RPGs Turn 50 - Dungeons & Dragons 50th Anniversary

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Due to TSR's precarious financial situation, the corporate reorganization in June 1983 was immediately followed by the first mass layoff, slashing 60 of TSR's approximately 400 employees, followed by another 80 in the second mass layoff the following month. There would be further mass layoffs, plus gradual attrition, reducing the number of employees to about 100 in March 1985. The influence of American National Bank combined with this situation resulted in additions to TSR's executive staff and Board of Directors to manage the new state of affairs, including Richard Koenings, a lawyer who joined TSR in February 1984, was soon appointed corporate secretary, and who declared himself president and CEO of TSR in December 1984. This displaced both Brian and Kevin Blume, who then became interested only in selling their shares of TSR and leaving the industry. By March 1985, TSR executives were in discussions with an undisclosed investment group, located in Beverly Hills California, to purchase TSR, but Gary Gygax preempted the deal by exercising stock options to expand his number of shares, which then amounted to a bare majority when combined with the small number owned by his eldest son, Ernie. Gygax now resumed leadership of TSR in Lake Geneva, and quickly hired Lorraine Dille Williams as vice president of administration, relying heavily on her to deal with American National Bank, the many legal and financial disputes in which TSR was embroiled, and general management. Lorraine Williams was the cousin of Flint Dille, whom Gygax had befriended while in Hollywood, and both were heirs to the Buck Rogers fortune. Gygax also sought investment in TSR from Lorraine Williams, but she eventually became convinced that if she were going to invest in the company she might as well take control of it, which she accomplished in October 1985, after purchasing not only existing shares from the Blume brothers but also their hitherto-unexercised stock options, as well as conspiring with other TSR executives and members of its Board of Directors. Gygax initiated a lawsuit over both his loss of control and specifically over ownership of the Greyhawk intellectual property, but he lost a ruling concerning both in August 1986. TSR temporarily interrupted its development of Greyhawk products due to the lawsuit, but would resume with the release in 1988 of adventure module WG7 Castle Greyhawk, a completely humorous affair with satire at Gygax's expense.

Despite the turmoil at TSR, many products of note were released during this period. A new version of non-advanced D&D by Frank Mentzer was published starting in 1983 and would eventually reach five box sets (Basic, Expert, Companion, Master, and Immortal), hence becoming known as BECMI D&D. Gygax's World of Greyhawk box set was released in 1983, far more extensive than his earlier Greyhawk folio, and the Monster Manual II appeared that same year. About 50 adventure modules were released in just two-and-a-half years, half for D&D rather than AD&D. Noting the increasing appeal of Tolkien-derivatives in fantasy literature, a team lead by Tracy Hickman (author of Rahasia and Ravenloft, among other adventure modules), developed an epic series of 12 linked adventure modules under a new brand called Dragonlance; these were accompanied by a trilogy of novels written by Hickman and Margaret Weis, which sold astoundingly well (and prompted Gygax to write a pair of Greyhawk novels). In 1985, Gygax redirected TSR to the development of new hardcover rulebooks for AD&D, starting with Unearthed Arcana, which was based in large part on Dragon Magazine articles written by Gygax, but continued with Oriental Adventures, the Dungeoneer's Survival Guide, and the Wilderness Guide (the latter two not appearing until 1986). TSR also received temporary licenses allowing them to publish a Conan RPG (and three Conan or Red Sonja modules for AD&D itself) and a Marvel Superheroes RPG (plus a less successful Indiana Jones RPG), and its western RPG Boot Hill entered a second edition in 1984 (I neglected to mention its original publication in 1975).

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Under the control of Lorraine Williams, TSR soon shifted the focus of its D&D/AD&D products to embrace content aimed at describing campaign settings for gaming groups to utilize. Previously, proper setting material had been limited to the World of Greyhawk boxed set in 1983 (and the brief 1980 Greyhawk folio), although Dragonlance existed as a setting for the more limited purpose of a series of adventure modules (and novels), while the Known World existed as the backdrop for a multitude of non-advanced D&D adventure modules. Due to the association of Gygax with Greyhawk, and the fact that he was suing TSR not only over loss of control of the company but also ownership of the Greyhawk IP, TSR determined to create a replacement for Greyhawk as the standard AD&D campaign setting. This resulted in the establishment of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, based on the personal campaign of Ed Greenwood, although TSR's version would be heavily sanitized and would exhibit far more depth (and even breadth). In early 1987, TSR launched The Forgotten Realms campaigns setting box set, the Dragonlance Adventures hardcover book, and the Known World Gazetteer series of softcover books starting with GAZ1 The Grand Duchy of Karameikos. Resumption of the Greyhawk line would occur in 1988, including a Greyhawk Adventures hardcover book, marking four relatively conventional, though distinct, ongoing campaign settings created by TSR. With the publication of AD&D 2nd edition in 1989, TSR would begin exploring decidely unconventional settings as well. The conventional settings included many products, such as

