tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post8320440957955252957..comments2024-03-22T02:46:36.248-07:00Comments on Playing at the World: 1974 Dungeon Variant, Now for DownloadJon Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09824427209908111302noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-39840615729184330482016-06-16T14:38:20.165-07:002016-06-16T14:38:20.165-07:00Sounds like you had to be there. Sounds like you had to be there. Doc Savagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08783244633195233970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-72066701591564355012016-06-11T17:49:54.400-07:002016-06-11T17:49:54.400-07:00This is an amazing example of just how much of a G...This is an amazing example of just how much of a GAME it once was, as opposed to the Pseudo-Medieval Simulation Kit it developed into. The idea of a dungeon expedition kitted out with flash cameras, jars of Ragu sauce, cottage cheese, joke books and led by a bicycle-chain-wielding Priest - well, gleeful is the only way I can describe it. Garyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02808516798917797684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-11944732020458718422016-02-26T19:41:12.482-08:002016-02-26T19:41:12.482-08:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00015727586726751989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-17164356891007978942016-02-26T19:40:48.076-08:002016-02-26T19:40:48.076-08:00This is awesome, and that cover is hilarious!
All...This is awesome, and that cover is hilarious!<br /><br />Allen ShockUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00015727586726751989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-28647663663317396252015-03-23T13:15:47.026-07:002015-03-23T13:15:47.026-07:00Here's an update on my previous comment. The R...Here's an update on my previous comment. The RPG set in the world of Xanth is described <a href="http://clickamericana.com/media/magazines/inside-the-dragons-den-playing-dungeons-dragons-1982" rel="nofollow">here</a>, in an article from Dynamite's flip cover mini-magazine Arcade.Maxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07615194097431562045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-50253950658239317192014-11-09T17:00:11.026-08:002014-11-09T17:00:11.026-08:00I believe it's the article mentioned here. I d...I believe it's the article mentioned <a href="http://www.sarahdarkmagic.com/content/how-picture-girls-playing-dd-went-cool-awesome" rel="nofollow">here</a>. I distinctly remember a D&D article in Dynamite that include the Vanth scene you mention, and this seems to be the only time they featured it.Maxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07615194097431562045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-30484808575513106242014-09-24T06:51:29.179-07:002014-09-24T06:51:29.179-07:00There is a write-up of a game of Minneapolis Dunge...There is a write-up of a game of Minneapolis Dungeon where it mentions that each player got to pick one special ability. This reminded me of an old magazine article (early 80s) about an RPG set in the world of Xanth. In Xanth, each person has a single magical power. In this article, they describe the scene (there was a centaur and someone fell in a pit), and the players claimed that their game pre-dated D&D. Of course, back then I didn't believe them but now I can see that they were playing a version of the Minn Dungeon game. <br /><br />Anyone know of this article? I wish I could remember where I saw it. Hedgehobbithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17606283586332210195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-69468028467878381972014-09-16T20:29:44.068-07:002014-09-16T20:29:44.068-07:00Holy cow how have I not discovered Jon Peterson, h...Holy cow how have I not discovered Jon Peterson, his book, or this blog before now?!?! I haven't been this excited since I opened my Red Box set under the Christmas tree in 1977. Thank you, you wonderful man.Norwegian Bluehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07589654915075623652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-64196567667872718862014-09-15T17:46:54.057-07:002014-09-15T17:46:54.057-07:00Just amazing stuff Jon. I second the Midgard reque...Just amazing stuff Jon. I second the Midgard request as well as any other treasures from the dawn of role playing games. Eldrad Wolfsbanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14292418521508905397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-11742660625788032452014-09-12T00:55:15.099-07:002014-09-12T00:55:15.099-07:00Any chance of a similar download for the Midgard r...Any chance of a similar download for the Midgard rules?anarchisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05546197561922726279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-21100111150689239722014-09-07T22:43:59.375-07:002014-09-07T22:43:59.375-07:00Mmmmaybe. I didn't start going to the St. Tho...Mmmmaybe. I didn't start going to the St. Thomas meetings until... oh.... late 74. That's where I played in a lot of Dave's miniatures games, and also where I played a ton of STARGUARD with Larry Bond.<br /><br />At this point I don't think we'll ever know for sure, but Blue might have seen Blackmoor pre-Autumn 1973, or at a place other than the U of MN Minneapolis campus.<br /><br />Or hell, this is over forty years ago, and I'm not 100% sure what I had for lunch yesterday.<br />Michael (Gronan) Mornardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09581843850302136770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-38303149219245128762014-09-07T10:44:28.606-07:002014-09-07T10:44:28.606-07:00amazing, thank youamazing, thank youPhilosophical slumberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09585095964577331413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-73987784953186595222014-09-06T09:44:20.641-07:002014-09-06T09:44:20.641-07:00Mike, if you take a gander here:
