Hawk & Moor: A new D&D book and request for beta readers
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 11:26 am 
 

Zenopus wrote in Hawk & Moor: A new D&D book and request for beta readers:
darkseraphim wrote in Hawk & Moor: A new D&D book and request for beta readers:Hi guys, I've been re-reading lots of Appendix N (not for pleasure this time, but for research) and have come across some interesting things in Hiero's Journey for those who are curious about the likely inspirations for various aspects of D&D.  These are not the only inspirations (for example wererats come primarily from Leiber), but some of them are pretty cool. :)


Hiero's Journey is great! The sequel is as well. It's a shame he never wrote the third part. [Edit: Just remembered that Badmike sent me Hiero's Journey about 7 years ago in one of his Appendix N give-aways on DF. Thanks again, Mike!]


Cool!  I should start that back up again.  Hiero's Journey is indeed a very inspirational book in the effect it had on D&D.  Especially the monsters, I thought.

Mike  B.


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Last edited by Badmike on Tue Oct 14, 2014 7:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 12:20 pm 
 

Any news about a print/pdf edition of the book?  8)

  


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Post Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2014 4:56 pm 
 

Alexander wrote in Hawk & Moor: A new D&D book and request for beta readers:Any news about a print/pdf edition of the book?  8)


Hi there, hopefully soon :)  I had some difficulties with Drivthrurpg, so the .pdf version is on hold until I can find a distributor.  The print version will probably be available around November or so (short answer).

Long answer:  The print version requires a lot more formatting, and is much less friendly toward periodic updates and essay insertions.  So I need to make sure I'm happy with the books before they go into print format, which means that the current project (adding in the 20,000+ pages of forum posts) needs to be completed first.  I'm about 95% of the way through the posts; the quotes are cut and put into year files (1973, 1974, etc.).  The events are then integrated into the narrative to elaborate various points, either by expanding a footnote or a paragraph as appropriate.  If the new info is vital but does not fit well (for example it's about minis and wargames and that point in the existing book only talks about a con or play session), then the narrative is rewritten to integrate the new piece(s).  I'm currently adding a couple hundred of pieces to book I.  When that is done (September), that ebook will be updated and then I will either do the same to book II's ebook, or work on the print version of book I.  Complicating the matter:  (a) I need to take time off of work to finish the print versions, (b) I can't work all weekend without getting in family trouble, and (c) I don't know if the price I need to charge for a print version will be too high to support the book I-II-III format.  If it's not feasible (for example, $19.99-24.99 for a 250-page book), then I need to rewrite books I-II-III in parts to become a single cohesive narrative, which will result in a single volume of about 750-800 pages.  That will take some time, and I'm in the middle of a very large court project at work and I don't know when I can take off yet.  Hopefully I will be able to in October but that's dependent on a lot of judicial/administrative factors beyond my control.  But who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and get a book I print version out before Halloween :)

  

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Post Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 1:58 pm 
 

I (finally) just finished reading books I & II, and purchased (and read!) book III (as well as the Steam Tunnel Incident), both in appreciation of being gifted books I & II a while back.  I also left positive reviews on Amazon.

In short -- great job, fascinating story!  You'd think I, of all people, would be familiar with the "genesis narrative", but I wasn't.  Maybe it's because neither Gygax nor Arneson ever posted here -- and in fact, I had only brief correspondence with either of them.  I got the impression that Gygax, especially, somewhat resented the collecting hobby -- perhaps he had a sense we were further commercializing "his" game, or getting away from the whole point of the game, which was to play it.  I don't know.

Regardless, from the facts you present that I have some knowledge of, I was in complete agreement.  With one exception: in Book 3, you talk about the Third printing being moved down to Heritage Models in Texas, which was correct.  However, you state that it was the first white box printing; in fact, the Third was the last of the woodgrain prints.  It wasn't until the massive Fourth print that TSR switched to white boxes, along with using Patch Press in Wisconsin.  A fairly minor point, to be sure, but it brings up the complication that they used the same box manufacturer -- or at least, the same woodgrain wrapping supplier -- as the first two prints, even though they switched printers.  This implies either that they grossly over-purchased boxes with the Second print, or, the boxes were supplied by a third party.  I'd lean towards the latter, but that's just me using Occam's Razor.  Maybe somebody from the day (Rob?) could say more definitively.

Other than that small issue that only you and I care about, it looked bulletproof to me!  Thank you for the enormous amount of effort you put into this --

Foul

  

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Post Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 10:04 am 
 

FoulFoot wrote in Hawk & Moor: A new D&D book and request for beta readers: (snip)  Maybe it's because neither Gygax nor Arneson ever posted here...


That surprises me... hmmm, learned something new today :)


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Post Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2014 10:57 am 
 

FoulFoot wrote in Hawk & Moor: A new D&D book and request for beta readers:I (finally) just finished reading books I & II, and purchased (and read!) book III (as well as the Steam Tunnel Incident), both in appreciation of being gifted books I & II a while back.  I also left positive reviews on Amazon.

In short -- great job, fascinating story!  You'd think I, of all people, would be familiar with the "genesis narrative", but I wasn't.  Maybe it's because neither Gygax nor Arneson ever posted here -- and in fact, I had only brief correspondence with either of them.  I got the impression that Gygax, especially, somewhat resented the collecting hobby -- perhaps he had a sense we were further commercializing "his" game, or getting away from the whole point of the game, which was to play it.  I don't know.

Regardless, from the facts you present that I have some knowledge of, I was in complete agreement.  With one exception: in Book 3, you talk about the Third printing being moved down to Heritage Models in Texas, which was correct.  However, you state that it was the first white box printing; in fact, the Third was the last of the woodgrain prints.  It wasn't until the massive Fourth print that TSR switched to white boxes, along with using Patch Press in Wisconsin.  A fairly minor point, to be sure, but it brings up the complication that they used the same box manufacturer -- or at least, the same woodgrain wrapping supplier -- as the first two prints, even though they switched printers.  This implies either that they grossly over-purchased boxes with the Second print, or, the boxes were supplied by a third party.  I'd lean towards the latter, but that's just me using Occam's Razor.  Maybe somebody from the day (Rob?) could say more definitively.

Other than that small issue that only you and I care about, it looked bulletproof to me!  Thank you for the enormous amount of effort you put into this --

Foul


Hi there Foulfoot, thank you for the kind words and the reviews … and the correction of course!  I'm sure it's one of many faults in the text but I'm happy to hear from others and to include them and their insights into the publishing process.  Since H&M is so contingent upon others' recollections and knowledge, I think of it as a collaborative endeavor and I'm happy to cite those who provide useful improvements :)  Also I recommend Playing at the World if you're interested in D&D's pre-history, as Jon goes into much more granular detail on the 1969-1972 time span than I.

I'll be updating Book III this weekend with this correction and a couple of other new pieces relating to Elric, Conan and parallels in the 1975 D&D materials.

**

Also, for those who are interested in following progress on Book IV, here is the 1976 chronology that I am currently hanging the draft narrative on.  Sources for this year are shakier than for 1975 or 1977, so if anyone has additions or corrections I am grateful for them.  Thanks everyone!