• Greyhawk received the Greyhawk Adventures hardcover book for AD&D 1st edition, the City of Greyhawk box set in 1989, the Greyhawk Wars box set in 1991, and the From the Ashes box set in 1992, plus a few softcover campaign setting books, and 21 adventure modules specifically set in Greyhawk, not including a number of early modules not in any specific setting but that could easily be placed in Greyhawk. TSR officially cancelled the Greyhawk line in 1994.
• The Known World series had been outlined back in adventure module X1 in 1981 but was greatly expanded by 14 Gazetteer books, the Dawn of the Emperors box set in 1989, the Hollow World box set in 1990 (which had another 3 gazetteers of its own), the Champions of Mystara box set in 1993, and more, including 54 adventure modules. With the abandonment of BECMI D&D in 1994, a half-hearted attempt was made to bring the Known World into AD&D 2nd edition, but it was quickly discontinued.
• Dragonlance's world of Krynn was established as a campaign setting by the Dragonlance Adventures hardcover book and would eventually receive the Tales of the Lance box set in 1992, a Player's Guide in 1993, and a Dwarven Kingdoms of Krynn box set in 1993. An attempt at establishing a new continent called Taladas as another setting was made in 1989 but soon dropped, leaving Dragonlance with only a few other setting material products and 27 adventure modules. By 1994, the setting had been more or less abandoned except as a source for more novels.
• The Forgotten Realms was intentionally crafted to be the new standard AD&D campaign setting, replacing Greyhawk, and as such received the lion's share of material, including an initial box set in early 1987, a Forgotten Realms Adventures hardcover book in 1990, a second box set in 1993, and a Player's Guide also that year. For supplemental campaign material, there were 15 entries in the FR line, another 10 entries in the FOR line, and box sets for The Ruins of Undermountain, Menzoberranzan, The Ruins of Myth Drannor, Waterdeep, The Ruins of Zhentil Keep, Spellbound (on eastern countries), The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier, and Netheril: Empire of Magic, plus a number of other products, including a series of Volo's Guides. The world of Toril was also expanded outside Faerun by the linkage of Oriental Adventures, a Horde box set, and a Maztica box set, plus 28 adventure modules.
• Oriental Adventures had begun with the hardcover rulebook in 1985, a sort of AD&D based on eastern Asia rather than late-medieval Europe, but was expanded to a proper campaign setting with the release of the Kara-Tur box set in 1988, and also had 11 adventure modules for it (most of them with the Forgotten Realms logo on the cover).
• Lankhmar, the setting for Fritz Leiber's sword & sorcery tales starring Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, was licensed to TSR for use in AD&D material, starting with 1985's Lankhmar: City of Adventure, which received an AD&D 2nd edition version in 1993 and a box set in 1996. There would also be 8 adventure modules and a few campaign setting books.

 

[MerchantKing]

This guy really belongs among them:

Just think about it. All those guys had a wife and kids. Gygax even had two wives and five kids!

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

When TSR created the original Dragonlance series of adventures, they also published in 1984-5 an accompanying "Dragonlance Chronicles" trilogy of novels, authored by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, which sold beyond the wildest dreams of TSR executives. Gary Gygax quickly jumped on the bandwagon with two Greyhawk novels, the first of which was ironically published in the same month that Gygax lost control of TSR, while Dragonlance continued with a sequel "Legends" trilogy in 1986, followed by a trilogy of short story "Tales" anthologies in 1987. That same year marked the start of a broader push by TSR to capitalize on the obvious audience for fantasy novels tied to Dungeons & Dragons, which accompanied the new focus on campaign settings. Former employee Rose Estes wrote a quartet of Greyhawk novels published in 1987-8 (possibly associated with a settlement of her lawsuit against TSR), while Darkwalker on Moonshae was repurposed into the first Forgotten Realms novel, with the title Moonshae Isles plunked into the setting's western ocean, and became the first in an eventual trilogy. The Forgotten Realms' creator, Ed Greenwood, himself contributed the novel Spellfire in 1988, but it was overshadowed by that year's The Crystal Shard, the first novel by R.A. Salvatore and the first of many featuring a certain Drizzt Do'Urden, as well as Jeff Grubb's Azure Bonds, which would become the basis for a computer game and adventure module as well as generating its own trilogy. Dragonlance would eventually number about 60 books by 1997, while The Forgotten Realms would boast about 70, almost all novels; D&D's Known World setting would also belatedly receive 8 novels starting in 1992. TSR would ultimately publish novels for nearly every new campaign setting as they began, including 6 for Spelljammer, 15 (and 1 anthology) for Ravenloft, 13 for Dark Sun, 4 for Planescape, and 5 for Birthright. As the annual output of novels ramped up, the general quality fell precipitously, though there were a few notable exceptions.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

The introduction of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition in 1989 marked another end of an era in TSR's artwork, as it contained zero illustrations from Keith Parkinson and just one from Larry Elmore, both of whom left the company that year, after having, along with Clyde Caldwell and Jeff Easley, dominated D&D/AD&D artwork since 1982. Aside from these four staff artists, who replaced TSR's earlier amateur artists, Jim Holloway Jr. also produced a voluminous amount of art for TSR during this period and beyond, while there notable contributions from a variety of others, including Timothy Truman, Valerie Valusek, Doug Chaffee, and Stephen Fabian.

