[Blog] Happy 40th birthday D&D!

[Havard]

Full version at: http://blackmoormystara.blogspot.no/201 ... day-d.html

2014 marks 40 years of Dungeons and Dragons. As pointed out by the author of Playing at the World, today could very well be considered the birthday of D&D. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson created a game that changed the world in more ways than we can grasp.

Most importantly, the game has given countless hours of joy to us all.


Happy Birthday Dungeons & Dragons!

-Havard

[Havard]

Via the Piazza:

Gygax Magazine are running a Ask Jon Peterson Anything online event at 1pm PST / 4pm EST.

That starts in a few moments.

EDIT: The URL on the Gygax Magazine page did not redirect. Try this URL, which Susie the Banshee supplied: I am Games Historian Jon Peterson, Author Playing at the World. Ask me anything!

It is on right now. Join us!

-Havard

[Havard]

Some quotes from Jon Peterson's Reddit channel:

Arguably [Dave Arneson's] Napoleonic Simulation Campaign from 1969-1972 (with a few years of slow activity following) was as much an RPG as Blackmoor.

Dave Arneson's Blackmoor and Gary Gygax Greyhawk are the two most influential campaigns on early D&D. Do you have insight on any other campaigns from the early history of gaming that you would like to share?

Well, don't sell short Duane Jenkin's "Brownstone," the pre-D&D Western RPG were Arneson played the evil bandit "El Pauncho," and Dave Fant was the lawman "Marshall Fant." All of these activities informed the development of role-playing and the idea of simulating people. There are probably too many examples here to cite.

-Havard

[finarvyn]

My 40th Anniversary tribute was running my group through the FFC version of Castle Blackmoor. Things went well until the TPK when they encountered a few too many giant toads on level three.... hock:

Well, don't sell short Duane Jenkin's "Brownstone," the pre-D&D Western RPG were Arneson played the evil bandit "El Pauncho," and Dave Fant was the lawman "Marshall Fant." All of these activities informed the development of role-playing and the idea of simulating people. There are probably too many examples here to cite.

Damn. That's the first time I've heard of this game. Sounds like a lot of fun! (And pre-Boot Hill, too!)

[Havard]

My 40th Anniversary tribute was running my group through the FFC version of Castle Blackmoor. Things went well until the TPK when they encountered a few too many giant toads on level three.... hock:

Fantastic! Feel like sharing more about this session? Who were the PCs etc?

Well, don't sell short Duane Jenkin's "Brownstone," the pre-D&D Western RPG were Arneson played the evil bandit "El Pauncho," and Dave Fant was the lawman "Marshall Fant." All of these activities informed the development of role-playing and the idea of simulating people. There are probably too many examples here to cite.

Damn. That's the first time I've heard of this game. Sounds like a lot of fun! (And pre-Boot Hill, too!)

I believe Dave Wesely talks about this game in one of the interviews with him. Slight nitpick: I disagree with Jon about referring to the Braunsteins as RPGs. This might be a matter of definition, but IMO D&D was the first RPG. Braunstein was significant however in introducing Roleplaying methods into war gaming, but IMHO they cannot yet be referred to as RPGs. Proto-RPGs perhaps. But I agree that the Brownstone game, like the other Braunsteins do sound like alot of fun.

Good to see you back here again Fin!

-Havard

[finarvyn]

My 40th Anniversary tribute was running my group through the FFC version of Castle Blackmoor. Things went well until the TPK when they encountered a few too many giant toads on level three.... hock:

Fantastic! Feel like sharing more about this session? Who were the PCs etc?

Nothing really spectacular. My sister ran an elven ranger, my friend Paul was a human thief, another friend Alan was a human cleric, and Alan's two sons were dwarven fighers. Mostly a smash-and-grab kind of session without any real goal in mind other than to get far into the dungeon, get as much loot as possible, then get out. They went in once and cleaned out several rooms, then retreated to the surface to heal up and bury their loot near the front gates. Then they went back in for another load and that trip was what did them in. Too greedy, I guess. :lol:

Well, don't sell short Duane Jenkin's "Brownstone," the pre-D&D Western RPG were Arneson played the evil bandit "El Pauncho," and Dave Fant was the lawman "Marshall Fant." All of these activities informed the development of role-playing and the idea of simulating people. There are probably too many examples here to cite.

Damn. That's the first time I've heard of this game. Sounds like a lot of fun! (And pre-Boot Hill, too!)

I believe Dave Wesely talks about this game in one of the interviews with him. Slight nitpick: I disagree with Jon about referring to the Braunsteins as RPGs. This might be a matter of definition, but IMO D&D was the first RPG. Braunstein was significant however in introducing Roleplaying methods into war gaming, but IMHO they cannot yet be referred to as RPGs. Proto-RPGs perhaps. But I agree that the Brownstone game, like the other Braunsteins do sound like alot of fun.

I'm not sure they were RPGs any more than my "Boot Hill" games were RPGs, but sounds like a lot of fun. I knew that they had some Napolionic Braunsteins, but was unaware of any Western ones.

Good to see you back here again Fin!

Always nice to be here. Too many boards to visit and somehow I don't get to all of them as often as I would like. We're having sub-zero weather in Chicago and most of the schools in the area are out today, so I had some extra time to surf the web.

[Havard]

Nothing really spectacular. My sister ran an elven ranger, my friend Paul was a human thief, another friend Alan was a human cleric, and Alan's two sons were dwarven fighers. Mostly a smash-and-grab kind of session without any real goal in mind other than to get far into the dungeon, get as much loot as possible, then get out. They went in once and cleaned out several rooms, then retreated to the surface to heal up and bury their loot near the front gates. Then they went back in for another load and that trip was what did them in. Too greedy, I guess. :lol:

Always interesting hearing about Blackmoor games. TPKs are not inappropriate in the Blackmoor Dungeon I think! What system did you use?

I'm not sure they were RPGs any more than my "Boot Hill" games were RPGs, but sounds like a lot of fun. I knew that they had some Napolionic Braunsteins, but was unaware of any Western ones.

What makes for a Roleplaying Game is a matter of definitions. If roleplaying itself is enough, then Diplomacy and many Wargames could be referred to as roleplaying games as well. You are of course also right that many groups run RPGs without really having much roleplaying in them

The first Braunstein was Napoleonic. Braunstein 4: Banana Republic was set in a Central American Republic. This is one of those games where Dave Arneson really got to show off his skills as a player, winning the game in a way that impressed Wesely.

I posted some more thoughts on Arneson's Medieval Braunstein in today's blog entry.

Good to see you back here again Fin!

Always nice to be here. Too many boards to visit and somehow I don't get to all of them as often as I would like. We're having sub-zero weather in Chicago and most of the schools in the area are out today, so I had some extra time to surf the web. [/quote]

At least something good came out of that then! Incidentally we are having the mildest winter in ages over here. Weather is going crazy. Who pissed off the druids?

-Havard