EDIT:  Timeline revised October 9th, as I've been doing some extensive research and found some new things.

I
January:  Alarums & Excursions #7 is published.
January:  Dave Arneson moves to Lake Geneva.
January:  The Dungeon Hobby Shop is prepared for its future opening.
January:  Owl & Weasel #12 is published.
January:  Gary Gygax and Brian Blume begin working on D&D Supplement III:  Eldritch Wizardry.
January 13th:  Gary writes in a letter that the Dungeon Hobby Shop will be opening on February 1st.
Mid-January:  Dave Arneson begins working in the TSR headquarters building as Research Director.

II
Early:  Gygax and Blume discuss the shifting market, and the need to clarify and unify the direction of the D&D game.
Early:  In the Greyhawk campaign, Terry Kuntz's Monk With No Name character paints the tower of the wizard Klinchak.
Early:  Jeff Berry and others play in Professor Barker's Tékumel campaign.
Early:  Brian Blume designs various artifacts for the upcoming Eldritch Wizardry supplement, including the Eye and Hand of Vecna.
Early:  Inspired by Blume's work, Gygax creates his own artifacts, such as the Iron Flask of Tuerny the Merciless.
Early:  Paul Jaquays runs a D&D campaign.
Early:  Gygax begins outlining plans for the revision of the D&D system.
Early:  Rob Kuntz and James M. Ward research material concerning deities and mythology, which will become the future Supplement IV:  Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes.
c. Early:  Lord Robilar flees Greyhawk and adventures in the Empire of Lyhnn, reaching the Temple of Zuggtmoy.
c. Early:  In the Greyhawk campaign, Terry Kuntz's Monk With No Name character extorts the lawful fighter Ayelerach.

III
February 1st:  The opening of the Dungeon Hobby Shop is delayed.
February 1st:  Copyright date for The Strategic Review #6.  The bard class is featured.
Early February:  John Eric Holmes's novel Mahars of Pellucidar is published.
February 5th:  Mixed to negative reviews for D&D Supplement II:  Blackmoor begin circulating in the various publications.
February:  Owl & Weasel #13 is published.
February:  Alarums & Excursions #8 is published.  Gygax discusses issues of copyright and piracy.
February 14th:  Gygax writes an article on the state of the gaming industry, to be published in The Strategic Review #7.
c. Late February-Early March:  Tim Kask works on the potential layout for the upcoming magazine The Dragon #1.
c. February or March:  Gygax's Mordenkainen and Kuntz's Robilar adventure in Arneson's City of the Gods.

IV
March 5th:  TSR becomes more aggressive in defending the D&D copyright, and begins issuing cease and desist letters to various parties, beginning with a publisher of unauthorized character sheets.
March 6th:  The DunDraCon I conference is held, with special guest Fritz Leiber attending.  The Lankhmar-inspired Ophidian Palace dungeon is played.
March:  David Megarry begins working for TSR.
March:  Alarums & Excursions #9 is published.
March:  Mike Carr begins working for TSR.
c. March:  Gygax receives a "sci fi D&D manuscript" from James M. Ward, which will later become Metamorphosis Alpha.
Late March:  Although the doors remain closed to the published, the mail order division of the Dungeon Hobby Shop is functioning by this time.

V
c. Early Spring:  John Eric Holmes contacts Gygax, interested in writing a manuscript to be entitled D&D for Beginners.
Spring:  Gygax, Kuntz, Brad Stock and Harry Fischer work on the rules for the upcoming Lankhmar wargame.
Spring:  Gygax designs the tournament scenario Expedition to the Barrier Peaks.
Spring:  The Space Gamer #5 is published.
Spring:  Stephen Colbert discovers Dungeons & Dragons.
Spring:  Tim Kask words on the psionics system for the upcoming Eldritch Wizardry supplement.
Spring:  Paul Jaquays, with the approval of Tim Kask (TSR), prepares the text of the forthcoming The Dungeoneer #1, and designs F'Cherlak's Tomb.
Spring:  Hoping to publish a Civil War game through TSR, Bill Owen drives to Lake Geneva and meets with Dave Arneson.  When Owen's design is turned down, Bill tells his friend Bob Bledsaw that they may be able to publish D&D accessories instead.
c. Spring:  Gygax works on the demon and demon lord entries for the Eldritch Wizardry supplement.
c. Spring:  TSR prepares to license the production of fantasy miniatures.

VI
April 1:  Copyright date for The Strategic Review #7, the final issue.  Gygax clarifies the D&D magic system.  The TSR Periodicals Division is announced.
April:  David C. Sutherland III begins working at TSR.
April:  Neil Topolnicki begins working at TSR.
April:  Alarums & Excursions #10 is published.
April:  Gary writes an update on the science fiction version of D&D, which will become Metamorphosis Alpha.
April:  Enthusiastic pre-orders are received for the unavailable Eldritch Wizardry.
Mid-April:  Tim Kask works to finalize the manuscript for Eldritch Wizardry.
April 23rd:  Kask writes the Foreword to Eldritch Wizardry.
April 24th:  The Grand Opening Celebration of the Dungeon Hobby Shop begins.
c. April 27th-May 1st:  Availability date for D&D Supplement III:  Eldritch Wizardry.

VII
May 1st:  The weeklong Grand Opening Celebration for the Dungeon Hobby Shop ends.
c. May:  Tim Kask receives flawed advertisement copy, and is left with a space to fill in the magazine.  After conferring with Gary, he prepares the first "Creature Feature," creating the stats for the bulette monster in the process.
May:  Alarums & Excursions #11 is published.
May:  The Strategic Preview #3 (the first issue) is published.
c. Late Spring:  Gygax works on the text and maps for the upcoming Dungeon Geomorphs Set One:  Basic Dungeon.
c. Late Spring?:  Gygax and Kask conduct a week of meetings to determine the split of D&D topics into Basic and Advanced.
May or June:  The delayed Little Big Horn game is released.
May-June:  Steve Marsh — despite the use of his psionics material and other pieces in Eldritch Wizardry — receives no payment for his contribution, and only a few issues of The Strategic Review (and, upon its publication, one of The Dragon).

VIII
June 1st:  Copyright date for The Dragon #1.
June:  The Dungeoneer #1 is published.
June:  Alarums & Excursions #12 is published.
June:  Palace of the Vampire Queen is published.
June:  Defending the D&D copyright, TSR prohibits a zine editor from republishing D&D tables in summary form.
June:  The Strategic Preview #4 is published.
c. June:  Tim Kask and Dave Arneson clash over the editing of The Dragon.
c. June:  The 3rd printing of the 3rd Edition of Chainmail is released.
c. June:  Dungeon Geomorphs Set One:  Basic Dungeon is published.
June 11th-13th:  The MichiCon V conference is held.  The D&D scenario Escape from Astigar's Lair is played.
c. Early Summer?:  Holmes begins writing D&D for Beginners.
June or July:  The Space Gamer #6 is published.  A TSR-affiliated lawyer letter is discussed in regards to Tunnels & Trolls advertisements.
c. June or July:  Erol Otus sends artwork featuring an ice worm monster to Tim Kask, effectively introducing himself to TSR.
June 30th?:  For the end of its fiscal year, TSR posts approximately $300,000 in revenues with gross income slightly in excess of $200,000.
c. Summer:  TSR and Minifigs reach an agreement to release an official line of D&D miniatures in the future.
Summer:  Rob Kuntz and Ernie Gygax work in the Dungeon Hobby Shop.