Larry Elmore contributed the covers to all five box sets for BECMI and many of the interior drawings, 10 Dragon Magazine covers and some interior illustrations, various adventure module covers and drawings, many covers for novels and Endless Quest books, calendar paintings, setting material covers and drawings, and more:

Cover of Dragon Magazine #140 (Avalyne the Lifegiver), cover of Forgotten Realms Book of Lairs (apparently created earlier), interior drawing in Dragon Magazine #58, interior drawing in BECMI D&D Basic Set


Keith Parkinson created the covers for many adventure modules, the Lankhmar setting book (both 1st and 2nd edition AD&D), the Forgotten Realms campaign setting box set, several novels and Endless Quest books, four Dragon Magazine covers, the first Dungeon Magazine cover, calendar paintings, and covers for various other material, plus some drawings early on:

Cover of adventure module H2 The Mines of Bloodstone, cover of Dragon Magazine #137 (The North Watch), Dragonlance 1987 calendar "Lord Soth's Charge", Dragonlance 1988 calendar "What Do You Mean We're Lost"


Clyde Caldwell remained with TSR until 1992, creating 11 Dragon Magazine covers, the second Dungeon Magazine cover, many adventure module covers and interior illustrations, all 14 covers for D&D's Known World Gazetteer series (plus the Dawn of the Emperors box set cover), many covers for novels and Endless Quest books, calendar paintings, the Forgotten Realms Adventures hardcover book cover and Ravenloft campaign setting cover along with other covers and drawings for setting material, and more:

Cover of Forgotten Realms novel Spellfire, cover of Endless Quest #23 Blade of the Young Samurai, Dragonlance calendar 1987 "Captured", drawing from adventure module I6 Ravenloft


Jeff Easley remained with TSR until the end and was delegated to create the cover of nearly every hardcover book during that period, starting with new covers for the AD&D 1st edition rulebooks, as well as numerous adventure module covers and drawings, many interior illustrations for the BECMI D&D rulebooks, 4 Dragon Magazine covers, many covers for novels and Endless Quest books, the World of Greyhawk box set cover and two Spelljammer box set covers among other setting material, and more:

New 1983 cover of AD&D 1st edition Dungeon Masters Guide, cover of Dragon Magazine #138, interior drawing for adventure module B7 Rahasia, interior drawing for adventure module CM1 Test of the Warlords


Jim Holloway created covers for 11 issues of Dragon Magazine, some adventure modules, and other things, but is best remembered for his voluminous output of drawings, including the entirety of the AD&D 2nd edition Monstrous Compendium:

Adventure module S4 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth drawing, Wilderness Survival Guide drawing, adventure module B5 Horror on the Hill drawing, Oriental Adventures drawing


Timothy Truman, cover of adventure module N1 Against the Cult of the Reptile God, drawing from adventure module U2 Danger at Dunwater:

Doug Chaffee, drawing in the Dungeoneer's Survival Guide, color illustration inside the AD&D 2nd edition Dungeon Master's Guide:

Stephen Fabian, Manual of the Planes drawing, GAZ11 The Republic of Darokin drawing (Itheldown):

Valerie Valusek, City of Greyhawk box set drawing, "The Barbarian in the Library":

Elmore

Parkinson

Caldwell

Easley

Holloway

Truman

Chaffee

Fabian

Valusek

 

[luj1]

So what did we get after 50 years?

- no alignment
- no half races
- goblinoids/orcs arent evil creatures anymore

Any more political stuff im missing?

 

[Cologno]

^Who cares? Normie mainstream consumer glop like current eds is low hanging fruit only worth monitoring to see where the decline is. You don't have to participate in it. I gave up caring about this crap a long time ago and play with a group that uses 2nd Ed.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

So what did we get after 50 years?

- no alignment
- no half races
- goblinoids/orcs arent evil creatures anymore

Any more political stuff im missing?

During the last 27 years all that's occurred in decline, but this thread concerns itself with the vast amount of prestigious (and sometime not-so-prestigious) output of TSR D&D/AD&D products from 1974 through 1996.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Dragon Magazine #103 was published in November 1985, the month after Gary Gygax's ouster from TSR, but ironically included an article titled "The Future of the Game" in which Gygax mused about his plans for a prospective second edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. The change in TSR's ownership delayed AD&D 2nd edition but probably not by much, and before long David Zeb Cook was placed in the lead of the team for its development. Releasing in the middle of 1989, AD&D 2nd edition retained the same structure as the first edition's core rulebooks, with a Player's Handbook, a Dungeon Master's Guide, and a Monstrous Compendium (though the last was in binder format, so that the monsters could be rearranged, with so much material that a 2nd volume was released later in the year), followed in 1990 by a new version of Legends & Lore (previously Deities & Demigods, based on original D&D's Gods, Demigods, and Heroes). While the presentation was substantially different from 1st edition, rules changes were generally fairly minor; the one notable exception resided in experience points, where dungeon masters were now directed to award XP primarily for obtaining objectives while XP for gold/treasure was relegated to being optional, which was related to a general shift in adventures to being more goal-oriented or story-based, but it was quite simple for people arriving at AD&D 2nd edition from any of the five earlier versions of D&D/AD&D to retain XP for gold/treasure while ignoring AD&D 2nd edition's additions in this regard. These core rulebooks were swiftly followed by the first of what would become dozens of books containing optional rules material:

