The Fighting Fantasy line. It appeared after the era I collect, so much of it is still pretty new to me. But I'm interested in minimalist rules systems, so have been acquiring a few things lately-

Dicing with Dragons, including Fantasy Quest 1 (1982).
The sample game rules (similar to FF) use a lot of 3D6 rolls, an apparent nod to the first actions of a novice D&D player. The adventure is Ian Livingstone doing what he does best: a tasteful assemblage of classic fantasy icons. The various maps throughout the book (taken from then-current games such as Prax from RuneQuest) are a nice touch. Both this volume & Bruce Galloway's Fantasy Wargaming were available as book-club reprints, meaning that the book club could technically offer a hardback RPG line in competition with AD&D. Unfortunately one system is too simple, while the other is ridiculously complex & disorganized -although you do get the stats for God & Jesus in Galloway's book, which presumably you could use to duke it out with Satan & Cthulhu from AD&D while Star Destroyers fight the USS Enterprise overhead for consumerist supremacy. I of course got the only edition of Dicing with Dragons worth having, the metal-boobies US trade paperback from Plume.

Citadel of Chaos, Fighting Fantasy Gamebook 2 (1983).
Steve Jackson doing what he does best, a somewhat more Alice-in-Wonderland spin on the genre than Livingstone's efforts. As rules systems go, this one packs the most punch in the smallest package, spells & all. The original UK edition of this volume has a great cover by Emmanuel, but on the other hand the US-edition covers are illustrated by Richard Corben. E.g. his cover for Warlock of Firetop Mountain (You too could be the lucky winner of all these non-existent rewards!), & the glowing fires of damnation look awfully tempting in the background of his cover for House of Hades.

Warlock, the Fighting Fantasy Magazine No. 3 (1984).
The publishing notes mention only Penguin Books, but some online sources list the publisher of this periodical as the Puffin division of Penguin. Includes Market Mayhem, which is presented as a boardgame but could be used to expand FF toward a fully functioning, game-mastered RPG. The FF installment is House of Hell, with both a title more obscene & illustrations more nude than the eventual US book edition. The adventure addresses FF rules in a modern setting, along with an opening narrative premise reminiscent of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. (Singing the lines aloud while playing the game solo should be considered optional.)

ExTSR wrote in The Non-TSR Recent Fun Finds thread:::cheep cheep cheep::


** expired/removed eBay auction **

aaaarrrrgggghhhh! that's one hell of a deal right there! one of AH more rare items. at least I haven't seen but a couple over the last few years

fwiw...

Avalon Hill Black Magic Ritual Kit RARE New in Shrink Wrap | eBay

sauromatian wrote in The Non-TSR Recent Fun Finds thread:

ExTSR wrote in The Non-TSR Recent Fun Finds thread:fwiw...


** expired/removed eBay auction **

The seller would probably grant a $34 discount.

that price is just, well, silly!

webrik33 wrote in The Non-TSR Recent Fun Finds thread:
** expired/removed eBay auction **


someone got a deal on this imo. i don't have it but wish i had won it at that price!

eBay wasn't accepting bids on any of Tadashi's sales from over here just before that batch closed. Indeed, it even refused to acknowledge that he existed when I checked.
=> BBC News - eBay glitch blocks access for users on auction site

lokiwookie wrote in The Non-TSR Recent Fun Finds thread:This week-end I was in a French RPG convention (Octogônes), and I found that: (price on ziplock is the selling price...)

[ Image ]

no fair! i'm moving to france...

did you buy them? and if so i'll give you 39.95 euro each!

I am very happy considering that you have the same chance to find something like that in France as to meet Charlize Theron topless in Gencon.

webrik33 wrote in The Non-TSR Recent Fun Finds thread:did you buy them? and if so i'll give you 39.95 euro each!

Héhé. I bought them. I keep them

Wow! If it is not a fake, what a good find! I still need one.

Even if it turns out to be a fake (which I don't think it will), that's a great price to be able to have one to use and cut up and play with!