Ravenloft went on to become a setting with novels, video games, and tons of boxed sets, supplements, and adventures. It also showed how classic horror could be a part of D&D. The landmark adventure (ranked #2 in Dungeon 204) redefined many things, such as NPCs and villains. In the genre of horror, we can look to elements appearing in various adventures, such as the awesome Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh, but of course to the Ravenloft adventure (1983) for truly bringing horror to the genre. This diversity was a key to TSR’s early success. Gamma World (1978) and second editions of Boot Hill and M:A were also accompanied by Top Secret (1980), Gangbusters (1982), Star Frontiers (1982), and more. James Ward’s Metamorphosis: Alpha (1976) was TSR’s fourth RPG and was a true sci-fi game. Boot Hill (1975) was TSR’s (and the industry’s) second RPG and was a Western setting. They also printed the minis game Warriors of Mars (1974), based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs “Barsoon” pulp sci-fi stories. It wasn’t until Expedition came out, however, that my opinion was vindicated.” Reflecting on Expedition, Monte Cook says, “When I was young, I tried to show the guys in my game group ‘The Temple of the Frog’ in the Blackmoor supplement to show that it was OK to mix science fiction elements into D&D.
Temple of the Frog was redone as one of the DA series of 4 modules for the Expert boxed set. Blackmoor was incorporated into Greyhawk as the Land of Black Ice, but became especially popular as part of the Mystara setting. Dave Arneson’s Blackmoor was really the first RPG setting. When competitors began to create settings, Greyhawk was expanded so as to be a true setting.
It is said in the excellent Designers & Dungeons that Gary Gygax at first really didn’t have a setting. In fact, the actions you take could bring other aliens to Blackmoor! Let’s state this again: The first adventure ever published for any RPG was a sci-fi crossover!īlackmoor’s influence was profound. Power armor, satellites, special mechanized healing technology, it is all there. A big part of Blackmoor’s setting is the premise that an alien comes to Blackmoor and begins to change things. Included within the Blackmoor supplement for Original Dungeons & Dragons (predating both AD&D and the Basic sets), this very first adventure by Dave Arneson is all about sci-fi mixing with fantasy. The very first adventure ever written for the game was Temple of the Frog (which I blogged about here). Many gamers may not know this was one of many crossovers in D&D, and not just April 2012’s issue of Dungeon and Dragon through DDI. Mike Mearls is quoted in Dungeon as saying “I had this terrible, terrible conflict within myself to immediately tell my friends about it at war with a maniacal, desperate drive to keep it hidden at all costs.” As with so many RPGA adventures, it was published as an AD&D module in 1980. It has aliens (at the very least, alien monsters).Įxpedition to the Barrier Peaks was released as an RPGA offering at Origins II in 1976, as a deliberate tie-in to the release of the game Metamorphosis Alpha. Despite being ranked the 5th-best adventure in issue 204 of Dungeon magazine, it gets picked on an awful lot. When it comes to real science-fiction, experienced gamers often debate the merit of a classic adventure: Expedition to the Barrier Peaks. Still, most of that has been lost and the majority of the game remains the same. A few settings, such as Eberron, describe a lost past where magic once duplicated what we think of as technology. We remain true to the core of what we read in the Lord of the Rings books and other popular stories and movies.
In most cases, there are no aspects of science-fiction. The characters, the adventures, and the setting itself have fantastic elements that center around wizards, mages, and mythical creatures. (Originally posted on the GoingLast podcast blog)įor the vast majority of gamers, D&D is simply a fantasy game.
Last Stand at Camp Starfall – The Influences of Other Genres on D&D