• About 21 appendices for the Monstrous Compendium were issued, including 15 related to specific campaign settings and 4 annual supplements. In 1993, TSR released a massive Monstrous Manual, which dropped the binder format while combining the original Monstrous Compendium volumes with the supplements issued to that point.
• A series aimed at players, with plain dark-red covers, was instituted under the heading PHBR with titles using the form The Complete _Blank's_ Handbook or The Complete Book of _Blanks_, starting with four in 1989-1990 covering the 'standard' classes of fighters, thieves, clerics, and wizards. The fifth book covered psionics, which had been excluded from the core rulebooks, arriving in 1991 just in time for the Dark Sun campaign setting that required it. Another 10 books would cover various demi-humans and humanoids, remaining classes from the Player's Handbook, and ending with barbarians and ninjas; not counting two similar books released specifically for the Spelljammer and Dark Sun campaign settings. These books included "character kits" offering a bit extra character customization at creation, among much other material, though of varying quality.
• A series aimed at dungeon masters, with plain dark-blue covers, under the heading DMGR started in 1990 with a book offering general guidance for DMs. This was followed by another 7 books offering advice or rules on specific topics, such as castles, arms/armor/equipment, or creative campaigning.
• A series of 7 'historical reference sourcebooks', with plain dark-green covers, under the heading HR that started in 1991 and offered information on real-world history as possible campaign setting, with substantial reductions in fantasy from standard AD&D rules and various additions specific to those cultures.
• Expanded magic and magical items, in books such as The Tome of Magic and Book of Artifacts.
• The BattleSystem rules for miniatures combat from AD&D 1st edition was swiftly revised for 2nd edition in 1989 and followed by a book on "skirmishes".
• Four books with more extensive rules modifications were published from 1994 through 1996, under the name "Player's Option" or "Dungeon Master Option". The first dealt with "Combat & Tactics", providing many possible options for fighters in combat (PHBR1 had similar, briefer material), critical hits, information on integrating the battlefield environment into AD&D combat, siege warfare, and more. The second book dealt with "Skills & Powers", including options for more ability scores, special racial skills purchased using a points system, special class skills purchased using a points system, and more. The other books provided rules for "High-Level Campaigning" (the one "Dungeon Master Option" book) and more rules for "Spells & Magic", including a spell point system. Collectively, these books pointed the way to a post-TSR version of AD&D with more complex combat and character customization.
• Miscellaneous items, such as the "World Builder's Guidebook" or the three City/Castle/Country Sites books.

 

[Crispy]

Zed, I have to say, I don't know where you got all of this great content from, but this has been one of the most enjoyable threads I've seen here.

I know it's starting to get towards the "end", with 3E likely to be your next entry, but thanks again for the effort.

 

[udm]

This thread is prestigious as fuck

 

[NecroLord]

Zed, I have to say, I don't know where you got all of this great content from, but this has been one of the most enjoyable threads I've seen here.

I know it's starting to get towards the "end", with 3E likely to be your next entry, but thanks again for the effort.

Yes.
I think 3E and 3.5 especially deserve some more love.
Zed Duke of Banville I'd like to see your full review and a more in depth analysis of those editions.

 

[Monk]

"Early D&D designer and co-author of Deities & Demigods James M. Ward has passed away"

Inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design Hall of Fame in 1989, Ward is best remembered in the industry for his work shaping Dungeons & Dragons during its first spike of popularity while also expanding TSR’s genre horizons with titles such as the post-apocalyptic Gamma World, which is co-created with Gary jaquet.

 

[S.torch]

Legends & Lore (previously Deities & Demigods, based on original D&D's Gods, Demigods, and Heroes).

Wasn't most of L&L and D&D based on already existing gods, though? It was material for the DM I think.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

"Early D&D designer and co-author of Deities & Demigods James M. Ward has passed away"

Inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design Hall of Fame in 1989, Ward is best remembered in the industry for his work shaping Dungeons & Dragons during its first spike of popularity while also expanding TSR’s genre horizons with titles such as the post-apocalyptic Gamma World, which is co-created with Gary jaquet.

Among other items, Jim Ward was responsible for the first science fiction RPG Metamorphosis Alpha in 1976, co-author with Rob Kuntz of Supplement IV: Gods, Demigods, & Heroes (Ward would remain credited as co-author for Deities & Demigods, Legends & Lore, and AD&D 2nd edition L&L), co-author with Gary "Jake" Jaquet of the Gamma World RPG in 1978, and author of the Greyhawk Adventures campaign setting book in 1988. According to Jon Peterson's Game Wizards book, despite his early work for TSR, Ward didn't join as an employee until 1980 and then worked in the sales department (!), and he was fired in the April 1984 mass layoff as TSR contracted from 400 employees in June 1983 to 75 by October 1985, but it seems he was rehired before too long.

