A Complete Timeline of Early D&D Scenarios IX: 1979 September-October

We're rounding the final corner now with this penultimate set of scenarios. This is an unusual set as it's two-thirds fanzines and one-third Judges Guild with just one other entry - a tournament that was published many years later by TSR. There are no small press publications, but this is no doubt because the small press items are very difficult to date, and there are several '79 scenarios which I have no month for so they are listed at the end of the year. 

This is the ninth installment of my series listing all of the D&D scenarios published in the 1970s. I hope by collecting them all in order it will allow developments, trends and influences to be identified- at the end I will write posts covering these various aspects. 

Since two-thirds of this selection of scenarios come from fanzines, here's another piece of Paul Blackwell's amazing fanzine art to put us in the mood (his work really deserves to be collected together and republished), this time from Demonsblood #4:

A Complete Timeline of Early D&D Scenarios VIII: 1979 July-August

Since every year has double the number of scenarios compared to the previous year, progress through 1979 has slowed to a crawl. We've made it to the second half of '79 now, and two more posts after this should see us to the end. I say "we" as I could not have done it on my own - for this post I have to thank Andy Ravenscroft, Guy Fullerton, Jon Peterson, Allan Grohe, Bane McDeath, VivaVilez, and Ian (mbassoc2003) for providing photos/details of many of these scenarios, and also Andy Ravenscroft for his comments which provide a perspective on the 70's zine scene from one of its contributors.

This is the eight installment of my series covering all of the D&D scenarios published in the 1970s. The aim is to identify developments, trends and influences - at the end I will write posts covering these various aspects. 

So gird your loins and prepare for battle as we face two dozen more scenarios - including four of the most famous scenarios of all time, all released on the very same day...

(Paul Blackwell is the artist, from Trollcrusher #18)

A Complete Timeline of Early D&D Scenarios VII: 1979 May-June

Moving further into 1979, there are 13 scenarios for the months of May and June alone - about the same as were published in the whole of 1976! (The list may well increase - indeed since last post I've added an extra entry for 1978 Jan-June for The Tomb of Lord Advandey from The Grimoire #1 as I'd forgotten it was in issue 1 which was '78). Surprisingly, half of the entries are either Tournament, Competition, or Solitaire adventures.

A much higher standard of scenario is now the norm, and this selection contains a scenario which still consistently rates highly in "best modules of all time" lists, but also at the same time it contains one that set in motion a dangerous trend in scenario design.

One final word of warning to any prospective adventurers - before you attempt to take on any of these scenarios, make sure you're as well prepared as this party in Demonsblood #2, as illustrated by the ever-fantastic Paul Blackwell:

A Complete Timeline of Early D&D Scenarios VI: 1979 Jan-April

We're in 1979 so it should be the final stretch now.. except that 40% of all scenarios published in the 70s were published in the last year!

The fact that there is now a "second generation" of more mature scenarios is nicely illustrated by Paul Blackwell's lighthearted dig at "old fashioned" scenarios of yesteryear which appeared in Trollcrusher #16 (in the middle of the scenario Quivia):

The revolution had not entirely swept away the old guard overnight, and one or two stragglers remain, as we shall see.