletop role-playing game adventure for Dungeons & Dragons

Castle Caldwell and Beyond is an adventure module published by TSR, Inc. in 1985, for the Basic Rules of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Its product designation was TSR 9143.

<i>Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set</i> Boxed set for tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons

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.

<i>Dungeons & Dragons Companion Set</i> Tabletop role-playing game supplement for Dungeons & Dragons

The Dungeons & Dragons Companion Set is an expansion boxed set for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game. It was first published in 1984 as an expansion to the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set.

<i>Dungeons & Dragons Expert Set</i> Tabletop role-playing game supplement for Dungeons & Dragons

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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 Schick, Lawrence (1991). Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games. Prometheus Books. ISBN   0-87975-653-5.
  2. Clara, Glowe (November–December 1977). "Reviews". The Space Gamer (14). Metagaming: 42.
  3. 1 2 3 Shannon Appelcline (2011). Designers & Dragons. Mongoose Publishing. ISBN   978-1-907702-58-7.
  4. "History of Judges Guild" . Retrieved 7 October 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 Pulsipher, Lewis (September 1981). "Capsule Reviews". The Space Gamer (43). Steve Jackson Games: 32.
  6. 1 2 Shannon Appelcline (2014). Designers & Dragons: The '80s. Evil Hat Productions. ISBN   978-1-61317-081-6.
  7. Eisenbeis, Keith H. (May–June 1992). "Capsule Reviews". White Wolf Magazine . No. 31. pp. 77–78.
  8. "Palace of the Vampire Queen". Acaeum. Retrieved 2020-05-30.

See also