TSR’s Dragon Magazine wasn’t the only fantasy mag in town. Steve Jackson put out Fantasy Gamer Magazine for 6 issues back in 1983 & 1984. In fact, at the time of this writing, the 1st issue just hit its 40th birthday!
Like a time capsule, Fantasy Gamer contains old school cool, like:
Imaginative & Inspiring fantasy illustrations
Fun ads for RPGs, board/card/strategy/war games, and related products
Articles, Commentary, Reviews & Industry News on all things fantasy gaming
Actual built-in games, modules, and creative short stories
Join me as we take a non-linear, haphazard, but fun visual journey through some of the art, style, content and mostly ADVENTURESOME AWESOMENESS of these wonderful magazines! (Keep in mind, to see any small/cropped details, you can expand each picture by clicking/touching)
All 6 Fantasy Gamer covers (click/touch to expand)
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Table of Contents for Issues 1 & 2 of Fantasy Gamer (click/touch to expand)
Cool art for a Rolemaster (by Chaosium) review article!
“The Solimar Quest” generic adventure game module
Hey, “Blizard Pass” D&D Invisible Ink solo module - I just wrote about this recently!
Miss the Rediscovered Realms article about D&D Invisible Ink Solo Adventures?
Sometimes an adventurer, no matter how determined & worthy, has no one to (form a) party with. Such a sad state and waste of attribute rolls, Doritos, and Mountain Dew. Your character’s caltrops rusting away, their 10’ pole propped up forlornly in the corner . . .
Like you, I’ve been a fan of Lord of the Rings for a long time. In fact, I hardly remember any time where the words “Hobbit”, “Shire”, “Gandalf”, and “precious” weren’t part of my vocabulary. So, what better day to reminisce and honor some fond Middle Earth memories than Tolkien Reading Day?
Review for “Excalibur”, an amazing sounding computer game of the time
Please. Only order this if you are TRULY GIFTED. Otherwise the magic will be wasted on one such as yourself. It’s just too damn powerful.
D&D “Citybook II” ad
A PBM (Play By Mail) ad - I blacked out this poor elven archer’s chest. (You wouldn’t want to see what the recoiling bowstring does to such a sensitive area.)
Illuminati PBM (Play By Mail) game. Anyone remember the collectible card game version? I think I still have some laying around somewhere.
Review of “Harn” - a fantasy RPG by Columbia Games
Some of my favorite parts of these Fantasy Gamer mags are “The Village Idiot” news briefs. It’s so fun to see these “new” releases of 40 years ago - some of which I’ve played, owned or lusted after. There’s also a lot of cool read-between-the-lines history about some of the most famous fantasy-related companies & creators.
Ooh, official AD&D metal minis for the first time!
Solo adventure (gamebook style!) for Chaosium's "Call of Cthulu" RPG
Do you love gamebooks like me? Consider signing up to be informed when I launch my very 1st one!
(Featuring artwork from Clyde Caldwell & Luke Eidenschink!)
Didn’t know about TSR’s “Ares” publication!
Tolkien, The Hobbit, Mirkwood, Elves, Beornings & the Necromancer. So cool!
Holy cow! “Interactive theater groups” for fantasy role playing games! Who knew? Someone needs to resurrect this concept - I’ll go! Also in the news - Adventure Gaming Magazine by Tim Kask has the kiboshes put on it.
Game developer/publisher ad for Hero Games
Dragonriders of Pern dueling gamebook. Tunnels & Trolls vs. Maces & Magic. Tunnels & Trolls Fanzine by St. Andre. Coleco Dragon’s Lair arcade game to home game. All BADASS!!!
Lords of Creation by Avalon Hill review (and great artwork by “Billman”)
TSR releasing the Conan RPG & Dragonlance modules!!! Adventure Gaming TV show (in the midwest) all the way back then? Wow.
For me, TSR’s Conan RPG was a contending answer to “What is best in life?”
The mid 80’s was a crazy cool time for Fantasy Role-Playing Games (often abbreviated FRPGs). TSR, the first publishers of Dungeons & Dragons™, dipped their toes into all sorts of genres and intellectual properties to ride the wave. There were boxed sets based on pure Sci-Fi with
Scifi/Fantasy National Hall of Fame in Texas, Nova Lost Worlds new magic system, Gameplay magazine woes, Dave Arneson (D&D co-creator) re-writing his Blackmoor stuff for Flying Buffalo (Tunnels & Trolls), Grimtooth’s Traps. So much going on!
Plan well, . . . or die. Just keep your grubby necrotic necromancer hands off of my (family) Jewels of Power!
Included RuneQuest adventure game module, “Lost Inheritance”
Arena Combat PBM (Play By Mail) game. ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!
Ad for Adventurers Club magazine by Hero Games
World of Velgor PBM (Play By Mail) game. Will you take your FREE TURN? Just don’t let Velgor invoke the power of his capitalized ROD.
Review for Lost Worlds dueling combat gamebooks.
Well, I hope you enjoyed that portal to the past and excerpts from the only 6 Fantasy Gamer magazine issues ever created. I definitely had fun.
Other News from The Realms:
Christopher Bünte has his 3rd gamebook live on Kickstarter! … The Secrets of Candarlin. I love how Christopher keeps adapting each of his gamebooks to audience preferences and gets better and better with each one. He even designed a deluxe edition with a cool box that includes everything you need to play and all the extra goodies he has been creating. If you like fantasy gamebooks, you’ve got to check it out!
Christopher interviewed with Rediscovered Realms a few months back. Read about him, his gamebooks and his inspiring creator’s journey here:
Fighting Fantasy™, Lone Wolf™, Super Endless Quest™ – these were some of the most popular (and my favorite!) gamebooks around when I was growing up in the Eastern United States. (There are many other badass gamebook series I have since discovered as an adult that we will explore in future newsletters - see picture for clues!)
The seasons are changing in The Realms northern hemisphere. Harvesting & Prepping of your food stores for the winter has begun. What better way to get the most out of your remaining spinach than to make Tika’s Druid Salad? From the 1987 Dragonlance book, “Leaves from the Inn of the Last Home”, follow Linda Curtin’s recipe tips from her fantasy blog to make a meal that even mighty Caramon would approve of.
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Holy smokes, this is a treasure trove! I love the inclusion of full games and gaming materials in these magazines! And the artwork is great, but the typeface...could have used some work.
Harnworld is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, but seeing the first article on "Harn" really brings home what a long time that is!
I had no idea Warren Specter, creator of the video game Deus Ex, worked in the TTRPG industry. But there's his name, all over the magazines!
Bug-Eyed Monsters nearly sent me down a rabbit hole. Turns out it's a wargame with the most generic-looking map I've ever seen, totally disappointing given the pulpiness of the cover. But there's also a Japanese version? Wild.
Thanks for this great insight into gaming history! I might just have to spend some time pouring over these at some point.
This is amazing. I love your articles.
Holy smokes, this is a treasure trove! I love the inclusion of full games and gaming materials in these magazines! And the artwork is great, but the typeface...could have used some work.
Harnworld is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, but seeing the first article on "Harn" really brings home what a long time that is!
I had no idea Warren Specter, creator of the video game Deus Ex, worked in the TTRPG industry. But there's his name, all over the magazines!
Bug-Eyed Monsters nearly sent me down a rabbit hole. Turns out it's a wargame with the most generic-looking map I've ever seen, totally disappointing given the pulpiness of the cover. But there's also a Japanese version? Wild.
Thanks for this great insight into gaming history! I might just have to spend some time pouring over these at some point.