We now enter 1976 and there are almost as many entries in this single year than in the whole of 1971-1975. As usual there is so much to say about each of these, but my main thrust is to show how they develop and to show connections between them - and to do that I need to complete this list first!
At this point I'll just give you a room entry from Gen Con IX which shows old-school play at its finest:
Getting dates for all these scenarios was a lot more work than tracking them all down - I had a lot of them to start with anyway and there are a lot of resources online and blog entries which point you to the more obscure or newly discovered or (finally) published items - but mostly people date items to the year which is insufficient for any "what influenced what" comparison. Most magazines/fanzines include their publication date inside or on the cover (but not all) and some publications helpfully include the month in their copyright notice (all of which requires images of the original not later reprints) - but for a lot of items I had to resort to finding the earliest advert / review or other mention of the product - so there's been a lot of detective work going back and forth trying to pin things down. As usual, please let me know about any errors/omissions.
Date: 1976.1
Author: Mark Leymaster
Publisher: A&E #7
Type: Solo dungeon
Description: This is an unusual item. As far as I can make out it describes a program for solo playing or playing by mail that prints out an adventure and tells you when you need to roll dice for a combat, and then carries on describing what happens if you win. This fits in with the suggestion Gary Gygax gave in the Midgard fanzine link referenced earlier (1975.1). It ends with the enigmatic "This node is at the limits of prediction. Choice required". This is all interspersed with Barry Gold's commentary on the limitiations of the game (Barry was tasked with writing up the entry for the APA). The earliest Dungeon crawl computer game according is pedit5 created at the end of '75 - whereas the text adventure Dungeon was written in either 1975 or 1976 so whatever Mark had come up with, it was at the forefront of games of this type.
Name: Dungeons of the Ground Goblins (Games & Puzzles #48)Date: 1976.5
Author: Steve Jackson
Publisher: Edu-Games
Type: Sample dungeon
Description: This sample dungeon was created by the fledgling Games Workshop to publicise D&D in the UK (though it was also published in a US magazine). It was distributed in several ways - see the Zenopus Archives.
Name: DM’s Kit #1: Palace of the Vampire Queen
Date: 1976.6
Authors: Pete & Judy Kerestan
Publisher: Wee Warriors
Type: (mini) Megadungeon
Description: The first ever stand-alone published module. This is a five level dungeon with brief keys.
Date: See Tome of Treasures
Name: Hope Castle (Chimera #18, #19 & #23)
Date: 1976.6 - 1976.11
Author: Paul Cook
Publisher: Clive Booth
Type: Personal Megadungeon
Description: Initially presents part of level 1 as a sample dungeon level, then shows the wilderness, then shows two small parts of the Megadungeon called The Temples of Set and Seker (out of GDG&H). The sample dungeon is clearly based on the Dungeons of The Ground Goblines above.
Date: The zines are dated and are available on line like most dip zines: Diplomacy Zines.
Name: Citadel
Date: 1976.6
Author: Roy Goodman
Publisher: Fantsay Games Unlimited
Type: Boardgame
Description: A multi-level dungeon-crawl game. It does not have geomorphs but you can arrange the levels of the citadel as you wish.
Date: Review in The Dragon #1
Name: F'Chelrak's Tomb (The Dungeoneer #1)
Date: 1976.6 (1979.2)
Author: Jennell Jaquays (Judges Guild)
Publisher: Jennell Jaquays (later Judges Guild)
Type: Mini-dungeon
Description: Three level mini-dungeon in the style of Tomb of Ra-Hotep and Tomb of Horrors.
Note on Date: July is printed on the cover of the fanzine, but Guy says the postmark on his copies is 29th June 1976. Magazines are usually published before their cover date - so in all likelihood all the magazines in this list should be the month before their cover date. Reprinted as a compendium 1979.2 (see editorial Judges Guild Journal V)
Name: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks (S3)
Date: 1976.7 / 1980 (revised)
Author: Gary Gygax (based in part on Rob Kuntz The Machine Level)
Publisher: TSR
Name: City State of the Invincible Overlord
Date: 1976.8-10
Author: Bob Bledsaw & Bill Owen
Publisher: Judges Guild
Type: City & 5-level dungeon (unkeyed)
Description: As you can see from the list so far, this was a revolutionary product. A huge version of the map was sold at Gen Con IX. Booklets came later as Initial Instalment I (with smaller map). The map was super-detailed and all the shops/taverns etc. were described for the entire city. The dungeon
levels were unkeyed (apart from sounds) and were supposed to be an aid to writing your own dungeon - they asked the subcribers if they wanted a key and they said not (they wanted to write their own). See The Acaeum for what came with each instalment, and the instalment dates are printed on the accompanying journals – which is every 2 months.
Name: Gen Con IX Dungeon (JG55)
Date: 1976.8 (1978.2)
Author: Bob Blake
Publisher: Bob Blake (Judges Guild)
Type: Tournament (Gen Con IX).
Description: Two linear dungeons (one per round). It was printed and sold by the author after the tournament, then later republished by JG - see The Acaeum.