From Game Wizards:

TSR designers pulling their weight, from right to left: Tracy Hickman, Jeff Grubb, David “Zeb” Cook, Carl Smith; Smith again (in foreground), Bruce Heard, Merle Rasmussen, and Jim Ward. Taken at the TSR family picnic at Delavan Township beach, June 18, 1983, six days before TSR’s restructuring. Photo courtesy of Merle and Jackie Rasmussen.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Great stuff Zed Duke of Banville. Thanks.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Before the publication of AD&D 2nd edition, TSR under Lorraine Williams had re-oriented itself in 1987 toward a focus on campaign setting material, though at first relying heavily on its existing fantasy worlds: Greyhawk was resurrected in 1988 after a temporary suspension following Gygax's ouster from TSR, Dragonlance provided a Tolkienesque fantasy setting, D&D's Known World provided a pulp fantasy setting in the style of Robert E. Howard's Hyboria, Kara-Tur had already been sketched out in the Oriental Adventures hardcover book, while only the Forgotten Realms was new, replacing Greyhawk as the standard AD&D fantasy world (TSR had also released a licensed Lankhmar/Nehwon setting book in 1985 along with two adventure modules, and would return to it in the 1990s). All of these settings, though distinct, could be described as conventional medieval/Renaissance fantasy settings, except for Kara-Tur which was the equivalent of a conventional fantasy setting based on eastern Asia. This changed dramatically with the release of three decidely unconventional settings for AD&D 2nd edition in as many years, soon followed by another three settings:

• Spelljammer released in 1989, just months after AD&D 2nd edition itself, and was essentially AD&D in Space!, with bizarre fantasy physics to justify sailing vessels traversing the worlds inside crystal spheres and even crossing from sphere to sphere by means of the phlogiston existing outside them. The initial campaign setting box set by Jeff Grubb was followed by 3 box sets (The Legend of the Spelljammer in 1991, War Captain's Companion in 1992, and The Astromundi Cluster in 1993), 7 adventure modules, 3 books detailing the crystal spheres of existing AD&D campaign settings, 2 appendices for the Monstrous Compendium, 4 miscellaneous accessories, and even CGR1 The Complete Spacefarer's Handbook written in similar fashion to the lengthy PHBR series. Despite being well-supported, Spelljammer apparently wasn't selling well enough and was therefore cancelled by TSR in 1994.
• Ravenloft launched in 1990, taking its title from a classic adventure module and sequel, as a means of mixing AD&D's heroic fantasy with the Gothic Horror genre. The setting itself consisted of the Demiplane of Dread, subdivided into distinct zones each ruled by a Dark Lord with a tragic backstory. After the original campaign setting box set by Bruce Nesmith and Andria Hayday, TSR released the Forbidden Lore box set in 1992, the Castles Forlorn box set in 1993, a revised campaign setting box set in 1994, The Nightmare Lands box set in 1995, and the Bleak House box set in 1996. There were also 27 adventure modules (one an entire box set itself), 3 Monstrous Compendium appendices, 8 entries in the Van Richten's Guide series on particular types of creatures, and another 2 books of setting-related material; not counting the Masque of the Red Death box set and its two accessories, which attempted to bring Ravenloft and AD&D to historical late-19th century Earth. Seemingly the best-selling of all TSR's unconventional campaign settings.
• Dark Sun released in 1991 as a fantasy version of the post-apocalyptic settings found in many science fiction stories. The world of Athas was one of city-states ruled over by near-immortal sorcerer-kings, who themselves were subservient to the Dragon (in the singular), while the populace suffered under slavery, environmental devastation, scarcity of water, scarcity of metal, and general oppression, not to mention the giant insects and other dangers. The psionics rules introduced by book PHBR5 The Complete Book of Psionics were necessary to play in Dark Sun, where every character had some psionic abiliity, while players had the option of half-giant, half-dwarf (Mul), and thri-kreen characters, as well as gladiator, templar, and psionicist classes. Even the usual races and classes might have a twist, such as elves belonging to nomadic tribes, or clerics focusing on a elemental plane while deities were absent from the setting. Aside from the original campaign setting box set by Troy Denning and Timothy Brown, there were another 4 box sets (Ivory Triangle, City by the Silt Sea, a revised campaign setting box set, and Mind Lords of the Last Sea), 10 adventure modules (two of them entire box sets), 2 Monstrous Compendium appendices, a Dragon Kings hardcover book, CGR2 The Complete Gladiator's Handbook in the manner of the PHBR series, and another 13 books of setting-related material.
• Al-Qadim released in 1992 as an attempt similar to create a version of AD&D on a different basis than late-medieval/Renaissance Europe, similar to Oriental Adventures, except this time based on the Middle East. It launched with a Land of Fate box set detailing the setting of Zakhara alongside an Al-Qadim Adventures rulebook analogous to the Oriental Adventures hardcover, both written by Jeff Grubb with Andria Hayday. Though it was supported by a City of Delights box set, 4 adventure modules, a Monstrous Compendium appendix, and another 5 books of setting material, Al-Qadim lasted just two years before being cancelled.
• Planescape was based on the existing AD&D cosmology introduced by Gary Gygax himself in the AD&D core rulebooks but greatly expanded in 1987 by Jeff Grubb's Manual of the Planes hardcover rulebook. Beginning in 1994 with a box set by David Zeb Cook that provided a general overview of all the Planes (whether Inner, Outer, Astral, or Ethereal), the setting nonetheless focused on the Outer Planes that were associated with AD&D's alignment system as well as with deities. Planescape created a novel addition with the City of Sigil floating at the center of the central plane, ruled by the Lady of Pain, and provided a distinct aesthetic style for use with its material, as well as a series of factions defined by philosophy. The initial box set was followed by another three detailing the various outer planes (Chaos, Law and Conflict), a Hellbound: Blood Wars box set, 9 adventures modules, 3 Monstrous Compendium appendices, and another 10 books of setting-related material.
• The setting of 1995's Birthright in itself was a fairly conventional pulp-style world, but with the twist that dominion rulership, the intended endgame of D&D since its inception, would be part of play from the very beginning. Player-characters were also bolstered by a few special abilities as part of their bloodlines, while new rules covered dominion management and mass warfare, and certain powerful unique monsters also featured in the setting. After the campaign box set by L. Richard Baker III and Colin McComb,TSR published in a short time 4 adventure modules, 14 brief entries in a "Player's Secrets of _Location_" series, and another 10 books of setting material.
• Artwork for these unconventional settings tended to be more distinctive by relying greatly on one or two artists, at least for the earlier work in each setting. Even Spelljammer's initial box set featured a cover by Jeff Easley, while Jim Holloway provided two booklet covers, all of the interior drawings, and also the ship designs. Ravenloft, inspired by two adventure modules with Clyde Caldwell covers, had Caldwell provide the box cover, while Stephen Fabian created all of the interior art; Caldwell produced the covers for several more Ravenloft products, while Fabian created a vast number of interior drawings until parting ways with TSR. Dark Sun was perhaps even more distinctive in relying heavily on Gerald Brom for many box covers and even some of the initial box set interior art, while Tom Baxa provided a large quantity of interior artwork for a substantial portion of Dark Sun material. Planescape had exceptionally distinctive colored interior artwork by Tony DiTerlizzi in the initial box set, the three box sets providing more detail on the Outer Planes, and some of the other books, while Robh Ruppel provided distinctive covers for much of the material. For Birthright, Tony Szczudlo created the box set cover art and some interior artwork. The only equivalent among the conventional settings was Stephen Fabian doing the interior artwork for 10 of the 14 Known World Gazetteers (and the Dawn of the Emperors box set), all of which had cover art by Clyde Caldwell.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

