Tulan of the Isles is a universal fantasy role-playing game supplement published by Midkemia Press in 1981, later reprinted by Chaosium in 1987, that describes a medieval city environment.
Tulan of the Isles is a universal fantasy role-playing game supplement published by Midkemia Press in 1981, later reprinted by Chaosium in 1987, that describes a medieval city environment.
Following the 1976 publication of City State of the Invincible Overlord by Judges Guild, an overview of a medieval city that could be adapted to any role-playing game system, Midkemia Press created a similar work, The City of Carse in 1980. [1] : 338 Midkemia then followed up the next year with Tulan of the Isles, a 54-page typewritten softcover book by Raymond Feist, Stephen Abrams, April Abrams, and William Dunn. [2]
In the 2014 book Designers & Dragons: The '70s, author Shannon Appelcline said of the city books produced by Midkemia, "It's these urban settings – all located within the First Midkemian Campaign – that are the best-remembered publication from Midkemia Press' brief years of publication." [1] : 338
After Midkemia ceased publication, Chaosium was able to licensed the Midkemia supplements under their "Universal Supplement Series" brand in an attempt to bring back the idea of publishing generic supplements that could be used with other games. [1] : 257 While Midkemia's original books were typewritten and featured simple line drawing illustrations, Chaosium's reprints were professionally typeset softcover books with glossy covers, featuring professional artwork, and revised and expanded contents. This resulted in a third edition of the supplement Cities (1986), a third edition of Carse (1986), and a 64-page second edition of Tulan of the Isles. [1] : 342
Tulan of the Isles describes the city of Tulan, which lies in the same area as the city of Carse. Unlike Carse, which is a free port city, Tulan is ruled by the Baron of Carse. The book provides detailed information about the buildings of the city and their inhabitants, as well as background on the local politics, and provides a fold-out map of the town and blueprints of some of the buildings. [2] The lands immediately outside the city are also described, including the nearby village of Hoxley. [3]
The book also describes what a typical party of adventurers would do upon entering the city, and provides a random encounter table with basic story hooks. [3]
In the July 1981 edition of The Space Gamer (No. 41), William A. Barton gave the first edition by Midkemia Press a thumbs up, saying "Tulan of the Isles will undoubtedly enhance any fantasy role-playing game with which it is used. Unless you abhor 'instant cities', it deserves a place in your fantasy library." [2]
In the August 1988 edition of Dragon (Issue #136), Jim Bambra compared Chaosium's reprints of Tulan of the Isles and Carse to Mayfair Games' recent reprint of City-State of the Invincible Overlord, and gave Tulan the highest rating, saying, "Of the detailed building-by-building urban settings under consideration this month... Tulan of the Isles is easily the best of the three." [3]
The Savage Frontier is an accessory for the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting Forgotten Realms. It describes the Savage Frontier of Faerûn. The book was written by Jennell Jaquays and published by TSR in 1988. Cover art is by Larry Elmore, with interior illustrations by Esteban Maroto, and cartography by Dave Sutherland, Dennis Kauth, and Jaquays.
City State of the Invincible Overlord is a fantasy role-playing game supplement originally published by Judges Guild in 1976. It was the first published fantasy role-playing game city setting, designed for use with Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), and officially approved for use with D&D from 1976 through 1983. It was later republished under license by Necromancer Games.
Midkemia Press is an American game company that produced fantasy role-playing game supplements in the early 1980s. Today it exists as a rights holder for its principal campaign setting, the land of Midkemia.
Wilderlands of High Fantasy is a supplement for fantasy role-playing games published by Judges Guild in 1977. It is part of the same world as their earlier City State of the Invincible Overlord setting materials.
Cults of Prax is a supplement published by Chaosium in 1979 for the fantasy role-playing game RuneQuest that describes the various religions that are central to the game. It was republished in 2016 in PDF format as part of Chaosium's RuneQuest: Classic Edition Kickstarter.
Cities is a fantasy role-playing game supplement that was first published by Midkemia Press in 1979. The supplement was designed to be used with any role-playing game system, and provides information about using urban center as part of adventures. Midkemia published a second edition in 1980, Chaosium published a third edition in 1986, and Avalon Hill published a fourth edition in 1988 for the RuneQuest role-playing game. The various editions received positive reviews in game periodicals including The Space Gamer, Different Worlds, Dragon, White Dwarf, Casus Belli, and Games International.
The City of Carse is a fantasy role-playing game supplement published by Midkemia Press in 1980.
Masks of Nyarlathotep, subtitled Perilous Adventures to Thwart the Dark God, is an adventure campaign first published by Chaosium in 1984 for the second edition of the horror role-playing game Call of Cthulhu. A number of revised editions have subsequently been published. Masks of Nyarlathotep is a series of several sequential adventures set in the 1920s that take the player characters from New York, to London, Cairo, Nairobi, and Shanghai as they deal with the threat of the god Nyarlathotep. Screenwriter Larry DiTillio wrote the adventure with game designer Lynn Willis during a writer's strike. It received positive reviews in game periodicals including Casus Belli, The Space Gamer, White Dwarf, Different Worlds, and Dragon, and is considered to be one of the best roleplaying adventures of all time.
Cthulhu by Gaslight is a horror tabletop role-playing supplement, written by William A. Barton, with art by Kevin Ramos, and first published by Chaosium in 1986. This supplement provides information on role-playing in an alternate setting of Victorian England of the 1890s for Call of Cthulhu. An expanded second edition was published in 1988, and a third edition was published in 2012. It won an Origins Award and received positive reviews in game periodicals including White Dwarf, Casus Belli, Different Worlds, Space Gamer/Fantasy Gamer, The Games Machine, Games International, and Dragon.
The Chronicles of Talislanta is a supplement published by Bard Games in 1987 for the fantasy role-playing game Talislanta.
A Naturalist's Guide to Talislanta is a supplement published by Bard Games in 1987 for the fantasy role-playing game Talislanta.
Talislanta Sorcerer's Guide is a supplement published by Bard Games in 1988 for the fantasy role-playing game Talislanta.
Citybook III: Deadly Nightside is a universal role-playing game supplement published by Flying Buffalo and distributed by Task Force Games in 1987.
Cthulhu Now is a supplement published by Chaosium in 1987 for the horror role-playing game Call of Cthulhu.
The Book of Monsters is a supplement for fantasy role-playing games published by Little Soldier Games in 1976.
Pavis: Threshold to Danger is a boxed tabletop role-playing game supplement for RuneQuest, originally published by Chaosium in 1983. This boxed set detailed the fictional city of New Pavis for use in role-playing adventures. It received positive reviews in game periodicals including White Dwarf, Dragon, Different Worlds, and Fantasy Gamer. The set was republished in 1999 by Moon Design Publications in a single volume with Big Rubble: The Deadly City as Gloranthan Classics Volume I – Pavis & Big Rubble. The 1983 edition was republished in 2019 in PDF format as part of Chaosium's RuneQuest: Classic Edition Kickstarter.
The Asylum & Other Tales is an anthology of seven adventures published by Chaosium in 1983 for the horror role-playing game Call of Cthulhu.
Into the Troll Realms, subtitled "Troll Adventures and Encounters for RuneQuest" is a supplement that includes adventures and material that involve interactions with trolls, published under license by Avalon Hill in 1988 for Chaosium's fantasy role-playing game RuneQuest
Land of Ninja is a supplement published under license by Avalon Hill in 1987 for Chaosium's fantasy role-playing game RuneQuest.
Calandia Guidebook is a fantasy role-playing game supplement published by Mayfair Games in 1989 for the City State of the Invincible Overlord campaign setting.