References

This page summarizes the various resources I am using while writing and editing 'The Fantasy Game'. Privately I also keep PDF copies in case the sites ever disappear but for now here we go with the live links:
  • the D&D FAQ from the Strategic Review reproduced at Knights & Knaves; this nicely summarizes information I probably would have received in a hypothetic letter exchange or during phone calls with TSR in 1975
  • the house rules used later on by Gary Gygax and collected by Robert Fisher and Cyclopeatron; they nicely simulate information that one might have gleaned from Gary during friendly telephone conversations about D&D (at least theoretically - he probably devised them much later but since they also meet my personal preferences I will include them and mark them clearly with optional alternatives in the sidebars of 'The Fantasy Game')
  • "Using CHAINMAIL to resolve OD&D combat" will be used (together with many discussions at the OD&D discussion boards and Knights & Knaves) to get a grip on the Chainmail rules. It also will simulate the fact that it probably would have been possible to find folks with Chainmail experience in spring 1975 or to get direct responses from TSR and Gary. Thanks to D. H. Boggs for creating this excellent booklet and providing it for free. Go buy his game 'Dragons at Dawn' which is just plan awesome! (see below).
  • "Dragons at Dawn" by D. H. Boggs (see above) will be used to simulate the fictional input of Dave Arneson regaring questions to the original game (although probably to a lesser extent as I personally describe more to the Gygax school of rules systems that the Arneson school of rules systems). Note: I am a friend of everything I heard about both of their styles of play. But 'The Fantasy Game' is more about the rules system than the actual way of behaving as a referee - thus Gygaxian views will probably figure more prominently. Nonetheless using this material to simulate having met Dave on a con or something like that should do nicely.
  • Original Dungeons & Dragons Consolidated Rules by Bruce Mohler
  • "Forbidden Lore" by Jason Vey, which nicely describes a way to integrate Chainmail with OD&D - together with the resources mentioned above by D. H. Boggs I will consolidate the Chainmail based combat rules for 'The Fantasy Game'
  • the Epées & Sorcellerie RPG by Nicolas Dessaux - another RPG in a similar vein like my attempt with 'The Fantasy Game' combining OD&D and Chainmail.
  • "The Big Brown Book" by Justen Brown, a 0e D&D clone with a very strong Chainmail influence and d6 only like 'The Fantasy Game'. Very interesting. Here's the PDF.
  • "The Ryth Chronicle", fan based background material for a home grown campaign from the years 1975-1977, originally written by John Van De Graaf and Len Scensny and now available as PDF scans. A post at the Sandbox of Doom suggests that there might have been much more Ryth stuff around - I am eagerly looking for pointers. By now an installment #10 of the Ryth Chronicle also has been unearthed. And a tiny but fascinating Q&A has been started at Risus Monkey.
  • "Primordial ODD" by Alan Kesher. Alan provided a rough draft for a simulacrum with Chainmail emphasis. I yet have to study this but it's very interesting to get yet another view on how a more strongly Chainmail based RPG might have felt.
I will elaborate this list as soon as it becomes clear which parts of the rules will be clarified using which source.
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