In 1987, TSR became interested in extending the D&D/AD&D license to computer games, where numerous developers had ripped heavily off Dungeons & Dragons in establishing CRPGs as one of the major computer game genres. Jimmy Maher, the Digital Antiquarian, wrote a series of articles detailing the background and results, as the competition was won by SSI, a company best known for military simulators but which had recently delved into tactical RPGs. SSI's first and flagship TSR-licensed product was the Gold Box series, beginning with Pool of Radiance in 1988, which made the most of the ability of the computer to handle AD&D's combat rules in a tactical manner while also possessing decent exploration in a non-linear adventure co-designed with TSR personnel (even published by TSR as adventure module FRC1 Ruins of Adventure). While Pool of Radiance started adventurers at first level and finished with the party at about 6th level (depending on character class, of course), it would be the first annual release in a quartet of games taking the same party (or newly-created characters) to successively higher levels: Curse of the Azure Bonds (based on Jeff Grubb's novel Azure Bonds and also with an accompanying adventure module FRC2), Secret of the Silver Blades, and Pools of Darkness. A trilogy of games set in the Dragonlance campaign setting followed starting in 1990 (Champions of Krynn, Death Knights of Krynn, and Dark Queen of Krynn), as well as another two games in the Forgotten Realms setting starting in 1991 (Gateway to the Savage Frontier and Treasures of the Savage Frontier). An MORPG version of the Gold Box engine was created for Neverwinter Nights, released in 1991. There were even two spinoffs in the Buck Rogers setting (Countdown to Doomsday and Matrix Cubed), and the final Gold Box game releases in 1992 were followed the next year by the Unlimited Adventures Fantasy Construction Kit, permitting aspiring game developers to design their own Gold Box modules.

SSI would also sublicense to other developers for games that it would publish, especially more action-oriented games. The Gold Box series was soon accompanied by several in a Silver Box, though the quality of these games generally left something to be desired. Hillsfar in 1989 consisted of a series of minigames intended to provide advancement for characters imported from Gold Box games. The first three Dragonlance adventures modules were adapted into action games with Heroes of the Lance in 1988 followed by Dragons of Flame and Shadow Sorcerer (the last with different gameplay from the other two). War of the Lance in 1989 adapted the optional Dragonlance wargame module to the computer, while DragonStrike in 1990 was an ambitious attempt at a 3D dragon-flying action game.

The popularity of Dungeon Master resulted in SSI contracting Westwood to develop a similar real-time blobber RPG using the AD&D license, published as Eye of the Beholder in 1991 and a sequel The Legend of Darkmoon later that same year, while SSI itself would complete the trilogy with Assault on Myth Drannor in 1993.

SSI created a new engine to accompany a game in the Dark Sun campaign setting, Shattered Lands, which released in 1993, followed by a sequel Wake of the Ravager in 1994. A proposed Dark Sun MORPG Crimson Sands was never completed. This new engine still featured tactical turn-based combat similar to the Gold Box games, but did not separate combat screens from top-down exploration screens, while groping towards what would later be termed "Choice & Consequences".

Other non-RPG AD&D-licensed games included two arcade beat-'em-ups created by Capcom, Tower of Doom in 1993 and Shadow over Mystara in 1996, both occurring in D&D's Known World / Mystara campaign setting, as did 1993's strategy game Fantasy Empires. Stronghold from 1993 was a tactics fortress-defense game. There was even a Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace game released in 1992 and an action game for the 3DO console called Slayer in 1994.