IX
July 1st:  The TSR edition of the game Battle of the Five Armies is released.
July 4th:  The Foreword for D&D Supplement IV:  Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes is written by Tim Kask.
July 4th:  Judges Guild is founded by Bill Owen and Bob Bledsaw.
July:  Alarums & Excursions #13 is published.
c. July:  Gygax completes the manuscript for D&D Supplement V:  Swords & Spells.
c. Mid-July:  The Strategic Preview #5 is published.
July 15th:  Gygax and Blume write the Foreword to Metamorphosis Alpha, although the game will apparently be delayed and not published until November.
July 18th:  Bledsaw & Owen meet with TSR to discuss future game publications.
July 21st:  Copyright date for D&D Supplement IV:  Gods, Demi-Gods & Heroes.
July 22nd:  Tim Kask writes the Foreword to D&D Supplement V:  Swords & Spells.
July 23rd-25th:  The Origins II conference is held.  The D&D tournament features Gygax's Expedition to the Barrier Peaks scenario.
July 31st:  Copyright date for the wargame William the Conqueror, 1066.

X
August 1st:  Copyright date for The Dragon #2.
August:  The Strategic Preview #6 is published.
August:  Bledsaw and Owen prepare the City-State of the Invincible Overlord for its upcoming Gen Con premiere.
August:  Ken St. Andre's Monsters!  Monsters! supplement is published.
August:  Alarums & Excursions #14 is published, featuring The Adventure of the Giant Chameleon by Holmes.
August 20th-22nd:  The Gen Con IX conference is held.  Bob Blake's Baldemar Castle is the D&D tournament dungeon.  Fritz Leiber and Harry Fischer are guests of honor.  The Lankhmar game is released.  Swords & Spells is likely also released at this time.
c. Late August:  The TSR UK distribution deal is worked out with Games Workshop.
c. Late August:  Fritz Leiber stays at the Gygax residence as a house guest.
August or September:  The Space Gamer #7 is published, featuring a review of Eldritch Wizardry.

XI
September 4th-6th:  The Gen Con West conference is held.
September:  TSR and Judges Guild begin formulating stricter publication policies and royalty agreements.
September:  The Dungeoneer #2 is published, featuring The Fabled Garden of Merlin.
September:  Bill Owen and Bob Bledsaw prepare Judges Guild Booklet I for publication, and come up with the idea for Dungeon Tac Cards.
September 27th:  Liaisons Dangereuses #74 is published, featuring Len Lakofka's Pyrologist class (a fire-specializing magic-user).
September or October:  Alarums & Excursions #15 is published.  Gygax discusses the Greyhawk campaign.
c. September-October:  Judges Guild breaks even and begins generating a small profit.

XII
October 1st:  Copyright date of The Dragon #3, featuring Notes on Women and Magic by Len Lakofka.
October:  Alarums & Excursions #16 is published.
October:  Judges Guild begins mailing its Initial Package materials to subscribers.
c. October:  With the distribution deal in full force, Games Workshop begins making inroads into the UK role-playing and wargaming community.
c. Autumn:  Using TSR art and advice, Minifigs devises the sculpts for their upcoming line of fantasy figures for D&D.
October or November:  The Space Gamer #8 is published.
c. October-November:  Gary revises his existing Lost Caverns of Tsojconth dungeon notes for tournament play.  The troglodyte may have been invented at this time.

XIII
November:  The Metamorphosis Alpha role-playing game is released.
November:  Alarums & Excursions #17 is published.
Mid-November:  Dave Arneson leaves TSR.
c. Late:  Gary begins writing and assembling the draft materials which will become the future Monster Manual.  This will take him approximately six months to complete.

XIV
December 1st:  Copyright date of The Dragon #4.
December 3rd-5th:  The WinterCon IV conference is held.  The D&D tournament features Gygax's Lost Caverns of Tsojconth.
December:  The Dungeoneer #3 is published.
December:  Judges Guild publishes Booklet J and Journal J.
December:  Alarums & Excursions #18 is published.
December:  Norma Bledsaw begins working for Judges Guild as a paid employee.
End:  Owl & Weasel #23 is published.


Last edited by darkseraphim on Thu Oct 09, 2014 2:45 am, edited 5 times in total.
  

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Post Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2014 1:06 pm 
 

I really look forward to the print version!

  


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Post Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2014 1:56 am 
 

Hi all, after much wailing and gnashing of teeth, version 1.0 of Book IV should be available on Amazon either tomorrow or Wednesday. Sorry for the delays, it was a beast. :twisted:

The next little project will be to update Books I, II and III again with additional material (especially for Book I), perhaps with timeline appendices included, but it depends on how much free time I get.  After that, I will be pursuing the untouchable Questing Beast known as "Ye Print Edition."  Should I succeed, that will be available before the end of the year.  If anyone knows if CreateSpace allows and plays well with .pdf uploads, please let me know as that would cut down significantly on layout time.

Thanks to all for any additions and corrections ... and although I'm not doing an intensive beta read invite on this one, here is a special note to Acaeum members:  if you're allergic to the $3.99 asking price, you may want to wait until next weekend or thereabouts, when I will be running a 5-day promotion for free downloads of Book IV.

But please don't expect the 1977 book(s) until 2015!

*collapses*

  

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Post Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2014 6:11 am 
 

8)
Well done sir!
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Post Posted: Sat Jan 03, 2015 11:22 am 
 

any news about a possible print edition (even a Lulu one) of this most wonderful book?

  


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Post Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2015 8:54 pm 
 

Hi there, thanks for checking in :)  Sorry I've been quiet!  I wrote 9 books in 2014 and to be honest I burned out ... I've been taking it easy this last month or so.  But I've also been refining Book IV, as I'm still doing 1976 research and I'm not fully happy with V1.0.  My next project is to republish the e-book of IV and then to give I, II and III another pass of added notes and info.  Then I'll be publishing the print edition of I before moving on to my second draft of V (1977).

In the interim I'd like to recommend Owen's Judges Guild history, which is cheap in electronic form currently:

Judges Guild's Bob & Bill: A Cautionary Tale: William Robert Owen: 9781503071339: Amazon.com: Books

If anyone has any advice on publishing split-page .pdfs to CreateSpace (text top, footnotes under) vs. divided text (chapter first, then footnotes in bulk sequence), or font sizing issues at the low end causing readability problems, please let me know.  I'm also still mulling over whether to put chronologies in I, II, III and considering a more professional rewrite of Steam Tunnels as future projects for the spring.

  

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Post Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2015 9:58 pm 
 

darkseraphim wrote in Hawk & Moor: A new D&D book and request for beta readers:(sorry, Acaeum forums didn't let the link through so remove the spaces after h and www to follow)

Sorry, I screwed something up.  I'll look at what the problem is (Amazon links have been giving me fits).

