AiF Authors - Who Wrote What

[Havard]

From the Dragonsfoot Discussion thread:

There was an article in a Different Worlds written by Snider talking about a revision of the game. I'll have to dig it out but from the article it's clear that each author wrote different sections of the book. That may explain why it's so disjointed.

[EDIT] Just checked. Snider says he worked on books two and three whereas Dave worked on Book One (the main rules)

Figured I would repost this here Hedgehobbit. Hope you don't mind. It seems like a useful fact to preserve here as well.


-Havard

[NeonNecromancer]

You can definitely see that multiple people wrote the rules from the spelling and general terminology. This is made more complicated by both men editing some of the sections of the other (though I think Snider did more editing adding references to his items in Arneson's text). If I really had the time it might be interesting to go through line by line and estimate which come from which author.

There are some style differences that I think are correct, though:

• Multiple ! or ? = Arneson (compare with FFC)
  
• Lots of ALL CAPS = Snider (compare Book 1 with Book 2)

So my theories on the different sections:

Book 1:

• Player character stats and creation come from Arneson
  
• - Except the HP rules appear very Snider-ish
  
• - Stamina seems to come from Snider
  
• Social status = Snider
  
• Starting age and death from ???
  
• Education/learning is Arneson
  
• - Though Apprenticeship restrictions seem similar to the Snider parts in book 2
  
• Courses of Instruction is Arneson
  
• Price list and general supplies is Arneson
  
• Combat is mostly Arneson
  
• - Two-handed combat is from Snider
  
• - Maybe Fatigue rules are Snider
  
• Setting up the Campaign = mostly Arneson
  
• Underworld Encounters = Arneson
  
• Bleakwood = Arneson (maybe a bit of Snider)
  
• Tower of Al-Haza = Arneson
  
• Terrain Effects = Arneson
  
• Armor = Arneson
  
• Experience = Snider
  
• Non-Player Characters = Snider editing Arneson

Book 2:

• Basic Magic = Arneson, at least the concept
  
• List of spells = Snider
  
• Permanent magic = probably Snider, but not sure
  
• Sorcerous Combat = Snider
  
• Restrictions on Magicions = Snider
  
• Magical Fatigue = Snider
  
• Faerry Magic = Arneson (at least the base concept from what I remember of some Blackmoor play reports)
  
• Songs of the Faerry = Snider
  
• Runes of the Faerry = base concept I think comes from Arneson (I think I heard he had something similar in the 3e version of Blackmoor, but I don't know where I heard that)
  
• Actual Runes = Snider, though
  
• Faerry Races = Both, I think. Root Arneson, fleshed-out by Snider

Book 3:
Pretty much all Snider

[Havard]

Interesting breaking down of who might have written what!

Thanks for sharing!

-Havard