There were several later RPGs aside from the Dark Sun games. SSI commissioned Westwood to create two console games in 1992, both in D&D's Known World / Mystara campaign setting, Order of the Griffon for the Turbografx-16 (PC-Engine) and Warriors of the Eternal Sun for the Sega Genesis (Megadrive), though oddly nothing for the Super NES/Famicom; the former similar to the Gold Box engine, while the latter differed substantially. Dungeon Hack in 1993 was a more action-oriented, single-character version of a real-time blobber, while SSI advanced real-time blobbers further from the Eye of the Beholder engine with Ravenloft: Strahd's Possession in 1994, Menzoberranzan in 1995, and Ravenloft: Stone Prophet in 1995. There was also an Al-Qadim: Genie's Curse game in 1994 and a DeathKeep 3DO game in 1995.

Disappointed by sales of these games, TSR partiallyterminated its license with SSI in 1994, while negotiating with Interplay to grant them the AD&D license for the Forgotten Realms and Planescape campaign settings. Although Brian Fargo and Interplay were extremely enthusiastic about the Planescape setting, launching three separate projects for it, only one of these would come to fruition and not until 1999. Meanwhile, tactics game Blood & Magic in 1996 was the only one completed by Interplay in time to provide any benefit to TSR, while a different developer and publisher completed Birthright: The Gorgon's Alliance in 1996.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

I just came back from the Founders and Legends convention, since tickets were still available for this one and the tickets for Gary Con had already sold out months before. I had a blast. Some quick highlights:
- Lots of older editions being played, though mostly 1E. There were also BECMI, the original 1974 editions, 2E, and Castles and Crusades being played. Mr. Stephen Sullivan also ran a game of Chill and I met him and his wife at the event. There was also a 5E module being playtested.
- My daughter and I sat for a game of Felithian Finance with Tom Wham at the table. She really took to his board games and we received some autographed art from him.
- In the first hour of arriving I immediately run into Ed Greenwood who was wrapping up a game session. He was kind enough to autograph one of his Dragon magazine articles for me. Todd Stashwick was sitting at his table and I got to tell the actor that his acting was the best part of Picard season 3.
- Most of the players at this convention were in their 40s and above. My teenage son shocked them by saying he prefers 1E and Castles and Crusades over 5E. He was welcomed to play at every table he sat at and he was all smiles and laughter from early morning to late at night.
- I attended a seminar with Harold Johnson, Tom Wham, and Mike Carr who talked about the old days of DnD. Harold Johnson told how he wanted to be a writer back in the day, but got stuck as an editor. Because of that he felt a bit forgotten. I asked each what they were most proud of during the Q&A. Johnson answered the Kender and his fight to get TSR to publish the Dragonlance novels, Tom Wham said his art in the early Monster Manual, Mike Carr answered how B1: In Search of the Unknown held up through the ages. Mike Mearls officiated the event and was otherwise pretty chill.
- I also sat in a seminar with Skip Williams and Zeb Cook, with Mike Mearls officiating again. This was a discussion on the early struggles of TSR in becoming a functioning business. I feel like Jim Ward was supposed to be there too since his name was in the original event announcement, but he was very ill and in the hospital. The day after the event I heard he had died.
- On Sunday morning I participated in a DnD-themed mass. I was given a blessing card for dice that made me chuckle. "Let us pray to our creator, who has given use these diece for our use. Blessed are you, Lord God, King of the Universe: You have made all things for your glory. Bless these dice and grant that we may use them in your service and for wonderful times of fun, laughter, and enjoyment. We praise you through Christ Jesus Our Lord, Amen." I took part in the eucharist and we prayed for Jim Ward's health and were thankful that Ernie Gygax was doing better and had recovered from his bout with illness. There were other TSR employees in ill health that the people at the mass prayed for, too, though I didn't recognize all the names.
- We met Ernie Gygax and his fiancee. He is looking well and is his happy, jubilant self. I hadn't seen him or Jim Ward since 2008.
- My son played in a Castles and Crusades module that will be published soon and was told he will be in the playtesting credits.
- The highlight for me was my last game my daughter and I played in before heading to the airport. A DM ran "In Search of the Unknown" and Mike Carr was the co-DM. I was nearly killed by a giant spider... good times. I was given a bumper sticker from Mr. Carr that says "Quasqueton, Former Home of Roghan and Zelligar".
- Mike Carr and Skip Williams were often playing their World War 1 fighter pilot game, which was fun to see. There was also plenty of Joust and plenty of Chain Mail sessions being played, to include the Chain Mail scenario on the Attack on the Moat House, which takes place years before T1: Temple of Elemental Evil. I also got to see a table-sized model of the temple. My daughter loved Joust and was undefeated for awhile.
- I was glad we went. Tom Wham is walking around in a cane and has slowed down. Mike Carr and Ed Greenwood are looking good, but looking their age. Ernie just had a health scare, though thankfully Luke is still looking well and fit. I am blessed that I got to play Metamorphisis Alpha at Jim Ward's table back in 2008's Winter Fest since that won't be possible any longer. Folks, the game is 50 years old. Tim Kask and Frank Mentzer were both missing from the event, and gain I am lucky I saw them in 2008 and got to talk to them and hear their tales. I recommend going out to a convention and talking to the old hats about the original days before these guys are all gone.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

- I attended a seminar with Harold Johnson, Tom Wham, and Mike Carr who talked about the old days of DnD. Harold Johnson told how he wanted to be a writer back in the day, but got stuck as an editor. Because of that he felt a bit forgotten. I asked each what they were most proud of during the Q&A. Johnson answered the Kender and his fight to get TSR to publish the Dragonlance novels, Tom Wham said his art in the early Monster Manual, Mike Carr answered how B1: In Search of the Unknown held up through the ages.