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Post Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2015 2:14 am 
 

No worries, thanks!  I wonder if it's something to do with their ref(erral) code links.

Version 1.2 of H&M Book IV is being published tonight; I added about 50 footnotes and 5,000 words to the narrative.

Working on adding a chronology to Book I (which might take a long time, depending on level of detail), and then I will be moving on to experimentally publishing Book I in softcover because I will officially be happy with it.  8)

  

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Post Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2015 4:27 am 
 

darkseraphim wrote in Hawk & Moor: A new D&D book and request for beta readers:Working on adding a chronology to Book I (which might take a long time, depending on level of detail), and then I will be moving on to experimentally publishing Book I in softcover because I will officially be happy with it.  8)


Great!  8)

  

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Post Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2015 11:55 am 
 

darkseraphim wrote in Hawk & Moor: A new D&D book and request for beta readers:No worries, thanks!  I wonder if it's something to do with their ref(erral) code links.

No, just their lack of having a consistent link syntax, as well as an API that's a disaster.  /rantoff

Link fixed above!

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Post Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2015 4:02 pm 
 

Thanks for the link fix!  I'm working on a 25-page timeline for insertion into Book I.  Right now it has D&D-related dates and a significant amount of correlation with Appendix N.  Corrections and additions are welcome.

**

The Dungeons & Dragons Chronicle:

A Timeline for the Years 1937 to 1971
 


I
The Year 1937

January 1937:  The Thing on the Doorstep, by H. P. Lovecraft, is published in Weird Tales magazine.
January 9-February 13, 1937:  Seven Worlds to Conquer, a Pellucidar saga by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is serialized in Argosy Weekly magazine.
March 15, 1937:  Howard Phillips Lovecraft passes away.
August 15, 1937:  Ernst (Ernest) Gygax marries Almina Emelie Burdick.
October 1937:  The Shunned House, by H. P. Lovecraft, is published in Weird Tales magazine.
September 1937:  Back to the Stone Age, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is published.
September 21, 1937:  The novel The Hobbit, by John Ronald Reuel (J. R. R.) Tolkien, is published in the United Kingdom.
End of 1937:  The second edition of The Hobbit, featuring color illustrations, is published in the UK.
December 1937:  Publisher Stanley Unwin, pleased with the success of The Hobbit, asks Tolkien for a sequel.  In response he will receive baffling drafts of Tolkien's elvish mythos, the Quenta Silmarillion (which are rejected due to being cryptic and not featuring hobbits).

II
The Year 1938

January 8, 1938:  Part one of Carson of Venus, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is published in Argosy magazine.
January 1938:  Ibid, by H. P. Lovecraft, is published in The O-Wash-Ta-Nong.
Spring 1938:  The Hobbit is first published in the United States.
July 27, 1938:  Ernest Gary Gygax is born to Almina and Ernest Gygax, Sr. in Chicago, Illinois.
Summer 1938:  The infant Gary visits family in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin with his parents.
1938:  History of the Necronomicon, by H. P. Lovecraft, is published.

III
The Year 1939

January 1939:  The Synthetic Men of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, begins its serialization in Argosy magazine.
April 1939:  The Wicked Clergyman, by H. P. Lovecraft, is published in Weird Tales magazine.
July 1939:  Black Destroyer, by A. E. van Vogt, is published in Astounding magazine.
August 1939:  Two Sought Adventure, the first Fafhrd and Gray Mouser story by Fritz Leiber, is published in Street & Smith's Unknown magazine.
December 1939:  Lest Darkness Fall, by L. Sprague de Camp, is published in Unknown magazine.
August 1940:  The Mathematics of Magic, by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, is published.

IV
The Year 1940

May 1940:  The Roaring Trumpet, an Incompleat Enchanter tale by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, is published in Unknown Fantasy Fiction magazine.
November 1940:  The Bleak Shore, by Fritz Leiber, is published in Unknown Fantasy Fiction magazine.

V
The Year 1941

January 1941:  John Carter and the Giants of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is published in Amazing Stories magazine.
March 1941:  The City of Mummies, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is published in Amazing Stories magazine.
March 1941:  Slaves of the Fish Men, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is published in Fantastic Adventures magazine.
April 1941:  The Castle of Iron, by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, is published in Unknown Fantasy Fiction magazine.
May 1941:  The Teenie Weenies cartoon strip, soon to be Gary's favorite, resumes its run in the Chicago Tribune.
May-July 1941:  The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, by H. P. Lovecraft, is published.
June 1941:  Black Pirates of Barsoom, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is published in Amazing Stories magazine.
June 1941:  The Howling Tower, by Fritz Leiber, is published in Unknown magazine.
July 1941:  Goddess of Fire, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is published in Fantastic Adventures magazine.
August 1941:  Yellow Men of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is published in Amazing Stories magazine.
October 1941:  Invisible Men of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is published in Amazing Stories magazine.
November 1941:  The Living Dead, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is published in Fantastic Adventures magazine.
1941:  The Incomplete Enchanter, a collection by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, is published.
c. 1941:  Gary draws a troll, inspired by the tale of the Billy Goats Gruff.
c. 1941:  Gary hears the fearsome fairytale of Baba Yaga.

VI
The Year 1942

February 1942:  The Sunken Land, by Fritz Leiber, is published in Unknown Worlds magazine.
March 1942:  War on Venus, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is published in Fantastic Adventures magazine.
c. 1942:  Gary's brother tells him all about the adventure movie King Kong, but he will not yet be able to see the movie.

VII
The Year 1943

February 1943:  Skeleton Men of Jupiter, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is published in Amazing Stories magazine.
February 1943:  Thieves' House, by Fritz Leiber, is published in Unknown Worlds magazine.
August 27, 1943:  The Phantom of the Opera is released in theaters.
1943:  The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, by H. P. Lovecraft, is published for the first time.
c. 1943:  Gary begins reading fairy tales on his own.
c. 1943:  Gary and his father explore the Chicago Field Museum, heightening Gary's interest in dinosaurs, mummies and so forth.

VIII
The Year 1944

April 17, 1944:  The Lady and the Monster is released in theaters.
May 1944:  Land of Terror, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is published.
June 1944:  Arena, by Fredric Brown, is published in Astounding magazine.
c. Summer 1944:  Gary, enjoying a summer vacation with family in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, meets and befriends Don Kaye.
1944:  Marginalia, a collection of H. P. Lovecraft writings, is published by Arkham House.

IX
The Year 1945

c. 1945:  Gary plays sword-and-shield games with his Chicago neighbor friends.
1945:  Gary first visits the eerie Yerkes Observatory.

X
The Year 1946

c. Early Summer 1946:  Gary gets into a huge fight with other neighborhood children, prompting his father to decide to move the family to Lake Geneva.
July 1946:  Gary moves with his parents to Lake Geneva.
October 1946:  Escape on Venus, a collection by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is published.