Date: See earlier for dates of tournaments. Later republished by JG as Instalment Q.
Name: The Castle of Busyrane
Date: 1976.8
Author: Earl W. Baker
Publisher: A&E 14
Type: Castle
Notes on Date: In magazine
Notes: The map of the castle is briefly keyed and appears to accompany a description of an adventure therein. Of more interest is the accompanying tale of woe on swapping dungeons. Earl has been trading dungeons by post and complains that almost universally the dungeons he receieves are "dud" or don't appear at all. He now requires people to send him extracts of their dungeon first to show they're worth it - he "would rather have a small interesting (and challenging) dungeon like F'chelrak's tomb (see The Dungeoneer #1) than 4 twenty-five level dud dungeons". This shows how adventures in fanzines were cross-influencing each other, and how well received F'chelrak was.
Name: The Fabled Garden of Merlin (The Dungeoneer #2)
Date: 1976.9 (1979.2)
Author: Merle Davenport
Publisher: Jennell Jaquays (Judges Guild)
Name: The Lost Caverns of Tsojconth
Date: 1976.12 (revised 1982)
Author: Gary Gygax & Rob Kuntz (map of The Greater Caverns)
Publisher: Metro Detroit Gamers / TSR
Type: Tournament (Wintercon V).
Description: This was printed for the tournament and extra copies of this were sold by the organisers. Copies of the original are extremely rare and expensive - but scans are widely shared online. Republished as S4 Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (key in particular is much altered). The map shown is the level taken from Rob Kuntz's El Raja Key. Note that after his first (Tomb of Horrors), all Gary's later tournaments are much less linear than other people's.
Name: Thunderhold (JG12)
Date: 1976.12
Author: Bob Bledsaw
Publisher: Judges Guild
Type: Town & 4-level dungeon (unkeyed) & large single-level dungeon (partial key)
Description: The town is like a cut-down version of the City State, the 4-level dungeon is similar to the prior 5-level unkeyed dungeon but is absolutely superb (despite the lack of a key). Sunstone Caverns is a huge sprawling 240-room single level covered with annotations and an accompanying overview of the sections. Fantastic potential but (intentionally) needs a lot of work by the DM.
Date: Published as instalment J
Name: Borshak’s Lair (The Dungeoneer #3)
Date: 1976.12 (1979.2)
Author: Paul Jaquays & Mark Hendricks
Publisher: Jennell Jaquays (Judges Guild)
Name: F'Chelrak's Tomb (The Dungeoneer #1)
Date: 1976.6 (1979.2)
Author: Jennell Jaquays (Judges Guild)
Publisher: Jennell Jaquays (later Judges Guild)
Type: Mini-dungeon
Description: Three level mini-dungeon in the style of Tomb of Ra-Hotep and Tomb of Horrors.
Note on Date: July is printed on the cover of the fanzine, but Guy says the postmark on his copies is 29th June 1976. Magazines are usually published before their cover date - so in all likelihood all the magazines in this list should be the month before their cover date. Reprinted as a compendium 1979.2 (see editorial Judges Guild Journal V)
Date: 1976.7 / 1980 (revised)
Author: Gary Gygax (based in part on Rob Kuntz The Machine Level)
Publisher: TSR
Type: Tournament (Origins II)
Description: This is D&D meets Metamorphosis Alpha. This was printed for distribution to DMs at the tournament only. Copies of the original are extremely rare and expensive but some images have been shared online. The map can be seen here: Lord of the Green Dragons and illustrations here: Grodog. The illustrations look to be the same, as is the map, and the intro, but the key appears to have been largely rewritten.
Description: This is D&D meets Metamorphosis Alpha. This was printed for distribution to DMs at the tournament only. Copies of the original are extremely rare and expensive but some images have been shared online. The map can be seen here: Lord of the Green Dragons and illustrations here: Grodog. The illustrations look to be the same, as is the map, and the intro, but the key appears to have been largely rewritten.
Date: 1976.8-10
Author: Bob Bledsaw & Bill Owen
Publisher: Judges Guild
Type: City & 5-level dungeon (unkeyed)
Description: As you can see from the list so far, this was a revolutionary product. A huge version of the map was sold at Gen Con IX. Booklets came later as Initial Instalment I (with smaller map). The map was super-detailed and all the shops/taverns etc. were described for the entire city. The dungeon
Date: 1976.8 (1978.2)
Author: Bob Blake
Publisher: Bob Blake (Judges Guild)
Type: Tournament (Gen Con IX).
Description: Two linear dungeons (one per round). It was printed and sold by the author after the tournament, then later republished by JG - see The Acaeum.
Date: See earlier for dates of tournaments. Later republished by JG as Instalment Q.
Date: 1976.8
Author: Earl W. Baker
Publisher: A&E 14
Type: Castle
Notes on Date: In magazine
Notes: The map of the castle is briefly keyed and appears to accompany a description of an adventure therein. Of more interest is the accompanying tale of woe on swapping dungeons. Earl has been trading dungeons by post and complains that almost universally the dungeons he receieves are "dud" or don't appear at all. He now requires people to send him extracts of their dungeon first to show they're worth it - he "would rather have a small interesting (and challenging) dungeon like F'chelrak's tomb (see The Dungeoneer #1) than 4 twenty-five level dud dungeons". This shows how adventures in fanzines were cross-influencing each other, and how well received F'chelrak was.