Tom Wham artwork in the AD&D Monster Manual

 

[NecroLord]

Always liked the Beholders.
One of the most iconic D&D enemies.
And a good way of making your players hate you, depending on how you introduce Beholders in your campaign.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Although Keith Parksinon and Larry Elmore both departed from TSR in 1989, there was not a complete shift in the style of D&D/AD&D artwork, since Clyde Caldwell remained until 1992 and in particular created several covers for 1990's Ravenloft campaign setting, while Stephen Fabian provided an extensive amount of interior Ravenloft artwork until he stopped doing contract work for TSR. Jim Holloway did the interior artwork and ship designs for 1989's new Spelljammer campaign setting, while Jeff Easley remained until the end and continued to create nearly every hardcover book cover and much else. Gerald Brom became the artistic face of 1991's Dark Sun campaign setting with about 20 cover illustrations, while in 1994 Tony DiTerlizzi became the artistic face of Planescape with the interior (generally colored) illustrations for four box sets and a few other products, and in 1995 Tony Szczudlo became the artistic face of Birthright with several cover illustrations. Other notable artists of the AD&D 2nd edition era include Fred Fields, Tom Baxa, Mark Nelson, Dave Simons, Paul Abrams, Terry Dykstra, Dana Knutson, and Robh Ruppel (creator of many covers for Planescape).

Clyde Caldwell, Forgotten Realms Adventures, Ravenloft adventure module RA1 Feast of Goblyns

Stephen Fabian, Ravenloft Campaign Setting Box Set drawing, RA2 Ship of Horror drawing

Jim Holloway, drawing from Spelljammer Campaign Setting Box Set, Dungeon Magazine #60 cover

Jeff Easley, RR6 Van Richten's Guide to the Lich cover, D&D Rules Cyclopedia cover

Gerald Brom, Dragon Magazine #173 cover, DSQ1 Road to Urik cover, DSE1 Dragon's Crown cover, DSS3 Elves of Athas cover

Tony DiTerlizzi, Lady of Pain from the Planescape Campaign Setting Box Set, Modrons from the Planescape Campaign Setting Box Set, Tiefling from Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix Volume 1, Doors to the Unknown illustration

Fred Fields, LNA1 Thieves of Lankhmar cover, D&D Hollow World Box Set cover

Tom Baxa, Dark Sun Campaign Setting Box Set drawing, DSR1 Slave Tribes drawing

Tony Szczudlo, Sword and Crown cover, Tribes of the Heartless Waste cover

Mark Nelson illustration in HWQ1 The Milenian Scepter, Dave Simons illustration in DMR2 Creature Catalog

Paul Abrams illustration in D&D Wrath of the Immortals Box Set, Terry Dykstra illustration in FA2 Nightmare Keep

Dana Knutson Castles Forlorn Box Set cover, Robh Ruppel RM3 Web of Illusion cover

Gerald Brom

Tony DiTerlizzi

Fred Fields

Tom Baxa

Tony Szczudlo

Dave Simons

Terry Dykstra

Dana Knutson

Robh Ruppel

Glen Michael Angus

Dennis Beauvais

Helen Bedford

Julie Bell

John Blumen

Jeff Butler

Bruce Eagle

Paul Jacquays

Dennis Kauth

Todd Lockwood

Russ Nicholson

Erik Olson

Glen Orbik

Jack Pennington

Unknown

 

[Gargaune]

Man, had this on my wall as a kid for a good, long time, came with some gaming mag I was buying back then. It's a pretty marvellous representation of D&D adventuring - the girl's fighting the dracolich, the rogue's scared of the dracolich, the wizard's scared that the girl has a bigger lightning bolt, and the fighter's ogling her cleavage.

 

[S.torch]

Hey Zed, you may want to spoiler some pics. Or it'll make thread hard to load.

I recommend going out to a convention and talking to the old hats about the original days before these guys are all gone.

Did you ever get to see Gygax himself?

 

[Monk]

"The rise and fall of D&D in Japan"

In 1987, Tunnels & Trolls by Flying Buffalo was translated by Group SNE and published by Shakai Shisousha, which sold 200,000 copies. Then in 1989, Sword World RPG, an original TTRPG designed by Group SNE, was published by Fujimi Shobo, and sold 500,000 copies, well surpassing the sales of D&D itself in Japan. The success of these TTRPGs can be attributed to them being distributed as more accessible paperback books that were sold in bookstores all around the country, as opposed to the D&D boxed sets that were only sold in niche hobby shops that were much rarer.

...

Many of Japan’s best known fantasy properties can directly trace their lineage to the game. Final Fantasy’s original bestiary was almost entirely lifted from D&D. Popular light novels like Overlord, Goblin Slayer, and The Faraway Paladin are inspired by ideas from D&D. This connection is so strong, that even though the author of the manga Delicious in Dungeon wasn’t aware of D&D when she started penning the series, it feels as though it could be directly inspired by someone’s home campaign.