XI
The Year 1947

Early Summer 1947:  Gary stays with the Dimerys while his parents are in California.
Early Summer 1947:  Gary, staying overnight at the Dimerys' house, experiencing an event which he will later term supernatural.
October 1, 1947:  David Lance Arneson is born.
1947:  Night's Black Agents, a collection of tales by Fritz Leiber (containing some Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser tales), is published by Arkham House.

XII
The Year 1948

Early 1948:  The Well of the Unicorn, a fantasy novel by "George U. Fletcher" (Fletcher Pratt), is published.
November 1948:  Gary, alone at home, has what he believes is another experience with a supernatural phenomenon.
1948:  Gary gets to explore Porcupine Mountain in Upper Michigan.
1948:  Llana of Gathol, a collection of Barsoom tales by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is published.
1948:  The Carnelian Cube:  A Humorous Fantasy, by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, is published.

XIII
The Year 1949

c. Fall 1949:  Gary and two friends first explore the abandoned Oakwood Educational Santarium on the hill.

XIV
The Year 1950

1950:  The Dying Earth, a collection of tales by Gary's future favorite author Jack Vance, is published.
1950:  Conan the Conqueror, republishing The Hour of the Dragon by Robert E. Howard, is published by Gnome Press.  This tale will become Gary's first experience with the Swords & Sorcery genre.
September 23, 1950:  The World the Children Made, a story by Ray Bradbury, appears in the Saturday Evening Post.  This sci fi tale would deeply influence Gary Gygax.
c. Fall-Winter 1950:  Gary, now a devout fan of sci fi and fantasy, begins reading a pulp fiction book or zine virtually every day.
1950:  The Castle of Iron:  A Science Fantasy Adventure, a collection by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, is published by Gnome Press.
1950:  The Voyage of the Space Beagle, by A. E. van Vogt, is published.
c. 1950:  Gary and a friend construct a raft to emulate Tom Sawyer.

XV
The Year 1951

February 1951:  The World the Children Made, retitled as The Veldt, appears in The Illustrated Man.
April 27, 1951:  The Thing from Another World, more commonly known as The Thing, is released in theaters.
1951:  Dark Vengeance, by Fritz Leiber, is published in Suspense magazine.
c. 1951:  Gary begins reading Isaac Asimov's Foundation series.

XVI
The Year 1952

July 31, 1952:  Ivanhoe is released in theaters.
c. 1952:  Gary works as a farmhand.
1952:  The Blue Star, by Fletcher Pratt, is published in Witches Three.
Early 1950s:  Gary begins making maps of fantasy castles and secret rooms.

XVII
The Year 1953

May 1953:  The Seven Black Priests, by Fritz Leiber, is published in Other Worlds magazine.
June 1953:  The Wall of Serpents, by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, is published in Fantasy Fiction magazine.
August 26, 1953:  The War of the Worlds is released in theaters.
September 1953:  Part one of Three Hearts and Three Lions, a tale by Poul Anderson, is published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
1953:  The Sword of Rhiannon, by Leigh Brackett, is published.
1953:  Charles S. Roberts designs the wargame Tactics.
1953:  King Conan:  The Hyborean Age, a collection of tales by Robert E. Howard, is published by Gnome Press.
1953:  A reprint of Sir Charles William Chadwick Oman's 1885 The Art of War in the Middle Ages is published in a revised and edited format by John H. Beeler.  This will become a core research work for Gary Gygax.
c. 1953:  Gary reads The Day of the Triffids.

XVIII
The Year 1954

February 12-March 5, 1954:  The Creature from the Black Lagoon is released in theaters.
June 19, 1954:  Them! is released in theaters.
July 29, 1954:  The Fellowship of the Ring, by J. R. R. Tolkien, is published in the UK.
November 3, 1954:  Godzilla is released in theaters.
Early November 1954:  The Green Magician, by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt, is published in Beyond Fantasy Fiction magazine.
November 11, 1954:  The Two Towers, by J. R. R. Tolkien, is published in the UK.
1954:  Gary spends his free time in Chicago.
1954:  The Book of Beasts, translated and re-released as The Book of Beasts:  Being a Translation from a Latin Bestiary of the Twelfth Century, by T. H. White, is published.
1954:  Allan B. Calhamer designs the innovative quasi-role-playing strategy game Diplomacy.
1954:  The Broken Sword, by Poul Anderson, is published.

XIX
The Year 1955

June 1, 1955:  This Island Earth is released in theaters.  This movie may have inspired the appearance of the doppleganger monster.
October 20, 1955:  The Return of the King, by J. R. R. Tolkien, is published in the UK.
1955:  The O & M Hausser toy company begins manufacturing medieval miniatures made with Elastolin.
Mid-1950s:  Gary attempts to create a wargame for his toy soldiers.

XX
The Year 1956

January 1, 1956:  Ernest Gygax, Sr. passes away.
February 5, 1956:  Invasion of the Body Snatchers is released in theaters.
March 15, 1956:  Forbidden Planet is released in theaters.  This movie may have inspired the invisible stalker monster.
July 1956:  Tony Bath publishes his first medieval rules system.
July 15, 1956:  It Conquered the World is released in theaters.  This movie may have been one of the inspirations for the xorn monster.
1956:  By this time, Gary believes that he has "caught up" with all of the worthwhile American-published releases of speculative fiction.

XXI
The Year 1957

February 10, 1957:  Attack of the Crab Monsters is released in theaters.
June 1957:  The Monster That Challenged the World in released in theaters.  This movie may have been one of the inspirations for the carrion crawler monster.
October 11, 1957:  The Black Scorpion is released in theaters.

XXII
The Year 1958

July 3, 1958:  Fiend Without a Face is released in theaters.  This movie may have been one of the inspirations for the intellect devourer monster.
October 7, 1958:  The Trollenberg Terror is released in UK theaters.  This movie may have been a later inspiration for the beholder monster created by Terry Kuntz.
October 12, 1958:  The Blob is released in theaters.
November 1958:  The Gettysburg game is popularized nationally by a mention in Newsweek and other sources.
December 23, 1958:  The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad is released in theaters.
Christmas Season, December 1958:  Gary and Don Kaye purchase the Gettysburg game and is introduced to the hobby of wargaming.
1958:  Gary attends the Chicago Chess & Checker Club, and then the Rogers Park Chess Club.
1958:  The wargame Tactics II is released.
1958:  Avalon Hill releases Gettysburg, which will soon become Gary's favorite wargame.

XXIII
The Year 1959

Early 1959:  Gary and Don become obsessed with Gettysburg, playing it to the exclusion of virtually all else.
Spring 1959:  Gary devises his own rules additions for Gettysburg.
May 4, 1959:  The Hound of the Baskervilles is released in UK theaters.
June 25, 1959:  The Killer Shrews is released in theaters.
September 25, 1959:  The Mummy is released in UK theaters.
November 1959:  Lean Times in Lankhmar, by Fritz Leiber, is published in Fantastic Science Fiction Stories magazine.
December 16, 1959:  Journey to the Center of the Earth is released in theaters.
1959:  The Diplomacy game is commercially released.

