[AiF] Adventures in Fantasy - Product List

[Havard]

CORE RULES

• Adventures in Fantasy Boxed Set (1978, Excalibre Games), by David L Arneson and Richard Snider
  • Book of Adventures
    
  • Book of Faerry and Magic
    
  • Book of Creatures and Treasure

• Adventures in Fantasy Boxed Set (1979, Adventure Games)*, by David L Arneson and Richard Snider
  • Book of Adventures
    
  • Book of Faerry and Magic
    
  • Book of Creatures and Treasure

*=Adventure Games edition is basically identical to the Excaliber Games edition.


SUPPLEMENTS

• First Fantasy Campaign (1977) - introduced the Bleakwood Setting
  
• Robert Asprin's Thieves' World (1981) - Multisystem boxed set. AiF stats by Dave Arneson.

MAGAZINE ARTICLES

• Different Worlds Magazine #14: "Preview to the Second Edition of Adventures In Fantasy" by Richard L. Snider (1981)

VAPORWARE (Never published)

• Adventures in Fantasy 2nd Edition
  
• Dragon Lore & Legend
  
• Ritual Magic
  
• The Races of the Faerry
  
• World of Fantasy
  
• and "more"...

DOWNLOADS

• Go here for a list of free downloads

Thanks to Semi-Retired Gamer for pointing out some of the items on this list.

[Semi-Retired Gamer]

Thanks! Cool list so far.

Does anyone have a copy of the Different Worlds article from Richard Snider on the AiF second edition?

I think it's interesting to note that AiF was a human based - I believe Gygax stated AD&D was a humanocentric game in the DMG when explaining the demihuman level limits - but instead of following the A/D&D practice of using level limits for nonhuman characters AiF imposes a list of penalties connected with playing a nonhuman race. I wonder if Races of the Faerry would have included more nonhuman races for optional PCs or different guidelines than the basic rules?

I wonder if the "World of Fantasy" would have been Blackmoor in disguise because the example campaign setup in the AiF core rules has the "Shrine of St. Cuth" instead of Cuthbert iirc. Without taking the time for a quick look I don't know if there were other similarities.

Ritual Magic would have, of course, expanded the very basic spell system laid out in the core rules.

Dragons were already the centerpiece of the monster section with something like a dozen pages or so going over the options. I really need to whip together a Dragon Record Sheet to record the results of generating the different dragons. It's interesting that Arneson suggests creating the dragons used in the campaign before the campaign starts. Maybe this book would have included more dragon hoard options, an expanded dragon generation system, dragon magic, or who knows what else?

All of this talk about "what could have been" is fascinating! It's time for those frustrated by AiF to start whipping up some fan stuff to make this game shine...

[Havard]

Thanks! Cool list so far.

Does anyone have a copy of the Different Worlds article from Richard Snider on the AiF second edition?

I've just ordered a copy of the magazine via ebay. Was there ever an actual second edition? Or was it just the same version relabelled after AiF was acquired by Adventure Games?

I think it's interesting to note that AiF was a human based - I believe Gygax stated AD&D was a humanocentric game in the DMG when explaining the demihuman level limits - but instead of following the A/D&D practice of using level limits for nonhuman characters AiF imposes a list of penalties connected with playing a nonhuman race. I wonder if Races of the Faerry would have included more nonhuman races for optional PCs or different guidelines than the basic rules?

Good point. Unlike Gygax, Arneson never seemed to have a problem with nonhuman PCs...

I wonder if the "World of Fantasy" would have been Blackmoor in disguise because the example campaign setup in the AiF core rules has the "Shrine of St. Cuth" instead of Cuthbert iirc. Without taking the time for a quick look I don't know if there were other similarities.

There is also a brief description of Bleakwood in the FFC so I defintely think they are connected. St Cuth is undoubtedly St. Cuthbert, but I am surprised that Arneson would use him.

Ritual Magic would have, of course, expanded the very basic spell system laid out in the core rules.

Makes sense. I wonder if Dragons at Dawn expanded on this...

Dragons were already the centerpiece of the monster section with something like a dozen pages or so going over the options. I really need to whip together a Dragon Record Sheet to record the results of generating the different dragons. It's interesting that Arneson suggests creating the dragons used in the campaign before the campaign starts. Maybe this book would have included more dragon hoard options, an expanded dragon generation system, dragon magic, or who knows what else?

Very interesting for sure. Again perhaps the Dragon details from Richard Snider's section of the FFC could have been something the authors wanted to expand on?

All of this talk about "what could have been" is fascinating! It's time for those frustrated by AiF to start whipping up some fan stuff to make this game shine...

Yes, this is going to be fun!

-Havard

[Semi-Retired Gamer]

As far as I know there was never a true second edition printed. I believe the only differences between the two printings are the name of the company on the box and the second print changed the colored ink in the books to black & white.

[ThePerilousDreamer]

VAPORWARE (Never published)

• Dragon Lore & Legend
  
• Ritual Magic
  
• The Races of the Faerry
  
• World of Fantasy
  
• and "more"...

Several years ago Richard Snider had a listing on eBay and while the final price was out of my league, I did correspond with him with some questions during the listing. He indicated to me that he believed that rough drafts of at least some of the planned books for AiF still existed at that point in time. He indicated personally held some unpublished information in a box somewhere and that Dave Arneson also had some of the documents also in a box somewhere. I don't know if any of it has every turned up or not. It would be great to be able to create these documents and keep the flavor and feel of the original three books.

[Havard]

Several years ago Richard Snider had a listing on eBay and while the final price was out of my league, I did correspond with him with some questions during the listing. He indicated to me that he believed that rough drafts of at least some of the planned books for AiF still existed at that point in time. He indicated personally held some unpublished information in a box somewhere and that Dave Arneson also had some of the documents also in a box somewhere. I don't know if any of it has every turned up or not. It would be great to be able to create these documents and keep the flavor and feel of the original three books.

Very interesting!

Richard Snider was a member of the predecessor of this board. Sadly I didn't know enough about AiF to ask him any questions back then.

I don't know who would be in possession of such material now. I don't recall seeing any such item being sold off at the Arneson auction....

-Havard

[aldarron]

Ritual Magic would have, of course, expanded the very basic spell system laid out in the core rules.

Makes sense. I wonder if Dragons at Dawn expanded on this...


-Havard

A little bit, yes. But I think the real expansion of both the ritual magic and point based magic from AiF is actually Wizards Cabal from Zeitgeist, at least, from Arnesons perpective.