Name: The Fabled Garden of Merlin (The Dungeoneer #2)
Date: 1976.9 (1979.2)
Author: Merle Davenport
Publisher: Jennell Jaquays (Judges Guild)
Type: Mini-dungeon
Description: Dungeons have used side-views before (Tomb of Ra-Hotep and F'Chelrak's Tomb) but these have all been additions to expplain the main map - in this dungeon the side view (Chart 3) is the main map. See Pandora's Maze (1977.5) for how this was used as a tournament.
Date: From the cover. Reprinted in compendium.
Description: Dungeons have used side-views before (Tomb of Ra-Hotep and F'Chelrak's Tomb) but these have all been additions to expplain the main map - in this dungeon the side view (Chart 3) is the main map. See Pandora's Maze (1977.5) for how this was used as a tournament.
Date: From the cover. Reprinted in compendium.
Date: 1976.12 (revised 1982)
Author: Gary Gygax & Rob Kuntz (map of The Greater Caverns)
Publisher: Metro Detroit Gamers / TSR
Type: Tournament (Wintercon V).
Description: This was printed for the tournament and extra copies of this were sold by the organisers. Copies of the original are extremely rare and expensive - but scans are widely shared online. Republished as S4 Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (key in particular is much altered). The map shown is the level taken from Rob Kuntz's El Raja Key. Note that after his first (Tomb of Horrors), all Gary's later tournaments are much less linear than other people's.
Date: 1976.12
Author: Bob Bledsaw
Publisher: Judges Guild
Type: Town & 4-level dungeon (unkeyed) & large single-level dungeon (partial key)
Description: The town is like a cut-down version of the City State, the 4-level dungeon is similar to the prior 5-level unkeyed dungeon but is absolutely superb (despite the lack of a key). Sunstone Caverns is a huge sprawling 240-room single level covered with annotations and an accompanying overview of the sections. Fantastic potential but (intentionally) needs a lot of work by the DM.
Date: Published as instalment J
Date: 1976.12 (1979.2)
Author: Paul Jaquays & Mark Hendricks
Publisher: Jennell Jaquays (Judges Guild)
Type: Mini-dungeon
Description: Billed as a first level adventure - one room has ten Goblins (5gp each) defending a treaure chest containing 57,600gp worth of treasure. Sorry - 57,650gp (I forgot the gold they were each carrying). This earns this scenario the title of first ever published Monty Haul Dungeon!
Description: Billed as a first level adventure - one room has ten Goblins (5gp each) defending a treaure chest containing 57,600gp worth of treasure. Sorry - 57,650gp (I forgot the gold they were each carrying). This earns this scenario the title of first ever published Monty Haul Dungeon!
Date: From the cover. Reprinted in compendium.
So this year saw the first two of Judges Guild's greatest contributions (which were combined together as a single product CSIO in early 1977), and future Judges Guild alumni Jennell Jaquays has published her first two scenarios. TSR did not publish any scenarios, and Gary's two tournament adventures were massively changed before they were later published. So the prize of 1976 definitely goes as a joint prize to Jaquays and Judges Guild (despite all their later missteps and the many awful modern day controversies).
Updated to add Le Mandragore for Things Phantasmagorical and The Castle of Busyrane
I'm really enjoying this series. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks Michael - it's been fun to research, but it's even better when I get positive feedback. Just read on your blog about being stressed out last year and not being able to game - hope you're through that now.
DeleteReading through again with an eye toward dates. I have images of three copies of The Dungeoneer #1, all showing postmarks of 1976 Jun 29, so it was certainly released in June, but probably not in the hands of most readers until July. And that begs the question of whether you're measuring release date, as opposed to in-hand date for the first recipient (other than the producers).
ReplyDeleteThanks for that info Guy - I have changed the date to June and added explanation. I didn't want to say June for definate without some evidence.
DeleteFYI, there's another "dungeon" by Paul Cook in Chimaera #23, November 1976, called "The Temples of Set and Seker". Two "temple" maps, fully keyed.
ReplyDeleteIt's not very clear, but this entry covers three parts of Hope Castle published over three issues of Chimera - 18,19 & 23, pf which The Temples of Sel and Seker are a part. I did a similar thing with Don Turnbull's Greenlands dungeon and put all three parts together in a single entry. The downside is that you can't easily find them in the list as they're in the date of the first entry. I'll add extra detail here to make it clearer.
DeleteSteve Jackson's friend and GW co-founder (Sir) Ian Livingstone also created a dungeon around the same time but I'm not sure of the date, or whether it was ever published.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that link - it's not a published dungeon but it's interesting to see an example of a very early dungeon. I can just about read it, but I've no idea what the letters in circles in the key mean, nor what are all the cards and letters referred to in the text. I'll probably do an extra post just on this dungeon.
Delete