XXIV
The Year 1960

May 1960:  When the Sea-King's Away, by Fritz Leiber, is published in Fantastic Science Fiction Stories magazine.
July 1960:  Part one of The High Crusade, by Poul Anderson, is published in Astounding magazine.
Late 1960:  The High Crusade, a collected novel by Poul Anderson, is published.

XXV
The Year 1961

April 1961:  The genre label "sword-and-sorcery" is suggested by Fritz Leiber.
May 1961:  Scylla's Daughter, by Fritz Leiber, is published in Fantastic Stories of Imagination magazine.
June 1961:  The Dreaming City, the first Elric tale by Michael Moorcock, is published in Science Fantasy magazine.
August 1961:  An expanded novel version of Three Hearts and Three Lions, by Poul Anderson, is published.
October 1961:  While the Gods Laugh, by Michael Moorcock, is published in Science Fantasy magazine.
December 20, 1961:  Mysterious Island is released in theaters.
1961:  The hexagon-grid revision of the Gettysburg game is released.

XXVI
The Year 1962

August 1962:  Kings in Darkness, by Michael Moorcock, is published in Science Fantasy magazine.
August 11, 1962:  King Kong vs. Godzilla is released in theaters.
October 1962:  The Flame Bringers, by Michael Moorcock, is published in Science Fantasy magazine.
October 1962:  The Unholy Grail, by Fritz Leiber, is published in Fantastic Stories of Imagination magazine.
1962:  Battle Beyond the Sun is released in American theaters.  This movie would inspire the otyugh and roper monsters.

XXVII
The Year 1963

January 25, 1963:  The Raven is released in theaters.
May 1963:  The Cloud of Hate, by Fritz Leiber, is published in Fantastic Stories of Imagination magazine.
June 1963:  Dead God's Homecoming, by Michael Moorcock, is published in Science Fantasy magazine.
June 19, 1963:  Jason and the Argonauts is released in theaters.
July 1963:  Strange Tales #110 is published, introducing the mage character Dr. Strange.
August 11, 1963:  Matango (aka Attack of the Mushroom People) is released in Japanese theaters.  This movie may have been one of the inspirations for shriekers and giant fungi.
August 1963:  Bazaar of the Bizarre, by Fritz Leiber, is published in Fantastic Stories of Imagination magazine.
August 1963:  Sign of the Labrys, by Margaret St. Clair, is published.
October 1963:  Black Sword's Brothers, by Michael Moorcock, is published in Science Fantasy magazine.
November 1963:  Savage Pellucidar, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is published in Amazing Stories magazine.
December 1963:  Swords and Sorcery:  Stories of Heroic Fantasy, a collection edited by L. Sprague de Camp, is published.
1963:  The Strangler of Blackmoor Castle is released in German theaters.
1963:  Gary writes to Tom Shaw of Avalon Hill, inquiring about the availability of blank hex sheets.
1963:  The Stealer of Souls, a collection of Elric tales by Michael Moorcock, is published.
c. 1963:  Jeff Perren begins collecting medieval miniatures.
c. 1963:  Gary begins working in insurance.  He will end up commuting daily from Lake Geneva to Chicago via the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company train.

XXVIII
The Year 1964

January 1964:  Part one of The Lords of Quarmall, by Fritz Leiber and Harry Otto Fischer, is published in Fantastic Stories of Imagination magazine.
February 1964:  Sad Giant's Shield, by Michael Moorcock, is published in Science Fantasy magazine.
April 1964:  Tales of Three Planets, a collection by Edgar Rice Burroughs, is published.
April 1964:  Doomed Lord's Passing, by Michael Moorcock, is published in Science Fantasy magazine.
May 1, 1964:  The General, a soon-to-be-influential magazine, is published by Avalon Hill.
June 1964:  The Secret Life of Elric of Melniboné, an essay by Michael Moorcock, is published in Camber magazine.
August 6, 1964:  The First Men in the Moon, one of the inspirations for the carrion crawler monster, is released in UK theaters.
1964:  An excellent set of Robin Hood toy soldiers, soon to be used by medieval wargamers, is released by Airfix.
1964:  Gary discovers Little Wars and Fletcher Pratt's Naval War Game.

XXIX
The Year 1965

May 1965:  Ace Books releases an unauthorized paperback edition of The Fellowship of the Ring in the US.  This edition will cause the popularization of Tolkien's works in America.
June 1965:  The Spell of Seven, a swords and sorcery anthology edited by L. Sprague de Camp, is published.
July 1965:  Ace Books publishes unauthorized editions of The Two Towers and The Return of the King.
September 1965:  Stardock, by Fritz Leiber, is published in Fantastic magazine.
c. 1965:  Gary begins to favor miniatures games over Avalon Hill board wargames.
c. 1965:  Gary designs the Conanomancy / Hyperborean scenario variant for the Diplomacy game.
1965:  The Maker of Universes, by Phillip José Farmer, is published.
1965:  Stormbringer, an Elric collection by Michael Moorcock, is published.

XXX
The Year 1966

January 1966:  The United States Continental Army Command (USCAC) gaming club is founded by Bill Speer.
February 1966:  The Middle Earth II Diplomacy scenario variant is published.
April 17, 1966:  A newspaper runs an article on wargaming, featuring a photograph of Dave Wesely and others.
May 1, 1966:  The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is founded.
July 17, 1966:  The Ultraman show premieres in Japan.  Indirectly, this series would inspire various monsters including the bulette (by way of unauthorized toy figures which Gary would purchase in the early 1970s).
September 1966:  Gary Gygax joins the USCAC gaming club.
December 30, 1966:  One Million Years B. C. is released in theaters.
1966:  The Eyes of the Overworld, by Jack Vance, is published.  Gary, upon reading it, will be inspired by the antihero Cugel the Clever.
1966:  The Gates of Creation, by Phillip José Farmer, is published.

XXXI
The Year 1967

January 1967:  Strategy & Tactics magazine begins publication.
February 1967:  Tullio Proni begins publishing The War Report in support of his innovative game War of the Empires.
Spring 1967:  The Vale of Lost Women, by Robert E. Howard, is published in the Magazine of Horror.
Spring 1967:  Tullio Proni abandons War of the Empires.
May 1, 1967:  The USCAC becomes the International Federation of Wargaming (IFW).
June 1967:  Nine Princes in Amber, by Roger Zelazny, begins its serialization in Kallikantzaros.
July 1967:  The Siege of Bodenburg, a medieval wargame by Henry Bodenstedt, begins its serial publication in Strategy & Tactics magazine.
July 15, 1967:  An IFW wargaming convention is held in Malvern.  Henry Bodenstedt demonstrates The Siege of Bodenburg.
c. August 1967:  Gary invites his wargaming friends to play games at his house over the weekend.  This event will later be known as "Gen Con Zero."
September 9, 1967:  The Superman / Aquaman Hour of Adventure first appears on television.  This show would inspire various Steve Marsh-created aquatic monsters, such as the ixitxachitl.
Early December 1967:  The Siege of Bodenburg's serial publication in Strategy & Tactics is completed.
1967:  David Wesely reads the book Strategos, which will influence his later design of the Braunstein role-playing wargame scenarios.
1967:  The Jewel in the Skull, a Hawkmoon novel by Michael Moorcock, is published.
1967:  The Mind Parasites, by Colin Wilson, is published.  This story is the likely inspiration for the cerebral parasite and brain mole monsters.