http://playingat...Mike, if you take a gander here:<br /><br />http://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-midwest-military-simulation.html<br /><br />... and look at the flier for the MMSA from 1974, the impression I got was that Svenson and Richard Snider were running MMSA meetings at this point. Many meetings were off campus - another flier I have from this period advertises an MMSA meeting at the College of St. Thomas. Blue was listed as a member of this group when it was still the UofM MHC, but as my blog post over there explains, the UofM MHC evolved into the MMSA and the terms were used interchangeably. I had gathered it was at one of these meetings that Blue witnessed the play of Blackmoor.Jon Petersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09824427209908111302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-50133337412699194252014-09-05T10:31:44.594-07:002014-09-05T10:31:44.594-07:00Totally disconnected anecdote: When I was in colle...Totally disconnected anecdote: When I was in college 20 years ago, I was part of a student club to which the leader routinely referred to by completely different names (same club, same semester, etc.). Which was frustrating with me trying to get paperwork in order for student government funding requests, etc., because he was going around advertising different names on different weeks.Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-45188409565638025502014-09-05T10:26:12.217-07:002014-09-05T10:26:12.217-07:00Hopefully not too off-topic, but the notion of wiz...Hopefully not too off-topic, but the notion of wizards as people who throw possibly alchemical devices goes back to at least the pulp source of Conan:<br /><br /><i>Old Tsotha rose and faced his pursuer, his eyes those of a maddened serpent, his face an inhuman mask. In each hand he held something that shimmered, and Conan knew he held death there... "Keep off" screamed Tsotha like a blood-mad jackal. "I'll blast the flesh from your bones!"... Conan rushed, sword gleaming, eyes slits of wariness. Tsotha's right hand came back and forward, and the king ducked quickly. Something passed by his helmeted head and exploded behind him, searing the very sands with a flash of hellish fire. Before Tsotha could toss the globe in his left hand, Conan's sword sheared through his lean neck.</i> (Howard, "The Scarlet Citadel")Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-70689913369532714042014-09-05T01:31:01.033-07:002014-09-05T01:31:01.033-07:00Huh. I know for sure that in fall 1973 there was ...Huh. I know for sure that in fall 1973 there was no organization by that name, and that in fall 1973 nobody but me was running D&D at Coffman Union on Tuesday nights.<br /><br />Other things I can't swear to, but those two things I can.<br /><br />And who knows if the club had changed its name. I suspect there's not a lot of archived information on student organizations from forty-some years ago.Michael (Gronan) Mornardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09581843850302136770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-75872556598217794252014-09-04T09:22:48.665-07:002014-09-04T09:22:48.665-07:00To just the small point of what the group is calle...To just the small point of what the group is called: Blue called it the "UofM Military History Society" at the time, which doesn't map onto any group I'm aware of. Elsewhere he just calls is the "UofM Wargaming club." But in Arneson's Corner of the Table, we find references to Blue being a member of the UofM MHC, even being in charge of publicity at one point. That is what led me to believe that it was the MHC he saw that day. But I wouldn't call that a sure thing.Jon Petersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09824427209908111302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-30017855508937763702014-09-04T01:30:52.518-07:002014-09-04T01:30:52.518-07:00Also...
" University of
Minnesota Military Hi...Also...<br />" University of<br />Minnesota Military History Club (a subgroup of the Minnesota Military Simulation Association, or MMSA) where he encountered Blackmoor players. "<br /><br />I believe this is actually the University of Minnesota Conflict Simulation Association, the student wargaming club, which was NOT associated with Dave's group. I believe I remember Blue watching us play D&D. Yes, I think it was me and my game he first watched.<br />Michael (Gronan) Mornardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09581843850302136770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-78167346921698867862014-09-04T01:23:47.086-07:002014-09-04T01:23:47.086-07:00The wizard would say, "I'm going to throw...The wizard would say, "I'm going to throw a light ball." Then they would get to roll 2d6 X number of times to see how much damage they did. No targetting roll, no line of sight, etc.<br />Michael (Gronan) Mornardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09581843850302136770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-29233619640113000862014-09-04T01:22:21.326-07:002014-09-04T01:22:21.326-07:00As far as the "light balls, spear balls,"...As far as the "light balls, spear balls," and other "ball" spells, it was never specified. They were just things. And I'm 99% sure there was absolutely no cross pollination with Tekumel.<br /><br />They were called "balls" because they were based off the D&D "fireball".<br />Michael (Gronan) Mornardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09581843850302136770noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-78077702971380324552014-09-03T07:48:19.829-07:002014-09-03T07:48:19.829-07:00This is ridiculously awesome. Well done, indeed, a...This is ridiculously awesome. Well done, indeed, and extra thanks to VanGrasstek the Sage for being willing to share this gem!kesherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17494262159858200847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-82913184949865507992014-09-02T07:41:02.406-07:002014-09-02T07:41:02.406-07:00Pg 8, "For the first three spell categories, ...Pg 8, "For the first three spell categories, there are as<br />many charges of the spell as is rolled with one die"<br /><br />The first three subtables are spells. The Gorgon Gorer is referred to as a ball. <br /><br />At least that's how I read it. Hedgehobbithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17606283586332210195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-62885585473557640022014-09-02T06:55:31.316-07:002014-09-02T06:55:31.316-07:00This is an excellent relic of days gone by thank y...This is an excellent relic of days gone by thank you and Mr. VanGrasstek for the pdf and this piece of game history.JDJarvishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07691101939920824546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-57803155941431600452014-09-01T19:19:27.667-07:002014-09-01T19:19:27.667-07:00The "Blasting Wand" isn't literally ...The "Blasting Wand" isn't literally a "spell," as we would understand it in D&D, any more than the "Wizard's Sword" or plenty of other things one can roll up on the wizard's treasure table - flashlights, Japanese translation books, and so on - are "spells." All of the equipment listed in that table is usable specifically by wizards, and that's why we see it on the "spell" table. The "balls" in subtables II and III were the matter under discussion here.Jon Petersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09824427209908111302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-55506796815620998522014-09-01T18:29:35.794-07:002014-09-01T18:29:35.794-07:00One of the spells is referred to as a "Wand o...One of the spells is referred to as a "Wand of Blasting" so it doesn't seem like all of them are actual round balls. Hedgehobbithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17606283586332210195noreply@blogger.com