XXXII
The Year 1968

Early 1968:  David Wesely begins designing his first Strategos-derivative system.
Spring 1968:  Gary and the IFW begin planning for a summer gaming convention, which will become Gen Con.
Summer 1968:  The Lake Geneva Playboy Club (a future Gen Con site) opens.
August 1968:  Gary rents the Horticultural Hall for the upcoming gaming convention.
August 24, 1968:  The Lake Geneva Wargames Convention (aka Gen Con I) is held in the Horticultural Hall.
August 25, 1968:  The convention is held over for another day, and Gary is able to play The Siege of Bodenburg.
September 1968:  Swords in the Mist, a collection by Fritz Leiber, is published.
Fall 1968:  Gary runs ads seeking the purchase of Elastolin figures.
Fall 1968:  Gary and Don Kaye build a sand table for gaming.
November 1968:  Gary, showing an interest in fantasy games, inquires about a Diplomacy variant based on The Hobbit.
c. December 1968:  Gary meets Robert J. Kuntz.
December 1968:  Dave Arneson's gaming group begins developing a Napoleonic warfare and campaign system.
December 1968:  The Goblin Tower, by L. Sprague de Camp, is published.
December 19, 1968:  The Green Slime is released in Japanese theaters.
End of 1968:  Scott Duncan publishes his 1066 medieval miniatures system, which would later inspire Gary's design efforts.

1968:  The Swords of Lankhmar, by Fritz Leiber, is published.
1968:  The Broken Lands, by Fred Saberhagen, is published.
1968:  A Private Cosmos, by Phillip José Farmer, is published.
1968:  Sorcerer's Amulet, a Hawkmoon novel by Michael Moorcock, is published.
1968:  The Sword of the Dawn, a Hawkmoon novel by Michael Moorcock, is published.
1968:  The Two Best Thieves in Lankhmar, by Fritz Leiber, is published in Fantastic magazine.
1968:  Swords Against Wizardry, a collection by Fritz Leiber, is published.
c. 1968:  Gary plays in the play-by-mail science fiction game War of the Empires.

XXXIII
The Year 1969

Early 1969:  Gary runs an ad seeking to buy medieval miniatures for gaming.
Early 1969:  Gary writes to Tullio Proni, hoping to resurrect the War of the Empires game.
February 1969:  Giant of World's End, by Lin Carter, is published.
Spring 1969:  Gary revives the War of the Empires game on his own.
April 1969:  Kothar — Barbarian Swordsman, by Gardner Fox, is published.
April 1969:  Gary publishes issue #1 of The New War Reports in support of the resurgent War of the Empires game.
April 1969:  Gary publishes his Arsouf medieval miniatures rules.
May 1969:  Gary's article Warfare and the Hyborian Age appears in International Wargamer magazine.
May 1969:  Gary publishes issue #2 of The New War Reports.
August 1969:  Jeff Perren expresses interest in medieval wargames.
August 1969:  The Shadow People, by Margaret St. Clair, is published.
August 23-24, 1969:  The Gen Con II conference is held in Lake Geneva.  Dave Arneson meets Gary Gygax, and they agree to collaborate on future rules design.
September 1969:  Issue #3 of The New War Reports is published.
c. September 1969:  Gary's white dragon article appears in Thangorodrim Volume 1, Number 3.
September 1969:  Gary helps to found the IFW Ancients Society.
Fall 1969:  Dave Arneson joins the IFW.
October 1969:  Gary publishes an article on medieval knights in wargaming in International Wargamer magazine.
October 31, 1969:  Gary's joking Smaug letter appears in Thangorodrim Volume 1, Number 4.
November 8, 1969:  The Horror Incorporated "Creature Feature" movies begin playing on television (KSTSP-TV Channel 5) in the Twin Cities.  This will become a favorite inspiration for Dave Arneson, and will later influence the development of Blackmoor.
November 27, 1969:  Gary's black dragon article appears in Thangorodrim Volume 1, Number 5.
c. End of 1969 / Beginning of 1970:  Gary buys his collection of Elastolin figures for wargaming, purchasing Jeff Perren's collection.
1969:  David Wesely runs the first Braunstein role-playing wargame, involving a Napoleonics scenario.
1969:  The Secrets of the Runestaff, a Hawkmoon novel by Michael Moorcock, is published.
1969:  Kothar of the Magic Sword, by Gardner Fox, is published.
1969:  Kothar and the Demon Queen, by Gardner Fox, is published.
1969:  The Face in the Frost, by John Bellairs, is published.

XXXIV
The Year 1970

February 1970:  Gary describes how to construct a sand table for gaming in International Wargamer magazine.
c. February 1970:  The Lake Geneva Tactical Games Association (LGTGA), the wargaming group that will become the Lake Geneva Tactical Studies Association (LGTSA), is founded by Gary Gygax, Don Kaye, and several others.
c. February 1970:  Jeff Perren designs his own four-page system for medieval wargaming.  This rules set will become the foundation for Gygax's and Perren's Chainmail.
c. February 1970:  Gary, with Jeff's permission, begins revising the Perren rules.  This will become the LGTSA Miniatures Rules.
February 27, 1970:  Gary writes a letter outlining his intent to establish a medieval wargaming interest group within the larger IFW.  This will lead to the foundation of the Castle & Crusade Society.
March 1970:  Technically, the LGTGA becomes the LGTSA.
March 1970:  In the International Wargamer Supplement, Rob Kuntz inquires about the general interest in a medieval wargaming society.
March 7, 1970:  Gary's green dragon article appears in Thangorodrim Volume 1, Number 6.
March 15, 1970:  The Domesday Book #1, the founding newsletter for the Castle & Crusade Society, is published.
March 29, 1970:  Len Lakofka becomes President of the IFW.
April 1970:  Domesday Book #2 is published.
April 1970:  Gary mentions his collection of Elastolin figures in Panzerfaust magazine.
April 1970:  Ill Met in Lankhmar, by Fritz Leiber, is published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
April 1970:  The Snow Women, by Fritz Leiber, is published in Fantastic magazine.
April 1970:  Publication of Domesday Book #3.
April 15, 1970:  Printed publication date for Domesday Book #3 (perhaps released earlier).
Mid-April, 1970:  Dave Arneson joins the Castle & Crusade Society.
May 1970:  Swords and Deviltry, a collection by Fritz Leiber, is published.
June 1970:  Domesday Book #4 is published.
June 1970:  The Castle & Crusade Society, benefiting from its innovative noble ranking system for contributors, significantly increases its membership.
June 1970:  Nine Princes in Amber, by Roger Zelazny, is published.
July 3, 1970:  Gary's blue dragon article appears in Thangorodrim Volume 1, Number 8.
July 1970:  Gary plays the Mordor vs. the World II game.
July 1970:  Domesday Book #5 is published.
July 1970:  Swords Against Death, a collection by Fritz Leiber, is published.
July 1970:  Don Lowry illustrates Gary's chaturanga article in The General.
August 1970:  Domesday Book #6 is published.
August 14, 1970:  Gary's purple worm article appears in Thangorodrim Volume 1, Number 9.  This appears to be the last issue of this fanzine.
August 22-23, 1970:  The Gen Con III convention is held in Lake Geneva.  Gary meets Don Lowry, future publisher of Chainmail.
Late August 1970:  The Castle & Crusade Society again increases its membership due to popularity and the success of Gen Con.
September 1970:  Domesday Book #7 is published.
September 1970:  Kothar and the Conjurer's Curse, by Gardner Fox, is published.
Fall 1970:  The "Creature Feature" movies begin playing in the Chicago area.
Late October, 1970:  Gary loses his insurance job at the Fireman Fund's America Insurance Company of Chicago.  Indirectly, this will lead to his future career as a game designer.
Late 1970:  Domesday Book #8 is published.
Late 1970:  Gary becomes associated with Don Lowry's company, Guidon Games.
November 1970:  Gary begins devoting his time to game design.
November-December 1970:  Gary and his play group test the Chainmail medieval wargaming system.
December 1970:  Gary lingers on unemployment while working on the Chainmail rules draft.
December 1970:  Kothar and the Wizard Slayer, by Gardner Fox, is published.
1970:  Behind the Walls of Terra, by Phillip José Farmer, is published.
1970:  Kothar and the Conjurer's Curse, by Gardner Fox, is published.
1970:  Kothar and the Wizard Slayer, by Gardner Fox, is published.

XXXV
The Year 1971

c. January 1971:  Domesday Book #9 is published, featuring the map of the Great Kingdom.
Early 1971:  Gary writes a letter to Wargamer's Newsletter, indicating his intention to "write up rules for Tolkien fantasy games, using LGTSA Medieval Miniatures rules as the basic starting point."  This is a reference to the system which will become the Fantasy Supplement in Chainmail.
Early 1971:  Gary writes the Fantasy Supplement.  His play group tests the system using the sand table and various miniatures.  The Battle of the Brown Hills scenario may date to this time period.
Early 1971:  Gary finalizes the Chainmail manuscript.
Early 1971:  Gary convinces a doubtful Don Lowry to publish Chainmail as a whole, without cutting the Fantasy Supplement out of the back.
March 1971:  The first edition of Chainmail is published by Guidon Games.
March or Early April, 1971:  Dave Arneson buys a copy of Chainmail.
c. March-April, 1971:  Upheaval in Arneson's Napoleonics campaign inspires him to try something completely different in the name of fun over historical realism.
c. April 1971:  Arneson designs his own medieval fantasy scenario, using the Chainmail Fantasy Supplement as a guide.  He will also be inspired by his experiences in the Braunstein games.
April 1971:  Arneson, via his Corner of the Table fanzine, announces a forthcoming "medieval Braunstein" game.
April 1971:  Domesday Book #10 is published.
April 10, 1971:  The movie Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man plays on Horror Incorporated.  This movie may have inspired some elements of the upcoming Blackmoor campaign.
April 17, 1971:  The "mythical Braunstein" game, later to be regarded as the very first Blackmoor session, is played.
c. April 1971:  The Braunstein/Blackmoor play group develops new monsters for the ongoing adventure games.
April 24, 1971:  Speculated date for the second Braunstein/Blackmoor game session.
Late April and Early May, 1971:  The weekend Braunstein/Blackmoor games continue, with ongoing character activity.
Spring 1971:  Gary and Dave begin collaborating on a set of naval rules for Napoleonics gaming.  These rules will later become Don't Give Up the Ship.
Spring 1971:  Gary finds that he is receiving more letters expressing interest in the Fantasy Supplement than in the Chainmail medieval wargame proper.
June 1, 1971:  Gary, hoping to renew interest in the lingering Castle & Crusade Society, assumes "kingship" of the gaming club.
June 1971:  The serialization of the Don't Give Up the Ship system begins in International Wargamer magazine.
c. June 1971:  Dave graduates from college with a degree in history.
June 1971:  Dave travels with his family to Sweden, temporarily disrupting the Braunstein/Blackmoor gaming sessions.
July 1971:  Jack of Shadows, by Roger Zelazny, begins its serialization in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
July 1971:  Dave returns to the Twin Cities and begins planning for a more ambitious fantasy campaign.  The Braunstein/Blackmoor games resume at about this time.
July 1971:  Gary discusses his gaming group's "Tolkien fantasy games" in Wargamer's Newsletter.
July 24, 1971:  Godzilla vs. Hedorah is released in Japan.  This movie may have been one of the inspirations for the demon lord Juiblex.
August 1971:  Gary provides some minor updates to Chainmail in International Wargamer magazine.  Len Lakofka also provides a review of the game.
August 1971:  Gary is forced to let the Castle & Crusade Society languish once again as he focuses more on work and family.
August 1971:  Gary, needing to work more to establish a reliable income for his family, purchases shoe repair equipment which will be installed in the basement.  The gaming sand table is moved from to Don Kaye's garage.
August 21-22, 1971:  Gen Con IV is held in Lake Geneva.
October 30, 1971:  Chamber of Horrors is presented on Horror Incorporated.
Late 1971:  Domesday Book #11 is published.
Late 1971:  Alan Lucien attempts to resurrect the War of the Empires game, but is not successful.
November 1971:  Gary's article on the Battle of the Brown Hills appears in Wargamer's Newsletter magazine.
November 1971:  The Clocks of Iraz, by L. Sprague de Camp, is published.
December 11, 1971:  The Walking Dead is featured on Horror Incorporated.
December 25, 1971:  The movies Night of Terror and The Lady and the Monster are played on Horror Incorporated.  These movies may have inspired some aspects of Dave's conception of the Blackmoor dungeons.
c. December 25-31, 1971:  This is the likely timeframe for Dave's design of the original Blackmoor dungeons (six levels).
1971:  The Black Mountains, by Fred Saberhagen, is published.

  


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Post Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 1:27 pm 
 

Do you have a date for Chaosium's All the World's Monsters from 1977? I'm wondering if it was early enough to have influenced development of the Monster Manual.

  


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Post Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 2:48 pm 
 

sauromatian wrote in Hawk & Moor: A new D&D book and request for beta readers:Do you have a date for Chaosium's All the World's Monsters from 1977? I'm wondering if it was early enough to have influenced development of the Monster Manual.


Hi there, All the Worlds' Monsters (registration TX0000144241) has a listed copyright date of August 18, 1977.  The apostrophe was technically placed to indicate multiple worlds (plural).  The Monster Manual's Foreword (typically written toward the end of editing) by Mike Carr is dated September 27, 1977.  Gary's Preface is unfortunately undated.  There were printing delays and other issues but it appears the book made it out in the last week of December, with most people finding and receiving copies in early 1978.  So I'd say there probably were several weeks in which AtWM may have influenced some of the MM contents, depending on who bought a copy and when. ;)  Might be a fun question for Mr. Carr.  I'm at work and don't have my books handy but I think AtWM receives a mention in Designers & Dragons.

  
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